Mina presses five on the elevator and uses the back of her hand to cover as she yawns. It’s quite late and the day’s work plus the rather exhausting company dinner tired her out. She was never fond of these dinners. As though spending time with you people for a whole day is not tiring enough, she says.

Not to mention, it was also during times like this when her male co-workers use the excuse of being drunk to repeatedly ask her out no matter how many times she says no. It’s not like she hasn’t rejected them sober, either. Her thoughts were cut when she heard a familiar ding followed by the opening of the elevator door. She stretches her neck and drags herself to her apartment.

Reaching her place, she fishes for her keys lazily from her newly-bought slightly pricey handbag—a gift for the hard work, she’d say.  After a few seconds of blindly searching and feeling nothing, she brought her bag closer to her face to scan it with her own eyes. Until a thought finally hits her: she forgot to take it before going to office when she was hurrying out that morning. Tough luck.

Heaving a sigh, she thinks of what she can do to remedy the situation. She doesn’t have any spare key with her and she thinks, at this time, there will be no one willing to do something. Her neighbor’s a and she doesn’t want to ask for help from random strangers lest something bad happens instead. She exhales, shakes her head. She brought her phone to her ears after dialing Sana’s number, her best friend of some sort but she won’t let the girl know that.

“Hey,” she says as soon as Sana picks up the phone. “Can I crash at your place tonight?”

“Why? What happened?” Sana asks from the other line, her tone calm but rather sleepy. The girl was with her awhile ago although Sana excused herself and went home earlier. Headache, she says.

Mina sighed and confesses, “I forgot my keys.”

Mina heard Sana clicked her tongue before she snickered. “Stupid.” Mina rolls her eyes at the insult.

“Whatever. So, what?” Mina asks again. She heard someone calling from the background. The voice was faint but Mina could tell who it was. It was Jihyo.

“Who’s that, babe?”

Mina shakes her head, smiling. Sana never really confirmed what’s going on between her and Jihyo but hearing that, she knows she’ll have enough material to tease Sana for a week. Or a month, who knows?

“She’s there, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” was Sana’s quick answer, not bothering to give any excuse. “But hey I know someone who can help!” Sana says suddenly, like the thought just entered her mind.

“I’m not sleeping over some stranger’s place, Sana,” Mina says firmly.

“What?” Sana answers in a higher pitch. “I never said anything about sleeping at someone else’s place!”

“Fine, fine. What kind of help are you sending me then?” Mina asks albeit doubtfully. “Someone who’ll tear down my door at this ungodly hour?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Sana teases. “Someone’s coming for you. Uhmph! Bye!” She heard Sana giggled, like someone was tickling her. Mina rolled her eyes at that.

“What? Hey!” Mina tries to argue but Sana has ended the call. Mina shakes her head. That person better be helpful.

--

A light nudge woke Mina up. She has fallen asleep by the door while hugging both of her legs waiting for her supposed knight in shining armor. Her exhaustion from the day’s demands didn’t help either. She could only wish the help could come faster.

“I’m sorry, Miss,” Mina hears. “But are you Myoui Mina?”

Mina quickly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, slowly rising up from her position. “Yes, yes, I am.”

At this point, Mina was able to have a good look at the figure before her. It was odd, she thinks, because the one who came wasn’t some muscle man in dirty clothing (not that she stereotypes, she clears) but rather a girl in a denim jacket and a black cap. The short hair may have led her to believe otherwise but the softness of her voice and the structure of her face gave it away.

“Forgot your keys, huh?” The girl says, teasing Mina with a crooked smile on her face.

As for Mina, she has no room to doubt this person in front of her. She just wants to get inside and lie on her bed. And besides, beggars can’t be choosers.

“Yeah. Stupid, I know.”

“Not really. You must’ve been in a hurry.” The girl extended her hands and aimed for a hand shake. “Yoo Jeongyeon, by the way.” Mina takes it nonchalantly.

“So, what kind of help exactly am I getting?” Mina inquires, sparing a look at the toolbox Jeongyeon’s holding. As she looks down, she realizes the girl’s already wearing her pajamas. Noting the fact that the girl did not bother to change, she must’ve hurried to get there. “You’re about to sleep, huh? Sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s fine. I can’t sleep anyway. It’s also kinda part of the job. Besides,” Jeongyeon says, looking at Mina like she’s examining the girl’s expressions. “Can’t have a pretty girl like you sleeping outside, can I?” Jeongyeon chuckles.

Mina would normally cringe at the subtle attempt to flirt but she finds herself blushing at the compliment instead. Jeongyeon did call her pretty. Not that she’ll flirt back or anything.

Deep in her thoughts, she didn’t notice when Jeongyeon gestured towards her doorknob.

“Do you mind if I work wonders on your knob?” Jeongyeon snickered, probably finding something funny with what she said. Or something really dirty, but Mina chose not to read that much but rolled her eyes inwardly. She’s really not in the mood to be mad. Or at least not more than she is now.

Mina waves her hand. “Go on.”

Mina watches Jeongyeon, who is intensely trying to pick the lock, alternates between different kinds of wires she has brought with her. She noticed how calm the girl was, like she has done this a hundred times. Mina also had a good look at the lock picker in front of her, noting how the girl was rather pretty to be doing such a virile job. An honest compliment, she would like to clarify.

“Aren’t you going to jail for doing this?”

