Yongsun's POV

 

She’s cute and she’s also shy, which makes her even cuter.

Wheein. Jung Wheein. That’s what Ailee-unnie said her name was. She trained in her department until she became permanent and got transferred under mine as our digital artist. She was very polite as she took a deep bow at the mention of her name.

“Please take care of me, Miss Kim” she said, almost like a whisper. She only managed to look at my eyes for a short second and then hurriedly looked away.

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her ears slowly turning to red.

“Yongsun will be your department head now, Wheein. You will be under her care and I promised you, she’s a great leader”

“Stop flattering me, unnie” I said to Ailee-unnie, making her laugh. “And please, Wheein… You can call me unnie. It’s about time we slowly get comfortable with each other, don’t you think?”

“Yes, unnie” she said but still chose to stare at the tiled floor.

“Well, here you go.” She patted Wheein’s back, grabbing her attention. “Good luck, okay? Be a good kid”

Wheein pouted and I internally cooed. She’s really cute. I might not be able to resist pinching her cheeks.

“I’m not a kid anymore, unnie”

Ailee-unnie just laughed at Wheein and rubbed her hair fondly. “I’ll see you around, Whee. And she’s a good kid, Yongsun. You’ll have no problems with her”

“I’m sure I won’t”

We said goodbye to Ailee-unnie before I faced Wheein. She still wouldn’t dare to look at me. From the time I’ve seen her and until now, she’s still hugging her drawing tablet so tight as if it’s the only thing comforting her now. She’s really cute. I don’t know how I will be able to resist myself.

“Wheein…” I called, waiting for her to finally look at me. I gave her a smile as our eyes met. “Let’s go. Let me introduce you to the team”

“Okay, unnie”

We headed towards my department office while walking towards each other. I kept glancing at her while she only focused straight ahead. It’s when I had a good look at her that I saw how pretty she actually is. Her jaw was set because she’s tense. The slender sleek of her nose adds beauty to her face. And I noticed she has a tiny mole right below her eye.

“So Wheein, how old are you?” I asked, starting with a small talk to get her comfortable around me.

“I’m already twenty-eight, unnie”

I was surprised. “You look so younger than your age and I mean it as a compliment” I said, smiling at the faint tint of blush on her cheeks.

“Ah, thank you, unnie”

“Any allergies in particular? Food allergies? The department likes to eat together and share food so it’s better to know ahead”

She shook her head, and even her shaking looked so cute. “No allergies, unnie”

“That’s nice. Do you live close here?”

She nodded this time. “Just one bus ride from my apartment”

“That’s convenient then. Any favorite food?”

She pouted once again while her eyebrows furrowed the slightest as she thought of her answer. “I actually can’t pick. I like eating anything”

“How about when you draw? Do you eat on the side to help you think?”

“Chips and crackers. I usually eat those”

“Junk food?” I asked. I might’ve sounded accusatory because she winced at my question.

“Ah… yeah” she shyly answered while scratching her cheek. “Sorry”

“Oh, no need to apologize but that’s unhealthy, Wheein. How about fruits?”

“I enjoy eating fruits too, unnie”

There you go.

I intentionally walked slowly so I could talk to her. Ailee-unnie warned me about how shy Wheein could be but in terms of work, she works really hard and listens very well. I just need to manage her shyness so she can get along with the team’s dynamics.

Before we headed inside, I stopped in front of the door and faced Wheein. She did as well, waiting for me.

“Before we go, I just have to warn you that my teammates are loud but they mean well, Wheein. My assistant head, most especially, might pry on you and bother you a lot. She’s louder than me but she’s great. We treat everyone here as our family. And since you’re a part of us now, you’ll be like a family to us too”

She nodded and took a deep breath to brace herself. “I understand, unnie”

“If it gets a little overwhelming, just look at me and give me a signal, okay? I’ll take you away from them”

“Thank you, Yongsun-unnie,” she whispered, sounding a little short of breath.

I gave her a pat on her shoulder to assure her. “That’s what I’m here for.” I held the door handle but looked at Wheein first before pushing it open. “You ready?”

Albeit nervous, she gave me a determined nod that made me smile.

