“Asahi, can you stop by my cubicle for a minute?”

          I immediately turn around from the photocopier and look at Mr. Kiseki, my manager in front of the pantry door. “I’ll be right there.”

          I hand the copied sheets to an old assistant manager beside Mr. Kiseki’s cubicle, and I let myself in the compact-sized manager cube that’s just enough to accommodate two people in front of his table. Kiseki Hokuto is a plump man in his thirties who spent his youth in America and laments on a daily basis on how strict Japanese working ethic is. He’s now sitting—or half-lying—on his seat, his eyes are ever so unenergetic behind the clear glasses.

          “You can sit—it’s going to be quite long.” he says as he straightens his back.

          “Oh, thought there’s more to copy.”

          “What I’m going to say is exactly what’s going to free you from that menial thing.”

          “Oooh, so exciting.” I mumble flatly.

          “You know that Sato Sayaka is in charge for Spring part of our upcoming travel book? She walked out from the final meeting.”

          “What’s her problem this time?”

          “She wants the book to be under her name, meaning higher royalty. CEO refused that and dropped her from the project. He asked me to find another writer and I think you’d be a good fit.”

          My eyes widen, but I keep cool. “Because you know I’d have to do it anyway and the CEO will kick me out before I can say ‘royalty’. Am I right?”

          “I showed him your works and he liked them. You’ll get paid for this, but less because it’d be published under this company’s name.” he observes my face, and tilts his head. “So you don’t wanna do this? Three weeks in South Korea?”

          I raise from my seat, and jump on the spot. “Oh my God, oh my God! You’re the best manager ever! Can I hug you?”

          “I’d rather not. My wife has ears and eyes in this office.” he raises both of his palms instead, and lets me high-five him repeatedly in total frantic while he remains still and expressionless. “It must be exciting to go to your homeland, yeah.”

          “Nah, I don’t care about Korea, I just need days off!”

          “Remember—you’re going to work there.”

          “I know, I know, killjoy. Now where’s my ticket?”

          “HRD is arranging it as we speak. You’re leaving in a week, and in Korea you’ll be accompanied by a photographer.”

          “I thought I’d do the photographing as well?”

          “We’ve hired someone already because Sato doesn’t want to carry a camera, and besides I know you’re terrible at taking pictures so I won’t cancel the contract. I won’t take any risk.” Kiseki sneers. I tap a foot to the floor slowly. There goes my plan to have a completely alone healing trip. “So can I trust you this time? It’s risky to send a staff with less than five-year experience but—oh, I can’t believe I’m saying this—I see talent in you and I want you to prove it to me and the company.”

          “I won’t disappoint you, dude. I mean, Sir.”

          “Yeah. Now go to the HRD, help them with the itinerary.”

          “Got it.” I dash away before he could finish his sentence and race myself to two floors below. Finally, a chance for field work.

*

          Four days before my departure, Mr. Kiseki calls me again to his cubicle, and he has this enigmatic small smile on his face. “My dear copywriter, sit, sit.”

          “What is this about?”

          “Initially we’ve hired Baek Soojung for the pictures, but she canceled after knowing Sato was going to work with her. Before being informed that you’d replace Sato, she had finished changing the contract for a newer photographer in her studio, which means less money to pay. CEO was so glad to cut off two funds.”

          I pull the sides of my mouth and sigh. “Wonderful.”

          “Here’s the paperwork, including the contact of your photographer.”

          I take the photographer’s business card, and tilt my head. Kim Jongdae… A guy? “I’m going to roam Korea for three weeks with a guy I don’t know?”

          “That’s called work. You two are going to meet at breakfast the next morning after your night flight.”

          “Understood.”

          “If you do well this time, CEO will consider you to do the Summer part in Bali or Fall part in Hong Kong.”

          My mouth gapes. “Oh my God.”

          “Exactly. Bet your all.”

*

          I look at Kim Jongdae’s business card while waiting for the elevator to bring me to the restaurant of this four-star hotel in the middle of Seoul, and I have no idea how this person would look like. I’ve peeped into his Instagram and there’s no single picture with human in it. His portfolio is impressive though, I see that he likes taking pictures of nature sceneries. I’ve e-mailed him to confirm his attendance for today and he just replied yes. Is he old or young? Short or tall? Skinny or big?

          I look around the restaurant, but there’s not much to see. There’s only three tables with people and other than a family and an elderly couple, of course a man who’s checking a camera on the table is the Kim Jongdae I’m looking for. I get closer to the table, and he lifts his head.

          The man with camera stands up, and I do a quick scan. His short black hair is neatly trimmed, has a pair of cheekbones so sharp they may hurt your finger if you touch them, and to balance that feature he has straight eyebrows that compliment his deer-like eyes and thin lips that’s curling into a smile right now. He’s probably five inches taller than me, but his shoes might add those extra height.

