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Wonwoo snickered at the little kitten trying to clung on his fingers but lost grip and slipped down on the grass. The little furry creature kept Wonwoo entertained as rest of his members and company staff were preparing to check out of the hotel. The day was quite tiring but playing with that energetic fur ball made it all disappear for him. "Ah gwiyeowo..." Wonwoo cooed scratching the kitten's head. "Should I take picture of you? Hmm?" Wonwoo asked in baby voice after pulling out his phone from his pocket. "Here, here." Wonwoo wiggled his fingers trying to get the kitten to look at his phone camera.

"Yah Rumi-ya, why would you give your coupon to Sang Hun and not me?" A loud voice walked out from the lobby scaring away the kitten, who ran away hiding itself in the bush. Annoyed, Wonwoo looked up to see five figures walking out. Rumi-ssi. Wonwoo stood up upon seeing her.

"Because I wanted to." Rumi-ssi shrugged her shoulders. "Sang Hun-ssi was quite helpful yesterday unlike you troublemakers." She turned around narrowing her eyes at the other three members. "And Na-ra how much did you even drink? Do you even remember what you did last night?" Rumi-ssi asked crossing her arms.

"Gwiyeowo." She looked like at that feisty kitten to Wonwoo.

"Ani. What did I do?" The one who seemed to be Na-ra shook her head and looked at other members for answers. "From what I remember, you were trying to climb some mountain last night." Another female member said. "Mwo mountain? What mountain?" Rumi-ssi huffed and looked at one of the two male members who trying his best to hide his laughter. Other male piped asking whether it was Mt. Everest, making the snickering one burst out in laughter.

"It wasn't the Mt. Everest but it was Rumi-ssi." The man laughed covering his face.

"Mwo?" Na-ra-ssi turned towards Rumi-ssi. "Did I really?"

"Ani. You were trying to climb every palm tree that came your way so I had pick you up and bring you back to the cottage." Rumi-ssi explained letting out an exhausted sigh. Wonwoo smiled in sympathy, poor Rumi-ssi after all that she had to even bring drunk Hoshi back to villa. Maybe she is really cursed. "I think I am really cursed. I always get in trouble with drunkards!" Wonwoo chuckled at how their thoughts were in sync too.

"Aarsoo...Mianhaeyo." Na-ra-ssi trying hug Rumi-ssi who had cute pout on her face as she avoided Na-ra-ssi advances.

"So cute." Wonwoo commented watching carefree Rumi messing around with her co-workers. Wonwoo wondered, was she really that carefree? She always has a smile on her face, has this comfortable aura making everyone believe that they had known her forever. But there are times, glimpse he had seen makes him wonder if she is the same person he knows? Yesterday when she was on that call, she sounded so sad, so bounded unlike the Rumi-ssi he was seeing right now. Can one person be this happy in front when it is all hurt and broken inside? "Wonwoo-ya." Rumi-ssi, are you really this happy? "Wonwoo." Rumi-ssi, are you really okay? "Yah! Jeon Wonwoo!" Someone grabbed his hand making him look away from Rumi.

"Eo?" Wonwoo turned to see Seokmin standing beside him. "Dokyeom-ah? Mwohae?" He questioned in daze.

"What are you thinking about that you couldn't even hear me calling from beside you?" Seokmin asked following his line of sight. There were group of staff members standing in circle and laughing and messing around, only familiar member among them was Rumi. "Were you looking at Rumi-ssi?" Seokmin questioned joining him to watching contest.

"Ani, I wasn't." Wonwoo was too quick to deny. Seokmin glanced at him and went back to staring at Rumi.

"Don't you think as if we have met her?" Seokmin asked. "Not like seen her. Like talked with her before." Seokmin continued.

"Hmm, I felt it too. Rumi-ssi is like that I guess. Makes us believe that we have been friends for long." Wonwoo smiled.

"Ani, it's not that but I agree to that, she has this friendly vibe like Seungkwan-ah. But I don't know, yesterday was my first time talking to her but it felt like I have talked to her before." Seokmin said furrowing his eyebrows. "Her voice felt familiar. Ah now she's looking at us." Seokmin waved his hand when Rumi caught him staring at her. Wonwoo turned to look at her. Rumi waved back at Seokmin before eyes met Wonwoo. Her smile faltered a little, she bowed her head in greeting before turning back to her colleagues, muttering something to them and she walking off.

What was that? Wonwoo thought, his eyes following her until she disappeared from his sight. Was she avoiding me? Why did it feel like she was? Did I do something? "Aren't you being too obvious to be denying that?" Seokmin's question made him realize what he was doing.

"Mwo? About what?" Wonwoo asked avoiding his eyes and searching for little fur ball. "I wasn't doing anything to deny." Seokmin chuckled shaking his head at Wonwoo before patting his back and leaving.

