"Because you are Myoui Mina." 

Mina's mouth slightly gaped open. 

"What do you mean by that, Ms Yoo ?"

"Did you know me prior to the interview, by any chance ?"

Jeongyeon shook her head. 

"Of course not "

Mina nodded, feeling slightly disappointed. "I was always curious about why I was hired. When I was working as a temp worker in the General Affairs Department, my supervisor suggested that I apply for that overseas secretary job. I didn't expect to get hired so I was pretty shocked when I did." 

"I want to know why." 

"There was no other special reason. Like I said, I hired you because you were Myoui Mina." 

"Because Myoui Mina..." 

Jeongyeon looked down, averting Mina's gaze. She took a deep breath. 

"Was the one with the least impressive credentials." 

"What ?" 

"I was looking for someone who would go to the US with me and undergo a lot of difficulties. And I didn't think that overly qualified people could handle it. That's why I chose the one with the least impressive credentials. Someone who won't get scouted by another company or quit." 

Mina chuckled. 

"And here I thought there was a special reason to it." 

She put the file back in its original place. 

Jeongyeon looked as Mina went back to what she was doing. 

𝘐𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺. 

 

 

...

 

 

Jeongyeon had walked Mina to the front of her house, right by her front door. 

"I'll get going now, Ms Yoo." 

"Did you have a good time discussing old times with my sister ?"

Mina looked confused. 

"I saw you two together earlier." 

Mina didn't know what to say. 

"How does it feel to finally find the girl that you've been looking for all these years ?" 

"I'm happy to see her. But honestly, it still feels so surreal." 

Jeongyeon nodded. 

"I see." 

There was a long pause. 

"Then i'm sure you must've heard about what happened to me. About how that happened to my older sister because I left her behind there." 

Mina nodded. 

"Yes. I also heard that you lost all of your memories from that time." 

Another long pause. 

"The fact that you lost all of your memories from that time probably means that it was so hard on you that you wanted to forget it all." 

"So don't blame yourself." 

Jeongyeon was speechless. 

Mina smiled and bowed. 

"I'll get going for real now. See you tomorrow, Ms Yoo." 

Jeongyeon watched as her secretary walked further away from her. 

𝘐𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺

Jeongyeon sat in her library. 

A file in her hands. 

𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 ?

 

 

[9 years ago]

"Do you have a high tolerance by any chance ?"

"Oh not at all." 

"Just make her drink anyway !"

"Really, I-"

"To Ms Myoui !"

"For Ms Myoui !"

"I'll be looking forward to working with you !"

"Me too !"

The clinking of glasses filled the air as Jeongyeon watched from a distance. 

"Ms Yoo...?" 

"Ms Yoo !"

Jeongyeon snapped out of it.

"Yes, is there something you needed to tell me ?"

"Well... you don't need to attend your surbodinates' staff dinner." 

Jeongyeon raised a hand. "Nope, attending staff dinners will also help me gain insight."

She smiled. 

"I'm glad I came." 

A chair was pulled up beside Mina. She had a glass raised to her lips but put it down immediately upon seeing who was sitting next to her. 

She beamed at her fellow colleagues. 

"What's your name ?" 

Mina turned her head and smiled. 

"I'm Myoui Mina !"

Jeongyeon smiled and nodded. 

"Ms Myoui Mina." 

"Yes ?" 

"Do you know who I am ?" 

Mina looked surprised and nodded her head. 

"Yes, you're the Chairman's daughter !"

Jeongyeon looked away, looking disappointed. 

"Am I wrong ?" 

Jeongyeon turned back to face Mina. 

"No, you're correct." 

Mina beamed and nodded. She turned back to her colleagues, smiling and clinking their glasses together. 

Jeongyeon picked up an empty glass. 

She looked back at Mina. 

𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦.

 

 

...

 

 

Jeongyeon nodded.

"It looks fine." 

"By the way, about my overseas secretary application, I know that there's a temp worker in General Affairs right now. Tell her to apply too." 

"Yes, Ms Yoo." 

Jeongyeon intertwined her fingers together.

 

 

...

 

 

There was a knock on the door. 

"Hello, Senior Managing Director !"

Jeongyeon turned around. 

"My name is Myoui Mina, and I will be starting today as your secretary ! I will work hard. I look forward to working with you !"

Mina bowed. 

"Yes, Ms Myoui Mina. I'll be looking forward to working with you too-"

"You can raise your head now." 

Mina's head shot up as she straightened her back. 

"What ?" 

Jeongyeon looked amused. 

"Yes, ma'am !"

Jeongyeon smiled. 

 

 

[Present]

Jeongyeon leaned back in her chair 

Stared into space.

She put the file down. 

Sigh. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

"It wasn't Jeongyeon, but her sister ?" Nayeon asked Mina. 

Mina nodded. "Yes, it was her older sister which was the girl whom I was looking for all this time." 

Nayeon mouth opened to say something but she hesitated. She opened it again, but yet nothing came out. She took a deep breath. 

"So... are you disappointed by that ?" 

"What ? What do you mean ?" 

"Well I mean, the person you were looking for all this time wasn't Jeongyeon but her older sister. And you seem disappointed by that." 

Mina let out a nervous laugh. 

"I do ? Oh of course not..." 

Her smile faltered. 

"Anyways, I figured I should tell you to set the record straight. So please continue act like you don't know anything about this to Ms Yoo," Mina requested. 

Nayeon smiled and nodded, giving a thumbs up. 

Mina stood up, bowed and left. 

Nayeon leaned back in her seat. 

"So it wasn't Jeongyeon, but her older sister ? I feel like Jeongyeon has been pushed aside abit," 

Her phone rang and she picked it up from the table. 

"Yes Mr Choi ? Lunch today ? Oh unfortunately I won't be able to join you today, my lunch meeting might be dragged on for too long today... yes, have a great day !" She put down her phone, frantically searching for the documents needed for her upcoming lunch meeting. "Ms Hirai !" Nayeon called to no answer. She tried again but louder. Still no answer. She tried again, practically shouting this time. But still no answer.

Nayeon sighed. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

Ms Hirai Momo was sat in the office, a cup of coffee raised to her lips, surronded by four other girls. "Ah... i'm so tired..." Tzuyu lamented, stretching her arms. "I just want a day off tomorrow..." she said. "I know right ? Why do we have a weekend workshop tomorrow to attend ?" Sana piped in. "Hey come on now girls. It's only once a year. So we should take this opportunity and attend for the sake of our team's harmony and unity," Jihyo stated. "And by the way, the art center is something Ms Yoo is very focused on. Just imagine how she would feel if she saw us being so focused on the project, huh ?" Jihyo looked around the office, seeking approval from the other four girls. They stared at her with doubt plastered on their faces. 

Jihyo frowned. 

