The morning sun shone through the open curtains, landing straight on the neatly made bed. Bongcha stood in front of her closet, a towel draped on her damp hair as she contemplated what to wear. In the end she opted for a navy blouse and dark grey flannel trousers; simple and professional. Applying some light make up, Bongcha then slipped on a trench coat and a pair of low heels, ready to head out. She lingered by the door however as she gave one final glance around her studio flat.

It was a humble place, with basic furniture; plain and minimalist design just like her choice of outfit. The only form of decoration was a photo of her with Aecha and Junmyeon that had been put there by Junmyeon himself after complaining that her flat was lacking in personality.

After making sure that everything was in place and that she had everything she needed, Bongcha locked the door behind her and at seven forty sharp she was standing in front of the bus stop, letting the morning breeze naturally dry her hair. It was a twenty minute ride to the law firm without traffic and work did not officially start until nine. Bongcha always arrived one hour earlier than necessary in order to avoid having to squeeze on the bus with other commuters during rush hour. That did mean having to wake up awfully early, however as she did not have the habit of eating breakfast — something that Junmyeon would forever scold her over — it gave her some extra sleeping time.

“Bongcha, early as always.” The guard of the building greeted the girl as she entered.

“Morning.”

Giving the old guard a collected smile, Bongcha entered the lift and tapped her feet on the floor, waiting to reach her floor. Entering the office, the first thing she always did was to open the window and let in some fresh air. After that she would go through emails, organise Kyungsoo’s schedule for the day, and make a list of things that needed to be done according to order of importance and urgency.

Having completed the usual morning routine, Bongcha checked the time before tying her hair in a loose bun.

“Coffee time.”

Standing by the built-in kitchen area, Bongcha put the water to boil before taking out the V60 brewing set that she had brought from home when she first started working for Kyungsoo. Opening the bag containing ground coffee, Bongcha inhaled its scent and smiled in content, enjoying the raw and rich aroma of the coffee.

Following the familiar routine of pour over coffee that she had done countless times before, the sound of the coffee ‘blooming’ as it came into contact with the hot water filled the room. At quarter to nine, the door of the office opened and Kyungsoo stepped in just as the last drop of coffee fell into the glass server.

“Feels great to be greeted with the smell of freshly brewed coffee,” Kyungsoo chirped, heading straight towards his office, though he lingered momentarily by Bongcha’s desk along the way.

Pouring the coffee in two mugs, Bongcha placed one mug on a tray along with a small plate of custard cream biscuits and brought it into Kyungsoo’s office.

“These are new beans?” Kyungsoo questioned, taking a sip of the coffee. “They’re nice.”

“Yes.” Bongcha smiled. “From Xingang, Yunnan.”

“Is he in Yunnan now?”

“He was there last week for a race.”

“Aren’t there any races in Osaka recently?” Kyungsoo mused. “I’d love some Keshimochi, they go great with the tea he sent us last time.”

“He’s a star racer, not an international delivery man.” Bongcha rolled her eyes.

“If he starts asking for delivery fee forward the bill to me,” Kyungsoo joked. “I’ll just increase the fees that I charge clients to cover it.”

“Kai will be here for his appointment at 3,” Bongcha replied, ignoring Kyungsoo’s banter and switching straight to work mode. “Mrs Park has asked to postpone her appointment, and Director Lee’s secretary has replied with his availabilities. It appears that he his only available for lunch though.”

“I hate having lunch meetings with him,” Kyungsoo grunted. “He has the worst table manners. Can’t chew with his mouth closed at all.”

“But he is our most faithful client.” Bongcha arched a perfectly shaped brow. “It’s his fifth divorce if we include the ones from your father’s days.”

“And he already has his next potential wife lined up,” Kyungsoo exhaled. “The old geezer never stops.”

“Don’t complain. If he stops we lose money.”

“Are you secretly visiting a temple and praying for his divorces?” Kyungsoo eyed the girl in suspicion.

“Why would I waste my time praying to some abstract entity that has no real proof of existence,” Bongcha huffed in response. “Anyway, I’ve updated your digital calendar and emailed you the report that the investigator found on Mrs Park’s husband and his mistress. There are some less than savoury photographs in there, be warned.”

“Aren’t there always,” Kyungsoo sighed.

“Thanks for the croissant by the way,” Bongcha hummed as she turned to leave. “I’d much prefer a doughnut next time through.”

“Just be glad that I bought you food. I’m such a generous boss.”

“Right.”

Although she maintained a poker face, there was a clear glint of mirth in her eyes as she closed the door of Kyungsoo’s office gently behind her. Returning to her desk, Bon