"I don't know," He shrugged. "I didn't know why. I told you that there's a ghost here in the meeting room, right?"
Goodness, gracious. Why would I be scared of a ghost when I am not a normal being myself? I am a mermaid, for goodness sake, I am acquainted with sea witches, fishes, sirens, and I am sure that the world does not limit only to those beings.
I noticed him cracking a smile, so I showed him my fist, "You really should stop joking around, okay?"
"Scary," he laughed. "There were two remotes that can control almost everything here, that includes the lights and the air conditioner. The one you held and the other one is the extra that I just grabbed before I entered the room."
I sighed in relief. "Okay, I get it now."
After I settled my curiosity about earlier's ghost prank, we continued to discuss our plans for the project exhibit. We decided to start on Monday, November 16th. As Seungwoo discussed with Team Leader Bae, we will be logging in to the company at 8 AM, and after that, we are free to roam around and do whatever we need to do for the exhibit. The gathering of pictures and organizing all of the ideas were to last for about a week. After we finish everything, we will hand it over to the marketing team department for approval. Another week will take to finalize everything. Novel launching plus an exhibit and fan signing event will happen on November 30th.
Sounds like a great plan.
We have finished our discussion at 11 AM, and it was a great day to go home and transform into a sloth. Seungwoo and I decided to part ways as I decided to have lunch alone inside my house while he had some business to attend. We bid each other goodbye at the elevator since he was going in his car. It rained, but I was able to bring myself an umbrella, rode the bus, and went home safe and sound.
+++
Sunday, November 15th. Eighty-seven days left before I turn twenty-five. I am lying down on my bed a few hours after I took my lunch. When we were having lunch together with my mom, she scolded me about what I was doing in the company. When I entered the company, my goal is to find my reincarnated prince there and not become a full-time office worker. But actually, I had so much fun in the work that I do that I can't help make it a priority.
If I am fated to meet the reincarnated prince, I will meet him, aren't I right?
I am so excited to do the project exhibit for next week. It feels great to become a part of a newly-published book. I can imagine the thrill of me doing all of the things that I am obliged to do as an editor and copywriter.
It made me think clearly about Seungwoo. I still don't know why he is working as an underground designer-slash-photographer in his subsidiary company when he can be the CEO and the large shareholder of this publishing corporation's parent company. I guess it's not my problem?
I suddenly tensed up when I heard my phone ringing. Kim Seungwoo was calling me on my phone. It's unnatural for him to be calling outside working hours, and I mean, we don't communicate with each other that well (just text messages) though I think we are close enough to consider each other as friends who are colleagues at the same time.
I picked up my phone, clicked the green button, and abruptly said, "Hello?"
"Suji," He answered meekly. "May I ask for the PowerPoint presentation that you made yesterday, and please send it to me by today?
"Oh, okay," I answered,
I remembered my homemade food debt with him, so I brought it up to him, "Can I do your homemade food coupon today?"
"Why would you do that on a Sunday?" He coughed, "Don't you want to take a rest?"
"You seem sick," I remarked. "Are you okay?"
"I am okay, just a few coughs here and there," He answered softly in a low tone, and it made me feel like I am melting. "I haven't eaten anything aside from water,"
"What?!" I exclaimed, "Okay, I'll try to do it as fast as I can. Will you give me the address to your home?"
"Are you really sure about this?" He asked, "Are you worried about me?"
"Of course, I am," I answered. "How will we be able to start our project exhibit without you? You have always helped me; this is the time I return the favor, okay?"
"But--"
"No, buts, okay?" I cut him off as I stood up and went to prepare everything in the kitchen. "Text me the address, okay?"
+++
4th floor, Room 302. I looked at my phone once again to make sure that I am at the correct building, floor, and room number. This building is just a few blocks away from our house; that must have been the reason why we bump into each other from time to time. I pushed the doorbell button in front of me.
Ding, dong, deng. Ding, dong, deng.
I waited for a few seconds, but no one replied. I pushed the doorbell button again.
Ding, dong, deng. Ding, dong---
The door opened up, and the first thing I saw was Seungwoo's messy hair. It was the first time I saw his hair not styled into a comma; his skin tone looked pale. His lips seemed too dry, too. He was wearing a black t-shirt and black pyjama. The overall Seungwoo that I was witnessing for today was something I cannot see at the office. The thought made my heart skip a beat. Somehow, it made me happy to be the first one to see him like this.
Okay, maybe I am not the first one.
I handed the small recyclable bag with the homemade food to him and said, "Enjoy."
"Thank you so much for this," Seungwoo's eyes twinkled as his dimples showed when he smiled. "This would be my first homemade food for a while--"
He could not continue what he said as I saw him closing his eyes, his knees suddenly became weak. He lost unconsciousness as I let him lean over me. I panicked. What am I supposed to do? I am just a frail little mermaid who's getting stomped on with a tall boulder?