Jihyun is stuck in a love scandal with someone whom she hates. This person is coincidentally the stubborn Riki on her debate team and her favorite mainstream artist at the same time. And Jihyun is just a college girl who gets wrapped into a dating s...
The next thing Jihyun knows is that instead of spending her time taking care of her brother Jeeyu as her parents told her to, she's marching in the direction of a company. The particular company that posted that announcement. Of course, it was HVBE.
Jeeyu would be fine, she hoped. He was asleep and her mom was still there until she had to go to work, and Jihyun would be back by the time she had to as if she had never left. At least that was the plan. Just a quick in and out after a small confrontation.
It was as warm as it could be in the morning. Shades of grey looking above her head. A small circle of light hidden behind the clouds. The winds slow and careful every now and then. Still, it was the usual good enough weather for Jihyun, who wore just enough layers for it too.
She had to alter her look a bit, for if she came as herself the photos would be online in seconds and a new forum would be posted. This only meant that she wore the dark colors forgotten in her closet with the rest of her hair hidden in her jacket to make her bangs could manipulate the perception of others into thinking she had a bob and a small change in the way her eyeliner was shaped.
But if it worked, well that's for future her to tell.
Jihyun arrives at the building again. The tall height added to it making it appear a tad more intimidating than how it was when she first saw it. After all, she was coming by herself and not with some employee with a business card.
"Hello?"
Her head turns on a swivel upon hearing the greeting. Spotted behind the front desk is a formally dressed woman, with narrow glasses before her eyes as she stares and waits for Jihyun's statement.
She holds onto her composure when approaching the desk. "I'm Bae Jihyun. I want to talk to the person I came with last time."
"Funny...and you want to do that with no registration? No call or email?" The lady says, her tone completely bored.
"Well this company made that announcement without contacting me so why should I do the same?" Jihyun retorts.
"Excuse me?"
Jihyun lets out a loud exhale, thus showing her frustration. "I'll be quick," she says and waves her hand, dismissing herself. The lady doesn't make much of a deal to stop her—unless she tried to but Jihyun left too fast. She remembers somewhat the layout of the building and how to get to the meeting room, and ended up getting there without any trouble.
It takes a short moment. "Oh." He looks away from his client or whoever he's currently talking to to glance at her. "Jihyun?"
"We can finish it later," the 'client' says, standing out of the chair while picking up the small packet of papers presented on the tabletop. He brushes past Jihyun on the way out of the door and ends up going down the hall to which Jihyun takes the opportunity to take his place.
"What was with the announcement?" She asks, immediately cutting to the chase. He, Mr. Lim, gives her a bit of a wide-eyed stare before he finally answers the question the moment Jihyun makes it clear that she's waiting for his response.
"We sent out an email. You didn't respond and since it was explicitly stated that if you did not mind you can either respond or leave the email, we decided to publish it."
Jihyun has half of mind to respond with something like; 'and when I file a lawsuit then what?' but decides against it. "How do you know if I even have the time to respond to something like that? I can have a job, or I can have demanding work, and this company thinks it's a bright idea to send out an announcement like that?"
"Well, above all that, it was my decision," he clarifies. "And we ran a small check to see if you are employed at the moment, to which we noticed that you aren't given your working a seasonal job."
She stiffens in her seat, getting uncomfortable. A check can reveal all that? Secondly, was it even legal for them to do such a check? Jihyun wasn't completely familiar with the law when it came to businesses but she was sure that something about this was wrong.
She sighs and decides not to bother any further. Next time, however, when she comes back with more knowledge on what is legal and what isn't, she'll have something better to say or better to do. "Fine. Sure...whatever," she mumbles petulantly. "That's it, I'm leaving."
Mr. Lim flashes something like that of a kind smile but it does nothing to calm her agitation. "Okay then. Have a good day."
She doesn't respond to him and just pushes the chair in, ready to leave out the door. Given that it was left slightly ajar, Jihyun pushed the door open and took her first step on something that made her foot slip just a little. She looks down and notices a small laminated photo below her foot and she moves to pick it up.
The only one that came by her or this room was that one client. So it's his and she immediately thinks about returning it to him when she takes a look at it. It's a three-person photo, the client and two others.
Gyuha and Taeyu.
Gyuha.
She rigidly stands back on her feet and walks into the room again to drop the photo on the desk. "Your client dropped this, I suppose," she says when Mr. Lim looks up at her.
"My client?" He asks. Did he forget that quickly?
"Yeah. The guy just before me?"
"Oh. That wasn't my client," he smiles and then plucks the photo up into his hands. "He's my brother."
Jihyun forces a smile onto her face. That wasn't necessary information, nor was it something a formal stranger would exchange, but now it was imminent. She nods firmly and uses that to give reason as to why she doesn't say anything else before leaving.
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She gets home when Jeeyu is seven minutes deep into an episode of Spongebob, chuckling to himself at the idiotic adventures between a seastar and a sponge. Everyone's been there before.
"Come watch with me," he chimes aloud, using his small hands to gesture for her to come closer. She huffs a laugh through her nose and treads toward the couch, smiling genuinely despite softly.
"What episode is it?"
"I don't know," he answers and brings his teddy bear into his lap to make space for her on the couch.
She thinks about joining him for a second, and right when the empty cushion looks tempting her phone rings. "Hold up, Jeeyu," she tells him and retrieves her phone from her pocket. It's a number her phone doesn't recognize but she decides to answer it regardless.
"Hello?"
"Jihyun."
It's Riki, she knows, but without Riki being in front of her she perceives it (just for a moment) as Shiru. There's a faint fluttering feeling that doesn't last long when the fact that it is Riki hits her. She really needs to stop whatever attachment she has with the artist.
"How the heck did you get my number?"
"Is that what's important right now?"
"Uh yes. Yes, it is."
He groans, it's a deep and almost bewitching sound over the phone. "Jihyun," he says again.
