“There he goes again,” Jaehyun uttered under his breath before taking a sip of his coffee.

Jongin looked over his shoulder, trying to see what Jaehyun and Johnny were staring at. Minjung was talking to a guy who had his back on them. A smile was playing on Minjung’s face and he felt a string in his heart being pulled. The guy was wearing a sleek suit and Jongin could tell that it’s an expensive one.

“Who is he?” Jongin asked, turning to his colleagues.

“He’s the guy who’s been making a move on our boss for a month now. From what I’ve heard, he’s a lawyer. His office is just across the street,” Johnny answered, eyes still on the two. “I can tell that boss is just being polite. If she’s his type, she would’ve gone on a date with him before.”

“I don’t like him. There’s just something with him which makes my guts uncomfortable.” Jaehyun slowly shook his head. “Maybe I’m just over thinking.”

Jongin’s gaze went back to Minjung’s direction. She was still talking to the guy. He was about to look away when the guy shifted on his seat, revealing his face. A shiver of fear ran down his spine when he recognized the man. Lee Jinwoo. Just like a reflex, Jongin lowered his gaze and stiffened on his seat.

“Hyung, are you okay?” Jaehyun asked. His voice sounded like a light buzz in Jongin’s ears but he managed to nod in answer.

“Let’s go back. Break time’s over,” Johnny stated after looking at his phone. Jongin slowly stood, picking his coffee in the process. When he looked back, he regretted his action right away. He just came eye to eye with Jinwoo and he saw how the guy’s expression changed.

He quickly looked away. . He recognized me. He was about to take a step when he heard a familiar nickname. He cringed.

“Stiff!”

Jaehyun and Johnny looked back, eyes darting on Jinwoo then at Jongin. They seemed confused. Jinwoo was already walking towards them when Jongin turned. He wasn’t sure if he should meet Jinwoo’s eyes or not. Minjung was also up on her feet, curiosity painted on her face.

“Am I right? You’re Kim Jongin, right?”

Jongin hated the way his name came out from Jinwoo’s lips. He nodded nonetheless.

“Wow. Look at you,” Jinwoo exclaimed, giving him a once over. A smirk played across his face. Jongin always hated that smirk. “Looking like a city boy, aren’t we? What a big upgrade!”

Jongin flinched when Jinwoo patted his shoulder like how he used to do. He maintained a straight face, finally meeting Jinwoo’s gaze. He couldn’t help but picture him as the boy he used to be 13 years ago. He still has the same taunting eyes.

“Do you know him?” Minjung asked when she got to where they were standing.

“He’s my school junior. We went to the same high school,” Jinwoo replied with a smile as he looked at Minjung. She nodded her head. “He used to be this little scrawny fellow who attracted to so much attention in school. You wouldn’t imagine how popular he was.”

Jongin wanted to wipe off the smile on Jinwoo’s face with his fist. He’s the one who made Jongin popular in the first place.

“He was?” Minjung questioned, tone laced with surprise.

“Yes, he was,” Jinwoo answered, nodding enthusiastically. When he looked at Jongin, the latter saw the familiar glint of victory in his eyes. And then, he was back to being this little kid who used to curl in a corner to hide from them – the monsters who made his life miserable.

“Boss, we’ll go ahead to the office.” Jaehyun’s sudden statement made Jongin come to his senses. He completely forgot that they were still there. Minjung nodded right away.

“Hyung,” Johnny called out and Jongin looked at him. “We’ll go ahead.”

Jongin wanted to tell them that he’s going back with them to get away from Jinwoo but his lips just remained shut. He was still looking at the two as they walk away when he heard Jinwoo asking Minjung something. When he turned to them, Jinwoo was already staring at him with a hint of disbelief in his face.

“He’s really your secretary?”

“Yes.”

“You really made it big, Stiff,” Jinwoo commented, patting Jongin’s shoulder once again. “Making mom and dad proud, aren’t you?”

Jongin forced a smile on his face. He just wanted to take off his jacket and wash away any trace of Jinwoo on it. “Of course.”

“But why do you call him Stiff?” Minjung asked, looking at the two. Jongin swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Ah, it’s just a nickname we gave him. It’s like a term of endearment,” Jinwoo replied. Jongin’s brows furrowed. “You see, he’s a friend with a very firm conviction. He’s not easily swayed to do things which are not acceptable for him. He’s like literally unbendable.”

And that quality got Jongin in trouble. Stiff – he hated that nickname, he still does. Unlike the bull Jinwoo just said, it had another meaning. It meant outsider. If you’re called a Stiff, it means you’re labeled as the target. And for two years, Jinwoo and his goons made sure that his life became a living hell.

He became a human punching bag. They made him strip and he could still vividly remember the laughter that enveloped the boy’s restroom that day. They took pictures of him and shared it to their friends. He became so popular in a wrong way. Sickening snickers would meet him in the hallways. The other students acted like he did not exist. They did not want to be the next target.

He tried telling the teachers about it but they did not do anything about it. Jinwoo’s a very good liar. He’s very excellent with words – at twisting them and making them sound real. He could even sell the moon if he wanted to. He’s that skilled. And so, Jongin was left on his own.

High school was hell. He thought he could get away from that. He thought he had defeated the demons haunting him at night but look at him right now, knees shaking in fear and intimidation. The trauma’s engraved in his bones. He thought he was able to overcome that. He was wrong. He just pushed it back to the farthest part of his consciousness, not knowing when it will come face to face with him again.

And now, he’s back. The demon of his past is back, staring at him with taunting eyes, ready to eat him alive.

“Knock. Knock.”

Snapping back to reality, Jongin looked up. A smiling Junmyeon met his eyes. Jongin scrambled on his seat in surprise as he quickly stood, bowing his head in greeting. “Good morning, sir.”

Junmyeon raised a brow. “I hope you were not daydreaming just now about Minjung because that’s-”

“No, sir,” Jongin frantically stated while shaking his head. He could tell that his face is of a shade of pink at the moment. Junmyeon stared at him as if contemplating if he’s telling the truth before the corner of his lips curved upwards into a teasing smile.