Jeongyeon paused and looked at Mina, as though what she said was dumb. “I asked for your permission though? Besides, I don’t plan on robbing someone else’s house. Don’t worry.” Jeongyeon laughs, shakes her head and continues to work until they both heard a click.

“Welcome home.” Jeongyeon opens the door, gestures for Mina to walk in. Mina could only smile with her brows creased, possibly amazed.

Mina then asked how much was Jeongyeon’s fee and took out her wallet to pay for it, throwing a little more than what the girl asked. For the trouble, she says.

“Is this your job?” Mina asks, looking down at Jeongyeon who is busy arranging her toolbox.

“What? Picking locks?” Jeongyeon says flatly, standing up. Mina nods.

“Not just picking locks. Other things, too, like,” Jeongyeon pauses, trying to recall other services she could also offer. “Fixing wires, leaks, installing mounts-”

“Like a handyman?” Mina cuts her off.

Jeongyeon squinted and pursed her lips. “Yeah. I guess that’s one way to put it.” Jeongyeon puckered her lips and reached for her pocket.

“Here,” Jeongyeon says, handing over her card. “Call me if anything similar happens.” Jeongyeon grins and Mina feels like she’s running out of breath. Probably out of exhaustion, she reasons with herself.

“I hope not exactly similar,” Mina says, absent-mindedly putting Jeongyeon’s card in her wallet. It was really tiring and pathetic to wait outside her own apartment.

Jeongyeon yawns, covering with her hand. “Good night, Mina. See you around.”

And off the girl goes.

--

Mina could only roll her eyes at Sana who started laughing as soon as she reaches the office.

“Shut up,” she says sternly, as though her words could really make the other girl stop laughing.

“Got your keys?” Sana teases.

“Oh, two could play the game.” Mina smirks, gives Sana a combination of threatening and teasing look. Sana’s eyes widen, immediately smacking the other girl’s right shoulder.

“Sssh!” Sana says, obviously alarmed.

Mina laughs. “So what if you and Jihyo are shagging? I’m fine with it. Rainbows and unicorns. Happy pride. Love wins,” she casually says, picking up the notes on her board.

Sana wanted to slap Mina’s mouth really bad as she looks around, trying to see if anyone else heard Mina. “It’s nothing exclusive so don’t go around spreading false information,” she warns. Mina chuckles.

“Have you seen her around you?” Mina asks sarcastically, not believing Sana’s blind to not have seen it. “She’s head over heels for you and you think she’s just in it for the .” She clutches her chest, pretending to feel pain. “I would be hurt.”

Sana glares at Mina after the mocking, her eyes piercing. “Mind your own business.” Sana, however, couldn’t help the smile that’s threatening to break in .

“Oh my god!” Mina covers , shaking her head but smiling nonetheless. “You like her, too.”

“I didn’t say that!”

Mina could only smirk at the sight of her blushing friend. It must be fun to be in love.

A few moments later, Tzuyu came and stacked papers on Mina’s desk.

“What is this for?”

“Boss said he needs five copies for each folder,” Tzuyu says. “For the meeting,” she ends. Mina nods her head, understanding what she means.

“Do I leave it at his office or do I just bring it later?”

Tzuyu shrugs.

She forgot to ask.

--

“Just a few minutes more,” Mina heard someone say as soon she enters the copying room.

“Oh? It’s you,” Mina says, recognizing the frame of the girl who appears to be fixing the xerox machine but with a hint of uncertainty. Hearing this, the girl turns around and sees Mina with folders in her hand.

“It’s me, Yoo Jeongyeon,” the girl confirms, smirking at Mina briefly before going back to what she was doing earlier.

“You fix xerox machines, too?” Mina asks in disbelief, putting down the folders at the table by the wall.

Jeongyeon looks at Mina, puts up her rather dirty hands for Mina to look at, probably from the toner. “Yeah, apparently these hands can do a lot of things.” She giggles.

Mina thinks she understood the innuendo but strangely, she couldn’t find herself to feel offended.

“If you could just wait a little, Mina. I’m almost finished.”

“Oh, take your time,” Mina assures, moves a bit closer to watch the girl work. Mina smiles upon realizing the girl remembers her name, not that it’s amazing considering they just met several hours ago. She takes a quick look at Jeongyeon’s cap. Same as last night’s. Today, however, she’s wearing a leather jacket that perfectly matched her black pants and boots. Thinking about it now, Jeongyeon looks rather… hot. Mina finds herself smiling.

“Can you hand me over a paper?” Jeongyeon asks, breaking Mina’s trance. “Let’s see if it works.” Mina immediately grabs a paper from one of the folders and hands it over to Jeongyeon.

“Here.”

Jeongyeon glances at Mina, smiling rather mischievously while taking the paper. Mina suddenly feels self-conscious, immediately looking away.

“It’s okay now,” Jeongyeon announces upon seeing a fine copy coming out of the machine. She picks up a dirty towel from her toolbox and wiped her hands. The towel however was proven futile as her hands remain marred in black.

“Rest rooms are just a few walks away,” Mina informs her. “You know, to wash your hands.”

Jeongyeon grins. “Of course!” She walks closer to Mina until their faces are only a shoulder away. “Thanks, Mina!” she says, not forgetting to wink(?) at the already tensed girl. She picked up her toolbox and finally excused herself out of the room.

Mina lets out the breath she didn’t know she was holding as soon as Jeongyeon leaves. Honestly, what was that for?

 --

Mina is perfectly