“Please just have Nayeon go instead.” Mina whines and Sana stays firm, “No you have to attend that banquet.”

 

“Why, Nayeon attends those for me. Why do I have to go this year?” Mina pouts and Sana almost relents, almost.

 

“Because the chairman is flying from Taiwan to attend and your father sent me explicit instructions to make sure you attend.”

 

“Fine.” Mina huffs, childishly stopping back to her desk.

 

“Stop being childish.” Sana shakes her head, “It’s only one banquet.”

 

“I’m not being childish.” Mina replies with pouty lips.

 

“You are.” Sana chuckles, “Never thought the CEO has this side of her..oh wait drun..”

 

“One more word and I will fire you.” Mina gives an empty threat.

 

“I’d like to see you try Ms. Myoui Mina-ssi.” Sana smirks.

 

“I hate you.”

 

“No you don’t. Now, I’ll be right back with some files.” Sana winks before leaving Mina in her office blushing profusely.

 

~

 

“Okay what’s the deal with you and Ms. Myoui?” Jeongyeon asks while she and Sana were at Peaches after leaving the office for the day.

 

“What about Mitang and I?” Sana asks curiously.

“See that that…you call her Mitang now…it took you months to go from Ms. Myoui to Mina and now suddenly 1 week later she’s Mitang?” Jeongyeon points an accusatory finger at her friend, “What did I miss that night when we all had dinner?”

 

“Nothing, you passed out so Nayeon and Jihyo carried you up.”

 

“Really, then explain this.” Jeongyeon pulls her phone out, showing Sana a photo of her and Mina snuggled up on the booth at Peaches.

 

“Yah! Where!” Sana reaches for Jeongyeon’s phone but the girl is quick to pull her arm back.

 

“Want me to send it to you?” She teases, sending Sana the photo regardless, “But seriously though Sana, did something change?”

 

“I don’t know.” Sana sighs, “I think?”

 

“You think?”

 

“Well…I mean…it was..something…”

 

“Something?” Jeongyeon blinks rapidly, “OMG DID YOU GUYS KISmmmpppphhhhh.” Sana quickly cups Jeongyeon’s mouth.

 

“We didn’t. Now stop yelling, people are staring.” Sana scolds, before bowing apologetically to the other patrons of the cafe they’re at.

 

“Alright well stop leaving me hanging, just what happened?”

 

“Okay so when we woke up that day…”

 

~flashback~

 

“Mmmmhhhhh yah~” Sana groans, still feeling tired from yesterday, but finding Momo’s bolster to be even softer and comfier than usual, “Momoring did you get a new bolster, it’s so soft.” Sana hums, hugging it tighter.

 

“Well good morning to you too.” Mina chuckles, seeing the adorable hamster snuggle into her like her life depended on it, “I’m glad you find me comfortable.”

 

“Eh?” Sana’s eyes open wide and she looks around before realising who she’s currently cuddling, “Ehh~” She gets up real quick, wondering when she ended up laying on top of Mina when the girl fell asleep on her shoulder yesterday..and also why didn’t Nayeon and Jihyo wake them up last night?

 

“I’m so sorry Ms. My..”

 

“Mina.” The CEO interrupts, “You said you’d call me Mina from now on.” Mina leans closer, “And there’s no need for you to apologise Sana-yah.” She leans back with a smirk and Sana feels her face heating up.

 

“I’m..uh…still.” Sana whines cutely.

 

“Stop being so cute in the morning.” Mina reaches a hand out, pinching Sana’s cheek.

 

“Eh? What’s going on?” Sana looks around, “Is Jihyo playing a prank on me again?”

 

“Prank?”

 

“I mean you..why are you..” Sana shakes her head, “Are you still drunk?”

 

“Me?” Mina points to herself.

 

“Hmm you.”

 

“Nope.” Mina shakes her head.

 

“Are you sure?” Sana asks.

 

“Mhm, sure.”

 

“Then why are you acting strange?”

 

“Am I?”

 

“Hmm.” Sana nods, “You are.”

 

“If this is how I really am.. Do you not like it?” Mina asks.

 

“No..” Sana smiles, “Be it stern and strict CEO Myoui, drunk and childish Mina, or comfortable Mina..I like them all..I like all of the traits that make up you, Myoui Mina-chan.”

