Chapter One: Being 30

Every year, there’s always that one day that girls loves, that makes them feel special for just one day...

...their birthday....

Ah yes! Birthdays. A day where you get cake, presents, and maybe a bit of special treatment. Yes, birthdays, no wonder every girl loves birthday... that is...unless you’re turning....


...thirty.

-

“Unni what are you doing?” ask my roommate, Tae Yeon, who just stepped out of her room stretching her arms dressed in her sweats.
“It’s Ji Hyo unni’s birthday tomorrow, so I got out and bought us some cake,” I said as I placed the box of cake inside the fridge.

Then I closed the fridge as Tae Yeon approach inside walking towards the kitchen cabinet to get a glass.

“Besides, it’s tradition to get a cake for the birthday girl,” I said as I moved out of the way for Tae Yeon to open the fridge.
“I don’t know unni, I mean she’s turning thirty tomorrow,” said Tae Yeon pouring the water pitcher into the glass.

Then she placed the water pitcher back and looked inside the box to see what type of cake it was.

“And you got her a chocolate cake? Doesn’t she hate chocolate?” she said as she closed the box and then closed the fridge door.
“Technically, it’s half chocolate, half vanilla. So that she gets her piece and we get our piece. Well actually it’s two third chocolate and one third vanilla,” I said.

Tae Yeon just took a sip of her drink as she raised one of her eyebrows.

“What!? Hey you know she’s going to be be bitter about tomorrow and we have to deal with it! So I think it’s better if have at least some sort of sweet joy for tomorrow. Beside, I had a massive headache from work,” I said as I opened one of the kitchen cabinet to find some headache medicine
“What’s wrong?” she ask.

“ We are two weeks behind schedule, the writers are all of a sudden sick, and I can’t seem to talk to the director! I mean who gets sick in August!?” I yelled.
“...People who are sick right now,” said Tae Yeon ,sarcastically.
“Don’t you have a room to draw,” I said trying to shoo her away.
Tae Yeon sigh as she walk back into her room, “If you need me, you know where I’ll be,” she said as she closed the door.

Right then, I heard Ji Hyo unni about to come in as she pressed the button of the access code to our apartment. The door opens as Ji Hyo open comes inside carrying her purse, her briefcase and a few colorful shopping bags.

“Boa-ah, can you help me,” she ask as I came to the front door and help her carry the colorful bags.

“Whow, what is all of this?” I ask looking inside.
“Birthday gifts, from my co-workers at work,” she said as she drop her bags down on the ground and laid down on the couch.
“Wow, your co-workers are quite generous,” I said.
“Oh please, they’re all a bunch of stuck up es!” she said, “They only got me gifts to rub it in that they’re married and that they’re younger than me.”

Ji Hyo unni then laid down on the couch as she grab the remote from the coffee table.

“So...how’s your drama that you’re producing,” she said turning on the TV.
“Ugh! Please don’t ask me about work. I already gone through it with Tae Yeon, you can ask her,” I said as I reminded myself to grab some medicine before bed.
“I don’t understand why you’re company likes amateur writers who writes such awful storyline that drags on with no ,” she said as she skims through the channel.
“Don’t ask me, ask them,” I said.

Ji Hyo then gave up as she turned off the TV and slowly got up,” Ugh! My feet are killing me,” she said as she walked towards her room.
“Heading to bed?” I ask.
“Yeah, gotta go to work tomorrow,” she said.
“Work? But it’s your...”

“Eh!” she said stretching her fingers out to hush me. “I’m just going to pretend, that I don’t have a birthday tomorrow,” she said and closed the door.
“...Well what am I going to do with the cake then!?”

-

“Omo! Ji Hyo unni! What brings you to work, I thought it was your birthday today.”

Ji Hyo came out of the elevator of her law firm as she bumped into one of her co-workers.

