A/N: A lot of cameos. Once again, sorry about the length. I hope you liked this chapter and the song is *chef's kiss". Sicheng is w h i p p e d. 

Did you know that I fall on my knees when I'm around you
You can say anything that you want and I'll believe you
So should I stick around with you and learn to crawl
Oh, or should I risk it all?

Maybe I should pull the trigger
'Cause I can't let you go
Does all that sweet outweigh the bitter
Or am I skipping stones?
And all that I wanted was all what I needed
And now I can see it
You got me wrapped around your finger
You set fire to all that I know

-All that I know, Grant & Dylan Matthew

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Something in Sicheng made him feel like he was floating because even if he was telling her to come to him, he wanted to go to her. It’s been many years and Sicheng wasn’t the same person he was years ago. He was no longer the same dreamer and he no longer had the same goals but now that he was right in front of her, it brought everything back. It reminded him why he was there in the first place, a small startup company that he was struggling to keep.

She looked stricken for a moment but when it seemed to register to her, her shoulders relaxed and Sicheng found himself relaxing with her. A small smile painted her lips and even if she looked ridiculous with those big thick pink-rimmed glasses, it was the same aura of wisdom.

The voices of his employees could be heard as small whispers when they finally recognized her. Changbin stood there, his eyes on her while Lee Know had his arms crossed over his chest. They knew her, alright. They knew her very well. She was like a passing phase in all their lives, one that wouldn’t stay but would make an impact.

As she opened the door and stepped into the room, Sicheng prayed in his head that he wouldn’t up. He was nervous but he was grateful. He made a mental note to thank Chenle later, the male masking his nerves with a nod as he moved to the table and motioned for her to sit down.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I wondered how it had come to this but I knew that life had different plans for everyone. I could hear a few whispers of my name between the boys behind me when I entered the room. Winwin looked exactly like he seemed years ago but older, more put together, more… I couldn’t put my finger to it.

I noticed the kept table had a bunch of stress balls on it, the different colors in a basket making it look like a ball pit. Was he still using the same techniques I taught him years ago? He was nervous now and I wondered why so I spoke first.

“I will kill Chenle,” I told him, Winwin blinking twice before clearing his throat. He seemed to have no idea what to say to that. “No wonder he was acting weird when I told him I wanted a job.”

“I would ask why you were so adamant of keeping yourself away from me but I’m scared of knowing the answer,” Winwin told me truthfully, his hands clasped in front of him. I chuckled at his words and he looked confused as to why I was reacting that way. “Unless…”

“It’s not you.” I shook my head. “It was just gaming life.”

Winwin didn’t react to that and his facial expression was stone cold but I think I knew that it was simply because he was thinking. His eyebrows furrowed slightly before he brought his eyes back up to look at me warily. 

“Nice glasses.”

“Thanks, I’m blind without them,” I answered, placing my bag on my lap. I looked at the nameplate on the desk noticing that it had the name ‘Dong Sicheng’ on it and it all clicked. “Dong Sicheng. DSC Tech. You named the company after yourself?”

“When you say it like that, it sounds like I’m vain.”

“Maybe you are, I wouldn’t know,” I mused and he seemed to panic until I told him I was joking. “Never in a million years would I think that I’d be working for you.”

“Why did you refuse to keep in contact?” he asked suddenly and I could tell it was a wondering thought that had bothered him before. It was the way his frown went deeper, his hands stopped moving, and the way he leaned forward as if he was anticipating my answer.

“I guess I thought to myself that I didn’t want to game anymore.”

“Out of your own will or because you believed it would bring you nowhere?” he asked.

“Because I didn’t want to sink deeper into that kind of life. A little bit more temptation, I would have decided to pursue it without any regard for the people I would be responsible for—” My brother, to be exact. “I liked it too much. Why were you asking Chenle for me?”

“The same reason why you refused to stay friends.”

He said this almost accusingly. Winwin tugged his suit off, placing it on the desk before leaning back. A hand went to undo the buttons of his sleeve, his eyes on the ceiling as he let out a hum. I concluded it for him, Winwin nodding when I hit the nail right on the head.

