“Can you believe it that I’m about to get married in a month?” SinB takes a sip of her morning dose of coffee

“No, I can’t but I guess you really are getting married huh?” Dahyun lets out a grin

“Not to mention with someone I didn’t even know” SinB continues as she sighed

“Well, seeing how you’re sooo lazy to find your own soulmate, I guess your mom got pretty tired waiting for the day you will bring a girlfriend back home” Dahyun shrugs “But, why did you agree anyway?”

“Good question, Dahyun. I don’t even know why I agreed to it” She says as her eyes wander around the cafe only to land on a sight no one could missed “And by the way, who’s that? I’ve never seen her before though” SinB asks while pointing towards the tall figure that’s standing in front of the pick-up counter.

“Ohh. That girl, her name is Sojung. Your new employee, didn’t I tell you about her last week though?”

“Ahhh. Now I remember. It must have slipped my mind after my sudden marriage news” SinB takes another sip of her coffee looking at her watch “Alright. We better get going. Meeting in 10 minutes”

 

*****

 

Kim Sojung.

The new model consultant for our company. That’s the girl I saw at the cafe this morning who suddenly caught my eyes. And never once I got caught up in such situation before. Or maybe the thought of getting married in a month is getting the best out of me. She’s a real beauty though, how I wish I got to know her even before my mom set me up with someone I don’t even know.

 

“Hwang Eunbi!” My mom called me out from downstairs

“Yes Mom?” I head outside of my room to answer her call

“Can you come down for a sec?”

“Coming”

And in a few seconds, I’m already at her side

“Yes mom?”

“Nothing. Just wanna know if anything good happens at your office today?”

“Aside from we finally sign an agreement with the KSJ company, nope, none”

“You sure?”

“Yes mom. Oh wait. I just remembered something” Mom looks at me eagerly

“There’s a new employee at the office today and her beauty is just, simply eye catching”

I smile but it turns into a frown when my mom painful pinch lands on me

“You’re getting married in a month, Eunbi. I hope you remember that”

I let out a laugh finding my mom threat funny but upon seeing her worry face, I says to assure her that she has nothing to worry about.

“Don’t worry mom, of course I remember. It’s my wedding after all”

 

*****

 

“So now where is everyone when I need someone to go for a site visit with” SinB takes a peek outside of her office to see if there are any of her employees available to go with her. As if everyone knew that going for a trip with her won’t be a fun trip, it’s like the whole floor completely vanish, her best friend included. SinB lets out a sigh and almost let out a curse when she suddenly heard footsteps coming over from the pantry. And when she looks at the direction, not someone she’s expecting but at least there’s someone she can bring along to give her a second opinion.

 

“Kim Sojung ssi!”

The latter almost spill her coffee upon the sudden called out from SinB

“Yes, Miss Hwang?”

“Would you like to go out with me?”

And Sojung almost spill her coffee for the second time, and SinB finally realize the slip of the tongue she just did.

“No, I meant, go out for a site visit with me” SinB rubs the back of her head, as she tries to hide her embarrassment.

“Oh, yeah. Sure. When?”

“Meet me downstairs in 10 mins?”

“Okay. Do I need to bring anything?”

“Nope, nothing. Having you there with me is good enough”

Sojung just stands there, seemingly baffle with what she just heard.

“Uh, no I meant, nothing, you don’t have to bring anything. I see you in 10!”

SinB hurriedly closes her office door as she put her hand against her chest, trying to calm herheartbeat down.

“What the fcuk was that, Eunbi” She whispers to herself “You’re gonna get married in less than a month, remember that”

*****

 

Throughout the drive, the both of us didn’t say anything. Not sure if I’m that intimidating to her but one thing for sure, I’m still in deep embarrassment for the words that suddenly came out from my mouth in the office just then. So, I’ve been quite careful before I say anything to her. And when we’re only a few minutes away from our destination, she suddenly breaks the silence.

 

“Can we, stop by the road side for a second?”

“Why? You don’t feel well?” I quickly pulled my car at the side road

Before she even answers my question, she gets out of the car. Feeling worried, I turned off the car engine and get out of the car.

“Kim Sojung, are you okay?” I ask, as I follow her from the back.

“Yes, I’m perfectly okay” She turns around, smiling at me.

Nope, not gonna melt my heart. Noo fcuking way.

“Then, why the sudden request?”

“You’re too focus on your drive that you forgot to enjoy the view we’re getting” She says as she points out towards the scenery that is laid out in front of us.

“I don’t need to look at the outside view when the one that I’m getting in the car is already breathtaking”

Oppss, I quickly cover my mouth and turns my back facing her when my brain finally processed the words that just came out from my mouth.

