Never in Nayeon's life did she imagine getting caught into something as embarrassing as her current situation. For twenty-five years of her existence, she hasn't expected being interviewed by someone who was aside from being drop dead gorgeous, was also intimidating as hell.

The office interior design was gothic, more of the dark themed and at first, Nayeon mistook the editor in chief to be a man, only to be welcomed by a woman full of elegance and class without trying so hard. 

Something inside Nayeon's stomach knots. The nervousness she feels doubles the moment her gaze landed on the name of her future boss if ever she'll get accepted.

Oh .. She's doomed.

Throughout the course, Nayeon couldn't keep her hands still. She was gulping unconsciously, her sweats came out uncontrollably even when the room was cold.

The woman seated across the desk quietly scans her work. Nayeon takes notes of the times she sees the lady's eyes narrow or whenever she would scrunch her nose or simply hum.

Silence envelope their whole being. The only noise that can be heard was the flipping of pages as the lady continued to scan the story submitted by Nayeon.

"So..." the woman looks up and starts to talk. She closes the book and places it on the top of her desk.

Nayeon takes it as a cue and stands up. "Forgive me miss Myoui." she bows right away.

"I- what? What for?" the voice sounded so confused. Nayeon fixes herself to meet the woman's eyes.

"For using your name in my story without your permission."  she explains.

Mina squints and then closes her eyes briefly before letting out a soft laughter. "Please sit miss Im." her hand gestures Nayeon the request.

Albeit hesitant and puzzled, Nayeon follows Mina's words. 

"It's okay, when I first read your work I actually got interested to who the author is and how did my name end up in the story." Mina flashes a comforting smile and if they're on a different situation, Nayeon is sure she would melt, especially at how pretty Mina's smile is. But no, she's still battling on how to save herself from getting buried due to her friend's suggestion.

Sana, you piece of...

And seriously, Mina's smile isn't helping her relax at all.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't know that name existed. A friend of mine suggested it when I asked her for a Japanese name. If I had known it earlier, I wouldn't have submitted my draft to your company. I'm really sorry miss Myoui."

A series of short chuckle escapes Mina's mouth, she immediately clears and straighten her stance.
"Relax miss Im. I don't bite, and I am not mad. I find it fascinating actually, it's fate."

"F-fate? What?" Nayeon continues to stammer.

"Fate, something unplanned but is bound to happen." Mina elaborates gently.

This time, Nayeon is the one to let out a laugh, an awkward one to be exact.

"Just curious though." the lady in front of her began.

She lifts her head and focuses all of her attention to the woman.

"Why is my character so mean in your story?"

Nayeon bites her tongue, she wants to just laugh it off and casually answer but she can't do that, not when she wants to get hired.
"I wrote it randomly to be very honest miss Myoui, I just thought of someone who looks tough yet yearning for someone's love deep inside."

Mina simply nods and Nayeon isn't sure if the woman is satisfied with her answer but she couldn't take it back anymore; she thinks she did her best.

After Mina told her that the company will just call to inform her if she got hired or not, Nayeon hastily exited the office. She's the last one to be interviewed today, the lobby is already empty, only those employees working in the company are left by the time she got out.

She didn't leave right away though, pondering her thoughts on how to murder her friend once she sees Sana. When she had decided to just choke Sana, a car suddenly beeps at her side, startling her in the middle of her reverie.

The windowpane on the driver side lowers slowly until Mina's face can be clearly seen. "Do you need a ride miss Im?"

"No!" she abruptly answers with the shake of her head.

Mina glances at the sky before looking at Nayeon again. "Looks like it will rain, I insist in giving you a ride."

"I don't think I can accept that miss."

"Call me Mina when we are outside, I am not your boss here, Nayeon." she flinches at her spot when she heard her name from Mina's mouth, when Mina saw how shocked Nayeon's expression is, she cracks a smile and adds "It's alright if I'll call you by your name right?"

"Of course miss, I mean Mina." she quickly corrects herself.

The smile on Mina's face was still present when she calls Nayeon's name again. "Shall we go now Nayeon?"

"O-okay" she finally surrenders hesitantly.

Once she was settled inside the car, Mina glances at her and gestured her to put on the seatbelt, but maybe Nayeon is just too preoccupied or nervous that she ended up fumbling the thing.

"Let me help you." Mina suddenly offers and without a warning leans closely to her.

Nayeon couldn't help but to close her eyes and bite her lip. She only opens it when she heard the car engine running.

"You're far from the character that you wrote in your story Nayeon." Mina comments.

"Yes, I'm not as cool as that Nayeon." she agrees with a sigh.

"But you're adorable though." Mina whispers and Nayeon only pretends she didn't hear any of that for Mina's sake and also for her heart as well.

"Where are you going by the way?" Mina asks as she steers on the highway.

"At the cafe near the jyp building." 

Mina glances at Nayeon's side with her eyes wide open. "Really? I was going there too!"

"What?" the coincidence..

"I always drop by there every after work, I love their coffees."

Ohhh, that's why Sana knows your name.

"I am always there too but I never saw you..." Nayeon relays.

Mina raises a brow. "I always see you." she looks at the road again.

Nayeon hesitantly shakes her head. "I write there, maybe that's why I wasn't able to notice you."

"Okay, that's understandable." Mina soflty nods.

Luckily, there was still an empty spot on the parking lot. A lot of people go to the café, it's usually packed that's why Nayeon prefers to go there after her morning walk when she could still sit at her favorite spot. Not that she can't ask Sana to reserve it for her as well.

The chimes rang as Mina opens the door. "Is it alright if I'll ask you to join me? You're not going to write today right?" Mina asks with her low voice.

