29 September

The office was busy. The 3rd quarter was coming to an end and there was a hushed silence, signaling that the accounts team was busy tallying up figures, ensuring accounts balanced and that all expenses and revenue for the past 3 months have been accounted for.

Mina glanced at the moving figures on the computer screen, her face etched with concentration as she wrote the various numbers on a notepad.

Why doesn't the expenses tally with the budget? Its off by almost 25%.

Mina had been doing budget auditing for the past hour and was beginning to get frustrated. She hated discrepancies but she hated finding the cause of the discrepancies more. Frowning, Mina tore the piece of paper she was writing on and walked out of her cubicle. She began walking in the direction of Hyuna's table. Hyuna was in charge of budgeting and Mina wanted to reconfirm some of the amounts with her.

Mina turned right without looking up, slowly forming a pout as she looked at the numbers again. She was about to look up when she suddenly felt someone pull her right arm hard, really hard.

"Yeow!" Mina screamed as she tried to regain her balance and look at her perpetrator at the same time.

It was Kyuhyun. Dressed in a dark blue long sleeved shirt and dress pants, Mina felt her heartbeat race their eyes made contact. She looked at her arm and realized he was still holding her and that her arm was aching slightly due to his sudden pull.

Kyuhyun slowly let her go and smiled. "I'm sure you weren't going to consult the wall on your numbers right?" He motioned at something behind Mina. Mina turned around and was surprised to see that she was just a mere few inches away from the said wall.

"Oh..." Mina spluttered, "I didn't realize..."

"Didn't your mother tell you to always look where you're going?" he asked, his tone was still light and teasing. "The whole office may be busy and quiet but you would have scared them if their department head head-banged the wall."

Mina glanced at the office and while some of them had their attention on their screens, a few were still watching her and Kyuhyun.

"I'm okay!" She signaled to them before turning to Kyuhyun.

"Thanks for that, I definitely don't need a concussion right now." She waved the piece of paper she was holding. "This alone, is concussion-worthy."

"Budgeting?" Kyuhyun asked as he began reading some of her scribbles.

Nodding, Mina sighed as she briefly explained to him her problem.

"I was thinking of consulting Hyuna..." Mina craned her neck to get a glimpse of Hyuna and realized Hyuna's table was empty. Her things were neatly stacked and her stationery were all kept in their holders.

"She's on leave today." Mina mumbled as she remembered Hyuna asking for permission to take time off for her parents wedding anniversary.

"Guess I have to figure this out myself then." She excused herself from Kyuhyun and walked towards Hyuna's shelf, searching for the file that contained the budgeting documents from the previous year.

The hours passed, and the afternoon turned into evening. At 6 PM, many of Mina's colleagues began packing up and left the office. But not Mina,  she still hadn't figured out the root of the discrepancy despite working on it for almost 4 hours.

At 6:45, Tina stopped by her table.

"Should I wait up? You look like you're ready to kill someone."

Mina sighed and stood up. "I can't get this blasted figure to tally with the actual amount. And Hyuna won't be around till next week to help me with this."

Tina patted her sisters shoulder sympathetically and placed a small paper bag on her table.

"I know you're not going to get dinner unless you finish your work. So here's some yoghurt bars. I got you some earlier during lunch."

Feeling her mood lift up almost immediately, Mina reached out to hug her sister and mumbled her thanks.

"Tell Mom not wait up, I'll be home by 11, latest."

Tina nodded. "If its of any comfort, you definitely got all of Mom and Dad's brainy genes so this is something that you can definitely solve."

Tina then walked towards the lift and waved at her sister, yelling "Hwaiting!" right before she entered the lift.

Opening the paper bag, Mina felt her heart gush with gratitude as se saw five of her favorite youghrt bars. Grabbing one, she opened it and bit into it, savoring the creamy yet sour taste, remembering suddenly how ravenous she was since she didn't have time for lunch earlier.

A cup of Earl Grey would be lovely though.

She began walking towards the pantry, her eyes inadvertently turning to the right to peep into the Director's office.

