“O-Oh Sehun.”

The worst thing I probably said in this meeting, in front of everybody, was his name—without his rightful title. It embarrassed me deeply to the core. I was very, very embarrassed that I didn’t know my place and just blurted out my new boss’ name without thinking much what it could mean to them, to him.

The whispers started, like how rumors did—softly, surely.

But that short moment when his eyes widened a fraction was all I needed. He must have been surprised I knew his name, but he hid the surprise too quickly. He must be an expert in it. In hiding his feelings, because nobody caught his reaction, except me. I knew better. I, at least, noticed right away. Observation was a skill I gained from being ‘just’ Lee Seoyeon in the past.

Sweat lightly coated my skin at the anxiety. My eyes darted around the room, begging for an excuse. My mouth worked to say something, but Jaehoon cleared his throat, catching everyone’s attention, saving me from my mistake.

I kept mum, knowing it was the best to keep quiet and not remind Oh Sehun of my earlier mistake. “You can take your seat, Lee Seoyeon-ssi.”

“Yes.” I nodded at him and took my seat next to someone named Kang Mina. She was currently on Oh Sehun’s right side and I was to her left.

“The meeting will start now. Mr. Oh will begin the contract signing with you,” Jaehoon announced, briefing us of the sequence of the meeting for today. We all nodded, grateful for the main agenda to start.

I was still a little awkward with sitting in front of Sehun and being bestowed his attention. To be honest, it was the first time; I was always the one who turned his way. And I didn’t want the first time to be where he was boring holes at my face. Screw his eyes. I might just claw them out of their sockets if he didn’t stop by now.

Gladly, Jaehoon cleared his throat again and Oh Sehun began his duty on briefing us about the contract. He went on about every detail—the job, the work hours, salary, compensation bla bla bla. It wasn’t hard to follow him, but I sometimes forgot to listen because my mind kept drifting to him. How funny it was that the world we were moving in was so small that we met again.

But you know what was ironic? He didn’t look like he recognized me at all. He might have looked curious one second when I called him by his name, but that was merely just plain curiosity he had.

There were no signs he recognized me as this girl that went to the same university as him, which was really frustrating. After all these years he still didn’t know I existed while I was well and fully aware of his immaculate presence! Isn’t this funny? So funny I couldn’t believe I breathed and lived in the same space as him and yet I was totally invisible to this guy.

Was he just impossibly inattentive of the people around him or was he just pretending to be?

I scoffed at the thought.

Silence ensued in the room.

I snapped out of my thoughts and met Oh Sehun’s raised brow.

“Y-yes?” I stuttered again.

He leaned forward, the cold expression he loved to sport back on his face. I leaned away instinctively even if he was far enough to claw at me. “I’ve discussed everything you need to know. You should probably read through your contract and sign what needs to be signed if you want to leave this room any time soon.” He gave the others a look, making me realize their noses were all buried to the contract and their pens were signing the papers.

My eyes widened and I hurried to pick up my own pen to sign each page without really reading through the contract. All I wanted to do was sign and be done with it. I had embarrassed myself in front of Oh Sehun too many times already that I just wanted to hide in a hole.

I was first to finish afterwards and before anyone could say something, I stood up, took my copy of the contract with shaking hands and bowed at him. “Thank you for hiring me. I’ll work hard!” It was a promise. Because if there was something I was really good at, it was working hard, doing my best.

Everyone was looking at me by now weirdly, but as soon as I was done with everything I was programmed to do, I started to become hyper aware of how stupid I must have acted in front of everybody. Now everyone’s going to label me a weirdo. The stifled smiles and incredulous looks they were giving me said it all. I internally face-palmed.

Sehun didn’t show it, but he must be laughing at me in his head. I looked so stupid it must have been enough entertainment to his perfect and boring life for the day.

He left the conference room first, leaving us four trainees in the care of Jaehoon. The secretary took us to a tour of the office, orienting us to the most important rooms that we had to be familiar with and officials that needed to be acknowledged. Hopefully, by Monday none of us would make the big mistake of going to the wrong office and bowing to the wrong people. It would be a greater embarrassment to do that.

I took off as soon as my appointment finished. I wasn’t really in the mood after meeting Oh Sehun, of all people. It wasn’t like I hated the guy. No. But he always made me apprehensive and more aware of every single thing about me. It came to me as second nature around him. Maybe it was because of the fact he was related to the pretty Lee Seyeon and I was afraid she’d come out of her hiding place if he was nearby and haunt me again.

I didn’t want her to be part of my life again.

In the evening when I went home, I prepared dinner and waited for Haesoo and Sojin to get home. We lived in an apartment in the city and shared the rent. It was the most cost-effective living arrangement at the moment, especially that each of us didn’t live with our families and owning a house was just as close to impossible. Nonetheless, we had our little family. We grew to love each other like sisters and we survived hardships this way. We helped and comforted each other and celebrated our own little victories together.

“I’m home, honey!” That was Haesoo’s cue to enter the house.

I laughed at her endearment towards me. I always did. She just loved pretending he was coming home to a lover. “I cooked you dinner, Haesoo-yah.” I pinched her cheek.

She attacked me with a hug and said, “that’s why I love you more than that grump.” Sojin glared at her, setting down her bag on the couch before getting a glass of cold water from the kitchen, which was just a few strides away.

“What’s on the menu?” Sojin asked, giving me an eye.

I smiled at her, answering, “will mandu and beef stew be good?” Sojin grinned, grateful for a nice dinner.

We ate the food while sharing our stories for the day. Of course, I didn’t leave anything out when they asked me what happened in the office. I was a klutz, but they already knew about that so I wasn’t worried they’d judge me if I told them I was being silly while Oh Sehun, my new boss, was there. Well, getting laughed at was something I came to get used to.

“Aren’t you such a jester, my dear gagwoman!” Haesoo sang, laughing. I playfully glared at her, but laughed along with her now that it felt good to let everything out.

I played with the can of beer in my hands, saying with a shuddered breath, “hopefully I don’t act any stupider in front of him.”

Sojin tipped her can to , saying in a muffled voice. “Hope he isn’t like my awful boss.”

“That chauvinistic pig? Is he still so hell bent on that ist attitude of his?” Haesoo abruptly sat up from laying on her side on the couch across from us, an angry expression on her face. We all hated it whenever we sensed Sojin was struggling because of her stupid boss, who knew nothing but degrade her because she was a woman working with him in the district court office. People like him didn’t really know not to cross his bounds, especially with women that he hated the most.

Sojin solemnly shook her head. This must have been what she was troubled about the other night. Her boss, again. “He’s a lost case, but you guys don’t need to worry. I can handle the guy. All he needs is to hear you praise him and you’re on his good side again,” she stated, shrugging playfully.

I offered a smile, though I knew her problem was worse than that. I might have never been to her office, but being her friend since college and living with her for more than one year now made me learn a few things about her. She sighed when she was stressed out and she gulp down her alcohol in one go if she just wanted to forget how horrible her day was.

“Just don’t praise him too much. Or his head might burst from too much arrogance.” We all laughed at Haesoo’s joke.

“Don’t always kiss up to his . That’s gonna be a hard habit to let go one day,” I told her.

Haesoo wiggled her eyebrows saying with a playful smile. “Did you forget her boss doesn’t even have the ‘’ we’re talking about?”

That undid all the tension in the air. We laughed to our heart’s content, slapping whatev