Dear Lawyer

2- Intern (ii)

The organizational structure at Southcross Law Firm was typical of any law firm. The underlying operations were managed by the firm in coordination with its lawyers, but each individual lawyer was relatively independent. As a result, a lawyer's work never overlapped with another's and they each had a large office to call their own. Once the door was closed, they could isolate themselves from the rest of the firm and were usually left alone, barring extraordinary circumstances.

It was the type of work setting where one could 'pretend to be blind and deaf, just don't bother me'. Jimin had gotten used to this kind of work culture years ago.

However, Miss Fizz wasn't aware that he was accustomed to it and while they were moving his items into the office, she purposely lowered her voice and said, "Sharing an office with a lawyer isn't easy. New interns are always nervous and I totally get it. Last year, there was a young man who was too scared to even go to the bathroom on his first day. I remember when I saw him at lunch, his face had turned green, and when I asked him why, he said the office felt too quiet and confined. He was afraid that the slightest movement would cause his teacher to take notice."

"His willpower must have been truly admirable," Jimin praised.

"Don't laugh." Miss Fizz continued. "Over the next little while, it's possible that you and Lawyer Jeon will spend a lot more time outside rather than inside the office. However, I hope you can still feel a sense of belonging here. Even if your desk isn't as large as Lawyer Jeon's, this is still your office and at least 30% of the territory is rightfully yours. So use it freely, don't hold back and be confident."

Jimin wasn't sure if she was aware of it herself, but to his ears, she sounded like she was reciting a eulogy.

___

It was clear that Miss Fizz had underestimated him. Not only was Jimin brimming with confidence but he had nearly turned the tables and become the master of the house.

Every time his mind wandered, he subconsciously began thinking of the office as his. It was easy to think of the chair he was currently occupying was actually the lawyer's seat and the aloof Student Jeon - who was sitting across from him and drinking coffee - was actually the intern he had blindly picked up because he didn't have enough headaches as it were.

It was to the extent that he nearly opened his mouth a few times to assign Jungkook some work to do. Thankfully, he had quick reflexes and each time he opened his mouth, he instantly recovered his senses and slammed on the breaks, then schooled his expression and calmly closed his mouth again.

He blamed his delayed reaction on the coffee. It was far too hot and the dense cloud of white steam made it much too easy to zone out. Also...the design of office was all too familiar.

At first glance, the place may as well have been born from the same womb as the dean's office he had once occupied. Furthermore, it bore a strong resemblance to his lawyer's office at Southlew as well.

Jimin's eyes took in his surroundings and for some odd reason, he was struck by a small sense of gratification.

Although their teacher-student relationship hadn't been all that great, there were still some intrinsic qualities that had been inherited. It sure looked as if a certain aesthetic had been passed down, didn't it?

Jimin smiled cheerfully and was about to compliment the office's design, but before he could open his mouth and squeeze out a few words, Jungkook had already set down his coffee cup and said condescendingly, "I wasn't planning on taking on any interns."

Jungkook's voice was pleasing to the ear and his tone was particularly unperturbed. If one were to ignore the actual words he was saying, it was easy for listeners to feel the urge to to listen to him speak a little more.