Chapter 5

The Call

--

Jiyeon knocked on the door three times before entering. It was around lunchtime and she had just finished the meeting with Oh Sehun, the boss of Oh Enterprise and the man she had spilled coffee all over. 

“You’re back already?” asked Chanyeol, looking up from his paperwork. “What did he say?”

“I…got the job!” said Jiyeon as she broke out into a wide smile.

“Really?” asked Chanyeol with surprise evident on his face. “Sehun agreed that quickly? He’s usually a lot more difficult…”

“He’s actually not that bad,” added Jiyeon.

“Not that bad?” repeated Chanyeol, scoffing slightly. “You just haven’t seen him in his natural habitat.”

Now it was Jiyeon’s turn to scoff. “Natural habitat?”

Chanyeol nodded eagerly. 

“Anyways, since you got Sehun to be your client, I guess you’re free for the rest of the day,” said Chanyeol, casually dismissing Jiyeon. 

Jiyeon cocked her eyebrow suspiciously. “Really?”

“What kind of boss would I be if I didn’t give my employees breaks?” asked Chanyeol.

“A terrible one,” joked Jiyeon. Chanyeol gave her a fake glare which made her break out into a small smile. “I’m kidding, of course.”

“You better be,” said Chanyeol before waving his hand in dismissal. “Now off you go. Enjoy the rest of your day off.”

“Yes sir!” Jiyeon raised her right hand up to a salute before turning towards the door. “I’m just going to grab some things from my office.”

Jiyeon gave Chanyeol one last wave, to which he returned, before leaving his executive office.

--
“Knock knock,” called out a voice all too familiar to Jiyeon. “I heard you have the rest of the day off.”

Jiyeon looked up to find Baekhyun walking into her office. She was organizing and packing up the papers thrown around her desk.

“And may I ask how you know that already?” asked Jiyeon even though she already knew the answer. She always wondered how he had so much time on his hands to be hanging around her office.

“There’s something called texting,” said Baekhyun rolling his eyes as he took a seat in front of her. “So, Sehun actually agreed to become your client that quickly?”

Jiyeon nodded. “I don’t see why he didn’t. He seemed pretty decent to me.”

“He wasn’t hostile?” asked Baekhyun. 

Jiyeon shook her head in response. “He seemed pretty easy to work with.”

“How odd,” commented Baekhyun.

“The way you and Chanyeol described him made it seem like he was terrifying,” added Jiyeon. 

“Oh honey, trust me. More than half of his employees are frightened by that man,” said Baekhyun. “The only people that he tolerates are probably his family, close friends, including me and Chanyeol, and his assistant.”

“I mean, he seemed alright with me,” shrugged Jiyeon. “Even though I practically spilled coffee all over him.”

Jiyeon had added the last part quietly hoping Baekhyun wouldn’t hear, but because of his supersonic hearing, he had heard clearly.

“He was the man you spilled coffee over yesterday?” exclaimed Baekhyun as he practically choked on his own spit. 

Jiyeon nodded.

“And he didn’t go bat crazy on you?” 

Jiyeon shook her head.

“He’s completely lost it,” concluded Baekhyun.

Just as Jiyeon opened to respond, her cellphone rang. 

“Mom?” asked Jiyeon as she gave Baekhyun an apologetic smile for cutting their conversation short. 

“Jiyeon! I heard you have the rest of the day off,” chirped her mother through the phone.

“How do you- Baekhyun told you didn’t he,” said Jiyeon as she looked at Baekhyun who responded with a sheepish smile. 

Baekhyun was the type who got along with older women around her mother’s age. So, when she introduced Baekhyun to her mother for the first time, the two instantly clicked. They often talked on the phone, updating each other on the latest celebrity gossip and anything that interested the both of them. He’s been at her family’s house for dinner way too many times to count. It was almost like he was a part of the family.

“And I’m glad he did because that means you can come home for lunch,” said her mother, clapping her hands.

“Mom, I can just order takeout or eat at Seokjin oppa’s restaurant,” said Jiyeon, trying to decline her mother’s offer, not wanting to make her mom go out of her way to cook her lunch. But knowing her mom, she already had the whole table set up.

“Please? Your father and I haven’t seen you since last weekend,” asked her mother. Jiyeon sighed knowing that she couldn’t refuse her mother.

“Alright,” agreed Jiyeon. “I’ll be home in 30 minutes.”

“Great! See you then, my lovely daughter,” said her mom before ending the call.

“You’re going home for lunch?” asked Baekhyun, his eyes twinkling in excitement.

“You know how stubborn my mom is,” replied Jiyeon, gathering her things. “I feel like there’s another reason why she wants me home for lunch.”

“Who knows, but I wish I could go with you,” said Baekhyun sadly. He would never pass up an opportunity to eat her mother’s cooking. “I have a meeting with all the department heads.”

“Maybe next time,” Jiyeon said, patting her friend on the back. “I’ll text you.”

“See you later Jiyeon,” smiled Baekhyun, giving her a quick hug.

She waved goodbye before exiting her office with Baekhyun trailing behind. Baekhyun’s mind wandered back to his tall friend as he watched Jiyeon’s retreating back.

“Oh Sehun, what’s going on with you?” 
--

Jiyeon stood in front of the police precinct in Seoul carrying a satchel of food her mother had made. Jiyeon’s suspicions were correct about the reason why her mother wanted her home for lunch.

Besides wanting to feed her only daughter, Jiyeon’s mother wanted to make sure her youngest son was also eating. Mingyu had not been home for a few days now due to a case, and knowing him, he was probably living off of instant ramen or Chinese takeout, immediately bringing out her mother’s