"Anyway, just write that down on the schedule. But we'll go somewhere with fresh air, and enjoy some alcohol... we'll get tons of rest and also have a good time. Just think of it like that." 

"I bet the drinks will taste really good with fresh air like that," Momo said. 

The other four girls nodded in agreement.

"Don't look so down, Momo ya. You can come with us," Chaeyoung stated. 

Momo's face brightened up. 

"Really ? In that case, i'll buy the alcohol and the beer, and we can go have a good time together !" 

"Wow... this is the first time i've seen Momo take the initiative," Jihyo pointed out. 

The office burst into laughter as a very flustered Nayeon came walking into the office. 

"Have any of you seen Ms Hirai- Oh. There she is." 

Momo stood up at attention. 

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Nayeon stated with gritted teeth.

"Why didn't you call me, Ms Im ?" 

"You left your phone at your desk," Nayeon stated, handing over the red S9.

Momo smiled sheepishly. "Anyways, what did you need me for, Ms Im ?" 

"Well i'm having a meeting later so I need you to get me the accounting inspection report." 

"Oh Ms Im. That's due on Friday," Momo smiled. 

"Today... is Friday, right ?" 

The other four girls in the office nodded. 

Momo's mouth gaped open in a comical 'o' shape as she checked the date on her phone. 

"Oh my ! Is it Friday today ?" 

The corner of Nayeon's mouth twitched. 

"I'll see you guys tomorrow !" Momo said as she picked up her stuff and scampered off. 

"You must be utterly fazed," Jihyo stated. 

"Nope, i'm used to seeing her make a mistake like this everyday." 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

"So, Seungyeon. When are you going to spend more time with me ? You were out for the whole day yesterday too." 

"I'm sorry. I was out meeting someone important." 

Mr Yoo looked at his wife. Both of them burst out laughing. Mr Yoo put down his cup. 

"Someone important ? Perhaps it's your significant other ?" 

Seungyeon smiled. 

"That could be the case." 

"Again ? You player," Mrs Yoo stated. 

"It's different this time. I've finally met my fate after all this time." 

She got up and left. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

Mina sat at her desk, typing away furiously. Her phone buzzed. She put down whatever she was doing and took the call. 

"Yes, hello ? ... Lunch ?" 

"Yes, I felt like we have so much more to talk about, since it was so sudden yesterday." 

Mina took a moment to think. She stared at the women in the office just across her table. She was focusing intensely on her work. 

Mina hesitated. 

She walked into the office. 

'This is the weekly report of your sales," she said, handing the tablet over to Jeongyeon. 

"Ms Kim Yerim will be accompanying you for the buyer meeting with YG Group. You have no other special schedule... so may I have my lunch seperately ?" 

Jeongyeon looked up.

"Do you have any appointments ?" 

"Ms Gong Seungyeon asked me to have lunch together with her." 

Jeongyeon held that thought for a while. 

"Very well." 

Mina smiled to herself. 

"Thank you, Ms Yoo."

She left the office. 

Jeongyeon frowned. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

"Did you sleep well last night ?" 

Mina nodded. 

"I couldn't." 

Mina looked up, confusion in her eyes. 

"I couldn't sleep at all last night. I wasn't alone in that dark and scary place at that time. All kinds of feelings went through me." 

Mina smiled. 

"Me too. The one that I was looking for all these years turned out to be so close to me." 

"What did you want to do the most when you found me ?" 

Mina was hesitant. 

"You said you searched for me for a long time." 

Mina took a deep breath. 

"I don't know. I just wanted to find you, that's all." 

"Was it like first love ?" 

Mina laughed nervously. "Well, not exactly." 

Seungyeon grinned. 

"I may not be your first love, but you'll still help me find my memories back right ?" 

Mina smiled and nodded. 

They both left the cafe, Mina walking ahead of Seungyeon. 

There she was, standing with her back faced towards them. 

A 3 piece suit. 

A monotone tie. 

Arms folded across her chest. 

"Ms Yoo, what brings you here ?" 

"That's what I wanted to ask. What are you doing here, Ms Myoui ? Did you forget about the meeting with YG Group ?" 

"I told you about it a while ago that Ms Kim Yerim will-" 

"It has always been your job so you should go with me this time as well. They care about security matters so they prefer to have meetings with familiar faces. And you're aware of that." 

Mina was speechless. 

"Do they ?" 

"Yes." 

Mina turned to Seungyeon. 

"Well, i'll leave you here then." 

"Yes, Mina. See you later." 

"Ms Myoui." 

Mina turned to face her boss. 

"Wait for me in the car." 

"Yes, Ms Yoo." 

And she left. 

Jeongyeon faced her sister.

"Don't see her from now on."

"Don't in our business." 

"Our business" ? Those words can be used only between people like me and her. We've adjusted ourselves to each other for nine years already."

Seungyeon chuckled. 

"You know what ? Mina looked for me for more than nine years. She yearned to meet me for a long time. We finally reunited because of her desperate wish..." 

"We're destined for each other." 

Jeongyeon laughed. 

"What are you doing now ? Was that a script for an upcoming drama ? If that's the case, it's too obvious that it won't come true." 

"I don't know. We'll see whether it becomes true or not." 

 

 

...

 

 

"She said "See you later" earlier. What does that mean ?" 

Mina looked at her boss. 

"I'm going to the redevelopment district with her after work." 

Jeongyeon looked wary. 

'The redevelopment district ?" 

Mina nodded. 

"I can't actually go to where I used to live since it has already become part of Everland. We wondered if it would be good to go to somewhere similar. She might remember something then. Ms Seungyeon too, but I want to regain my memories as well-" 

"No, don't go." 

Jeongyeon turned to her secretary. 

"Don't go." 

"I want to go." 

"There's a lot of things that I want to know as well." 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

"Oh boy i'm so full," Sana claimed, rubbing her belly. "That soybean paste noodles was the ." 

"Yes it really was," Yerim replied. 

The two girls spotted Mark walking in a distance, busy checking his phone. 

"Oh Mr Tuan !" Sana called out, waving her hands frantically. 

With a voice like that, it was impossible for Mark not to turn his head. He waved, and continued doing his business. Sana ran over with Yerim in tow and stood infront of him, stopping him in his tracks. "Is there something you need me for ?" Mark asked. "Ah yes, Mr Tuan,  we're going to a workshop tomorrow. Will you join us ?" Sana replied. "Are you crazy-" Yerim said. Sana eyed her suspiciously. Mark chuckled. "Of course not." Yerim heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm busy, so i'll get going now," Mark said. "Hey Mr Mark Tuan-ssi," Jihyo called. "I heard... you lasted a week with that." Mark was confused and so was the two girls. "A week ? What ?" Mark was getting flustered. "Why are you getting all flustered, Mr Tuan ? Are you scared that I might take it away from you ?" Jihyo asked. "I'm sorry but I don't seem to understand what you're talking about," Mark said. "My dear Mark-ssi. It was weird for you to be able to last a week of work. But then I heard it was due to your mum's ginseng juice right ?" Jihyo teased. Mark laughed nervously. "I guess I should join your workshop for the sake of work understanding," he claimed. Yerim's eyes widened. "Great !" Sana exclaimed, approaching Mark to give him a high five, which he promptly rejected. "I'll get going now," he said, leaving hastily. Yerim rolled her eyes. 