“You want me to game for you.” I paused. This was different. Was I going to be paid to game? I left years ago because I thought it wouldn’t be fruitful but if it was in my job description, as odd as it was, I’d do it for a salary.

“Have you read up about DSC Tech?” he asked and I shook my head.

“Chenle took away my laptop and phone the night before and shooed me to bed. I forgot after that.” My words made Winwin chuckle, whispering “Classic” under his breath.

“We’re creating a game and we’re…” he pressed his lips together. “Running low on funds. It’s an e-sports gaming marathon but the winner gets a hefty sum and we could really use it.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We could really use it, Sicheng had said.

No, it was their only option at this point but he didn’t want to say that.

He had been trying to circulate their funds but starting from zero was harder than he thought. He had left a good-paying job for this because one more day in a godforsaken company that had vertical management would either kill him or drive him crazy. He either needed to win or beg the investors for more money. If none of that worked out, they’d have to halt the project and sell them to another company that was interested in their work.

Was Sicheng ready to give it all up?

Maybe if there was no other way.

“Now that we have you, I think we stand a chance.” Sicheng chewed on his bottom lip, his hand tapping down on the solid table repeatedly. “It’s Changbin, Felix, Lee Know, and Han Jisung. I take it you remember them from back when I was… in high school.”

She nodded, Sicheng swallowing. He hated how he couldn’t read her, like she had a world in her mind but he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. He saw her eyes flicker over to his hands and he subconsciously clenched his fists, bringing his hands under the table when her eyes went back up to his face.

“Changbin, Felix, Lee Know, Han Jisung, and I,” she repeated, looking like she was making a mental headcount. “Five people.”

Sicheng nodded, waiting for the question to come but it never did.

“It’s been a while,” she told him. “I no longer have my account.”

“You can use mine.”

“How long has it been since you’ve gamed?” she asked and Sicheng couldn’t help but flinch at the answer. He tried to answer casually, telling her that it’s been a while but he’s been busy with the company. “And what makes you think I’m your best option?”

You’re my only option, Sicheng thought in his head but he didn’t say that.

“Because I trust you,” he finally opted to say. “I trusted you then, I trust you now.”

Mercy pressed her lips together, a hand going to remove her glasses before she massaged between her eyebrows. He couldn’t help but smile at how pink it was, the female pushing it back up her nose slowly.

“Well,” she began, looking at him. “I guess let’s sign that contract.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I had the contract signed, Winwin telling me that it was time for me to meet the boys. He said that he had been cutting cost so there were two people who he hired for the game development that didn’t usually come to the office. One of them named Cupid, the female doing fashion design as she created outfits for the characters.

“She’s a character herself,” Winwin told me, standing up to lead me out of his office. As I stepped out of the office, I saw a female standing in front of the boys, her hands filled with fabric and dresses. She had a bright yellow polka dot dress that moved when she walked, her lipstick blood red and her cheeks painted with an orange blush. It suited her, however, and I could tell she painted on her freckles.

Her hair was held back with a matching headband and Winwin stood behind me when he cleared his throat, everyone turning to both of us, including the female.

“Hi, Boss Two!” she exclaimed chirpily when she saw me. “Oh, you must be the new HR girl!”

“Why are you here? Doesn’t Dream Café need you?” Winwin asked and she shook her head, her long hair moving away from her face. I noticed big earrings, the female waving a hand flamboyantly. “This is Cupid, she’s our outfit coordinator for the game characters. She works closely with our other graphic designer.”

“Coffee-maker by day in Dream Café, fashion designer by night, and love enthusiast who is dating a divorce lawyer 24/7!” she winked before she sighed. “You’re sooo pretty, honey. I love the glasses. So much personality!”

What she said was weirdly specific. 

I blinked, nodding slowly. “Thanks. They were the cheapest.”