Though she was expecting it, she still felt a tinge of surprise when she saw Kyuhyun sitting there, on the director's chair, his eyes on the screen.

He had rolled up his sleeves and was typing, his eyes focused on the large screen in front of him.

Should I offer to make tea for him?  Or would that be too forward?

Mina remained outside his door for a few moments, contemplating whether to take up the idea to offer him tea or just stick to her original plan of minding her own business.

Surely it won't be wrong if I ask him if he wants tea? What's the worse that can happen? He just says 'No thank you', right?

Taking a deep breath, Mina raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Yep?"

Mina pushed open the door and took a step in.

"I was just about to go to the pantry and make tea. Do you want one?" Mina asked as she wrung her fingers behind her back.

Looking up, Kyuhyun smiled. "Hey...Tea would be wonderful. I've been sitting here for the past..." He looked at his watch and was shocked to see the time. "Its almost 7 already?"

Mina nodded.

"Are we the only ones left in the office?"

Glancing to her left and right, Mina nodded again.

"I didn't realize the time, I only thought it was 5 or 6..."

"So tea? Yes?" Mina asked again, feeling a little out of place that her offer took longer than she expected to be rejected.

"Yep, give me a moment. Let me just save the final draft and I'll join you. I've been sitting for 4 hours and my legs need to move."

After a few mouse clicks, Kyuhyun stood up, groaning as he took a few steps towards her.

"Pins and needles." He grimaced as his face twitched with every step he took.

Once at the pantry, Mina took the cups and teabags while Kyuhyun boiled the water.

"What are you working on?" Mina asked as she placed two tea bags in the cups.

"My speech for tomorrow."

Mr Cho Senior's last day as the Director was the next day and there was going to be a formal dinner for Kyuhyun's appointment. The office was to be closed for the employees to have time to get ready. The staff, plus many of the shareholders, were going to be there to bid farewell to their Director of 30 years and to officially welcome Kyuhyun into the company.

"I think its ready, I just need to rehearse so that I can get feedback." After pouring water into both cups, he passed one to Mina.

"How about you? Budgeting still?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I'm still stuck on the same item as I was 4 hours ago?"

"Why don't you let me take a look at it? I may know something, since I was looking at the budgeting files a few weeks ago."

Mina stared at him, unsure on how to reply.

"Come on, I may not be an accounts expert but I did do budgeting as one of my subjects. Maybe you just need some new perspective to help you." He then made his way out of the pantry and sauntered towards Mina's table, his  cup of tea held steadily in his right hand.

Mina stood beside him as he sat by her desk with her orange calculator and notepad in hand. Occasionally, he'd look up to ask her something before returning his attention to the screen.

After a grueling hour, things looked like it was falling into place as most expenses began falling within the budgeted amounts.

"So now we're left with manpower and staff..." Mina pointed to the highlighted section on the screen, denoting that it was still unaccounted for.

"I know. You have a few missing documents. There should be a total of eighty-two salary slips given to our temporary help but your file keeps three. No wonder you can't balance the numbers." Kyuhyun started keying in the various digits and showed her the total, the numbers she had been longing to appear since she began on the work.

"How-How do you know that?" Mina asked, incredulous that he solved her problem for her.

"I told you I was looking at the files before?"

"And you actually remembered how many salary slips we distributed?"

"I remember all sorts of things. My brain amazes me." Smirking, Kyuhyun stood up and gave Mina the chair, inviting her to check his work.

"Satisfactory?"

As Mina looked at the computer screen, she felt her face finally crack into a smile.

"It all adds up!" She exclaimed.

"I wasn't that bad after all?"

Mina immediately saved the document and wanted to hum a happy tune. She was done and she didn't have to stay in the office till late.

"You saved me twice today. First, with the wall and now, this...How can I ever say thanks?"

Putting his hand behind his neck, Kyuhyun looked as though he was hesitating about his answer.

Oblivious to his hesitation, Mina began packing her things, only looking up after she was done.