 

 

...

 

 

Jeongyeon sat on her couch, staring blankly into her tablet. The sound of heels against the marble flooring told her her secretary had just walked in her office. 

"Ms Yoo, you haven't forgotten about today's dinner meeting, right ?" 

Jeongyeon nodded. Didn't even look up. 

"Ms Kim Dahyun will be accompanying you tonight." 

Jeongyeon looked up. 

"What about you ? You're going to regain precious memories with your long lost friend ?" Jeongyeon asked, her left eyebrow raised. 

"Well, yes." 

𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰

Mina looked confused. 

Jeongyeon eyed Mina, trying to send a message to her. 

𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰

Mina looked back awkwardly. 

𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰

"Well, i'll get going now," Mina said. 

She shut the door behind her. 

Jeongyeon leaned back in her seat. 

"Where does she think she'll leave ? Leave for her good old memories ?" Jeongyeon said to herself. 

"She should put more effort into making memories with me instead." 

She pouted. 

 

 

...

 

 

"Yes, i've just finished work, i'll take a cab-" 

Mina looked up as honks filled the air. A woman emerged from a grey sedan a few feet away from her. Seungyeon waved. 

Mina smiled. 

Jeongyeon sighed. 

"What has gotten into you recently. Cancelling your social meeting for a workout ?" Nayeon asked. 

"I'm not in the mood for silly talks today." 

Nayeon looked at her friend. 

"Did something happen ?" 

"I don't know." 

Dahyun stopped the car at a red light. 

Nayeon's eyes widened. 

Seungyeon and Mina. Standing in a distance. Smiling at each other. 

She let out a sound and looked at Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon stared at her in confusion. Nayeon looked back at Seungyeon and Mina, Jeongyeon following her gaze. Nayeon hastily put a hand out over Jeongyeon's eyes, shielding it from the absolute nightmare. 

"Guess who~" Nayeon teased. 

"What are you- what do you think you're doing ? Get your hand off." 

"Guess who I am ?" She blowed into Jeongyeon's ear. 

"If you don't get your hand off me right now, i'll have you remove all your belongings from your office-" 

Seungyeon and Mina still haven't left. 

"No way. No way. Guess who I am ?" 

Jeongyeon grabbed hold of Nayeon's hand, frantically trying to pry it off her. 

They finally got in the car and drove off. 

Nayeon let go, falling back into her seat. Her suit all messed up now. Jeongyeon stared wide eyed at her. 

"Guess who ?" Did you not think that I would be able to guess who you were ?" 

"You may think you know everything about me, but you may actually not," Nayeon said, gasping for air.

"What ?" 

"I'm not just your friend. I'm your best friend who doesn't want to see you get hurt." 

Jeongyeon huffed. 

Nayeon smirked. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

They walked side by side. Seungyeon with her hands in her pockets. Mina with her hands swaying at her side, relaxed. 

"It's the most similar place. What do you think ? Do you remember anything ?" 

"I'm not sure." 

Mina was disappointed. 

"The woman who kidnapped us was the mistress of a married man. After getting an abortion, she was told to break up unilaterally. She kidnapped us out of anger." 

"Right, now that you told me so, there seemed to be someone else other than us at that time." 

"By the way, do you remember how we got  out of that house ?" 

Mina shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I do remember how we held our hands together and got out of there. You walked me home too." 

"I walked you home ?" 

Mina nodded. 

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 ?

"By the way, how did you call me back then ?" 

"I called you by your name." 

"Well, then can you call me that way again ? I'll talk casually to you too." 

Mina smiled nervously. 

 

 

...

 

 

Jeongyeon punched the punching bag. A combination of a left hook and a right hook followed by a low kick. She repeated the combination again. She stopped. And remembered that scene. That exact scene. Mina seated directly opposite her sister. 

It made her mad. 

She repeated the combination again. 

Nayeon rolled towards her, hammer the ground a few times. She got up and exercised her legs. 

"Jeongyeon ah, what's up with your kicks ?" 

Jeongyeon stared at her friend. 

"You have to raise your kicks higher to look more edgy. More edgy !" What followed was a very awkward showcase of kicks. "You need a few lessons," Nayeon claimed. Jeongyeon huffed. She gave a hard and high kick to the punching bag. Nayeon shuddered. "What about we do sparring ?" Jeongyeon asked. Nayeon chuckled. She patted her back and stretched her neck. She got into a stance. Let out a war cry. She approached Jeongyeon, wanting to touch gloves. Jeongyeon raised her gloves up, only for Nayeon to pat her gloves. She smiled sheepishly.  

"I'm sorry." 

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes. 

The two sat side by side, taking sips from their water bottles. 

"What's wrong ? You look so upset." 

"There's something which I don't want to get taken away." 

"Right. You shouldn't get Ms Myoui taken away." 

Jeongyeon nodded. 

Her eyes widened. 

"What are you talking about ? This isn't about Ms Myoui-" 

"Stop it you cheeky monkey. When will you stop making up stories about your friend or colleague and keep beating around the bush ?" 

"Trust me and go confess already. Be a man and babble about it." 

"But i'm a girl-" 

"Enough of your excuses. Go profess your feelings to her right now." 

"You and Ms Myoui shouldn't be flirting with each other forever." 

Jeongyeon's eyes widened.

"Flirting ?" 

"Then what is it between you two ? You guys have feelings for each other, but you're not dating. Is there a better word to describe it other than flirting ?" 

Jeongyeon looked away. 

"Go now. But remember who you are. You're Yoo Jeongyeon ! Whether it be a thing or a person you've always got it. You're the real tough cookie !" 

Jeongyeon stared daggers at her friend. 

"Cookie ?" 

"I take it back." 

"You can do it, boss," Nayeon said sheepishly.

Jeongyeon huffed. 

 

 

...

 

 

"Here is the journal that you asked me for," Mina said. 

< My hero > 

Seungyeon smiled. 

"Actually, i've blamed Jeongyeon a lot in my life. If not for her, I would not have experienced such a thing." 

Mina smiled nervously. 

"But those feelings have been fading a little, to think that you were there with me that day." 

"What ?" 

"We can share what happened together like this. Now, i'm even thankful to her." 

Mina's phone rang. 

