The Assistant

~I Guess You can say~

"It's already engraved in you, can't take it out
Deeper in your heart
I'm your sweet Russian Roulette,"

- RedVelvet Russian Roulette

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I sent my resignation form that next day and decided to just move on with my life. I wasn't going to deal with the sexual harassment and then the people I love and care about being watched by a man who has problems or ruin a family even though Minseok didn't care! 

It's a Monday morning, exactly 8AM and I was scrolling through my phone listening to music waiting for the bus to come when I felt someone rush and stand near me but far enough to give me space. Normally, I would have looked up and probably sent a smile in the persons direction but instead I kept my head down. 

By the time the bus came I snapped my head up and walked to the doors. "1,250 won please," said the bus driver and I searched in my shoulder bag for my wallet. When I looked for my money I realized I only had 1,000 won. I groaned and was about to exit, thinking of the walk from where I was to the book store I had found a job slot at when the man behind me tapped my shoulder, "here is the rest," he said with a smile. I felt my jaw drop when I took in the persons appearance. I bowed and took the money and paid for my seat. When I sat down I looked up to make sure that what I saw wasn't a dream or hallucination. As the man took a window seat in a row across from me I stared at the back of his head. 

My staring must have been a silent call to him because he turned around and we made eye contact, he quickly turned around and went back to bobbing his head to bus music and pushed his glasses more up his nose bridge. I pulled my attention away to my phone once again when the bus stopped. In came a lady who was pregnant and held a large shopping bag in her hand. The man who had given me extra change took notice and realized the seats in the bus where full, he got his backpack and looked for an empty seat. When he looked to me he realized that there was a seat empty to my left. The lady thanked him and he smiled at her and then gave me eyes that where asking for permission, I nodded and turned to look outside the window and he made himself comfortable. 

The bus ride was silent and awkward. Almost stuffy, but when it came to my stop we both got up and looked at each other one more time before he stepped out of my way and allowed me to go first. This man surely has a lot of manners, I said mentally and gripped my shoulder bag. I walked to a cross-walk and dashed lightly to the book store that still had a close sign and some patrons awaiting for the opening. "Goodmorning," I said and some University Students, mainly university students is what we get, smiled and bowed slightly. As I unlocked the door I pushed it open and held the door for the 5 people, one of them being the man from the bus. 

Staring at him and just trying to believe that what I was seeing was true was difficult. He made his way in and then went around the counter stuffing his bag in a cabinet, he then opened a drawer and took out a name tag. I made my way slowly around the counter and did the same things but at a much slower pace. When I turned to the man he turned too, "Staring is rude," he said and crossed his arms. I shook my head and bowed, "I'm sorry...its just..your-" he cut me off and turned to the cash register again and pressed a couple buttons. "I know, I get it a lot..just so you know I am Kim Xiumin. My brother is Kim Minseok so please don't go psycho," he said flatly. I bit the inside of my cheeks, "your brothers," I said which sounded stupid. He stopped pressing buttons and turned to me, "last time I checked, yes, we aren't just brothers but TWINS, identical too!" he said full of sarcasm. I rolled my eyes, not as polite as I thought, "just because my brother is the way he is doesn't mean I am the same, so have decency, araso?" he said strictly and I quickly turned to him. "Excuse me?" I said and he looked at me with a neutral gaze, "let me guess..you where his 'special assistant' and you realized that you where never going to be his Mrs. or that he would not divorce his wife for you," he said and I gasped. "I left because your asshole of a brother sexual harassed me! And wanted me to be his personal side-chick, so no I actually did work and none of my responsibilities there was seducing your brother!" I said clipping my name tag on quickly before I pushed a cart of books to place them where they belong. 

Throughout the day I tried to avoid Xiumin because of his rude remarks. I never slept with his stupid brother, and I was more frustrated at the fact I could never just leave that all behind. I was placing a child book on a shelf when I heard someone clearing their throat so I turned thinking it was just a customer. Nope. It was the other brother. "Um..Ava...I just want to say sorry," he said and looked down to his hand that he was fiddling with. I turned away from him back to the empty cart as I pushed it back behind the old wooden counter not responding to his apology. He didn't follow me instead he went outside and began to change the sign we had, it advertised new books and reading nights in neon colored chalk. When he came back in we made quick eye contact and then looked away.

The day passed slowly and easily, nothing difficult, I enjoyed this much more then I did working in a office all day. It was nearing Valentines Day and I was thinking of what I could get Chanwoo when I was pulled from my thoughts. I snapped my attention to Xiumin who was ringing up a customer and then turned to me, "Earth to Ava," he said and then turned to me. "Sorry..I space out alot," I said and chuckled slightly. He shrugged and then fully turned to me, "Hey..about earlier, I'm sorry, it's just the last girl that worked here thought I would be like my brother and well you can guess what happened," he said and I shrugged my shoulders. "It's ok," I said and opened the cabinet where my bag was in, I pulled my wallet out and then turned to Xiumin, "how about we forget about that situation and be nice coworkers," I said and he glanced to his watch. He stood straight and smiled, "I can oblige to that,"and then we where out of the bookstore and walked down the side walk in silence.

"So Xiumin...what are your likes," I asked as we took our drinks to a table and sat across from one another. He hummed as he thought of things he liked,  "I like soccer-" I cut him off with a scoff and sipped my latte. He then focused his attention on me and glared, "what?!" he asked and I shrugged. He broke eye contact and then went back to what he was thinking about, "anyway! I like coffee, mandu, blueberry icecream, I like ballad music, and you?" he asked as he drank his Americano. I hummed and tapped the table, "I have this obsession with pizza, fried chicken is like my side, I like coffee, I listen to a variety of music, and I am lactose intolerant," I said and he lightly laughed. "So that's why you ordered with almond milk! I thought you where one of those organic, gluten free, everything free types of people," he said and I shook my head, "no..I just cant digest milk!" I say and we both laugh. 

Xiumin took his glasses of and then looked at me again, "tell me about your family," he said and I cocked my head, "how far are we trying to dig into each others lives?" I ask jokingly and he pointed at me and began arguing playfully, "you suggested we get to know each other! For all I know you can be a murder!" he says and looks at me with wide eyes. I sigh and shake my head with a small smile, "I was born in America but I was adopted by a Korean family," I say and mess with my half empty cup. Xiumin stopped sipping his coffee and then stayed silent, "what about you?" I asked trying to change the subject, "um, well I was born in Hwadoeup, small and quiet, with my mom, dad, and sister," he says rushed and then I look at him blinking. "What about Minseok?" I ask and he sighs, "you caught me," he says and avoids looking at me. He then folds his arms and sits back, "I was never close with my twin brother, we where just so different, he was more popular with the other kids and I kinda lingered in the back like his shadow. When I turned 18 I left home moved here and studied in business but found a job at the bookstore and as you can see I never left," he said sending me a forced smile. Being I didn't want to pry into his life I left it at that, but I knew there was more to what happened to him and his brother. 

When we finished are lunch break we headed back to the bookstore where I finished my shift and left back to the loft. As I headed to the bus, I took a glance in the direction of the bookstore and could faintly see Xiumin sitting in a chair reading a book. I couldn't make out the title but it amazed to know how different he was from his pervert of a twin brother. I was pulled from my thoughts yet again when my phone buzzed and I saw it was a text from my boyfriend, "I am at your loft:)" it said and I replied with a 'on-my-way' text. 

When I paid for my bus fair I realized I did have change for that morning I just wasn't looking. I took my usual seat by the window and as the bus took off I tried to take a last glance at the bookstore but wasn't able to so I turned back straight and rested my head on the window taking in the silence.