Hired

Dark. I opened my eyes slowly, trying to adjust from the sudden light that struck my eyes. Where am I? What happened? I jolted awake as soon as everything recalled. Was that all a dream?

But if it was, why am I on an unfamiliar and different room?

I moved my head side to side to study the cornered room. It’s neat, to be judged, teddy bears being displayed nicely on one of the bed-side table and pictures being hung perfectly on the wall. I roamed my eyes everywhere and I quickly whipped my head to something that stole my sight.

It’s me. It was during the days we spent times on Hyoyeon’s house, believing we were lost. I was sleeping on the balcony. Unconsciously I smiled, taking a hint of who might have brought me here.

When I realize I was smiling big, I immediately turned my face into a poker face. This jerk, that jerk! I lay my back harshly back on bed and started ranting this and that. But as I was cursing his name, my words slowly cut off, unintentionally, as I saw something on the ceiling.

My pictures were all up in there. Different ones. And each—I mean everything— was way back high school days.

Sweet damn.

Gosh, I couldn’t believe it. Because come to think of it, I was stalking on my crush when I myself, don’t have even the slightest clue that he was following me and needless to say, with a camera? Then if he had confessed, we could have been perfect.

Well it could have been, but it’s a different story now. Everything’s getting complicated more and more each day. It wasn’t my fault though, it was his. If maybe he haven’t left me like I’m some kind of a ‘one night stand’ he would hook on a pub (for two damn years), maybe it was a great story to end, to be told. And honestly, my confusion needs so much of light right now so I could clear things out.

   “You, awake?” he says as he entered the room.

   “Why am I here,” I ask calmly even though I was a little bit startled.

   “Uh, well... you passed out so I br—”

   “I know. What I mean is why am I here in your house, or apartment, if it is. Or whatever you call this,” I cut off.

He didn’t speak, he just walked to the bedside table and put down the tray he was holding. My aura was getting dark, I just feel bad, so mad and angry.

He sat beside me and I flinched a little. I can see him trying to say something but he is obviously holding it. He heaved a sigh as he obviously suppressed the words about to come out. But then, something came that neither of us have expected. Tears, he’s running tears.

   “I’m sorry…” he sobbed softly.

I’m not gona’ cry, bull.

   “It just can’t go back to how it supposed to be, huh, seob?” he says more as his dark lashes continue to water.

I was going to say something but he was opening his mouth again, “How have you been,” he sounded like if I’m going to say ‘not fine’ , he’ll die.

This feeling, honestly, is freaking me out.

   “Have you found someone to replace me?” he added, and his face obviously shouting I should say, ‘no.’

I don’t know if it’s me, or is it the fact that I know him too well that I can read everything he has on mind. Truth be told, but what I feel right now is like he’s the victim here. Because suddenly, a little part of my heart delivered guilt on my mind and I have no idea why.

What is this feeling?

   “What if I say yes,” I finally manage to speak.

   “Well then—that’s good.”

It stabbed me. So he was just making sure I wasn’t broke so the guilt he has, lessens. The thought made me slap him, hard.

   “! You are an assho—”

   “Can I work back to the company?” he cuts me off.

Now that was too much. Hah, how dare he? After flying off my hands, leaving me on the depths of pain and ocean of confusion and questions that stayed unanswered, he just had to ruin my emotions that had to be loosening to ask that question?

It was a shameful thing for my pride, but on the other hand, I can make avenge.

   “Sure,” I said coolly throwing the shameful feeling I received as I started standing. “And by the way, take those pictures off the ceiling, it’s making me want to vomit blood,” I added and opened the door.

I don’t know if it’s my expectations or is it real, but I think I heard him swallow a sob.

   “What, we are not going to get that bastard work in here, Yoseob!” Mr.Byun(my dad) shouted being overheard by the whole committee, even from the outside, maybe.

We had a board meeting, an issue where I was trying to convince everyone to accept Kikwang back on the company. They were so shocked at first, especially my father. Lee Kikwang has come back and the introduction I had given was too surprising for their tongues, I guess.

   “What would everyone think? That the former C.E.O. of this company banished with no valid reasons and is now trying to get back with still no valid reasons?”

   “Dad, please calm down. And dad, it’s his loss, not ours. Everyone would just think we were very nice that we had let him back again. And as for the media, we could just make up stories that they’ll surely buy,” I spoke.

Okay, I know that statement sounded evil but I can’t lose a chance now. I’m getting him back, because I’m dying to know the reasons behind everything, and I just couldn’t wait to punish that jackass.