When we entered the office, the rest of the team were already there waiting. They welcomed Wheein with loud cheers and were all over her. I’m sure our digital artist was very overwhelmed but she took it all in. She greeted everyone and asked for them to take care of her. They all fell in love with her almost immediately.

Byulyi guided her to her station and helped her settle down. Our media artist, Chaeyoung, was showing Wheein her equipment set as if Wheein hadn't had these when she was under Ailee-unnie’s training. And our marketing and logistics officer, Dahyun, was also right at , drowning her with questions like what Byulyi was doing.

When it felt too much, Wheein glanced at me and I could literally see her swallowing hard, her eyes pleading to be rescued.

I clapped my hands to gather everyone’s attention. “Listen up! Thank you for welcoming our new digital artist. Wheein, you’ll be working with Cheayoung closely, which is why she’s on the station beside you. I’m sure you have the same situation back in Ailee-unnie’s department”

“Yes, unnie”

“If you need equipment or materials, you can coordinate with Dahyun. Instructions will be coming directly from me but Byulyi will also be handing you out instructions if I won’t be around. Please get to know them since you’ll now be working with them. With us”

Wheein nodded.

“Okay… For now, I would like everyone to go back to their work. Wheein, will you come with me in my office?”

“Yes, unnie” she responded politely.

I let her walk ahead of me before closing the door. With everyone out of our sight, Wheein released a huge sigh that made me smile. It was so cute but I don’t want to laugh because she might think I was making fun of her.

“You can take a seat on the couch”

“Okay…”

I fixed her a glass of water and she was slouching on the couch as I handed it to her. “Were they too much?”

“A little bit, yeah…”

I let her drink some water and from the looks of it, she needed it so badly if she emptied half the glass of water. I took a seat behind my table and let her have a few moments to relax.

“It’s been a long time since a new face joined the department. We kind of got sick of each other, which was why they were so excited to meet you” I said, laughing to lighten the mood.

And she smiled. She smiled and I saw that she actually has a dimple. Just one on her right cheek. At this point, I could say that Wheein is the epitome of cuteness. Oh, I love to poke my finger on that cheek.

“It’s okay, unnie. I understand. Just overwhelmed but I’m grateful for the warm welcome.” She smiled even more, showing the depth of her dimple.

“For the time being, I’ll give you time to work with Chaeyoung. I gave her the projects you need to work on. It’s better that you two work together since your roles coincide with each other”

She sat up and nodded, showing me her determination. “Okay, unnie. I’ll do that”

“And then tomorrow, you two will be getting instructions directly from me. If you have questions, my door is always open. Well not now, for privacy, and so you can also get away from them”

She laughed and it was an adorable sound. Again, the epitome of cuteness.

“But I always leave it open”

“Okay, unnie”

“So… shall we start working?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding.

Did I also say that she had beautiful eyes? It twinkles with her smile, I noticed.

I was smiling the whole time I watched her walk out of the room.

 

*****

 

From my seat in my office, I have a view of everyone. I have the option to turn the blinds on but most of the time, I leave it open other than the door. Directly in front of my door is Byulyi’s table. On the other side, on the left side of my view are Wheein’s, Chayeong’s, and Dahyun’s tables.

Wheein’s the one closest to my view. And for the entire time since the day started, Byulyi has been bugging her, keeping her distracted from work. I can see Wheein’s irritation but she let it slide knowing that Byulyi was looking after her.

At the sight of her shoulders sagging as a heavy sigh left her, I decided to pack my laptop. I grabbed my keys, phone, and wallet and headed out of the room.

“Wheein” I called softly so as not to startle her. “Hey, I need you to go with me”

Her eyes bounced between me and her drawing tablet, looking hesitant. “But I still have something urgent to finish, unnie”

“It’s fine. Bring your tablet with you. You’re coming with me”

I left her no room to argue as I headed out of the office. The sound of rustling and drawers screeching let me know that she’s in a hurry to go with me.

“Where are we going, Yongsun-unnie?” She sounded breathless at the short jog from her table to our office door.

“You’ll know once we get there. Did you bring everything you needed for work?”

“Yes.” She patted her sling bag. “All in here”

“Okay”

In the elevator, I pressed the button for the basement parking. I could see on Wheein’s reflection that she’s nervous. The constant squeezing of her bag’s sling was enough evidence for that.

