“What!”

A voice ringed inside Seulg's apartment complex; she was holding a can of beer in her right arm while a stress ball on the left.

“Okay, okay.” She said. “What did you just say?”

“I said, I’m hiring a bride.” Seulgi impassively mumbled.

The room fell silent before they started laughing, while the latter remained dispassionate while watching them go nuts. With a straight face, she drank the beer she was holding in one gulp.

“You—” she pointed at Seulgi while laughing flintily, “–looking for a bride?” Lisa laughed harder. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard from you… really.”

They all guffawed and while Seulgi was down looking a little distant—she then clasped the stress ball harder before looking up.

Seulgi was not abiding today—no. She is completely drained, as her mien showed an apathetic state. They all sensed her seriousness and the lingering laughter died down awkwardly.

Seulgi cleared her throat while her face bided an insipid manner. Her friends stared at her and looked at one another before deliberated about the turmoil situation.

“Why are you looking for a bride, Seul?” Amber asked. “Are you, somehow, engaging to marriage?”

Seulgi shook my head in a dreary manner. “No.” She drily answered.

They knitted their foreheads and glanced at one another once again while Seulgi was looking at the floor with a very bland expression.

“Then why hire?” Jeongyeon asked.

Seulgi became voiceless and mute before looking at them with sap eyes. “It’s my boss.” Until she vaguely said.

Seungwan gaped at me. “Alright, I’m going to butcher her. Don’t dare to stop me, es.” She suddenly stood up and just a second pass, everyone was holding her down.

Seulgi closed her eyes for a cursory second before massaging her temple, then stiffened a yawn and ran a hands through her scalp. 

“You’re so worn-out.” Chungha muttered. “Hey, you sure you’re fine?”

Seulgi just nodded slowly before facing her. “Yeah.” And sighed. “These past few days is just very horrendous.”

“Verily.” Byulyi agreed. “You didn’t even get to come for my return party.”

Chungha scoffed. “Look, if you need backup in beating her up, I got backup dancers on my class.”

And Lisa also nodded to that. “Our class.” She corrected.

Seulgi chuckled slightly about her offer. “Thanks but no thanks.”

They immediately fell for a complete tranquility before Jeongyeon spoke.

“How are you gonna find one? I mean, hello? She’s Irene Bae. Forgive me for my sins, but no--sherlock, she’s a complete .”

“Yeon.” Amber warned.

“What?” She descried Amber.

Amber shook her head, like she was saying, ‘don’t even.’

Lisa sighed. “So, how are you gonna do it?”

Seulgi looked at them with begging eyes. “Goddamn this but, please. I can’t afford you saying no.”

They looked at me with sympathy and pity. Seulgi mentally cursed whoever wrote the story of my life. you, really.

They all nodded along while Seulgi heaved a breath of relief. Seungwan patted my shoulder and gave me a small smile. “So, what’s the plan?”

“I asked Hyejin for help.” 

“And?” Byul questioned.

“I’m still waiting for the reply.” 

Seungwan nodded. “But hey, we’ll help you, okay?”

Seulgi smiled softly. “Thanks, Wan.” Then sparred a glance to my friends. “Are you up for this?”

They scoffed. “Of course, duh!”

If you are wondering why Seulgi is still awake, what other reasons does she have?

Work. Work. Work. Perhaps I'll call Rihanna to come over. 

She was in the dining area, only one bulb is lightened, a laptop is opened, tons of paperworks scattered around the table, and a very messy, messy, draft of her said operation.

Seulgi will be lying if she says she was not yet sleepy, because fairly, she is tremendously weary—but work is work, and Irene Bae is Irene Bae.

She was in the middle of double-checking the filing when her phone buzzed:

Hyejin

Yo bear, sorry took me long enough to reply. Okay what is it?

Seulgi immediately tapped her keyboard to respond to her text:

Seulgi

I really, really need your help Ejin. I’ll email it to you right away.

Seulgi gave her attention to her laptop and started scrawling in a nippy approach. As soon as she finished writing it, she promptly sent it in through email in an instant. As soon as it was delivered, she huffed an enervated sigh, then organized and stacked the papers that are dispelled on her desk.

Hyejin

Wow. That’s… that’s just. I don’t know what to say.

Seulgi

You can’t say no!

Seulgi

I can’t deal with this alone Ejin, please.

The latter waited for her friend's reply and fidgeted with her fingers. Took her about a minute or two before she responded back. Please don’t say no… please don’t say no.

Hyejin

I’ll see what I can do. I’ll notify you, ‘kay?

At least she didn’t say no.

Seulgi

Tnx, Ejin. Ur the best! ;)

Seulgi just bought coffees from Starbucks and is urgently treading to the entrance stairs (which is so high), and let out a big taxing sigh.

The guard greeted her 'good morning' and opened the door for her. Tell me, what’s good in mornings? But she was not a haughty person not to greet back. Basically, she would just say something in response but she lacked sleep today, so she just nodded back. 

Seulgi checked the time: 6:48 a.m.

Right on time.

Just as sh ran her fingers through her hair, three white vehicles parked at once in front of the building. She clicked my tongue and fixed her clothes before walking towards to greet her boss.