 

“Oh good, you two are up.” Momo comes down before Mina can say anything to what Sana said, “Are you okay Mina? I’ve made some hangover soup upstairs, let’s have some breakfast.”

 

“Hmm let’s go.” Mina stands up while Sana just stares at the girl, finally realising what she just said, “Sana are you okay?” Mina leans down.

 

“Satang?” Momo comes over as well.

 

“Oh yeah I’m fine…yeah let's go up.” She smiles, clinging onto Momo to help steady her.

 

~

 

“So you practically confessed your feelings for Ms. Myoui..and you’re both on nickname basis, and you also han….OMFG YOU’RE DA…mmmmpphh.” Sana has to cup Jeongyeon’s mouth shut again.

 

“We’re not.”

 

“What? Then what are you?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“You don’t know?”

 

“I don’t know…”

 

“Well then just ask her.”

 

“Eh? I can’t just..I mean, it was already embarrassing enough the first time…what if not mentioning it is Mina’s way of rejecting me.”

 

“Eyyy I doubt it.”

 

“Still, I’d rather not risk it.”

 

“Not risk it..” Jeongyeon sighs, “What if she doesn’t want to risk it too?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You can’t honestly be blind to the way she looks at you right?” Jeongyeon asks.

 

“Of course I’m not..that’s why..”

 

“I think it’s not so much you wanting to risk it, but more like you being afraid.”

 

“Of course I’m afraid..I mean she’s Myoui Mina the CEO of Myoui Enterprise..and I’m just her secretary. Do you know how much that could affect Mina and the company? I know how she looks at me..I know how she cares for me..but why is that until now she hasn’t said anything?” Jeongyeon stays quiet, having an answer that she’s thinking of giving.

 

“Mina.” Sana speaks up again, “She prioritises the company over anything else, over herself. I asked her once if she’s ever made a decision for herself..and you know what she said.”

 

“Never?”

 

“No, she told me she's only ever done that just once…in her entire life, Mina’s choices were all made with the wellbeing of the company in mind. So her choosing the company over herself..over me, over whatever us there could be, I understand. Which is why I want to keep things the way they are between us.”

 

“But what was that one time?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Did you ever ask her about it?”

 

“That one time she made a choice for herself?”

 

“No..I didn’t.”

 

“You should.”

 

“Eh? Why?”

 

“Because..you only have a month and a half left with her.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Uhhh…I wasn’t supposed to say that.” Jeongyeon slaps .

 

“What do you mean by a month and a half left?” Sana glares.

 

“I uhm…oh Chaeyoung-ah those look heavy let me help you.” Jeongyeon gets up, quickly leaving Sana before the girl can interrogate her even more.

 

“What? It’s not, the trays aren’t even that..” Chaeyoung looks at Jeongyeon weirdly.

 

“No no, let me help.”

 

“Oi Yoo Jeongyeon what’d you tell Sana?” Jihyo motioned to the frowning girl.

 

“I can’t tell you.” She whispers and they all gather watching Sana in deep thought.

 

“Guys I have to go!” Sana suddenly yells running out there.

 

“Alright she’s gone, tell us what happened.” Momo looks at Jeongyeon.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

“Mitang.” Sana barges back into Mina’s office, catching the CEO off guard.

 

“Sana? I thought you already went home with Jeongyeon, did you forget something?”

 

“No.” Sana shakes her head, walking closer to the CEO.

 

“Then?” Mina takes her glasses off, getting up to meet Sana.

 

“I..I..” Sana looks at Mina, and wordlessly wraps her arms around the girl, resting her head on Mina’s shoulder, “I just really wanted a hug.” Sana sniffles.

 

“I don’t think that’s just it.” Mina pulls back, wiping Sana’s tears away, “So now, why don’t you tell me what’s gotten you so worked up.” Mina speaks softly, leading Sana to the couch in her office.

 

“If I tell you..” Sana looks Mina in the eyes, “No no, before that…Can I ask you something?”

 

“Didn’t you just ask me?” Mina teases, trying to ease the mood.

 

“Mitang.” Sana whines.

 

“Hai hai, ask ahead.”

 

“You have to promise me that you’ll answer me honestly.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“Pinky promise.” Sana lifts her pinky out, “Promise.” Mina interlocks their pinkies, “So now hit me.”