I wasn’t able to stop myself from giggling, which made her glance at me. “Relax, Wheein. I won’t bite you so no need to be nervous”

“Am I that obvious?” she asked, shyly laughing back.

“Yes. I’ll explain everything later, okay? For now”—the elevator dinged and the doors opened—“let’s just go”

“Okay” she said with a sigh.

The difference in her behavior changed significantly and I’m glad I was able to make her comfortable. After all, that was the intention of this little endeavor.

I led her to my car and told her to take the passenger seat. I drove us to a café a little farther from the company.

“Are we meeting a client here, unnie? Why did you bring me? I’m not ready” she said anxiously. “Unnie…” She held my arm to stop me from walking.

I couldn’t help but smile. I shouldn’t be having fun at all but her cuteness, in everything she does, always strikes my heart.

I held her hand firmly. “No, we are not meeting a client. And no, you have nothing to be ready”

She pouted, doubting. “Are you sure?”

I raised an eyebrow at her, causing her to pout harder. “Why would I lie, Wheenie?”

With her hand in mine, we walked inside the café and looked for a table away from the other customers. Somewhere private and quiet so we can focus. I let her wait at our table while I headed to order our food and drinks. I got her coffee because this is her idea generator. I heard her say that to Byulyi one time. I got myself a milkshake and butterscotch brownies for us both.

Wheein had her tablet on the table in front of her. Even though I told her she can work, she just sat still and waited for me.

“I got you coffee. I hope that’s fine. I also got you butterscotch brownies. They’re sweet so I hope you like them”

“How much will I pay you, unnie? I didn’t bring my wallet but I’ll—”

“No need, Whee”

“But—” she tried to protest but I stopped her with a shake of my head.

“It’s fine.” I brought out my laptop and opened the document I was working on earlier. “I brought you here so suddenly. It’s fine”

“Okay… Thank you, unnie. I’ll make it up to you next time”

I smiled and shook my head once again. She looked really adorable with her pursed lips and slightly furrowed eyebrows.

“No need. Anyways, continue working. I’ll be doing the same”

“Wait… Did you just bring me here to work?” she asked, eyes widening from disbelief.

I nodded.

“Huh?”

I giggled. She’s really cute and irresistible.

“I saw that Byulyi was fussing so much around you, hoping to help you. But she didn’t realize that she’s already distracting you. Well, actually… everyone is. I’ll tell them not to disturb you next time”

“So you brought me here?” she asked while I laughed.

“Yes”

“To work?”

“Yes, Wheein. Should I explain it again?”

She shook her head vigorously while still staring at me in disbelief. “Do you always do that, unnie?”

“Hmm…” I leaned back on my chair, thinking over her question. “This is actually the first time that I did.” I held back myself from smiling when I saw her blushing. “I just want to make you comfortable, Wheein. Ailee-unnie did tell me that you usually take time to adjust to people around you. Those three are so used to each other but we’re hoping we can make you comfortable”

She ducked her head and I could see her ears have turned really red right now.

“That’s true. I’m sorry if I’m causing you problems, unnie”

“Oh, no! Not! You’re not causing problems, Wheein. I’m actually trying to get to know you better so I can better take care of you as your department head and your unnie”

“Thank you, unnie”

She can’t even look at me anymore. I really shouldn’t say too much since she blushes so easily from being shy even though I’m actually liking it. And I really want her to know that I want to take care of her.

After our short conversation, we went quiet to focus on work. With some time passed, I started hearing her humming softly. I continued working after that but her humming was really distracting. A good kind of distraction. I was able to hear a glimpse of her singing voice but even with just that, it’s so beautiful.

I’ll look forward to catching her actually singing someday.

At that point, working was useless because I couldn’t concentrate anymore. So I leaned on my chair and just watched Wheein. She had no idea I was already staring.

She has really cute mannerisms. And like I said before, she’s really the epitome of cuteness. She’d bite her bottom lip and sometimes her tongue goes out for her to concentrate. She’d mumble on her own, saying colors, lines, and her frustrations out.

“Unnie…” Wheein called. Her eyes never left her screen but she turned her tablet so I could have a view of her work. “I’m confused about which color fits here. Can you help me pick?”

And her work made me speechless. No wonder Ailee-unnie has sent her out despite not reaching the minimum number of hours of training. She was ready way beyond what the company expected.

