>> Circles by YourCrush 

 

Sunyoung, the leader of the team sighs as she walks into the space. Both Jeongyeon and Nayeon are sleeping with their heads on the office desk, probably drained after the meeting today. She grabs her cellphone then, opening her Kakao Talk app and starts scrolling through the food delivery service. 

 

''I doubt if they're up immediately once the food is here,'' Sunyoung whispers to herself, smilling at Jeongyeong's snore. 

After streching her arms, the woman returns to her own desk and another sigh comes out when she notices a number that popped up in her mailbox. 

''Work and work and work,'' she mumbles, deciding to open the mail one by one. She is so into the emails and pauses only when her phone is vibrating. Quickly takes a glance on the screen, Sunyoung rises from her seat when the app informs about the rider's arrival to the building. 

 

The hardworking woman returns to her office cube with hands full of food packagings, ignoring the fact that she should be home at that time, than spending more hours at the Cho's building. 

 

''Food! Food!!!'' she raises her voice to wake up the two sleepy heads as walking to the pantry room. 

Jeongyeon grunts first before she's awake in the sitting position while Nayeon is still in her dream world. 

''What time is it...'' she yawns, stretching her long arms up to the air after spotting Sunyoung in their small office cube. ''Argh my back, I'm totally old now,'' 

 

Sunyoung recharges her cellphone before switching her desktop pc into a sleeping mode. She looks at Jeongyeon, ''Full course meals, on me today,'' 

Jeongyeon just raises her thumb at the older woman as she tightens the rubber band of her shoulder-length hair. 

''Good luck waking up that bunny, she said she havent' have any sleep from yesterday because our beloved director wanted the full report about our event last month,'' Jeongyeon tells Sunyoung with her flat tone. 

 

Sunyoung walks to Nayeon's desk and gently get a hold of the latter's shoulder. She shakes it gently, ''Nayeon ah, wake up. I bought your favourite cold noodle with pork-belly just now,'' 

 

Hearing that, Nayeon's head automatically aroused. ''Unnie, you're the best!'' 

Jeongyeon the youngest there just laughs at the scene of Nayeon in her messy hair and bloated cheeks who seems so energetic after the mention of her favourite dish. 

 

''Aigoo, go wash your face first!'' Jeongyeon mumbles when Nayeon rushes to the pantry room. The latter shows her middle finger at Jeongyeon, making Sunyoung laughs out loud. 

 

The trio have a little feast in the pantry room, unbothered at the clock showing it is way past too long from the end of office hour. Neither Sunyoung, Jeongyeon or Nayeon mentions about them being scolded by their boss aka the main director of the department who seldomly shows up at work. They concentrate more on food and less in chatting, despite being so restless due to the unbearable workload coming ahead. 

 

''Somehow I'm missing Imme right now,'' Jeongyeon suddenly says out of nowhere, while munching off her food. ''I'm worried if she's doing okay or not this week,'' 

 

Nayeon slowing down chewing the meat and looks up at her younger colleague. ''Yeah... me to. I'm thinking if she's really getting the help she needs or not,'' 

''Haven't you heard anything about her, Sunyoung unnie?'' Nayeon shifts her look at the oldest woman there. 

 

Sunyoung weakly shrugs her shoulder and sips the iced water from the papercup, ''We all knew Imme has deactivated her Instagram account, so I don't think it is possible for me to get any update about this from her,'' 

 

''But still, you can ask?'' Jeongyeon suggests. 

