“Stay the night?” TaeHyung asked as he noted the time.

I agreed and made my way into the spare room as he retreated to his own sleepily, since he did have a 7am meeting. TaeHyung’s spare room was jokingly known as my room, since I kept a stash of clothes in a box in the cupboard for the times I did stay over, which although wasn’t often was certainly more than he stopped at mine. After washing up, I climbed into the huge comfy bed and wondered how I was going to face tomorrow in the office.

Seulgi still wasn’t talking to me and now, to top it all off, my boss was apparently mad at me. Unnecessary and annoying. The two words kept buzzing around my mind like an annoying fly, batting off the edges of my skull and irritating me over and over again. And yet… I still felt guilty. I hadn’t even done anything wrong but the guilt was still there, eating at me, snidely reminding me I hadn’t exactly made this right, either, that I had fled like a coward instead of standing my ground and confronting him. I wasn't that person. Since when did I not speak my mind? How different would things have been if Chanyeol hadn't sought me out? Would I even want to return tomorrow?

The Ghost might not be my friend but when he’d offered that money to me… I’d felt insulted. As though buying him drinks or getting him medicine when I thought he was sick was something I needed compensation for. As though I’d only done it for compensation. Chanyeol might have tried to explain the Ghosts feelings to me and maybe what he said was the truth, but accepting that was difficult, especially when I still felt so hurt by the Ghost's actions.

That next morning I stepped into Ghost PR with purpose. My destination? His office. Very few people were in at this time due to it being so early, since I’d arrived just before 7am thanks to TaeHyung’s early morning start, so there was no one around to see me. I was wired up after chugging down three coffees at TaeHyung's place as I'd waited for him to get ready (guy took way longer than me), so I was b with determination to face this. To face Him.

I didn’t knock and just entered, my focus on him sat behind his desk. He looked up quickly, his expression hidden behind his facemask and immediately dropped his gaze to his desk. That only pissed me off.

“Oh no you don’t.” I snapped as I marched in, slamming his strawberry smoothie down in front of him with a satisfying bang. “You’re not going back to avoiding looking at me.”

His eyes dragged back up to mine almost reluctantly and I relaxed slightly. I really didn’t like it when he didn’t look at me, it felt like we were strangers again. That he didn’t trust me. But with his eyes back on me my earlier confidence seemed to slip, because the Ghosts full focus really was intense. I in a breath through my nose and decided honestly was the best policy, especially with him.

“I wanted to talk to you.”

He shuffled, his fingers playing around his mouth over his mask before he dropped them into his lap as he seemed to remember he was wearing it. He’s nervous, I realised. He looked unbelievably uncomfortable and as he blinked slowly, I made sure to keep watching him. I wasn’t about to let him get out of this and I was secretly thrilled he hadn’t broken eye contact, despite how much it threw me off kilter.

“What do you want to talk about?” He asked at last, voice slightly muffled by the mask.

“You’re not my friend and you’ve made it clear you don’t want to be friends with me, but we need to work together on this project. I don’t want there to be any weirdness between us. I want to clear the air after yesterday…”

The Ghosts long lashes lowered for a moment.

“Yesterday…” He sat up straighter. “I’m sorry.”

I stared at him, trying to keep a grip on my resolve because when his shoulders slumped forward it was difficult to stop my guilt from taking over. I did nothing to feel guilty for I reminded myself. I was owed this apology.

“I was angry at things that had nothing to do with you, but that didn’t give me the right to take it out on you like I did, so for that, I apologise.”

“You’re right, it didn’t.” I agreed slowly, somewhat taken back by how easily he apologised. “But I want to know why you did it. What did I do wrong?”

“You did nothing wrong.” He looked down and his hand lifted to push his hair back from his face. It immediately flopped back down over his forehead. “No-one has brought me drinks or medicine before and I… I wasn’t sure how to feel about it… I hope you can forget what I said.” He rushed out. "I shouldn't have said any of it."

A pitiful sigh dragged itself from my lungs.

Oh god, he was really packing all the punches. I had to remind myself that I was pushing this because I needed to understand and I needed him to explain for that to happen. Simply glossing over the issue was no way to resolve it — even if I was beginning to wish I had. I didn’t want this lingering over us, but he was making me feel terrible, like I was kicking a wounded puppy or something. Damn him.

A petty part of me wanted to hurt him the way he’d hurt me by spitting hurtful words at him. But as I took him in, the man who obviously had issues, ones that apparently caused him to act like a complete and utter heartless Bastard when he felt uncomfortable, I couldn’t bring myself to say the things I’d imagined saying when I was with TaeHyung. This was the Ghost CEO. I knew some of his secrets, ones others didn’t know about him, but I clearly didn’t know him. And some part of me, some subconscious and distorted piece of me did want to get to know him.

