Mr. Demonio: The Insufferable Boss

Oh God! Boss is...

Sunday.

It was the most awaited day, aside from public holidays. I always found Sundays confusing. Why did it feel like it took forever to get from Monday to Sunday, but from Sunday to Monday, it was over in the blink of an eye? It just wasn’t fair.

But, no matter what, Sunday was always the day I looked forward to the most. Why wouldn’t I? It was the only day I could truly rest at home. Technically, we worked five days a week, but Saturday couldn’t really be called a day off. We ended up working more often than not.

“Han, look at this bag, Han,” I said with wide eyes, mesmerized. “Oh my God, I want it.”

Hana, beside me, laughed. “Well, look who just got paid.”

I laughed too. Hana and I were spending our short break at the mall. We were walking around, or maybe more accurately, window shopping. At best, we’d probably just stop by a café to eat.

Don’t get me wrong—although it was still early in the month and we’d just been paid, it didn’t mean we could spend money carelessly. There were a lot of things that needed to be taken care of, not to mention sending money back home. Especially Hana, who was currently paying off her bike installment. So many expenses. Whatever was left, we got by with it. Typical fresh grads.

“Damn,” I laughed when I saw the price tag, “The price is more than my monthly salary.”

Hana suddenly gave me a light smack on the head. “You walk into a branded boutique and expect to find a bag for a hundred thousand rupiah?” Hana shook her head. “That’s like hoping for snow in Indonesia.”

I grinned sheepishly, rubbing my head where Hana’s hand had landed. “Well, you never know, right?”

“Stop daydreaming in broad daylight, El.” Hana scolded, as usual. “Come on, I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat.”

“You’re treating, right?” I laughed again, trying to rile Hana up. She was already annoyed because her plan to go out with her boyfriend fell through when he suddenly had to go out of town.

“El, you know I’m on a tight budget, right?” Hana asked, clearly trying to be patient. I laughed again. “You should be the one treating me, El.”

“Oh, and you think I’ve got enough money to treat you?”

Hana rolled her eyes and walked out of the boutique first. “You’re always so stingy.”

I chased after Hana, laughing, throwing my arm around her shoulder. “Oh, come on, since when have I ever been stingy with you?”

We both headed to the cafe on the mall’s second floor. And that’s when it happened—just as I was about to step onto the down escalator, I saw someone I knew all too well. Someone who always annoyed me day in and day out. Boss.

I stopped in my tracks, stepping aside, deciding not to go down. If—if this weren’t something that made my eyes widen in shock, I would’ve immediately bolted the moment I saw Boss here. But this…

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Hana, who also didn’t go down, asked, looking at me in confusion. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I looked at Hana and shook my head. No, this wasn’t a ghost. This was worse than a ghost. I swallowed hard, unsure how to explain it. Boss—was he...

***

"A GAY?"

I quickly covered Katrina’s and Kevin’s mouths, glaring at them sharply.

“Didn’t I tell you to lower your voices?” I grumbled, letting go of their mouths. “You guys ended up shouting. Unbelievable.”

Katrina didn’t care about my annoyed glare; instead, she asked excitedly, “Are you serious, El? That’s impossible!”

“Oh my God, can’t you keep your voice down, Kat?” I hissed, glancing at the other tables. Thankfully, they weren’t paying much attention to us.

“You’re not joking, right, El?” Kevin asked quietly, still unable to hide his shock.

I shook my head. No, I wasn’t joking at all. I was just as shocked when I saw it with my own eyes. Boss, only a few meters away from me, was with another man.

It would be normal if he was just walking with a man—maybe they were friends. That’s the most likely explanation. But if he’s standing face-to-face with the guy and the guy is holding his hand, what could that mean?

I was beyond shocked, like seeing snow fall in Indonesia, just like Hana had joked before. Something that felt impossible.

Boss, a gay? That… that wasn’t something I could just keep to myself. So, as soon as break time came, I dragged Kevin and Katrina outside to where we usually have lunch when it was just the three of us. We found a table in the corner, and I quietly whispered the whole thing to them.

“Maybe you saw wrong, El,” Kevin said softly, looking skeptical.

“Yeah, Elsa,” Katrina added. “Maybe…”

“I know what I saw, Kat, Vin,” I looked at both of them in turn. “I clearly saw the guy holding Boss’s hand. And Boss even smiled at him. Like this…”

I then grabbed Katrina’s right hand, held it with both of mine, and smiled sweetly. Katrina shuddered, caught between disbelief and unease.

“But… that can’t be, right?” Katrina muttered, covering her mouth in disbelief.

“This kind of gossip can’t spread, El,” Kevin said seriously, looking at me. “This isn’t something to take lightly. If you’re wrong, it could turn into defamation.”

I glared back at Kevin, irritated. “That’s why I’ve been telling you guys to keep it down.”

The three of us fell silent, lost in our thoughts. Even the food we’d ordered remained untouched. I scratched my head, which suddenly felt itchy.

“This… is really hard to believe,” Katrina stared at her plate, speaking softly. “Boss, Rey Demonio, is a gay? Ahh, how could that be?”

Katrina shook her head, a little upset, still not believing it. To be honest, she seemed regretful about hearing this news.

Kevin sighed. “I know nowadays a lot of guys are ‘switching sides,’ but…” He shook his head, looking disappointed. “I didn’t expect Boss to be one of them.”

I stayed silent, not knowing what to say.

***

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Author's note:

This story includes themes that explore personal relationships, assumptions, and misunderstandings. The characters’ reactions and views reflect their individual personalities and backgrounds, not any intended judgment or stereotype. My aim is to portray a realistic workplace setting and the personal growth that comes from confronting one’s biases. I hope readers will view this as part of the characters’ journeys rather than a commentary on any group or orientation. Thank you for reading with an open mind.