A guy opened the back seats’ door and revealed the-devil-wears-prada—her boss walked as gelidly as possible and kept an inscrutable deportment.

What an ethical way to greet mornings, right?

Just as Irene Bae entered her feet inside the very tainted marble floor, people started to address her yet she paid no heed and carried on while wearing that dull, cold aura.

to be ignored, what a loss of face.

Seulgi then immediately joined beside her while selecting certain papers, folders, files, you name it. She was holding a lot of things with her pleasing hands, along with the raven's coffee.

“So, uh–” Seulgi started while choosing particular things within her grip, “–you have… three meetings today. Ten this morning sharp, that would be about the Sales. One-thirty in the afternoon is The Kwon’s aggregation and lastly… three pm is about the new design that we will be releasing.”

“Anything else?” Irene asked while she kept on walking.

Seulgi showed her the folders, files, and papers she has been working overnight while she also gave the coffee which she usually drinks. “These documents needs your signature, CEO-nim.”

When they reached the elevator, Irene stopped mid-way before she scrutinized and raised a brow. “Is that all?”

Her secretary shook her head. “Uh, perhaps.”

Irene gestured Seulgi to attend inside her personal lift using her index, in result of her secretary widening her eyes as she screamed internally.

Is she letting me in?!

Irene stepped foot inside of own private lift as the latter stared at Seulgi in a brumal way when she saw her motionless. “Do I need to repeat myself?”

Seulgi snapped out of my conviction and promptly entered inside. Oh damn me, it even has an air conditioner.

Let her just describe that this elevator is definitely richer than her combined—no uttered joke, just pure facts.

It was a comfortable silence before Irene's crisp voice aired the small space. “What about the one that I favored you to do?”

Oh… that.

“I’m working on it, CEO-nim.” Seulgi replied in an instant.

Her boss just huffed a breath. “Your day one starts today.”

Definitely.

Seulgi nodded then the elevator opened. This is faster than the wonted one.

Once they both stepped out of the lift, Sooyoung was already on her spot. She said her greetings before smirking at the monolid woman. The latter then narrowed her brows and rolled her eyes before she was completely out of sight.

That brat is always a headache.

When Irene opened her doubled-doors, she went straight to her desk and sat down decorously. The coffee Seulgi gave to her was on her right hand, while her left primed for her laptop.

“Any updates?” She calmly said, yet still frigid.

The monolid woman nodded. “Yes. I am currently finding, CEO-nim, but maybe in two or three days, I have the list.”

It’s Saturday today, anyway.

Irene hummed before sipping on her coffee. “Where are the documents that are needed to be signed?” She asked without sparring a glance since her sight is glued to the screen.

Seulgi placed the divided folders on her table while biting her tongue at the same time. "Anything else, CEO-nim?”

The former her lips before averting her sight at what was given. “When is the due time of this?”

Seulgi checked at her mini notebook and, bingo. “Two in the afternoon, CEO-nim.”

Her boss nodded before sipping on her coffee once more. “Good, you are dismissed.”

The secretary then gripped the door handle and twisted it. Once she was out, she let a out a breath of ease.

“How was it?” Sooyoung asked as soon as she saw Seulgi. 

The latter furrowed her brows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

She rolled her eyes. “What else? How was the ride?”

“It was nice.”

Sooyoung gawked at me. “What do you mean ‘nice’?”

Seulgi shrugged. “It’s fancy, I guess.”

“You guess?” She then dug holes at her. “You know what, just get out of my sight.”

“Harsh.” Seulgi said with a chuckle. 

Sooyoung rolled her eyes and once again, the monolid woman pressed the down button. When the ding was heard, she proceeded inside within a second. 

“Kang Seulgi, I swear I’m so done with you.” Sooyoung shouted before the door closed silently.

To be expected from Joy.

When the door instantly opened, Seulgi rushed to her office room and resumed to her daily routine: put her bag inside the lower drawer, remove her heels and blazer, put her phone on the desk, sit down comfortably, and log in… then, work. That is it. 

Seulgi stretched and cracked her knuckles. She had was presently focusing on the computer screen when her phone vibrated: 

Hyejin.

In a flash, the phone was already on Seulgi's right ear.

“Hey, Ejin. How is it?” She asked while typing on the keyboard.

It’s multitasking, alright.

“It’s fine, actually. I just called you if you’re free tomorrow. It’s the only schedule vacant.”

Okay, let Seulgi tell you this. Sunday. Sunday means off—no work, but knowing the secretary herself, she still has bundles of work stuffs to finish, and also, due dates. Even so, what could she do? It is definitely do or die, though.

“What time?” Seulgi stopped typing.

A pause lingered before the person on the other line spoke once more. “Eleven in the morning. Is that fine?”

No, but it.

“Yeah. Very.” She mentally facepalmed. “I’ll be there.”

Seulgi sighed before returning to her said errands.

Meetings , the board members , everything just . Irene might just curse in front of them, this is too frustrating to handle. 

She tried to actually pay heed about the meeting, yet her mind lingers about a particular problem.

A hundred and twenty days. …

Irene rubbed her temple and closed her eyes, while the people inside this room started to argue about an issu she does not give a about.

sales. Really, she is not on the mood to at least speak or do whatever they want her to do—no. Irene does not want to rant and yell at this time even