"How many times have I told you I wouldn't accept this kind of standard of work? Are you deaf or are you just too stubborn to get it into your thick head?" Jinki roared as he slammed the folder down on the table before continuing, "now get out of my sight! I don't want to see you and your disgusting work!"

I picked up the folder, held back my tears before taking a step back and quickly bowed before walking out of the door. The moment the door closed, I broke down into sobs. I could feel pitiful gazes being thrown on my way and a few murmurs saying, "It's the third time this week. He should have known better." I walked back to my seat and plopped down, hands covering my face, attempting to stifle the sobs but to no avail. 

"It's the third time, Kibum. Just give up, he would never accept it." Minho tried to persuade me, seeing that it is the third time this week Jinki had rejected my proposal. He must have guessed that I am tired as well.

"I-I can't. It's my work. He is going to get angrier if I don't do it." I sighed, feeling extremely exhausted and dizzy. Well it's not surprise seeing how I have stayed up for 2 consecutive days to redo the proposal.

"Bum-ah, why don't you just resign?" Minho sighed once again.

"Min-ah, we've talked about this before, you know this is the only way I can get to see him right?" 

"Yes, but..."

"No buts. I will try to finish the proposal and this time, you will take it to him, all right?" Minho sighed in defeat and nodded.

I turned the chair back to my desk and my eyes fall onto a certain potted cactus plant. "Jinki didn't used to be like this." I whispered.

"Hello, my name is Lee Jinki and I am the manager of this entire department. So feel free to look for me if you have any questions!" He smiled his goofy smile and he certainly did not look like he was a manager. 

"Um Mr Lee, may I know where is my seat?" I asked.

"Please call me Jinki, Mr Lee is too formal. Let me show you your desk!" He said as he led me out of his office and to an empty desk. 

"Here is your desk! Oh and before I forget! Everyone, please gather around!" Jinki spoke as everyone begun to gather around the small desk. 

Jinki waited for everyone to gather before speaking once again, "he will be your new colleague from today onwards. His name is Kibum and you don't need me to remind you guys about being friendly, right?" 

They laughed as I scanned the small crowd, trying to memorize as many faces as possible.

"All right, get back to work!" And that was the last thing he said for that day.

The next few days were spent getting used to the entire layout of the office. Turns out that some of my colleagues are really nice. Within two days, I have made friends with the entire department, well except for some who looked really antisocial. Well actually Minho does look antisocial, but he isn't really that antisocial if you were to know him more.

As the days go by, my workload became heavier and heavier. It came to the point that staying in the office way past my working hours became a norm. The office is almost empty except for a certain someone and I. That someone is Lee Jinki.

"Oh you are still here?" I jumped up at the sound, but quickly calm down when I realized it was just Jinki.

"Oh I am sorry did I scare you?" Jinki smiled.

"There are still work left undone and I don't think I can go home until all these are done." I frowned, looking back at the pile of work and back to Jinki.

"Okay, good luck then, I heard stories about a ghost roaming around this office at this time and it comes out to kill. It's giving me goosebumps, I am gonna leave now. Bye~" 

"No! Uh, Jinki?"

"Yes?"

"I feel like a wimp saying this, but can you please stay with me?" 

He laughed and pretended to think about what I said before saying, "all right. But I expect something in return!" He skipped to the desk next to mine and plopped himself down. 

"Thanks." I muttered as I mentally reminded myself that I will make a cup of coffee for him the next day. 

I picked my cup up, only to find it empty, so I walked to the lounge room to get coffee powder and suddenly there is a blackout. Since young, I've never liked the darkness and it makes me feel claustrophobic. 

"Kibum are you okay?" Jinki shouted.

"J-J-Jinki can you c-c-come and find me? I am s-scared."

"Give me a minute while I find for the torch."

Minutes felt like hours and I finally heaved a sigh of relief when I spotted a stream of light from the outside of the lounge room. Jinki stumbled in clumsily as I silently grabbed onto his arms and followed him out. 

"You all right?" He asked the moment we got back to the desks. 

"Yup. I am just a little afraid of the dark. I don't think I can bear to be here any longer, can we leave?"

"I am afraid I have to say no, because all the doors are automated and since there is a blackout, it is impossible to leave unless we break the door. But we can't do that as well because we will trigger..."

