Chapter 11

This Isn’t Goodbye

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Jiyeon stood in front of the finished office with a proud look on her face. The feeling of accomplishment flowed through her veins. 

Every time she finished a project, she would take a step back and give the overall design a quick look. Then she would personally inspect every nook and cranny, making sure everything was in place and right according to her client’s needs. When everything was to her satisfaction, the feeling of success and fulfillment would overtake her emotions. It was as if she was a proud mother watching her child take their first steps.

However, the feeling of nervousness began to replace the feeling of accomplishment. It was like this every single time and almost became a routine for her emotions. 

Would her client like it? But in this case, would Sehun like it?

The sound of the elevator interrupted her thoughts. Jiyeon quickly took a deep breath and turned around to greet her client.

Sehun walked onto the floor with his assistant, Taeyong, trailing in after him. As usual, he carried an aura of power and confidence into the room with him.

“Good morning Jiyeon,” Sehun greeted her with a small smile on his face, breaking away from his usual straight face.

“Good morning,” Jiyeon returned his greeting with a nervous smile. “Hi Taeyong.”

“Hello noona,” Taeyong looked up from his iPad and gave Jiyeon a smile before looking back down, further scheduling Sehun’s meetings for the next couple of days.

Since Jiyeon had spent so much time at Sehun’s office, it was inevitable that she and Taeyong had become close. As she spent more time with him, Jiyeon got to see the playful side of Taeyong instead of the serious personal assistant that he was, reminding her of her own brother.

“Are you ready to see it?” asked Jiyeon, looking at Sehun with uncertainty.

Sehun nodded as he began to walk into the space with Jiyeon and Taeyong trailing in after him. Jiyeon nervously watched as Sehun’s smile disappeared and was replaced by his usual straight face, as if he was analyzing every single detail. Thinking that he might not like her designs, Jiyeon began to bite her lips anxiously. 

Noticing how tense Jiyeon was, Taeyong was the first to break the silence.

“I’m sure hyung will like it,” Taeyong gave Jiyeon a reassuring smile as he spoke with his tone lowered. 

“You think so?” asked Jiyeon, looking up at the younger male. Even though Taeyong was a couple years younger than her, he was still three-fourths of a head taller than her. “How do you know?”

“I’ve been by his side for more than 5 years now,” Taeyong nodded in the direction of Sehun. “I know what he likes and what he doesn’t. So, breathe noona.”

Jiyeon let out a small breath after hearing his words. She didn’t even notice that she was holding her breath and had forgotten to inhale and exhale.

After taking a look at the whole floor carefully, Sehun turned around to meet a very uneasy Jiyeon’s eye.

“I like it,” said Sehun, causing Jiyeon to let out a loud sigh of relief. “I’m really impressed with what you did.”

“Really?” Jiyeon’s face finally broke out into a wide smile. This was the reaction she always hoped for whenever she was done with a project. Jiyeon truly did love her job, but she also loved seeing her clients’ happy reactions to her designs. “I’m glad you like it.”

Sehun nodded and looked at Taeyong. “Taeyong, what do you think?”

“I think noona did a great job,” said Taeyong giving Jiyeon a genuine smile. “It’s probably the nicest floor in this building.”

“Oh, stop it,” Jiyeon let out a small chuckle as she playfully shoved Taeyong before looking back at Sehun. “I suppose my job here is done. It was a pleasure to be able to work with you.”

Jiyeon stuck out a hand, initiating a handshake. It was something she did professionally to say goodbye to her client and to thank them for allowing her to work with them. 
“And It was an honor to work with you,” Sehun gave her a small smile before engulfing her hand in his. Once again, sparks ignited between the two as they met each other’s gazes.

But before he could pull away, Jiyeon took a step forward and pulled him in for a hug, letting go of his hand in the process.

Sehun froze in surprise for a couple of seconds before he slowly brought his arms up to return the embrace. He could feel his heartbeat quicken and since Jiyeon only reached his chin, he was hoping she wouldn’t feel the thumping. He knew his face and ears would turn completely red if she did.

“I don’t think this is a goodbye,” said Jiyeon, quietly for Sehun to hear. Behind Jiyeon, Taeyong stood there with a wide grin plastered on his face, which did not go unnoticed by Sehun. Catching his boss’s eye, Taeyong gave him a thumbs up, causing Sehun to inwardly groan in embarrassment. To Sehun, he had never shown this much affection in front of anyone.

“No, it isn’t,” Sehun cleared his throat, feeling embarrassed.

Jiyeon slowly let go of Sehun and turned her gaze upwards. “Then, I guess I’ll be going now, since all the paper work is done.”

The feeling of emptiness filled Sehun once again as soon as Jiyeon stepped back.

Jiyeon quickly said goodbye to Taeyong and turned back to a stunned Sehun, giving him one last smile before turning towards the elevator. 

“I’ll see you soon Jiyeon,” called out Sehun as the elevator doors closed to which Jiyeon returned with a wave.

As soon as the doors closed, Jiyeon closed her eyes and sighed, clearly embarrassed of her actions.

“What the did I just do?” whispered Jiyeon, shaking her head. She never planned on hugging Sehun. It was as if her body acted on impulse. One second she was giving him an innocent handshake and the next she was embracing him. 

Clearly something went wrong. Or was it right. She didn’t even know anymore.
She felt confused. Sehun was just a friend. Nothing else. That’s what she convinced herself to believe. However, she couldn’t help but feel something more for him.

Groaning, Jiyeon quickly shook her head, trying to clear away all the thoughts