 

Sunyoung releases a desperate sigh. ''It's not that easy, Jeongyeon-ah. We're technically co-workers, we cannot cross the boundaries, remember? Especially if this person we're talking about, is the daughter of our CEO,'' 

 

Nayeon continues chewing the meat in and talks, ''I agree. Although we already crossed the boundaries, once, when we reached for her cousin,'' 

 

''Honestly, we cannot do or say much about this. Imme is struggling mentally, I really really hope she's getting a professional help since telling her cousin is the only thing necessary to be done by us, who's totally not related to her, at all,'' Sunyoung replies. ' 

 

''But, Imme is very kind to us,'' Jeongyeon interrupts, breathing in deeply. She studies Sunyoung and Nayeon's face before resuming her words, ''Maybe we don't know much about her, or she knows much about us. But she's good in maintaining her composure, despite the burden she carries as the future leader. Don't you think we are also related to her, without we acknowledging this? She stayed with us, in good and bad times. She kept her head down when people were talking trash about her father, and one thing I really really like about Imme is her generosity. She's likeable, isn't she? So why do we need to keep on saying we cannot do much when Imme did quite a lot for us?'' 

 

Sunyoung and Nayeon have nothing to say back. 

 

Jeongyeon continues again, ''A person like her, deserves so much love and attention. Everyone is acting so respectful towards her yet we didn't aware this probably the reason she's ignoring herself? I don't get it, why we are going to cross the boundaries with only a little love and attention we're trying to give? Why, a simple text of asking 'hi, how are you doing' is regarded as interrupting someone's life?'' 

 

Nayeon stops chewing and blinks her eyes repeatedly. For her, it is quite a surprise to see Jeongyeon's serious mode plus firm expression since her first day at the office. She put down the chopsticks and nods at Jeongyeon's statement. 

''Yes, just why, right? Imme is an admirable person, I don't get it too why her title and status as our CEO's only child always becomes the reason everyone limits their attention and support towards her,'' 

 

''Maybe, we're actually the ignorant ones,'' Sunyoung speaks in her calm tone. ''Maybe, Imme only being kind and nice to us, because the way we showed ourselves to her, the same way like others. She sees no different, only work so there's no reason for her to be so bothered about opening herself. I wish, it's not too late for her to realize we're actually trying to help her out,'' Sunyoung conveys her words properly though inside she's deeply concerns on Imme's personal struggle. 

 

Jeongyeon replies, ''So, a simple text as I said is not a crime to commit, right, unnie? I can check on her right?'' 

 

Sunyoung nods with a bright smile, 

''Of course, it's not a crime, Jeongyeon. Go ahead, ask how she's doing because I'm dying to know too,'' 

 

''What if she never reply me?'' Jeongyeon asks, pouting. 

 

''O-oh, but whenever I sent her a text, she replied me right away, not even a minute,'' Sunyoung states, clamping a piece of kimchi and wraps it together with the rice. 

''Okay-okay, let me try then,'' Jeongyeon unlocks her cellphone and starts typing. 

 

She sends the short message to 'Our Future CEO' a.k.a Imme and acting like she's praying in the church. ''Lord, I wish Imme is not gonna ghost me with my simple 'hi hello how are you doing, Ms. Cho',''

 

Nayeon chuckles seeing Jeongyeon is in her nun mode. She swallows her food first and points at her, ''You fool, at least you did your part, now let me do mine,'' Nayeon grabs her cellphone too and copies Jeongyeon's act before. 

 

With that, Sunyoung is left no choice. She shakes her head in denial, still smiling as she crafts a simple text and sends it to their fellow colleague, Imme. 

 

 

 

*ding

 

*ding 

 

*ding

 

Not even a minute after, their personal cellphones chime in sync, making them startle together. Jeongyeon hurriedly clicks the box icon and manages to read Imme's quick reply to her. 

 

''Haha girls, I'm doing just fine. Don't worry, I'm coming back to office tomorrow,'' she reads it out loud. 

Sunyoung and Nayeon also show their screens with Jeongyeon, and the latter sighs, disbelief. She finds out they also received the same message from Imme

 

''Seriously, that's incredibly fast!'' she snorts, ''It's just been a week, I thought she's taking two weeks on leave, unnie???'' 

 

''Harhh, just why Imme?'' Sunyoung rubs her left temple. ''I have no clue, girls. Probably she has something to do? Let's assume not much, okay? Maybe she's really doing fine on her own?'' 

