My first one-shot this year! Happy new year everyone! This story is inspired after rewatching Iron Man and with all the MBC Gayo Daejun moments by our favorite couple. Tell me, you did not saw the between those too? Yeah, thought so. There were too many eye to eye moments that just couldn’t be ignored.

S T O R Y  F O U R  :  O N  W H I C H  G R O U N D S ?

They both know where they stand but at times they are confused if they are on the foreign grounds as co-workers or common grounds as friends or some kind of ground where they are something more. 

Nichkhun let his eyes wander around his office, his spacious, quiet and dull office. Being the proprietor of Horvejkul Hotels had its perks but when you’re on your office on a Monday morning, waiting for your meeting at 10 AM, it’s not entirely a fun thing to do. Glancing at the grandfather clock on his left, he sighed at what it read. It was still eight-thirty in the morning and already, Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul was bored as hell.

He turned his chair to face the windows behind him. Staring at the city below, he decided that he’ll let time pass by observing people walking and car running around the streets beside the Horvejkul Towers. At times like these, he wanted to have a person to talk to or just be in a company with someone. Preferably in a long-legged, brunette’s company.

As if on cue, Nichkhun’s ears perked up when he heard the gentle voice of his personal assistant. “Good morning, Mr. Horvejkul.”

Spinning around his swivel chair to face the person greeting him, he smiled at the woman before him. “Good morning to you too, Miss Song.”

Victoria gave a nod to acknowledge him and turned towards the door which was still opened. Nichkhun took the chance to study his lovely PA. She was wearing her usual black and white office attire and her dark brown hair was left untied and let the soft curls cascade down her shoulders. She had her white button up dress shirt tucked in on high-waist black pencil skirt which accentuated her small waistline. His eyes traveled down from the soft curve of her hip to her lean legs when she was slowly closing the door behind her.

As Victoria cleared , Nichkhun’s vision snapped back towards her face. He let out a boyish grin and gives her his best poker face. “What is today’s schedule, Miss Song?” he asked, trying hard not to pay attention to the sudden smile creeping on his face.

“For today, you have a meeting at 10 AM.” She paused as she noticed that he gave a nod of acknowledgement. “And at two in the afternoon, you need to fly to Busan for a conference at seven this evening.” As Victoria ended her statement, she closed her planner and patiently waited for him to tell her to run along with her duties which include a stack of papers to be filed and signed.

Nichkhun moaned at his schedule. He didn’t want any of it. It was tiring enough to run different branches of his hotels and go to meetings he needed to be present at and now he was going to attend a conference he could care less about.

“Can we skip that? And have a day off after the 10 AM meeting?” he asked, exasperated with thinking of his tiresome schedule. Nichkhun watched Victoria’s reaction. He took notice of the sudden change in her facial expression. It went from blank to quizzical to downright irritated.

“Nichkhun, you know we can’t just cancel a schedule. We already have plane tickets for that!” she scolded to which Nichkhun did not expect. Victoria always gets mad at him but only when they weren’t on professional terms and on common grounds. But then again, thinking about it, he does remember that once Victoria does call him on first name basis, they weren’t on foreign territory.

Victoria has always been a friend and a co-worker. He recalled the first day he met Victoria. In the midst of hiring and firing personal assistants who were either injudiciously lazy or just plain dumb, he was introduced to an accountant on the financial department who was said to be really good in her field. And the rest came after. He hired her and liked how she runs around with no complaint and does her job with no error.

She was working for him for almost a decade and Nichkhun knew that if he lost her, he wouldn’t know his social security number or any other accounts that required passwords. Setting aside business, Nichkhun also knew that Victoria was the only person who can understand him and can be unfazed with his sarcasms and his status.

He was well-known in Korea. What with his different branches of hotels and an upcoming mall opening, he wouldn’t debate over that. But with his success in life, it wasn’t entirely a bed filled with roses. His family was long gone and his friends weren’t always there. That’s why Victoria was all Nichkhun have. She was by his side whenever he wants like organizing his emails and the occasional nights wherein they play card games and drink champagne after a long day at work.

He knew almost all that is to know about Victoria Song. In some way, he understands why they click with each other. She didn’t have anybody else too. She was in a foreign country, starting life without knowing anyone. But the problem with Victoria was that she lived two lives. She was either the professional Miss Song or the friend Victoria.

Deep inside, Nichkhun is aware that Victoria was more than a friend and less than a girlfriend. He flirts with her but she shrugs it off. And he acknowledges the fact that Victoria was too scared to cross the line between boss and employee. And he won’t deny the fact that, although it hurts his ego, she cares for her reputation more than her feelings.

“I know but seriously, that plane ticket won’t budge a single amount on my back account.” Nichkhun said haughtily to which Victoria responds with more lectures about valuing money. Along the way, Nichkhun already blocked out what she was saying and could only catch the words, “fall on deaf ears”.

“How bout we just go on a trip? To Maldives? You’ve always wanted to go there! Just you and I. Not on a business trip and no annoying conferences, Victoria!” Nichkhun said, his voice louder than he intended it to be.

Victoria was left speechless. She was out of words and her face was unreadable. She went from shocked and for a second Nichkhun saw how the corner of her lips curved up but in an instant it was gone. This was the moment wherein Nichkhun implied a possible relationship between the two of them.  That the “just you and I” in the sentence was a way to say “you and I in a more than co-workers or friends relationship”.

He knew what she was going to say. She always says six words to dodge his questions. Six words that does not even relate to whatever he was talking about. Six words that he has grown accustomed to. “Will that be all, Mr. Horvejkul?” And he always feels defeated whenever those six words come out of .

“Yes, that’ll be all, Miss Song.” He replied with his shoulders slumped dejectedly.

She excused herself and walked out of the enormous office before stopping on the doorway when Victoria hears him call her name. ““Will you be there, Miss Song?” Nichkhun asked and Victoria wasn’t sure if it was either him being professional or him being personal.

“Of course, Mr. Horvejkul.” She replied, not even sure if she was being professional herself.

Nichkhun nodded and he watched as she went out of the room and left him all alone to think about wanting her in his company again. He really admits it. Admit that he knows he’s in love with his personal assistant. And not to be cocky, he knows she is in love with him too. But things were just the way they were. Nichkhun implying that he’s pursuing her and Victoria changing subjects. They were comfortable with what they are right now, with whatever their relationship is right now.

Although, it is already evident to the two of them how much they long for each other.

Okay, this is not my usual and it’s short. It’s neither fluffy stuff I write nor is it angsty romance. I don’t know, it’s more like a drabble. Some lines are taken from Iron Man, even the one-shot has a somewhat Iron Man plot. So, please forgive me for the lack of originality. But I wanted to write a scene like this. 

Anyways, thank you to my dear subscribers and comment-ers! It’s really touching and truly didn’t know that my one-shot collection can have so many readers.

I just can’t help myself, so I’m going to promote my multi-chaptered story entitled “Fair Play” here. I hope you take time to read it and leave some thoughts too! http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/116148