“Can you help me?”

Iseul turned around from where she was organizing her receipts and bills drawer to find her boss hovering in the doorway.  “Shoot.”

“I’m going to send you the list of candidates I’ve chosen to replace Jung Byeonhosanim.  Could you set up the interviews?”

“Yep.  Who do you want to be on the panel?”

“Me, you, Yoon Hyunwoosshi, Choi Suhasshi, and Park Durisshi.”

“Okay.”

“And can you come up with about 12 interview questions?”

“I’ll take care of everything.”

“Thanks.”  A smile, and then he was gone.

Iseul looked over the list to see how many candidates there were.  Only five.  Not too bad.  Depending on everyone’s schedules, they could knock out all of the interviews in one day, if they worked a bit over.  She checked everyone’s calendars, and the conference room’s availability, then sent an invitation to the others, along with copies of the candidate’s applications, and the job description.  

Checking the time, she saw that it was after 5.  Perfect.  Iseul preferred calling job applicants after hours, as she was more likely to be able to speak to them on the spot rather than having to leave a message, as if there was anything that she detested, it was playing phone tag.  

Looking up the number for the first applicant, she steeled herself before making the call.  

One ring.  

Two.

Three.

Four.

Iseul was preparing herself to leave a message, when someone picked up.  

“Hello?”  

“Hello!  My name is Kang Iseul from Inje City Public Works.  Am I speaking with Gil Taesun?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for taking my call.  I’m calling about the attorney position with Public Works.  Do you have some time?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Wonderful.  Before we start, to keep from wasting your time, I do need to clarify that we are hiring at the bottom of the salary range, though an up to 20% increase might be considered, depending on experience and qualifications.”

“Well, I would think that, based on my experience and qualifications, I should be able to negotiate a salary at the top of the range.”

Iseul tried not to choke.  Top of the range would put him higher than Sim daepyeonim.  “Yes, well, unfortunately, the department does not currently have enough in the budget for an employee to be compensated at the top of the range.”

The man chuckled condescendingly.  “Why even post a salary range if you’re not prepared to hire anywhere necessary within the range?”

Iseul grit her teeth, but smiled, lightening her voice so as not to let her annoyance bleed through.  “That’s an excellent question!  There’s a difference between salary range, hiring range, you see.  What is posted is the salary range, meaning one would be hired at a salary no lower than the bottom of the range, and, regardless of how many years employed with the City, one would make no more than the top of the range, in this position.  So, for the sake of argument, if you were a new lawyer, you could be hired at the bottom of the range, and if you worked for the City for the entirety of your career in the same position, you could work your way up to the top of the range, but go no higher.  What you’re thinking of is a hiring range.”

His voice flattened.  “That is ridiculous.”

“I know that it’s confusing; I hate it too, but crafting the postings like this is an HR thing, and departments have no control over it.”

“It’s false advertising!”

Iseul had had enough.  “Not…really.  In fact, it could be argued that the opportunity to differentiate between hiring range, and salary range is a diagnostic tool that simultaneously connotes reading comprehension, and attention to detail.  Now, would you care to schedule an interview, or would you rather decline this opportunity?”

Silence.

Iseul looked over to see that he had ended the call.  “Well.  He was delightful.”

She moved to the next person on her list.  

The phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

“Hello?”

Iseul pulled the phone from her ear and stared at the receiver.  Wow.  That voice was smooth.  She shook her head and put the phone back to her ear.  “Ah, yes, hello,” she said in her most pleasant voice.  “My name is Kang Iseul, and I’m with Public Works for Inje City.  I”m calling for Byun Baekhyunsshi.  Are you he?”

“I am.”

“Do you have some time?”

His voice seemed to soften.  “Of course.”

“I’m…calling today about the attorney position.  Are you…still interested?”

He chuckled.  Unlike the previous candidate, this one’s laugh was warm, pleasant.  “I’m very interested.”

Iseul closed her eyes, and pinched herself.  Those words in that tone were going to take centre stage at all of her daydreams for the near future.  “Yes, well…before we schedule an interview, I do have to clarify the department will be hiring at the bottom of the range, with an option for up to a 20% increase depending on experience and qualifications.”

“Ah, really?  Then…why post the range?”

“Well, a salary range tells you the position’s compensation limits, were you to keep the same job until retirement.”

“Ah, so it’s different from a hiring range?”

Iseul paused.  “Yes.  Yes, exactly.”

“I see now.  I would say that both should be posted, to prevent confusion, but knowing people that would probably just cause more confusion.”

