Shaken, Not Stirred

~ 1 ~

Nanon

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

As I switched off the alarm, I followed my usual routine: brushing, bathing, ironing clothes, and then having breakfast while watching the news and reading the newspaper.

I dressed in my ironed clothes, put on my flower tie, adjusted my glasses, and slicked my hair back. Perfect! As always!

I don't dress to impress; I dress for comfort. Loose clothes give me breathing space, and my hair is pulled back so it doesn't get in my eyes. I wear glasses because contacts are bothersome. The flower tie adds a splash of color and pleases my eyes without interfering with my work.

I walk to the bus stand and take a ride to the office. On time, punctual. I love discipline.

My name is Nanon Korapat Kirdpan. I work as an accountant in SM Corporation's finance team—an ordinary job that I do extraordinarily well.

"Let's get to work, Non!" I mumble as I enter the building.

This is my third year at SM Corp.

I was born the youngest in a family of five, with an eldest brother and an older sister before me. I had an average childhood and average looks. All five of us in the family look alike—average faces, big round glasses, loose, comfortable clothes, and high intellect.

Truly, I'm as unassuming as a raindrop in a storm, blending into the chaos around me.

But oh well, I don't mind.

I believe it's best to be ordinary.

Now, where are my plants?

I walked to the side of my desk and watered my plants before starting work. An ordinary routine for an ordinary day.

I took off my glasses as the water sprinkled back on my face because the bottle cap was loose.

Tia approached my desk with a file in hand. "Oh, Mr. Nanon, you're here? Great! Can you please..."

Before she could finish, I extended my hand. "I'll take it," I said.

"Oh... your face..." She looked shocked as I put my glasses back on and turned to her.

"My face?" I asked with a confused frown.

"Oh n-nothing. For a second, you... umm... no, I must be imagining things," she mumbled, returning to her seat.

And so, because ordinary is good, I went to an okay university, got okay grades, and an okay degree. I finally landed a decent job at a fairly good company and, on top of that, was placed in my preferred department.

But there are days when I get frustrated dealing with the clueless people around me.

"Can't you just write it off, Mr. Nanon?" Mr. Dua said when I questioned him about his movie ticket and non-work-related travel reimbursements.

"We don't deal with entertainment expenses," I replied curtly. "If I do as you say and something goes wrong, it will be my fault."

"Ugh!" He scowled at me.

But it doesn't matter. I can simply ignore them.

I got up and walked to the restroom. My back felt sore from sitting for almost two hours dealing with all those claims and reimbursements before heading to the cafeteria for lunch.

As I looked into the mirror, I realized that most of the time, I am very satisfied with my ordinary life. I don't want a promotion either. I am happy doing this job forever. My dream is to retire and live a long, healthy life.