Genre: Angst, Drama, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Romance, Slice of Life

Summary: Yujin has a hard life, taking care of her disabled sister while balancing her personal life and job as soon as she graduates from high school. For her, love is the last thing she wants to think about until she meets an angel in the form of Kim Minjoo. She is madly in love with the girl until she finds an unbearable truth from Kim Minjoo.

Word Count: 19766

Hashtag: #JinjooFiestaS3_UTEWL

Until The End, With Love

~ PART I ~

“Will you be alright, Wonnie?”

A worried, mellow voice echoes across the humble living room with a towering girl throwing her anxious looks towards the girl sitting in front of her. She darted her eyes towards this beautiful girl with milky white skin, wearing a determined stare within the blazing gaze, opposite from the girl with blue hair anxious stares.

“Geez, you worried too much, Yujinnie. I told you that I’d be fine, didn’t I?”

“B-but, I never leave you alone. Are you sure that you’ll be fine? What if you cried? What if you suddenly want to go out and get some ice cream? Wait, what if you want to drink hot drinks and accidentally burn yourself?”

“Yujinnie, listen!”

Startled, she directed her edgy look at the girl with bunny teeth staring at her while pouting. Her little sister, Wonyoung, who appeared in Yujin’s life as their parents married, is a blessing to her. Spending their time together, Wonyoung is everything Yujin had wished to have as a little sister. The girl is sweet but is bratty at the same time, kind but also mean in her own ways and above all, Wonyoung is the only one who trusts Yujin wholeheartedly. She swears that she will protect Wonyoung, no matter what, and she did.

Wonyoung has been losing her ability to walk ever since their parents died in a car accident. Fortunately, their parents left a good house for them both as well as some assets. Yujin also decided to save that money for it later, which will be entirely used for Wonyoung’s future. Her sister is smart and Yujin didn’t want Wonyoung to waste her talent just because the girl couldn’t walk. She is willing to be Wonyoung’s legs so that her sister will get the happiness she deserves.

As for Yujin, she is satisfied just seeing Wonyoung smile. This girl is her only family, the one who will be with Yujin even when the world turns back on her. Yujin had been working to the bone to afford Wonyoung’s medical bills. Not only that but, Yujin also in charge of ensuring that they have enough money to feed them both. She didn’t mind not having any time to enjoy life like other teenagers. She didn’t have the luxury to do that. Being with Wonyoung is enough, she thought. A little warm caress on the back of her palm pulled Yujin back to reality. Her eyes meet with a pair of bright, beautiful eyes, staring directly into her soul, “I will be fine, Yujinnie. You can focus on your work and maybe, find someone who will cherish you as much as I do.”

Yujin just carved a bitter smile as she shakes her head while patting her sister on the wheelchair. Kneeling in front of Wonyoung, Yujin wrapped her palm around the girl and uttered, “I’m just worried, Wonnie. You are everything I had and no, I don’t need anyone. I’m fine living with just you. Besides,”

A mischievous grin appeared on Yujin’s face, revealing her deep dimples as she pinched Wonyoung’s sharp, pointy nose, “I’m too young for something like love or finding a partner.”

“Duh, you are eighteen! What’s young with that? You’re already an adult. Love isn’t about age, or how long you meet with your significant other after all. You meet someone, zing with them, and bam!”

“Silly, you’re only seventeen. A whole 365 days behind me so don’t talk about those sappy things with me, Wonnie.”

A snort can be heard from her younger sister when Yujin mentions their age. Well, it is the truth. While they both might not be related by blood, it is such a big coincidence when Yujin and Wonyoung’s birthday is really apart by 365 days. Their parents had been crazy about that, telling them that they both are really bound to be sisters. Well, Yujin agrees with them.

“So, you know that I am seventeen, not seven. Stop worrying about silly things. Wait, don’t you need to go like right now? You’ll be late if you dawdle around!”

A hint of panic can be heard from Wonyoung’s voice, inviting chortles from Yujin as she put up her palm against Wonyoung’s face and uttered, “Before that…”

Yujin stood up on her feet and placed both of her long limbs onto her waist while wearing a confident smile. She twirled in front of Wonyoung to let her younger sister have a better look at her outfit for the day. Yujin donned a grey, handknit blouse knitted by Wonyoung, paired with a pair of blue jeans on top while donning black denim for her trousers. She put on a square frame spectacle on top of her high-bridge nose as she flashed her confident smile at her sister.

“You really want to pull off a nerd look for this job?”

“Hey, a nerd is cute, alright!”

“Says the jock of them all. Come on, this glass makes your eyes look smaller. It isn’t cute at all!”

“Even a nerd like Kkura unnie finds a beautiful partner! Who knows if I can pull such a feat too?”

“Says the one who claimed she didn’t need anyone except me.”

Wonyoung just giggles at her sister’s antics which is making a funny expression in front of her, making the girl playfully punching Yujin away from her. As for Yujin, she intentionally acts silly so that she will be able to hear Wonyoung’s melodious laugh, her pill to keep on going forward in this harsh, cold world.

“I heard my name is being summoned just now.”

“Oh baby, you sure got sharp ears. Thanks to your adorable big ears, I presume?”

