The reception area was a riot of activity when I arrived and I had to push my way through the crowds of reporters towards the temporary rope partitioning that had been set up by security to keep them back. The main security guard, Chul, recognised me and helped me through, following me as I made my way towards the ID scanners.

“If it’s any help, I’d rather be down here than up there.” He offered quietly.

I’ve known Chul since my first day here when he’d mistaken me for a reporter, since I’d wanted to snap a picture of the place I worked to show my friends. After that embarrassing misunderstanding had been cleared up we’d gotten along really well, but today I could see he was as stressed as I was.

“You and me both.” I smiled as I scanned my ID.

Jabbing the elevator button impatiently, I ignored the shouts from the reporters, asking me whether I worked for Ghost PR or one of the four other businesses that share this building. I don’t acknowledge them, because once they get even the smallest bite I know they’re relentless. Vultures, Seulgi called them, and it really was fitting. Stepping into the elevator I let out a puff of air as the doors closed, the soothing music doing nothing to calm my racing heart. The air also smelled faintly of a pizza order someone must have called in and my stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn't eaten since breakfast. As the doors opened on my floor I hoped the pizza was for us.

“Well?” Tae-Joon demanded as I dropped my tote bag onto my desk.

Noting the distinct lack of pizza I slumped down onto my chair. “Nari wasn’t the one who went to the press.”

“Then who did? Does she know?”

“She thinks it might have been one of her neighbours.”

Tae-Joon made a sound of distress as he rushed to answer his desk phone that began ringing. I felt his frustration because there was no way for us to know who’d spoke to the reports. 

“How is she?” Seulgi asked lowly as she scooted her chair closer to me.

“She’s seemed ok. She said she didn’t mean for it to happen.” I chewed my lip, debating telling Seulgi all I’d learned, but decided to keep it to myself. “Is COO Park back?”

“Yeah. He’s in the Ghosts office.”

“Where’s Taewoon?”

“He’s in the meeting room with the rest of the crisis team. I think COO Park is going to join them soon.”

I glanced up at the Ghost’s office and recalled what I’d read in the file. For the first time since entering Ghost PR I actually wanted to see him, because I had some insane notion I’d be able to tell whether it was true just by looking at him. It would be obvious, right? But then why hadn’t anyone else realised? Looking back at my computer I wiggled my mouse and typed in my password with a sigh.

First thing first was getting through my own work, because these proofs really did need submitting. Like Seulgi, I was an intern, meaning that I tended to drift around the different managers to get a feel of the work they all did. Each department was interesting, but recently I’d been leaning more towards the design aspect, so I was hoping to make a good impression with them. Right now my teams Manager, Mina, was nowhere to be found, but that also wasn't uncommon. She was usually out scouting sites — another perk of the job I hoped to experience soon, since it usually involved overseas travel — so I rarely saw her in person. But she frequently sent me work via email and this week was no different. I got stuck into it, determined to make a good impression.

“Let’s break for lunch.” Seulgi announced with a yawn, tapping my desk to get my attention.

I looked up in surprise to find the office mostly empty. I’d been so immersed in my work I hadn’t even realised. At my look she gestured around.

“Most have gone for lunch and the crisis team are still in their meeting. They have organised a press conference tomorrow morning, so the press is placated, for now. Everyone’s scrambling around to prepare for it, did you not hear all the commotion?” I shook my head as she stood, grabbing her handbag. “Anyway, where shall we go for lunch? Whatever it is I want a decent coffee from Starbucks first. I'm sooo tired...”

I glanced quickly up at the Ghost’s office. “I still have a lot of work to do so I’ll stay, I think.”

My stomach tightened, protesting this. 

“Oh, no worries. I’ll grab you a sandwich.” She offered.

I waved goodbye as she left, waiting until the doors to the elevator closed behind her, then stood, my feet going to the stairs before I could fully process what I was doing. The folder… I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d seen. Before I knew it was I stood outside the office door, my face reflected back in the glass from the closed dark blinds behind it. I raised my hand and knocked and instead of waiting for an answer, like I knew I should, I opened the door before I could talk myself out of it.