She blinked.  “That is…quite possible.  So…would you still like to interview with us?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay, so…interviews are on this date, in 90 minute slots, between 9 AM - 12 PM, and 1 PM - 4 PM.  Would you prefer morning or afternoon?”

“Is the last slot open?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll take that one, please.”

“Very good.  So, your interview is on this date, at 2:30 PM; is that okay?”

“Perfect.”

Iseul squirmed.  “Do you…know where we’re located?”

“I know exactly where you are.”

“Ahehehe--oh!”  A sudden nervous giggle bubbled up, but she immediately quashed it, covering it with a small cough.  “Excellent.  Do you have any questions?”

“Is there anything that I should bring?”

“Just yourself.”  He chuckled again, and Iseul softly banged her fist against her desk.  His tone was so sweet--husky and warm.  She wanted to keep him on the line for the rest of the night.  

“I look forward to seeing you.”  His voice was soft, almost intimate.

“Please have a good day.”  Iseul disconnected the call before she could say or do anything embarrassing.  Leaning back, she grabbed her water bottle, opened it, and took a long, deep swig to calm herself down.  “Oof,” she muttered to the empty air.  “I really am terminally single.”

***

Iseul was bored.  She had known, could tell that the entire panel had known, from the first few questions that this candidate wasn’t it.  Sure, he was accomplished, experienced, intelligent…but his attitude…

He stood to give yet another round of papers to the panel that Iseul watched everyone else politely take.  She didn’t bother.  She hadn’t bothered after the third round, when he had said, “Sorry for all the paperwork. I didn’t see a place to attach my resume, and accomplishments to the application, so I printed them for you to peruse.”

“Third page, fifth prompt.”

“Excuse me?”  The man, Jang Yonghwa, fixed her with a look.  It was actually the first time that he had looked at her during the entire interview, having prior to this only looked at the male members of the panel, even when she, or Park Duri had been the ones asking questions.  

Iseul couldn’t imagine why.

“The location on the application where one can upload attachments.”  She smiled politely.  “For future reference.”

“Mm.  Well, if you look at what I’ve just given everyone, you’ll see that it’s a journal article on…”

Iseul tuned out.  She was glad that she had allowed an hour and a half for all interviews.  Most candidates took under an hour, giving the panel at least 30 minutes for discussion after their departure, but this man not only arrived 20 minutes late (stuck behind a traffic accident, apparently), but now kept droning incessantly.  Iseul was about ready to curl up under the table and take a nap.  

The first candidate had been a strong contender, the second was sweet, though underqualified, but this one…  Yes, he could probably do the job, but he seemed absolutely insufferable.  Furthermore--not that Iseul was ageist--but her boss was looking for someone to step into the role who could not only offer some longevity, but be groomed to assume his position when he retired.  Yonghwa was a slight man, in his 80s, who had already retired six months earlier from the City Attorney’s Office, apparently due to health issues.  Now he was back, claiming that he had miraculously recovered, though what Iseul suspected was that he had retired to become a consultant and make more money, and now that he saw the City was filling vacancies, and relying less on consultants, he wanted to return.  

A few moments of silence made Iseul realize that he had stopped droning about his latest hand out, and she looked up, accidentally meeting the glazed gaze of Park Duri, before looking away so as not to smile.  

“You know,” Yonghwa started conversationally, leaning back in his chair, and comfortably weaving his fingers together over his stomach, “I almost didn’t know to come here today.”

“Oh?” Sim daepyonim said politely.

“Yes,” Yonghwa affirmed, his tone grave.  He leaned forward, as if to impart a painful secret.  “No one called me with a reminder about the date, time, or location.  I received the first call, but there was no follow-up.”

Iseul’s eyes rolled so far into the back of her head, she saw her past.  Turning away so as to keep the man from seeing her disdain, she accidentally caught the gaze of her boss, who gave her a corresponding, if much more subtle eye roll.  She glanced at the clock.  20 minutes until their last candidate.  Catching her boss’s eye again, she gestured to her wrist.

“Okay, well,” her boss started, standing and heading toward the door, “Thank you for taking the time to come and see us.  We’ll be in touch.”

Yonghwa looked a bit surprised, but stood.  “Thank you.  I look forward to hearing from you.”

The conference door closed behind him, and everyone held their breath until they heard the click of the antechamber door to the division.

“Absolutely not,” Iseul said firmly.

