Like Alice stumbled into the wonderland, Ara felt like a lost little girl walking in the office of W Magazine. Everything was just how she pictured it. Well-groomed men and women dressed in fashionable apparel while typing away on the computer, answering phones, or running errands, scrambling trying to finish whatever task they had to do.

“...so that’s pretty much it.” The lady who was showing her around the office said, she turned around to face Ara, “Do you have any question?” But before Ara could muster a reply, she said, “If not, I will show you your cubicle.” She her heels immediately and headed to another direction. Ara quickly followed her.

Her cubicle was small. Smaller than she imagined would be. Not only that,  it was unkept and her predecessor’s things were still all over the desk. Family picture frames, coffee mug, notebooks, paper and...was that a bag of chips? From....god knows when. It almost seemed like the person that was originally occupied it got fired so sudden, they didn’t have time to clean or move their stuff out.

She stared at it in stunned, couldn’t believe that no one bother to clean it up at all.

“Well I hope everything works out for you. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask. We are all very friendly.” The woman said with a smile then took her leave.

Ara faced her cubicle and sighed. Already, she was feeling quite uneasy.

“Oh, you must be the new fashion news assistant.” A voice said out of nowhere, startling Ara who was deep in her own thought. She jolted up and saw a shorter woman who looked in her late twenties. She was staring with curious eyes. As if she just spotted a new animal in the zoo.

“Yes, I’m Go Ara.” Ara bowed politely.

“Go Ara? That’s a pretty name.” She complimented while scanned the taller girl from head to toe. “I’m Lee Yoon Ji, the fashion editor.”

“Oh sunbae! Nice to meet you!” Ara exclaimed happily.

So this is the woman she would be working with. Or under. Either way, Ara was glad to finally meet her supervisor. She seemed nice enough and younger than Ara expected. She thought her supervisor would be someone old and all serious. Though it was still too early to say anything.

“Pleasure is all mine,” Yoon Ji said, “I’ve been waiting for you. Sorry I was not present at your interview. I was supposed to, but got sick all of a sudden. I’ve looked at your resume and portfolio, I must admit, they are quite impressive. I have a high expectation of you, Ara.” She winked.

Ara chuckled nervously. She was flattered that Yoon Ji sunbae was thinking so highly of her, but at the same time she couldn’t help but think that the pressure was on. This was her big chance and she definitely did not want to mess up. She had to do her best. “I will not let you down, sunbae.” She said firmly.

Yoon Ji smiled, satisfied at Ara’s confidence and answer. “That’s the attitude! It looks like you have a little crisis over here though,” she glanced at Ara’s cubicle, noting how messy it was, “I will let you clean and settle everything today. Tomorrow I will let you officially working on some assignment.” Ara nodded, thankful that her sunbae was being so understanding. It put her mind to ease a little. She could tell that Yoon Ji was someone she could get along with easily.

“I want somebody, body. Somebody, body. Somebody to love, yeah~”

Ara hummed to the song while she busily revamping her cubicle.

She had wiped the desk and chair at least five times. Being the clean freak and germophobic that she was, Ara wanted her workplace to be dust-free. After all, she was going to spend seven hours here almost every day from now on, she had to make it comfortable for her own sake. She sniffed and a weird scent was still there...she took out the perfume roller in her purse and sprayed it all over the cubicle.

“Ah-ah-ahchoo!”

Yoo Ah In sneezed loudly when he came out of Yoon Ji’s office and walked past by the cubicles.

What was this strong aroma? He had always been sensitive when it came to smell. Strong scents gave him headache. That was why he never wear cologne. Or tell girls to not wear perfume when they go on dates.  

He looked around the surrounding and finally found the culprit.

“Excuse you miss,” he scrunched his nose when he approached her. Whatever she was spraying, it smelled like a scent of death to him. Possibly the worst he had ever coming across. When she didn’t respond, he cleared his throat again. And again.

But all she did was standing there, spraying and singing.