It was a mirror of COO Park’s office. There was a seating area as you entered with his desk on a raised platform behind it, two single chairs in front which no one had used but COO Park, I assumed. I'd never seen anyone else come in here other than him the assistants and they never stayed long. I doubted Nari ever sat on those chairs — or on any of the chairs in here. The inside was dark and immediately I could see why; the window blinds were also closed, blocking out the lovely view of Haechi Madang Square.

A shame, because our office looking down on it was a huge feature I’d have assumed he’d have been proud of.

I glanced around curiously as I stepped in, closing the door softly behind me. He wasn’t behind his desk, but I could see from the window reflection through the blinds his monitor was . To the right was a small room I knew from being in COO Park's office was a storage closet and another door next to it which lead to the private bathroom. That door was closed too. Walking in further, I breathed in experimentally, surprised to find the room wasn’t stale smelling like I’d assumed but… Sweet. I couldn’t pinpoint what the scent was, but I breathed it in, pleasantly surprised.

As I stood there, breathing in the almost forbidden smell of the room like a certified weirdo, the door to the bathroom was suddenly thrown open and I froze, watching as a figure stood in the doorway rubbing a towel over damp hair. My eyes travelled down on their own accord and I swallowed. He was shirtless and for once glorious moment he's in profile, illuminated by the backlight of the bathroom, head turned to the side and his torso on full display. There's  no saliva in my mouth as I try to swallow again.

I stared, because this was like seeing something akin to the Pope in jeans and I know I’ll never, ever see this again in my lifetime. A shirtless Ghost. Underneath his suits I’d assumed he was relatively featureless, the mystery of what was underneath one I’d never put much thought into. But he wasn’t featureless. His body was lean, defined, and I’m not sure what to do with that knowledge. I’m not sure what to do at all.

The light the bathroom snapped off and as he stepped out, idly towelling his hair, his head lifted and his body locked in place as he finally spotted me. I barely dared to breathe as I looked into his wide eyes. CEO Byun is not ugly, but looking at him now, frozen in place without his formidable expressions and business suit that cost probably more than my monthly rent, I can’t decide how to describe him exactly. Especially when he’s shirtless. It's messing with my brain.

I’m at a complete loss for words, which is new to me. I’m known to babble at the most inconvenient times, but for once there are none, though my mouth opens and closes as I attempt to find some. He is the first to react, the towel he has raised to his head lowering to cover his body as he let out a sound of surprise and turned away from me. I also turned around, horrified that he’d caught me practically ogling him and hear him scrambling around behind me, the soft swish of fabric and heavy breathing as he frantically tugged on a shirt.

I know this because my eyes are on the wall where there’s a hanging picture. Reflected in the glass is him. He’s buttoning up a shirt, covering his body and shrugging on a suit jacket, shoving the shirt into his pants so forcibly that my lips twitch in amusement at his obvious frantic movements. I’ve never seen the Ghost anything but cool and composed. I tucked my hair behind my ear, suddenly feeling uneasy. 

“S-Sorry. I did knock.” I explained slowly as I turned back to face him now he's dressed. “I came because I went to the hospital earlier, to speak to Nari, and I thought—”

“Report to Chanyeol.” He snapped.

I paused, watching as he walked swiftly around to his desk and took a seat, his face hidden behind the monitor. I felt a swell of annoyance at his dismissive tone before I pushed it down.

“COO Park is in a meeting.” I pressed on. In fact, I even walked closer, so the monitor wasn't hiding his face. I wasn't sure why I needed to see it, but his expression, every change of emotion, I had to see them all. “I thought you’d want to know how Nari is, since she’s your assistant.

“Wait until he’s free.” He instructed, tone clipped, rude. “Leave now.”

He wasn't even looking at me, his focus on his monitor as he typed. What was he even typing? His motions are too frantic, hard and seemingly without any real purpose other than to do something. I stood in place as I remembered the file. Could it be…? I steeled my resolve. I don’t leave, like he asked, and instead I stepped closer so I’m directly behind his monitor. His gaze flick