A couple of familiar voices can be heard, making Wonyoung’s grin turn wider, and Yujin just sighed defeatedly. Whatever she did, she can never top these two people who turned out to be Wonyoung’s first choice whenever the girl needs something.

“Eunbi unnie, Kkura unnie. You both knew that entering someone’s house without permission is a crime.”

She pouted at the two older women who strutted into the living room, heading straight towards Wonyoung who was chuckling at their presence. Crossing her arms, Yujin let those two take their time talking to Wonyoung before Sakura turned towards her, judging the younger yet taller girl’s apparel.

“Hmm, not bad, Jinnie. Maybe if you wear white high-cut, it can boost your invigorating energy in the office.”

“Hey, I am an intern. No one will have a second glance at my outfit.”

Yujin retorted, trying to defend her clothing. Wearing Wonyoung’s hard work as her first day on the job is like bringing a lucky charm with her. Yujin needs it. Not because she isn’t confident in her skills, it’s just this blouse will remind her about Wonyoung and strive to work harder and secure a permanent position in the company.

“So, you are ready for Day 1? Just a heads up, our company has a really competitive environment but fret not; everyone is friendly to some extent.”

Eunbi chortles as she turns towards Yujin, who smirks. This with confidence towards her. The younger just hummed at Eunbi’s reminder as she already carved in her mind that working isn’t something, she should take for granted. She secured the position as an intern is not solely because she is well acquainted with Eunbi and Sakura; her distant cousins, but due to her excellent records in both academic and extra-curricular activities.

Working as a part-time model, Yujin’s face is somewhat familiar to the household audience, making it possible for her to receive a recommendation to be appointed as an intern at OzIne, one of the most popular Sakura’sg companies in the country. Well, her cousins; Eunbi and Sakura, literally own the company after their heated modern version of Romeo and Juliet fight with their influential parents; who is apparently a nemesis since birth, to be with one another; which Yujin remembers a newspaper highlighted them as ‘Love of The Century’ story. She wonders whether she will face such intense love too when she finds the one for her.

“Now, let’s go, Jinnie. Wonnie, you take good care of yourself now.”

Yujin glanced at her sister, who just giggled at Eunbi, who patted the young bunny-like girl’s head. Closing her eyes, Yujin took a deep breath as she reached for the white high cut pair and dashed outside of her apartment unit. The sky looked bright, and a fluffy white cloud marched on top of her head, making Yujin have some time to calm her nervousness.

“You’ll be fine there. No worries.”

Her shoulders jolted in surprise at the sudden deep voice emerging behind her. Slightly turning towards the left, Yujin finds a certain pink-haired girl with milky skin offering a smirk at her. At that sight, a particular word popped inside Yujin’s mind and she unconsciously blurted it out, “Tsundere.”

“Hey, I’m trying to be nice to you now.”

“I know unnie,” a giggle escapes her before continuing, “You sure have difficulties in expressing yourself, huh? Though I do appreciate your effort.”

Wrapping her arm around the shorter woman, Yujin somehow felt relieved knowing that Sakura is supporting her. At least she won’t be nervous now that Sakura cheered her up. Ever since she had lost her parents, Sakura had been a tremendous emotional pillar towards her. No, not that kind where she just goes and bawls her eyes out but more leaning towards having a comfortable silence together. Yujin often regards that she and Sakura had a special connection where they both could communicate without exchanging words. Most of the time, the older woman does offer great advice for Yujin in times of need, just like this moment. Sakura might not talk much, but her words can affect Yujin in the right ways once she does.

“Hey, that’s my girlfriend you are hugging now.”

A voice filled with a menacing aura forced Yujin to retreat her arms and keep it to herself. Shifting her head towards the back, she can see a certain chihuahua-like woman glaring at her with eyes filled with jealousy.

“Oh gee, I’m just resting my arms around Kkura unnie’s shoulder.”

“Do that somewhere else. She is mine.”

“Possessive.”

“What? You want to walk to the office on your first day?”

“Nothing! I said that you sure cherish Sakura unnie so much!”

She let out a loud laugh and hung her arms around those two height deficient adults while dragging them both to the car. Well, having free transportation to her working place is a privilege that Yujin is grateful for as she got to save up on some gas money. In return, she just had to face both Eunbi and Sakura’s overly disgusting romance talk in the car. Throwing her sight outside of the window, Yujin tried focusing on the picturesque scenery and passing blocks of buildings throughout the journey. As soon as a famous lilac building came into her view, Yujin popped her head in between them and voice out her request, “Unnie, please drop me here.”

“What do you want to do here?”

Eunbi sounds worried while Sakura obediently pulls the car towards one of the empty spots at the bus stop. Yujin just flashed her wide grin at Eunbi while explaining, “I didn’t want people to gossip about me when they saw me getting out from your car. They will say something about being a parachute intern in here.”

“I dare them to say that. What did they even know to just spout anything? Ignore them, okay?”

The healthy, tall girl did expect that Eunbi won’t just agree with her thoughts, and thus, she tried asking Sakura for some help with the corner of her eyes. “Eun, let’s just follow what Yujin wants, okay? She’s big enough to make her own decision,” Sakura calmed her girlfriend while gesturing to Yujin to get off like she wanted.,

Nodding at Sakura’s signal, Yujin just pecked her cousin’s cheeks before jumping out of the car. She pulled her ebony backpack, taking a deep breath, before striding towards the enormous building. Eunbi’s words keep on resounding inside her mind and Yujin let out a weak smile at those words.