          I glance at his warm-looking dark green jacket and fitting jeans, then look at his eyes. “Hello. I’m Choi Nana from Kabuki Books.”

          Jongdae welcomes my hand but he couldn’t help looking a bit confused. “Kim Jongdae. Oh, I thought—” he looks at the papers in front of him, which has ‘Asahi Nanami’ on one of them.

          “Um, yes, that’s my Japanese name. I’m a fourth generation Korean Japanese.”

          “Ah.” he nods. “I’m so happy to work with one of Japan’s biggest publishing company. Thinking about how my pictures would be used there—albeit not exclusively named—is thrilling.”

          “I’ve looked into your studio people too, your works are amazing. We’re the same case, then. I won’t be exclusively credited for the texts too. So basically we’re both replacements.”

          Jongdae nods. He pulls a chair out for me to sit, and I raise my eyebrows slightly. Been awhile since I’ve received such an act of politeness. We both settle on our seats, and a few seconds of silence follow. “We should get some food.”

          “Right.” we stand up in the same time and head to the buffet. “So, please call me Nana. Also if I may ask, how old—?”

          “Oh, I was born in 1992.” Jongdae answers.

          “Wow, we’re the same age.” I was going to continue with ‘we can talk informally to each other’ but I think it’s too early.

          “I’m also very thankful that you speak Korean. I only speak basic Japanese.”

          “Haha, right.” I feel like I saved him from working with Sato Sayaka. “Everything’s going to be easier. Oh right, you may want to just take a little since we’re going to review some breakfast street food.”

          We go back to our table, and I notice my own belongings which have a camera among them. “I’m sorry, but if I’m not mistaken in the contract it says that we prefer that you use our company’s camera, right?”

          “Ah, yes. But I’m more comfortable using mine. Every end of the day, I will give the files to you.”

          I hesitantly pick up my coffee cup. “Well… But I’ll still bring this one around. Just in case.”

          “Sure.” Jongdae says.

          “Okay you might have read this in the itinerary, but basically we have to do four things every time we visit a place—pictures, interview with the person in charge and visitors, price check, and exact address with directions. Also one more thing, but this is just outside all that—a picture of me with either the PIC, the front gate of the location, or combined. Auditors need those just as much as my travel expense documents.”

          “Alright.” Jongdae notes it in his mind. “So looking at the plan, we’re going around Seoul for today?”

          “Yes. My manager told me to focus on street life on day and night. We’ll spend a lot of time in open air, I guess.”

          “Great. But don’t you think you’re dressed to thinly? The wind is quite strong nowadays.” Jongdae glances at my clothes, and I reflexively touch my cotton sweater.

          “Oh—I got my coat inside the bag.”

          Jongdae nods in approval. Ooh, an attentive one. We finish our breakfast, and head outside. The road in front of the hotel is actually lined up with blooming cherry blossoms, and I silently fawn over them. I might be too tired to notice them last night when I arrived. Jongdae is already taking pictures, and my head is full with possible words I’d assemble to describe this view.

          Two blocks from the hotel, we enter the famed Myungdong area, and street food vendors are seen even before the gate. I try not to gawk at the steaming egg toasts on my left, but in the end I give up and signal Jongdae to come with me. “These look amazing… Can you see if there’s a prettier stall?” I add in a lower tone. Jongdae looks around, and concludes there’s none. “Then please take some pictures of these.”

          We take pictures of each stalls, and get a free tester on most of them. On the last of the line in this street, we come across a lady selling hotteok and she’s a complete chatterbox.

          “Aigoo, come here, children! What filling do you want, sugar? Cheese? Red beans? This young man should eat more! Here, take a bite—” she reaches out her hand to feed Jongdae and he smiles after taking it to his mouth. “—you too, darling, it’s still a bit cold so you must eat a lot. While dating you need to stuff yourself with good things!”

          Jongdae awkwardly laughs as he takes pictures, and I let the lady feed me too. “I’ll have the cheese one. Please stuff it a lot so the cheese will stretch more!”

          “Of course, of course.” the lady proceeds to make what I ordered, and I quickly take it while it’s still hot.

        “It’s going to make a great photo! I’m going to tear it—” I carefully let my hands do the work to the warm hotteok and soft melting cheese starts to appear, followed with light transparent steam flowing to the air. “It’s showing!”

          Jongdae grins behind his camera, and we both look at the results afterwards. “I think it’s good.”

          “Wow, it came out well.” I look at the photos, and tear the hotteok in half to give Jongdae a part. “Here.”

          “Thanks.”

          We look like a happy couple in a date, I think to myself. But of course that’s not the case. Anyway this business trip has been going well so far, the rest of this should go nicely too… Right?