House Of Cards

The Elevator

Dohyun and I decided to go to the park for our day off. The two of us walk down a trail together. The sound of leaves crunching under our feet is an indicator of my favorite time of the year. Autumn.

"Our downloading rate dropped another two percent. If they don't go back up, the company is gonna start losing a lot of money, which means layoffs will be inevitable. I'll be the first to go, Dohyun."

He interrupts me, "Relax, (Y/n). It's our day off. We're not supposed to think about work right now."

"That's easy for you to say. Your job isn't on the line," I reply frantically.

He sighs and steps in front of me, making me come to a stop. His hands land on my shoulders, and he stares into my eyes. "You and your job are both safe."

"You don't know that," I mumble.

Dohyun steps aside, allowing me to walk ahead. He falls in to step beside me and throws an arm around my shoulders, "I was top of my class. I know everything."

He pulls his arm away from me, a proud smirk on his face. I try to glare but smile back instead. Lee Dohyun is a very charming man.

"Wow, I think this is your third smile of the month. You're improving."

I push him away, "Shut up, ass-kisser."

"Stop calling me that."

I roll my eyes and quicken my pace, leaving him standing in the path by himself. He mumbles something and jogs to catch up with me.

"I'm not an ass-kisser. Hajoon happens to be an intelligent person who knows how to run a company well."

I raise an eyebrow, "Hajoon? So, you're on a first name basis now? Are you sure you aren't in love with him?"

"I'm not in love with anyone. He asked me to call him by his first name."

Dohyun's lips form a proud smile. He swipes his hair out of his eyes and adjusts his glasses. I roll my eyes when he only makes his glasses more crooked.

"Two weeks, and you think he's the greatest boss ever. You're normally a picky person, I'm surprised Mr. Wi has impressed you this much."

He stops, causing me to stop as well. When I look back at him, he sighs, "I'm not picky, I just like certain things. If you actually spoke to him instead of running into him or glaring at him from afar, you would be impressed, too."

"I'm just an assistant. It would be unprofessional and weird of me to speak to him casually."

He sighs in defeat, and I smile in victory.

"How many times have I told you to get new glasses?" I ask, removing his glasses to bend the frame back in place.

He leans down, allowing me to put his glasses back on him. "They still work, don't they?"

"Dohyun, they fall off of your face every five minutes."

He continues walking, "Three minutes, not five. I've timed it."

Of course he has.

"That doesn't make it any better, dweeb."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

On our walk home, Dohyun realized he had forgotten to send off a report. So, he drags me along with him back to the company. Much to my dismay.

We scan our I.D. tags and step into the elevator. I feel out of place in my casual attire. Jeans, Converse, and a Spider-Man hoodie aren't very professional. Dohyun, however, manages to look good as always. He's wearing a black turtleneck, black shoes, and plaid pants, but looks like he owns this building.

Pretty privilege at its finest.

The elevator doors open, and Dohyun walks out, not even waiting for me to follow him. His usual gentleman demeanor is replaced with panic. He rarely ever forgets things, and I'm sure this is eating him alive.

When I walk into his office, he's already typing on his computer, with his glasses pushed all the way up his nose. I sit in front of him and watch his fingers. He's typing so fast it's a miracle that his hands aren't cramping.

I lean back in the chair, staring up at the ceiling. My eyelids start to feel heavy, but just as I'm about to fall asleep, the door opens.

"It's your day off. What are you doing here?"

Dohyun stands up immediately to bow, "I had something I needed to finish."

I stand up as well and turn to see the CEO himself standing in the doorway. His brown eyes meet mine within seconds. He slowly looks me up and down, most likely analyzing my outfit.

"You're not in uniform. Is it your day off as well?"

"I apologize for my lack of professionalism, and yes, sir."

Mr. Wi looks me in the eyes, "Understood. Enjoy the rest of your day off."

He leaves, closing the door behind him. I let out a deep breath and look back at Dohyun. He also lets out a breath and sits back down.

"He's a tense and quiet guy, but he somehow gets even more tense when you're around."

I sit back down too, "Probably because I've done nothing but embarrass myself every time we're near each other."

"That is true," Dohyun says.

"You weren't supposed to agree," I mumble.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Once Dohyun was done sending off his reports, we prepared to leave. The two of us were walking to the elevator when we noticed another person waiting for it. As we get closer, I realize it's Mr. Wi. The doors open, and he steps inside, turning to face us.

"Do you mind if we ride down with you?"

Mr. Wi steps aside, giving us permission to enter. I walk to the back of the elevator, Dohyun stands in the middle, playing on his phone. I keep my eyes focused on the closed doors, trying to ignore the awkwardness. My focus shifts to the other side of the elevator, catching the eyes of the tall man beside me. The CEO maintains eye contact, an intimidation tactic.

My ego gets the best of me, and I stare back. Refusing to back down. The elevator ride is painfully slow as we continue the intense staring contest. My unknowing friend takes a step back, breaking our eye contact.

"Is ramen okay for dinner?" Dohyun whispers.

He's scrolling through a food delivery app on his phone, and the menu of his favorite ramen place catches my eye.

"Sure, just make sure it's-"

"Vegetarian, yeah, I know," he whispers back, rolling his eyes.

The doors finally open, and Mr. Wi steps out. Dohyun and I bow as he walks away, but he doesn't notice.

We step out of the elevator and head outside, barely catching the sight of Mr. Wi entering a black SUV. Once again, he is accompanied by intimidating men in black suits. The windows are tinted, but it's like I can feel his piercing gaze on me as Dohyun and I descend down the stairs.

"Still don't believe the rumors?" Dohyun asks, leaning way too close to my ear.

I shove his face away, finally looking away from the car. "Shut up."