Was this woman crazy?

Then he noticed the earphones. No wonder she couldn’t hear him.

Without any hesitation, he stepped closer to her and snatched the earphones off of her.

“What the-” Ara gasped. She whirled around and saw a pair of eyes staring piercingly back at her. And the owner of those eyes didn’t look as if he was in a good mood. In fact, he looked very, very irritated. “S-sorry? Can I help you?” She stammered, not knowing what she did that piss off this guy.

Ah In cocked his head to one side. For some reason, he found this girl amusing. She looked pretty. Maybe pretty was not even the right word. Beautiful. Almost like a model. Yet there was something about her that was unassuming. She was not like any of the girls he had seen.

“There is one thing you can help me with.” He finally spoke after a moment. Ara widened her eyes, not sure where he was going with this.

“Don’t ever use that perfume. Ever.” He pointed to the perfume roller in her hand, then added, “It’s nauseating.” He smirked.

Ara blinked her eyes. Did he...just insult her taste of perfume? It took her seconds to take it all in. Then she replied without thinking, “Then don’t come near me if you don’t want to smell it.” She side-eyed him. Why was this stranger so concern about what perfume she was using?

Just as he predicted, she fired back with a rather interesting response. Ah In sneakered, “It’s not that I want to get close to you, but you are spraying it all over your cubicle and it’s spreading throughout the whole office. You are kind of shoving the scent down everyone’s nose. If you know what I mean.”

That was when two girls walked pass by and immediately frowns appeared on their faces, one of them even said, “Why do I smell my grandmother? She is not here, isn’t she?”

Ah In smiled in triumph. As if saying his point proven.

The perfume was a graduation gift Ara had gotten for herself. It was not cheap too. She was a bit offended that people think it smelled like grandma.

“Is that bad?” she murmured and sighed. “Well you won. I will never able to wear this out again.” She glanced at the perfume roller sadly and tossed it back in her purse.

Ah In chuckled and shook his head. She sure was interesting. “Sorry I’m kind of straightforward, that’s how I am. Anyway, I’ve never seen you here, are you new?” He asked casually. He knew pretty much everyone that worked for the magazine, surely he would have already known her.

“I am the new fashion news assistant,” Ara liked the way it sounded when she introduced her work title to people, she could say it a million times and never got tired of it, “Go Ara.”

“Oh, I heard Mrs.Go talk about a new fashion assistant. So it’s you.” He smiled, “Are you related to her?”

“To who?” Ara asked, confused.

“Mrs.Go.” Ah In replied, “Or Go So Young, our editor-in-chief.”

Here we go again. This was not the first time people ask that. Few of her co-workers had thought she was related to the editor-in-chief and that was why she got the job. “Oh no. We just happen to have the same family name.”

Ah In shrugged. He thought so, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“Lunch break time! Everyone, it’s lunch time!” A worker announced happily. In that second, everyone leaned back against their chairs in relief or stood up to stretch. It was a funny scene to see. One minute ago, everybody was so focused on their job and next thing, everybody was running to grab lunch.

Saying lunch break was the most anticipated time in a day was no exaggeration.

Just when Ah In pondered if he should invite the new girl to eat lunch together with a few co-workers, Lee Yoon Ji walked over and asked Ara to have lunch with her.

“Oh, Ah In, I see you’ve met my new assistant.” Yoon Ji said to him.

Ah In nodded, “She was interesting to talk to, Yoon Ji sunbae. I’m sure she will be a great help.” He gave Ara a smile. “Well I’ll let you two ladies go on your way, talk to you later.” He then joined his friends who were waiting for him.

Despite his bluntness, Ara thought he was quite friendly. He was obviously well-liked by a lot of people. From the look of it.

“So, what do you want for lunch? It will be on me!” Yoon Ji asked cheerfully. “You can pick anything.”

Oh yeah, she was definitely going to get along with this woman.

-

Please respect the author. Any form of plagiarization is prohibited. Story is an original thought.