   “No, son. We had let the company stay with its name and that’s enough respect toward the Lee’s.”

   “You’re father’s right, Mr. C.E.O.. We’re out of spots anyway,” Mr.Kim—Joonmyun’s father— piped in.

These people are very hard to pursue and they’re leaving me to a choice of unsealing their own secrets.             

   “No, sir’s. Listen, he is still the son of the beloved former owner of this company. Without his father, you guys could never get this far,” I said and as expected my father was surprised of the words that came off my mouth. I looked at him.

   “Yes, dad. I knew everything. This company, you turned over it to him because that’s how the story supposed to be. You lied to me about saying his father sold this to you, this was never yours and I know you guys know that. But that isn’t the thing now. My point is Mr. Lee deserves to be accepted back because it’s his father’s blood that ran this company first.”

 They all stared at me in disbelief. I couldn’t blame them, and they can’t too, blame me. I discovered everything by accident. Even Kikwang knew this, but he kept it from me, I know that. I had always wondered why the board members were all seems to be in their fifty’s and sixty’s. And all these ladies and men, as I found out, were the same people that ran the company since then, same people that witnessed Mr. Lee’s death.

Story has it; dad accidentally pushed Mr. Lee off the 4^th floor window that caused him to breathe no more. My father was arrested by Mr. Lee’s wife but a month after; Mrs. Lee decided to settle things good by not having everyone hurt both physically and emotionally. She had let my father free. But just weeks after, Mrs. Lee died having discovered to have taken straight three bottles of Aspirins that lead her to an overdose case and died.

At first I was really surprised, or more like, shocked. But thinking there might still be secrets hidden by my father, I had myself immune from the bombshells. And the thought of having Kikwang to suffer these kind of horror things at his young age bothered me more, that time.

   “Is the reason why you are pursuing us to get him back is because you two were never annulled and that he is still your husband,” ask a lady beside my dad.

Now I didn’t expect that. These issues should be excused to personal things but if that’s the only rope I could hold on to, be it then.

   “Y-Yes…”

“Enough. You know we’re out of vacancies so there’s no way you could have him back,” my father said sternly.

   “Covered up, dad. You know that Luhan’s starting his—I mean her and Sehun’s beauty care business, right? Luhan resigned,” I stated.

Everyone looked at me with a questioning look.

   “But Luhan was your secretary, I guess it do not fit Mr. Lee since he is a man,” said another lady in a very formal accent.

Did they also bother about that when Kikwang hired me as his secretary?

   “That’s fine since he’s my husband, I hope you get my point,” I said as they nod in an understanding manner.

   “Then it’s decided,” my father says, a face defeated as he dismisses us.

Awhile later…

I took my phone out, shuffled through my contact lists, searched his name and pressed call. It only took two rings as I heard him talked a simple ‘hello.’

   “Be here at early seven tomorrow, you’re hired,” I said over the phone. I can see him smile.

I continued to blabber instructions but he never spoke back and it annoyed me, “Hey, are you even listening!” I shouted to the mouthpiece. I can see him smile.

   “Just talk,” he says and I can see him smile.

I put the two coffee mugs down the table and stared at him darkly but he’s eyes didn’t bother to get off the TV so I sat beside him and let out an irritated sigh.

   “Why are you here,” I broke the silence between us as my eyes were fixed on the television but I can notice the glances he was doing.

   “To show you my… t-shirt?”

What?

I whipped my head to look at his t-shirt and it says, “YEAH! IM SO FIRED” in all captions. Each letter was in a light green except for the letter ‘F’ that was a bit lighter than the others—and it was cute. I threw him a questioning look and he stood up switching off the light and came back to me with a mini flashlight on his hand.

I saw him grinned and as he sat down he switched the flashlight off that caused me to startle a little but then the words on his t-shirt started glowing.

Well, yeah. I kind of figured that it was a ‘glow in the dark’ stuff but I never thought it could make an amazing change like a magic. At first I was not amaze though, since it only says, “YEAH! IM SO IRED”. But when Kikwang switched the flashlight on and focused it to the letters, it all started fading but a letter was slowly appearing on the place of the letter ‘F’ before, but now it was an ‘H’.

When I’ve thought of how it reads, I tried hard suppressing my amusement.

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A/N: Oh my god! I can't believe I finally updated! I'm so very sorry guys. There was so much to do these past few weeks and I just can't sneak out of it so I really had to ignore this but now I was able to update it. I hope you guys don't hate me and that I wish you still love how the story is going. I love you so much guys! Thank you for the comments and subscription. I can die now. Lavya all! Mwaps