One hour later. 

The foyer is already empty, but Tzuyu is still sitting at the bottom of the stair. Her cheeks are almost dry now, but her hair and make up are a mess. Her stares fall far away, through the glass window, to the infinite view of the city that is clouded with December rain. 

"Tzu.., drink up, " beside her, her best friend, Chaeyoung, looks with concern, handing her a bottle of mineral water. She was worried because Tzuyu uncharacteristically absent from her desk for more than half an hour without saying anything, so she texted her. When she found her, she was sitting in daze there half an hour ago, tears falling non stop, and regret in her eyes.

"You need to tell me what happened, say, it really wasn't an abuse?," 

Tzuyu shakes her head weakly. 

"Then what? What makes you like this?," Chaeyoung asks with gritted teeth, ready to defend her friend from any office maltreatment. But Tzuyu doesn't answer. She doesnt even speak more than one sentence since she came. Chaeyoung's worry is justifiable because Tzuyu is a bright and strong girl, who rarely cries, even after facing difficulties after difficulties. Except for one reason..

"It..it wasn't Jackson oppa, right?," she tries another route. 

Tzuyu shakes her head again. She wishes Chae to stop asking question, but in the same time, she feels that she will burst if she didn't confide in anyone about what just happened.. But this realization just bring her back to remember that..

Confiding over her heart matters..she only did it with one person throughout this year. She never had anyone to understand her deep love for her idol oppa, moreover to share the happy news when he noticed and began to court her too despite all the secrecy and hurdles that they have to endure... She kept hiding all the secrets and built strong façade, except in the front of one person..

Director Taec.

Tzuyu feels a loud pang of guilt and fresh bout of pain in her chest. How did he feel throughout the year? 

Her tears spring anew. 

"Tzu..what.., I'm sorry," Chae starts to panic, but Tzuyu holds her hand. 

"It isn't your fault.. It is mine. I am the one who is foolish. I am..the one.., " she begins to choke, her voice trembles, and Chaeyoung hugs her, patting her back as her own tears begin to pool. 

"I am the one who is too late.., "

"I am too late..,"

"I don't know it will be this painful to see him walk away..," she keeps lamenting through her tears. 

Now that he is with somebody else, she has no right to expect him to console her, to text over their pets, to share some short walk, laughing together... 

~~ 

A year ago.

Tzuyu was ecstatic. She was finally able to enter the J&T corp., the company of her dream after once failing the test. 

"I'm finally getting closer to my Jackson oppa...," she squealed to Mina, her close friend, over drinks. 

"Duh, this girl! Cant you find someone like, 3D man, to pursue? Its been forever with this oppa, that oppa! What are you, a teenager?!," 

She frowns, "Yah, oppa IS 3D! And excuse me, I only have my eyes on him since the very beginning, I was never unfaithful," 

Mina chugged her drink, "Yeah..yeah..whatever.. But I'm happy for you, though," 

"Welcome to the office world!," 

They clinked glass and enjoyed their meal while chatting loudly over everything and anything. Mina is working in another company so she shared about some nice things and not so nice about it. 

She was over the moon. J&T corp. is partially owned by Jackson Wang, the man of her dream, a very popular idol from the group GT7. Tzuyu never fell in love before she set her eyes on him, one fateful day when she watched his interview about giving strength to kids who are bullied at school. The very thing that she was receiving at school at that time. 

"Bullies aren't right. No matter you see it, it isn't right, so don't cower to them and stand tall. Even if you are alone, don't let them break you. Don't let them break your mind. You are precious, you are human too, and you are beautiful just the way you are. You are hearing the words of someone who was being bullied at school too, so trust me, stand up and don't be afraid." 

Those words hit bullseye. She was in awe of him. She can sense his sincerity. Through his idol mask, she can feel that he really meant those words. What a strength he gave. 

Ever since that day, she felt drawn towards him. And the more she searched, the more she fell for him. That was like, 10 or 11 years ago. 

She was never in a relationship after. She believed that he is the only one for her, nobody as great as him. She just have to find a way to get near him. And now that she was accepted in his company, it meant that she'll get to see him in person...often...

"Kyaah..," she squealed again. 

"Yaah..! Ok Taecyeon! Why are you being like this..," a booming voice startled her and Mina, as they choked on their drinks. They glared unhappily at the source of those voices. 

Its a group of man drinking on the table behind them. One of them was so tall she can see his thick, short black hair from her seat. 

"You should tell him to come and solve this problem! This is his company, too," one of them sounded enrage, 

"Thats right, acting all high and might just because he has 40 percent of the shares, while YOU have 50..plus working so hard to cover for his absence! Yikes!," 

"Guys..guys..chill, its not like he is doing it on his own will, he is very busy too," a deep, calm voice came from among them, "I can handle this," 

"Hmmph! But look at you, so haggard after days of overworking," 

"Are you really a director or just a middle manager I can't tell!," 

"Come now, its not that bad," 

"Lets just drink now,"

"Ah speaking of the devil! Look at him, posing with that greasy smile while holding beer! Pfft, like hell he will drink that, he'll only drink expensive wine and all..," 

Tzuyu's body went rigid. She knew exactly now whom were they cursing. In the wall opposite them, a large poster of Jackson posing with a wide smile, advertising "Class" beer was displayed. A smile that she always adored, now someone dared to call it greasy in front of her??