"Excuse me a moment." 

Seungyeon nodded. She looked down, began to read the journal.

"Yes, Ms Yoo ?" 

She looked up. 

"What ? An emergency ?" 

 

 

...

 

 

Jeongyeon waited by the side of the road, staring into space. A grey sedan drove up and stopped directly infront of her. 

Mina got out of the car. And so did Seungyeon. 

Jeongyeon stared at her sister, who was now standing infront of her. 

"You didn't have to drive her here." 

"Well, you know i'm quite a kind person." 

"Then why don't you leave like the kind person you are ? Ms Myoui and I are busy because of the company emergency." 

"God, you have so many emergencies today. Is it because the Vice Chairperson is incompetent ?" 

"Nope. It's the other way around. The Vice Chairperson is too competent that she keeps getting attacked. Do you not know how it feels to get attacked because you're too competent ?" 

The two sisters stared at each other in silence.

Tension was building up. 

"You must be very busy. Why don't you leave ?" Mina asked. 

Seungyeon turned to Mina. "Of course. I'll call you, Minari." 

 
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪 ?

"Alright. Drive home safely, Seungyeon-ssi." 

𝘚𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘺𝘦𝘰𝘯-𝘴𝘴𝘪 ?

Seungyeon left. 

Jeongyeon was still staring at Mina in disbelief. 

As soon as Seungyeon's car had drove away, Jeongyeon turned to face Mina. 

"How could you call her so easily by her name ?" 

Mina smiled. "Well, we are not colleagues at work. 

"What ?" 

"Let's go in quickly-"

"Forget that." 

"What ?" 

"I'm hungry. Make me some ramen. It's urgent that i'm hungry" 

"What do you-" 

"Who am I ? I am Yoo Jeongyeon, the person responsible for every decision Yoo Group makes. I may affect the lives of its employees and their families too." 

"And ?" 

"And I can't focus on work because i'm missing ramen. What more can be urgent than this ?" 

Mina rolled her eyes.

"So I want ramen right now." 

 

 

...

 

 

Jeongyeon stared at the bowl of ramen placed before her. She was seated directly opposite Mina. Not at her home, not at Mina's home, but in a restaurant. 

"This isn't the ramen I wanted," Jeongyeon said.

"This isn't the situation I wanted either," Mina replied. 

"Why do you keep interrupting us ?" 

"What ?" 

"You showed up everytime I was with the actress. That's something called interrupting." 

Jeongyeon sat in silence. 

"I understand that you are not in good terms with her. But I must find my old memories-" 

"Bury your old memories." 

"What ?" 

"We all should live for the future. Until when are you going to let such old memories bog you down ? It's all in the past. Does it still matter to you so much ?" 

Mina hesitated. 

"Does it matter enough to upset a woman whom you've been flirting with ?" 

"W- what ? "Flirting" ?" 

"Yes. The word itself lacks any sense of seriousness but there's no better word that encapsulates those subtle feelings." 

"I like you, and you like me too." 

Mina's mouth twitched. 

"We've been flirting. Am I wrong ?" 

"Well, its-" 

"You admit it too right ? We're flirting with each other." 

"But-" 

"But what ? Your childhood sweetheart ? You want to find more of your old memories ? Have some manners, will you ?" 

"Here are your dumplings~" 

The waitress set down the plate of dumplings infront of Mina.

Jeongyeon raised an eyebrow. 

Mina cleared . 

"I don't think this is the right place for a conversation like this." 

"You brought me here, Ms Myoui."

Mina smiled nervously.

𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬

 

 

...

 

 

Mina stepped out of the car. She headed for her apartment. 

"Ms Myoui !" Jeongyeon called out.

She stood infront of Mina. Mina looked up. 

She took a deep breath. 

"I'm smart, beautiful, filthy rich and competent. So please...stop rejecting me and just marry me." 

"This time, it's different from last time me asking you to get together with me. Back then, yes, I admit that I did it because I didn't want you to quit, but things have changed now..." 

"I really mean it." 

Mina was...

"So let's quit this game and really start dating now." 

Jeongyeon anticipated what Mina was about to say next. 

"I don't think that's right." 

Jeongyeon was bewiledered. 

"What ? Haven't we been flirting ?"

"Yes, we have been flirting. But you blurted that out of jealousy, and I don't think it's the right way. The vibe and the situation, just isn't it." 

It felt like a shot through the heart. 

"What ?" 

"Anyways, I don't think now is the right time." 

Jeongyeon's mouth twitched. 

"I'm off." 

Mina walked past Jeongyeon. 

"No- it has to be now- Now is the right time !" 

Mina had scurried into her house.

Jeongyeon heard the close of the door and sighed. 

"How many times has she dumped me so far ?" 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

"Oh man..." 

"This is so heavy !"

"Come on set it down here... 1, 2 and 3 !" 

They plomped the cooler down onto the ground and opened up the trunk. The girls were dressed in their most comfortable outfits, ditching their usual office wear for t-shirts and pants.

"Ms Hirai, I heard that you were the first to arrive today," Mina said. 

"Yeah I was. Even back in school, I was always late for my classes, but I made sure to arrive first when we were going on field trips !" Momo stated. 

"I don't think it's something to brag about to be honest," Chaeyoung teased. 

"Momo-yah, did you get all the groceries we need ?" 

"Meat ! We need meat for the barbeque !" Sana pointed out. 

Momo wagged a finger. She opened up the cooler she had brought along, showing the many packets of meat she had brought along. The group appaluded in awe and cheered. 

"I didn't know which kind of meats you guys would like so I bought every single meat available. From pork belly to neck meat, there's pig skin and skirt, all from Korean pork, so that you guys can choose whatever you like !" 

"Did you buy veggies too ?" Tzuyu asked. 

Momo opened up another cooler, revealing the many packets of green she had brought along. 

"And the alcohol ?" Yerim asked. 

Momo opened up yet another cooler, revealing the beer cans and bottles of soju that she had brought. 

The group clapped and cheered. 

"Wow look at you Momoring ! You do your job well when it's not really about work." 

"I know right ? If you've worked this hard earlier you would've made it to Ms Myoui's level by now," Jihyo pointed out. 

The group laughed. 

"Here I am everyone." 

The group turned their heads. 

There he was. Mark Tuan. Standing there in his best. 

A 3 piece suit. 

"Mark-ssi. Are you going to the workshop wearing that ?" Jihyo asked. 

Mark nodded. "Yes. I believe that this workshop is an extension of our work." 

The group nodded in acknowledgement. 

"Shall we get going now ?" Jihyo announced. The group cheered and started loading the van with the coolers, piling into the car, eager to get it started with. 

Mina smiled. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

They had stopped over at a rest stop along their way to their destination. They were seated in a food court, munching away on the food that they had ordered. 

