When she said yes to her 3 years ago, this wasn't the situation Kim Chaewon thought she'd be in, 3 years after.

 

Living with Choi Yena was like living the life of a criminal in hiding.

 

Well at least, that's how Kim Chaewon would describe it.

 

Who wouldn't be annoyed by the fact that she has to see her girlfriend every single damn time with her secretary out on lunch meetings?

 

"Babe-" Yena hugged Chaewon from the back, making it hard for the younger to flip the eggs she's cooking. "-as per your words, it's just a lunch meeting! We just talked about work. Nothing more!" Her pitch was a little louder on the last sentence, trying her best to appease the short-haired girl who hasn't talked to her at all, ever since yesterday, when she saw them at that lunch meeting.

 

Chaewon tried to resist, no, it's not gonna be another episode of her being melted by the older woman's sweet nothings nor it's gonna be her surrendering to Yena's gentle touch.

 

No. Not today.

 

"If you don't want me giving you burnt eggs on your lunch box, you better step back, Ms. Choi." Chaewon said, her voice was stern, almost emotionless, except that it was laced with much annoyance.

 

"Awww. Ms. Choi? Not babe? Or bub? Chaewonieee~" Yena, being her usual self, started whining, arms crossed on her chest, lips pouting.

 

"Or maybe you'll like that, noh?" Chaewon turned the stove off and placed the eggs on the plate. Good thing they weren't burnt or whatsoever. "So that you'll have another excuse to go to that lunch meeting with your secretary?"

 

"Chaewonieee~"

 

"Stop that."

 

"Stop what?"

 

"Stop giving me that face!"

 

"What face? The only face you're seeing right now is the face of the person you fell in love with." Winking Yena pouted asking for a morning kiss, convinced that she had managed to break through the younger's defense.

 

Oh how she hates it whenever they fight.

 

No talking before sleeping

 

No Chaewon singing her their theme song,

 

NO CUDDLES!!!

 

And if fate's a little harsher to her, she's gonna be sleeping in the guest room!

 

THE. ING. GUEST. ROOM!

 

Without Chaewon on her arms, without her being able to nuzzle on the younger's neck or sniff her shampoo. And most importantly, NO CUDDLES!

 

Chaewon just looked at her and rolled her eyes afterwards. The younger remained silent whilst preparing their lunch boxes and Yena seriously doesn't know what to do.

 

She's actually panicking internally right now because the last time she spent the night in the guest room, she wasn't able to sleep a wink. She's like a zombie the next day; she couldn't even keep up with the reports her secretary's piling on her desk.

 

Oh that was a nightmare. And she doesn't wanna experience any of that, but she doesn't have any idea too, on how she's gonna woo Chaewon into accepting her apology.

 

'And I wasn't even wrong in the first place! I don't flirt with other ladies aside from her!'

 

While Yena was still lost in her thoughts, Chaewon grabbed her bag walking briskly to the door without even sparing Yena a quick glance.

 

'No goodbye kisses too?'

 

Yena thought, defeated.

 

.....................

 

"Hi, Ms. Kim." An annoying smirk was plastered on Takahashi Juri’s face as she entered the elevator with Chaewon; the latter pretended to busy herself scrolling on her phone just so she could avoid any type of interaction with the former.

 

“Still salty as ever, eh?” Juri was about to press the floor she was headed to, but remembering she shares the same floor as Chaewon, she retracted her hands, clutching the file folder she’s holding on her chest. “Didn’t like what you saw yesterday? I supposed you still harbor the same one-sided love for Yena just like in high school, huh?”

 

“Ms. Choi.” Chaewon’s eyes were still on her phone, not bothering to spare Juri a glance.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Call her Ms. Choi. She’s your boss, right? Our boss. I supposed you’re not forgetting such?” Quirking her brow, Chaewon placed her phone back in her bag, as she looked straight on the elevator’s door for they were just two floors before their office.

 

“Chill out, Ms. Kim. It’s never that serious. Yen-- I mean Ms. Choi allows me to address her using her first name outside work hours.” Juri shrugged, it’s not a secret that she’s definitely bragging.

 

‘She did what? That duck! She’s never gonna live to see tomorrow...’

 

“But right now--” Chaewon looked at Juri. Inching closer, she held the girl by the ribbon on her chest, seemingly fixing the way it was tied. “--is work hours. So you better know your place, Ms. Takahashi.” Chaewon smiled, the sinister one, whisking the non-existent dust on Juri’s blouse as she prepared to exit the elevator afterwards.

 

Oh one would never want to see such a smile from her. Yena dreads such, she had only ever received such a smile for over three times, whenever she had really MAJORLY messed up.

 

 

“Oh, scary.” Juri mocked her, chuckling lightly. “Acting like a jealous girlfriend, huh? It’s not as if you’re together, right?”

 

‘Oh you have no idea how clingy she is, Juri.’ Chaewon mentally rolled her eyes as she exited the lift.

 

Takahashi Juri.

 

Yena’s secretary.

 

Chaewon’s biggest competition on the academic rankings back in college.

 

It wasn’t only because she was jealous that Chaewon was acting the way she is right now. It was also because her pride couldn’t take it that their cold war involves ‘the’ Takahashi Juri.

 

It annoys Chaewon so much because all her life, she’s been competing with her. For everything. That writing contest back in kindergarten.

 

That science fair during their elementary days.

 

The countless rivalry during middle school student council elections.

 

That debate open during their fourth year in high school.

 

 

The position as the editor-in-chief for their collegiate publication.

 

And most recently, the workplace promotion to be Yena’s secretary.

 

In all of them, Chaewon lost to Juri.

 

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