I wish I could do that, but I can’t be selfish. It will be bad for Wonyoung when she works here later.

Since their parent’s death, Yujin had been living her life for the sake of her sister. Some of her friends said that it’s just a waste of her time to live for others and Yujin is letting precious time making a mark in this world by shying away from her actual call. Well, she didn’t care about what they say at all because they aren't inside her shoes.

After all, the accident that cost her parent’s life and Wonyoung’s mobility is because of Yujin. The truth is her family’s car over their way to watch Yujin’s basketball team's final match at the national level. Winning the tournament is a given for Yujin as it will boost her point for a scholarship into the college of her dream. However, upon learning about the accident, she ditched the game and headed straight towards the hospital. She will never forget the devastating sight at the hospital, which she regards as the end of her world. Her mother’s last whisper to Yujin makes the young girl swear that she will take good care of her younger sister no matter what.

“WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME HERE? ARE YOU CRAZY?”

An ear-piercing voice abruptly pulled Yujin back into reality, causing the tall girl to redirect her eyes towards a pair of couples a few feet away from her. If anything, Yujin detests people who never regard their surroundings the most, just like this couple who fight without sparing any glance towards the public. She knew that nothing good would come if she ever associated with the couple’s quarrel and decided to hide behind the jacket jean and marched away from the scene as fast as she could.

“I leave you because I am dating this girl! See? She didn’t even have me to call her and just come to me, unlike you!”

Yujin almost loses her spectacles as a handful of dainty fingers grab her jacket and pull her out of nowhere. She almost retorted to the girl’s claim. However, Yujin realized that his girl with chocolate brown, wavy hair’s hand is terribly trembling despite the loud voice. She didn’t get to see a full view of this girl but managed to catch the fox-like eyes that were screaming for some assistance to shoo away this certain man.

“What the heck?! If you want to lie, choose something more believable. Why would you choose this nerd instead of me?”

Being yanked by the man by far isn’t the most pleasant thing Yujin expects to face on her first day of internship. At first, she thought that maybe letting the man scream at her face is a good idea, but upon seeing a balled fist flying towards her, she knows that she couldn’t just stay still. Wonyoung will be worried if she is hurt, Yujin thought. Thus, she extended her arms towards the man and yanked him into the air before toppling the lad straight onto the ground. Not stopping there, Yujin wrapped her long limbs around the man’s right leg and twisted it with all her force.

“AHHH! YOU BARBARIC GIRL! LET ME GO!”

“Keep on struggling, and you will be crippled for the rest of your life.”

“! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!”

A sigh escapes Yujin’s mouth as she can feel her eardrums about to rupture with the number of screams, she had been tolerated for the past five minutes. She then rolled her eyes before growling back, unable to withstand such violence anymore, “You are a drunkard who tried abusing my GIRLFRIEND. Oh, maybe you want to be crippled too? You know that our country had such animosity towards Driving Under Influence (DUI), right?”

Whimper can be heard from the man and Yujin decides that maybe it is enough to scare this man away. However, because this man had destroyed the good vibe Yujin tried hard to create for her first day, she ensured to twist this man’s ankle before pouring some soju, a type of alcohol, onto him before pushing him into his car. Then, she called the police to report an accident in the area while emphasizing that the driver is under the influence of alcohol.

“T-thank you-”

Before the girl can drag her into more trouble, Yujin grabbed the girl’s hands and dragged her away from the scene. Being interrogated by the police is the last thing she wants to happen. It might drag her time from reporting as scheduled at OzIne later. Heading towards a nearby convenience store, Yujin asked the girl to sit on one of the available tables as she headed inside to buy a few things.

Walking between the aisles, Yujin noticed that her hands trembled violently and clenched them to reduce her nervousness. Out of a sudden, Wonyoung’s voice echoed inside her head, “Love isn’t about age, or how long you meet with your significant other after all. You meet someone, zing with them and bam!”

“This is crazy. I didn’t even see her properly, but why is her small hand so electrifying?”

Groaning in confusion, Yujin wrapped her palm around her face as she tried chasing away this uninvited blush on her face. The reason Yujin brought the girl here was that she noticed that the girl was standing in such an awkward posture. Not to mention, the girl’s hand is awfully warm, as if she is having a fever. The young, lean girl started wondering reasons behind her over-concerned about this stranger-turned-girlfriend. Heaving a deep sigh, she then proceeds to haul a few bottles of vitamin drink as well as a few packs of jellies as well as juices for the girl. Also, she makes sure to buy some bandage and medication cream to treat the girl’s probably sore ankle.

“Is this all for your girlfriend out there?”

The cashier’s question caught Yujin off guard, causing her to blush adamantly. Who in this world can ever guess that she would get a girlfriend almost instantly after refusing such feels stubbornly in front of Wonyoung and her cousins earlier? Scratching her cheek, Yujin curtly nodded to the cashier’s question to not prolong this feeling of uncertainties. By right, this stranger girl is the one who claimed that Yujin is her girlfriend, and all she does is playing along.

“So sweet. Treat your girlfriend with love, okay?”

“Sure.”

