Jiwoo was so immersed in the paper before her that she didn't notice Jinsol calling to her until the woman stood in front of her. "Yes?" She asked, startled by the sudden apparition.
The other woman was looking at her with mild annoyance. Jiwoo noted that she'd tied her hair in a loose ponytail and sported a pair of glasses perched on her nose. A way more casual look than earlier. "I tried calling you. Why did you not answer the phone?"
Confused, Jiwoo went to pick up her smartphone, but Jinsol raised her hand. "What are you doing?"
"You said you called me, but I didn't-my phone didn't go off."
Jinsol sighed and rubbed her temples, her glasses going slightly up. "Not that one. I called your phone station."
Jiwoo looked at her as if she was speaking gibberish. Phone station? Jinsol let out another sigh. "This," She pointed to an office phone. "is your phone station. Most of my calls have to be filtered through you. IT should have set it up, so why did you not answer?"
Looking closer at the device, they both noticed a red light shining. Somehow, Jiwoo had managed to put it on mute. "Whatever, just go get me lunch." Jinsol said, ultimately resigned.
Lunch? Jiwoo looked at the clock, only then realizing it was already noon. She'd been so engrossed in the folder that she hadn't noticed the place slowly emptying. Thinking about it, she realized just how much she was starving.
Jinsol was already walking back to her office when Jiwoo remembered what she'd just asked of her. "Where am I supposed to get it?"
Without stopping, the other woman told her to get it at the cafeteria. "Just, tell them to put it on my note. They already know my usual." With that, her office's door closed.
Jiwoo sighed before returning her attention to the sheets scattered all over her desk. In her hours of reading, the redhead had only 59 pages. She wanted to die. It didn't help that a quick glance towards Sooyoung's office told her that her friend was still nowhere to be seen.
Dejected, she stood up from her workstation, only to realize she had no idea where the cafeteria stood. Worst, with a building that size, Jiwoo was convinced there would be multiple ones. How to know which one she was supposed to head to?
"First day?" Jiwoo sprung away, startled by the sudden appearance of a man in her vicinity.
"Sorry?"
"It's your first day, right? I could tell on that troubled face you made."
Jiwoo blushed, embarrassed. "Is that so obvious?"
"Don't worry. All newbies are like this at first." The man told her before extending his hand. "Choi Myungju, but you can call me MJ." He introduced himself.
Jiwoo took his hand with both of hers. "Kim Jiwoo."
"Kim Jiwoo?" A thoughtful look passed MJ. "Your name sounds eerily familiar. Have we met before?"
Jiwoo pondered about it for a second before shaking her head. A thought hit her then. Jiwoo gasped. "Are you trying to hit on me?" She took a step away from him. She's heard similar lines enough times in dramas.
Myungjun looked at her aghast, shaking vehemently his head and hands. "What, no. I'm not that kind of-" He suddenly snapped his finger. "You're the girl from this morning. The one that had the altercation with the big boss. I saw you with Sooyoung."
Jiwoo's cheeks regained their redness at the reminder of what had taken place earlier that day. But MJ didn't seem done with recognizing. "Wait, you're THE Jiwoo. Sooyoung's friend Jiwoo."
He was less speaking to her and more so to himself. Jiwoo frowned. "Did Sooyoung-unni talk about me?"
A knowing smirk nestled on MJ's face, doing nothing to alleviate Jiwoo's lost expression. "Don't worry about that. But if you're Sooyoung's friend, then that means that you and I are now both friends. So, tell me, how can this sunbae help you?"
Seven minutes later, Jiwoo was in a line waiting for her turn to order. She'd found the right place, thanks to MJ. Her new coworker accompanied her all the way to the one he presumed to be where Jinsol went. According to him, he only knew that because he'd caught her once eating there.
Jiwoo had come to know that despite having been put as the head of Atypical, Jinsol had had barely any contact with her team outside of official work-related matters. She basically sequestered herself in her office and him seeing her had been a miracle to begin with.
Jiwoo also learned a thing or two about Myunjun in that time. He was an OG of the company, working mainly with the photography department as director of photography. And he'd known Sooyoung since she started working in Atypical all those years back.
They finally reached the end of the line, and when Jiwoo could see the prices, she choked on the air. Prices were extremely high. Since when was a simple sandwich for 12k won?
Having forgotten to pack any lunch that day, the redhead resigned herself to a day of only water. MJ offered to pay, having noticed her intense stare-off with the price board, but Jiwoo was quick to reject his offer. It simply felt wrong to her to accept that kind of gesture.
She went back upstairs after getting Jinsol's order and remembered to knock before entering her boss' office. The woman was concentrated on her work and didn't look up from whatever lay before her. Not sure of what to do, Jiwoo just stood there, waiting for the other woman to acknowledge her presence.
As if sensing that she wasn't going to leave, Jinsol finally looked at her. The older woman raised a brow as if to ask why she was still there. "I brought you lunch." Jiwoo said, raising the container in her hands.
With a disinterested look, Jinsol told her to put it on the table. before returning her attention to her documents. Jiwoo put the food carefully on the little coffee table. She looked back at the woman expectantly.
Jinsol glanced at her, the crease on her forehead indicating she was questioning what the redhead was still doing there. "that will be all for now."
It wasn't what Jiwoo'd been waiting for. The other woman had barely looked at her and didn't even thank her. Greeting her teeth, she bowed and exited the room.
The redhead returned to her desk, where the folder was still waiting for her. Sighing, she turned to page 60 and started reading, all while ignoring the grunts of her stomach.