THREE

❤︎✕❤︎✕❤︎

After Kai drops me off at my office, I walk inside the building and accidentally meet my colleague, Jina. She is the only colleague whom I close with. Long story short, we joined this company at the same time. Though she is a year older than me but she told me to not call her ‘Eonnie’ because she is also a Korean-American. And also, most of the time we speak in our native tongue, English.

“Have you heard about the new creative director? He studied in Columbia.” Jina says.

“So it’s a he.” I point out, take a sip of coffee that Jina bought for me.

Jina stops and stares at me, raising an eyebrow. “Seriously, Nara? Why do you always point out the thing that we’re not discuss about.” 

I grin. “My bad.”

“Anyway, he graduated from Columbia and I heard he worked for People for 3 years before.” Jina explains. I don’t even know why she bothers to explain these things that I’m not curious about since the first place. But the only thing that caught my attention is he worked for People.

“Cool.” I say.

“You need to know about him before you work with him,  you know.”

Work with him. It sounds a bit tempting— to work with someone who worked for People. It’s always been my dream to work at People. It’s actually my favorite magazine of them all. I love all the details they put on every single pages.

I shrug. “Yeah, but not today.”

“You are really no fun, Nara.”

I stop by at Jina’s division which is just across mine. I greet every single person at Jina’s division before going to my office. Now that I’m moving to my own office— big upgrade, Jina called it— because it’s only a matter of a single paper that I should sign before I’m officially become the new Editor in Chief. I supposedly move next month but because the previous editor has moved since a week ago, they told me to use the office whenever I want.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

I look up to see Junho, the new intern in my division. “Mrs. Han is waiting for you at her office.”

I give him a thumb up and start to gather all the papers I need. December is almost coming to an end— a week left— it means another new monthly magazine is coming out. Lots of things should be prepared before the actual release. And because the previous editor in chief decided to resign at last minute, so Mrs. Han as the CEO of Vogue Korea pointed me to be the new Editor in Chief  so sudden.

I check myself on giant mirror inside my office before I walk my way to CEO’s office. I stop at my track when something red caught my eyes. It’s a bulletin.

Come and get your favorite piece! Up to 50% off for all items until 24 December.

“Another season is coming up, it means sale season.” An unfamiliar man’s voice throws in behind me.

I turn around to see a tall man in front of me. He is just an inch away from me. I step back as I look at him. I never seen him before.

He smiles at me. “I suppose you’re the new Editor in Chief, Nara Kim?”

“Yes. And you are?”

“Oh Sehun. The new creative director.” He says.

Oh right. The new CD. He looks so laid-back than I actually thought of him. Well, for someone who graduated from Columbia and eventually worked for People— it’s normal if he is all arrogant but he is actually not like that.

He offers his hands out and I gladly shake his hand but he laughs instead.

“I was about to help you with that stuffs.” He points out at the folders on my arms, “It looks heavy.”

I shake my head and smile, trying to be as polite as possible. “No, I can do this by myself. Thank you for your offer.”

“Alright then. Shall we go?” He says.

Confusedly I look at him. “Yes?”

“Mrs. Han is also waiting for me.”

I make an ‘O’ with my mouth and nod. 

“I heard that you’re from New York?” He asks as we make our way to CEO’s office.

“You can say that.”

“Why are you so stiff?”

“What?”

Sehun stops and holds my arms. “Let me just help you with this one, stiff.” He says as he reaches out for the big folder on my arms.

I’m standing there, watching him walk away. I blow an air and follow him after. How come he says something like that when we barely know each other and also for the fact, we just met like a minutes ago. And what did he just call me? Stiff? Though he’s not the arrogant kind of type man but I’m surely safe to say that he’s a annoying one.

As I walk inside the CEO’s office, there’s Sehun sitting with his crossed legs, smiling at me. I see my folder on the table. I bow to Mrs. Han and make my way to the chair beside Sehun.

“So, I suppose you two have met.” Mrs. Han says.

We both nod at the same time. I take a glance at Sehun. I don’t know what but there is something about him that bothers me a lot. He is just too laid-back for my liking.

“You know that our monthly magazine is a little bit messed up because of the previous Editor in Chief and there’s only a week left before the New Year.” I nod along as she speaks and she sits on the chair in front of us, “But I also know that tomorrow is supposed to be the last day of work.”

I know where this conversation going. It means no day off for me. The whole Bali plan that Kai and I made will not be happening this year. We have planned this vacation since months ago but it all will be ruined. Guilt is washing all over me. I don’t know what should I say to Kai later. I can picture his disappointed look in my mind. I just hate it when I have to cancel our plan.

“It’s fine for me.” Sehun breaks my thought.

I look at him in disbelief. I can’t believe that he just agreeing something without discuss it first with me. I mean, this is something that he can’t do it on his own but also with my help. And I can’t even explain this to my staffs later.    

“How about you, Nara?” All eyes on me, waiting for my answer.

I swallow hard. “Yes. It’s fine for me too.” And I just dig my own grave.