Giving her card to the cashier, Yujin heaves the bagful snacks while trying to suppress her snicker at this ridiculous situation.

Wonyoung will laugh her off if I tell her about this absurd moment.

Yujin scoffed at the thought and just made her way towards the girl who was staring at the ground, letting those wavy, healthy brown hair covered her face. Putting those black plastic bags containing food for the girl on top of the table, Yujin kneeled on the ground and pulled the stranger’s right leg, inviting a startled groan towards her.

“W-what are you doing?”

Gosh, her voice is quite soft if she talked normally.

A fleeting thought appeared inside Yujin’s mind but she chased them away before directing her gaze towards this injured stranger. Offering her polite smile, she explained her keen observation while holding her head towards this stranger, “I noticed that you limped while walking just now. Figures that maybe you hurt your ankle and yeah, as a responsible girlfriend, I need to treat you, right?”

She intentionally emphasizes the word girlfriend which is replied with a nervous laugh by this lady with wavy hair. What Yujin didn’t expect is the question blurted out by this shorter girl, “Are you mad at me for dragging you into my mess?”

Instead of answering the brunette’s question, Yujin just kept mum while bandaging the reddish ankle with careful and precise moves. As soon as she finished with her first-aid, Yujin stood up and muttered, “Just wait here for a bit more, okay? I’ll come back to you as fast as I can.”

She didn’t even wait for the girl’s reply as Yujin dashed away from the convenience store, heading towards a certain shop which she accidentally saw during her ride with the cousins before the encounter with this troublesome lady. The bell dings at her arrival in the store, accompanied by a warm greeting by the shop owner.

“Yes, dear, what can I help you?”

“May I have this one? A size as small as my three fingers.”

“Oh my, must be a present for a small lady as her feet are quite dainty.”

The blue-haired kid with spectacles just smiled back at the friendly shop owner who went towards the rack and pulled a box of the item Yujin searched for. “No need for a box or plastic. I’ll just take it as it is,” Yujin hastily pulled a few blue and orange notes from her pocket and paid for the item before running back while staring worriedly at her wristwatch.

“Gosh, I need to be fast, or I’ll be late for my first day.”

Quickening her pace towards the girl, Yujin finds the girl is munching on the jellies she bought earlier while a box of juice with straw seated nicely beside the bag. Yujin unknowingly smiles at the sight of the girl’s back who seems to enjoy her snacking time. Briskly, she heads towards the girl and greets her, “Hey, seems like you love those snacks?”

“Oh? Err, the cashier, comes out as soon as you leave while babbling about me being lucky to have a caring girlfriend.”

“She did? Then I guess this will turn me into an excellent girlfriend, right?”

Chuckling at the girl’s voice, Yujin then kneeled again while carefully removing the lady’s high heels and replaced it with a white slip on which she bought from the friendly shoe shop owner a couple of blocks away from this convenience store. Holding her head up towards the girl Yujin grinned widely while saying, “I hope that white is one of your favourite colours. I’m sorry if you didn’t like it, though.”

Little did she anticipate to see an ethereal small face with dazzling fox-like round-eyes with gaping, coral-coloured lips staring at Yujin with an indescribable look. Clearing while trying her best to not turn into a ripe tomato, Yujin glances at her watch as she gasps in horror.

“Uh, I need to go. I’m getting late now!”

Turning her heels onto the road, Yujin can feel a sudden tug on her jacket, begging for her attention towards this particular stunning stranger. A soft yet urgent voice slips from those perfect mouths, making Yujin’s head literally feel like on the cloud, “Before you go, tell me your name!”

Blinking a few times at the question, Yujin just offered her grin at the lady, “I’m your 3-minutes girlfriend! Goodbye! It’s nice meeting you.”

Dashing away without sparing any glance towards the back, Yujin didn’t know that the stranger spent a whole minute staring at her, who paced away from the convenience store.

~ PART II ~

Fortunately, Yujin managed to report duty on time as she arrived at the security guard and registered herself before being ushered into a spacious, minimalistic glass-room filled with a few anxious faces. Choosing her seat beside a pretty blonde girl who exudes confidence, Yujin gulped hard before chugging down a bottle of water she managed to bag from the convenience store previously. A woman suddenly entered the room, which attracted every eye on her as she nodded at them politely. Wearing a lilac shirt, she then introduced herself as the human resources manager in OzIne, which Yujin instantly recognised her as one of the top models working alongside her cousins before.

“I am Kang Hyewon and will be in charge of your induction session. After this training, I’ll assign you accordingly with the other department which is eager to welcome you, interns.”

This is what Yujin looks forward to the most as an intern, to be assigned to a different department. As far as she knows based on her extensive readings on the net, having a great supervisor with superb connection and amiable personality will be a great catch for an intern. She isn’t that picky if she needs to work with any department, may it come to deal with models from the glamorous editorial fashion magazine department or working alongside freelancer models. All she wants is to gain as much knowledge as possible while making connections so that no one will be able to stand in Wonyoung’s way upon her little sister’s debut in the model industry. To do so, Yujin needs to work hard and she is ready for that.

While being briefed about the company’s motto, vision and all, Yujin noticed that the blonde girl from earlier looked a tad bit bored from the lengthy talk. During the break, she decided to approach the girl who seemed about to let her soul fly away.