"Okay okay I get it." I replied and laughed a little before continuing, "you sure are naggy." Jinki giggled a little before the room fell into a complete silence. The deafening silence was making me feel uncomfortable but I guess it was equally uncomfortable for Jinki as he said, "Tell me more about yourself." Even in the darkness, I could feel his eyes on me, eyes twinkling in anticipation for me to say something and so I did. 

That night was the first night we spent together.

After that night, we became closer. The subsequent nights were spent like this: me doing my work and he would wait for me and we would go for dinner together after I was done. I wasn't afraid to admit it, but those were the best days for me. And little did I know, I was slowly falling for him. 

His million-watt smile brought a smile to my face as all the blood rushed to my cheeks, tainting it pink. Not forgetting those eyes that turns into little crescents when he smiled. His voice began to feel like a sweet melody I could never get tired of. His cologne pretty much became my favourite scent. 

But everything spiralled down one day. We became from friends to enemies. And that 'one day' was the day I confessed to him about my feelings. I can never forget disgusted expression plastered on his face after I confessed and the times when he avoided me or wrinkled his nose whenever he sees me in the office. From then on, he never stayed to wait for dinner and I would spend my nights in the office alone. To him, I was pretty much an alien, disgusting and weird. Well and of course, my colleagues begun to suspect something when Jinki’s attitude towards me change overnight and rumors about our relationship began spreading.

“Kibum-ah, it’s time to leave, aren’t you going to go now?” A deep baritone voice woke me up from my daydream.

“Right! Wait for me Minho!” I quickly stood up and gathered all my belongings and shoving them into my bag. I stopped for a while as everything began to look blurry and I blinked my eyes a few times hoping for it to go away but it didn’t. In fact everything began to spin and I could feel my body swaying from left to right.

“Min-ah, why is everything turning? Is there an ear-” But before I could finish my sentence, I felt myself leaning backwards as I lost control of my entire body. The only word I heard was, “Kibum!” before I out and that voice sounded really familiar.

I stirred awake and I could feel my head pounding and brought my hands up to my head, hoping to ease the pain a little. “Where am I?” I muttered as I tried to sit up. Just as I was about to sit up on the bed, the door cracked open and Minho entered the room. He rushed to my side and gently lifted me up before saying, “I contacted your brother, he is on the way here right now.”

“Where am I? And what happened?” I asked.

“You are in the hospital. You fainted due to exhaustion. Bum I told you it was not a good I-” He was interrupted by the door slamming open and my brother running in.

“Omo are you all right Bummie? What happened? Did anyone do this to you? Oh my God, I swear I will kill whoever who this to you. Is it that Lee Jinki? That bastard dares to harm my little brother?! He is going down!” Jonghyun anxiously spoke as he begun to look for any injuries. I flinched at the word ‘Lee Jinki’.

“Hyung, I am all right. You don’t have to do kill anyone. I brought it upon myself.” I smiled sheepishly as I was happy to have someone fussing over me.

“He exhausted himself out. I knew something would happen. Anyways, hi hyung.” Minho who had been silent the entire time, spoke up. Jonghyun’s face blushed furiously, that poor boy has a big crush on Minho and I know Minho has a crush on my brother too. I smirked as I made a mental note to hook both of them up once I am out of this hospital.

“Bum, I think you should quit your job.” Minho broke the silence.

“I think I am doing f-” I retorted but Jonghyun decided to cut me off.

“I agree, I think this job is giving you too much pressure and why don’t you just give you and Jinki a break? You can’t go on in that company this way. Why don’t you resign, take a well-deserved break and find another company and start anew?”

“Wow for once you said something right, Hyung.” Minho said and Jonghyun blushed once again.

“Give me a break, lovebirds!” I held my hands up in defeat and laughed.

“Uh-” Both of them started and looked at each other before looking away immediately.

“I think I need the toilet.” Jonghyun shyly said and ran out of the room.

“I will get something in the canteen.” Minho scratched his head, gave an awkward smile and headed out of the door as well.

The room was finally quiet as I sat in silence. I thought about what the two of them said and decided, maybe it’s time to start anew as well. I can’t stay harping on the same guy when he doesn’t even return my feelings. Plastering a small smile, I took a pen out and a piece of blank paper before drafting out my resignation letter.

I handed the resignation letter to Minho after I was done with it and he seemed happy to receive it. I told him to hand it over to Jinki since I don’t think I would be able to get out of this bed until a week later and I can’t wait for my resignation to be approved so I could leave the company as soon as possible. But the main reason was because I didn’t want to see Jinki anymore. It felt as if if I were to see him again, my feelings would come rushing back and I would find it hard to leave.