“Really? Well, the taste is to die for,” she gushed, her hands going to grab mine, the boys behind her shooting forward to catch the hangers that had clothes on them. She paid them no mind, Changbin and Jisung struggling to grab all of them at once so they wouldn’t fall onto the ground. “A little bit more make-up and a y outfit, you’d be a great game character! How about an assassin? Boss Two, doesn’t she—Now, where are the clothes?”

She looked around, seemingly to have forgotten that she let go of the hangers just a moment ago.

“You know, those aren’t washed,” Cupid said pointedly, Changbin grimacing and looking like he’d let it go but Jisung spoke from beside him.

“Hold it in. The therapist said you should hold it in.” With that, Changbin gritted his teeth and held onto the dresses, Cupid turning back to me and whispering. “I think you’ll be good for the boys; they need a feminine touch.”

“Feminine until she beats our in a round of gaming,” Jisung said and smiled at me, arms filled with the hangers. “Hi, I’m Han Jisung. We’ve met before. I’m a developer—Angular.”

“Is the game going to be on a website?” I asked, Jisung shaking his head.

“No, but everything for marketing is on there. SEO’s, blogs, updated developments. Hyunjin brings in fans and does his lives on it so we have a semi-fanbase right now. We’re just preparing to hype everyone up before the release of the game,” Jisung glanced at Winwin behind me. “If we do get to release the game.”

I wondered what that meant, Winwin shifting silently behind me when Changbin dropped the dresses, dusting himself off and then rubbing his hands together grumpily. He looked at me and huffed.

“Changbin. If you don’t remember.” He shuddered and I remembered the fact that he had mysophobia. “I handle the gaming interface. UX, UI design slash engineer. I do wireframes, mockups and develop it alongside Lee Know.” He pointed at the guy who simply gave me a nod. “He’s the software engineer. That pretty face over there is marketing and graphic design. He’s the one who asked when you would be able to start.”

I remember very vividly that the person who asked me that question had such a deep voice. It did not suit his angelic features.

“Marketing, I write the blogs and come up with the campaigns,” Felix told me, the only one giving me a polite bow. “Also, graphic design alongside with our other graphic designer who simply refuses to come to the office because she’s like that.”

“She’s a weeb,” Cupid said it like it was a personality trait, Changbin scoffing. “You’ll meet her later; Summer is a character."

“You are a character,” everyone chorused, Cupid looking at all of them. 

“We all handle our weight around here,” Winwin said from behind me and Cupid nodded. “We all try to make do. We never had an office coordinator but I’m guessing you’ll have to figure it out as you go. We go by start-up culture, if you’re okay with that.”

“Do I have a choice?” I asked, chuckling softly. Lee Know seemed bored and he stepped backwards, going back to his computer. “Where will I be sitting?”

“Right in front of the door,” Winwin told me, motioning to the desk that was placed in front of the entrance. “In case people decide to come in and try to talk to the developers or me, you’ll be the first point of contact.”

I nodded, deciding that it sounded like a plan.

“I have a meeting in an hour. Cupid, before you head for your shift at Dream Café, can you please fill her in on…” Winwin’s voice trailed. “I don’t know what, but I guess do your best.”

“Will do.”

“No gossiping,” he warned, Cupid batting her eyelashes at him.

“No promises.”

Winwin didn’t say anything to that, moving his hand freely, Felix and Changbin heading back to their seats like ants running away from pesticides. He walked back to his office, the door closing and I could see that he closed the curtains to give himself privacy. Cupid’s hand went to my elbow, the woman practically dragging me to the table as two of the boys brought the dresses to us.

“Is there anything I have to know that might help me?” I asked the female. She seemed easy to talk to, the female snapping her fingers as Lee Know and Jisung placed the dresses on an empty chair.

“The basics—when the curtains are drawn, don’t bother Boss Two. It usually means that he is having a meeting, has had a meeting or Doctor Kun is around,” she clapped her hands together and I jumped. “And Doctor Kun comes around often.”

“Doctor Kun?” I asked, his name ringing a bell. My mind went back to the time he used to sit down with his biology book back when we were gaming and I nodded. He was a doctor now.