“Hey, not a big fan of lectures, huh?”

Luckily, the girl responded well, producing a raspy, unique voice but using such an adorable, baby-like tone, “Yeah. I was almost bored to death. Sitting in one place isn’t my best forte.”

Snorted at the girl’s reply, Yujin quickly covered while stifling her giggles. The blonde-girl donning high ponytail whines at Yujin’s reaction, saying that Yujin is being mean towards her. The tall girl then decides that maybe this is the right time for her to make a new friend just because she thought that being around the blonde won’t ever make her have any dull moments.

“I am Ahn Yujin, you?”

“Yena, Choi Yena. What year are you born, by the way? Why are you talking down to me?”

Maybe it’s the way Yena talked that reminds her about little duckling, making Yujin forget to use honorifics despite this being their first-time meeting. As a sign of her remorse, Yujin pouted while slightly bowing at Yena who just laughed at Yujin in return.

“Ya, you look like a lost puppy. Sorry, I’m just messing around with you.”

“Well, it is true that I do not exercise enough respect towards you. I was born in 2003.”

“Holy duck! You are four years younger than me and yet able to get a placement here? Talk about young genius.”

Tilting her head towards Yena, Yujin tried to fathom the older but smaller girl’s words but couldn’t digest it at all. Maybe Yena was able to detect Yujin baffles, the blonde then uttered while smiling brightly “I know you, Yujin. You used to be a model as well as an exemplary student, right? The one who aced last year's SAT and excelled in sports.”

“Oh gosh, all of those are old news. I am just an intern now.”

“Ya~ Be proud that you are an intern in OzIne! Do you know how many people would fight one another just to get a spot here?”

Spending the precious few minutes chatting with Yena makes Yujin certain that this girl will be fun to have around. After knowing each other, Yena looks slightly energetic throughout the rest of the session and time flies faster than Yujin anticipates. It’s been so long since she had such a relaxing, enjoying time like this while working. So far, she has had to face customers who often act rude which usually test her patience limit.

Well, that is to be expected since she works as a part-timer in a convenience store that offers minuscule pay. However, on the bright side, Yujin can bring back a few consumables which almost reach their expiration date. If luck is on her side, she will have a few offers as a model which have slightly better pay. Whenever that happens, Yujin will make sure to buy enough meat for Wonyoung as her younger sister loves meat so much.

“Moving onto a very good news for all of you,” Hyewon's voice breaks Yujin from her little daydream and she corrected her posture into 90° while focusing on the human resources manager’s words. A proud smile appeared on Hyewon’s face as she announced, “OzIne will now expand the business in creating a fashion magazine. I think everyone knows what kind of good news awaits you all?”

Without letting the interns have time to fully digest the news, Hyewon then proceeded, “A few permanent positions will be opened and of course, we will prioritize our interns to fill the spot.”

Collective gasps and murmurs of excitement filled the room as everyone was gushing over this unprecedented new fact. Securing a job right away after the intern is a dream for many students and Yujin is one of them. She knew that working in a magazine company would give her enough exposure to venture into the fashion industry. Her will to work her off only triples with this great news. No wonder Eunbi and Sakura looked all kissy this morning, she thought (they are usually that clingy behind public eyes actually).

“Whoa, Yujin! Can you believe that? This will be lots of fun if we both ended together in the new company!”

“Right? OzIne is really full of surprise.”

Her words are true to some extent. For Yujin, since she is set to undergo her intern here this morning, she had faced such an unexpected, novel-worthy situation which if she told others, they will say that Yujin is bluffing. Her mind travels back towards a certain dazzling brunette with an attractive pair of pools which is mesmerizing in her own ways.

“I hope her ankle is good though. I forgot to buy her some ice packs.”

Yujin mumbles while staring at Hyewon who is explaining a few rules and regulations, do’s and don’ts in OzIne. Towards the end of her speech, Hyewon carved a mysterious smile as she clapped her hand after the slides turned black.

“Well then, there’s another good surprise for you all, interns. Be grateful that you are reporting today as our supermodel is here. I present you, Kim Minjoo!”

Every eye in the room turned wide at the mention of Kim Minjoo, the highly sought supermodel in their country. Their eyes filled with admiration except for Yujin. She is literally gawking at the figure who struts into the room while wearing a rather familiar-looking white slip-on. Yujin’s heart almost leapt out from as Minjoo’s gaze met with hers.

“Yah, Yujin. I know that Kim Minjoo is that pretty but could you please at least close your mouth? Your saliva is dripping.”

Wiping away her invisible saliva with the back of her hand, Yujin tried appearing smaller by hunching her shoulders but her action just made Yena tapped on her louder while making quite a ruckus. Yujin just wishes that there’s a big hole in this room to hide from being stared at by this brunette whom she meets a few hours earlier. Replaying all of her ‘extra’ services as the 3-minute girlfriend of Minjoo makes Yujin blushed. She didn’t predict such development would unfold in front of her.

“Ah, OzIne is really full of surprise.”

She started thinking about whether such a surprise will be a normal routine for her. Yujin regards that as a curse instead as she felt like cringing from her supposed to be cool action earlier. If she knew that the brunette would be Kim Minjoo who turned out to be working in OzIne, she would never pull such an act. Moreover, she felt a tinge bit of regret not to read the fashion magazine with Wonyoung or else she might notice the identity of the brunette upon their previous meeting,

“So, Minjoo. A few words of advice for our new, energetic interns?”

