Who I've Been Searching For | Sungjoy

Chapter 7: Testing, Testing

"Joyiah, I'm going out. Watch over Sungjae while I'm gone," Changsub said as he threw on his suit jacket.

"Wait, what?" Joy was so startled, she jumped out of her seat. In the three days that she had been working at CUBE Division, she had yet to be alone with Sungjae. Her days had consisted of following the two of them to meetings in the building, meeting with Wendy for lunch, and reading through Changsub's notes.

"See you, Joyiah!" Changsub waved goodbye to her cheerfully as he slammed the door on the way out.

"Bye...?" Joy waved her hand tentatively at Changsub's departing figure. She slumped back into her seat and shook her hand. She had forgotten how Changsub could pull off stunts like this; he had done it multiple times when they were instructing at the academy.

"Is he gone?"

"Ah!"

For the second time that day, Joy jumped out of her seat in surprise. She turned around and saw Sungjae standing behind her.

"Sungjae-ssi," she greeted him.

"Did Changsub leave?" he asked her again, ignoring her greeting.

Joy frowned, "He did."

"Finally!" Sungjae rushed back into his office and immediately came back out with a notebook in hand.

"Where are you going with that?" Joy was confused.

"To the laboratory downstairs," Sungjae answered as though it was the most obvious answer.

Joy only became more confused, "Why does Changsub not being here make a difference?"

Sungjae stopped in his tracks and looked at Joy. "Well, I mean..." his eyes kept on shifting left and right. "It doesn't really, but..."

Joy looked at him with sad understanding. In the past, whenever Sungjae would act like this, it meant that he was hiding something.

"Look," Joy stepped around her desk. "You don't have to tell me the reason why, but I'm going to be going with you."

"You?" Sungjae stopped fidgeting and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm here to be your bodyguard," she reminded him. "Part of that also means posing as your personal assistant."

"Posing being the key operative word," Sungjae countered.

Joy couldn't believe how hard-headed he had become. "If anyone is going to believe it, we need to fool those around us. So, I'm going with you," she declared.

Sungjae opened his mouth as if he was going to protest more but thought better of it. He was losing precious time before Changsub came back.

"Suit yourself," he said as he walked out of the office.

--

With a soft chime, the elevator doors closed, concealing its two occupants from the rest of the world.

For Joy, it was the first time that she had been in such close proximity of Sungjae and she couldn't help but sneak a few looks at him.

"Ms. Park, why do you keep on looking at me?'

Did you forget your training? Joy silently berated herself before she replied.

"You remind me of someone I once knew," she answered, not daring to look at him.

Sungjae looked over at her. Was she referring to him or was there really a friend that he reminded her of?

He decided to chance it. Joy mentioned that she had known him before Changsub and that he had been a joker in the past.