"You are in a mess, Li Suji."
I noticed Seungwoo snapping his fingers as if he was snapping me back to reality.
What just happened?
I shook my head vigorously. My vision blurred for a moment, and I saw Seungwoo's face staring at me like I am some worm, wriggling in front of him. He opened his mouth as if he was trying to say something, but he didn't continue. I looked around, and we were still in the same pantry in the company, but he was seated next to me at a forty-five-degree angle as much as I was to him.
"Did you do something to me?" I asked, "Didn't you just---?"
"What? What's wrong? What did I do?"
I shifted my gaze away from him, glanced down, and I felt all of my blood on my face. I can't believe I just fantasized about Seungwoo--with me, kissing and making out? How can I daydream about him--and it's not even a simple daydream!
"No-nothing," I said. "What were you going to say to me about work?"
"Wait, why are you averting your gaze? Your cheeks are red, too. Are you blushing?" He raised his hand and put in on my cheeks, "Your face is burning hot, too,"
I pushed his hand away from me and stood up, "Let's do our small meeting later on, okay?"
"What was wrong with you? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, nothing!!" I yelled, "I'm going back to work, talk later."
+++
"Did Mr. Kim told you about teaming up for a written and photography book related to the book we are publishing?" Team Leader Bae Yunqiong approached me on my desk. I looked at her from head to toe, and she was wearing high heels and a pink suit, black undershirt, and pink slacks. She's the literal definition of all-pink.
"Ah, not yet, miss." I stood up and smiled awkwardly, "Can you give me a briefing about it?"
She rolled her eyes as a response, "Well, the writer of the book wants to include photos and scenes that are closely related to the book, and you have to go to the streets of Seoul and find great places for great scenarios. Your job is to find or make a quote that correlates with the story, and you can emphasize them with the pictures you have selected. It is for the photo and quotes exhibit for the book."
I nodded, "Is there a specific time frame that we have to do this? We have three weeks left to publish the book?"
"Yes, of course, you have to finish proofreading the book earlier than Friday so that you can start with Mr. Kim and compromise with him and make a plan."
"I still have a lot of things to do, and I am not sure if I can finish everything before Friday."
"Then, I can do it instead," she said.
"You'll edit the book for me?"
"Of course not," the corner of her mouth was raised as if she was mocking me. "I'll do the planning and the photo/quote exhibit, myself. I'll take this as a great opportunity to boost my profile."
I agree with her. It's an opportunity to boost your profile. Moreover, CEO Seo is the author of the work, and I have no idea if our Team Leader knows who the author is. But if she does, I know that she would want it even more.
"I'll see what I can, Team Leader Bae," I replied firmly. "I'm hoping to boost my profile too, as I am a newbie,"
She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes again. I swear this is her trademark. "You better not take your time too much, and I guess you'll be needing a lot of OT starting today!"
+++
"It's 5 PM Suji-yah," Rina-sunbae called my attention while I was busy looking at the monitor screen. "Are you starting yours today?"
I turned to look at her, "Yes."
She approached me and gave me a piece of choco pie, "Take it easy, okay? I wished we could have eaten dinner together, though."
"Next time, sunbae." I smiled at her and received the choco pie, "Thank you so much for this!"
Several hours have passed, and I thought I heard my stomach grumbling. It's already 8 PM, and I decided to let stop. I turned off the computer and decided to stay for a snack. I opened the choco pie Rina-sunbae gave me earlier when a man's voice was suddenly out of nowhere.
"Was that the choco pie I gave you last time?"
I shrieked as I searched for the voice that somehow came behind me. I was shocked to find Seungwoo at the back, wearing his all-black office outfit. Almost every part of the room was dim, and the light that I have was the fluorescent lamp directly above me.
"YOU SCARED ME!!!"
He gave me a boyish laugh, "Did I? Sorry, haha."
"How can you laugh right now?" I angrily yelled at him and took a bite of my choco pie. It is delicious. You start craving something sweet when you are a bit busy and stressed from work. Choco pie is the best!
"Answer my question, though,"
"No, Rina-sunbae gave this to me." I said, "I wasn't able to eat what you--" I paused and gave an awkward smile. "Nothing."
"What do you mean by that? You are acting weird. You were weird earlier, too. You ran away because you were spacing out for two minutes?" He told me, "And what do you mean about not being able to? Not being able to eat my what?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
A brief silence.
"What do you mean by you were not able to eat my what?" He raised his eyebrows and walked towards me. My attention suddenly now at his lower part of the body. He paused for a bit and said, "My choco pie?"
The memory of us making out together suddenly returned, and I was blushing like a crazy woman. Why on earth does he make it sound so sexy and suggestive?! Please, God of mermaids, purify my mind, for I have sinned.
"No, I meant that Manager Jeong got the choco pie that you gave me, so I have left nothing but air to eat with."
"You can eat me, though?"
"Huh?!" I shrieked and gave such a funny facial reaction no one could ever imagine. Is this guy teasing the hell out of me?
"Just kidding," he laughed while tapping his abdomen. "You are blushing like crazy, though,"
"Go away; you are disturbing me."
"I am disturbing you because I ooze such manliness and sexy pheromones all over my body that you can't resist me."
This guy is beyond crazy. I was so annoyed that I stood up, hopped for a bit, and encircled my right arm on his head—a headlock.
"You have such a unique way of getting into people's nerves,"
"Sorry, sorry, I have committed a crime. Please spare me, Princess."
I released him from the headlock and said in a historical speaking voice. "Consider yourself forgiven, and don't do it ever again."
"Do you know that I can feel your chest on my head, though?" He said in a teasing manner, "It's a size that I like and, if I may have to guess cup C?"
What the---? How dare he talk about---?
"Come here, COME HERE YOU LITTLE PIECE OF--"