“That’s why I’m here, Tiffany. If I stay at home I’ll accept the fact that I’m thirty but if I come to work then I’m still twenty-nine,” said Ji Hyo as she grabbed her keys from her briefcase to open up the door to her office.
“Oh unni, I’m so stock at how dedicated you are in your job. I wish I was that dedicated as you, if it weren’t for my husband, who is always waiting for me at home.”

Ji Hyo didn’t turn to glare at her co-worker, instead just opened the door wide open and slammed the door right in front of her face.

“Tsh! Why is her husband waiting for her at home, is he a hobo!” she said talking to herself as she place her bags on the desk and walked around to take a sit.

Then the door opened as she looked up and saw another one of her co-workers leaning against the door.

“I knew that door slam sounds familiar,” she said as she closed the door.
“Morning Ji Min,” said Ji Hyo as she opened up her briefcase.
Ji Min took a seat in one of the clients chairs as places a cupcake in front of Ji Hyo, “Here, happy birthday,” she said.
Ji Hyo just smirk as she the frosting off the cupcake, “You’re actually the most decent co-workers I can handle,” she said.
Ji Min smiled, “Well I guess that makes me feel special coming from the senior associate of this law firm.”

“So do you have any plans for your birthday?” Ji Min ask.

Ji Hyo looked up as shook her head and finished her cupcake.

“Oh come on!” she said lightly hitting the table, “you’re thirty! You should do something!”
“Why to celebrate that I’m old?” said Ji Hyo as she looked into her files.
“You’re thirty, you’re not a young lady anymore. You’re a woman, and a woman gets to do whatever she wants to do, cause has power.”

“Hm power, that’s the first I’ve heard,” said Ji Hyo as she grabbed her laptop from her bottom drawers.
“Listen, some friends and I are meeting for some drinks this Friday, you should come,” she said handing Ji Hyo a business card.
“It’s a night club.”
“Think about it,” said Ji Min as she walked out of her office.

-

“Ms. Song, a Mr Shim is here to see you,”
“Thank you Shin Dong,” said Ji Hyo talking to her secretary through her intercom.

The door was opened as Ji Hyo was writing a new notes in one of the folder.

“Alright Mr. Shim, I have all your documents ready, so you just have to give this to yo-...you’re not Mr. Shim,” said Ji Hyo as she looked up from the papers.

Instead of a middle man dressed in a grey suit with matching grey hair. Instead, he was a very tall young man in black jeans, and a grey hoodie, a green color army hat, and wearing shades.

“No,” said the young gentlemen, “I’m his son, Shim Chang Min. I came here to pick up the files for my father.”
“Are you eighteen years old or above?” Ji Hyo ask.
“Are you seriously asking me that?”

Ji Hyo raised her eyebrow as she explain that young man in front her and her noticed two things: a hat covering his hair, and the hoodie with a college logo.

“You just got out of the army,” said Ji Hyo handing him the folder.
“Yep, just finished my mandatory duties for my country,” he said.
“Cute. You can go now,” said Ji Hyo as she opened up another file.

As Ji Hyo was writing, the young gentlemen in front of her just kept staring at her as he tilted his head for a better angle.

“You know kid, it’s not polite to stare!” said Ji Hyo as she looked up glaring at the person in front of her.
“How old are you?” he ask.
“What?”
“Your secretary told me it’s your birthday today,” he said.

‘Note to self, fire Shin Dong!’ said Ji Hyo is her head.

Ji Hyo looked back up and smiled at Chang Min, “You know it’s really rude to ask a woman how old she is.”

Chang Min just smirk as he opened the door, but just as he was about to leave, he turned around and looked at Ji Hyo one last time.

“You know, I should treat you to dinner since it’s your birthday,” he said, Ji Hyo just rolled her eyes, “Besides, I prefer the company of an older woman. See ya around.”

Chang Min gave a quick wink and then closed the door as Ji Hyo huffed out in the air.

“Kids,” she said she shook it off and continued to work.