“Boss Two doesn’t eat as much and we don’t want to push him,” Cupid continued to say. “You think he’s the boss? When Doctor Kun is around, he’s the boss. You’ll also always see someone else around. His name is Yangyang.”

My ears perked when I heard the familiar name. “I think I know Yangyang.”

“Yeah, well.” It was Lee Know who spoke, leaning against the table. “Kun thinks that Yangyang works for us but he doesn’t.” A drop in his voice. “Boss covers for him, oh. There he comes. Will you look at that?”

Right as he said, a man walked through the doors with a black backpack. Black jeans, long black shirt and a big camera. He seemed to have all the gear and his face was covered by a mask. He waved when he saw the four of us, the male removing his mask before he paused when he saw me. He tilted his head.

“She…”

“New HR girl,” Lee Know said to him, Yangyang squinting at me. “You’ve met.”

“I was going to say that but damn, my memory isn’t serving me well.” Yangyang clicked his tongue and went to remove his cap, running his hand through his hair. “Was it Marion?”

They shook their heads, Yangyang pursing his lips in thought.

“Mona?”

“That’s a cartoon,” Jisung pointed out, Cupid whispering to him that it was Moana and not Mona. “Oh, my bad.”

“M…” he scrunched his face up and I told him my name, Yangyang’s face lighting up. “OH, YES! Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. You played with us back in high school… Wait, I thought you died?”

There was silence and I blinked, Yangyang’s pupils rolling up. “Someone told me you died but then I think it’s because I kept asking where you were. Good to see that you’re alive!”

“Happy to be alive,” I answered, chuckling.

“Well, I’m here to borrow a different camera so put this back in the storage if you have time. Do be careful, though… The doors are all wonky. These lens…” Yangyang pointed at the camera lens, grunting as he put it on my table. “This one doesn’t allow me to shoot from far away and it blurs out the background. I actually need something that does not blur out the background and…”

Yangyang’s words were cut off when I saw Winwin open the door of his office, the male looking panicked. When he saw Yangyang, he quickly shot across the room, sliding across the floor when the door opened and a man walked in—this man had a doctor’s robe and he raised his eyebrows at how breathless Winwin looked, Yangyang slipping behind me almost automatically when Winwin cleared his throat.

“Kun-ge—”

“Where is he?” Kun demanded and I could see Cupid, Lee Know and Jisung step away very slowly from my desk. With their eyes on Kun, the three of them slipped away, leaving Winwin greeting Doctor Kun and Yangyang behind me.

“He’s here. He has to work,” Winwin said to Kun, the male crossing his arms. “Look, I know you don’t believe that Yangyang is working here but I can assure you that he is. He’s an adult.”

“Well, maybe an adult like Yangyang should make better decisions, Sicheng.” Kun let out a huff. “What exactly is he doing here? He turned down a job offer and his mother has been worried sick about him. You can’t enable him to run around like this, especially since we all know he’s been engaging in very stalker-ish behavior with that camera.”

“Look, I don’t know what he does at night. I’m not supposed to babysit him. But I do know that Yangyang helps us with tasks and I pay him for it. If you have any problems with that, just talk to him about it.”

“And if it’s working hours, where exactly is he then?” Kun asked, Yangyang shifting from behind me to pop up every so slowly. “You. Come here—” He paused when he realized that I was standing there, Kun clearing his throat awkwardly. “And you are?”

“Mercy,” Winwin told him and he seemed like he was hoping it would diverge the conversation from Yangyang. “Just hired her. Do you remember her?”

“Didn’t she… you know?” Kun asked, Winwin frowning. “Or did Xiaojun just say that to Yangyang because he was tired of answering questions?”

“That,” Winwin concluded. “She’s my secretary. Also, the office coordinator, the HR, the PR.”

“Oh, how I wish you had a little bit more structure in here,” Kun complained and I saw Winwin rub the back of his neck with annoyance. “And what exactly does Yangyang do?”

