Beyond barriers/ Kim Namjoon

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"He can't be that bad," said Soo Yun, my best friend, sipping her second glass of wine. In response to a stressful day, I decided to go for a drink with my group of friends. Soo Yun, Jihyo, and Harin were my old friends I met in Korean High school when I moved to Seoul with my father. They were all very friendly and helpful, considering how badly I was going through my parents' divorce. They have always knew how to cheer me up.

"But he is. He looks down on me and thinks he can order me around," I murmured, playing with the strand of my black hair that slipped out of my ponytail.

"He is theoretically your boss, Ais. He can do that," Jihyo stated with a slight disappointment on her face.

"Just do your work. Listen to him and be polite. It will be beneficial if you smile sometimes," added Harin with a big smile on her face. "Just like that."

I tried to imitate my best friend's expression, smiling brightly.

"You look like a total bitch with that smile on you, Ais," Soo Yun exclaimed, nudging me with her left elbow. "You need to cozy up to him a bit. I'm sure he will be more forgiving towards you if you would be more...flirty?"

"And how can I do that? I haven't flirted in ages," I stated, exhaling deeply.

Since my first and only relationship ended quite dramatically, I haven't been with anybody. Thanks to my ex-boyfriend, I had to go through long-term therapy and learn how to love myself again. Since then, I am skeptical when it comes to dating.

"Oh, come on," said Jihyo, sitting up next to me.

Suddenly, the girls exchanged mischievous glances, clearly excited about something. Jihyo leaned in and said right to my face, "It's not as hard as you think. Just be confident and playful. Tease him a bit, make eye contact, and laugh at his jokes. Show some interest in his life outside of work."

Soo Yun chimed in, "Yeah, and don't forget to touch his arm lightly while talking. Physical contact can create a connection."

Harin giggled, adding, "And maybe drop some subtle compliments here and there. Like, 'You look handsome today, boss.'"

I felt my cheeks burning because of those comments I had heard a couple of seconds ago, and I decided to finally give up and be more vulnerable.

"Alright, I'll try, but I can't promise it won't be awkward. Besides, he can be a total dick."

"And surely don't call him a dick, Ais, Jesus," stated Jihyo, whose expression changed into a more judging one.

As the girls continued to discuss playful ways of how I can interact with my new "boss," I felt nerves building up. The thought of flirting with Namjoon was making me quite uneasy, as I hadn't been in the dating scene for so long. Moreover, I didn't want him to think I actually started to like him out of nowhere. I just wanted to get the position that unfortunately depended on his opinion about my skills. I wasn't sure whether this particular way my friends introduced me to was the best possible.

Just as I wanted to cut across Jihyo's fantastic discourse, where she started to explain how to make any man crazy in love, the door to the bar unexpectedly swung open. A tall, well-dressed man with a charismatic aura entered, and to my surprise, it was none other than Kim Namjoon himself.

Fuck me.

I panicked and tried to quiet down the blonde girl in front of me, but she and the rest of my incredibly loud friends were too caught up in their own laughter to notice. Soo Yun, unaware of the newcomer, continued, "Just remember to be a bit mysterious too. Don't reveal everything about yourself right away. Keep him wanting to know more."