"So what can I do to pay you back for the help you gave me?"

"Well..."

Mina raised an eyebrow and nodded at Kyuhyun, as if asking him to go on.

"Oh, I know. I'll listen to your speech and give feedback? Sure!"

Kyuhyun frowned, biting his lip slightly.

Oh dear, why is he biting his lip. He looks like he's modeling, with his hand like that...

"I was wondering if we could do that...over dinner?"

That jolted Mina from her fantasy and she wanted to pinch herself to make sure she heard right.

"Dinner?" Mina stammered,  "Are you asking me out?"

Kyuhyun's eyes widened, and he began shaking his head vigorously. "I was thinking to do it while eating since I'm starving. It beats us doing it here in the office and I'm sure you're hungry too."

Feeling more disappointed than hungry, Mina ignored the former and tried to smile.

You idiot. Why did you assume he was asking you for a date? But that did hurt though, he reacted as though it was repulsive to go on a date with me.

"Yeah, I'm starving too. I only had a yoghurt bar the whole of today."

"Let's go." Kyuhyun then began walking towards the lifts, Mina following behind him.

30 September

"...work hard together to keep Chojun not only a successful company, but a company that Korea can be proud of."

The audience stood and clapped enthusiastically as Kyuhyun ended his first speech as the new Director of Chojun Ginseng.

Mina was amongst the enthusiastic clappers, feeling inwardly pleased that Kyuhyun took note of her suggestions and incorporated them into his speech.

He and his bombastic vocabulary... He would have bored us to death.

After leading a toast in honor of his son, both father and son stepped down the stage and mingled with the waiting crowd, where the first to greet them were the major shareholders.

"I don't even know what we're doing here." Mina mumbled as she stood at one corner of the grand ballroom, swinging her dark blue clutch hanging from her left wrist. "The food's icky, we don't even know much about business going-ons and I'm already bored."

JiYeon, one of her accountants, smiled emphatically, " At least we got an off and we get too look pretty."

"You look pretty. I don't. I hate wearing makeup..." Mina made a face as she grabbed the lone glass of wine that was on a passing waiter's tray. "If it wasn't for Tina's begging, I would be at home reading Nicholas Sparks." Mina sighed as she wished she could have brought Message in a Bottle along. But the clutch only had room  for her wallet, phone and a few band-aids (just in case, you'll never know when you need them.)

"Oooh...Nicholas Sparks. Sounds like you're a hopeless romantic!"

"I prefer to call it 'Tragedy Seeker.'" Mina scrunched up her nose as she took a sip of the wine, "How do you drink this thing? Its nasty!"

JiYeon took the glass from her friend and drank its contents in one gulp, smiling at Mina as she wiped with a paper towel.

"Are you going to congratulate our new Director?" JiYeon asked, nudging Mina's side as she nodded in Kyuhyun's direction.

Mina looked up and saw him walking around the ball room, with Mr Cho Senior, Mrs Cho and Tina closely behind. Tina caught her sister's eye and began making hand signs, which Mina could not decipher.

Giving up, Mina took out her phone and waved it at her sister. Tina puffed out her cheeks in exasperation and stood a little further from Mr and Mrs Cho and took out her own phone from her clutch.

Come say hi. I don't think Mr Cho Senior has met you yet.

She was right. Having been appointed as the Head of the Accounts Department only about slightly less than a year ago, Mina hasn't met Mr Cho Senior yet as the latter only met up with the department heads on an annual basis.

He doesn't need to. He's leaving already.

Mina avidly shook her head at her sister, and refused to move from her corner.

Suit yourself. You could have gotten a moment with Mr Man of Your Dreams.

Mina rolled her eyes at her sister's new nickname for Kyuhyun. The previous week, he was "Make your knees go weak-Man" since Mina overused that figure of speech everytime she would talk about him to her sister during lunch.

Mina then returned her phone to her clutch and looked at Jiyeon, who was watching the crowd.

"Aren't you bored?"