Yujin obviously tried hard to look everywhere except meeting Minjoo’s gaze who for some reasons fixated on her (or that is what Yena busily whispered at Yujin while nudging her ribs hard). Reluctantly, she gave in and directed her stares at Minjoo who just grinned back before uttering, “For me, being an intern indicates that you all are moving one step forward into the working industry. This phase will be hard for those who are unprepared, might be fun for people that can enjoy their time in learning countless new things which have never been taught inside the classroom.”

So, she can talk with such calm, huh? She looks confident and… Shining.

The blue-haired wandering about Minjoo’s wise words and a smile involuntarily crept on her face as she jots down every single word into her notebook. Listening to Minjoo’s voice felt like being lulled by a melodious lullaby and Yujin couldn’t get enough of it.

“My only advice for you all is always deliver beyond the limit and never hesitate to help those in need.”

Yujin suddenly chokes on her water as she hears Minjoo’s words, punching her chest to clear . A burning sensation can be felt spreading through her whole body as Minjoo uttered, “Who knows, you might find great inspiration to strive forward or better, find your other half while doing so.”

Whistles and cheers resound in the room as Minjoo bowed at the interns before leaving. Questions popped inside Yujin’s head, pondering Minjoo’s vague words earlier. Will she be regarded as a crazy person if she took that as Minjoo personally has feelings towards her? No, that can’t be it, right?

“Alright now, interns. I will assign you all to your supervisor now. Come to me to receive your ID card and move along towards your supervisor in the next room.”

Yujin sat still in her seat, still contemplating Minjoo. “Why is she making my mind messy like this?”, the lean girl mumbled to herself while drumming the small table, waiting patiently for her turn to be called.

“Choi Yena, you’ve got the Commercial Model department. Report yourself to Jo Yuri and see what you can do today.”

“Lucky! I’ve been aiming to go there too. See you around then, Yujin!”

Nodding curtly at Yena, Yujin grinned at her newly-made friend whom she already grew close to the point they both exchanged their KaTalk ID. After Yena left, Yujin realized that she is the only one left in the room, making this space suddenly feel colder and frightening. Whipping her head towards Hyewon who seems to be deliberately calling Yujin last, the HR manager then strides towards Yujin and puts a piece of A4 paper in front of the teen.

“I heard good things about you, Ahn Yujin. It’s quite a waste on our part to not be able to hire you as our model instead of being an intern. You’ve got the star quality to go further in this industry.”

A bitter smile crept onto Yujin’s face. To be honest, this isn’t the first time she heard those words. Many had been questioning her decision to work only as a freelance model rather than opting to full-time. For Yujin, being a full-time model will require her utmost energy and time which will be spent away from home. This is one of the luxuries she couldn’t have because she needs to take care of her sister.

Some might say that she can just ask her cousin to take care of Wonyoung but Yujin begged to differ. She didn’t want her sister to feel lonely and abandoned by her one and only living relative left. They might share no blood-relation but for Yujin, Wonyoung is her responsibility. She will take care of the girl until Wonyoung is ready to spread her wings into this wide, harsh world.

“Thanks, but I don’t think being a model will suit me. I don’t have this unique and interesting face like most models have which will be a minus point if I want to survive in the industry.”

“Your eyes said otherwise though.”

“Pardon?”

Hyewon leaned against one of the chairs and crossed her arms while staring straight into Yujin's pair of nervous orbs. As for Yujin, she anxiously tries not to break this eye-contact to prove that she is serious with her words. The manager then spouted, “From my perspective, you seem like being chained by something, and part of you didn’t seem to want to be free while the other half is… Screaming to have its part of freedom.”

This is something new to Yujin. No, maybe she did realize a part of her trying to rebel about being held responsible over something out of her control but Yujin ignored that. Now that Hyewon pointed it out, the monster within her which slumbers all along started stirring awake. Pursing her lips, Yujin replied, “You are not in my shoes. You know nothing but talk. You can never understand me.”

Little did she anticipate for Hyewon to grab her wrist as Yujin tried leaving with her ID card as well as the piece of paper indicating her assigned department. Something is ablaze inside Hyewon’s eyes and Yujin feels scared at his woman who seems hurt by her words.

“I don’t mean to call you coward, Yujin. Your parents have been a huge help to me before.”

Color returned back into Yujin’s face at the mention of her parents alongside a pang in her heart. She thought that she was big enough to not be hurt when people talked about her deceased parents again. Hyewon then added, “All I want to say is it’s okay for you to rely on others too. Don’t shoulder everything alone. Some people care about you, more than you can think of.”

“Hyewon unnie? What makes you so long to release my intern?”

To Yujin’s (not so) dismay, the angelic brunette from earlier making her entrance again inside the room. Judging from Minjoo’s words, Yujin can deduce that she will work alongside this pretty girl. Her eyes travel back and forth between Hyewon and Minjoo who look dazzling in their own ways.

“Nothing, we’ve been talking about her expectation of working in OzIne. Yujin, I’ve got my eyes on you. Do your best to learn from Minjoo, she’s one of the most highly sought models in OzIne.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep your words in mind.”

