Chapter 5

Granola Bar

8:04AM, Gangnam

Sulli is fired up! She will give her best today. She will learn everything in the training and she will absorb each topic like a sponge. She will be the cost resource person for the project led by Minho’s team. She will try her best to succeed. Because she’s no longer the loser she was yesterday, she’s now Sulli the Fighter!

“I am not going to repeat this twice so you better listen carefully.” Said Luna.

Sulli nodded energetically.

“You look like you had coffee this morning.” Said Luna.

“Coffee?”

“You look like you have energy. You usually come in every morning like a zombie.” Said Luna.

“Oh!” said Sulli. Wow, Minho was right! Mindset can really change you.

“I was able to sleep well last night.” Said Sulli.

“Hmm…so you really have insomnia huh?” said Luna.

Sulli tried to smile.

“I’m slowly overcoming it.” Said Sulli.

She can only thank her savior. He is the reason why she can sleep well at night and she can have this new found energy to fight.

“Let’s start then.” Said Luna.

“Sulli, Hwaiting!” said Sulli.

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10:30AM, Gangnam

Minho and Ms. Lin walked the 3rd floor of the building.

“So there’s the Purchasing department over there. Ms. Seo is the person we need to talk to.” Said Ms. Lin.

Minho nodded.

“Is Ms. Seo aware of the project?” asked Minho.

“She was in the kick off meeting yesterday.” Said a male subordinate.

“Good.” Said Minho.

Minho and Ms. Lin walked on.

“Oh, so that’s where the Cost Department is seated.” Said Ms. Lin.

Minho stopped and saw a few steps from them, Sulli and Luna bent together on some reading materials. It seems Luna is teaching Sulli something and Sulli is attentively listening. She has that stern look in her face. Her hair is tucked behind her ear.

“I didn’t know she’s pretty.” Said the male subordinate. “That girl always has her hair on her face.”

Even others are starting to notice.

“She looks like she’s really getting ready for the project.” Said Ms. Lin.

Minho saw Sulli biting her lips as she seemed to struggle understanding what Luna was explaining. Sulli took a deep breath and then wiped a sweat on her forehead.

“Ms. Lin.” Said Minho. “Can you go ahead to the meeting with the Purchasing team? Tell them I’d be a few minutes late?”

“Umm…sure Boss.” Said Ms. Lin.

Ms. Lin and the male subordinate walked on.

Minho took his phone and looked for the internal company chat app. He looked for Sulli’s name.

“I think we need a quick break.” Said Luna.

Sulli nodded.

Sulli noticed  the chat app on her computer. She opened the window and when she saw who was chatting her, she immediately covered the monitor. She peeked at the message.

“Fire exit, 3rd floor. Now.”

Sulli took a deep breath.

“I’ll just go to the washroom.” Said Sulli.

“Don’t take long.” Said Luna. “We still need to finish this.”

Sulli nodded.

Sulli went to the fire exit and found Minho, his back to the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

“What do you need?” asked Sulli, her brows still closed together.

“Was it hard?” asked Minho.

“Huh?” asked Sulli.

“I saw you and your team mate while I was walking by. You seemed to be having a hard time.” Said Minho.

“Oh that.” Said Sulli. “Luna was explaining something complicated.”

“What did you eat for breakfast?” asked Minho.

“Umm….”

Truth is…she ate nothing for breakfast hoping she can wait for her Boss’ free bread by lunch.

“You’re breaking sweat on your forehead. You’re a bit dizzy and hasn’t been getting anything Luna was saying for possibly an hour.” Said Minho.

“How did you know?” asked Sulli.

“You’re low in sugar.” Said Minho. “A person who is not eating well will surely not be able to focus well.”

“So…I need to eat…but I don’t have money right now.” Said Sulli.

Minho walked beside Sulli and put something on her forehead. It fell on Sulli’s hand. It’s a pack of granola bar.

“Food…” Sulli’s eyes widened, she wet her lips in anticipation.

“I’ll add that to the food you have to pay next week.” Said Minho.

Minho turned to leave but Sulli caught his arm.

“Wait. How much is this? I can’t eat anything expensive.” Said Sulli.

“It’s a very cheap granola bar. I won’t give you anything expensive. Who do you think you are?” asked Minho.

“Thank goodness.” Said Sulli as she quickly opened the bar and ate it with vigour. Minho’s eyes thinned into slits.

“Oh, thank you very much for this.” Sulli said while was full. “So good!”

“I’m doing it for the success of my project. You have to be a real Cost expert by the time my project starts. You need to learn as much as you can today.” Said Minho.

“I will do my best.” Said Sulli. “I’m fighter Sulli.”

Minho smirked and then he left the fire exit.

Sulli took a deep breath. The Granola bar tasted heavenly.

He saved her yet again. Sulli stopped chewing her food as she felt something funny in her chest. Sulli looked at the granola bar’s name.

“Is there a funny ingredient? Why is my chest feeling all tingly?”

Sulli bit her lip.

Minho Choi is a really kind person. He might be irritated by her because she’s a blackmailer, he might not be happy that she’s invading his home but he… couldn’t stop himself from taking care of the people around him. If he’s already like this to a nobody, how much more to his team?

Sulli shook her head.

She’s becoming like the other girls.

Minho Choi is a good Boss. Now, she has no choice but to agree with them.

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Minho went to the Purchasing team meeting. They stayed at the purchasing department’s workstation.

“So we are committing 2 hours a day of two of my men to work on your project.” Said Ms. Seo of the Purchasing Department.

Minho could see the Cost Accounting team from where he stood.

“We need four hours of two of your men.” Said Minho. “2 hours is simply not enough.”

“That is true.” Said Ms. Lin. “According to our estimates four hours is already conservative.”

Minho saw Sulli’s aura now changed. She appears to be not so stressed about what Luna was discussing. She has eaten the granola bar for sure.

“That is going to be hard to manage.” Said Ms. Seo. “We have two other projects down the pipeline.”

“Let’s meet in the middle then. It’s going to be a win-win solution. 3 hours per day, but your men has to deliver the commitments.” Said Minho.

“I’m giving you my best men, I’m sure they can deliver. 3 hours per day then.” Said the Purchasing manager

Ms. Lin , Minho and