 

“What was it?”

 

“What was what?”

 

“The one selfish choice you’ve made.”

 

“Oh that.” Mina smiles shyly, “Ahhh I shouldn’t have made that promise just now.”

 

“Why?” Sana side-eyes Mina.

 

“Because…”

 

“Because?”

 

“Because it was you.” She answers, looking into Sana’s eyes, “You were my one and only selfish choice.”

 

“Eh?”

 

“We met once, before the personal interviews..we met..do you remember that old man that wanted to buy a cake for his grandson?”

 

“Ah that…wait..the girl with the mask….that was you?!” Sana stands looking at Mina.

 

“Yes that was me..you intrigued me that night..you who was willing to put your own safety on the line to help a stranger. You who had no other intention. Someone so kind. You made me curious about you. So when I saw your group interview I was really surprised.”

 

“Wait, is that why you hired me?!” She places both hands on her hips.

 

“No, of course not.” Mina defends, “I still had to be fair. You did great on the group interviews and I consulted with those who conducted the interviews on their opinions. You were the top choice for all of them. So I moved you to the personal interviews.”

 

“Out of the 5 candidates that I passed, 3 were too nervous to even make a decent cup of tea.”

 

“That leaves 2.”

 

“Yes, you and Minjoo.”

 

“Minjoo was confident that she was going to be hired. Her demeanour during the interview said it all..but really at that point no one else stood a chance, because I had already chosen you.” Mina smiles and Sana opens to say something but Mina continued, “But don’t think that you got here unfairly because although I did selfishly have a bias towards you..that doesn’t mean that you are not qualified to be my secretary.”

 

“But I made so many mistakes..and I was clumsy..and you always had to send me home.” Sana pouts.

 

“The most selfish act I did isn’t giving you this job…” Mina tugs on Sana’s hand, making it so she lands right into her lap, “the most selfish act I did and am doing is finding it so difficult to let you go..You were clumsy and sometimes mistakes were made, but I found that so endearing…and soon I found myself keeping a closer and closer eye on you. Watching over you and soon enough..I found myself excited to see you..to hear your laugh, see you smile..your cute little pout..I just suddenly found myself wanting to be closer…” Mina leans her face closer to Sana’s, “and closer.” She leans in again and Sana swallows nervously, her heart beating rapidly in her chest, “To you.” Mina whispers softly, and Sana feels the girl’s breath hit her lips and the urge to close the gap was strong.

 

“Does that answer your question?” Mina leans back.

 

“You!” Sana lightly punches Mina’s shoulder lightly and the girl laughs, “You lia..”

 

“It’s the truth Sana.”

 

“Myoui Mina you.”

 

“You wanted to ask me about why I never brought up your confession that day right?”

 

“I…”

 

“I’m assuming someone must have told you about the time limit.”

 

“So it’s true then..”

 

“Hmm..after a month and half you’ll be transferred over to Nayeon and work alongside Jeongyeon. I’ll be moving back to Japan.”

 

“Japan?”

 

“Yeah..back home.” Away from you.

 

“Forever?”

 

“I’ll be the new Chairwoman of Myoui Enterprise…my otosan’s retiring.”

 

“Ah..”

 

“And it would have been too selfish of me to dive into something that has an expiration date right?”

 

“Mitang.” Sana looks at the girl.

 

“I didn’t want to be too greedy, so I kept my greed at bay.”

 

“But what if I want to be greedy?” Sana looks at Mina, wondering how she could possibly let her go without even giving it a try.

 

“It’ll be hard Sana…my schedule would be even more hectic..and I’ll be in Japan and I don’t know when I’ll be in Seoul and if I was it would most likely be for a day or two.”

 

“Yeah..it would be hard..long distance..”

 

“Hmm it would be..and honestly, we don’t know a lot about each other for me to ask you to just uproot your life and move to Japan with me..so I figured, it’ll be better..to just keep things as they are..to just be friends.”

 

“Well if that’s what you want.”

 

“Sana.” Mina sighs, feeling the immediate wall that Sana put in between them.

 

“Nothing I say would change your mind Mina..after all the company comes first right?”

 

“Do you really think it’s about the company?”

 

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