Sim daepyonim winced.  “Sorry about that.  He was like that when he worked with the City Attorney’s Office.  Always throwing someone under the bus.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about that,” Iseul said negligently.  “I called him, we agreed on a date and time, and he assured me that he knew the location.  I asked him to write it all down to be safe, and waited until he did, at least until he said he did; my contribution to his arrival was fulfilled.  If he doesn’t have the mental capacity to remember what we discussed, or the motivation to refer to what he wrote, then that’s a signifier that he’s over reliant on others to do for him what he should be doing for himself.  I don’t know why some candidates don’t understand that, from the moment they accept our call, everything is a test.  He is way too,” she paused, trying to find a polite way to say it, “temporally seasoned to need his hand held.”

Duri laughed.  “You mean old.”

“I’ll never admit it.” Iseul shot back.

“Alright,” Sim daepyeonim said, tapping his knuckles against the table.  “We’ll take a…” he glanced over at the clock, “five minute break, and reconvene for this last interview.”

Everyone relaxed, most of them pulling out the takeaway containers of food that Iseul had brought between the first two candidates, and their last one.  She on the other hand stood, with only one goal in mind, to empty her tank.  Rushing toward the conference room door, she opened it, but stopped short with a little jump.  The handsome man from before was sitting in the lobby.  This time, he was dressed impeccably, in a dark grey three-piece wool suit, with a crisp white shirt, and black satin tie.

He stood with a soft smile.  “Kang…Iseulsshi?”

She started.  “Are you our next interview?  Byun Baekhyunsshi?”

He looked at her oddly, searchingly for a moment--just a moment--before bowing.  “Yes.  I have an interview at 2:30.”

Iseul’s thoughts blanked.  He was so pretty.  Darnit, if he were hired, she’d have to live in her office.  She’d be too shy to abide his eyes looking in her general direction.  Maybe she could switch to telework.  Realizing that she had been staring, she blurted the first thing that came to mind.  “You’re early.”

He faltered.  “I’m…sorry?”

“No, no, it’s nice.  A lot of candidates rush in at the last minute.  Which tends to be indicative of their attendance.”

“Well, if you’re early, you’re on time, if you’re on time, you’re late, and if you’re late-”

“Don’t even bother,” Iseul smiled.  She indicated one of the chairs.  “Please, have a seat.  We’re just taking a small break, and then we’ll be right with you.”  She headed toward the door, but he got there first, opening it for her with a smile.  

Iseul politely returned his smile, but as she walked by, her elbow brushed his arm, and at an electrical sensation she jumped, looking up at him.  “Oh!  I’m sorry!  Did I shock you?”  As his eyes once more met hers, she felt a frisson of familiarity, but as soon as she tried to reach for it, it was gone.

“It’s fine,” he chuckled.  “Go ahead.  I’ll just…wait here until you’re ready for me.”

***

As Baekhyun finished his final answer, Iseul surreptitiously looked at her boss.  He was impressed.  Glancing at Duri, Iseul realized that the feeling was the same for all of them.  

Sim daepyonim leaned forward.  “Alright, Byun Baekhyunsshi, let’s get right down to it.  If we were to offer you the position, what salary would you need to accept?”

Baekhyun paused, looking thoughtful.  “Well, I understand that, while my qualifications are impeccable, I do lack experience.  However, I am confident that I can not only fulfill, but exceed the responsibilities of the role.  As I understand it, you’re also looking for longevity in the position, which I am both willing, and eager to provide.  Therefore, I propose a temporally staggered raise, depending upon my performance, and longevity.”

“What did you have in mind?” Duri asked.

“I’ve been given to understand that the department has budgeted for up to a 20% increase over base, dependent upon experience and qualifications.  I acknowledge that I do not have the experience.  However, what I do have is a summa laude degree from Seoul National.  If you check the transcripts that I attached to my application, you’ll see that I have never earned anything lower than an A- in any of my courses.  I have five years of experience as a paid intern in the contract law division of Lee and Ko, which has been ranked as the premier full-service law firm in Seoul for the past 30 years.  While with them, I created briefs for the litigators that have gone before the Supreme Court, and I was the only one in my graduating class to pass the bar with a perfect score.  I speak, read, and write proficiently in Japanese, and Mandarin, and I have an eidetic memory for everything important that I have ever read, as well as the ability to read at an average of 1000 words per minute, with full comprehension.  Independent attestments for both can be found in the aforementioned attachments.”

