Sooyoung's POV

I turn off the engine as I take a glance at the building, which I have been forever wanted to run away from it. I take a deep breath and release it as slow as I can, just to give myself some sort of good luck and courage. I take my bag, check my reflection on the car’s window to make sure I look fine, lock my car, and walk, heading to the building’s entrance.

As soon as both of my legs inside the building, I stand there while watches the workers pauses whatever they’re doing, bowing at me and step aside while I make my way to the office.

“So you decided to comeback.” Out of nowhere, Joonmyun appears and walks behind me.

I stop as I turn to look at him. I find it’s all about manner, to face the person we’re talking to properly. But he points his hand to the hallway, signaling me to continue on walking while he’s speaking.

“Good morning, Joonmyun. It’s been awhile. Sorry for MIA for a week. How’s everything going?”

“Ah, I forgot the greeting. Good morning to you too. As far as I concern, everything went quite well.. I hope. Kris has been doing a great job, taking care of the urgent issues on your part.” His sentences somehow tell me of how much the pile of works that I need to be taken care of today.

“Only the urgent ones? So, most of them are not settled yet, is it?”

We are already in front of my office, when Joonmyun, being a gentleman like always, opens the door for me. “Don’t worry, today, I will be working in your office. Just in case if you need any help, I’ll be right here beside you. Hopes that will help to accelerate your work.”

“Thank God. Yup, that helps a lot!”

He giggles while he goes towards the ‘IN-work’ shelf and brings the files to my table. The files piles up from his waist to his ear. Those manage to stun me for moment. I never have seen this much of work need to be done in a day. Even homework that I got in university in my busiest semester wasn’t this much. I’m doomed for today.

I pull out my father’s pen from the drawer, take another deep breath, and open the first file from top. It’s a proposal project about a new flavor for carbonated drinks. The business plan has been well written along with the suggested project directors. Joonmyun, the most professional Chief Business Development Officer I ever seen, without me asking, explains to me about the project in details to cut my time of reading the whole thing. It took us two hours before I finally give a signature, approving the work and confirming with the business plan that I need to work on with other institutions in order to achieve our goals.

We were about to work on the second file when I heard someone knocks on the door. Chanyeol appears behind the door with two cups of coffee latte from Starbucks. “There was a financial meeting at 8.00am. It’s just over and I heard you came, so I bought something to keep you awake.”

I was surprised at his words, it took me sometime to understand what he said until Joonmyun told me that everyone in the building knows about the excessive amount of works that I need to catch up on. “Isn’t it normal for a Chairman to have a huge amount of work comparing to others?”

“Yes, it is, but since many projects has been delayed and they talks about it in meetings, so.. they kind of calculated your workload once you come back..”

I laugh at the company’s workers, where gossiping and worrying more about other people works than theirs is normal.

“I’ll be in my office if you need any help. Nice to see you around again, Chairlady.”

“IT’S CHAIRMAN!” I shout at Chanyeol as he grins with his usual annoying face while he closes the door.

“His way of flirting has gone really bad lately.” Joonmyun shakes his head while observes the content of the second file.

“Calling me a chairlady is flirting? Your judgment on people’s conversation has gone really bad lately.” He nods with a smile, acknowledging the sarcasm that I just gave him.

We are on our seventh file when I’m already at my limit. Joonmyun’s tie isn’t even in its proper place. It’s an hour past noon and we are exhausted.

We promise each other to give ourselves a break for two hours before resuming. Joonmyun politely leave my office for lunch. His quick action in tidy up his messy appearance while running down the building made me suspect him for having a girlfriend. She must have been waiting for him.

Looking at the other seventeen files untouched, I take another one before going to lunch. I’m almost done with the file when Kris appears in front of me. Thanks to my calmness, I guess that kind of surprise things, doesn’t make me scream of shock. But his grinning face made me notice that he might have seen my face when it happens.

“The Chairman of Mashi Corporation, how’s your vacation?” He walks at the sofa at the center of the room, leisurely sits there. His sense of gentlemen is like one to ten compared to Joonmyun.

“I told you it’s not a vacation. Why did you let these projects delayed? You can approve them on my behalf. Once you proven your capability to the shareholders, this company is yours. You’ll be the Chairman AND the Chief of Executives Officers. I told you I want to quit.”

“I don’t like your plan of giving the company just like that to me. This is your parent’s company. Without you around, the shareholders aren’t going to believe in me, and you might be watching the downfall of this company. No matter whatever I do, they only believe in you as a leader.”

“You are also the leader. Our work is on the same level. But still, why didn’t you deal with these projects when I’m away? I told you secretly that I was quitting.”

