Kims' Love Story

Part 32

Being in the top three was still a dream. It was still hard to believe I was in the top rank. My friends insisted to give them treat. They dragged Eva and me to the restaurant to treat them with lunch, we had no other way than to comply with their demands. It was a great time. All of them were happy for us, and I really appreciated that.

I called my mother to tell her the good news, and she was so happy to hear it. She told me how she was so proud of me. Seeing how happy and proud she was of me satisfied me to no end. Jennie even said she would visit someday to celebrate together.

I was happy. It gave me a new determination to work harder and make my mother proud of me and work for my dreams. I woke up with a smile. It was a good day to go to my schedules. I opened the drapes and I heard eva’s hissing.

“Let me sleep.” She whined.

“Who told you to watch Friends Reunion at midnight? Now get up. We have a schedule to attend.” I laughed going to the bathroom to shower. I kept telling her to go to sleep the other night, but she wanted to watch the show and went to sleep God knows when. I was tired, so I called it a night early.

I was done with the shower and opened my closet to pick an outfit. I pulled out black t-shirt with cream cotton pants. The weather was getting hotter each day, so I decided to go with that outfit. I quickly changed into them and put some minimal makeup. Since I was in a good mood, I put some effort to look good though my outfit was simple. I was ready after I put my hair in a high ponytail.

“Eva, we’re getting late. Get up.” I shook her slightly since she was still snoring loudly. She was a morning person as long as she did not stay up past 2 a.m.

“Jichu, Don’t disturb. I am dreaming of a very handsome man at the moment.” She quietly said in her sleepy state. I wanted to face-palm. If she was late, she was going to get scolded by a handsome man instead.

This time, I shook her violently. She was jerked awake in an instant. I laughed and went out of the room while she murmured not-so-nice words and glared at me.

I decided to make some breakfast as none of the dorm mates were awake just yet. I made some omelets and toast and called them. We had breakfast and left for the schedule quickly since we were going to be late. Thankfully, Eva was ready on time.

The schedule was tiring. The dance routines were getting more detailed and tough as the days went by. At the beginning, we were just receiving basic trainings, but now, everything required more practice and hard work. It was for the better as the competition was getting tougher, and nobody knew when they would be expelled. The final number of trainees making it in the group or solo was still not known to us. We just had to give our best.

The vocal teacher was a new one. She was an experienced teacher who had prior experience in big companies. She preferred to be called by her name that was Cho-Hee. She was a polite teacher who had lived in London before moving to Korea to pursue her career.

I wondered what happened to Sir Kyuhyun. Junmyeon assured me that he would not fire him, but he was nowhere to be seen. I wanted to go ask Junmyeon about it, but I did not have the courage. I had to stop myself from running to him when I was the one to put a full stop.

Eva and I were having lunch in the cafeteria when I thought to inform Eva about my job. The last days were so stressful because of the trial that it completely left my mind. I wondered how she would react.

“Um Eva, I wanted to tell you something.” I thought about how to start, but I had no idea.

“Yes, tell me.” She said having a bite of her burger.

“I have got a job in this company.” I started telling her and gauging her reaction. It started slowly. She was about to take another bite when she froze and looked at me with wide eyes.

“What?” It was all she said.

“Yes, more like a punishment. When I went to Sir Junmyeon’s office the other day to talk about Sir Kyuhyun, I was assigned with this job as a punishment for talking back to him. He agreed to let Sir Kyuhyun off though.” I was thinking how to put the whole scenario as normal as possible without making it seem like it was all Sir Junmyeon’s fault. Because it was not his fault at all. I could not tell Eva everything just yet. It was not a suitable time and place for that, but she had to know about my job.

“Wait, so you are going to work here, what about your training?” She was trying hard to grasp the situation.

“I will train in the morning and work in the afternoon.” I told her taking a bite of my own burger.

“Why are you acting so normal? And why are you telling me this now?” She whisper-yelled, looking as confused as I had expected her to be after I told her about the job.

“I intended to tell you about it, but that night, you were so stressed. I could not do that. And about being normal, I have learned to accept it because there is nothing I can do to change it. And Sir Kyuhyun’s job is safe, so that is all that matters.” I said trying to assure her that it was fine.

“Uh! well, okay I guess. At least tell me what kind of job it is.” She asked still looking puzzled.

“I am Miss Han’s assistant.” I dropped the bomb and it worked just like a bomb would.

“What?” She exploded getting up from her seat drawing all the eyes that were present in the cafeteria. I made her seat down and gave an apologetic glance to few of the workers who were having lunch.

“What are you doing, Eva?” I hissed.

“Miss Han’s assistant? That self-obsessed, attention seeker’s assistant? Do you remember how she was flirting with a male trainee who is a minor? God help you, Jisoo.” She slumped down her chair looking grumpy. I wanted to hug the hell out of her at that moment. She looked so cute worried about me. But she did not have to. I had accepted it already.

“Eva, it is really okay. It is good because I will gain experience. It is a proper job though only some people know it is a punishment: Sir Junmyeon, you, and me. He told me not to tell others.” I said making her see the brighter picture.

“You should have resisted. They cannot use their power to make you work for them.” She sighed. She was still not convinced.

“It’s fine. I can manage. Besides, I will be paid. Isn’t that amazing?” I tried to cheer her up because Eva rarely got in sour mood, but when she did, it was difficult to bring her out of it.

“If you say so, but if she bullies you, you will tell me. I don't know why I don't have good feelings about her. Don’t take any orders she throws at you, understood?” She said after thinking for a while.

“Okay, I promise. I will tell you.” I said laughing at her cuteness. We finished our meal, and I went to the respective office floor to work after assuring Eva for the hundredth time that it was okay.

Miss Han was already there. She told me to enter some data in the system while she typed used her phone. It was rude. She was making me do the work while she rested, but I could not do anything.

I heard the door open and footsteps coming from the office. My heart beat wildly in my chest.

It can be an employee silly! It might not be him.

The footsteps were getting closer while my heartbeat was increasing frantically. I was not ready to see his handsome face again. I was trying to be as far from him as possible to protect my fragile heart that wanted to come out of my chest whenever I saw a glimpse of him. It had just been a few days, but it felt like years that he was being indifferent with me.

I saw a glimpse of him just as I was pushed down on the floor--hard. It was so forceful that I felt the breath getting knocked out of me. I squeezed my eyes when an immense pain shoot in my right side where I fell. The chair I was sitting on fell with me increasing the intensity of pain as the foot stuck and bit my arm. I hissed with pain.

'Why did she do it?' I kept chanting in my head as a single drop of tear escaped my eye. 

"Jisoo!" I heard him yell and heard his rushed footsteps as they got louder till he came by my side. I could not open my eyes. I still felt slight concussion after I hit my head on the floor tiles.

"Jisoo, open your eyes." I felt him take me in his arms. He was softly touching my cheeks. He sounded worried.

I was in his arms again. I wanted to open my eyes to look at him. But my head felt heavy. I was feeling dizzy.

"What did you do to her?" He screamed at someone. There was no one there except Miss Han, I guessed. He must have been yelling at her.

"I-I did did not do any any-thing." I heard her scared voice.

How did he know she was the one to do that to me? Did he see her knocking me down?

It was painful to even think about anything. Since I was not ready for the impact, I fell hard hitting my head in the process.

'Why did she do that?' I thought again. A sob erupted my throat without my intending to do it.

I felt him raise me in his arms bridal style. I was constantly in and out of consciousness. The last thing I remebered was someone kissing my forehead before losing consciesness completely.
.
.
.
_______________________________________

Seeing Jisoo in pain is so painful. Our precious Jichu. 😢