She kept pointing at some parts of her work while explaining but I tuned it all out. I was just simply watching her, marveling at how talented and amazing she is.

“So what do you think, unnie?” she asked, finally glancing at me to give her an answer.

“Which one do you think suits better?” I asked instead. I don’t want her to catch me staring at her.

“I think this shade of green compliments the background better than the darker one”

“I think that suits it better too”

“You think so?” she asked, eyes widening adorably.

I smiled and gave her a nod.

She smiled back and thanked me before going back to her work again. Her hum was much brighter than earlier. She was bouncing on her seat, getting excited at her work.

We’re an outsourcing company. Each department has their roles and specialty. A few of us specialize in design. We design anything that needs design; packaging, boxes, magazines, labels, logos, and others. And that is why Wheein’s role is the most important role in the department. Her function is mainly our core.

When she was done, she showed me her finished work with a proud smile on her face. “What do you think, unnie?”

“It’s beautiful, Whee”

“You think so?” she asked, voice escalating and her smile getting wider.

I returned her smile as I nodded at her.

“Yey! Thank you, unnie”

I sighed.

My little art nymph.

My heart… I think… I…

 

*****

 

There were major changes in the company. We had to let go of both Dahyun and Chaeyoung to be transferred to another department. However, we can’t hire someone to replace Chaeyoung’s role so Wheein stepped in and will be doing both.

“Are you sure?” I asked Wheein during the meeting.

She nodded with so much determination.

I’m concerned but at the same time, I’m proud of her for stepping up.

I patted her head, unable to stop my hand from touching her. Thankfully, I was able to disguise my awkward action. “Alright. I’ll tell the supervisor to double your salary since your doing two roles”

She was happy at hearing that so I think I made the right decision.

Surprisingly, Wheein knew who stepped in for Dahyun’s role. She knows her too well.

“Hyejin-ah!” she screamed when me and our new team member entered the office.

“Wheenie!” Hyejin, our new marketing and logistics member, screamed with equal fervor.

The two ran to each other and met halfway in a tight hug. They were jumping around, screaming and laughing. And even if I was surprised at the turn of events, it was such an endearing sight that I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“It seems like you are already getting along. Would you mind giving the introductions yourself, Whee?”

She placed her arm around Hyejin’s shoulders and faced me and Byulyi with huge smiles on their faces. “Unnie, this is Hyejin, my best friend,” she said.

Hyejin then bowed at us and introduced herself once again. They started laughing amongst themselves and it’s clear that the two are happy being assigned in the same department. Byulyi and I couldn’t help but smile fondly at them.

Byulyi leaned to me and whispered, “I feel like we’ll be watching two kids from now on, unnie”

“I guess so…”

In front of us, Hyejin and Wheein had started jumping while talking animatedly. Next, they started bickering and fighting. Then suddenly, they couldn’t resist hugging each other and saying sweet words.

Indeed, they are best friends.

 

*****

 

Hyejin is a sweet and kind kid. She made Wheein talkative and sociable in the department. They’d often bicker in a playful manner and would always tease each other. I could say that the dynamics in the department was unlike before but it was better. Work has never been done in such a short time that we started entertaining more clients then before.

Though Hyejin is such a sweet kid, a cute one too, it was undeniable that my eyes would still linger on Wheein. She made me worry, smile, and proud all at the same time. But most especially, she makes my heart flutter effortlessly.

I have to say worry because that’s what she did after hurting herself when she and Hyejin faked a fight and played too much.

After I heard a cry, I ran out of my office to find Wheein holding onto her leg. She was whining in pain while Byulyi and Hyejin were around her, trying to help her.

“What happened?” I asked as I made my way to the two.

But as I looked at Wheein’s face, saw the tears slowly sliding down her cheeks, it breaks my heart so easily at seeing her cry and in pain. So I rushed to her and crouched down on her side.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, unnie. It was my fault” Hyejin said.

“No, Hyejin. It was my fault for being so clumsy”

“Calm down, you two.” Byulyi stepped in, seeing that the two were hysterical. “It’s fine. Wheein just slipped when they were playing during break, unnie. I think she sprained her ankle”

“Which one?”