“Because I believe 100% you will be back. That’s why I only look at the urgent ones, and waits until you come. And just as I thought, welcome back, Sooyoung!”

“Pfft, you weren’t believed in me at all. You hired Tao to look after me. What was that for?”

“Safety. I believe you will come here again, but hiring Tao is something a genius like me will do. He is my sidekick, to ensure the percentage of you coming back as a Chairman is 100% unharmed.”

“He did almost nothing except for the past three days.”

Kris stands up, observing the view of the Seoul city through the office window before walking slowly heading to my chair. “No, he did a lot. Yesterday he told me about a guy living with you. Who is he?”

No matter how big is the chair, I really can’t believe he actually sits on the armchair when I’m still sitting on that chair. I am about to push him from the chair until I see his cold scary face. “He’s my new friend..” I told him slowly.

Kris rubs his forehead, before standing and walks back at the couch, “Get him out of the house. Tao got into fight twice during his presence near you. He’s too dangerous.”

I got pissed off. In a million years, I definitely will not kick Luhan out from my house. Not in Kris’s command. “No. Luhan will be staying with me. If you really that worried, let Tao be with us. It’s his job anyway to keep us safe. He shouldn’t be complaining on getting into fights.”

“Sooyoung, you..” Before Kris even managed to complete his arguments, Joonmyun appearance interrupts us. “Oh, Kris! Hi. You’re here to help Sooyoung too?” 

“No, I’m just here to confirm with Sooyoung about my plan on going to her house tonight. Gladly, she says yes.” He stands up, telling Joonmyun something that wasn’t even in our previous conversation.

“Your face looks weird right now, Sooyoung. Tell me when you’re done.” That’s another command from Kris. Never once in my lifetime when he wants something, he asks for my approval before doing it. Gladly he didn’t have that sort of attitude in business. But still, I really cannot coop with this kind of people privately.

“Bye Joonmyun,” he taps Joonmyun’s shoulder before leaves the office.

The not-knowing-anything-that-just-happened Joonmyun, pull out the chair while giggling, teasing me for going to have a dinner with Kris at my house. I think this guy has no idea Luhan is in my house. I just let him tease me, I’m too lazy to talk or get myself into anything related to Kris. I am not in the mood. I never did, to be precise. As long as, Joonmyun’s teasing me keeps the work going, I have nothing to complain. Sixteen left to go.

“Did you have lunch with Kris just now?” Darn you Joonmyun, you mention that guy’s name again. I sighed secretly.

I shake my head, telling him it’s a no answer but then I realized about the lunch box Luhan prepared earlier.

“Actually, I do have a lunch in my bag.” I pull them out and open the lid of a greenish brown bamboo decoration lunch box, revealing the homey feeling of omelet rice with spaghetti’s tomato sauce.

“Smell’s great.” Even Joonmyun praise the sweet sour aroma of the food. I couldn’t hide the excitement when I tender soft of the egg wrap melts in my mouth, overwhelmed with chicken savory. I unconsciously chuckles as I ate. This is my definition of one of the world’s pure happiness. Did I mention he also prepared hot chocolate in a flask? Luhan is the best.

“Your craziness over food never changed. I guess you didn’t make those.” Joonmyun criticizes and come up with the right deductive that food wasn’t cook by me.

Again, I am too immersed with the food to say anything in reply. I kick the table softly and pout, just to let him know I don’t care whatever he said and be quiet while I’m eating. The quieter, the quicker I get over the food, and the faster I can resume back to my work.

He grins while continue on reading the nineth file. It’s a contract agreement between our company and the government’s research institution.

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I take a peek on my watch when Joonmyun excuses himself to call it for the day. It is already pass 8.00pm.

“Three files more to go. I’ll be fine by my one. Thank you so much for today, Joonmyun.”

“Yup, sorry I couldn’t stay until the end, although I’m a grown man, I still live with my parents, so.. dinner is a must. And it must be on time.”

I laugh at his excuses and I thank him again for his hard work.

“You owe me lunch, Sooyoung! Bye.”

“I know. Thanks again!”

He closes the door, leaving the office room as quite as I never imagine. Feeling very bored in less than 5 minutes, I turn on the CD player. The playlist of Jason Myraz songs always calm my mind. The melody is soft and his voice is very soothing.

I finish up the twenty-third file, and am about to start with the last file when a deep voice, a complete opposite to the tender voice of Jason Myraz, enters the room.

“You’re not home yet?!” Chanyeol barges into my office with a bag.

“I’m already home. This is my ghost you’re talking too.”

Chanyeol take a step behind with a horror shown on his face.

