17

I had barely clocked in that morning when Mr Han approached my seat.

"Good morning, Miss Kang." He warmly toned in and I already knew that he was here for something else.

"Morning, Mr Han." I drove my fingers through my hair, fluffing them up a bit as I sat on the chair, adjusting myself to the desk. "Good to see you so early."

Yeah, right. Quarter to eight in the morning was the perfect time to have someone bombard me with negative energy.

"Likewise." He nodded, bringing his hands a little too much for my comfort. "It is a pleasure to have someone make the office radiant so early in the morning." He grinned from ear to ear, and there was no maliciousness in that comment right there, but what the heck?

No one had ever told me anything like that. No—not even Jong Suk. This was belligerently flirty. Aggressive. Stuffed-in-the-face type. At that moment, he didn't look so perverted when he said that but still! He was perverted most of the time, wasn't he?

I produced a wide grin, awkwardly chuckling at my laptop.

"How are your preparations for the interview going?"

Wrong question.

"Haha..." He tried to laugh but failed, the nervousness eating him up. "That's what I need your help with, Miss Kang."

I glanced up.

That was new. My help? This man needed my help?

"Sure! What about?" I blinked at him.

He walked around and pulled for himself a seat next to me—the seat that was probably Mirae's. Switching his laptop on, next to mine, he opened a log of documents. What he had been supposedly referring to.

"Yes, so, you see," he began in his unusually nice tone. It was beginning to freak me out. "I've been going through the possible questions I might be asked. Small ones. Major ones. And I did most of it. However, I was told by Mr Min that you are the subject matter expert if I want more insight on the new SQL we work on. Data sorting. And maybe something about cybersecurity, considering that you are in person with the third-floor champs."

Oh.

Oh.

Exploitation of information. That's what the fuck this was.

He was taking my help. My help for a role that I could have applied for too. Was he trying to make sure I wasn't a competition to him? Or was this one of those corporate showdowns?

I fixed the front of my skirt and shrugged.

I didn't have much choice. Not after Mr Min gave me away.

"Right. I can help you with that." I smiled.

Corporately, I was the dumbass of this century. I knew that. You don't help your opponents. But I didn't want that evil thing on my back. I had to be faithful to my job. Not helping someone or sabotaging their career didn't feel right. Except if they did me dirty like that too. I had kept my hate reserved for the ghost on the third floor for now either way.

"So...the SQL notes are saved up on my drive. I'll share a copy with you." I politely added, feeling gracious like a goddess when I assisted him. "They aren't very detailed but they cover what is needed. Cybersecurity, as a whole, I have a lot to learn but I have the basics right here." I clicked my training folder open and glossed out a few things for him. "See? You can refer to this. From an interview standpoint, I think these might not be of much help."

"What does that mean?"

I tilted my head, biting my lip uneasily. "What I mean is—you know, that this is for a managerial role. Your eligibility will be graphed on management skills. Basically, being piled up with tasks and escalations happening simultaneously. It might be helpful if you sorted out the events to understand where a manager's role lies in all these setups."

His eyes glowed. He nodded. "I get it. I need to procure my role requirements here."

"Um-hm." I nodded at the screen. "I can send you a few notes I have that I think will help you. Okay?"

"Definitely, Miss Kang. I appreciate it." He smiled.

"Good morning!" Mirae arrived, dropping her bags on the desk. "Good morning, Mr Han." Her face dropped when she saw her seat occupied.

"Good morning," we both echoed back to the chirpy energy that Mirae flowed in with.

She pulled a chair behind him until he was ready to move out of there.

Once he did, she huddled closer to me, "Miss Kang, you seriously helped him out? Him?"

Yeah. Rub it on me, Mirae. Kill me now.

"It's not that big of a deal. He was very direct about needing help. I couldn't just turn him down."

"Are you sure he wasn't just trying to establish dominance?" Mirae leaned back in her seat, eyes narrowed with judgment.

My eyes flicked to her, "What dominance?"

"Like, you know," she leaned closer, tucking her hair behind her ear as she gushed, "trying to show you that he doesn't even consider you as competition or something? Some people do that, right?"

I seriously hadn't thought about this angle. Somebody throw me through the window or something.

I knew it was possible but not to the point where they took advantage of me. My calibre was mine. He couldn't just steal it up with a few notes and advice. I still had my own race to run.

Yeah—okay, I fucked up but I was too scared to back out of this!

Mr Han didn't stop there. He pressured the hell out of me into helping him. Not only did I have to share my notes, but I also helped him prepare for a few questions and sent him quiz links and alerts on emails that he might have not paid attention to. It was full-on exploitation mode for him but somehow—I repeat—somehow, I wasn't guilty of it. I saw it as something people are supposed to do. Even if you didn't like someone. Was that normal?

It was just an hour of ridiculous brain fog with Mr Han but for the first time, I couldn't wait to go to the Cybersecurity shit waiting for me downstairs.

I dashed into the elevator and rammed into the metal, pretending like people hadn't just chuckled under their breaths. But okay, Haerin. I quietly stuck myself in the corner and sighed.