Retreating away from Hyewon, Yujin bowed at the manager before trotting behind Minjoo who put on a stoic face as they both marched away. The taller, blue-haired girl can sense some awkward tension between her and Minjoo, the supervisor supermodel. Pondering numerous matters that she should do to make things straight, Yujin hastened her step and stood in front of Minjoo as soon as they arrived at Minjoo’s cubicle.

“I’m sorry for my impudence earlier, Kim Minjoo-ssi.”

Bowing at her supervisor, Yujin made sure to address Minjoo politely so that she wouldn’t aggravate the brunette and throw away the chance to be hired in OzIne. Yujin can feel her coarse throat as Minjoo didn’t even reply to her apology.

Oh shoot, I really need to consider finding a new place to intern afterward.

She screamed internally while slowly lifting her head and puzzled upon looking at Minjoo who was standing still while crossing arms. Yujin noticed that Minjoo tried hiding her grin but decided not to poke further into the shorter girl’s action.

“So, Ahn Yujin?”

“Y-yes?”

“Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Kim Minjoo and allow me to express my gratitude for your help this morning,”

Not stopping there, Minjoo added, “My girlfriend.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry for my haughty act. I-I didn’t mean to act all cool and-”

Stuttering at Minjoo’s remarks, Yujin wished that she could bury her head into the ground, like an ostrich. Her face suddenly becomes hot when Minjoo strides closer while poking her tongue against her inner cheek. They both just stared at each other and Yujin swear that each passing second is just plain torture for her pure heart which pounding aggressively against her chest.

“Okay, enough about that. So, Ahn Yujin-ssi, you will be working alongside me in the Editorial Fashion Model Department. This will give you exposure to models who shoot in a few established fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle, Glamour just to name a few.”

“Yujin is fine, Kim Minjoo-ssi.”

“Then call me Minjoo unnie. Having my intern talking formally isn’t my thing. Any question so far?”

As soon as the formality dropped, Yujin straightened her back and put on her thinker’s pose for a few moments. She then inquired, “Will I have a chance to visit your photoshoot activity too?”

“Of course. You should see how things work. Also, you need to assist me in communicating with the management, contacting photographers while liaising with models too. It’s nothing hard, just talking and arranging schedules, I guess?”

She couldn’t ask for more, Yujin thought. She perceived such a task as an opportunity to build a network with people from different levels. With her brightest smile which made her deep dimples appear, Yujin bowed gratefully at Minjoo while uttering, “Thank you for running me through the details. May I know more about things which will become my responsibilities for the upcoming six months?”

“I like your spirit. So, this will be your seat, just beside me. Oh, please don’t mind the arrangement, here in OzIne interns are treated as an equal worker so expect me to not be lenient on you.”

Seeing Minjoo’s smile with her own two eyes mesmerized Yujin. She only saw pictures of Minjoo looking chic and cool for her photoshoot and never saw such a gentle smile of Minjoo. Yujin couldn’t help but notice that Minjoo had such beautiful whisker-like dimples on her upper cheekbone whenever she is smiling widely.

“Minjoo-ya, are you busy right now?”

A honey-like voice suddenly disrupted Yujin, who is busy appreciating Minjoo’s ethereal beauty. Whipping her head towards the source of this voice, Yujin is surprised to see a girl resembling a cheetah cub staring at her with a monotonous face. Intimidated at this sudden presence, Yujin takes a step back, allowing her supervisor to have a conversation with this short-haired magenta-haired girl.

“Hey, Chaewon-ah. Just briefing my intern here with her task. What do you need?”

“Have you watched the news? Your crazy stalker was caught with DUI this morning. Everyone is talking about it.”

Chaewon then the nearest television and a certain annoying face from this morning filled the screen. Yujin nervously glanced at Minjoo, clearly didn’t anticipate the man to be such important people to be featured in the news.

“Minister Kim Jeok Bal's son, Kim Shin Bal was reported driving under influence of an anonymous caller. According to a few sources, he was seen trying to abuse a supermodel and appeared drunk. This matter for sure will affect Minister Kim’s reputation for the upcoming election-”

The reporter’s voice can be heard which multiplies Yujin’s heartbeat. Fortunately, she moved away from the scene before people able to record or things will turn sour. Minjoo heaved a deep sigh as she gently pulled the remote control from Chaewon’s hand and turned the TV off. The shorter girl with curly hair jerking her eyebrows at Minjoo clearly knew the identity of the supermodel mentioned in the news.

“So? What’s the story that I’m not aware of? As far as I know, he’s like a cockroach which suited his accursed name.”

Yujin snorted at Chaewon’s comment and tried to disguise her little impudence by clearing . Never in her life, she expects a parent will put such a ridiculous name for their child. Yujin felt grateful for her parents who chose such a great name for her. Fidgeting in her spot, Yujin stole a glance at Minjoo who tucked those healthy volume brunette hair behind her right ear.

“Well, he did come and pester me early this morning before trying to go rough with me.”

“What? Are you hurt? I know that he is a no-good man but to lay his hand on a woman? He’s the worst pile of garbage.”

“Chill, Chaewon. My knight in shining armor did come and save me.”

“Your what? Come on, Minjoo. Is this one of your knights in shining armor riding white horse tale again?”

