The space was small.

   Bricks covered every wall from floor to ceiling. The sun’s rays peeking through the clouds and into the windows lined upon the walls; rainbows dancing across the wood floor. Wooden shelves carved into the walls held various books, photos and newspaper clippings from over the years.

   The smell of coffee wafted through the air from the small employee coffee shop lounge located in the back of the office where San and Saetbyeol worked. Dim lights shaped as lanterns hung from the ceiling. Work desks of various shapes, sizes and colors were scattered around the room. Gray walls sectioned off each department for the company. The two had started working for the company as interns three years ago - both completing their internship after just one year. San was 27, Saetbyeol 28, both trying to figure out their lives as they managed their lives one day at a time.

   Despite being a small company, the newspaper managed to be very popular in their area.

   San wrote for the entertainment and comic sections of the paper. He was a very easy going, down to earth type of guy. One would think he was cocky and conceited, but on the contrary - he was modest and kind.

   His chiseled chin and sharp features made women swoon and men envious. His appearance was that of a divine being; eyes a chocolate brown, but as deep as a black abyss. One could get lost in them if they stared too long. He was the typical type of guy that everyone wanted to be friends with, and even date. However, he had never shown interest in anyone or got too close to people.

   For someone that friendly and bubbly, he was very guarded and private - causing people’s minds to wonder what secrets he held locked away. To be honest, those people’s wandering minds were correct in their curiosity. He did possess secrets - ones that weighed heavy on his heart and soul. The type of secrets that meant pain and suffering if anyone where to find out.

   So that’s why he’d make sure no one would discover his truths.

   Groaning, San leaned back in his chair; outstretching his arms over his head as a yawn escaped his lips - the chair creaking under his weight. For five hours he had been glued to his workstation furiously typing up his article on the latest news; ensuring its completion before the deadline.

   Righting himself in his chair, his eyes skimmed across the laptop’s screen - the monitor illuminating his defined facial features as he proofread the article. After a few minutes, a grin spread across his face as his forefinger excitedly tapped the mouse button - finally submitting his work to his boss. Satisfied with the outcome, San released the same sigh of relief he always did with each article he completed.Stretching his back out a bit, his eyes fell upon the various award plaques resting upon his desk; the corners of his lips curling into a smile.

   San was the golden employee - forever in the boss’s favor and his articles always accumulating a surprising amount of views. In a sense, one might view him as somewhat of a celebrity amongst the company and town considering everyone knew his name. A pretty remarkable feat for a 20-something year-old.

   As he sat there, his eyes traveled to the girl sitting in the corner cubicle. Quiet and focused, he watched as she edited the paper before her. Her small frame slightly hunched over the keyboard on her desk, her fingers grazing over the keys. Gnawing on her lower lip, a look of frustration danced across her face as she tried to word the sentence just right.

   Her jet black hair fell out from behind her ear as she lowered her head slightly - slender fingers gently pushing the strands back behind her right ear. Taking a sip of her now cold green tea, she glanced back at the screen to add a few finishing touches to her article before submitting it to her boss. Heaving a silent sigh, she pushed herself back against the body of her office chair; twisting her neck from side-to-side as she rubbed the muscles in her left shoulder.

   Unaware of the pair of eyes that watched her, she quietly rested her chin in her palm; the same lifeless expression she had always worn still strewn across her face. San watched as she began gnawing the flesh of her bottom lip again - her eyes fixated upon the monitor before her as she scrolled through a different news site. Feeling his eyes begin to sting from staring too long, he broke his gaze and ran a hand through his dark hair. Most coworkers would talk to one another and while San had always been intrigued by her, he kept his distance.

   Saetbyeol chose to keep to herself. She was cold and standoffish;  never associating herself with anyone at the company - especially men. Fortunately for her their boss was a woman by the name of Ms.Kim - chief editor of the Seoulstitution News.

   Come to think of it and gender aside, San had never seen Saetbyeol with anyone other than the occasional girl that came to walk home with her every day. San presumed her to be a friend of Saetbyeol’s, but he wasn’t completely certain. He had yet to see the two exchange a single word while in the presence of others; an action that was contrary to that seen in normal friendships.

   Companionships aside, Saetbyeol was a hard worker - one of the most driven at the company, actually. She consistently kept up with the tasks required - often turning her work in significantly earlier to the deadline. Her issues weren’t necessarily task-related, but rather coworker-oriented in that no one particularly liked her at the office.

   People would make fun of her and talk about about her, regardless of whether she heard them or not. It made San’s heart ache, but what could he do? He wasn’t one to focus on physical images or social statuses - he found them redundant, really, and had a tendency to stand up for the mistreated.

   Not when it came to Saetbyeol, however.

   It’s not that he hadn’t tried or didn’t want to, but rather, she didn’t allow it. The one time he had tried to comfort her, she shot him a death gaze and told him to mind his own business. Since he wasn’t one to argue, he let it go and went on with his days.

   The major difference between Saetbyeol and San was that she was a much more private person. So much so that no one knew a single thing about her other than her job and work ethic. Rumors were spread within the company stating that she was an orphan and then later on, a gang member because of her rough appearance and tone. Another rumor stated that even her family disowned her because she was a measly news reporter instead of the lawyer her parents had always wanted her to be.

   But her past was a lot darker than that, for she held secrets as well - secrets that weighed just as heavy on her as San’s did him.

   Hearing her phone buzzing on the table next to her, she startled upright - immediately picking up the phone. Glancing at the message on her phone, she furrowed her brows. Apparently a strange discovery was made in a nearby cave on the outskirts of the town. Since Saetbyeol was on the news committee and in charge of any breaking news, she knew she would have no choice but to investigate the scene rather than enjoy a nice lunch like she had planned.

   At this point in her career, however, she was used to it. In a city where there was never a dull moment, Saetbyeol always found herself rushing out to investigate the next story. It was, quite honestly, a miracle that she had ever found the time to sleep.

   Rising from her chair, she shrugged on her jacket and grabbed her belongings. As she began racing to the door, Saetbyeol passed by San; seeing him reorganizing his desk for the fifth time that day. Deciding not to dwell on him too much, she shoved the door open and ran to the company car parked nearby as she prepared to drive off to the caves.