I clutched the paper bag like life, rechecking the shirt inside it as if it had legs to run. That ballsy man had made it clear enough that he needed it back. I couldn't be shameless and not return it. I made sure to add extra fabric softener and even made sure it smelled nice. Just to throw it in his face like—see? I smell better than you.

The moment I hit the third-floor air, I knew what was off. A few people glanced at me and tried to hide that they were pointing. Popcorn-worthy drama, I know. After the stunt Jungkook's mother had pulled, it was no surprise that this was happening. I felt ashamed nonetheless. So I kept my head low and went straight to that hellhole office.

I pushed the door open and entered. My face blew up. The image of my red lace and that incident kept coming back to me. Slapping me on the face.

He stood next to his desk—his back to me. Something was wrong with his monitor. He was trying to fix it. The elements clattered every time he treated them roughly.

I walked over and put the paper bag on his desk, next to the monitor.

He paused and then looked at me.

"The shirt." I coolly pointed at it.

"Thanks." He said softly. Way too softly for it to be anywhere near the hostility I wanted.

Not a beat out of place.

I turned and walked away from him, not ready for the fact that I was prepared to say something sharp again. Just needed a few seconds to shift the focus.

I had just perched on the visitor's seat when he turned to me.

"Miss Kang,"

I looked at him.

"There." He reminded me, that I was supposed to take a chair next to him.

"Ugh..." I rolled my eyes.

"Ugh?" His voice lowered, face looking like he hated me sevenfold now. "I take my time out to make this easier for you, and ugh is what you say?"

"Someone's suffering from prickly heat in this Antarctica office weather." I scoffed, grabbing the back of the desk chair closest to me.

"Smug? Too smug for your own good." He scolded, not on the kind end today. He sounded like he was holding himself together like that monitor falling apart.

"What's with you aching like a father of ten? I didn't even say anything yet."

His jaw tightened and relaxed. Like he contemplating where to land his punch. "Seriously? You said ugh. Being a brat doesn't make you smarter, Miss Kang."

"I can say whatever the hell I want to. Why don't you just do your job?" I sneered, plopping down on the chair next to his seat. With a start, I began setting up my things.

"Miss Kang—"

"Mr Jeon..." I dramatically dragged his name on my tongue. Just enough so that it was unbearable. "Please don't ruin my headspace so early in the morning, yeah? Good."

He was pissed off but he didn't say anything.

And good that he didn't because I was ready to beat his mom up after my shift for her felonies.

"Jong Suk..."

My head snapped up.

"What?"

Jungkook blinked at me and then gestured at my phone vibrating on the table.

My world tilted when I saw Jong Suk's name blinking on it.

"You could've just said it's ringing. Why read the name like some stalker?" I grimaced like I had tasted sour milk.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jungkook scowled.

I raised a hand to shut him up so I had time to look at the name blinking at me.

I didn't want to answer it. Then again, why? I wanted to push him away but I desperately needed to see what he wanted from me. Was it the same thing that I did?

I wanted to ignore the call but my thumb moved on its own. Typical.

"Hey," I waited, my heart pounding so loudly that I could open a door thinking someone had knocked.

Fucking heartbeats. Loud for no reason.

"Hey...working?" He sounded phased. Like he was struggling to keep himself awake.

"I'm in the middle of it, actually. What's going on?" I strolled over to a safer space, a headless chicken as I paced.

"I just—it's probably not a good time..." He sighed, clearly suffering.

Suffer, you bitch. Suffer like hell but please realise that I'm the best.

"Oh, so you know it?" I scoffed. "I just thought you were an unemployed bastard."

"Heh. You're always trying to act cute with all that sass." He mumbled. "I just hate you right now. I keep finding your stuff. I thought I gave it all back to you."

"I told you to burn it." I scowled. "Don't just find excuses to talk to me, you madman. Why did you call? I'm at work."

There was a loud pause.

It lasted for a little too long.

I glanced at Jungkook. The computer monitor was overturned now. He was leaning over it to check something.

Then, as if the bastard had eyes on his back, he turned to me.

I flinched.

"Can you prioritise the task I gave you? Don't treat this place like a booth." He deadpanned.

Hah.

I wanted to curse but I just turned my back on him.

His mother? Gone.

"If you have nothing to say—"

"I'll be outside your office after work."

"What—"

He had already hung up.

Again.

AGAIN.

Why was this bastard making everything so difficult?

I looked at the phone and gritted my teeth. Like glowering at it could change its mind. It didn't.

Jungkook glared again so I pushed it away and rushed to the desk to continue the work of a slave. Adhere to Jungkook.

I couldn't remember anything after that. Just that I worked a lot. Even got scolded by Mr Min a few times and, of course, Mr Han. That man was all that happened to me that day.

I spent so much of my time helping and slogging that I felt like a corporate slut of some kind. Like, I was really good at it but was forced into it. Did that even make sense?

Nothing did, actually.

Not the fact that Sohyun and Seulgi didn't want me in a 'wanting' way. Not the hell that Jungkook made it difficult to make a career. And neither the fact that I didn't even have friends that I could run to whenever I wanted.