Mrs. Han claps her hands out of happiness. “It’s settle then. But don’t worry, all the staffs who will work over this holiday, will be paid and have an extra day off after the holiday is over.”

It’s a good offer but not for me. When the holiday is over, it means Kai is over too. Then I’ll be spending my holiday or I should just simply call it my day off at home, alone— all by myself.

We are having our lunch at the nearby restaurant. It’s an Italian restaurant. It’s my favorite but all I do is stirring my pasta as my thought is clouded by Kai. He was so happy when I agreed to have our end of year vacation in Bali.

Jina nudges me in the arm. “Back to earth, Nara!”

“I’m thinking what should I say to Kai.” I say.

“He will understand. I’m sure of it.” Jina says, comforting me.

I groan out of frustration. I wish I could just run away right now and fly across the country with Kai. 

“You know what? That Oh Sehun guy is totally annoy the hell out of me. I just want to scratch that little devilish smile whenever he speak. And also I hate how he stare right into my eyes whenever he speak. It just make me forget what I’m trying to say. He is like—”

Jina shakes her head multipe times. I furrow my forehead in confusion. “What?” I say.

She is eyeing something behind me— someone. I swallow hard. Trying to calm myself down.

“He is behind me, isn’t he?” Awkwardly I say.

A chair beside me is being dragged and an familiar voice greets me.

“I heard you mention my name so I come here but I guess I shouldn’t come, right?” I totally can feel that Sehun is staring at me but being the coward I am, I’m not even trying to look at him.

Jina abruptly stands up. “Ah! I just remember that I have to process my report to Mrs. Han. I’ll go first. I’ll see you later?” And then she just leaves me alone with Sehun.

“Ah… I also have—”

“No. I believe that you have nothing to do.”

I scoff. “What? I have A LOTS of work.”

“No. You are not.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m still gonna leave.” I say.

Sehun pulls me back to the chair by holding my arm. I stare at him for a whole seconds and I feel like I could dive into his eyes. Somehow I feel so familiar with the look he gives me. The way he looks at me is just the way Kai did when the first time we met. There’s something unsolved within his gaze. 

For seconds, Sehun looks away and we clear our throat at the same time. “Anyway. We should talk about the details within the pages. We need something new, something that might make people more interest with our magazine. Every page should be divided by its own—”

“It’s still my lunch time. I’m not talking about work at my lunch time.” I cut him off. I know it’s not polite to cut someone off but he is the first one to act like this to me.

“If you say so, let’s meet at my office in 10 minutes.”

And just before I could protest, he leaves me alone, looking like a fool. And that smirk on his face is just left me so speechless. It’s funny how I just met him today but I feel like I know him for my whole life. His character totally resembles my annoying brother.

“He did that to you? If I meet him later, I’ll give him a big thumb up.” Kai laughs as he cooks for our dinner.

I roll my eyes. “I can’t believe that you’re laughing right now.”

The moment I arrived at home to be welcomed by a very good smell from the kitchen. I ran to him and explained all the things that happened back at the office including Sehun but he is just standing there, laughing at my story— actually he is amaze by how brave Sehun is to mess with me.

Kai puts the plate in front of me and I mouth a ‘thanks’ to him. I always love Kai’s foods. It’s a five stars or might above kind of foods and it matches with my taste. Since the first time we moved in, Kai is the one who’s in charge at cooking because unfortunately I’m very bad at cooking— worst chef ever, he named me. I remember the first time I tried cooking for Kai— it was a disaster and since then, Kai never let me cook ever.

“You should be good to him.” Kai pauses when I respond with a glare, “You’re going to work with him, remember?”

“I can say that he is good at his work but not at his attitude. He is just so annoying and it bothers me a lot because he is totally like Jino.”

“Jino is totally fine with me though.”

“Yeah, with you.” I emphasize the ‘you’ whilst pointing my work at him.

“Alright. Enough of the Sehun guy now. What about we talk about our upcoming vacation?” Kai says.

I’m stunned. I haven’t told him about the ‘cancellation’ yet because I was busy talking about Sehun. And now I’m a little bit nervous to talk about this because I’m not ready to see the expression he’s going to make.

“About that.”

Kai stares at me, waiting for me to finish my sentences.

“I don’t think we can make it this year.” I look at my plate the whole time, trying to avoid his eyes. 

There is a long silent before he says, “I know.”

I look up at Kai. I’m surprised with his answer. I was expecting for him to ask more questions than an simple ‘I Know’.

“What?” I ask.

Kai puts down his cutlery down and says, “You’ve been complaining about the ‘upcoming new volume is not ready yet’ since a week ago so I’m really expecting you to cancel our plan. But I’m fully understand. It’s your work.”   

“Kai.” I can feel that my eyes is getting teary. “Thank you.” I wish I could say more because he deserves everything in this world.

A very sweet and gentle smile spreads across his handsome face. “We can always go next time, you know.”

What did I do in my previous life so I get Kai in my life now? Do I really deserve someone like Kai? Now I’m not going to ask too much for this Christmas— Dear Santa, all I ask is Kai will be in my life, forever.