There was a large, elegant lobby that stretched from the front door all the way to the elevators. On the left-side wall was a front desk. Two beautiful looking secretaries were smiling at the people walking past them. On the right-side wall was the entrance to a cafeteria.
Though the latter was a place for corporate employees to have lunch or dinner, it looked nothing like the places Su-Jin had seen before. Kanji Tourism's cafeteria looked more like a stylish bar, than a place where you could eat.
After gazing around for several seconds, Su-Jin finally started walking towards the front desk. She stopped in front of one of the women.
"Excuse me." she said, smiling timidly.
She could feel her voice faltering due to renewed nerves.
"My name is Park Su-Jin. I received an email saying I have been accepted for an internship."
"I see. Please give me one moment to check." The woman said, giving Su-Jin a bright smile.
Su-Jin waited while the woman typed on her computer. Meanwhile, she looked around a bit more, registering the people who walked around the lobby. For the first time that morning, she felt conscious of her appearance. Everyone around her was dressed elegantly. If not that, at least their clothes looked much tidier than hers.
Su-Jin raised a hand in a last attempt to push down the hair strands that had gotten loose. All the while, she made a mental note to try harder next time to dress better.
"Ah, yes." The secretary's voice snapped Su-Jin out of her daze. "Miss Park Su-Jin, you are to head to the Planning Department. Please take one of the elevators to the fifth floor. One of my colleagues will be waiting for you at the front desk. Also, take this with you."
She handed Su-Jin an access card reserved for guests.
"Have a good day!" the woman finished, shooting another bright smile.
"Thank you very much!" Su-Jin said, returning the smile.
Clutching the strap of her bag, Su-Jin began walking towards the elevators. That small area was separated from the main lobby by a line of turnstiles. Su-Jin had to use the guests' access card in order to pass through them. A moment later, she found herself in the elevator area.
There were six of them, and having to choose one gave Su-Jin a headache. After considering for a short while, she finally decided on the nearest one, then, decidedly pressed the button to go up. A soft ding came, and the doors opened slowly. Taking a deep sigh, Su-Jin entered the elevator and pressed the fifth floor.
The doors were just about to close, when a yell resonated in the small area in front of the elevators.
"Wait! Wait for me!"
The next moment, a hand appeared between the two closing doors. A body followed afterwards, and a man slipped inside. Judging by his labored breathing and flushed face, it was clear that he had run to catch the ride up.
Su-Jin, who had been quite startled by the sudden commotion, was now gaping at the new arrival.
The man was rather tall and slim built. His attire was casual, made of brown pants and a light beige shirt. He didn't wear a vest or a tie. His brown hair was ruffled in all directions, looking as if he had just woken up. When he finally raised his head to look up at Su-Jin, she almost let out a gasp. The man's eyes had the most beautiful shade of brown she had ever seen. They seemed to be made of molten chocolate, just like his hair.
"I am sorry… for… startling you." he apologized through heavy pants.
He gave her a wide smile, making Su-Jin's breath hitch. With that smile, the man's entire face brightened. His eyes glittered like wet sand, causing his beautiful chiseled face to appear very handsome.
"It's… it's alright." Su-Jin replied quietly.
Then, she lowered her gaze, afraid she might be caught staring too rudely at his face.
"Ah, I see you are going to the fifth floor." he chirped. "First day for you?"
"Yes."
"Mine too." he grinned.
The man's carefree and jubilant attitude made Su-Jin chuckle. Despite looking at least twenty-four years old, he gave off an aura of innocence, similar to that of a little kid. While she was busy analyzing him, the elevator had begun to move upward. They were already on the third floor, when he suddenly turned his entire body towards her.
"Tell me something. Is my hair alright? I'm afraid I left the house in a hurry and didn't get a chance to look in the mirror. I bet it looks all messed up."
His voice sounded whiny, and Su-Jin could almost imagine him pouting. Fighting back another chuckle, she raised her hand, pointing at his head.
"You have a few strands sticking out here."
At her words, he hastily clapped his hands over his hair, smoothing it with his fingers. After another couple of seconds, he again asked her how it looked. It wasn't perfect, but at least it was better than before.
By the time the guy managed to make himself look more presentable, they had reached the fifth floor. The doors opened and Su-Jin got out. She then turned to look expectantly at the man, thinking that perhaps he was going to get out as well. But he merely shook his head. That's when Su-Jin finally realized. He hadn't mentioned what floor he was heading to.
"This is where I leave you. Have a great first day!" he said, waving a hand, and grinning at her.
"Thank you. You as well." she replied, just as the elevator doors were closing.
Su-Jin saw one last fleeting glimpse of his bright grin, then it was gone. For a moment, she remained rooted to the spot, feeling slightly baffled.
'Now that was another strange encounter. Though, I have to admit it was much more pleasant than the first one.' Su-Jin thought to herself, the image of the scowling and yelling black-haired man suddenly coming to her mind.
Su-Jin shook her head vigorously, trying to force the image to disperse from her mind. That's when she realized that she had reached her destination. Not wanting to receive strange looks for standing in the hallway, making silly expressions, Su-Jin took a deep breath, and headed towards the reception desk.