A long and tiring trip what it has been for Rumi. From going through anger fit to hunger strike, Rumi had gone through it all in span of last two days. Now the trip was finally over and she was back to her burrow. Just pressing in the code was to much of effort for Rumi as draggeg her bag and herself inside the shared apartment of hers and Youngjae's. Murmurs could be heard from inside. Was someone over? Rumi furrowed her eyebrows walking inside.

"Arasseoyo eomeoni..." Youngjae sighed loudly and looked behind him to see Rumi sneaking in. "Eo? You are home." Youngjae said looking exhausted. Rumi nodded and peeked over him to see his laptop open. No wonder he looked like that. He was on video call with his mother.

"Who is it?" His mother asked not being able to see the figure's face who had walked in.

"It is Rumi eomma." Youngjae said exasperated. "No one else comes here apart from us."

"Annyeonghaseyo, eomeonim." Rumi bowed her head in greeting Youngjae's mother on the screen.

"Eo Rumi-ya, jal jinaesseoyo? (How are you?)" His mother asked upon Rumi's face popping on screen.

"De, eomeonim. How are you? Are you knees okay? Do you still feel the pain?" Rumi asked smiling at her.

"They are all fine and good after surgery but what pains me is this boy." Youngjae's mother complained making Youngjae groan at her comment. "I don't know when he going to realise he is all grown up and his parents are getting all old now."

"You're not getting older eommo." Youngjae said denying. "You are still very young and beautiful." Youngjae buttered winking at his mother.

"Geure." Youngjae's mother nodded making a triumph face. "But if you had used these flirting skills then by now you had a wife and your father and I had grandchildren." Rumi let out a snort before covering it up when she received the look from Youngjae.

"Eomma!" Youngjae whined. Rumi chuckled and quietly slipped away leaving the mother and son to themselves.

"Mwo? Mwo?! Mwo!" Rumi could hear eomeonim screaming from her room. "When are you going to get married Youngjae-ya? You are almost thirty and yet your spending all your time working and playing those games on TV screen. Don't tell me you're going to marry Rumi. Youngjae-ya your father will lose it if you marry a foreigner."

"Aniya, eomma!" Youngjae cried. "Rumi isn't mad enough to marry into our family." Youngjae argued. "And will you stop with this marriage talk. Can't you just be like normal mothers and ask how has your child being doing these days?" Rumi laughed to herself hearing Youngjae whined in front of his mother. His mother has been pestering him to get married these days and even tried setting him up on blind dates number of times.

Thinking about it she was also at the suitable age. Back home if you cross the age of twenty-five suddenly everything around you is about marriage, relatives are trying to set you, suddenly the aunties are quite keen of you beauty, manners, and all sort ladylike things. You should do this; you should do that or you won't find a husband. Rumi chuckled to herself wondering what it would've been like if she was back home. Shirke Kaki would have her check out number of photos of the guys, probably with government jobs. She would complain to aai, "Rumi kadhi mulin sarkhi vagnar ahe, aata ticha lagnach vai zala ahe (When is Rumi going to start acting like a lady she is now of marriage age.)" Rumi laughed imagining the scrunched-up face of Shirke Kaki.

"Lagna? (Marriage?) I can't even imagine myself with that word." Rumi muttered staring at herself in mirror. "Will I ever be able to get married? How would I want my partner like? Probably like..." Wonwoo's face flashed inside her mind. His cute smile, cat like tiny eyes disappearing every time he smiles at her. What would it be like to wake up to that smile? "It would be beautiful." Rumi said to herself with daze smile before realizing her thoughts. "AH!" She screamed slapping herself.

"MWO? Mwo?! What is it?" Youngjae ran into her room worried. "What happened?" He asked looking at Rumi and checking for any wounds. "Yah! Why are you screaming?" He sighed after confirming that there were no wounds or danger.

"I wasn't." Rumi mumbled covering her heated cheeks. Youngjae looked at her waiting for answers. "I just stub my toe. Yes, my toe. Ah apha!" Rumi pretended to be hurt still covering her cheeks. "Oppa, daga (get out) I need to change clothes." She started pushing Youngjae out of her room when she realized he was not buying her excuses.

"Yah! What are you trying to hide from me? Something happened on your trip right?! What was is it? Is it Hyun? Did you both got drunk and slept together."

"Ahhhhhhhh oppa, stop watching those stupid dramas and go away!" Rumi screamed slamming the door on Youngjae's face.

"I got it right?! Yah! Rumi-ya! Answer me!" Youngjae shouted from outside her door.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Rumi...Uri Rumi..."

