31 | Sick

***

Walking inside the restroom, Tiffany let out a huge exhale. She looked at herself in the mirror, shakily. 

'I know him as a y since I was a manager... now I'm in his world. I'm in his freaking world!' Her heartbeats just can't stop beating fast. "God!" She can't resist and cried out as she can't scream out her frustrations. But she looks at herself in the mirror again to talk to herself. "Andwae, let's calm, Tiffany. It will be alright. Just do as your mission tells you... and don't ever give him a chance to get close with you just like earlier." 

Her phone rang, she hastily took it and answered Taeyeon's call. 

[Are you alright?]

"Did you hear me?" She just reminds herself that he can see her apparently through the mirror.

[Yes, it has an audio recorder too and you seemed not fine. Just tell me and I will storm there.]

"I'm fine. It's just that... I didn't really expect he would turn out to be  the chairman." She heaved a sigh. "I was expecting it was the other like an old man."

[You brought a spray right?]

"Yes, I have it in my bag. I also have brought a stun gun." She is really prepared for it if something goes bad.

[Whenever you see him doing something inappropriate, do as you please. We got it recorded for you so there's nothing he can do if he files a report.]

"I'm definitely doing that. Ugh, I can't believe I'm in his world now." She groaned and stomped her feet.

[I told you, this isn't easy.]

"But I'll be fine. I'm a strong woman you know."

Taeyeon chuckles. [Your face tells me otherwise. Remember, just get what we need and leave. Your safety is the most important here, Love.] But he reminds her again. He can't take seeing his girlfriend in the dirty company. He might mindlessly run there to save her. 

Tiffany faces the mirror again and chins up. "I bet just a week, I will get what we need."

[Be careful always, okay? And don't ever take your glasses off]

"Absolutely."

[I love you.]

She softened and smiles sweetly at the mirror. "I love you always, love. I'll talk to you later." She hangs up and blows a kiss on the mirror before walking out of the restroom. She huffed and proceed to her desk, which is outside the chairman's office. The door is glass with their logo on it, so she can see him from the inside. Dong-wook is seen as serious while reviewing something on his desktop.

Opening her bag, she took her pen and notebook even though there's already provided for her, especially a computer desktop. 'You really manipulated the result, didn't you?' She squinted her eyes while staring at him but quickly looked down to her notebook when he glance outside. She writes Taeyeon's name randomly so he will think she's busy.

Suddenly the telephone rings. She pick it up and heard his voice.

[Can you call Director Jang for me, Ms. Young.]

"Yes, Mr. Chairman." She put the handle down and opens the guide notebook. She look for the surname and pressed the combination number in a matter of seconds. "Director Jang, this is the chairman's office, he's asking for you."

[Got it.]

With that, she put it down again and glanced at Dongwook before she returned to Taeyeon's name. She smiled unconsciously as she draws a heart and then wrote her name. 

After a while, a man in his 40s walks into the floor, which made her get up and bow to him. She noticed he was holding an envelope as he walks into his office.

"Director Jang." She writes his name and takes note of his face.

And she ends up writing more names in the next couple of hours. All of them, holding a blue envelope. Until a female secretary walks in and brought a coffee for him.

"Um, wasn't that my job?" She wonders. 

"He called me for this."

She smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Okay." 'Why didn't he call me? I can make coffee expertly.' She felt a bit offended but it also made her think and find a reason for him to do that but there was nothing coming to her mind. 

***

After making sure everyone from the lab has left for the cafeteria, Yoong swipes Jummyeon's company ID on the scanner and the door unlocks. He has hacked the CCTV so he can manipulate it too, so the security won't see him walking inside.

He was greeted by a lot of computers and a big screen in front. Randomly taking his seat to one of them, he turned it on and check his watch.

'Just thirty minutes.' He thought as he inserted the flash drive and the desktop loads for a minute until it was unlocked. He opened their documents and take his time to read the titles. "What the." He found out most of them are company names, especially IT companies. He search for Im Tech and there was one document. He opened it and it was information about it, including the boards and the chairman. There were names of their apps and websites as well as corresponding codes provided. "They're so desperate to make money." He scoffed and close the document so he could copy all documents to his flash drive. 

