Remember When

Rumors

"Can you believe her?"

Somin knew the female employees in the editorial department were talking about her. It would be highly unusual if they weren't and highly unlikely that they wouldn't. Still, she stayed seated on the Editor-in-Chief's chair, acting like she owned it, swiveling one way then the other.

"She knows Tae-hyung's with Jiwoo. Yet she's still obviously after him."

"How shameless can that woman get?"

Somin smirked as she listened. They didn't even bother lowering their voices. And it amused her to no end how small their minds were, thinking they know everything, thinking they really know her.

Bitch. Skank. Trash.

These were just some of the words Somin grew up hearing.

And over the years, Somin learned to ignore them and learned to be thick-skinned. It was just jealousy, mean and spiteful jealousy. Being beautiful, being popular everywhere she went made them insecure and green. Never mind that she worked so hard to be where she was now, they still see her as nothing but someone who used her feminine wiles to seduce every man in the world.

"Somin," Tae-hyung smiled as he walked up to his desk. "What are you doing on my chair?"

"Hello, Mr. Kim." Somin crossed her legs, making her tight skirt hike up her thighs. "I'm here to invite you out to lunch."

He chuckled as he loosened his tie. "I'm having lunch with Jiwoo."

She pouted. "You don't have time for me anymore."

"I always have time for you Somin. Now get up so I can work."

Somin laughed as she rose from Tae-hyung's chair. But she didn't leave. She leaned her hip on the desk and crossed her arms, watching him take his seat.

"Where's Jiwoo?" she asked.

Tae-hyung turned on the monitor and muttered, "In a meeting."

Somin glanced at her still gossiping co-employees. With a smirk, she leaned down and whispered into Tae-hyung's ear, "Act like I said something naughty."

"I swear you're only doing this to get you-know-who's attention," he murmured under his breath with a tiny grin.

She leaned back and glared down at him. "I'm not."

"Sure you're not." Tae-hyung jerked his chin to the door. "Speak of the devil."

Somin stiffened.

Then she twisted her neck to see Woo-jin standing at the door.

**********

He walked backwards, smiling playfully at her.

"You're an awesome girl," he said. "Do you know that?"

Somin grinned at him through the heartache she was feeling..

Yeah, she thought as she caught up to him.

But it wasn't enough.

She just wasn't enough for him to love her, was it?

  **********  

"You," Woo-jin shouted, beckoning to Somin with his hand, "Come here."

Somin narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not a dog."

"Department Manager Somin Jeon, please come here," Woo-jin reiterated with an annoyed sigh.

Somin straightened from Tae-hyung's table and moseyed to him. Tae-hyung was laughing quietly behind her and she gave him a look over her shoulder to shut him up.

"I received a complaint," Woo-jin said when she was in front of him.

"You always receive complaints," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.

"What were you doing here?"

She batted her lashes at him. "I was inviting Tae-hyung to lunch. It's his last day in this department before he moves to his new office, remember?"

Woo-jin glanced over her head and looked back at her.

"Get your pretty ass to Finance," he told her in a firm tone. "Now."

Somin clicked her tongue at him. He grinned. And her temperature rose.

Her charm, Somin found early on, never worked on Woo-jin. In fact, none of her alluring, demure ways worked on him. He could see through all of them and it amused him the way she tried to cover up and act this way.

He was a difficult man.

"Remember when you were fun?" Somin asked him.

He burst out laughing and Somin fought the urge to kick his shin. So instead, she clicked her tongue at him again.

"Remember when I told you to fall for me again?" Woo-jin suddenly said.

Her brows drew together. "What?"

He tapped on her nose. "Nothing. Now go back."

Perplexed, Somin watched him go down the hall.

What the heck did he mean by that?