"We have to eat these snacks at a rest stop !" Yerim claimed, munching on a churro. 

"Mr Tuan, why aren't you eating ? Are you on a diet ?" Momo asked. 

"Yes, stop working already and have some of this," Sana stated, stabbing a rice cake with a toothpick and bringing it up to Mark's mouth. 

"It's okay, really."

"Oh come on just try it !"

"It's fine really-" 

A loud shriek filled the air as the rice cake droppes onto Mark's suit, leaving a big stain on it. Mark shouted out in terror. Sana frantically began taking some tissues to clean it. 

"Oh my god ! This is the only suit I have !" 

"Come again ? You only own one of this suit ? I thought you owned ten of the same suit ?" Sana asked. 

The group went quiet as all eyes glanced over to Mark. 

Mark laughed nervously. "Yes, I do own ten of this suit, but I care for each and every one of them as if it's the only suit I own." 

Everyone burst out in laughter. Sana desperately tried to help Mark with cleaning the suit but retreated when Mark rejected her help. 

"Oh ? What took you so long ?" Chaeyoung asked. 

Jihyo approached the table with a tray and set it down. A bowl of noodles sat on the tray. 

"I was deciding between udon or ramen. Udon or ramen ? Udon or ramen ? I decided to go for ramen !" Jihyo said. 

Jihyo sat down, offering to let the others try her bowl of noodles. 

"Do you want to come up for a bowl of noodles ?" 

The table burst out in laughter.

"Gosh, that's what women say when they want to seduce men," Tzuyu pointed out. 

"Oh, that's right. That line is synonymous with seduction," Jihyo replied. 

𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘸𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯 ?

𝘙𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯 ?

'Since when offering a bowl of ramen had that sort of connotation to it ?" Mina asked. 

All eyes were on Mina. 

"That person could've just been genuinely offering a bowl of ramen." 

The table was dead silent as they looked at each other, not knowing what to do or say. 

"I was just joking. Why do you have to get so worked up about it, Minari ?" 

All eyes were on her again. 

Mina laughed nervously.

"Did I just get worked up ?" 

Everyone nodded. 

"Oh no i'm totally cool !"

The table burst out into laughter

"You scared me for a second there !" Yerim stated. 

Mina's face was turning a bright shade of red. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

Jeongyeon sat on a chair right next to her yard, a remote control in her hands. The buzz from the wings of the drone hovering a few metres in the air filled her ears. She stared as the drone moved from left to right, up and down, and then left to right again. 

She landed the drone. 

"What ? She thinks I blurted it out because i'm jealous and I don't want to lose ? I meant every word I said, and yet she took it the wrong way." 

She set the remote control down on the table. 

An idea formed inside her head. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

Mina sat on the couch, a book in her hand, stuffing with chips. Momo sat infront of her, staring at the chips intently. Mina looked up from her book and offered the chips to her Japanese colleague, who declined the offer. Yerim, Sana and Tzuyu were seated a few feet away, messing around with an app that recognises your face and prints it on an avatar. 

Yerim looked up at Mina. "By the way, can we really be hanging out like this ?" She checked her watch. "We should be presenting our visions right now." 

"We made the schedule only to submit it to the higher-ups. Aren't I right, Myoui ?" Momo stated.  

Mina nodded. "Yes she's right. Just treat it as you're on vacation and just relax." 

Yerim and Sana squealed. 

"How I wish I could do nothing and just chill like this everyday," Tzuyu lamented. 

Jihyo, Chaeyoung and Mark entered the room. Jihyo let out a burp and covered in embarrassment. Chaeyoung giggled. Mark stood slightly behind the two girls, looking down at some documents. 

"Have you girls been drinking already ?" Momo asked. 

"Yes, we have. Drinking in the afternoon like this is the best !" Chaeyoung clinked her beer can with Jihyo's, both laughing heartily. 

"Come on. We want to join too. Let's start a party," Sana said.

The girls' faces lit up. 

"I saw a creek nearby. Why don't we go there so that we can have some conversations... and have some drinks. What do you think ?" Sana asked. 

"I don't think so. I think we should share our ideas for the art center-" Mark began. 

Jihyo snatched away Mark's papers.

"Let's go girls ! To the creek !" 

The room burst into defeaning shrieks of excitements as the girls pounced out of their seats, eager to have a fun time. Jihyo shoved a watermelon into Mark's arms. 

"Seriously ?" Mark muttered. 

The group walked with a spring in their steps, delirious with joy and feeling very relaxed. 

"Ah, it feels so good !" Sana stated. 

"I know right ? It feels so good to be away from the city !" Chaeyoung replied. 

"I'm so glad you guys could make it," Jihyo claimed. 

"Wow !" Mina exclaimed. A truck drove along the road a distance away from them, a trail of smoke billowing from behind it. "Its been a while since I saw a fumigation truck," Mina stated. 

"Do people of your generation know about that truck, Mina-ssi ?" Jihyo asked. "Back in the day, young kids would run out of their homes whenever they heard the truck and followed it around to smell the fumes on purpose," Jihyo said. 

The truck drove past them, leaving a trail of thick smoke in its path. The smoke lingered for a while. 

Mina spotted something from behind the smoke. 

Someone. 

Turns out not just Mina noticed it as the whole group now had their eyes fixated on what was behind that smoke. 

The smoke cleared. 

And a certain narcissist appeared. 

She was wearing an orange shirt with a brown coat and some brown pants. Casual wear. 

Their jaws dropped. 

It seemed almost dramatic.

Dahyun stood behind her, her hands behind her back. 

Jeongyeon walked towards the group

The watermelon dropped from Mark's hands, rolling towards the vice chairperson. 

She stopped it with her foot. 

"Ms Yoo, what are you doing here ?" Mina asked. 

Jeongyeon picked up the watermelon. 

"I'm here because..." 

She wiped it. 

And handed the fruit over to Dahyun.

"Of Ms Kim Dahyun." 

Dahyun blinked. 

"She's also a part of the team, so she obviously has to participate in the workshop as well." 

"But she could've came here alone," Mina stated. 

"I was going to send her alone, but all of you, who work so hard for me, are here. So I thought it would be meaningful for me to participate as well." 

"But does that mean that you'll stay here with us for two days, Ms Yoo ?" Jihyo asked. 

Everyone looked at Jihyo, and then back at Jeongyeon, already dreading her answer. 

"Yes, that's right." 

Sana cringed. 

"As you guys know, the team isn't complete without me, Yoo Jeongyeon," she claimed, both arms raised. 

The group stood uncomfortably for a while until Mark broke the silence by clapping and cheering. The rest followed. 

Clearly patronising. 

"Are you guys going somewhere ?" Jeongyeon asked. 

"Yes ! We're actually on our way to the creek to drink-" 

Sana put a hand over Momo's mouth. 

