TW: just putting it here, just in case.

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“Yes, Mr. Choi. I’ll have it sent it before 1PM.”

Irene nodded her head before bowing at one of their directors upon taking her leave, walking back to her office to finish her remaining workload. She was nearing her office when her assistant abruptly stood up from her seat upon seeing her arrival with an anxious look on her face. Irene was confused, quirking her eyebrow at her assistant when she got in front of her.

“Sakura, is there something wrong?” she asked

“Ms. Bae, I was just about to call you,” her assistant replied, clutching her phone near her chest, distress still apparent in her face.

“The meeting just finished. Why?”

“Ms. Bae,” Sakura worried her lower lip, distress shown in her face, “Park Bogum-sshi is inside your office right now, waiting for you.”

Irene couldn’t believe what she’s hearing. Park Bogum didn’t even let a week past by before disturbing her peace once again. She felt her head throb in pain, making her close her eyes, the thought of facing him right now – she can’t even begin to imagine it.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Bae. I tried to stop him but he’s relentless,” Sakura apologize, looking down, unable to face her boss. 

Irene looked at her before sighing loudly, “It’s okay, there’s nothing you can do about it,” patting her assistant in her shoulder, smiling a bit when Sakura lifted her head.

“How was Mr. Park when he showed up?” Irene asked, if he was anything but pleasant, wanting to mount up as much courage as she can, that last encounter reminding her of that glimpse of his bad side.

“He was charming and all smiles, Ms. Bae, until I told him that he can’t stay inside your office,” Irene pursed her lips into a thin line, the thought of facing Park Bogum making her insides bunch up in apprehension.

Sakura felt helpless for her boss, that brief look of panic flashing in Ms. Bae’s face making her clutch her phone. Here was Ms. Bae comforting her when she was the one who’d be facing Park Bogum. She’d be ignorant if she wasn’t aware of Mr. Park’s reputation. They all talk about him during lunch break, the fact that he set his eyes on their boss – the whole office pauses whenever they heard him coming.

And he’s been coming unannounced lately. It’s a cause for panic to everyone.

They all know Ms. Bae can handle him, but there’s only so much a woman can do.

And unless it causes a major stir in the whole company, it won’t ever reach the higher ranks.

---

Irene paused in front of her office, taking a deep calming breath before turning the knob.

She saw Park Bogum standing in front of her desk, a hand on his back while his other held a frame. Rest assured she keeps her personal life away from her professional life, so she doesn’t keep any pictures on her desk. If she’s correct, Bogum’s staring at a picture frame of purple lilacs, something she bought at the department store as a gift for herself for finally getting her own office.

Irene noticed that her chair was moved back, turned a bit like someone sat on it. She always make sure to keep her desk tidy and her chair kept in before leaving the office, she glared daggers at Bogum’s back, who doesn’t seem to notice her arrival, not wanting to imagine the guy sitting on her own chair. 

She loudly closed the door, turning around and looked at Bogum with a surprised look, pretending like she didn’t know that he’s here, “Oh! Mr. Park, you’re here,” Irene slowly walked, while looking at him with eye brows pulled up in confusion and eyes blinking, she saw him put down the frame he was holding and put both hands behind his back, smiling charmingly at her like he didn’t went inside her office without her knowledge.

“Have you been here long, Mr. Park?”

Irene walked behind her office couch, making sure to give a wide berth farther from where Bogum is standing, when she neared her desk, she stood holding the back of her chair turning it to keep it tucked in her desk.

“Nope. I just got here, your assistant was polite enough to let me in as I wait for you,” the way Bogum lied behind that charming smile made her shiver, Sakura was anything but polite when she told her about him. In fact, if she knew any better, her assistant looked like winter just passed her by with how she shivered.

“Yes, Sakura does her job well, with how long my meetings takes up, she either declines the client politely or make them wait inside,” Irene said, smiling politely at Bogum, “Anyway, I believe my assistant just sent in the documents to your secretary, Mr. Park,” she continued, tilting her head in wonder, “what’s the reason for this visit?”

Park Bogum laughed, the smile on Irene’s face straining on its edges, if she wasn’t professional enough, her smile would’ve been wiped off her face with that seemingly harmless laugh from him.

He stopped laughing then, keeping an innocent smile on his face instead, “I’m sure you know what I’m here for, Irene.”