My nerves were like live wires and my stomach hurt, but it seemed like I was doing the right thing, forgiving him. I hoped I was, anyway.

“I forgive you.” I told him softly and watched as his shoulders relaxed. “I… I’m also sorry, for overstepping the mark. It was your personal business and I had no right to try and pry into it.”

“I forgive you.” He said gently.

What I was getting now… I knew it was something as rare as seeing him shirtless. An apology. Was it sincere? All I could see was his eyes, but they told me everything I needed to know; he really meant it. Maybe it was because COO Park — Chanyeol — had spoke to him as to why I was getting it. Maybe not. Either way it didn’t matter. What mattered is that he'd given it.

We stared at one another awkwardly and once again my stupid brain demanded I fill the silence.

“Has Jin-Woo sent through the new project information?”

“He has. Do… Do you want to see it?” He gestured to his screen and I kept my expression neutral as I nodded.

Walking around his desk so I stood beside him, I began to read the document over his shoulder, but the words could have been in French for how much sense they made to me at that moment. I couldn’t think straight, not when I was stood so close to him, my arm pressed lightly against his shoulder and the smell of him invading my senses. Heavens, it was Peppermint this morning. Who ate peppermint candies this early?! I breathed it in deeply feeling like the worlds biggest creeper for sniffing my boss, but who else could say their boss smelled like candy? There was something wrong with me. I inhaled again.

There was something seriously wrong with me...

“I guess I better get to work.” I said at last, jerking away from him.

He nodded and didn’t move as I made my way out of his office stiffly. Back at my own desk, I went over what had happened as I logged in for the day. We’d each said sorry. In the grand scheme of things it shouldn’t be a huge deal, but to me it seemed momentous. I wish I could have seen his whole face, analysed his expression more closely but I was content with what I’d got. Despite being a record holder in holding grudges I was fully prepared to let this one go. Be the bigger person and all that.

TaeHyung would be so proud if he knew.

Finally reading through the proposal properly, my thoughts turned away from my Ghost boss to the project, excitement beginning to bubble the more I read. It was for a new Fashion line that’s launching for an up-and-coming designer. They’d gained quite a lot of buzz for their designs on Instagram and this was the first time they’d be selling those designs. The first thing I did was look them up on Instagram and my eyes bugged.

3.5 million followers. I’d seen celebrities with less. Nothing was announced on their page yet about this because that was now apparently my job. I my lips, suddenly doubting I could pull this off. This wasn’t an established brand — this was a new, freelance designer releasing their first ever fashion line and though normally that would be somewhat straight forward… 3.5 million followers complicated things.

There would be a lot of buzz around this, I knew. So no pressure.

Opening a word document I began noting down what I knew of the brand already from their social media when my email pinged. Seeing it was from Mina I winced guiltily. I had the handover I’d made, since HR still hadn’t gotten a round to advertising the Internship, so hadn't had a chance to do anything with it. Opening her email, I gathered from it the model I’d been working to sign had apparently at the last minute decided to drop out, which of course now left Mina in the lurch. She was hoping I could help source a new one. With a sigh I pulled up the model directory and began to scan it before I paused. Shaking my head, I typed a reply to Mina and hit send before moving back to my notes.

By mid-morning my bladder protested the coffees I’d chugged earlier and I escaped to the bathroom, determined to never allow myself to drink that much again. Washing my hands at the sinks I looked up as Seulgi stepped in, expecting her to ignore me. But instead she leaned against the adjoining sink and crossed her arms as she faced me.

“Mina emailed me. She wants me to source a new model for the HER line.” She said.

“That’s great, Seulgi. I know you’re—”

“Cut the crap, Seol. I know you’re the one who told her to contact me.”

My smile faltered as I turned the faucet off. “I don’t understand… I thought you’d be happy to get the HER project?”

“I would’ve — if Mina had contacted me off her own back, but we both know the only reason she even knows I exist is because you put my name forward to her. I saw the email you sent, she forwarded it onto me. She said, and I quote: see below — can you action ASAP.”

I winced, because I hadn’t expected Mina to forward my reply to Seulgi, though logically the email trail did include her original instructions...

“I don’t see what the big deal is. You saw what I put to Mina — you have the skills to do this and I know you’re the perfect person to help her. I was just being sincere, passing on your name.”

“The big deal is you thinking you’re better than me now.” She sneered. “You’re picked to be the Ghosts assistant and suddenly you’re given this big project, so you toss your old one my way expecting me to be grateful for your scraps.”