“Right ankle”

“Byulyi, grab my keys please. I’m taking her to the hospital”

“I’m fine, unnie” Wheein mumbled while Hyejin kept apologizing.

I lifted Wheein in my arms despite her protests. I faced Hyejin first and said, “You have nothing to apologize for, okay? Accidents happen and that’s normal. You’ll be here with Byulyi while I drive Wheein to the hospital so please take care of the department while we’re gone”

“We can just call the ambulance, unnie. No need to leave work for me”

“No. I’m taking you there”

With Wheein in my arms, Byulyi and I hurriedly went to my car. Byulyi opened the passenger seat for me so I could sit Wheein there.

“Take care of her, unnie” Byulyi said as I made my way to the driver seat.

“I will. Take care of Hyejin. She was really worried and we left her all by herself in the office”

“I will” Byulyi promised.

On our way to the hospital, Wheein was still whimpering beside me. I know she’s trying not to cry but it’s obvious that she’s really in pain. Her slight movements would make her in a huge breath so she wouldn’t cry out loud.

At the hospital, I carried her again until a nurse offered a wheelchair for us. And I stayed with Wheein all throughout her checkup as well as when they put a boot on her so she wouldn’t put pressure on her right foot. We were in the hospital for a couple of hours and I’m relieved that Wheein has stopped crying.

“It’s just a sprain and the pain will be gone in a couple of days. Good thing you didn’t tore a tendon. Wear the boot so you wouldn’t put pressure on your foot while it’s healing” the doctor instructed.

“I will. Thank you, doctor”

“No problem”

The doctor left us after giving us a go signal that Wheein is good to be discharged. I left her on her bed first so I could process her papers.

“Unnie,” she grabbed my hand to stop me from walking away, “I’m sorry for bothering you and making you worry”

I smiled down at her and brushed her hair back. I patted her hand that was on my wrist and said, “It’s fine, Wheein. And I always worry because I’m your unnie. I will take care of you”

“Still…”

I brushed her worries with a laugh and softly pinched her cheek because the pout on her face was irresistible. I’d love to press a kiss on her forehead and tuck her to bed but I am restricted by my boundaries so I settle with just patting her head like how an unnie does to her little sister.

Once the discharge papers were done, she was wheeled out of the hospital to my car. She was able to walk with the boot so she refused to be carried like last time. But I could see how her face reddened so maybe she was just embarrassed.

Instead of heading back to the office, I headed somewhere else. I bought us ice cream and headed to a nearby park. We ate the ice cream inside the car with the windows down. I hope this will make her feel even better.

She ate her ice cream with gusto, making me smile as I silently watched her on the side. Unfortunately, she caught me staring so I played it by laughing at her like I was teasing her.

“What?” she asked, slightly pouting.

I shook my head and went back to staring at the river.

“Ah, unnie…” she whined, making me laugh harder. “What are you laughing at?”

“Just finish your ice cream, Wheein”

“Is there something on my face? Is that it?” She used the side mirror to check on her face but was frustrated when she found nothing. “Ah, unnie!”

Her wiggling had me worried again. She might hurt her already hurt foot from all the movement. Without much thought, I hurriedly leaned forward and placed a hand on her thigh.

“Hey, stop it. You might hurt yourself again, Whee”

She stayed still and that’s when I realized where my hand was. I pulled back and the silence that followed was really awkward.

“Sorry” I whispered, trying to save the awkwardness around us.

“It’s fine. I’m sorry too, unnie”

“Are you done with your ice cream? I should drive you home now. Oh, and here’s water if you want one”

I’m rambling. I’m definitely rambling because I’m embarrassed. But Wheein was also embarrassed to notice.

“Shouldn’t we head back to the office?” she asked on our way to her apartment.

“You can rest for now, Wheein. I’ll let Hyejin bring your things to your place after work. You can come back to the office tomorrow”

“Okay. Thank you, unnie”

I parked the car and assisted her out of the car. I also offered to walk her to her door. My arm was around her waist while I held her hand. She wasn’t used to walking with the boot so we took our time. I know it’s a lame excuse to be close to her but I’m also worried. She already has one foot injured and I think that one is already enough for today.

We stopped by the door and I had to let go and give her space this time.

“Thank you for today, unnie. I’m really sorry that I couldn’t finish work today. I promise to make it up tomorrow”

I smiled as I patted her head. “I’m sure you will. Take care of yourself, okay?”

