Is This All You Want? (annyeongz version)

Chapter 4

The guy saunters off, elated and satisfied. He looks like he's still in a dream. As he should, Wonyoung is a dream. She gives him a wink, and he smiles, missing the door and hitting the wall. Idiot. Once he leaves, Wonyoung goes to the bathroom to shower. That's the last customer for the night and she's tired. She still has her term paper due for the first submission to her professor.

"Hey," Liz calls her while she's in the bathroom, "Don't shower yet."

"Why?" Wonyoung hasn't even gotten the chance to take her towel off, "You want to save water by showering together again?"

"Ew, God, no," Liz sounds like she's about to barf, "That was a one-time thing."

"Whatever," Wonyoung says, opening the door, "You liked it." But when she sees Liz's rather plaintive expression with her lips pursed and eyes that avoid her own, Wonyoung feels she should stop teasing.

Liz usually keeps to herself with the others but with Wonyoung, she's an open book. One of Wonyoung's favorite books at that. So, it's strange that she's being so hesitant about whatever it is she has to say.

"It's Junyeong again. Madame Hyerim says he's here... asking for you," Liz speaks softly, "I told her you just finished your shift. But the guy's persistent, says he has no other free time other than now."

Wonyoung hates him. His grubby hands and the scent of cigarettes on his skin. His pointed nose and devilish smile. The way his eyes look at her like she's a meal that he's about to devour.

The man has been a long-time customer. A lawyer in his mid-thirties with the charisma and good looks of a celebrity. The other girls at the massage parlor envy Wonyoung because they think he treats her so well. Far from it. He seems like a normal functioning man of society with a wife and kids. This is probably his only vice – Wonyoung.

"Oh, guess he finally came back around. Guess I'm just irresistible," Wonyoung says, trying to play it off as nothing more than a slight annoyance, "It's okay. I'll do it."

Somehow, she hates this too. Hates the way Liz is looking at her with sad, pitiful eyes. She doesn't have to feel sorry her like this. She can take care of herself.

"Just say no," Liz hisses, grabbing Wonyoung's arm before she gets changed, "I know what he does to you. Even if Madame Hyerim is too damn blind to notice. I don't care how much money he's paying."

Wonyoung instinctively wriggles out of Liz's grip. Just as Liz has been one of Wonyoung's favorite books to read. She is also Liz's. They are so in sync. Wonyoung doesn't need to say anything to get her thoughts across. Somehow Liz can just tell. But sometimes she just wants Liz to stop reading between the lines and put the book down. This is one of those times.

"I can take it," Wonyoung says calmly.

-

Well, at least things are looking up. Wonyoung finally gets an acceptance letter (in the form of a hastily written email with a few typographical errors). It's for a Human Resource Department position in a manufacturing company a district away from her school. They need an (poorly paid) intern to handle the administrative tasks originally done by an employee who is now on maternity leave that had to start earlier than expected. Wonyoung knows very little about pregnancy except for the prevention thereof so she doesn't really ask too much about it. She doesn't have much time to ask about much else either because she has to catch up on the work she has yet to learn and fully grasp with no one to teach her the ropes. But none of the staff have complained about the work she's done so far so she must be doing something right.

Come to think of it, Wonyoung hasn't had the time to actually celebrate this small victory. Despite not totally enjoying the work she does there, she's glad she got the opportunity. At least she gets the legitimate work experience in a corporate setting, which she realizes she doesn't like. Corporate work is overly romanticized, really. Grey offices, company lanyards, crowded elevators and overpriced coffee in paper cups is not as fun as she'd thought. She's thankful, regardless. The compensation might not be much, but Wonyoung gets unlimited coffee at the pantry.