A Job With Him

A Friendly Face

It's been a few days since my encounter with Joshua. We exchanged numbers and texted every day. He mostly had practices but since he already finished his performance here in Singapore, he had some extra time to do whatever he wanted. Since his next performance would be back in Korea and it's only after a few months, he told his manager that he would stay here longer than planned so that we could still spend time together.

Josh:
Amber, do you want to go out on a date with me this afternoon? I wanna walk around Singapore and see how much has changed.

Amber:
Sure! But I need to meet my career counsellor later today. So how about you meet me at Baked Hearts Cafe at 3pm? After I'm done talking to him there, we can go out afterwards.

Josh:
Okay! See ya, love:)

Amber:
Haha, see ya!

I grinned and put my phone away. Time to get ready and prepare for a serious career discussion.

I reached the cafe and looked around the area. He said that he had already reached and was sitting near a window. I walked a little more into the cafe and found a man wearing a black suit with a striped blue tie. There was a stack of papers on his table and he was sipping his coffee slowly while looking through his phone. I walked towards him and he started to look more and more familiar. When I got close to him, my memories from the past came flooding back to me.

"Mr Wayne Ng?" The man turned to face me and gave me a smile.

"Ahh, you must be Ms Amber Lee! Please take a seat," he invited me and I sat down slowly as I grew even more suspicious of him. He looked so alike to the Wayne I knew 10 years ago. Just that he was much older and his hairstyle had changed from messy to a clean silky cut. As these thoughts kept running in my head, Mr Ng spoke up.

"Since we're gonna be interacting a lot for the next few days until you find a good job, you can address me as just Wayne." He said in a friendly tone and I couldn't help but grin. There was no way he is the same Wayne from before. This guy was super nice!

"Okay! You can just call me Amber as well."

"Alright then. So, Amber, you said that you needed a counsellor cause you can't figure out what kind of jobs to apply for. May I ask, do you want a job based on your academic achievement or your passion?"

"Well, I would appreciate it if I get a job that I enjoy a lot but I myself am not sure what I'm good at or passionate about. My grades aren't too bad so I feel like I can work in teaching or healthcare. But I don't know, I don't think I would really want to do those for a living."

"I see. I do know that you have fantastic grades. But since healthcare and teaching aren't what you want, perhaps we can look into some more about yourself. Do you have a hobby or anything you like to do in your free time?"

"Well, I do love music. It always hypes me up and no matter what the song is, I would dance and sing uncontrollably. But that isn't really helpful, is it?"

"As a matter of fact, it is! There are many things you can do if you're passionate about music. If you're a good singer and dancer, you can become an artist here or overseas. You know, like those Korean idols. You can also become a songwriter for other artists or if you have knowledge of instruments, you can become a musician. Since this is related to the entertainment industry, you can also choose to become an actress or a model if you're fit for it. There are many other related jobs linked to these paths. So in reality, a lot of options for you to pick from are available if you decide to pursue music."

I thought about what he said for a while. He was right. Why didn't I think of pursuing singing like Josh did?

"But, the money..." I mumbled. Wayne heard me and gave me a grin.

"I know you're worried about your salary. After all, your pay depends on how good your albums sell if you're a singer or how your show ratings are if you're an actress. But sometimes, you just need to take that leap of faith and do your best in achieving that dream," Wayne's advice sunk into me and my frown turned upside down. All this time, I never once trusted that I could do something else other than studying and getting good grades. Now is the time for me to step out of this bubble of mine and do what I want.

"Thanks, Wayne. You're really amazing at your job. I didn't even think of pursuing singing but you helped me realise that. Thanks so much," I smiled brightly and he chuckled.

"It's my pleasure. Now let's discuss how you're gonna go down this career path..." He then started talking about what I needed to do to qualify for the job and about what kind of opportunities there would be shall I succeed.

2 hours passed by in a flurry and it was already 3pm. I didn't realise how much time had flown and couldn't check my phone either since I was so focused on what Wayne was telling me.

I then heard a voice call out my name from behind me. "Amber! What are you doing with that psychopath?!" Before I could even turn to see the owner of the voice, he grabbed my arm that was resting on the table harshly and pulled me away from my seat. I was about to fall when he held onto me.

"J-Josh? What are you doing? Why did you suddenly grab me?!" I exclaimed as I looked up to find my boyfriend. His face was covered with a black mask and his hood covered his hair. However, I could see the rage in his eyes. Instead of answering my question, he pulled me behind him protectively and faced Wayne.

"What do you think you're doing with my girlfriend? Haven't you had enough of destroying our relationship 10 years ago Wayne? Well too bad, I won't let you hurt Amber again. Stay. The. Hell. Away. From. Us."