The Next Scene

“Taeng?!” Yuri happily skipped towards the zoned out Taeyeon.

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” Taeyeon yelped. Yuri looked at her confused. “I’m sorry I was out for a while. Anyway, what’s up?”

“Just chekin’, how was the interview the other day?” Yuri asked.

“You know, the usual. It was plain, boring, nothing new happened. Didn’t get much information. I may or may not have been kicked out or something.” Taeyeon trailed off. 

“Kicked out?!” Yuri exclaimed. “What on Earth happened?”

“I swear I didn’t do anything.”

“You swear on Zero’s paws?” Taeyeon halts and pouted. “What really happened?”

“I may have said something really rude.” Taeyeon can’t help but cringe whenever she recalls her encounter with the CEO. “You didn’t brief me! I didn’t know her face nor her name!” Yuri laughed at that.

“I thought you would’ve researched about her.”

“I didn’t have the time! It was so last minute and I chose to sleep than to do some research.” The shorter of the two sighed. “She talked to our chief. I don’t know what they talked about ‘cause our chief has not called me yet.”

Yuri shook her head at her friend’s situation. She should’ve known this was gonna happen. It was partly her fault, she knew Taeyeon wouldn’t bother researching about the CEO because it was really a last minute decision. And she knew her friend just got home from a very stressful day.

“I’m sorry. I’m going to talk to our chief about it. I’ll explain everything.”

“It’s fine. No big deal. It’s not like she’s gonna fire me. It’s my first offense you know.” A very big offense.

And at that moment, their Editorial Chief - Choi Sooyoung - entered the room. At the same time, Taeyeon’s heart can’t function. She was ready to beg. If the situation calls for it, that is.

“Chief, it was my fault.” Yuri stepped forward. 

“No, it’s not. It was really mine, Chief. I was careless and unprofessional. I’ll accept whatever punishment you’ll give me.” Taeyeon bravely said. Deep inside, though, she was already crying.

“Okay. In that case, you’re going to be doing a whole article about Ms. Jessica Jung.” Taeyeon was about to protest when Sooyoung cut her off. “And about how her boyfriend didn’t leave her because of her coldness.” Taeyeon zipped when she heard that. Damn my mouth, really.

“Lucky, midget.” Yuri uttered.

“Lucky?! How is that lucky?!” Taeyeon exclaimed forgetting that there’s another person in the room.

“Oh, and before I forget, you’ll be assigned to be with Ms. Jung until you finished your article. How lucky you must be.” Choi Sooyoung smirked.

Yuri just looked at her friend with a mix of envy and pity. Taeyeon on the other hand just has agape.

——————

Flashback

“Sit down, please.” Ms. Jung commands.

“I... I’m really sorry about earlier.” Jessica looked at her with an amused smile. For Taeyeon, it was a mix of creepy and kind of lovely.

“Where did you hear all of those rumor?” Jessica straight out asked her. “Just answer that question, Ms. Kim.”

“And here I thought I’m the one who’s going to be doing the interview.” Taeyeon answered. “Why would you want to know that? And how should I know about that?”

“That’s not an answer to my question.” 

“I refuse to answer your question.”

“5 million won.”

“What?” Taeyeon has her eyes wide. “Are you trying to buy my answer?”

Jessica rolled her eyes and sighed.

“5 million won was robbed from me by my ex-boyfriend.” Taeyeon’s eyes has softened when she heard that. “Now, give me a name.”

“I just heard people talking about it last year at the cafe I was part timing at. I didn’t know who you were, not that I know who you are now.”

“What’s the name of the cafe?”

“Uhh..., Starbucks?”

“Address?”

“Just down the street.”

“Mhmm. You can go now.”

“What? But I haven’t done the interview, yet.” Taeyeon stood up, tensed. Yuri’s going to kill her.

“I’m done.” Jessica sweetly smiled at her which was creepy for Taeyeon. She doesn’t know if the girl’s mad or just plain crazy.

“Yah! You can’t just do that!” Taeyeon exclaimed. “I didn’t wake up 4 hours early just to be shooed away. I know I was wrong for what I did earlier, but I’m really sorry about it. Please, don’t kick me out. I love my job, I don’t want to be fired. Please.” She pleaded. She knew she’ll be fired if her boss found out what she’s done.

Jessica looked at her with blank face but deep inside she was really amused. She decided to call it a day just to filter her employees, she doesn’t need employees who just gossips about her life.

“Okay. Please continue your interview.” Jessica calmly replied. She fixed her position on her chair.

Taeyeon gulped. She didn’t mean to burst out. She just lacks sleep. But all has been done so she decided to go for it.

“Okay.” She rummaged through her phone to look at Yuri’s email. She mistakenly opened Yuri’s ‘What to Ask Jessica Jung for dating’ instead of ‘Questions for Interview with Ms. Jung’.

“So, do you have any specific preference between guys and ladies?” Jessica has a confused look mirroring Taeyeon’s. The latter didn’t know why the question was like that. “I’m sorry, don’t answer that. That was rude.”

“I’m biual if that’s what you’re asking.” Taeyeon stopped what she was doing when she heard that. Jessica leaned on her desk and quietly whispered, “I happen to prefer short girls with fair skin.”

“Uhh... huh.” Taeyeon smirked. “Are you flirting with me, Ms. Jung?”

“It depends. Are you flirting back?”

“Still not my type, Ms. Jung.”

“Is that a challenge, Ms. Kim?”

“A factual information.”

“Factual information sometimes can be misinformation.”

“It was nice meeting you, Ms. Jung.”

“It won’t be the last.”

“I... I’ll see myself out.” Taeyeon hurriedly fixed her things. She can feel another awkward tension coming. Yuri will definitely kill her.

“I’ll see you soon, Ms. Kim.” Jessica smiled at her. Taeyeon zoom past her office door. “Hmm. So flirting was the only way to make her leave, huh.”

Just as Jessica was about to call her secretary, Kim Taeyeon was at her office, again.

“Can I, just, uhh,” Taeyeon was out of breath. She heard what Jessica said out loud. Taeyeon, with hurried steps, walked towards the CEO. She grabbed her by the neck and kissed her. Just a quick yet sweet kiss on the lips. “Payback for making me leave. I’ll probably loose my job after this, so a little remembrance from me.”

And with that, the Interviewer left the CEO’s office with a triumphant smile. While the CEO was left dumbfounded.

You win this round, Ms. Kim. Jessica thought. Smiling while holding her lips.

--------

a/n:

I don't know if it's what you guys are expecting, but I did my best. Due to public demand (lol) I decided to make this a multi shots. xx - C