After a week, I was discharged from the hospital. I waited till about 8pm, when everyone has left the company, before making my way to the company’s building.

“Are you sure you will be fine?” Minho asked over the phone.

“Yes, I don’t need any help. It’s just a few items. I can handle this!” I replied, assuring him that nothing would be able to harm me.

“All right then! But remember to call me if you need any h-”

“Yes, Min, gosh you are so naggy. Bye!” I hung up before he could say any further.

 I looked up at the humongous building towering me and thought “This will be the last time you will be seeing this. You can do this Kibum, hwaiting!”

I walked into the building, greeting the familiar security guard on duty before entering the lift and pressing the 5^th button. The elevator let out a familiar ding and the doors opened, I walked out and looked at the empty office. It may look cold and uninviting but at least it gave me good memories, I smiled as I made my way to my desk in the middle of the office.

As I quietly packed the things on my desk, I looked at the small cactus placed at the far end of my desk, just between the two panels. I carefully brought it up to my eye level sighing, “You broke your promise.”

“Kibum-ah! I brought you a cactus!” He happily exclaimed as he pushed the small cactus over the table after we were done with the dinner.

“Ah, really hyung? You shouldn’t have! I didn’t get you anything though!”

“It’s okay! I don’t expect anything in return!” He smiled.

 He told me that it’s easy to take care of it and I just had to water it once a week. He said I could talk to the plant if I were to feel sad or lonely but reassured me that I wouldn’t because he would always be there for me to talk to.

“Ya, you should take care of it properly! It’s my present to you so if I see it dead after a week, you are dead!” Jinki childishly threatened as I just stuck my tongue out at him.

“I will let it rot at a corner!”

“So where exactly were you when I received those pitiful looks from them?” I sighed at the fond memory, giving a sad smile and continued packing, reminding myself to bring the cactus along with me because that is the one and only item I could keep that is from Jinki.

“I was always here.” A voice spoke. I flinched, recognising the voice behind me. I can recognise that voice anywhere. I didn’t turn around because I know I would crumble if I were to look at him. I felt him taking a few steps towards me and his body warmth emitting from his body felt so inviting that I could just lean back into his arms. But no, I refuse to let myself crumble and stood still.

"I am sorry." Jinki said as he s his arms around my waist, resting his head on my shoulder. 

"J-jinki, just stop it. S-stop making me fall for you a-any harder and hating me for it." I stuttered as I jerked my shoulder back and tried to pry his hands off my waist. 

"Would you forgive me for treating you this way because I was unsure of my feelings?" He continued as my hands fell to my sides and I stood still. 

"Jinki, please..." His hands finally loosen and just when I thought I could finally take this chance to run away, his palms grabbed the side of my shoulders and lightly turned me around to face him.

"Please stop running away from me. You have no idea how scared I was when Minho sent your resignation letter in to me. I was scared, scared that you would slip away from me just like this, without knowing how I feel for you, without knowing how much this face has caused my heart to skip a beat every time you smile." He cupped my face and tilted my head up as he looked deep into my eyes. 

"I am sorry for making you cry. I am sorry for making you frown. Damn, I would kill to get your smile back onto your face. But, I didn't know how to deal with my feelings and I took it in a negative way. I have been pushing away all my feelings, how much it hurt when you cried after I shouted at you. Would you teach me how to love you the way you love me? Would you be the one for me?" Jinki whispered as his eyes soften and it looked as if it was pleading me to forgive him. I stayed quiet.

"Kibum, please say something. You are making me scared. Am I too late..?" Jinki bit his lower lip and looked as if he was about to break down. I gave a small smile and pushed myself forward to give him a light peck on his lips. 

His reaction was instantaneous as he broke into his million watt smile (which I love dearly) and I felt myself lifted off the ground as he turned around. I gave a small shriek and wrapped my arms around his neck before proceeding to wrap my legs around his waist as well.

"Ya Lee Jinki, you better not let go of me, if not I am going to kill you the moment I get up." I threatened but of course it didn't turned out to be a threat.

"Baby, you have to know that after what happened, I am never going to let you go, right? I am going to promote you to be my personal secretary." Jinki smirked and wiggled his eyebrows. 

"Ya! YOU DIRTY-mmfmm" And I didn't get to finish my sentence because... Let's just say that Jinki kept me awake the entire night and the floor was really dirty that night. 

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Comments or criticism are highly appreciated! ^^ Hope you have enjoyed it, see you the next time!