 

''Hmmh... If I'm rich like her, I would travel to Europe, especially Paris,'' Nayeong shares her idea out of blue. 

Jeongyeon's eyes get big and she claps her hands at Nayeon. 

''Exactly! Paris or Venice!'' 

 

Sunyoung adds, ''For me, I would like going to London. Taking ride with the double-decker bus, touring all around the city, while enjoying hot Earl grey tea,'' 

 

''Aigoo, that sounds even better,'' Nayeon and Jeongyeon says at the same time. 

 

The leader chuckles, eyeing her loyal co-workers who are so into eating and chatting about their dreamplace. She hides her real concern about Imme's whereabout with a bright smile although her gut telling something probably happened that caused Imme to cut her day off short. 

 

''Maybe we envy her wealth, but we never get to understand her pain and struggles,'' Sunyoung speaks in her mind. She glances at Imme's desk temporarily, hoping she could see the progress of it's owner soon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cho's Mansion 

 

She switches on her favourite pc sets and sits comfortably on the gaming chair. 

While waiting for the software to pop up, Imme grabs her cellphone and rings a new number. 

 

 

 

 

 

''Yes, Ms. Cho, I safely arrived at my parents' house, don't worry,'' she hears the new familiar voice from the other line and breathes calmly afterwards. 

 

''Good, now go to sleep, please. I will fetch you tomorrow and we still have to lodge a police report,''  Imme firmly says, staring at the desktop screen. 

 

When the voice goes quiet, Imme sighs. ''You said there should be no one after you, right? Mr. Park should earn his lesson, sooner or later, Jimin-sshi,'' 

Still another silence, Imme flinches then. 

 

''Alright, I hope you take all the time you need first. Just letting you know that, I'm.. I'm here to help,'' Imme stutters at the last part. 

 

 

Jimin's voice replies, ''Thank you very much, Imme-sshi. You did so much for me, and I owe you my life,'' 

 

''Well, not your life,'' Imme chuckles. 

Typing the password on the keyboards, Imme's attention is brought up to the wallpaper of her desktop. 

 

 

 

It's her first love's photo. 

 

 

Joanne's close up photo she took when they're both young and innocent. 

 

The day she confessed her feeling. 

 

 

And the same day she experienced the taste of first kiss. 

 

 

 

''Imme-sshi...?'' Jimin's voice shatters her daydream and Imme clears . 

 

''Okay, update me everyday about this. I won't rest until that Park gets his own medicine, Jimin-sshi,'' 

 

''I will, Imme-sshi. Thanks again for your help,'' 

 

'Ah, don't mention it, I'm sure you would do it for me too,'' Imme mutters and logs into her personal website. 

 

The call ends after they're saying good night to each other. 

 

Imme stares blankly at the screen, running ideas on what to update. She has gained a few more followers, despite being totally anonymous in the website. Nobody knows who she is, but mostly leaving supportive comments, asking for more updates about her unique collections. 

Justice for Joanne. #suicideisamurder

 

She has been taken aback by the stranger's comment in the collumn. Her highly curiousity demands her to click on the stranger's ID profile, which brings her to it's home page. 

Imme's heart beating faster than usual once she sees a collection of photos pinned there. 

They're all Joanne's pictures, but from someone else's point of view. 

 

 

*Flashback*

 

A ring bells lightly when Imme pushed the door and stepped into the convenience store. Letting her eyes roamed around, Imme braced herself and walked to the front counter, greeting the cashier as polite as she can. 

 

''I'm sorry, I'm Joanne's friend. Is she here today?'' Imme asked, hiding her anxiety meeting new people. 

The cashier just nodded without any word. He raised his hand at Imme, signalling her to wait for a while as he disappeared to the tiny room located at the back of the front counter. 

Imme, in her navy blue plain tee and black checkered shirt had herself observing everything in the convenience store. It was quite breezy outside and suddenly she has a thought maybe some hot drink would help her to feel less cold. 

