the new producer | seventeen

001 : first day

SEVEN MONTHS EARLIER

FEBRUARY 2022

as humans, we all experience some nerve-wracking jitters that disrupt our daily lives. from expecting a blind date to go well after matching on tinder to waking up late for our new job... totally wouldn't wanna be the latter. 

SUN HAOYU is obviously the latter, quickly rising up from her comforters and jumping into the shower. she calculates how much time she has left before she needs to leave. 15 minutes? 30? she doesn't know, too distracted to actually check her phone. 

she throws on the outfit planned for the day: a white long sleeve button up layered underneath a checkered vest. it is tucked into a skirt stopping mid-thigh. her shoes are polished and sleek, jet black just like her hair. 

her shoes click and clack against the hardwood floors, not even sparing a glance toward the kitchen before grabbing her keys and briefcase. she locks and leaves the complex. 

the drive there was indisputably long. not because her new company was far from where she resided in seoul, but because of traffic. traffic lights began to sweat from all the hard work they were doing to manage the chaos. 

only then does haoyu realizes the time: 9:45. she was supposed to be in by 9:30. 

"my boss is gonna kill me." she mutters before throwing her head against the steering wheel to wallow in her short-lived shame and sadness. the vehicle besides her gives her a odd look. 

when traffic began to dissolve, haoyu finds herself parked into the company parking lot and briskly walks to the entrance.

it is currently 10:03. 

 she is greeted by a young woman with an oval face and blonde hair that reaches her shoulders. 

"how may i help you?" the clerk asks politely. 

"i am a new employee. my name is sun haoyu." she states breathlessly. "i am sorry for my tar-" 

"do you have a keycard?" she raises an eyebrow as her eyes flitter from the desktop screen to the woman. the realization on haoyu's face is hard to ignore. not only was she late for her first day of work, but she had left the keycard with her name, picture and barcode that is used to enter the recording studios.

"n-no. it seems i have left it at home." the embarrassment creeps in, her face hot and red. 

"then i cannot let you in." 

"can't you just.. check the database?" the dark-haired woman questions. 

"newcomers show up on the roster after they've completed their first day. you need the keycard to clock in and out. it is your first day and you do not have your keycard, so you are not registered on here." she explains in a way that makes the bustling assistant feel dumb. 

"then what can i do?"

"go home. your tardiness shows your resolve to work here, so-"

"what's going on here?" another woman reaches the scene, her heels clicking against the sheen, polished floors. she is wearing a brown blazer with black slacks that flare out at the bottom. her lips are smeared with red lipstick and lined immaculately. her hair is chestnut and cascades down her back with big waves. 

"i.. i was just telling this new employee about the ideal options for her situation, MS. YANG." the clerk responds rather hastily. ms. yang's presence is demanding, authoritative and assertive.