Day 23.

“Here you go! Why do you need this drawing though?”

“The owner of this café wants to open a new branch in Jeju. Donghae sent me some potential locations. One would be chosen as café and the rest he would turn it into some bed and breakfast. And he seems like how the previous café had done.”

“Some people just too rich, huh?”

Changmin shrugged and placed the documents from Bora to his folders. He proceeds to click several times on his computer, “Which one is the recent 3D file?”

Bora who already turned her heels has to halt on the way, “Are you even graduated high school?”

“What?!” he looked so dumbfounded and Taeyon couldn’t help put stretching her neck to check what’s going on. Whatever these two people arguing about, mostly would be more interesting than technical words splattered in front of her.

“Dude, there’s a feature here to sort the files based on the date modified. Besides, you can tell immediately by the name of the file,” Bora snatched the mouse and showed him how it done, “Here. Look. Easier than to get a taxi in front of our office.”

“How is it possible that your directory be this neat?”

“Try to have Sunny on your team. Ah, no. actually, try to have Henry on your team. He messed up some stuffs for the project which back then had deadline in less than two weeks. Sunny exploded like Vesuvius. So this happened.”

“Can we trade team leader? Donghae is a mess! Out of five times he sent me file to revise, he forgot to mention it was for Jeju’s project eighty percent of it!”

“You’ve been working with him more or less two years already and only complain now? Why you’re so into remaking on the team member lately? Are you this desperate to move into a team with more girls?” Bora flailed her hand to Taeyeon direction, “This man is so weird, beware of him, Taeyeon.”

Taeyeon just chuckled, “I’ll make a note on that!”

“Speaking of note, what have you been writing since this morning?”

Just like on switch, Taeyeon’s face turned sour. She raised the paper to the air for both of them able to see it, “Another contract and report to translate. I mean, I don’t mind since I know the languages. But, aren’t they supposed to send it to the professional?”

“Just hang in there a little bit, Tae. Next time you’re on other dreadful project, you’d miss this one.”

“As if I’m going to get another project to do. I started to wonder if I really am an architect.”

Changmin knows exactly why this is happened, “Do you want me to talk to Jinki or Jonghyun? Or at least Minho?”

“And send me to hell earlier if he threw his rage on me? Thank you so much. A little bit more and I’m done,” she turned to her back to check if Minho and Suho are on their seats, a precaution won’t hurt, “By the way, where are you guys going for lunch? I’m so starving already. My flatmate left without making me breakfast. The toast burnt when I went to my bedroom to brush my hair.”

An obvious grimace spread on Bora’s face, “Actually, I’m going to lunch meeting for the hospital renovation with Henry. We’re leaving in fifteen minutes.”

“Really? And you?” she turned to Changmin who has been obsessed with her since day one and hope he would have better respond.

“Yuri is on the way from the interior design studio we’re working with and she will pick me up to go check the factory. I’m so sorry, Tae. You checked on Amber?”

“Shindong’s teams are on supplier visit since this morning. No problem, I’ll go to the minimarket across the street.”

“Tomorrow. Tomorrow we can have lunch together! I’ll cook tonight!” Bora cheerfully put up both her thumbs on each side of her cheeks, “I’m going! If I don’t return until five, it means I’m going straight home after! See you, dorks!”

***

One hour passed lunch time, finally Taeyeon finished translating all the architectural terms on the contracts. She stretched her limbs, trying to ease all the stiffen muscles. The office is half empty this afternoon, no one’s around when she threw when she threw a look. At least someone she’s comfortable to talk or grab a coffee with.

She took one last glances on the sheets in her hands, “I guess this one is okay. it if he screamed again.”

Three weeks into the internship, every single nerve she has is half numb. Especially after last week, not any day passed without something happened between her and Minho. The tension kept building up until yesterday she got yelled just because she asked Hyungsik if there’s anything she could help because she had nothing to do.

Until Minho gave her piles of contracts from the company abroad that needs to be explained to the local contractor before the end of this week. She could only curse herself for ever thought that guy is godly attractive.

“Oh, Taeyeon, you’re not having lunch?”

Jonghyun walked out the glass room and quite surprised finding her still around her desk, looks distressed as if she hasn’t sleep the whole month.

“Oh, no, not yet. Just finished with this one. Minho needs it for the meeting. I’ll go to the coffee shop across later to grab some sandwich.”

“Really?!”

“What really?!” Jinki who entailed behind Jonghyun confused seeing his eyes almost doubled.

“Toad face tortured her again. I guess he left her taking care the contracts. As if Suho still need a baby sitter on the site. You want to join us for lunch?”

“Eh?”

“Let’s go. Jonghyun and I are about to go to the restaurant at the intersection. There will be my fiancé as well but the more the merrier!”

And again, he flashed his million dollar smile again as if he knew the thunder cloud hovering Taeyeon head.

“Don’t worry, it’s okay! It will be faster if I just grab my sandwich and returned.”

“What faster? You finished everything. And the ogre is not going back at least two hours. Come on, I’m starving!”

Jinki walked passed his best friend heading to the front door. Jonghyun just shrugged and smirked to Taeyeon who’s now standing uncomfortably with paper hanging on her palm.

“YAA! Are you coming or not?!”

“You better be quick. Jinki is the scariest when he ran out of food.”

She put the papers on Minho’s desk almost running, “I’ll go get my coat!”

***

“So you don’t live with your family anymore?”

Taeyeon shakes her head lightly, bitter smile failed to be suppressed, “Nope, I share apartment with my best friend. She’s leaving to take some job abroad, though. I have to find another place or take more jobs to cover the rent. Staying with my family is just too much. I need some air.”

She gulped down the water in front of her in one go. When we start ordering food? This is so awkward, why I agreed to come with them?

“Isn’t she just like you?” Jonghyun slapped Jinki’s arm.

“What do you mean?” the guy doesn’t give a damn and keeps munching on the bread stick like a beaver.

“Remember when you returned from the States? Your Mom begged you to stay with them but you just being a stubborn youngest kid and rented your own place.”

“They kept asking me to get married back then and we just started dating for a month!”

“The same with me!!” Jonghyun nearly fell of his chair when Taeyeon suddenly burst out. She ducked her head immediately realizing she came too strong, “I’m still in graduate school! I still have dreams to pursue! But my brother and sister keep pestering me when am I gonna get married whenever they ad chance to call me.”

“That’s the worse. Imagine being the youngest and the only one who has a lover.”

“I got married pretty young. And it’s fine. You should think about it. That works for you as well, Lee. You think being engaged is enough?”

“That’s because you were lucky enough to meet Minjung! Don’t generalize everything. Ah, speaking of Minjung, his brother is coming.”

“The ogre is coming?!”

“He texted in the group! Stop turning off your phone!! What if a client tried to call you?! And you said married young is okay?! Okay my .”

“Leave my wife alone!”

“Then who will take care of my sister if you’re busy escaping your responsibility then?”

A familiar voice, too much familiar, approached behind Taeyeon’s back. Her neck becomes rigid all of sudden. She’s pretty sure who is the owner but she still hopes it’s all just in her imagination.

“Hey, Taeyeon.”

“Oh, hi,” she nods nervously to the man who took a place on her left, “I finished the contract and put it on your desk. I thought you’re not going to return until tomorrow.”

“Why so fast? But let’s not talk about work during lunch, okay?” he offered his smile and all the reason why she had a crush on him starts creeping up the back of her head, “Thanks by the way for finishing it so quick. That’s very helpful of you, I need them for tomorrow’s meeting.”

He must be in a very good mood, she thought. Just this morning, he arrived at the office and checked on Taeyeon without