I can hear Sojung tiny chuckle perhaps finding my behavior amusing as I walk back towards my car.

“Alright. We better get going. Get into the car please, Sojung?” I says as I opened the car door for her.

“Hope you will enjoy the view you are getting for the rest of the ride” She says forming a smile on her thin lips as she gets into the car.

And from that moment onwards, for the rest of our journey, never once, my heartbeats become regular.

 

*****

 

“I’m doomed Dahyun. Doomed” SinB buries her face against her office desk.

“Ahh, so the rumor is true then?”

“What rumor?” SinB lifts her face slightly.

“About you and your new employee” A sly smile creeps out on Dahyun’s lips

“And what exactly that rumor is about?” SinB raises her head, looking at Dahyun attentively.

“That you two went out together yesterday?”

“Duhh, I brought her to visit the photoshoot site. You and the rest weren’t in the office as if I didn’t know that all of you purposely did that to avoid having to go for a site visit with me” SinB rolls her eyes as she finishes her sentences.

“Well, you can’t blame us for that. You’re just too whiny when the place isn’t what you imagine how it would look like”

“And you guys gotta thank me for that, or else the photoshoot ain’t gonna work out”

“So, how’s your site visit yesterday? Everything is okay?” Dahyun tries to dig the real story

“Far than okay, everything from yesterday is a top notch”

“Thought so. I was surprised when our photography team told me that you’ve got nothing to complain about the site yesterday”

“Gotta thank Sojung for that though”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I actually did complain about the site a little. But she manages to make me look at those flaws as the aesthetic points for the photoshoot later on” A smile almost forming at the corner of SinB’s lips as she remembers what happened yesterday.

“Wow! That easy?” Dahyun sounds surprise with what she’s hearing because she knows, her friend isn’t that easy to convince.

“Surprise surprise huh?”

“Damn girl… Maybe you’re just way too head over heels for her?”

“Even so, it’s too fast, isn’t it? It feels weird though”

“Or shall I say, love come when the right time come? And this is seriously not a good time for the

love to come”

 

*****

 

The next day Sojung comes to work, she’s greeted with a bouquet of red roses waiting for her on her office desk. She remembers talking about buying one to put on her desk the other day with her cube neighbor, Bona. And so, she thought of asking Bona about it.

 

“Hey Bona, are you the one who gave me this?” Sojung shows the roses to Bona who’s touching up her make-up.

“Nope, not me” Bona looks at Sojung and the roses briefly, with a deep smile forming on her lips.

“Ahah, that smile on your face. You know who gave me these flowers right, Bona?”

“No, I didn’t. The flowers were already there when I arrived this morning”

“So, what’s up with the smile then?”

“I’m trying to hold my laugh actually, seeing your flustered blushing face this early in the morning is soo weird, just too weird”

 

That’s not the only thing that happen, when Sojung goes to the café at the lobby area, the barista told her that someone had already paid for her drink and that she can order whatever she wanted, on the house. For the upcoming days, whenever she arrives in the morning, there will always be something waiting for her on her table. Flowers, chocolates, sweets, perfume, muffins, and the list keep on building up. Yet, there is never a sign to help Sojung to trace who her secret santa is.

 

****

 

SinB is reviewing the final design for the outfits for their upcoming photoshoot when she hears a knock on her office door.

 

“Who is it?” She asks with her eyes still glued on the flyers on her desk.

“It’s me. Can I come in?” Dahyun opens the door a little showing her face to her friend whom doesn’t even bother to lift her face when she instructs Dahyun to come in.

“Anything urgent that you need me for Dahyun?”

“Not that urgent but…”

Hearing a change of tone in her friend’s voice, SinB put aside the flyers and directs her focus to Dahyun who’s giving her a stern look.

“But what? And what’s with that face you’re giving me?”

“Hmm… “Dahyun crosses her arms together before she continues speaking “What are you doing, Hwang Eunbi…”

“Do what exactly?” SinB forms a frown, not understanding what her friend is referring too.

“Sojung…” But before SinB could opened , Dahyun shuts her out “If you think of lying to me, just forget it. I know it’s you. What are you thinking girl?”

“In my defense, I did nothing wrong though? It’s not like I’ve never do that for you or for any of my employees?” SinB lifts her shoulders a little before slowly moving her fingers to grab the flyers she’s reviewing before but Dahyun beats her to it as she takes away all the flyers, leaving SinB with no choice other than to focus on their conversation.

