Ivy stumbled through the front door, barely managing to kick her heels off before collapsing onto the couch. The day had been long, and after her run-in with that handsome band leader, Ling Xuan, and the confusing whirlwind of Spring Entertainment, she was ready to crash. But as she rubbed her tired eyes, the sound of laughter reached her ears loud, familiar laughter coming from the living room.
She blinked, sitting up. "What the…"
Pushing herself off the couch, she peeked into the living room, and there they were her grandparents, seated comfortably, laughing their hearts out. And right between them, as if she were some kind of queen on a royal tour, sat Pearl, Ivy's best friend.
"IVY!" Pearl screeched dramatically, jumping off the couch and running toward her like she hadn't seen her in years, arms wide open for an exaggerated embrace.
Ivy held up her hands, grinning. "Whoa, whoa, calm down, Pearl. We're not in some K-drama, alright?"
"Oh, shut up! It's been like… what? Eight hours since I saw you last? That's an eternity!" Pearl threw herself onto Ivy like an over-enthusiastic toddler.
Her grandma chuckled, giving Pearl an amused look. "You two are always so lively," she said, shaking her head. "You remind me of when your grandpa and I were young."
"Grandma, please," Ivy said, groaning. "No one needs to hear about that again."
Her grandpa chimed in, pretending not to hear her. "Ah, the good old days. You kids don't know romance. We used to—"
"OKAY, I'm going to my room!" Ivy interrupted, laughing as she dragged Pearl by the arm toward the stairs. "Before you two start talking about things we really don't need to know about!"
Her grandma's voice followed them as they went up the stairs. "You two behave yourselves up there!"
Ivy rolled her eyes and shoved Pearl into her room before closing the door behind them. Pearl flopped dramatically onto Ivy's bed, already taking up as much space as possible, her legs sprawled like she owned the place.
"So, tell me," Pearl began, wiggling her eyebrows. "How was your FIRST DAY as Ms. CEO's Assistant?"
Ivy kicked off her shoes and joined Pearl on the bed, face down into the pillow, groaning loudly. "Girl, it was a disaster!"
Pearl sat up suddenly, eyes wide like she was watching a soap opera. "WHAT?! Tell me EVERYTHING. Don't you dare leave a single detail out."
Ivy rolled over and started waving her hands wildly as she spoke, her voice dramatic and full of exaggeration. "First, I nearly got lost in this massive building. Then, I stumbled into some band's practice room, like, literally fell in front of them. My shoes betrayed me!"
Pearl's mouth dropped open in fake horror. "Oh my God, were they hot?"
Ivy sighed dramatically. "SO hot. I mean, their leader? Ling Xuan? Girl, he has dimples! And ginger hair. I nearly asked him to sign my forehead."
Pearl gasped, slapping Ivy's arm. "Stop it! Did he ask for your number?"
Ivy's face turned smug. "Oh, he did. And I gave it to him."
Pearl screamed, throwing a pillow at her. "You sly fox! Did you just secure yourself a rock star boyfriend on your first day?"
"Hold your horses, Romeo." Ivy laughed. "He said he doesn't like short girls."
Pearl's face went from excitement to shock. "Excuse me?! That's discrimination! Short girls are elite! He should be begging for your number, not acting like a six-foot-tall giraffe!"
Ivy burst out laughing. "I know, right? I was so offended! But whatever, he was sweet. He even walked me around the building like a gentleman."
Pearl wasn't having it. She put her hands on her hips, standing on Ivy's bed like she was about to give a presidential speech. "We are petitioning this! How dare he, the disrespect! He should worship your shortness!"
Ivy cackled, throwing another pillow at her. "Sit down, you weirdo."
Pearl flopped down dramatically, and then leaned in with a mischievous grin. "Okay, but for real. How was Mr. Mask? Did you meet the infamous CEO?"
Ivy's expression changed, a mix of curiosity and frustration.
'I saw his face though, but I don't even think he's the one. He won't show his face to a lowly assistant like me.' She thought.
"Nope. Not even a glimpse. The guy is like a myth at this point. All I heard were more rumors about him wearing that mask because he's supposedly 'hideous.' But, you know what? I don't buy it."
"Maybe he's like one of those characters from a novel," Pearl said, staring up at the ceiling like she was lost in thought. "You know, all mysterious and hiding behind the mask because he's secretly ridiculously hot."
Ivy snorted. "Or he just likes hiding his face because he's dramatic. Honestly, the whole thing is starting to feel like some weird movie. I just want to do my job without all this mystery and confusion!"
Pearl gave her a sly look. "But you *love* mystery. Don't act like you're not curious about him."
Ivy rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips. "Fine, maybe a little. But honestly, the whole thing's kind of a headache. I just want to survive this job without embarrassing myself any further."
"Too late," Pearl teased, poking Ivy's side. "You already fell in front of a band. Next up, you'll probably trip over the CEO himself."
Ivy groaned loudly. "Don't even joke about that. I will literally never recover."
Pearl gave her a playful nudge. "Well, whatever happens, I'm sure you'll handle it. You always do."
Ivy sighed, lying back on the bed.
"Yeah, maybe. Or I'll just keep tripping through life, one awkward encounter at a time."
Pearl giggled. "Well, at least you'll have a rock star friend to pick you up when you fall."
Ivy laughed. "True. Plus, I've got you."
They both grinned at each other, sharing the easy, comfortable silence of best friends who had each other's backs, no matter how many embarrassing moments life threw at them.