"No, Ms Yoo. We just bought this watermelon, and we were on our way back to the guest house. When we're back, we're going to present our vision statements. After that, we're going to discuss plans to contribute to Yoo Group's brighter future," Jihyo claimed. 

Jeongyeon nodded. "That sounds good. You should go back and have your discussion." 

 

The group cheered.

 

Quite unwillingly.

 

They sat at the table, all of them feeling nervous and stressed. "What are we going to do ?" Sana asked. "I haven't even started on my vision at all. What am I going to present ?" JIhyo tapped on the desk impatiently. "Stop whining and just write something will you ? Reflect on the past, and the present and think about how we can do better in the future. Keep your ideals high, but be realistic at the same time. Dream big, but also be practical. Got it ?  That's how we should think," Jihyo stated. "Ms Park," Mark said. "Yes, Mark-ssi ?" Jihyo looked at him. "Have you come up with yours ?" Mark asked. Jihyo laughed. And sat back down, picking up a pen. "For goodness sake," Sana claimed. "I wouldn't have come if I had know this would happen," Momo lamented. "I know right ? The schedule was just for show. I can't believe we have to do this !" Sana complained. "Exactly. This doesn't even feel like a team-building activity anymore. It feels more like a punishment," Tzuyu stated. Sana sighed. She had an idea. In a lowkey manner, she tried sneaking a peek at Mark's paper. Mark lifted the paper away from the table and eyed Sana cheekily. Sana huffed. 

 

Mina walked up the slope to the house, a tray of fruits in her hands. Coincidentally, Jeongyeon was walking downwards the slope. She put her right arm out, stopping Mina in her tracks. She looked at her secretary. "Ms Myoui, do you know why i'm here ?" Jeongyeon asked. Mina smiled. "Earlier, you said that you came here because of Ms Kim Dahyun," she replied. Jeongyeon shook her head. "No, that's actually not why i'm here. I'm here because of you." Mina was speechless. "Thinking about how you kept rejecting me got me all riled up, so I couldn't stay at home. And I also didn't want you to think about your childhood sweetheart. So, i decided to come to make you think about every second. What a blessing for your brain." Mina smiled awkwardly. "Ms Myoui, do you know what the goal of this workshop is ?" Jeongyeon asked. "To build up team unity and co-operation ?" Mina replied.

"No. It's putting an end to this flirting and starting a relationship."

"What ?"

"Just you wait and see. By the time this workshop is over, you'll be my girlfriend." 

"You'll be her what ?" 

Mina's eyes widened as she turned her head, seeing Yerim and Dahyun standing there, confused looks on their faces. Dahyun had plastic bags in her hands. Jeongyeon picked up a cherry tomato hastily and stuffed it in . Dahyun watched as a tomato rolled down the slope. "Well, I overheard Ms Yoo saying that you'll be her something," Yerim noted. "I said that we'll become a better team. We'll become one after the workshop especially because i'm here now," Jeongyeon stated. "You're right Ms Yoo !" Yerim replied. "Let's go. Everyone must be waiting." Yerim and Dahyun nodded as they followed Jeongyeon back into the house. Mina sighed. Why must this happen to me ?

 

Jeongyeon sat with a stern look on her face. The group sat still, all refusing to even look her in the eye. Jihyo smiled at Jeongyeon. "Now, we shall each present our vision statements," she announced. "Who wants to go first ? Who should go first... let's give her a big round of applause," Jihyo began. The group clapped accordingly. "Ms Minatozaki, let's get it," Jihyo called. "What ? I didn't say that i would-" Everyone was clapping and cheering. Jeongyeon started to clap too. Sana realised she had no choice. She got up from her seat and stood at the end of the table, her hands behind her back. "I believe that never losing your rookie spirit helps you... feel a bigger sense of achievement. It'll- it'll also help you get bigger raises-" Sana stuttered. "Return to your seat if you haven't thought of what to say," Jeongyeon instructed. "Yes, ma'am. I'll go back to my seat," Sana said, retreating like a timid puppy. Jeongyeon looked over at Mina. Mina looked back. Jeongyeon winked. 

 

What the...

 

"Now, i'll present my vision statement," Mark stated. Jeongyeon's gaze shifted to Mark. He walked up to the end of the table, b with confidence. "The American psychologist, David McClelland, said that experiencing success and deriving joy or a sense of reward from it further intensifies one's motivation and desire to accomplish more. Based on McClelland's Human Motivation Theory, i'll do my best to maximize our PPM, and minimize our CSI." Momo leaned towards Chaeyoung. "What's PPM ? I only know 2PM," Momo whispered. "Hence, i would like to become an indispensable part of the company, who can develop and implement effective plans using my unique abilities. Thank you." He sat down. Everyone cheered and clapped. "This is not what I came here for," Jeongyeon muttered. "Pardon me ?" Jihyo asked. "Oh it's nothing. Never mind," Jeongyeon claimed. "Then as a graduate of Hanlim Arts, i shall present my vision statement next-" Chaeyoung began. "Hold on." All eyes were on Jeongyeon now. "Your vision can't really be expressed with words," she stated. "We must," she lifted her fingers up her eyes. "Use our eyes." Everyone nodded. "No elaborate words are needed. You'll each get two seconds to communicate your vision to me with your eyes. All right. Let's get started." 

Jeongyeon turned to jihyo. 

Those are some big eyes. 

Next was Chaeyoung. 

Pretty decent. 

Minatozaki Sana  

She must be shy. 

Kim Dahyun

It's alright. 

Mark Tuan

Irritating. 

Kim Yerim 

Kind. 

Hirai Momo

Disappointing. 

Chou Tzuyu 

Determined.

Mina. 

Is she disgusted ? 

Jeongyeon smiled. 

"Is that expression congruent to your visions, Ms Myoui ?" Jeongyeon asked. "It shows my determination to plow through this hardship," Mina replied.

Jeongyeon nodded. "Excellent." 

Mina was bewildered. 

"Let's end the presentation here and have some free time." 

Everyone cheered and applauded. 

Yerim looked at her watch and raised a hand. 

"No, this time is scheduled for Find the Ribbon." 

"Find the Ribbon ?" Jeongyeon asked. 

"Yes. Ribbons with the company motto are hidden in the mountain. We will find them in groups of two, and the team with the most number of ribbons will win. It's like a treausre hunt game. 

Jeongyeon nodded. "So we will form groups of two..." 

She looked at Mina. 

Mark raised a his hand, wanting to be chosen. 

Jeongyeon looked around the table, making sure not to look at Mark. Everyone else looked down, hoping not to be chosen. 

"In that case, i will team up with Ms Myoui." 

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Why me ?" Mina asked. 

"I would like to discuss politics, society, economy and world trade with my partner while hiking the mountain." Jeongyeon replied.  