“Oh my god, Chanyeol, I'm being sarcastic right now!”

“aahh.. I’m sorry. I am just not a fond of ghost talk when I’m in an empty office building at 10pm.”

That’s funny. Despite his tall, deep voice, lady killer image, he is actually scared of ghost. “Why are you here?” I ask him.

“Oh. Uhh..I promised Kris to bring the financial report for tomorrow onto his desk before I leave, but I for some reason I forgot and bring the document back home too. So, here I am sending them to him.” He shows me the bag and I nod. “I better go and see him right away, isn’t it?”

“Yes. And Kris is right behind you now.” I point at Kris, who is at that time is walking towards him from behind.

“Chanyeol! Sorry for asking such request after work. I’m planning to go to the meeting without coming here first.” Kris apologizes while Chanyeol hands him the bag before close my office door and have a small chat with him outside. I’m not going to lie, I’m deeply curious what kind of conversation are they having at this time. They didn’t even said anything to me, and just shut the door. Chanyeol and Kris never knock on the door. They barges into my room just like it’s theirs.

I try to ease my mind for a moment, taking a deep breath, and resume working on the last file. Half past an hour has gone and I have completely finishes all twenty-four project files.

It’s 10.45pm and I grab my handbag, wanting to rush and arrive home at least before 11pm. I lock the office door when Kris alerts his presence.

“You’re still here?” I ask him.

“We’re going back together. I’m going to your house and meet the guy that you’ve been keeping.” Guy I've been keeping? What a nice word to say, Kris.

“At this time?” I tried to reconfirm what I just heard.

“Yes. This is actually the best time. Tomorrow we’re going to meet with the Ministry of Health to inform them about our product. Traffic jam in the morning might get us delayed for an hour. So, you can leave your car here, I send you home and tomorrow I’ll be picking you up we could just go straight there. It’s a great idea isn’t it?”

“I completely forgot about the meeting. No wonder Chanyeol didn’t mind coming back at the office. Sure. Yeah, it’s a great idea.”

We walk together to Kris's Hyundai Santa FE. It was all about business talk, until we’re finally in the car when I notice there’s a set of toothbrush and paste in the dashboard’s drawer. That toothbrush reminds me of Yixing giving me his toothbrush a few days ago.

“You bought a new toothbrush?” My mouth just slipped. I felt sorry for him. Yixing has this immature side of him, taking people things without permission. And you know what, that guy’s a lawyer. You cannot win over him.

“No. I always keep a toothbrush in there.” I found his answer a bit off, somewhere... Is it normal to have a toothbrush in the car?

“Aa.. it’s your travel toothbrush is it? Got that.” I try to sound understanding.

“No. That is my toothbrush that I kept in my car. I know it sounds weird, but I have this kind of hygiene freak when it comes about my mouth.”

I can’t help myself from laughing. I take a glance at him. I notice something rare. The smile that forms in his lips is not the usual annoying smile I saw during work.

“Don’t laugh! I’m serious. I have one in my car, one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, one in my travel bag and another one in my office. I just can’t stand the feeling of food stuck in between my teeth. And I always worried about my breath smell. I don’t want them to smell the food I just ate.”

I shut my mouth with my hands, but the sound of my laughing could still be heard. I wait until I could finally catches my breath, before commented, “You’re worried too much about your appearance, that’s why!”

“Might be. It’s already a habit. Did you know I lost my toothbrush in the office three days ago, and I almost freak out? I went all the way to my car to get the toothbrush after breakfast in the office.”

I felt bad again. I couldn’t tell him Yixing took it. But I’ll definitely make he paid for doing such thing.

“Since you love toothbrush so much, do want to make a project on that?” An idea on a new business project pops inside my head.

“Project on toothbrush? But our company is about food. Toothbrush is not food, it is hygiene.”

“I know. But since tomorrow we’re going to meet with Ministry of Health, making collaboration with dentistry department might get us toothbrush giveaways along with our products.”

There was three seconds of silence before Kris cheers on me, with unusual amazement face. “That’s brilliant. You are a genius. The best I ever met so far! Let me hug you.”

He stretches his free arm towards my side. I hold his hand from reaching my shoulder, “Go away. I don’t need your hug.”

He just laughs at my reaction while drives the car into my apartment’s parking area. “We’re here.”

“Yes, I can see that.” I let myself out from his car, waits for Kris and we headed to the elevator, straight to my apartment.

“Sooyoung! You’re home! I made you dinner. They’re getting…” Luhan’s loud voice is getting closer the moment I unlock the main door. He stops saying anything when he notices I bring a guest home. “..cold,” he finishes his sentence, making a long silence eye contact with Kris.