"Of course miss!" Nayeon answers almost right away. "I mean yes, it's fine Mina." she relaxes her tone.

"Great." 

She follows Mina who started walking ahead of her. They seated on Mina's usual spot that was reserved for the lady. Nayeon immediately excuses herself to have a talk with Sana when she saw her friend waving at her from the counter. 

"Sure." Mina replies.

"I'll be back with our order as well." she promises and Mina simply answers her with a smile.

It looks like Sana was still oblivious at the situation as she was still smiling while Nayeon is walking towards her.

"Aww!" she yelps when Nayeon pinches her nose. "What is this for?" Sana continues to whine while leaning away.

Nayeon finally lets her go. "That's for not telling me that the name you suggested was actually your customer and it happened to be my future boss if ever I'll get accepted which I doubt I would with how awkward I was during the interview a while ago."

"Easy easy, one at a time Nayeon, I couldn't understand all of that at once." Sana complains while massaging her nose. "And my nose hurts!"

"You brat!"

Sana quickly dodges Nayeon's attack. "I'm sorry okay! I didn't know she's going to be your boss! I just thought her name is pretty and you even agreed to it!" she defends.

The only thing separating them is the counter, other customers and employees are already watching them fight, though both of them are too busy to mind the stares.

"Why did you even apply to that company? Have you not read the her name while looking them up?" Sana's hands are still holding Nayeon's arms to prevent her from doing other sadistic plans that has been running inside her mind.

"The letter was directed to the director! I didn't know she's the editor in chief and I didn't know she'll be the one to talk to me!"

"Clearly not my fault Nayeon."  Sana declares. "And she's there, she's actually looking at us while frowning." she nudges her head at Mina's direction.

"I know, I'm with her." Nayeon answers.

"What?!" her friend shrieks, Nayeon quickly reaches for and covers it.

"Stop yelling!" she whispers loudly.

"Sorry." Sana raises her arms to surrender. "I was just shocked, why are you together?"

"She said she's going here too, she gave me a ride."

A playful simle suddenly emerges on Sana's lips. Nayeon could only groan a "what" while rolling her eyes.

"Nothing. Pretty sure you got the job." she winks at her.

"Whatever, our order please, the usual ones."

"Coming right away future lovebirds." her friend teases and Nayeon tilts her head away to hide the blush.

Her gaze lands on Mina who was still looking at their spot. Unconsciously, she flashes a smile and Mina gladly reciprocates it.

"I think she's silently plotting how to murder me later Nayeon." Sana whispers as she placed down the cups on a tray.

Nayeon laughs a bit at her friend's remark. "She's just really that serious and intimidating."

"I don't think so." Sana clicks her tongue. "Here you go, now leave before she actually comes here and questions our closeness."

"You always give meaning to everything Sana."

"And I'm rarely wrong Nayeon."

She turns her heel around to march back to Mina's table with their order on the tray she's gripping. "Sorry, it took a little while." she apologizes.

"It's fine." Mina replies and grabs her share.

"I'll pay for this one since you drove me here, as a thank you." Nayeon gently says.

"No, I asked you to join me, I should be paying."

"I insist Mina." Nayeon cracks a wide smile of plea.

Mina sighs. "Fine but I'll be paying next time."

She nearly chokes upon hearing that. Who wouldn't? Next time? There's a next time?

"There is a next time if you'd agree Nayeon." Mina answers her unspoken question which made Nayeon let out a sheepish smile.

"You two seemed close." the woman starts another topic, not letting a brief silence takes over them.

"Who?" 

Mina glances at the counter, that's when Nayeon understood. "Oohh, she's my friend."

"Just a friend?" there is something in Mina's question but she chose to shrug it off.

"Yes."

"I assume she's the one who gave you my name since I always order my coffee here."

Nayeon scratches her nape and slowly nods. "Yes, she finds your name pretty."

"And you agree?" Mina rests her jaw on her palm as she stares at Nayeon seriously.

She blinks and clears to hide her nervousness. "Of course, I wouldn't choose your name if not." she wants to applause herself for not stammering while looking back to Mina's eyes.

The Japanese's eyes crinkle into a curve as she smiles back.
"Glad to hear that."

"You don't have a cancer do you?" Mina suddenly questions out of nowhere.

It was impossible for Nayeon to stop herself from raising a brow after hearing that, though she immediately creases it when Mina chortled. "I mean, like in your story wherein you died and left me."

"No, fortunately I'm healthy." a laughter escapes after answering Mina's question.

"Then you can work starting tomorrow."

Nayeon blinks, for a moment she thought she's just hearing things and Mina was just kidding but when she looked up and saw how serious Mina was, she wasn't able to stop herself from squealing. "Oh my god!!! Thank you so much Mina!"

She might have held Mina's hand on the process but Nayeon immediately retracted whe she realized what she did.

"I'm excited to work with you." Mina says.

"Me too! I am so happy!" the grin was still plastered on her face.

"You can now sit down Nayeon." her boss chuckles.

She heaves an ohh and sips her drink while still grinning widely.

Nayeon doesn't know, but Mina thinks she's absolutely adorable at that time that's why she couldn't help but to stare and smile. 

~
Being late on the first day is one the worst things she could ever do in her entire life, but Nayeon just did. She blames Sana, they stayed late talking and her friend kept on insisting how she is right about Mina giving the job to Nayeon because apparently, Mina is interested with her. She only laughs at this idea and rolls her eyes.

Nayeon hastily runs, bumping at some of the pedestrians while uttering apologies from time to time.

By the time she arrives, the other employees were already too busy doing their own work. A lady tends her and guides her to her table where she was welcomed by tons of papers she needs to proofread for the final approval, t