Is there anyone else other than Ms Myoui who would like to join me ?" Jeongyeon asked.  

Everyone kept quiet. 

"Ms Myoui is perfect," Sana stated. 

Everyone else clapped and agreed. 

"So then, Ms Yoo and Ms Myoui will form a team." 

Jihyo pointed to Momo and Tzuyu. 

"You girls will form a team." 

She pointed to Yerim and Mark. 

"You will form a team." 

She pointed to Sana and Dahyun. 

"And you girls will form a team. Ms Son and I will hide the ribbons in the mountain," Jihyo announced. 

Jeongyeon looked at Mina, smiling.  

Mina stared back at her.

Why always me ? 

 

 

The girls assembled outside of the house. As Sana approached them, Mina noticed that she was adjusting something in her bra. "Sana-ssi, you got changed ?" Tzuyu asked. "You are wearing very y clothes," Momo pointed out. Sana smiled sheepishly. "Mr Tuan is here. So I wore three push-up inserts." Everyone laughed hysterically. "But i'm not wearing anything on my bottom. I am blessed with nice hips," Sana stated. What she hadn't noticed was that the other four girls were already headed up to the meeting point. "Yah wait for me !" 

 

They made it up the hill to the meeting point. Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Chaeyoung, Mark and Dahyun were already stood there waiting. "All right. Now that we have our teams, you should go stand by your teammate," Jihyo suggested. Yerim shifted towards Mark and Sana stood unwillingly beside Dahyun. Mina stood beside Jeongyeon. "Ms Yoo," Jihyo mentioned. She took out a chocolate from her shirt pocket and presented it to Jeongyeon. "This chocolate contains my heart. If you get tired while hiking, you should eat this." Tzuyu and Momo started giggling. "Thank you," Jeongyeon said, accepting the gift. "Today's winner will not only recieve the gift certificate, but also a tablet PC." Jeongyeon announced. Mark's eyes widened. No way. "Alright now. On your mark. Get set.." Jihyo announced. They were ready. 

"GO !" 

Mark sped off at light speed. 

Everyone stared in shock. 

"What- ? Mr Tuan-" Yerim stuttered. 

"Go go go !" Momo and Tzuyu shouted. 

"What are you doing ? Hurry up and go !" Sana said to Dahyun 

"This way Ms Yoo," Mina said, guiding Jeongyeon up the slope. 

It was to be a leisurely stroll for them today. 

 

Mark had made his way up the mountain, frantically searching for the yellow ribbons. Yerim managed to catch up, gasping for air as she stopped to take a breather. "Come on ! What are you doing ? Help me find the ribbons-" Mark said. Just at this moment, he spotted a yellow ribbon, tied up on a tree, the word 'passion' written on it. "There ! A ribbon !" Mark pointed out. "We found one !" Yerim exclaimed. They ran over to the tree. The ribbon was tied a bit too high up, and Mark couldn't reach up no matter how high he jumped. He stopped and made a choice. He took off his blazer and turned to Yerim. Yerim looked confused. He handed the blazer to her. "You want me to hold your blazer for you ?" she asked. He nodded. She took the blazer. Mark began to climb up the tree. The ribbon was easily retrieved.  "Why can't you just leave it on a bush or something ?" Yerim asked, setting the blazer down on a nearby bush. Mark looked at Yerim. And then at his blazer. The blazer on the bush. "HEY ! I told you to hold onto it !" Mark exclaimed. "It's no big deal ! You have ten of these anyway !" Yerim fired back. "No ! I don't have ten of these okay ? This is my only suit ! So pick it up please !" Mark replied. Yerim stood there, confused. "What ? But everyone said that you have ten of these blazers..." she asked. "No, i don't." he replied. Just at this moment, he looked down at the ground and shivered. "When was this so high up ? Ms Yerim, help me i can't get down." Mark requested. 

"What ?"

"Share your back. I will step on you and go down."

"Did you just say you'll step on me ?" 

"Hurry," Mark pleaded. 

Yerim rolled her eyes. She took out her phone.

"Mom ?" 

"Ms Yerim ?" 

"Ah yes i can't hear you." 

"Ms Yerim !" 

"I'm in the mountains and the signal is bad. I'll call you when I get down." 

Yerim scampered away. 

"Ms Yerim ! Ms Yerim ! MS YERIM ! My god, how could she just leave me- And my blazer- This is crazy... My god... SAVE ME !" 

"Save me !" 

"Someone help me !" 

"Mommy !"   

 

 

...

 

 

 

"Today, dad got me caramels. I left a lot for you. My sisters tried to eat them, but i safeguarded yours." 

"Aren't you going to come see me ? You haven't forgotten me, have you ? I want you to come see me soon." 

Seungyeon flipped the page.

"Hey, i forgot your name. I don't remember your name. I can write well now, but i can't write your name because i don't remember it. Visit me soon and tell me your name again." 

She put the journal down.

"I wonder what Mina is doing now.' 

She smiled. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

It was a leisurely stroll for Mina and Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon had her hands in her pockets.

"Ms Myoui, shall we continue where we left off ?"

"What ?" 

"I didn't profess my love because i was blinded by jealousy and desire to win. You are mistaken-" 

Mina's phone rang. 

She looked at the contact on the screen and looked back at Jeongyeon. She hesitated to take the call. 

Jeongyeon took the phone from her and looked at the screen. 

"Actress Gong Seungyeon"

She took the call. 

"Why are you calling her ?" 

"Why are you answering Mina's phone ?"

"I'm with her." 

"What ?" 

"It doesn't sound urgent, so i will hang up now. We are in the middle of an important conversation." 

She hung up and handed the phone back to Mina. 

"What are you doing right now ?" 

"I told you. Focus on the person you like at the moment." 

"I told you too. It's the memory I really want to find." 

"So ? Are you going to keep meeting my sister and try to bring back your memory ?"

"Yes." 

"Even if i hate it this much ?" 

"Yes." 

Jeongyeon huffed. 

Mina walked away. 

She sighed. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

"It's over there !" Tzuyu exclaimed.

Momo ran over to the yellow ribbon dangling off a leaf. 

"Go Secretary Kim ! Get it !"