We said our goodbyes before I drove back to the office.

I secretly followed her after that day. I’d wake up early hoping to catch her making her way to the office. On her way back home, I’d also follow her until she was safely inside the apartment building.

Usually, Hyejin would accompany her home. They’d still bicker and tease each other. Sometimes, Wheein would move a lot and that gives me a heart attack. What if she’ll hurt her foot again? But she didn’t, which is a relief.

I’d love to offer her a ride but that would be too obvious and too weird. Wheein might not feel comfortable to be around me, her department head, at all times. She might not like it but I’m still worried and this was the only way I could think of to make sure that she’s fine.

By the time her foot completely healed and the boot was finally gone, there was no excuse to secretly follow. I better stop before anyone finds out.

 

*****

 

Yonghee-unnie was walking in front of me and was heading for the counter as we were done with the groceries.

“Unnie… I still have something to buy”

“Then why didn’t you buy it earlier?”

“Just follow me”

I redirected the cart back to the fruit section. I was heavily contemplating between tangerines and mangoes. During this season, I’d love to eat mangoes but these aren’t for me. But maybe… Or maybe strawberries?

“What are you looking for?” Yonghee-unnie asked, seeing the confusion on my face.

“Wondering if I should buy tangerines, mangoes, or strawberries?”

She inspected the fruits with me. She picked a tangerine and placed it close to her nose to smell it. “We can drop by at the fresh market before heading back home. The fruits smell fresher there”

Trusting my older sister, we headed back to the checkout counter to pay for our groceries. Since the fresh market was only a few distance away, Yonghee-unnie and I decided to head there after we got out from the grocery store. She helped me pick a handful of tangerines and also bought a whole watermelon along with it.

Back in our shared place, we arranged our groceries. Yonghee-unnie and I chose to live in the same apartment but we managed to save up and buy our own place. That also means we share the expenses, the food, and our clothes. But seeing that she’s already engaged, I’ll get to have this place to myself.

When we were done, Yonghee-unnie sat by the kitchen counter bringing a tangerine with her. She was about to peel it open. Luckily, I managed to stop her in time.

“Unnie, no!” I snatched the fruit from her.

“What?”

“This is not for you.” I placed the tangerine back in the fridge.

“You have four of them. You can still give me one”

“No,” I insisted.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she quietly stared at me. And honestly, it’s a little intimidating if she weren’t my sister.

“Who are you giving it to?”

“That’s none of your business” I answered as I headed to my bedroom.

“Yongsun! Who are you giving the tangerines to?”

Her voice was muffled by my close door but she followed me and didn’t want to drop the question.

“Who are you giving the fruits to?”

“Unnie, you’re annoying!”

I went to my bed and laid down. She followed me and sat on my bed. She grabbed my phone before I could, insisting on not quitting on the subject.

“It’s obviously not Byulyi because you’re annoyed by your best friend. So who is it?”

I sighed heavily. There was nothing else to do but sigh. I knew she wouldn’t budge unless I talk, even if it meant we’ll be stuck here forever.

“It’s for a coworker,” I answered, mumbling my words.

“Do I know who this is?”

“No”

“Then at least tell me the name”

“I don’t want to”

“Why are you giving this coworker fruits?”

“Because she’s been snacking on junk so I thought of buying fruits”

Yonghee-unnie was suddenly quiet. I glanced at her to know why but she only had a smirk on her face.

“And you’re only giving fruits to this coworker? No one else? Not even Byulyi? “

I huffed a breath out while rolling my eyes. “She’s already old. She can handle herself”

Yonghee-unnie started giggling.

I looked at her warily but her laugh was only getting louder and louder.

“What?”

“I’ll help you pick fruits,” she said before leaving my room.

“Wha—what? What? What?” I instantly sat up from my bed, confused by her. “What are you doing? What do you mean?”

“You don’t need to tell me the name but know that you can always tell me anything, Yongsun. I want to pry as your older sister but I’ll respect your decision if you don’t want to”

I hate her but at the same time, I love her. I know she means what she said but it makes me more guilty that I’m not telling anything. I sighed helplessly while she giggled, knowing that she got me.

“Her name is Wheein”

“We can talk over lunch”

And with that, she left me in my room.