Looking back at Mina, she shrugged. "I just find people watching so interesting. Look at that woman trying to attract that man she's talking too by giggling too much." She nodded at the said lady in a frilly green frock. She wasn't bad looking but its just the frills made her look the twin of a feather duster.

"What about her?"

"It won't work."

Mina gave her friend a questioning glare.

"He's gay."

Mina was thankful she wasn't drinking anything at that time. "What gave you that idea?"

"I was in the ladies just now and he came out of the male toilet..." Jiyeon turned at her friend and grinned, "with another man, the two of them holding hands."

Mina was gobsmacked, unsure if she should react or what reaction to give. She settled for a non-committal "Really?"

Jiyeon winked at her and took two glasses of champagne from the table behind them. "Try this. This is better."

Mina and took a small sip of pale yellow liquid and tasted the sweetness of the wine.

"I still prefer beer though."

"I'm sorry we don't serve any beer here."

The voice would have only been too familiar if Mina had not been going to bed thinking of its owner.

Turning around, Mina and Jiyeon were greeted by the smiling faces of the Chos and her sister.

Mina felt the blood start pooling in her cheeks as she suddenly felt self conscious of what she was wearing. It was dark blue short-sleeved cocktail dress that she bought with her sister's nagging. It wasn't fancy but it was simple which Mina accessorized with a small bird-shaped necklace, which also happened to be the logo of Chojun Ginseng.

"Hi." Upon realizing how informal she sounded, Mina immediately felt regret and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude..."

Mr Cho Senior laughed jovially, "No need to worry about me. I'm no longer someone important."

Still blushing, Mina shook the hands of the couple, pausing only when her hand was unreciprocated by Kyuhyun.

"We've met before, why are you offering me your hand?"

Mina heard Tina stifle a laugh and put her hand down. "Yeah, we did."

You idiot. Can you speak coherently and behave like a human?

Mina tore her eyes from the younger man, determined not to think about how attractive he was in his tuxedo. His shirt, instead of white, was dark gray which gave his handsome features a more pronounced look.

"This is my sister, the accounts head." Tina then placed an arm around her little sister's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

"Say hi to your future in laws." She whispered, before joining Mrs Cho, who was smiling warmly at Mina.

Mina looked at Mr Cho Senior and smiled, "Thank you for all your hard work, sir."

"Thank you for keeping our accounts problem free. I'm glad you're with us."

Mina then introduced Jiyeon and after a few questions from Mr Cho Senior about the accounts team, Mr Cho Senior began moving on to the next group they wanted to greet.

"How was the speech? Glad I made the changes?" Kyuhyun asked as he stopped in front of Mina, his dark brown orbs twinkling.

"It was alright..." Mina offered, not wanting to show how pleased she was with his editing.

"Just alright?" Kyuhyun teased, the corners of his eyes creasing as he grinned.

"Oh alright, I'm glad you took my advice and changed the words."

Upon hearing that, Mr Cho Senior stopped in his tracks and looked at Mina disbelievingly.

"You helped him with his speech?"

Afraid of answering, Mina nodded silently.

" I knew it, it was too easy to understand. I knew he wouldn't have written it all on his own." Mr Cho Senior began clapping his son on the back.

Mina remained looking dumbfounded.

"Oh don't get my husband wrong. He just means that Kyuhyun never uses simple words when he does his speeches. We usually do the toning down of word choices for him but surprisingly last night he didn't get us to listen to him." Mrs Cho explained. " He said he had it all figured out."

"Yes Mother, I'm not the genius. She helped me last night."

"Oh Mina, thank you for not only the help in numbers, but for also for my son's speech tonight. Remind him to give you a pay increase next month."

Mina continued smiling as they made their way again as Kyuhyun gave her a wink and her sister on her phone, tapping wildly as Mina suspected that message was going going to be hers to read.

What happened last night? How did Cho Junior and you end up doing his speech??????

Choosing to reply her sister when they were at home, Mina turned to Jiyeon.

"So you and Mr Yummy meeting after office hours now eh?""