At the end, she grabbed a cup of 3 in 1 instant coffee and put it on the counter, continued waiting for the cashier. 

 

 

''Imme!'' Joanne's figure finally came out from the small back room and Imme's face immediately brightened with the addition of Joanne's beautiful smile. 

''A coffee? I thought you don't drink coffee?'' Joanne said, scanning the item on the counter and staring at the teenager's Imme playfully. 

 

She was too happy to see Joanne again and started to stutter, ''Well--- You know, my dad told me--that adulting should have at least a cup of coffee as company.. So-- yea, just-just training myself to the sweet bitter of life,'' she nervously replied, can't take her eyes away from the tiny pretty girl in front of her. 

 

Joanne giggled and received the cash note from the older girl. 

''Don't need the balance,'' Imme instantly refused the change she's about to get from Joanne. 

'Whoa, flexing yourself now?'' Joanne teased and Imme laughed, nodding her head. 

 

They immersed into each other's eyes without saying a word. But Imme was the one who bravely made a step first. 

She reached out for Joanne's hand and asked her gently, ''I-I would like to bring you--- home. Will you?'' however the sentence sounded a bit weird to Joanne so she furrowed her eyebrows at Imme. 

 

'What?'' 

 

Imme finally realized she's muttering things randomly. Fighting to defense herself, Imme had open and close like a fish runs out water yet no voice was heard. 

 

''She's asking you to come with her to her house, girl,'' the previous cashier came back and helped Imme with the strange interpretation. He smiled at the young boyish and nodded, ''Yes, since Joanne here is like my own daughter, I will let her go with you. Only for today, is that okay?'' 

 

Imme quickly bobbed her head down numerous times, as an act of appreciation and sighed a smile for him back. 

Not to Imme's knowledge, Joanne was also nervous when she was told about Imme's presence at her workplace, by her father-like employer. She hid her excitement well by playing all joy and cheerful, from the moment they made an exit from the convenience store until they hit the steepy hill- paveway. 

But her heart, was closed to explode when Imme stopped walking and grabbed her tiny hand. 

She lifted her chin up to see Imme's handsome face when the latter take a step right in front of her. 

 

 

''Before going to Ms. Nara's, I want to take you to my new secret hideout place,'' Imme said, smilling. 

 

Joanne calmed herself for a while and decided to look all smiley too despite their distance was very close than usual. 

 

''Sure,'' that's all she said and let Imme dragged her to the different direction to the well-known white penthouse on the hill. 

 

 

 

 

>> First Love by Jurrivh 

 

Their intertwined hands accompanied their walk through the small garden of flowers. Sometimes, the wind blew Imme's fringe gently and sometimes the wind also blew Joanne's long hair, making the scene was too perfect to be a portrait from someone's eye.  

''Careful, these roses have thorns too,'' Imme muttered as she led Joanne stepping all the way into the end of the path. Joanne hummed and gripped Imme's long and slender fingers tighter than before. She looked at Imme's side profile and a sudden doubt raised in her mind, ''Is she... I mean.. am I in love? Am I... really in love with this beautiful person?'

 

''Last time, you brought me to your secret place, so today I'd brought to mine. How is it?'' Imme stated, releasing their hands from each other and pointed at the sun setting down on the red-tainted sky. 

Joanne's brown pupils dilated unconsciously as she stared at the amazing sunset panorama. She can't believe it herself, why her feeling at the moment was totally different even though she used to enjoy the view of sunset a couple of times before. 

 

She felt a gentle rush. 

Because Imme was there too. 

 

 

''A quiet and observed kid like you,'' Joanne said while looking at Imme, ''Finally knows how to be all romantic,'' 

 

Hearing that, Imme paused her view on the sunset and shifted her face to Joanne. 

''Really? So this is romantic?'' 

 

Joanne nodded with her eyes closed. 

 

Imme smiled as she turned to her side and reached for both Joanne's hands. She held them gently, eyes still on her pretty face. 

