Chapter 1

Storage Room

6PM, Gangnam:

“C’mon, the Guys are already waiting for us!” said the one with the Prada bag on her shoulder.

“Umm…Sunny, are we going to invite….umm…her?” asked the cute one of whom men in the office would naturally have a crush on. She pointed to the girl on the corner who was wearing glasses and has her head bent low as she was reading a document.

“I don’t think so. It’ll be boring to bring her with us, Yoona.” Said Sunny.

“Well… if you say so.” Yoona walked after Sunny.

“Wait for me!” called a blonde girl who has her brows together as she passionately typed on her computer.

“If you can catch up. You always make us wait, Luna.” Said Sunny.

“I just needed to send that last email, that level 7 manager was already following up.” Said Luna.

“You mean that scary fox?” asked Yoona

“Yeah.” Luna sighed. “I wish they could switch the roles back. Everything was great back when it was still Mr. Choi who was handling this project. It all became chaotic when he transferred the project to the scary fox.” Said Sunny.

“Mr. Choi is the best Boss in this company, Luna. You were lucky you had the chance to work with him.” Said Yoona. “I would love to work with him.”

Yoona had that dreamy look in her eyes.

“If he would just look at me as a woman.” Said Luna.

“Hey, don’t dream to high.” Said Sunny. “He’s a level 7. And we’re what?”

“Level 1.” Said Yoona.

The three of them sighed.

“Why is the ladder so high?” asked Yoona.

“Realistically, how long does it take for us to reach level 7?” asked Luna.

“In average? People get there around fifteen years after hiring.” Said Sunny.

“We’re old by then.” Said Yoona.

“And Mr. Choi is at Level 10 already by then. He will always be out of our league.” Said Luna. “He’s so young yet he’s already at level 7. And he’s such a great Boss. He knows how to demand without sounding mean. He makes people get energized and want to reach his goals with him. Such an awesome boss!”

“I guess he got that from being the University Football team captain.” Said Sunny.

“True. A sports celebrity of the country, an achiever Boss in a multinational company…. What else is there to ask?” asked Luna. “And he’s so single from what I heard! How come he doesn’t get a girlfriend? Does he not feel attraction towards any woman?”

“That is why we need to move on and forget him. He is an impossible star to reach. Let’s go, the guys are waiting.” Said Sunny.

Luna sighed followed by Yoona.

The three girls went out.

The girl in the corner stretched her arm. She took her glasses off and hooked it on her collar. When everyone is out partying on Friday night, she is always left at the office still doing lots of work.

“Five more emails to go.” Said the girl.

“Hey Sulli!”

The girl in the corner looked at the man who called her name.

“Your team mates all went out.” Said the man. “Aren’t you joining them?”

“They did not even ask me to go with them.” whispered Sulli.

“What did you say?” asked the man.

Sulli tried to smile.

“I need to finish some emails.” Said Sulli.

“Oh. Right. I thought they were just making you an outcast. I did not hear them inviting you.” Said the man.

Does he really have to rub it in?

“If you keep on sticking to your computer like that, you will never gain friends here, Sulli.” Said the man. “Lossen up a bit.”

“Yes, Boss.” Said Sulli.

“Oh by the way, Did you hear the latest promotion?” asked Sulli’s Boss.

“Huh?”

“Ms. Kwon just got promoted to level 6.” Said Sulli’s Boss.

“Miss Yuri Kwon is now level 6?” Sulli’s eyes widened. “Wow.”

“Yeah, We were hired by the company at the same time but…she’s gone up there faster.” Said the Boss.

“You’ll reach level 6 soon, Sir.” Said Sulli. “I mean, you might not be as competitive and intelligent as her but…you’ll get there someday.”

“That’s not a comforting thing to say to your Boss, Sulli.” The boss sighed. “You need to learn how to give better compliments so that you could gain friends.”

“I… don’t think I need friends.” Said Sulli.

“Don’t tell me you don’t have any friend at all?” asked the Boss. “Even in middle school or Highschool?”

Sulli did not answer.

“That’s…weird.” Said the boss. “Anyway, don’t stay here too late. It’s Friday night. You should go out and enjoy your youth.”

The boss went out.

Sulli sighed. She can’t say she’s contended without any friend. But the few times she tried to make friends, they were horrible experiences. She vowed never to make the same mistakes. And her life now is not conducive to making friends. She will rather be alone.

Sulli opened her cabinet and saw a piece of paper.

“Boss is level 3.  Ms. Kwon is level 6…. Such a big difference.” Said Sulli.

Sulli looked at her career book. She’s currently at level 1. Tsk. There’s a long way to go for Boss to catch up with Ms. Kwon.

“I just need to get to at least a level 2 soon.” Said Sulli. “If my salary goes up a little higher…my life would go back to normal.”

Sulli finished all her emails. She checked her watch and saw that it was already ten in the evening.

“Oh well…nothing is new.” Sulli stood up. She walked around the office.  She feels safer inside the office. Whenever she goes out…she feels threatened, it feels like there is always danger.

Sulli stopped when she heard two women talking.

“Hyoyeon has just been promoted to level 2 earlier.” Said the first girl.

“What did she do?” asked the second girl. “Did she do anything special?”

“Well…nothing really. But you know Hyoyeon, she makes friends with everyone. I guess that’s why she went up rather fast.” Said the first girl.

Making friends?

Sulli scratched her head.

Hyoyeon made it to level 2 by just making friends?!

How will she ever reach level 2 when she doesn’t have any….friendly trait?

Sulli reached her destination. It’s one of the mini storage rooms that not everyone knows of. She entered it and locked it.

“Finally home!” said Sulli sinking onto the floor that is covered by cartons. She pulled a bag under a table and took her shirt and pajama.

“I am now ready to sleep.”

She put her bag on the floor and used it as her pillow after she changed into her pajama.

Sulli smiled. It’s been two months since she found this storage room. It had been her sanctuary since then. It’s like her beautiful safe place. During her first week, she was paranoid that someone might catch her using an office storage room to sleep. But nowadays, she got numb from the fear. She is so comfortable that nobody will catch her. The past two months, nobody has dared go near this storage.

Sulli closed her eyes. The owner o