𝑬𝑵𝑺𝑵𝑨𝑹𝑬𝑫 | JUNGKOOK

8. Surprise

Alba's POV

Later that evening, you and Aina headed to work at the hotel. You made your way to the front desk ready to take your shift, the scent of fresh coffee mingled with the faint aroma of polished wood and leather, adding to the comforting atmosphere of the space. You exchanged smiles and greetings with your coworkers.

"Evening, Alba," Mr. Han, your outgoing shift manager greeted you.

"Good evening, Mr. Han," you replied keeping your tone professional. "Anything I should be aware of?" you asked as you logged into the system.

"Smooth sailing so far. But keep an eye on suite 1207. Complaints about noise earlier," he advised, before bidding his farewell and disappearing like a ghost into the night.

You settled onto your desk, looking over various screens displaying camera feeds and reservation charts.

"Evening, Alba!" Yun Nimi, squeaked, flashing a bright smile joining you at the front desk.

"Evening, Nim," you replied warmly, giving a small wave to Minjun, the bellboy, who was rushing past with a luggage cart.

As the night progressed you answered many phone calls, helped guests check in, and dealt with different questions. You did all this quickly, as you normally do. The lobby was full of noise - people typing on computers, phones ringing, and guests talking.

"Another coffee run?" The voice cutting through your tasks. You turned to see Nimi, leaning against the desk with holding two steaming cups in her hands.

"Only if you've spiked it with something strong enough to make these numbers interesting," you replied with mischief in your tone as you accepted the offered lifeline.

"Girl, if I had the secret to making accounting thrilling, I'd be a billionaire," Nimi quipped, settling in her seat next to you.

You took a grateful sip, letting the warmth trickle down your throat. "Thanks, Nim. You're the real MVP of night audits."

"Tell me about it." Nimi leaned back, stretching her arms. "So, how was the VIP encounter last night? I didn't ask you last night"

You hesitated, your mind replaying the night "Just the usual crowd, nothing out of the ordinary," you browsed back to your monitor hoping your nonchalance was convincing.

"Uh-huh," Nimi drawled, not entirely buying it but choosing not to press. She knew you well enough to sense when you held back.

Your conversation shifted to safer topics like the daily challenges of your job, the latest gossip among the staff, and other things. She shared all the recent gossip since she was the hotel's social butterfly. You marveled at how she managed to work and keep tabs on employees from different departments at the same time, something you could never do.

As she talked about a recent piece of gossip, you silently thanked her for keeping your mind occupied, preventing you from overthinking about a certain jerk.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard your name. Looking around, you spotted the person responsible the sudden appearance of Felix interrupted you. "Hey, Alba, got a sec?" Felix stood straight, his presence was unexpected. Tonight his hair was a shade lighter than you remembered, the silver tones catching the fluorescent light.

"Sure, what's up?" you responded, noting the slight furrow in Felix's brow.

"Last night, after your shift... everything went okay, right?" Felix asked, his tone casual but concerning. You could almost hear the unspoken words, the protective edge that emphasized his inquiries about your well-being.