"You... I mean, we," Imme had a hard time to say a word, and struggled all the way until Joanne's frown and little giggle made her paused entirely. 

 

"What is it, you wanted to say, Imme?" Joanne asked. She patiently waited for the young Imme to utter a word again, wearing the same pretty smile on her face. 

 

Frustrated, not knowing why she was so anxious at the moment, Imme released her fingers for Joanne's and shoved them into her pocket instead. 

"N-nothing. Nothing important," Imme stated, looking back to the sunset. 

 

 

They were sank into silence. No one had said anything. 

 

 

 

Until Joanne's smile merely faded and she replaced it with sincerity eyes.

"I like you, Imme," 

 

They stared at each other, very deeply. 

Imme tried to read what's in Joanne's mind, moving her light coloured pupils left to right, gazing into Joanne's deep set eyes. 

 

 

"Yes, I think I like you," Joanne furthered, bowing down shyly. "Either because you're too good looking, or quiet, or great listener or just... very gentle, I don't know. I'm just... I have this feeling when I'm with you," 

 

Imme didn't reply straight ahead and only managed to pleasure Joanne's sight with her stunned face. 

 

 

"Is it like, how Bella likes Edward?" Imme asked with her deep voice. 

 

Joanned lifted her sight. 

 

"Because, if you do, that was also what I wanted to say earlier," Imme muttered, swallowing the lump inside . She fought through her anxiety and tried not to look awkward but her fidgeting hands and furrowed eyebrows won't listening. 

 

"It's been only a month, we met, you know? But I don't get any clue, why I cannot stop thinking about you," Imme said. "I was, I was planning to talk about this to Ms. Nara and.. uhm, I don't think she might be helpful so... I read the Twillight novel series and finished it yesterday," Imme breathed in. 

"Hence, I must say, I could be Edward, or Jacob but one thing you should know they both like Bella very much," 

 

Joanne thought it was her first time hearing Imme talking in full complete sentence. Usually, it was her who did the talking and Imme would be the loyal listener. 

 

"And actually Bella likes them both very much too," Joanne interrupted, taking one step closer again. She took Imme's hands then, and the shaking slowly disapppeared. 

"But the thing is, what Bella feels for Edward is love and what she feels for Jacob is all about trust,"

 

She caressed Imme's furrowed eyebrows gently and talked in a lower tone, 

"So yes, I like you like how Bella likes Edward," 

 

 

Imme's expression gotten lighter and she had the brightest smile for Joanne afterwards. 

 

"Okay," Imme replied. 

They were out of words again but Imme braced herself this time. 

 

She brought her lips close to Joanne's and closed her eyes. 

 

 

And that's how she knew, Joanne is her first kiss and love. 

 

*End of flashback*

 

Her body unconsciously leaning back to the soft cushion of the chair. Having her face being wiped off by sudden sweats, Imme is trying to maintain her composure. Then, she realizes she needs her tranquilizer pill at the moment. 

 

In blurry sight, Imme continues to rummage things inside the drawer. 

 

"I like you, Imme,"

 

Joanne's voice keeps echoing and her heart feels like being ripped apart from the outside. 

 

Her gasps fill the entire room as she keeps searching for a bottle of blue-coloured capsules, not minding her body is drenched in sweats. 

 

"And I'm sorry Imme because I loved you," 

 

 

With another voice of Joanne is playing in her mind, Imme collapses on the floor. 

She starts crying as she reminiscing Joanne's face, her beautiful smile and her tiny voice that she misses the most. 

 

"J-Joanne..." Imme sobs, her eyes filled with tears. Her chest feels tight, she tries to calm himself by trying to breathe properly but ends up getting more breathless. 

Another gasp for an air, Imme lost her sight, she struggles to breathe for more as the vague light inside the spacious room fades and her body touches the cold floor. 

 

 

 

 

"Live well, Imme..." Joanne's last whisper is replaying and that's the last thing her conscious mind remembers, before she disappears into the darkness of guilt and regret.