Hannamdong UN Village [EXO's Byun Baekhyun]

Chapter 4: Interrogation

She didn't know she was holding her breath as her sunbae read through her work, but when Haru saw how excited Minyoung was, she exhaled in relief. "Now," her sunbae said, putting the draft with the other stacked ones, "Because you're here just before lunch time, you don't mind accompanying me to lunch, now do you?"

"Of course not," Haru replied, smiling cheekily, her right arm folded to let her sunbae grab ahold of it and drag her out the office. They passed by the other workers' office boxes, one of them actually Haru's, but she hadn't touched it since she was working on new concepts - something she requested to work home for. That way she could be more inspired for new ideas. They avoided the rushing employees and coffee drinkers, and Haru waved to a few familiar faces as they head downstairs from the lift.

Minyoung had led her to a foodcourt right across the street from the office building. It was the usual place they would go to if canteen food ever got boring - which was almost everyday if you'd worked in the same building for years. Minyoung went ahead to order her usual Kimchijigae and rice, and Haru separated to get herself pork cutlets for lunch.

When they sat back down together, Minyoung said her 'thank you for the food' quickly and dug in, slurping her soup like she hadn't eaten for days. Following suit, but not as fast, Haru dug in to her dish as well.

It wasn't long after they started eating when Minyoung sent her a playful smirk.

"So, who is he?"

Haru stopped her chopsticks, gulping. She knew where this was going, but she was going to play dumb. "Who's who?"

"Your boyfriend, duh," Minyoung rolled her eyes. "Never thought you'd date without telling me, but spill."

Awkwardly, Haru faked a laugh and continued to pick her food up, inevitably lying. "There's nobody, sunbae."

After another big slurp, Minyoung exclaimed, "Lies!" and proceded to stare right to Haru's eyes, making the latter uncomfortable as she ate. "Tell me, come on!"

"There's really nobody, sunbaenim," Haru retorted again. She really couldn't risk anyone knowing about Baekhyun - not when they had just started getting through the relationship very seriously. She didn't want to endager him, herself, nor both of them at once. Lying was a forced outcome. There were celebrities before him who lost so much just because of a relationship. Most people would've called it a scandal - but there was nothing wrong with being in one as a human being.

Unfortunately, Minyoung was much sharper than people would expect. Afterall, she graduated top of her college in Literature and have been working for her passion with utmost diligence and skill. She had sharpened her senses with an unimaginable number of reads - fiction or non - and she was basically impenetrable. She eyed Haru with more suspicion than Haru could imagine, nd Haru cursed inwardly that she wasn't mean enough to lie without guilt.

"There has to be somebody!" Minyoung insisted again. "You, Ahn Haru, started a romantic novel draft! That's a clear sign!"

"It's not a sign, sunbae," Haru replied. "I just wanted to explore my genres..." Haru tried explaining. "Don't you think its time for me to move on from the thriller, action and horror scenes?"

Minyoung still glued her eyes on Haru's after the explanation, examining her every motion like a hawk full of suspicion. Haru held the urge to gulp, imagining the "A-ha!" face Minyoung would have given her right after.

She was sorry to her senior and friend, but she had to lie. It wasn't in her capabilities to admit the truth without further negotiating everything with all parties involved. That was just one of the things she voluntarily accepted when she agreed to date the superstar.

Besides, nobody would have believed her anyways. They would think she was just another deluded fangirl.

Haru sighed, putting down her chopticks. The pork cutlet on her plate didn't look so alluring anymore, and her mind wasn't really set on food after the thought. While Minyoung was happily eating her soup, quick to forget what she was talking about just a second ago for her food (Haru was thankful for this trait), Haru scanned her surroundings for a distraction.

Co-workers, like herself and Minyoung, were chattering about the food court. Ocassionally, she'd spot a family or two, making her miss her mom out of no where, and there were quite a few couples around the area as well. They were sweet with all their happy laughs, small blushes, the spoon-feeding, the holding of hands across the table as the talk about their day-

"Aren't you finishing that?" Minyoung asked. Haru snapped back at the older woman, observed that she had finished her food, and pushed her bowl forwards. "I'm kinda full. Guess I had too much breakfast."

"Then I'll be taking those, thank you," Minyoung said cheerfully. She picked the cutlets with her chopsticks and ate it like after-lunch snacks.

"What are your plans for the future?"

Haru thought for a while before answering, "I guess if the script is approved, developing it and finding producers would be a great next step? I'd want to finish the novel if I could as well."

Minyoung waved her chopsticks the same time she shook her head. "Not that," she said, picking another cutlet. "I mean do you plan on writing until you die? What's the plan?"

Haru looked around and a pang of jealously hit her like a pan. The romantic dinners, fun lunches and exciting dates, she pictured it all with Baekhyun when she was asked about the future. As a girl kissed her boyfriend on the cheek a few tables across Haru's, she knew exactly what she wanted - but probably would not achieve.

So instead, she answered, "I don't know."

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