She ignored the casual use of her name, keeping the professional act as much as possible, “I’m sorry, Mr. Park,” Bogum quirked an eyebrow at the apology, “but I’d have to decline again, I believe I don’t have time for some lunch right now, my work won’t move by itself,” Irene kept the polite smile, not wanting to appear intimidated with the sudden glare from Bogum.

The temperature in the office seem to drop, the winter air from the outside seeping in her office, making her feel frost bites touch her nape down to her spine. Irene didn’t want to believe it was a mistake to decline a client, that it’s definitely within her power to politely let them down as they show interest to her beyond professionalism. She still believes that. 

But there’s no escaping the coldness of the glare and the threat that presented itself in front of Irene.

“I thought I made myself clear, Ms. Bae,” Bogum said, his voice low, roughed up and husky on the edges almost like a growl.

Irene was sure another ‘no’ from her would make him flip, she tried to hide the fear behind her polite smile, but there’s only so much she can do in the face of a potential threat. Its scary being left in a closed space with Park Bogum; his reputation really precedes him.

“I know what I’m saying ‘no’ to, Mr. Park,” Irene smiled apologetically at him, even as his face grew darker, like a pot of water left to boil on its own, she felt danger come in waves from him.

She let down her arms, inconspicuously feeling for her phone that she kept on her blazer, “but the company didn’t pay me to entertain clients beyond professional lunch meetings.”

Irene saw everything slowly.

The way he pushed away all the things in her desk, disregarding every object like waving insects off. The sound of objects hitting the carpeted floor, files scattered away, wires from her computer removed with how violent he was.

Irene moved as far back away from the grubby hands of Park Bogum, immediately pressing for her assistant's number who’s just outside her office.

Park Bogum made a turn from her desk to where she was, walking backwards, as she – 

“Sa-Sakura!”

Park Bogum held the hand that was holding her phone, gripping it so tightly making her wince, her phone falling unto the ground with a clack.

“You ! Who are you to say no to me?!” he shouted at her, words spitting her in the face with how mad he looked.

“Sakura! Sakur—“ Bogum clamped a hand on her  mouth, effectively shutting her cries.

“You don’t know what’s coming to you, until it appears in front of you,” he smiled menacingly at her, Irene shouting for help, voice muffled by his strong hand.

Bogum pushed her back against the wall, the hand on clammy and hot with how she tearfully called for her. She felt big rough hands roam her body she felt her knees weaken, unable to fight back at the sudden intrusion.

She tried to push him away, tried to kick, punch, and bite the hand that kept her from shouting for help. She cried helplessly under his intrusive hands. Irene felt his hand her blazer, slowly ing it, torturing her even as she kept moving around, his prying hands relentless.

“You could’ve said ‘yes’ and avoided this, Irene,” Bogum said, breath hot on her ear, the way he drawled lazily like he could do this to her every time.

“We could’ve avoided doing this in your office, but you just have to be so—“

They heard the door open loudly, hinges almost snapping with how hard it was pushed. 

“Ms. Bae!” 

“Unnie!”

And Irene have never felt so happy, grateful to see her door be broken down – 

No – not when her friends would come to her rescue.

***

Seungwan didn’t move an inch from where she sat.

She just sat there, listening as Joohyun recounted the horrible things that happened to her. She sat there with a listening ear and empathic heart. Even as Joohyun had to relive those moments once again just for her – just for her.

But what does she do to this anger inside her?

Even as Joohyun finished her story, she can’t even move to speak. She doesn’t know what to say to that. She knows Park Bogum was a horrible person but to have Joohyun confirm her suspicions and retold her own experiences of the guy –

Please help me, stop me, I’m so mad right now, these words keep repeating in her mind. It grounds her. Keeps her from doing impulsive, incriminating stuffs.

She felt hands pry her palm open, felt the slight sting when her nails dug a bit too hard on her skin, leaving small indents and blood. She didn’t even realized she was clenching her fist too hard, it hurt.

“Wan-ah,” Joohyun looked at her tearfully, at the wound she made for herself when her silence speaks for itself with how angry she was. Seungwan felt raindrops on her palm, looking down in confusion when water cleansed the blood that formed. She looked up only for Joohyun tear-stricken face to greet her.

“Hyun,” she wiped the tears from her face, using the back of her hand and fingertips, “I’m sorry I made you say it. I’m sorry, Hyun,” Seungwan pulled