“Rude, I tell you this person is real. See, I’ve even gotten special treatment for my injury.”

“Injury?! Where?”

Three minutes into her encounter with Chaewon, Yujin can deduce that this girl is a close companion of Minjoo. Too close to Yujin’s taste as the magenta haired scrutinizes all over Minjoo’s body, in search of an injury like Minjoo mentioned.

Why would I feel disturbed again? Wake up, Ahn Yujin!

Silently knocking her head, Yujin heaved a sigh as she fidgeted on her spot. Minjoo didn’t give her words to dismiss Yujin for the day yet and she didn’t want to be rude and ignore this pair of superiors either. Thus, Yujin decided that it is for her eyes roaming across this pleasant office. She then noticed a certain petite-girl who was busy peeking into Minjoo and Chaewon’s direction with a gushing face.

A grin crept on Yujin’s face as she observed the girl and noticed that she had an intern card too, neatly hanging on her neck. Glancing back at Minjoo who is preoccupied with Chaewon, Yujin makes a move towards the girl and clears to gain attention. An adorable yelp can be heard and Yujin couldn’t help but giggle at the reaction.

“I didn’t see you coming!”

Despite the petite body, the owner had a deep voice, Yujin thought while bowing politely.

“Sorry for startling you. My name is Ahn Yujin, a new intern under the guidance of Kim Minjoo.”

“Really? Whoa, lucky. I’m Yabuki Nako, an intern under Kim Chaewon, the person who is talking to your supervisor now.”

Tilting her head at Nako's somewhat unique accent, Yujin blinked curiously which was caught by Nako who grinned at her. “I’m a Japanese transferee,” Nako uttered, which caught Yujin off guard, making the towering girl scratch her face while chuckling.

“O-oh? Nice to meet you then. I’ll be in your care throughout my internship.”

Trying to cover up her embarrassment for poking into Nako’s unique and adorable accent, Yujin gets straight into the point while bowing at the Japanese girl. To her relief, Nako just dismisses Yujin’s intrusive stares with light giggles while replying, “Likewise.”

“Aren’t you a social butterfly?”

Upon hearing the lovely voice, Yujin whipped her head and found Minjoo was gluing those pairs of luscious eyes onto the blue-haired girl. Somehow, Yujin felt a little bit intimidated by Minjoo’s smile as it seemed to spark something inside her chest.

“S-she’s my new friend, a fellow intern from Japan,” Yujin is cursing herself for stuttering. It makes her look like a cheating girlfriend trying to give excuses towards her partner.

“I am Yabuki Nako! Just started my internship last week under Kim Chaewon. I’m a big fan of yours!”

The petite girl with lilac mixed white hair eagerly slid from her chair and introduced herself towards Minjoo. The supermodel looks flabbergasted at the energetic greetings, making her take a step back and stumbled helplessly.

“Look out, Minjoo unnie!”

Fortunately, Yujin is blessed with long limbs, making it possible for the blue-haired girl to wrap her arms around Minjoo’s slim waist, preventing the beauty from falling. Due to sudden close proximity between her and Minjoo, Yujin’s brain ceases to function as she indulges herself staring into Minjoo’s hypnotizing stares.

“Wow, just like a scene from K-Drama. I know that I make a great choice to intern here.”

Nako’s voice breaking Yujin from her trance as she swiftly pulled Minjoo on her feet before hissing at her new friend, “What K-Drama? You are talking nonsense.”

“Love is in the air. I can feel it, right Nako?”

“Oh, unnie. You’ve got a great sixth sense! As I expected from my supervisor.”

“Stop it you two! Yujin is turning into a tomato already.”

Minjoo’s good intention to defend Yujin only backfired as she became a target to be teased by the supervisor-intern duo. They both high-fived while laughing merrily upon hearing Minjoo groaning in frustration. The brunette pouted while crossing her arms, spouting, “I thought you are my fans? How come you being so mean towards me?”

“Just because you’re too contrastive to your supermodel persona. Right, Chaewon unnie?”

“Yeah, you are just Minmin instead of Minjoo now.”

They both are barking their laugh off as Minjoo whines at their tease. Yujin just grinning silently watching them. A sense of relief washed inside her because so far, everyone seems friendly enough, different from her first assumption which thought that she might have a colleague with a cold demeanor in the workplace.

“Oh right, before you can go back home, make sure to clear your schedule tomorrow night. There’s a celebratory party to welcome interns.”

Yujin’s heart sank upon hearing that news from Minjoo. She is surely grateful that the company is willing to host a party but thinking about Wonyoung who might be alone at night, Yujin couldn’t shake away her contemplation.

“What’s wrong, Yujin? You can bring a plus one if you want. It’s just a casual party, no drinking allowed because some of you are still underage though.”

Out of a sudden, Minjoo’s strawberry scent seems stronger than before as Yujin tries to find a plausible excuse from going to the party. Pursing her lips, she slowly muttered, “Can I be excused from the party?”

“Why? Do you have a prior engagement?”

“It’s just…There’s someone that I couldn’t leave alone at night.”

There's still silence between Yujin and Minjoo and the taller girl felt guilty for bringing up her personal matter towards Minjoo. Blinking in nervousness, she then quickly added, “B-but if we don’t party all night,