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, and weaving his fingers together.  “In short, I am an asset, and I want to work here, despite the fact I do have other options, namely the City Attorney’s office, which has offered me a position at 30% over base, which you can call to verify.  If you were to hire me, I would propose doing so at base, to be increased by 12%--level of output dependent--over the 2-5% cost of living raise that all employees meeting and/or exceeding expectations receive, for the next two years.  Since I will exceed expectations, what that looks like is base for my first year, a 10-17% raise for my second year, budget-dependent, a 10-17% raise for my third year, budget-dependent, and then whatever budget-dependent raises would be appropriate given my level of output thereafter.  After a three-year tenure, I would appreciate a one-time 15% retention bonus, to be retained under the qualification that it is to be returned at a prorated rate, if I were to leave within the next three years, but that is negotiable.  This will enable you to retain a top-rate attorney for under market-rate value, who can provide unprecedented output for at least the next six years.”

Iseul glanced over at her boss, who looked up from where he had been perusing Baekhyun’s attachments on his Ipad.  

Daepyonim sighed, and removed his reading glasses, thoughtfully tapping the end of the earpiece against his teeth.  “Well, I’d have to discuss this with HR, and of course I’ll have to check your references, but…”  He crossed his arms, fixed Baekhyun with a considering gaze.  10% increase for the first two years, over base, and over the normal raises, and 10% for a retention bonus, for a budget-dependent total of 10-15%, 10-15%, and 10%.”

Her gaze swung back to the candidate.  This was better than tennis.  

Baekhyun's smile was like the sun rising over the ocean.  “Deal.”

***

As soon as he got into his car, Baekhyun roughly loosened his tie, ed his collar.  Neither fancy, nor new, this car was purchased ostensibly because he didn’t want to have to deal with City traffic on his commute to and from work, but in reality because he wanted to impress Iseul…when the time came.  Kai’s voice rang in his mind.  If he wanted a girl--a woman…Iseul--to see him as a man, then he had to be independent, reliable, in control.  Like stone.

But she hadn’t recognized him.  She had heard his voice, spoken his name, but she hadn’t remembered him.  He sighed, then leaned his head against the steering wheel with a groan.  He was going to have to start their relationship from scratch.  He straightened.  No, it was fine, this was fine.  His goal hadn’t changed just because it was going to be a little more difficult.  Nothing worth having was easy to attain.  And Iseul was worth it.  

***

Iseul was screwed.  

The panel had chosen the pretty man.  After Sim daepyonim had verified Baekhyun’s references, Iseul had been asked to write a memo to the director of Human Resources, listing his qualifications and asking for approval of his compensatory terms.  That had been authorized as well, and now it was apparently her responsibility to call him and offer the job.

She stared at the phone.  She was not looking forward to having that warm, husky tone sliding through her ear, low and intimate, causing her to think things that would make HR clutch their pearls.  Iseul looked at the time.  3 PM.  She perked.  Maybe he’d be busy.  Maybe he’d have taken that City Attorney position.  

Maybe it would be better to email him.  

Ugh!  Growling to herself, she lifted the receiver, and aggressively dialed his number.  It rang once, then twice, and just as her hopes started to rise-

“Hello?”

Darn.

“Ah, hello.  Byun Baekhyunsshi?”

A soft, cozy chuckle.  “Kang Iseulsshi?”

She was surprised that he had clocked her voice, and remembered her name.  “Oh?  Yes.  You really do have a good memory!”

“I always remember important things.”

Iseul wanted to tell him to stop up, as the decision had already been made, and the job was his if he wanted it, but that wouldn’t have been professional, so she merely said, “Well, I won’t take up too much of your time.  I’m just calling to see if you’re still interested in the Public Works Attorney position?”

“Very much.”

“Then, we’d like to offer you the role, contingent on the successful passing of Human Resources’ background check, and a urinalysis test.  Your compensatory requests were all approved, and there’s an upcoming orientation in two weeks. The next correspondence will be from them, probably sometime within the next week, or so.”

“Is there anything that I should do?”

“Don’t worry.  HR will reach out to guide you through the entire process.  All you have to do is come directly to us after your orientation.”

“Alright.”

“Did you have any questions?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Alright.  Well, then.  I’m hanging up.”

“Okay.  Ah, Iseulsshi?”

Iseul pulled the phone back to her ear.  “Mm?”

“I look forward to working with you.”

***

“I’m heading out.”  Sim daepyonim hovered in the doorway of Iseul’s office.

Iseul looked up from the email that she was composing to the copier company to once again ask that they send their monthly invoices to her on time.  She was starting to wonder if they were sending them late on purpose, so as to reap the late fees.  “Will you be back?”