 

*****

 

I’ve been dropping fruits on Wheein’s table every single day. Since Yonghee-unnie found out about my silly crush on Wheein, she has been asking how it was going. And I always respond the same way. That I’m giving the fruits secretly.

Surprisingly, Wheein didn’t ask anything about the fruits. She just simply accepted them. When I catch her eating them, I feel so happy. The junk foods have lessened when the fruits started.

I always make sure to arrive in the office earlier than everyone so I could place the fruits on Wheein’s table. If someone is already there, I’d wait for when the office is empty to place the fruits on her table. I’ve given her tangerines, mangoes, bananas, strawberries, and grapes. I’ve given her a sandwich one time but it’s a lot more difficult to prepare than picking ripe fruits with Yonghee-unnie’s help. I’m not exactly good at cooking so I have stuck with fruits.

“Unnie, do you want to have some bananas?” Wheein asked suddenly.

These are the bananas I’ve given her this morning.

“Sure” I said, accepting the fruit from her. “Are they bad?” I asked, worried about what I’ve given her.

“Oh, no” she immediately answered. “Just that I’ve many of them. I couldn’t finish it”

“Okay”

We were sharing a meal together as we waited for Byulyi and Hyejin to come back from a meeting. I invited her to eat in my office since we both didn't want to go out.

“Do you like bananas?” I asked.

“Hmm…” Her lips pouted as she thought of her answer while I bit back a smile from coming out. “Not so… I like apples! But it changes from time to time, unnie”

I’ll be buying her apples after the tangerines I prepared for tomorrow.

“What about you, unnie? What fruits do you like?”

“Strawberries”

“I like strawberries too!” she exclaimed, making us giggle.

So strawberries after the apples.

“What else do you like, Wheein?” I asked. I’m running out of fruits so I better plan. Mix things up so she wouldn’t notice that the fruits are coming from me.

“I like a lot of fruits, unnie. I like tangerines, mangoes, apples, grapes, watermelons. I also like peaches. I like juicy fruits”

Juicy fruits. Got it.

So peaches will be part of the list too. I’m not familiar with them so I’ll have to ask Yonghee-unnie’s help in picking them.

“What about you, unnie?” Wheein asked.

Though I wasn’t able to answer when Byulyi barged into my office unannounced.

“We’re back!”

“Byulyi-unnie, hi! Have you had lunch?” Wheein asked.

“Awe… Wheein. Aren’t you too cute for being concerned about your Byulyi-unnie?”

Byulyi pulled Wheein in a hug that had Wheein laughing. She even kissed Wheein’s cheek and I’m not liking it.

Byulyi is known to be so clingy and I’ve been a recipient of it for so many times. Sometimes it’s annoying. Other times I’m just used to it. But since when is she this clingy to Wheein? And to kiss her? What the— I don’t like this.

“Hyejin and I dropped by a store earlier. We saw your favorite turtle chip flavor”

“Really?” Wheein’s eyes widened and her excitement made her sit up on her chair. Suddenly, she pouted at Byulyi and said, “Are you just teasing me, unnie?”

“No! Why don’t you come see it?”

Wheein placed her lunch down and rushed out of the office with Byulyi, leaving me back.

Oh, gosh. I might kill my best friend just because of a silly crush. This is getting out of hand. But the fury inside me seeing them so close and touchy is unexplainable. I’m just fuming and I can't control it.

I need to wash up.

I left my room with the intention of going to the restroom. So whatever they were doing in the office, I didn’t notice it. I only have a goal of going to the restroom.

I washed my hands and spent a few minutes just staring at my reflection. “You can’t do anything about it, Yongsun” I told myself. I’m just jealous. I’m just jealous. I’m just jealous. I repeated that to myself. And I accepted it.

I can’t act on my feelings. I can’t do anything except admire from afar. Byulyi can if she’s into Wheein, which is probably why it’s annoying. She’ll definitely annoy me even more if she finds out about my feelings for Wheein so better keep this a secret for now. Only Yonghee-unnie knows. At least she’ll endure my misery.

When I was able to calm myself down, I went back to the office and was surprised to see all three of them waiting for me.

“Something happened when I was away?”

“I called you, unnie, but you didn’t listen” Hyejin said and I already felt guilty for being so selfish.