I saw Winwin tense up, the male shifting when I decided to answer the question for him. “He translates things from Chinese, Korean, English on Angular. It’ll reach a broader target audience, especially the SEO articles that Felix has been writing in order to increase user traffic.”

Kun seemed to have no idea what I was talking about, which was a good thing because he dropped it soon after. I looked to the side to see Yangyang with his eyes on the ground and I said his name.

“Yangyang?” I began, Yangyang looking up in surprise. “Time to go back to your desk, I’ll put the camera in the storage room for you. Thank you for the help with the pictures.”

Yangyang nodded slowly, giving Kun one last look before he zoomed away from behind me, almost toppling over the dresses. I saw Felix kick him an empty chair, Yangyang plopping down on it before sliding right in front of a computer beside him. It seemed like Kun’s presence brought tension to the people around him and I didn’t blame him… He seemed like he had their best interests at heart.

“Yangyang is fine,” Winwin said to him and I saw Yangyang sneak us a look from where we were at. I shook my head at him as if to tell him to not act suspicious, Yangyang finally pretending to type something down on the computer. “He’ll be fine. Not everyone needs to work for a big corporation, Kun-ge.”

“I feel like you’re talking more about yourself than him,” Kun snipped and Winwin sighed. “Have you replied to Xiaojun? We all received a package from him.”

Winwin did not answer the question, the male checking his watch before muttering under his breath.

“I have a follow-up meeting with the investors,” he said, turning on his heel and leaving Kun sighing to himself. I noticed how strained his voice was, Kun tapping his finger on my desk when he looked at me.

“He hardly eats and I’m guessing if you’re an office coordinator, you wouldn’t want to walk on him dead in his office. Check on him from time to time,” Kun’s eyes softened and I could see concern flitter through his features, the male reaching into his pocket before grabbing his wallet. He removed a few bills and slid them to me. “It’d be best if you could give me your bank account, I’ll send some along the way so you won’t have to reimburse it from the company. He won’t order food even if I tell him to.”

I cleared my throat, nodding at him and telling him I’d take care of it.

“Thanks, Mercy.” Kun smiled and I thought to myself that as harsh his words could be, he really did care.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sicheng groaned, pressing his hand against his forehead. The three men in front of the screen were giving him a headache.

“I’m not saying I don’t believe in the potential of the game, Mr. Dong. I’m asking if there is any guarantee that we will get the money we invested back. There is another company that is developing a game that is just similar to yours and they are ahead.”

“My company has 8 people, Mr. Wu. You won’t let me hire another developer and you’re telling me to speed up the process. We also won’t be getting more funds from you unless there is progress. My people are overworked,” he said, looking down on his palm. He often did it, Sicheng clenching his fingers into a fist. “I understand that another company is developing another game but I can assure you that it’s different for us—”

“It doesn’t matter how different it is if the concept is similar. We invested in your company because we thought you’d be able to push it out first but if that’s not the case, we might have to retract everything. It just might not be profitable for us.”

Sicheng inhaled sharply when he heard that. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

“We’re giving you eight days, Mr. Dong. We either see a new plan or a promise from your side. We would be sad to see you not be able to pay your employees for all their work the past three months.”

And with that, he ended the call with that threat. Sicheng gritted teeth, leaning backwards before he tried to level his breathing. His eyes fell on the opened package right on the desk, Sicheng thinking that he should distract himself or he would entirely lose it. He saw that it was a jacket and his eyes went to the card to see that it was from Xiaojun.

Thinking of you, hope you’re happy and healthy. -Xiaojun

“.” Sicheng couldn’t help cursing out in frustration, throwing the card down. He hated the position he was in and he hated not being able to uphold promises. He hated that he would have to tell them that maybe… Just maybe the company wouldn’t make it. Not when their competitors were beating them in every aspect.

What would happen to them? Sicheng knew that they trusted him. When he recruited them, they were unhappy with their jobs but what was the point of giving them jobs when they were overworked and barely paid? He glanced back down on his palm when the door opened and he could see only a hand.