Momo and Dahyun ran forward to get the ribbon. In the end, it was Momo that emerged victorious, having outmuscled Dahyun, who was pushed to the ground. Momo and Tzuyu cheered among themselves and ran off. Sana trodded over to Dahyun. "What was that ? You look like you can beat up almost everything." Sana lamented. "I'm actually quite weak," Dahyun pointed out. "Good for you," Sana replied.  Dahyun was staring at Sana's shirt. Sana noticed that. "Why ? Do i look prettier in the mountain ?" Sana asked. "A bug." Dahyun replied. "What ? Are you saying i look like a bug ?" Dahyun shook her head. "That's not it." She pointed to Sana's shirt. "There's a bug there." Sana looked down, letting out an ear piercing scream. Dahyun looked on uncomfortably as Sana fumbled around, screaming and shouting as she tried to get the bug off of her. Mark ran up towards them. "Woah, what's going on here ?" he asked. "There's a bug in my shirt !" Sana shrieked. Mark ran past them. Just as he did so, Sana noticed something had dropped out of her shirt during her struggle. Her push-up pad. Now lying on the ground in plain sight. Dahyun noticed it too. Sana stared in horror as Mark turned around. It seemed like it was all in slow motion. Dahyun took off her blazer. 

Sana watched as the blazer flew from Dahyun's arms and onto the ground, hiding the pad from sight.  

Mark turned around.

He saw the blazer on the floor. 

"Have you seen Ms Kim Yerim ?" 

Sana shook her head. 

Mark sighed and ran off. 

Sana stood there uncomfortably, covering herself up. 

Dahyun looked at her and then back at her blazer, picking it up from the ground. 

She handed it over to Sana. 

Dahyun bowed. 

Sana bowed back. 

As if it was still in slow motion, Dahyun ran off. 

Sana opeend up the blazer, uncovering the pad which was concealed in it. 

She looked at the direction where Dahyun had ran off to. 

 

She's so cool.

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

Mina trodded along the trail by herself. Jeongyeon was nowhere to be seen. 

She felt a drop of rain on the top of her head. 

And another. 

And another. 

She put her hand above her head, sheltering herself as she ran, trying to search for an actual shelter to hide herself from the rain. 

She heard the sounds of footsteps on the grass as a shadow loomed over her. 

A brown coat sheltered her from the rain, and a figure wearing an orange shirt came running up beside her. 

She stared in shock as she noticed that it was her boss, sheltering her from the rain. 

She looked up. 

Jeongyeon looked down at her. 

The two stood in silence as they gazed into each other's eyes for a moment.

"Ms Yoo." 

"Stay there. If not now, when will you be able to use a $9000 umbrella ?" 

Jeongyeon looked at Mina. 

"This umbrella is limited edition." 

Mina smiled. 

"Let's take shelter from the rain," Jeongyeon said as they ran. Together. It seemed like it was slow motion. They smiled at each other as they ran. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

They sat beside each other, taking shelter from the rain.

They sat in silence, Jeongyeon glancing over at Mina once in a while, Mina doing the same. 

Jeongyeon sighed. 

"I'm worried about catching a cold." 

"I'm fine, Ms Yoo. I am actually quite strong." 

"I was talking about myself, Ms Myoui. I am worried about myself catching a cold." 

"Ah. Right. You get cold easily." 

Jeongyeon nodded. 

Mina chuckled. "When will the rain stop ?" 

As she looked up, she spotted a spider. 

She let out a scream as she turned around, trying not to look at it as she hugged her legs close to her body.

Jeongyeon looked up and noticed the bug. She grabbed it and tossed it away. She tended to Mina. 

"Ms Myoui. It's gone now, you don't have to be scared." 

Shivering 

"You're okay." 

Mina was still petrified. 

Jeongyeon reached for her pocket. 

"Here you go. Take this, Ms Myoui."

Mina looked at the chocolate. 

"Take this and relax." 

She looked at Jeongyeon. 

 

 

"I want to go home." 

"Mina yah, stop crying. If you stop, i will give you something delicious."

"Something delicious ?"

"Here, it's a caramel."

"Don't cry once you eat it." 

"Promise me."

"Enjoy it." 

 

 

 

Mina looked at Jeongyeon with tears in her eyes. 

"Thank you."    

She took the chocolate.

Jeongyeon watched as Mina took the chocolate. 

She chewed on it slowly. 

Jeongyeon smiled. 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

"Are you feeling better now ?" 

Mina nodded. "I do. I feel a lot better." 

Jeongyeon smiled. 

The rain dissipated slowly. 

"Looks like the rain has stopped," Jeongyeon pointed out. 

"Should we head down ?" Mina asked. 

Jeongyeon smiled. 

"Let's go."

 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

"Ever since that incident, i developed a fear of spiders. I meant the kidnapping incident from when i was young." 

They had made their way onto a bridge.

"At that time, there was a huge spider outside the door." 

"Do you know the strange feeling you get when you visit a place from your childhood as an adult ?" Jeongyeon asked.

Mina shook her head.

"You wonder if that place has always been that tight and small." 

"What ?" 

"When you are a small child, everything is relatively big. That's why the spider you saw looked so big. There's no need to be scared of it now." 

"Do you think that's it" Mina asked. 

"Have you had a dog, Ms Myoui ?" 

"No."

"Long time ago, i had a purest breed Golden Retriever. His name was Big Bang Andromeda Supernova Sonic."

Mina giggled. "You named the dog yourself as a kid, didn't you ?" 

"That's right." 

Mina nodded. 

"Big Bang Andromeda Supernova Sonic was such a good dog. He didn't bark much. He was clever. Then one day, Big Bang Andromeda Supernova Sonic-" 

"Can't we shorten it and call him "Big Bang" ?" 

"We can't." 

"Anyway, he had one strange habit. Whenever i gave him a gum, he would always bury it in the ground. He didn't even dig it up again. He just forgot about it." 

"Could he have suffered from shortness of memory ?" 

"Maybe." 

 Jeongyeon took a deep breath. 

"Big Bang is long dead, but the gums he had buried must be somewhere in my front yard."

"But do i need to dig them up ?"

"What if i dig them up and find out they are gross and rotten ?"

 

 

"I just don't want you digging up a painful memory."

She sighed.

"Because of that incident, my family and my sister, suffered for a long time. I was worried that you would go through the same thing." 

Mina nodded.  

"Of course, like you said, i was jealous too."

Mina smiled. 

"I understand how you feel. But as you know, i've been living for my family rather than for myself. And even my job requires me to prioritize another person rather than myself. That's why i'm not used to people being considerate of me."  

 

 

"But that day, at that scary moment, your sister protected me."

 

 

"It was the kindest thing someone has ever done for me."

 

 

"So i hope you won't hate me meeting Seungyeon, who's shown me such kindness."

She walked away. 

But stopped. 

 

 

 

"You can have anything you want and everything you want to know." 

 

 

 

"I will understand that."

 

 

 

"You can do everything you wish to do."

 

 

She took a deep breath.

 

 

"I will bear it."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I am confident to bear everything about you."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for the wait ! The link below will basically be the "theme song" to this fic. Coincidentally, it is also one of the OSTs to the kdrama (hehe) For a diffferent "feel", you can listen to it when you're reading the flashback or the ending to this chapter. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ir2IflOHv4

Thank you everyone for the support on this fic i really appreciate it :) 

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