Betrothed (NoRen)

9

Today is the day. He starts his walk a little before six because he has to make it a little early and he has a long way to go. It's cold out and only getting colder. He shoves his hands in his pockets after wrapping his scarf tightly around his neck. He always keeps his head down in his neighborhood, it's not for the faint of heart. Haechan wants him to move in with him to escape that but he just can't do it.
He passes the infamous warehouse district where the homeless take shelter at night, a place he would be if he missed his rent.
He passes the alley that the infamous gangs hang out, he hopes they are busy when he walks by at night. His other job was in another direction.

When he finally gets to the edge of downtown he checks his phone for the time and sees he has plenty to stop and warm up and get some coffee. He sits and warms his hands on the cup as it steams in his face. The place is pretty busy for a quarter past six in the morning, but that's to be expected for all the people heading off to their jobs. He sees faces of many different backgrounds. Old and young store clerks and restaurant owners. Business men and women. Mothers with small children. It's lively and bustling and it's nice.

He finishes quickly and starts the rest of his walk to his new job. His excitement quickly turns to nerves as he nears the building. He puts his shaky hands in his pockets as the doors slide open. He smiles softly to the receptionist as he walks up.
"Hi, my name is Huang Renjun, I'm here for my badge?" She smiles sweetly and digs through her drawers. She's a lady that looks to be about mid forty, the two times he's spoken to her, she's always so kind. It makes him feel just a little more comfortable.
"I'll call Kim Jungwoo for a tour." He nods and waits as she speaks to him.
"He will be down soon." He stares at his badge and smiles. This is it, he is finally starting his new life.

As he sits and dreams about one day moving to a nicer neighborhood he feels a tap on the shoulder. He turns quickly to see Jungwoo standing there with huge grin on his face. He smiles back just as bright.
"Mr.Huang, are you ready for your first day?" He asks excitedly.
"Yes, so ready. You can just call me Renjun though." Jungwoo Pats his shoulder.
"Alright Renjun let's get started." He leads him down a hallway that heads into a huge food court. There are at least five different styles of food to choose from and a coffee bar too. He is in awe. His other job had an 18x18 room with a microwave and at least twenty people at a time would cram in. He always brought a cold lunch since usually his break was over before he could use the microwave anyway.
"We serve all of our employees lunch, now it does cost money. But only like $3, we don't charge full price since you are an employee. The coffee is free." His mouth hangs open.
"Free? Like any kind I want?" Jungwoo nods.
"Yes but let me clarify. You get one free coffee a day. After that you pay. You can opt to pay outright or we have a credit system that takes it out of your check." Renjun nods with bright eyes and smiles.
"The coffee at my last job came out of a vending machine." Jungwoo does an exaggerated shiver.
"Come. Let's get your free cup for today, I'll show you how this works."

He follows along and learns the process and has a delicious vanilla latte. They sit at a table together as Jungwoo goes over some final paper work that he will need at the end of the day.
"All of our benefits kick in after thirty days and you will also be getting a review at that time. If your boss decides you aren't performing up to his standards he can have you relocated or fired, depending on the severity." He nods, the thought of getting a bad review terrifies him.

"Let's walk shall we?" Jungwoo says standing up.
"Your position will be on the tenth floor, you will spend most of your time there unless you are tasked otherwise. There are a total of a hundred floors Not including the parking underneath. Obviously we have elevators to get us up and down. We will have bi monthly fire drills. Safety is a priority." They get to the elevator bay before Jungwoo snaps his fingers.
"Oh, I almost forgot. We have a gift shop and store located down the hall, the opposite direction of the lunch hall. There are coffee mugs, sweatshirts and whatnot." Renjun hums.
"Who actually buys stuff from a company gift shop?" He asks quietly.
"Mostly nasty men who want to try to pretend that they were actually in town for business and not cheating on their wives." Renjun chuckles.
"But new hires sometimes like to buy for their friends or family when they get a job here." He shrugs.
"It's there if you want it."

They get to the tenth floor where Renjun will be working as he sees all kinds of busy people sitting at their cubicles. A few heads glance his way but look right back down.
"Excuse me everyone, this is Huang Renjun, he was Chosen as Mr. Park's administrative assistant. He is new so treat him with kindness." He smiles shyly and waves. Then his hands quickly go to his cheeks to cover the pink shade that has adorned him.
"Ok, let's go to your desk." They walk by the long rows of cubicles and stop at a door.
"The is where you will be spending a lot of time." They walk in to a decently sized room that has another room attached.
"That is Mr. Park's office. There is a list of numbers on your desk. His, of course mine, and one for each department. You will start today by introducing yourself to him again and seeing what tasks he has for you. In your free time you are permitted to help the others in the office but they mostly do things for themselves. You will get a half hour break in the morning and afternoon then an hour for lunch. Any questions?" He shakes his head slowly.

"I don't think so." Jungwoo nods with a bright smile.
"You have my number if you think of something, don't hesitate to call." He turns to leave and stops in the door.
"Don't forget to read through all your paper work and sign off before sending it to me, and good luck, enjoy your day." He nods and. Takes a deep breath.

He knocks on the door and hears a "come in", the voice sounding full of concentration.
"Here goes nothing." He whispers as he opens the door.