“I’m sorry.” I went to her and brushed her hair to cheer her up. She pouted even more, making me giggle. “What is it?”

“We bought snacks for you and Wheein while we were away. You said you like potato chips. This was a new flavor so maybe you want to try?”

I know Hyejin was a sweet kid. And that’s probably why I felt even more guilty for not listening to her when she called me.

Her sweetness made me smile. I grabbed the snack from her and smiled her way as I patted her head.

“Thank you, Jinnie. I just finished lunch but I’ll definitely eat it later”

“Tell me if you like it, unnie”

I laughed at her eagerness. “I will”

She suddenly hugged me. It was short but it also feels nice after feeling down a while ago.

“Thank you, Hyejin-ah”

Wheein and her are so alike in a sense that Byulyi and I could see them both as gentle kids. But unlike Hyejin, Wheein is shy. Hyejin expresses herself without a pause but Wheein tends to think a lot before acting or talking. She’s not into hugging either but somehow, she welcomes Byulyi’s physical affection. Maybe she doesn’t like physical affection from me.

That’s disappointing…

Maybe I should try not to get too close if she’s uncomfortable with me.

I went back into the office while they were still talking and cleaned up my table. Wheein was still not done eating so I left her food on the table. I went back to work because there was nothing else to do. It’ll be a good distraction too.

“Unnie?” Wheein peeked her head inside my office.

“Hey… You can finish your lunch here. I wouldn’t mind”

“Okay. Thank you.” She entered the office and went back to her seat. “Unnie…”

“Hmm?”

“You didn’t like the banana?”

I glanced at her and saw her pouting at the banana. “I actually thought it was yours. Sorry. I’ll finish it. Don’t mind me working here.” I took the banana to my table and started eating while working.

I tried to work but I could feel her eyes on me from my peripheral vision. It was hard to ignore. Even her presence was hard because I’m too conscious around her. When I couldn’t handle it, I finally looked at her and caught her staring with a frown.

I sighed and leaned back on my seat, giving my attention to her. “What’s wrong?”

She glanced at her watch and said, “You still have a full thirty minutes for a break, unnie”

I glanced at my watch and saw that I indeed still have thirty minutes.

“Aren’t you going to rest, unnie?” she asked.

I shouldn’t but it would be a lie to say that I wasn’t positively affected when she showed concern.

“Would you like to share the chips Hyejin bought for me?”

Her smile brightened as she nodded at me.

I couldn’t help but giggle. I just hoped that she wouldn’t see that I was blushing.

 

*****

 

Something unexpected happened.

I was on a call with Byulyi. She was asking if I wanted to hangout with her. Just like any normal day for us. She was bothering me to try this new restaurant because she didn’t want to come by herself. And as a good best friend, I agreed but only if she’ll pay.

While in my usual argument with Byulyi, I noticed Wheein lingering outside of my office.

“Byulyi, I’m just finishing something. I’ll be there. Wheein will be with me. Pay for us. We’ll see you there. Bye!”

I ended the call in a hurry because I was worried about Wheein. It’s already way past her office hours and she’s still here in the office.

“Wheein? Is that you?” I called as I was gathering my things.

“Yes, unnie”

I smiled at the confirmation and rushed out of the office to go to her. “Perfect! Do you want to join me and Byulyi for dinner?”

I found her just standing in the middle of the office with her back towards me, which just made me worry even more. “Hey… something wrong?”

I touched her arm and that’s when I noticed that she’s breathing heavily. “What’s wrong?”

I went to stand in front of her and that’s when I saw that she’s sweating. She’s sweating and she’s shaking, shivering. Is she sick?

“Unnie…” Her eyes speak a volume of worry, exhaustion, and weakness.

“You’re sweating. Are you feeling ill?”

Maybe I should drop her straight to the hospital or to her home so she could finally take a rest. Are we putting her way off her limit? Maybe Byulyi and I should slow down with finding clients. It’s already taking a toll on Wheein and I can’t forgive myself if she gets sick.

“I actually wanted to talk to you”

Her voice sounded weak. And she’s red. She’s really red.

I touched her forehead and neck to assess her temperature. My hands are a little cold though so I couldn’t tell at all. “Are you sick? Are we overworking you? Do you want to ta