They met once more a few days later, though this time no girlfriend and no Jumin.
She saw him knocking on the door to Jumin's office. Stopping in her tracks, MC noticed the desk next to the door that Jaehee usually occupied was also vacant. The sign the diligent assistant usually posted on the door for when she was away but still available wasn't even hanging from its usual place by entrance door.
She cleared her throat trying to gain the man's attention.
Ji Hyun carefully turned at the noise and immediately smiled kindly. Caught off guard, it took a moment for MC to rearrange what she was about to say, but she collected herself and continued, "It seems they are both out." He backed away from the door and walked in her direction. Her hands busied themselves with repositioned the files in her arms to better balance them. "Kang usually posts a sign. Though, I haven't gotten any notifications from either. It seems they've gone home for the day," she finished, forcing herself to maintain eye contact.
"Is that so?" Blues glanced off to the side towards the large door to his friend's office space. "I was hoping to speak with Jumin."
"I'll tell him you dropped by." She turned on her heel but halted when she heard a "wait" from behind her. Her heart thudded in her chest at the unexpected address.
"Let me help you." He came up next to her with both hands out, waiting. MC glanced down at the files in her hand. It wasn't much, but whoever organized the files haphazardly threw the papers in them making them a pain to handle. She wouldn't have minded reorganizing them then and there for easier transport, but the dust in the file room was atrocious. She wasn't planning on having any interruptions on the way back and made the easier decision to get to it when she returned home.
In fact, she was half inclined to flat out reject the offer, but that damned smile had her caving faster than she would have liked.
"Be my guest." MC raised her arms for easier access for him to grab them. He picked up the top half and struggled a bit in not dropping a couple of pages but got everything settled.
Once she noticed he was good to go, her handmade, Italian heels led her to the exit behind them and retreated from the room and down the hall.
All was quiet until, "I also came here today because I wanted to give you something." MC refrained the impulse to look next to her.
"I didn't think we were so close." He chuckled, and her chest hummed with warmth.
"It's just a little something for taking good care of my friend while I've not been there for him."
"Now that you've mentioned it," they turned a corner and continued straight, "I've only seen you until now. From what Jumin has told me, you guys are childhood friends."
"Jumin talked about me?" Ji Hyun asked, slightly taken aback.
MC wasn't a person who tended to voluntarily lie, a person of total bluntness- unless it was absolutely required from her. In this instance, though, she found it necessary for her to save face as ridiculous as that made her feel. How was she already so worried about what he thought about her?
"Your name popped up."
"I hope he didn't tell you anything embarrassing," the photographer lightly joked, but she could still hear the secret, self-conscious thoughts spilling from his brain. This time she did look at him and stopped in front of the door to her team conference office.
Not expecting the sudden halt, Ji Hyun fumbled with his footing momentarily before looking back up in her direction.
"Not at all," she spoke softly, hoping to quell whatever thoughts in his head. The relief in his eyes was as obvious as they were blue, and MC couldn't help but think how lovely they looked. The blue was a wonderful blend of turquoise in the center and towards the edges it bled into a deep shade of seafoam green, and like the ocean, they magnetized her like the moon pulled the waves to and fro a shore.
A photo of his eyes would had been one to desire, but she had work to do, and he had a home to go back to. They could not possibly stand in the hallway for eternity.
"We should set these down." She turned and opened the glass door, propping it open with her hip just enough for Ji Hyun to squeeze by and flick on the lights with an elbow.
The two set the papers down, MC's files smacked down with a bit more force though.
"Right," he regarded, then dug into one of the deep pockets to his cardigan. She crossed her arms, curious about what it could be. His nimble fingers emerged with a small black envelope, not much longer than the width of her palm. Handing it over, he explained, "I just noticed last time, and well, I wanted to make it up. It was quite rude to interrupt plans that you had maybe had, regardless if Jumin was okay with it or not; I apologize."
A moment ticked by, MC not understanding what exactly he was talking about, but after sliding a finger to break the seal of the envelope and pulling out a gift card to a bakery, it all clicked.
She held the rectangular card out from the envelope and inspected the gift card information. It was cute looking, the fun sized cupcakes that smiled up at her. She couldn't remember the last time she had one of those...
"I didn't know what you liked to eat and figured sweets was the best next option." He fingered one of his sweater's button holes. "I hope you like deserts and I wasn't being too presumptuous."
"You were." She looked up and almost laughed out loud at the faded expression of panic that crossed over his face. "But you were right."
His face brightened up once more, and his nervous tick stopped. "I'm glad. I hope you enjoy them with a loved one or friend."
