"Are you always like that?"
"Like what?"
"Sad when you're alone."
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5:31 AM 리리: 정호석!!!! 괜찮아? 마지막 메시지는 이틀 전 이었어.
(Lily: Jung Hoseok!!!! Are you ok? Your last message was two days ago.)
8:13 AM 리리: I'm worried. Message me when you have time.
It has been two days since Hoseok last sent Lily a message. There's no news on the internet about BTS' activities. She doesn't usually bother the members asking about her fiancé but this time she thinks she might have to. She sent a text message to Namjoon being her closest among the members and it didn't took him long to reply. He then called her feeling that she might have a problem.
"Joonie!" She answered the phone.
"Hey, what's up?"
"I'm sorry to bother you. I know you might be busy in the past few days since Hobi isn't replying to my messages and not answering my calls."
"No it's okay. I'm actually in Ilsan right now to visit my mom."
"Oh mianhae (I'm sorry)."
"No worries. We took a few days off. I'm not sure if Hobi hyung went home in Gwangju or he stayed at the dorm."
Her voice seemed so sad, "I see."
Nobody spoke in a couple of seconds.
"Lily noona! Maybe he's helping his mom in their new business. I heard they're about to open it." He tried to cheer her up.
"Business? He never told me anything about it."
"Jinjja? (Really?) I might have been mistaken. Maybe it's his noona's business. We're so busy I keep on forgetting." Namjoon tried to explain although he knows it's too late.
Lily felt worse. "I'm sorry noona", he said. "I didn't mean to make you feel worse."
"It's not your fault."
"You know what, I was just talking about you with my mom."
"Really? Why?"
"She was watching some YouTube videos and came across this vlog about Philippine beaches and she showed me. Then I told her about you."
"I don't think she remembers me."
"She actually did."
"No way!"
"I told her how we met again here in Seoul and she was glad that we did met. She said she wants to see you when you get back here."
"Oh I miss your mom. She's actually so kind to me when we're still kids. Tell her I'll be coming over to see her." She seems happy. Her voice sounds cheerful... at least for now.
"She'll be very happy to know that."
They continued talking for almost an hour without noticing it. They talked about a lot of things. Lily felt better and a bit distracted. It was nice to catch up with friends, she thought.
"I'll call you again later." Namjoon told her.
"Sure. I'll be waiting."
She went on with her work for the day and called her other friends when she got back home. Lily realized that she forgot about her friends when she started working in New York. She seldom talks to them and made herself busy at work and with Hoseok who is more than a hundred thousand miles away from her.
"My mom said we shouldn't play with our food."
Lily was looking outside thinking what could possibly be the reason why Hoseok isn't talking to her. She's seated at the table beside the window in a restaurant near their office and unconsciously playing with her food.
She snapped back at where she's at from wandering through her good memories in Seoul upon hearing that familiar voice.
Lily looked at the person. It's Henry. She didn't notice him entering the restaurant.
"Oh!" She said as she dropped her fork.
"May I?" He said while pointing the seat in front of her using his pouty lips.
She looked at the seat, "sure."
Henry sat in front of her and started fixing his food.
"Are you always like that?"
"Like what?"
"Sad when you're alone." He chewed his food.
"I'm not sad. I'm just.... thinking." She continued eating.
"About what?"
"It's a personal matter I'd rather not share with you Sir."
"Sir again? I told you it's Henry. We're not in the office."
"Well Henry thank you for your concern but I don't want to burden you with my problems."
"You know Lily, I'm trying my best to befriend you, don't you notice that?"
"Befriend me? Why? Why me?"
"Why not?"
"Because-" she almost blurted out that he has a reputation of being a chic magnet who casually spends the night with anyone he wants and she's not so amused by that information.
"Because what?"
"Nothing." She avoided looking at him and sipped her lemonade.
"Because of what people say about me?" He said.
Lily looked at him. "He knows", she told herself.
"Yeah I know about all of that. But I'm telling you it's not all true. I mean, I'm just like this, friendly and gentleman. I don't even want anything from them in return they just give it to me. Who am I to refuse? I'm a man with needs."
She looked at him with disgust.
"Hah!" He laughed a little with the way she looked at him.
"You see, I don't sleep with just any woman. It's not true. People just misinterpret my kindness to anyone, especially with women. I respect women so much because my mom taught me to treat them tenderly and with respect. I'll never do those things that you hear to women."
She smiled while listening to him. She's convinced that this guy isn't what she heard about him. He is actually nice and has a lot of sense, with a bit of humor in his wisdom. Just like Namjoon.
They went back to the office together and since then, she didn't treat him coldly anymore. Talking to him made her understand why a lot of women likes being around him, well aside from the fact that he is hot and very handsome.
Lily was called to his office by the VP for Operations. When she walked in, she saw Henry inside.
"Have a sit", the VP said.
"Thank you Sir."
"I called you here to tell you that you can pack your things now and prepare to leave this office in a week."
"WHAT?" She almost yelled and her eyes widened. "Oh I'm sorry Sir. But, are you firing me? Did I do anything against the company rules?" Lily seemed worried and she looked at Henry too. He looks annoyingly weird.
"The board has decided that they want you to be the assistant of the head of operations of our company in Seoul."
"Excuse me Sir?" She's surprised.
"You heard it right. Our company which will start operating in Seoul very soon will have Henry as the Head of Operations and you as his assistant. Congratulations!" He offered his hands to her.
"Wow!! Oh my!!!" She exclaimed. She got up and took the hands of the VP. She looked at Henry too and he is smiling so wide.
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