"Tzu! Whats up?!!", Mina was alarmed when she stood abruptly, eyes sent death glare towards the men. She was already kind of drunk, so her courage meter went high. 

She turned to face them. They were a group of four grown men, wearing casual attires. To her all of them were ugly. Well..except maybe the tallest one who was yet to turn her way..

"Who are you calling greasy?," she demanded angrily. 

The men looked up to her, startled to hear her stiff voice. All they saw was a pretty girl with long black hair, looking viciously at them. 

"Pardon?,"

"Are you calling my Jackson oppa greasy?," she went even further now, "You are the greasy ones!," 

"Hey girl! Thats rude!," one of the men began to rise on his feet, feeling insulted. They didn't know who this girl is, and what was her case, but she was insulting them. 

Mina was panicked, and she ran to Tzuyu's side to prevent her from doing anything stupid. But she was far from done. 

"If you can't solve your problem, don't blame it onto others and talk behind his back..," she ranted, "especially someone as good as Oppa!," 

"Ohoo..," another man snorted, "another idiot fan girl here? Heh, you have no idea how your Oppa is when the camera isnt rolling...," 

"Oppa is a good man!," 

"Keep dreaming girl," 

"Hey..hey guys please stop.., " the tallest one, he was the one with the deep voice, eventually stood too to diffuse the tension, but he turned around to face the girls in worst timing ever..

Tzuyu was so mad they were actually unapologetic for badmouthing her precious oppa, she took the glass of beer and splashed it mercilessly on them..

..except that it wasnt really on them, but on the tall man, as his words of apology were cut short by a drench of beer from his hair to shirt, to his jeans. 

Everyone was silenced. 

"You...," he was at loss for words. Mina cringed hard, and immediately yanked Tzuyu's hand to bring her to conscience. 

"Please...I'm very sorry, my friend is..., yeah, you know, she is..a big fan of Jackson..and she is a little too drunk, so..please forgive her," Mina bowed deeply, and forcefully bent Tzuyu's back to bow too. 

The man looked at them, and finally let out a chuckle. 

"I see..., we are sorry then," he said casually, " for insulting your idol," 

He took a good look at Tzuyu, his black eyes met her fierce glare.

He thought to himself, "What a cute girl," 

She, on the other hand, felt instantly better with the apology. Then she realized that his hair was still dripping from the beer she splashed, and she gasped in horror. 

"O..I.., what have I done..", stupid alcohol! Must be it! 

"I'm very, very sorry," she bowed deeply on her own accord now, her long hair reached the seat,

"Nah, its alright, it can happen to anyone. I can just wash it..,"

"Please let me wash it for you," she looked up in earnest, trying to make amend for her absurd behaviour. 

The man's eyebrows creased, 

"Ah, really, you don't have to...," 

"Its alright..., I can wash it now. Please take it off..," 

"What? You want me to take off my shirt now?," 

"Yes, please take it off now for me..," she said rather loudly, looked up at him expectantly. 

Everyone in the two tables grew silent. All of them realized how that out loud sentence can imply something else...

Mina felt like she wanted to crawl out of the place, as she saw the man blushed from her friend's unwitted act. He was clearly uncomfortable, but he couldn't find the right words to tell her.

"Hey, girl, uhmm..thats not the words girls like you would tell a man in a crowd like this..," finally, one of the men said in a low voice, he himself turned around so as not to face them. 

"Yeah, I can wash it myself..," the tall man added hastily, but he secretly held Tzuyu's gaze. He found her earnest stare very adorable. 

A wash of realization came to her after hearing the words...and she can feel a rush of hot blood warmed up her face, to her ears. 

"I..thats not what I mean..," she stuttered, suddenly unable to meet that calming gaze from the man before her. 

"We dont know how much will it cost but we hope this little money is enough for the laundry," Mina, trying her to best to salvage the situation, stepped forward and put some bills in the men's table, before again bowing to them, 

"Our apology for the incident today, please don't think too much of it. Now we have to make our exit, "

"Have a good..uhmm, chat," she said in haste, drugging Tzuyu with her as they left the place. The more they stayed, the more bad things will happen to them, she thought. 

"Ah yes.., please take care..," was all they could hear before they exited the place, again from that deep voice, now laced with a little regret. 

As Mina scolded Tzuyu hard outside and she herself wallowed in her terrible drunk act, the man's eyes following them, a faint smile bloomed on his handsome face, revealing two deep dimples. 

"What an interesting girl," he thought to himself, as he slowly sat back, "wonder if we'll be able to meet again?,"

~~