Her head tilted in thought and before she could stop the words from coming out, "Have you eaten?"
"Jumin was my meal ticket today, actually."
She grabbed her purse and work bag that was a couple of chairs down and lazily wrapped her scarf around her neck. "Let's go."
The walk to the shop wasn't as awkward as MC thought it would have been. Like any other day, the hustle and bustle of the city was a good conversation filler. Things quieted down once they got closer to the residential parts though. By this time, the sun had set, and the sound of college kids out at the local bars and couples walking hand in hand made their walk more calmer and relaxing. Ji Hyun didn't speak but once since they had stepped outside, and that was to ask to stop somewhere while he took a photo of something with his phone. Other than that, he had yet said a word. He didn't ask where they were going or how far or strike up idle chat.
MC liked that.
Though, she didn't know if she should have found that endearing or worrisome. For all he knew, she could be some sort of secret killer, and he just fell into her trap. He was surprisingly trusting.
When she finally stopped, she held the door open for him, a soft jingle alerted workers inside of potential customers.
Ji Hyun picked a table by the exposed windows and sat down, undoing the scarf around his neck and draping it along the backside of the chair.
"When you said eat, I thought you meant food," he chuckled.
"This is food," she retorted as she settled her bags in the chair next to her and picked up a menu.
"Indeed." MC watched him smile and grab a menu of his own, not noticing how she smiled back.
Their time in the bakery was much like their walk there, quiet with a few rare interruptions around but comfortable, and after half a sandwich and coffee, two mini chocolate cakes, and a dark chocolate, cherry scone topped with a steaming cup of chai, MC called for the check.
Pulling out her wallet she proceeded to take out the card that was given to her not too long ago, but a hand ghosting over her own stopped her movements.
"Please, it's my pleasure," Ji Hyun insisted.
"Nonsense, I invited you out."
He retracted his hand slowly and frowned. "I really wish you would've spent it how I intended." She looked up after putting her wallet away.
"Are you not a friend?" She rose a brow. The baffled look on his face amused her enough to smirk. His wide eyes and the tinge of pink tinting his ears was cute to her.
"Well, I- I'm sorry."
MC slid the card into the check holder along with change for a tip.
"Why're you sorry? Your company is good company. If there's something my mother has instilled in me it's to never take that for granted."
"She sounds wise."
"Only half the time." MC ran a hand through her hair, a failed attempt to not stare once again into his eyes.
Suddenly, a ringing sung out and her eyes felt at the phone in her jacket pocket. It wasn't hers.
Ji Hyun's head darted down realizing it was his own device and immediately swiped to answer.
"Hello, Saeyoung?" he answered, mouthing an apology to her; her response was an understanding nod in his direction. "What's wrong? It's so-" he paused abruptly.
MC busied herself with folding the paper from her straw into some elaborate braid as she waited.
"I… Thank you for telling me. I'm so sorry for all of this. I'll get right home." Her eyes slid up, trying to discreetly gauge the situation. She got a bit unnerved at the worried and slightly pained look on his face. "And one more thing… could you not," he glanced up and MC's eyes darted away at the last minute. "Could you keep quiet about this, especially from Jumin?" After a moment, he sighed in relief then bid good-bye. He stared at his phone for a short second before flicking his eyes back up in her direction as if he forgot where he was. "Oh, I apologize. Something important came up." He moved to get up and pushed in his chair. "I'm sorry to rush out after we just finished, and we came all this way, um." He dug around in his back pocket and pulled out some money setting it on the table. "I hope this covers enough for a taxi back to your home." He smiled apologetically. "I had a nice time."
"Of course, I understand life is very unexpected," she nodded, and boy did that ever apply to her life as much as it did right now.
"Thank you. Good night," and he was gone just like that. All of a sudden she felt like she was coming down from a high. She might not have felt as excited like when normal women were around people they liked, but Ji Hyun did make her feel something to where when he left, MC felt the air around her shift.
The emotion was so distracting that she almost didn't notice the scarf Ji Hyun left on the back of his chair.
She grabbed it along with her own bags and the money given to her and made her way out of the shop, replying behind her shoulder to the night workers when they bid her a goodnight.
Fingers felt the soft fabric beneath her fingertips before hanging it off her forearm, not wanting to wrinkle the thin cashmere.
The night was crisp, and the temperature had dropped considerably, but she found it refreshing for her thoughts.
She wanted to walk home tonight.
***0o0***
Dun-dun duun, wonder what Saeyoung called for at like nine at night, haha.
Happy reading!
~WAC
