Fire & Silk

8. Working on My Birthday

   The living room lights illuminated the almost empty space. Even though Mina had moved into her new apartment over a year ago, she hadn't bothered to decorate it much. She thought that since she was at work most of the time, there wasn't really any point in decorating. She slipped her heels off and put a pair of slippers on, walking towards her bedroom. She quickly changed into a pair of more comfortable clothes, greeting her dog, Ray, who had woken up from his evening nap.

   Mina smiled and knelt down beside the bed, gently patting Ray's head. "Well good morning you too, sir. I hope you had a better day than I did. Jeongyeon impressed the boss somehow even though the case she cracked wasn't really too hard. Will I ever be rid of her for good, Ray?" Ray tilted his head as Mina asked him this question, not knowing what she was saying but enjoying the attention he was getting.

   Mina stood up and walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge to get her dinner ready. She placed her leftovers from last night's dinner in the microwave and scooped some kibble for Ray while she waited. His collar jingled as he made his way into the kitchen, still a little tired from waking up a few minutes ago. Ray stretched before drinking some water, going over to his food dish to take a few bites.

   It was almost 9:00pm but Mina didn't mind. She was used to getting home late to an almost empty house, minus Ray of course. She had tried her best to put down rugs and have blankets on the couches to absorb the sound, but every sound that was made always echoed throughout. She leaned against the kitchen counter as the microwave finished heating up her food. Usually she would be bothered eating late but since it was her birthday tomorrow she felt a little better. Thankfully, President Park granted her the day off.

   Just as the microwave dinged she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out of her pocket and sighed when she saw that President Park was calling. She waited for a few seconds, putting on her happiest face before answering. "Good evening President Park. Is there anything I can do for you?" She picked up her food and walked over to the couch, setting the plate down on the coffee table in front of her. "Yes. Okay. I understand. Oh... tomorrow?" Mina scratched the back of her neck and looked over to her fridge, eyeing the calendar that had her birthday circled in bright red marker.

   "I know you requested tomorrow off so if that's going to be a problem, I can get someone else to fill in for you. You are good at what you do though and I think you'd be the best to show Ms. Yoo the ropes." President Park leaned back at his desk and raised an eyebrow, knowing that Mina wouldn't back out on an opportunity like this.

   "Oh no. Not at all. I uh- I would love to. Thank you sir, and I'll make sure to work hard tomorrow." Mina mentally slapped herself and flopped back into her couch, thanking President Park again before hanging up the phone. She tossed her phone beside her and let out a big sigh, staring up at the ceiling. She sat there for a few minutes, just staring at the ceiling until she felt a cold wet nose nudging her hand. She couldn't help but let out a small laugh, knowing that Ray was feeling neglected from not seeing his friend all day. She turned to look at him and smiled when he cuddled up to her. She played with his ears as she ate her dinner, scrolling through the news on her phone. Since she was a lawyer, it was important for her to know what was going on in the community.

   After she finished her dinner, Mina ended up staying on the couch with Ray for an hour. She could feel herself falling asleep though so she had to force herself to get up to get ready for bed. Seoul was lit up and the view was beautiful from her apartment. Mina loved being at home when the city was alive like this. Whenever she bought the apartment, she thought that she'd get lonely at night but the lights made her feel warm and comforted. She brushed her teeth, staring out the window, getting lost in the beauty of the night. As she finished, she picked Ray up and held him, giving him a better view of Seoul.