Jungkook sighed, staring at the window.

     It was his 8th year watching all of his colleagues get a promotion while he was stuck at the same desk, unable to get his own promotion. He knew he was at a risky situation because new recruits were filling his colleagues' desks one by one and if he didn't get promoted by the end of this year, he was going to get fired.

He needed a big story to get himself promoted, but he was always a step slow.

"Jungkook," the head journalist called Jungkook into the meeting room.

The head journalist was Jungkook's colleague less than three months ago, now she was above him. 

"What is it this time Jungyeon?" Jungkook grinned and took the coffee Jungyeon passed. 

"I heard the head editor discussing," Jungyeon paused to sip her coffee. "You're in trouble."

"And when wasn't I?" Jungkook sighed.

"They're talking about ending your contract if you don't have a good cover story by this week's meeting."

"What," Jungkook choked on his coffee. "But they agreed to hold it until December!"

"How long are you going to stay in that cubicle for?!" Jungyeon sighed. 

"Well what am I supposed to do," Jungkook muttered. "All the good ones that I catch are always snatched off me."

Jungyeon sighed and slid a thick file across the table.

"What's this?" Jungkook opened the file to find information on Lee Jieun, the CEO of Top Girl. 

"I was in the middle of working on this story but I figured you need this more than me."

     "No you didn't," Jungkook stared at Jungyeon and back at the file, looking through all the tabloid tales of Lee Jieun and the pictures of the CEO's whereabouts that seemed suspicious.

"There's a secret going on within the company," Jungyeon said as she sipped her coffee. "I'll pass it down to you." 

"I.. I can't," Jungkook put the file down. "This isn't my work."

"It's always you and your speech of every journalist must have originality," Jungyeon mocked. "Think about what's really important. Your originality or your job?" she eyed Jungkook and walked out, leaving Jungkook to thoughts.

He stared at the file and at his boss through the clear glass who eyed him back sharply. 

He sighed and stuffed the file into his bag, returning to his small cubicle.

 

---

     Jungkook placed the bag full of tangerines on the bedside and watched as his sister began peeling them on the hospital bed.

     His sister had been hospitalized for one year after she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Jungkook was her only legal guardian after their father passed away and their mother ran away from addiction to gambling.

His sister was only 20; such a young age to be in the hospital. 

"Why're you so late today?" she asked as she fed Jungkook a tangerine. 

"I had a long meeting," he smiled. 

"These tangerines are too sour," she complained. "Did you buy it from the market I told you?"

"You should be thankful I buy these for you every day," Jungkook shoved her lightly and peeled another tangerine for his sister.

"Whatever," she muttered. "Isn't she so pretty?"

Jungkook and his sister both stared at the large TV by the door and saw a young pop star featured on the television. 

Rising Pop star Chuu has signed a contract with Lee Jieun, CEO of Top Girl!

Jungkook stared at the tv as Lee Jieun appeared on the screen, smiling as she stood next to Chuu. 

"If I didn't have cancer, I would have been bigger than Chuu you know?" his sister talked to herself. 

"Shut up," Jungkook laughed. "You're so short you wouldn't even pass auditions." 

    "Stop joking," Jungkook laughed and stared at his sister who suddenly grasped her stomach in pain. He dropped the tangerine from his hand and screamed as his sister began coughing blood all over the sheets.

     "Jungeun!" Jungkook screamed as he pressed the nurse button and a bunch of nurses came running in, pushing Jungkook aside as they crowded around Jungeun with the doctor in the middle.

A tear flowed down Jungkook's cheeks as his heart beat million beats per second.

 

--

 

"Are you Jeon Jungeun's guardian?" the doctor askedas he flipped his chart.

"Y..yes," Jungkook stuttered, wiping his tears off.

"It seems as she isn't taking chemotherapy too well," the doctor said quietly. "Radiation therapy is our next best option."

"S..she's not going to die, is she?" Jungkook's voice shook.

The doctor sighed. "We'll have to see how she takes the radiation therapy."

     Jungkook bowed down to the doctor and took a seat infront of Jungeun who was sleeping after another battle with her cancer. He knelt down and picked up the papers that fell on the floor and sighed.

It was already too burdensome to pay for Jungeun's therapy fees, but there was nothing Jungkook could do. 

He picked up the file that Jungyeon gave him earlier and opened it once more, thinking. 

He sighed and ran his hands across his face. 

He had chosen to become a journalist for a reason; he wasn't sure if he wanted to break everything.

But when looking at his sister, desiring his dream felt like greed. 

He closed the file and placed it in his bag, having made up his mind.

 

--

 

"What's this?" his boss glared at him and the small presentation file that he made.

"I'd like to present the cover story item for this half year."

     The boss snorted and opened the file, the grin wiping off her face as she read the file. She looked up at Jungkook and back at the file, unable to believe that this was Jungkook's work.

"This is really.. yours?"

"Yes Mam," Jungkook said.

"Schedule a meeting for this afternoon," the boss told her secretary. 

"Make sure you're prepared for this presentation, Mr Jeon." The boss flicked Jungkook out.

 

This was the start of Jungkook's end.

 

---