Whispers could be heard from outside and when Sicheng swiveled his chair around, he could see Changbin shaking his head rapidly to Mercy as if he was warning her not to go in but it didn’t seem to work. Sicheng sat up when he saw her.

She boldly pushed the door open.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I brought in the packets of food that I had ordered for Winwin, stepping into his office. He didn’t say anything but at how tight his lips were pressed against each other; I knew whatever he just had did not go well. The buttons of his dress shirt were ed and I placed the food on his table.

“Lunch,” I told him and Sicheng frowned, checking his watch. It was 11 am but from talking with the others I heard that Winwin always kept his doors locked around noon, so I wanted to beat him to it. He eyed the food before thanking me softly and I stood there, Winwin raising an eyebrow. “Doctor Kun said I should make sure you actually eat it.”

“Last time I checked, Kun did not sign your paycheck,” Winwin said and I could hear a tinge of irritation from his voice but all I did was nod.

“But I do agree. You need your strength, however, especially when you’re holding the company on your shoulders.”

Winwin did not say anything, finally giving in and opening the package before he sniffed it. I could tell he had no appetite and I sighed, Winwin taking small bites. I took a bottle of mineral water and opened it, placing it in front of him. He thanked me and continued to eat while I waited.

“Are you going to stand there until I finish it all?” he asked and I nodded, telling him that I’d have to throw it away for him anyway. He mixed the food slowly, taking another bite.

“I was also going to ask you for your email login credentials,” I told him and he looked up with surprise. “Isn’t that what a secretary is supposed to do?”

“Oh…” Winwin frowned, pausing halfway through eating. “I… You don’t have to have access to my email. I don’t think there is much to handle.”

“How about the invoices?” I asked, Winwin looking like he was deep in thought. I knew from the boys that everything was rocky for Winwin, that their paycheck was delayed every month.

“Uh… I usually handle the invoices, you’re right. I guess I’ll give it to you,” he said and I nodded. “But since you are here, I signed the papers they asked for. It’s these ones.” He tapped on them and I gathered them, my eyes running over the numbers. Winwin must have seen me do that, the male exhaling.

“The numbers aren’t very impressive, I know.”

“Do they have to be?” I asked, Winwin frowning.

“I take it back, the numbers are horrible,” he said, leaning back against the chair, his food eaten only halfway. I guessed I’d have to stand there for quite some time. “Things are not going as planned.”

“Things hardly go as planned,” I told him and he chuckled, crossing his arms across his chest. I glanced at the gathered papers, taking in the digits to see that a lot of them were at a negative. Winwin was absentmindedly staring into space.

“Are they not investing enough?” I asked, Winwin shaking his head.

“They are, it’s just not returning enough. Nothing to return when we can't push the game out. A few months ago, a bigger company came out with a marketing campaign that they were developing a game similar to ours. It caused distrust with a few of our investors and they pulled out last minute. The ones who stayed are demanding promise and I can’t give it to them.” He closed his eyes, a hand massaging his forehead.

My eyes dropped down on the food and I instinctively went to cover it up in case he could eat it later. He dropped his hand and opened his eyes.

“I can’t disappoint them,” he murmured and I tilted my head at him. “There are only eight of us. They are overworked.”

“They are overworked but they aren’t unhappy,” I told him, putting his food at the side.

He didn’t say anything but I was trying to say that the fewer people, the more percentage that they would all be on board. I knew how much they respected Winwin as a person and even if he had made a few mistakes, he always owned up to it.

“Have you talked to them?” He shook his head at my question. “Maybe you should.”

“What am I supposed to say?”

“Be honest,” I told him. “Just tell them what to expect.”

“What will that help with?” he shifted in his seat and I shrugged. If only he knew what they said about him.

“You’d be surprised what ideas they’ll come up with,” I told him. I had spent a good time sifting through the idea board and was taken aback at how creative they were. Felix did tell me that they couldn’t use some of them because some of the investors turned down the idea. He complained that he did not have enough creative liberty. “I know you want to please the investors but maybe you need to focus on protecting your employees. You’ve got some very good men and women under your belt.”

“What are you trying t