"Wait, Mnet." He saw another interesting stuff which made him open it to be greeted by the names of the singing contest. His eyes doubled to see Tiffany Young being highlighted. "Whoa, so she came first." He didn't expect to see it. Tiffany has 10 million on and offline but on the 'New Result' which is below the original result, she was last with 3k votes only. "Wait, so they manipulated it? And Go Tech was the one who worked with them. Aish." He didn't waste his time and took a photo of it. 

After all the documents were transferred, he opened the videos folder which made him regret it because all of it is the videos he saw from the photos Jummyeon shared. He copied all of them too. But he can't help and notice that every video was named 'teenage girl doing *** with. He wants to puke seeing every dirty thumbnail. He is so disgusted by the company. Behind the IT company that makes websites for customers is a dirty business the public and the employees besides the programmers don't know.

"Where did they get this stuff?" He is fuming with anger inside. He wanted to break every computer so bad with a bat. Break them into pieces and punch the chairman so bad. "They're probably forcing young girls to do this." He muttered as he clenched his fist.

He felt so bad for all the victims. He couldn't take a picture of it.

Suddenly hearing faint footsteps, he panics and quickly pulled the flash drive even though the copying wasn't finished. He turned off the computer and hid under the table.

"You guys go ahead. I'm getting my phone first." He doesn't recognize the voice but he stayed quiet as the latter entered the lab.

Suddenly his phone vibrates under his pocket. It was loud that he hurriedly take it out and cancel the phone call.

"Probably someone left their phone too." The guy shrugs off what he heard and proceeds to get his phone.

Yoong was relieved that he didn't approach the computer he was at. The footsteps are leaving and soon the door closes. He let out a huge exhale before coming out from his hiding place. 

Checking the time, there are 30 minutes left for the lunch break to end. He hurriedly leaves the lab and returned to his desk. He didn't miss returning Jummyeon's ID to his bag and opened his laptop back to see the CCTV. He stopped the loop mode and it was lucky no one passes the hallway.

"Ugh. That was close." He literally groaned as he leaned his back to his seat. He felt like he has gone into a hot room and that he is sweating a little. 

Taking his phone out to check who called him, he frowned that it's his wife. But a message was sent.

My Wife: Appa why cancel Seoyoung's call 😭

He hurriedly pressed the call button when he reads the message. "Seoyoung-ah, Mianhe. Appa was a bit busy earlier. But why are you calling?"

[I miss your voice that's why.]

He can imagine his daughter's pout. "Okay, I miss my Seoyoung too. How was school?" He knows she just got back from school. She wouldn't be calling with Seohyun's phone if she's still in school.

[Good. My friends misses me Appa. We played a lot. Also, my teacher give me her sandwich today because she missed me too.]

"Aww, aren't they the sweetest? How about we go for a dinner date later I go home?"

[Chincha? Kyaaaa! I can't wait! Omma, Appa said we're going on a dinner date tonight.]

He laughs to hear it from his daughter. She's really so adorable. "Tell Omma I missed her voice too, honey."

[Omma, Appa tells me he missed your voice too.]

[Chincha? As if we didn't talk before he left for work. Tell him I don't. And tell him to come home safe and sound.]

He wanted to curse his wife but her last sentence just flutter his heart that he changed his mind.

[You heard that Appa?]

"Absolutely, Honey." He chuckled. "Anyway, I have to hang up now. I love you, Seoyoung-ah."

[I love you too Appa.] Seoyoung giggles and he hangs up.

"Tsk, happy to talk to your daughter?" 

He was startled when he heard Sohee's voice, causing him to turn behind. "Sohee-ssi."

"You're still young to have a family or are you in your forties now but only looked younger?" Sohee chuckled as she takes her seat across from him.

"Well, being in my thirties with a cute family is fun and I'm happy and contented. How old are you Sohee-ssi?"

"Never mind." Sohee mumbled only as her attention was on her desktop.

Yoong nodded gently and smile giddily thinking of Seohyun and Seoyoung as he returned to his work.

***

Walking out of the restaurant after the meeting, Tiffany opened the door from the backseat and allowed Dongwook to step in first before she followed.

"Do you wear glasses a lot?" Dongwook finds it weird because he likes her without it when she auditioned for the show.

"Yes, Mr. Chairman. I mean, I write down and read your schedule. I have to make sure I read them clearly." Explained Tiffany flashing a brief smile.

"Oh, so it's not only for fashion?" 

"Nope. It's reading glasses."