Arranged Marriage

Chapter 8

Your POV

You drop your bag by the door and fall face-first onto your bed, the folders still clutched in your hands. The room is quiet, the kind of quiet that makes your thoughts louder. Papers spill out in front of you, a messy stack of things you're supposed to somehow make sense of.

You just stare.

Blankly.

You're not even sure where to begin. Your eyes flick over the first few pages, but nothing sticks. Your brain is fried. Completely.

Then you glance at the time on your phone.

11:02 PM. Friday.

That's what really pisses you off. Tomorrow is Saturday. A weekend. And Yugyeom still had the audacity to tell you he wanted all of this done by "tomorrow." He didn't even flinch when he said it.

You let out a quiet, bitter laugh. What does he even expect you to do? Show up at the company on your day off and hand-deliver these files like some desperate intern begging for his approval? You're way past that stage.

You sit up, elbows on your knees, hands dragging down your face. You could finish them and take them in. Or you could wait until Monday– it would make more sense to hand it to him on a day you'll have to see him. 

Your phone buzzes next to you. A single message lights up the screen.

Jinyoung:
You asleep?

A small smile creeps up your face as you scan the message on your phone. Almost immediately, you sit up to respond.

Yooha:
Not yet. Buried under a mountain of files, actually.

Jinyoung:
Work? At this hour?

Yooha:
Yugyeom gave me more before I left today. Said he
wants them done by "tomorrow." As if weekends
don't exist.

Jinyoung:
Let me guess. No thanks, no
explanation, just the usual "get it done"?

Yooha:
Exactly like that.

Yooha:
Also, still haven't finished cleaning the office.
Gotta shop for supplies too.

Jinyoung:
I'll go with you. Tomorrow. You shouldn't
have to deal with all this alone.

Your eyes pause on the message, surprised. And maybe a little grateful. You pull your knees to your chest, smiling to yourself.

Yooha:
Thanks, Jinyoung. Seriously.

Jinyoung:
Anytime. Just tell me where to meet.

You look over at the folders again, this time with a bit less dread—because at least tomorrow, for a little while, you won't be doing this alone. Your eyes linger on the last message from Jinyoung, and despite everything, you smile.

Maybe tomorrow won't be so bad.

*

Sunlight creeps through your curtains, sharp and unforgiving. It hits your face like a slap, and your eyes sting before you even manage to open them. Your whole body feels heavy, like it's against the idea of moving at all. You stayed up way too late finishing those files; Yugyeom didn't even give you a full 24 hours, just dumped them in your hands and expected magic. Typical.

If he wanted magic he should've hired a magician. 

You roll onto your side with a groan, squinting at the clock on your nightstand. You got maybe four hours of sleep– and maybe not even full. Somehow you swear you hate him more now than you did yesterday. A new record.