“Oh, yes.  That new guy we hired--Byun Baekhyunsshi--passed his background and urinalysis, so I’m just taking him to lunch to welcome him on board.”

Iseul smiled politely.  “Alright.”

“And, hey, do you think that you could plan a little divisional welcome luncheon for him within his first few weeks?”

“I can do that.”

“Did you want me to bring you anything?”

“No, thank you.”

“Alright then, I’m off.”

It was happening.  It was really happening.  Pretty pretty man had been hired, and now Iseul was going to have to relegate herself to slinking in the shadows like some sort of malformed laboratory assistant, avoiding the golden light of his beauty for fear of being burned like a vampire in the sun by its purity.  “Yeth, marthter…  Thertainly, marthter…  Right away, marthter…” she said, giggling to herself at her own silliness.  

A couple of hours later, Iseul was surprised to see her boss once again hovering in the doorway, though this time looking a bit hassled, with Baekhyun standing just behind his shoulder.  “Iseulsshi, I’ve been called upstairs.  I was going to show Byun Baekhyunsshi around, have him choose his own office, but I no longer have time.  Could you do it for me?”

“O…kay,” she faltered.

Sim daepyonim had already started to leave, but at her voice, turned back.  “Why?  What is it?”

“What?  Nothing!” 

“Then why do you look like a deer caught in the headlights?”

Iseul really liked her boss.

She also wanted to murder him sometimes.

“No, nothing, nothing,” she murmured, scrupulously avoiding Baekhyun’s eyes, trying to smile, but failing.  “Go; I’ll handle it.”

“Alright.”  Daepyonim double-tapped her door jamb (Murder! She thought), and headed upstairs, leaving Iseul alone with the human approximation of David, if Michaelangelo had been Korean, who shifted his soft-eyed gaze to her.

She stood, smiling nervously.  “Let me show you the attorney’s wing.”

“Attorney’s wing?”

“Yes, it’s on the other side of Public Works Engineering.”

“Public Works retains multiple lawyers?”

Iseul led him out of her administrative wing, through the front desk area, and to the opposite wing where the majority of the engineers worked, pointing out names and titles as they walked past.  Each time they had to go through a door, Baekhyun would quicken his pace--just a little bit--arriving before her to open the door.  Iseul smiled politely at his courtesy, thanked him prettily, and wished that he would stop.  “No, just one, but the Public Works attorney’s office is literally right between Engineering, and the 4th floor branch of the City Attorney’s Office.”

“Fourth-floor branch?”  Baekhyun halted in front of the supply cabinet.

Following suit, Iseul stopped.  “Yes.  Most of the lawyers for the City Attorney’s Office are on the 9th floor, but there are five on the other side of Engineering.”

“Why?”

“I have no idea.  Due to a finite amount of space, I suppose.”

“So…I’m going to be staying in the wing with the attorneys?”

Iseul paused.  “Well…no, because all of those offices are full.  I guess that you would take Jung byeonhosanim’s office upon his retirement, but until then…you’ll have to pick one of the vacant PW offices.”  She led him to the first one, an office recently vacated by the former Senior Civil Environmental Engineer, who had abandoned them for another locality.  “Here’s one.  You’d have two senior civil engineers--one for stormwater, and one for construction project management--on either side of you, so you’d be right in the midst of the work.”  She turned the corner and walked on, turning to the opposite side of the hallway.  “There are two on this side, side by side.  You can choose our old right-of-way agent’s office, or the one next to Bang Aera.”

“Bang Aera?”

“Jung byeonhosanim’s paralegal.  So, I guess…also…your paralegal.”  She smiled, though her heart twinged ever so slightly.  “You’ll like her.  She’s excellent at her job.”  And very pretty.  “How old are you?”

“28.”

“Ah, she’s a same-age friend for you!  You’ll get along.”

“How old are you?”

“34.”  

“Ah, really?”  He hissed an inhale through his teeth, cocked his head with a flirty grin.  “You look younger than me, though?”   His smile turned mischievous as he leaned down slightly, bringing his face closer to her level.  “Iseul sunbaenim.  Please take care of me.”

Iseul stared at him, nonplussed until it clicked. Ah, so he was one of those.  

A playboy.  

She had known her fair share of playboys.  They were fun to know, as long as one never took them seriously.  Guys like that flirted with practically anything in a skirt, from 16 to 68.  It meant nothing.  He probably thought that he was giving her a thrill.  

(He was.)

She relaxed.  “Anyway,” she said, moving on, and gesturing to the offices, “Those are your choices.  They’re