Their one week break soon came to end. Hye Won and Rye Il were back to their usual bickering self and the incident between them had became a topic that would be brought up from time to time.
It was the start of their four month training at the internship company they were attached to. Even though Gary and Jihyo were in the same company, they were in different departments.
Gary was part of the interior design team while Jihyo was attached to the in-house manufacturing team which was deemed as the most chaotic place to be in, and she could understand why the moment she stepped inside the office.
Employees were running around the office, some were carrying stack of files and bringing it to the back of the office. She peered into the meeting room through the small glass panel built in the center of the door and saw four people - two seated and two standing, gathered together at one side of the long table. Their eye were all focusing on what seems like a blueprint sprawled out on the table.
"Stop standing over there and come here!" she heard a booming voice from behind and turned around to see a bespectacled man staring back at her.
"You're the new intern right?" Jihyo nodded. He gestured for her to come forward.
"In here, time is everything. If you're thinking that we will go easy on you just because you're an intern, you're wrong. Everyone are treated equally here. I believe you must have heard about what others say about being in this team. If you managed to get through these four months in our team, then in all honesty, you will be able to survive in any position."
Jihyo looked around the surrounding. Various discussions were going on at the same time. The fast pace and hectic environment was really starting to make her feel nervous even though it was only her first day.
"Hyun Woo, don't scare her. We wouldn't want to see a runaway intern." A lady walked towards them, stopping just right beside Jihyo. She extended her hand out to her and Jihyo shook it.
"I'm Syun, head of the team and also, your supervisor. I guess you've met Hyun Woo. He's our senior employee, having work here for close to 20 years. Whatever that he had said to you, don't think too much about it. It's a 'tradition' that he does. Scaring interns on their first day but don't worry, we're not that mean." She said and gave her a warm smile.
"A tradition that will never change. " Hyun Woo interrupted, then grabbed his cup of hot coffee and return to his own desk.
Syun showed her around the office and introduced her to the other employees. She brought her to her desk which was next to the pantry.
Jihyo was given some time to settle down her stuff before work officially commence.
One floor up, was the interior design team's office. It was much quieter as compared to below. Everyone were discussing among their own groups in a hush tone.
"Kang gary ssi?"
"Yes, I am." Gary said and bowed at the man.
"I'm your supervisor for your four month stint in our team. By the way, I'm Andre. You can call me Dre for short. In here, we dropped all formalities and call each other by our names."
"I understood, Dre." he replied.
"Good. I'll show you around and then we shall get started with work."
***
Jihyo went to the roof garden and sat down on a stone bench under the tree, looking over the Han river. From up there, she could see everything. The dock was lined with duck boats waiting to be rent out. People were cycling along the path of the river. Despite the cold weather, there was a group of people having a picnic together.
Her eyes shifted to the pavilion on the far right. Although it wasn't the same pavilion nor the same place, it still reminded her of the day when she went to look for Gary at Yeouido Hangang Park. How apologetic and worried she felt that day, and his unexpected confession to her.
Suddenly, she found herself looking at nothing but pitch of darkness. She reached both hands up to her eyes and felt a pair of hands over them.
"Guess who?" She heard a familiar voice from behind. A smile spread across her face.
"Kang Gary!" She pulled his hands away and turned around to look at him.
"I bought a wrap for you." He put the bag of food on the bench and passed her the wrap. "And here's a cup of Americano." He carefully removed the lid and placed it next to her.
"Gomawo. " she said.
" How was the first day?" They asked at the same time. Gary allowed her to speak first.
"The people there are good. It was slightly hectic but manageable." She replied and looked at him.
"They gave me a small project to handle when it's only my first day." He chuckled at the thought of it.
"That's good.. It means that they trust you." She stopped eating and looked down at her feet.
"Why do you sound so sad about it?"
She lifted her head but did not look at him. "I'm just wondering if I'll be able to survive these four months. I don't know if I'm up to it." She said and sighed.
Gary reached his hand out and placed it over hers, squeezing it lightly. "I know you will be able to. You're the Ace among the four of us." He looked at her with a look of assurance.
"Stop calling me that. You know how pressure I feel whenever you guys call me that." She pouted.
He placed his arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "What about mong ji?" He whispered into her ear.
"It's only between us." She replied with a smile on her face.
***
As weeks passed by, they slowly got used to working in the company. They would meet up for lunch daily and Gary would send her home after work despite how tired he was from visiting clients' houses. The four months soon passed in the blink of an eye.
Both of them were offered a position in the company which they both accepted.
"Are you nervous?" Hye Won asked Jihyo as they stood by the side of the stage, getting ready to be called. The auditorium was fully filled with students dressed in blue graduation gowns.
"A little," Jihyo replied and adjusted her graduation hat. She looked to the back of the queue and her eyes met Gary's. He winked at her and showed her a heart sign with his fingers. She smiled at him and turned back to face the stage.
One by one as their names were called, they went up the stage to receive their certificate. It was a surreal moment for Rye Il and Gary. They never expect themselves to be able to stand on the stage to receive their graduation certificate.
Once the ceremony was over, they went up to the roof garden to take some photos. Rye Il setup the tripod stand and attached the camera to it. He pressed the shutter button and quickly ran over to them as the timer started to count down from five.
As the last beep goes off, they synchronized with one another and jumped up at the same time. The shutter goes off and a photo of their jumpshot was taken.
Their bright, cheerful smiles showed how happy they were.