“Of course, you did it before with me and the rest of the people outside but only on special occasion. Not. Every. Fcuking. Single. Day. Hwang. Eunbi. Why are you doing this... Your mom ain’t gonna like it if she knows” Dahyun release a deep sigh as she rests her back against the chair.

“I did it for no particular reason, Dahyun. I just wanna make her happy just like how she makes me happy”

“And ended up torturing yourself? You know there’s no way you can back off from your wedding, right?”

“I know, Dahyun, I know. And because of that, I just wanted to enjoy the freedom that I have now and the happiness that I’m feeling now ever since she came. This is the first time I feel this way, can’t you be my supportive friend like you always are and let me cherish the moments I’m in now?”

 

*****

 

“I guess someone can stop playing Santa Claus”

A voice that suddenly appears behind SinB’s back stops her from organizing the gift she prepares for Sojung. At this point, there is no way she could run away from the situation since her disguise is already being revealed.

“Oh, hi. Didn’t expect that anyone would be in the office this early. Good morning to you Sojung” SinB looks at Sojung for a short while before removing her gaze someplace else, face covers in red for getting caught red handed.

“Good morning to you too, Miss Hwang” Sojung smile, cunningly “I purposely came early today hoping that I could meet my secret santa in which I just did”Sojung walk closer to SinB, to her desk to be exact. Sojung even had to ask the now frozen SinB to step aside a little bit so that she could reach the gift SinB just gave her. Looking at music box she just received, Sojung smile from ear to ear and walk closer to SinB, as she whispers close to the latter’s ear “Thank you” that makes the latter shivers inside and quickly runs towards her office without looking back at Sojung.

 

“Damn heart, calm the fcuk down will you”

 

*****

 

A week has passed since Sojung busted SinB’s act and ever since that day, SinB stops becoming Sojung secret santa. Not that SinB stops liking Sojung or anything, it’s just she’s still embarrassed now that Sojung knows she’s the one who keeps on leaving something on Sojung’s office desk. Plus, give SinB a break will you? This is her first time doing and feeling such things.

 

It’s late in the evening and all of her staffs have gone home, SinB stays in her office for a short while after office hours to settle reviewing the upcoming project proposal that her staff just submitted. Feeling a bit sleepy and tired, SinB heads towards the pantry to make herself her evening dose of coffee and to grab some snacks. As she turns her back to go to the coffee maker after closing the refrigerator door, she accidentally bumps onto someone. Someone she has been trying to avoid for the whole week.

 

Sojung.

Kim Sojung.

Who else could it be.

 

“Hi”

“Hi”

“It’s late, why are you still here?” SinB asks the taller girl as she takes a step back.

“I forgot to bring back my diary so I came back” Sojung shows the diary she’s holding in her hand “And you?”

“Got some things to settle in the office” SinB answers, as she makes her way towards the coffee maker “Want some?” She offers Sojung.

“No thanks” Sojung takes a peek at her watch “Too late for a coffee”

From the corner of SinB’s eyes, she could see Sojung’s shadow slowly approaching her.

“Do you mind if I asked you something?” Says Sojung who is now standing right next to SinB

“What is it?” SinB asks while stirring her coffee to mixed up the milk she just added

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“No, I didn’t”

SinB gives a glance to Sojung before she retracts when she realizes Sojung is also looking at her.

“Yes, you did” Sojung crosses her arms “You stop being my secret santa”

“Well, that’s because I’m already busted so secret santa is gone”

“You always took a different path whenever we almost came across each other”

SinB takes a sip of her coffee to cover her nervousness

“You also stop stealing a glance at me during meeting”

SinB’s ears are starting to turn red.

And it becomes redder when she realizes Sojung is coming much closer to her.

“Perhaps, do you like me?”

Trying to keep their distance, SinB takes one step back, Sojung takes a step forward, when SinB takes two steps back Sojung encounter with two steps towards her. SinB is trapped when her back crashes with the refrigerator and there’s only her mug of coffee that separates the two of them from each other.

 

“Your actions do make it seems like you do like me though” Sojung grins

“So, what if I do like you?”

“Then, you should try to act like one”

“That’s the problem. I can’t”

“But why?”

“I’m- I’m getting married in less than a month, Sojung”

“Getting married but not yet” Sojung whispers to SinB’s ear, and she manages to lightly pinch the tips of SinB’s nose before leaving the latter alone in the pantry with her heart beating vigorously and ears turning bright red.

 

*****

 

SinB: I can’t stop thinking about her

Dahyun: Now, wait a minute. Did something just happen?

SinB: Nothing happened

Dahyun: You are in lying. Even in text.

SinB: She knows that I like her

Dahyun: Does she know that you’re getting married as well?

SinB: She does

Dahyun: And what did she say