Stuff me up in a cave and I'll probably live happily.

To make 5 PM worse, my dad bought a new smart television under my name. I only realised it happened when the amount was sucked from my account. And suddenly everything I had ever been told about my finances being hell was right.

Because who the fuck would believe that I let this happen to myself?

Kill me now and I'd probably be the happiest in the world. Okay—maybe I was exaggerating. I loved my life even like this.

And when I saw Jong Suk outside waiting for me, it felt like a strategy of life to fuck me up.

Because that man had no business being all dressed up nice to see me. Not when I was hogging for air after slaving for eight hours straight.

Lee Jong Suk was handsome. Like handsome handsome. He was tall like a lighthouse I could catch anywhere. With his smooth build and his face like it was some sculptor's stolen clay. That's how I got the urge to hate him so much.

He could star in one of those CEO dramas, all cold and indecisive and obsessed with a girl. Well—he was never going to be so deeply in love with me, I guessed. We wouldn't be here then.

He waved at me short as if I wouldn't notice that tree of a man.

"Mommy let you out?" I cooed once I was close enough. Close enough to see his heavy eyes sinking from exhaustion too.

He didn't smile. But he didn't glare either. He just gave me the boldest expression he could. Admiration.

"I miss you."

I folded my arms on my chest, "Not my problem."

"I know..."

He knocked his shoe on the ground, awkwardly building foolish space.

What was this?

What the heck was this uneasiness?

"Why did you come? Well, why did you call?" I demanded and he remained quiet. "You were so smug in the beginning. What happened now? All— 'I miss you'. Two-faced douchebag."

"Haerin, language." He scolded me. Again.

"You were the one who told me that I don't have the right to receive from you, right?" I frowned. "Well, see? I can curse out and not be scolded. We're strangers now, Jong Suk."

He looked up, quietly shocked. "How can we go back to being strangers when we shared a bed?"

Wha—what the helly?

I almost flinched comically.

How do you even have a comeback for that? But you know what? I'm the queen of comebacks—in my life—so I couldn't get dethroned like that.

"The same way you can sleep without talking to me every night now." I sneered. "You think this is a one-person issue, Jong Suk? Huh?"

"Did I ever say that?"

"But you're acting like it? Like I'm a slut who can sleep with someone and then not care about them!"

"But you do care, don't you?"

This manipulative bitch.

"So, where are you taking me?" I tried to change the subject. "Aside from 'off the track' which you already have."

"Haerin..." He sighed and then opened the door to his silver car when I continued to glare.

And just like every other time, I did a 360 on my shit and I got into his car.

Call me a stupid bitch. Call me it. Because I did that to myself too. A thousand times when I felt soft with the fragrance of his car.

Damn it!

Damn you Haerin.

I rolled the windows up. It was a shame. A fucking shame that I was doing it again.

Yeah, Jungkook said it too. Maybe I was a bad woman. New low unlocked: bitch.

Just like when Jungkook said it—wait.

My head snapped to Jeon Jungkook actually parked at a distance. Of course, he was there. This was still the office premises. But what I did not expect was him on a sports bike. Like a black, cool type of bike. He was still in his suit, fixing his helmet on his head.

Damn. That did look weirdly hot for some reason.

Yes, Haerin. Be the bitch.

I turned to Jong Suk and the car moved.

"What?" He asked. "Did I breathe wrong?"

"Yes, you did." I forced a smile.

We just went on for some time. He couldn't take me anywhere. So he ended up driving me home, chatting up all sorts of irrelevant stuff.

Not cool.

At least I didn't have to opt for the company cab service. I hated the people in the cabs they offered. All of them wanted the window seat. Everyone. I only took the cabs because that gave me some time to sit back and relax. Wow. That sounded so fucking depressing. I swear it's not that bad.

"Okay. Here we are."

The car halted right at the curb. Like he always did so that nobody saw us.

God, I hated this but I wanted something like this so bad it hurt.

"Yes, we are. Thanks for the ride." I unstrapped myself with a sharp click.

"Anytime, Haerin."

That's it.

My eyes flicked to him, "Really? Anytime? Don't say things you can't do, Jong Suk."

"Why do you think I can't?" He sounded offended.

"Because we're broken up!" I almost yelled but held back. "Do I have to remind you of that every time?"

"Haerin, I'm just—It's just so difficult to be away." He confessed, driving his hand over his face. "You have dates with a guy named Jungkook, working like everything's fine. And I can't even eat the things you ate with me once. I can't do this."

He sounded like I had stuck a jackfruit up his ass.

"Are you joking?"

"What? Joking?" He turned, annoyed. "Am I joking?"

"Because I don't know why you're saying this now? For almost a year, we were fine being away. What happened now?"

"I've just never missed you so much."

It was wrong.

I knew it.

But I did it anyway.

Stick a jackfruit up my ass too. I'd take it too. Bo Ah wouldn't even hold back. And I hated myself for it.

But I leaned forward and kissed him then.

Even though I fucking shouldn't have.

That single kiss. And the way he leapt back like I just provided oxygen, made me feel like he wanted me still.

Somebody kill me please.