"Andwaeyo. I'm not doing it Unnie." Rumi said her arms forming a cross stopping Misoo from stepping any further. "I'm not going to do any clean up jobs for you unnie." Rumi warned before Misoo could say anything.

"Yah, you can't say that to you team leader. You have to say de, I will do it. Ye, I will take care of it." Misoo imitated Rumi's polite smile and action. "And you didn't even hear what I had to say."

"Because I know what you are going to say. Unnie really, I am done with cleaning Jina-ssi mess. Are you really short on employees that you are entertaining her after these many mess ups?" Rumi whined rolling from her desk to another to pick up a pen. Ugh, she hated how much she had gotten used to this desk job.

"I'm not short of employees it's just I can't do anything to her." Misoo sighed grabbing Rumi's chair and turning it around so Rumi was facing her instead of her desktop. "Forget about her, let's not gossip about that. Can you-"

"No. I cannot." Rumi replied leaning back in her chair. Misoo pressed her lips together and looked at her. "Why can't you do anything to her when you make me work my ass off?" Rumi questioned raising her eyebrow.

"Because she is d-"

"Rumi-ssi?" Both of them turned to look at person who had called her. "Someone is looking for you." Rumi furrowed her eyebrows and pointed to herself while mouthing me.

"Okay." Rumi nodded standing up. "You can ask someone else to be your slave, unnie." Rumi grinned waving her hand and walking out to see who was looking for her in office. Must be Hyun because he's the only one who comes looking for her in the department. But, they would've said it was Hyun since he's quite popular in department with everyone crushing on him. "Nugu?" Rumi asked looking around for the person.

"Unnie?" Rumi turned to her right to see a small figure sheepishly looking at her.

"Ah. Jangmi-ssi." Rumi greeted bowing her head. Jangmi's lips formed a line as she greeted Rumi back. Both of them stood in silence waiting other to speak up. "Umm, you were looking for me?" Rumi asked not able to take the awkwardness. It was obvious, why Jangmi was here for, poor girl couldn't even look in the eye.

"Umm, ye." Jangmi nodded her head. "I wanted to talk." Jangmi said, Rumi nodded her head waiting for her to go on. "Do have plans for lunch?" She asked finally looking up at Rumi. "Uhh..." Rumi looked around thinking what she should do? It was a good chance for her to clear up things with Jangmi after what had happened. "Aniyo. Should we go out for lunch?" Rumi asked checking her watch, it was almost break time. "Really?" A smile formed on Jangmi's face but it soon faltered.

"It's almost time. Do you want to go now?" Rumi asked smiling at her. Jangmi gave her a small smile and nodded her head. Rumi guided her to elevator as both continued their journey silently to their destination. "Do you know any good restaurants nearby?" Rumi asked watching people pour in the elevator, pushing the two back in corner.

"De? Ah, ye. Are we going out for lunch?" Jangmi asked making Rumi furrow her eyebrows at her. Didn't they agree on that just now? Rumi thought.

"Ani, it's just I thought we'll go to company's canteen again..." Jangmi trailed thinking about the time when Rumi had taken her out on lunch to canteen. "Forget it. I know this new restaurant which serves good food." Jangmi suggested smiling up at Rumi who nodded and stared ahead. Jangmi scolded her heart which was suddenly going all fast. "Ah." She let out a little yelp when the man in front of her stepped on her leg. Jerk. She cursed staring at the back of his head who didn't even apologize. Mwoji, look at him still stepping back. Jangmi was about call him out when an arm appeared in between them. It was Rumi who had stepped in between to shield Jangmi.

"Jogiyo." Rumi called the man in the front making him turn around. "There is some space in the front." She said pointing towards the ample amount of space enough to stand properly. "There is a lady standing behind you." The man finally noticed Jangmi squeezed in the corner and bowed his head in apology before shuffling a little forward. Rumi huffed at the man's manners. What a jerk she thought not moving her arm just in case he pushed back again.

While on the other hand Jangmi had lost it. Her heart felt like it would jump out any movement. Ah! Unnie can't hear it, can she? Jangmi thought squeezing her eyes close and stopping her breath hoping it would calm down her heart. Count to ten. One...two...three... Ah! Mothada! (I can't do it!). Jangmi opened her eyes to see the elevator door was open, Rumi had stepped out waiting for her to do the same. Jangmi let out an awkward chuckled and stepped out.  "Let's go." She said avoiding Rumi's eyes and walking off.

It was a very awkward walk to the restaurant; Jangmi didn't know how to break the silence. It was embarrassing enough what she had already done and now in the elevator too. Ah! Jangmi cursed under her breath in embarrassment. Rumi looked oblivious but Jangmi knew she was pretending it to save Jangmi from further embarrassment. Unnie, why do you have to be so good to me? I can't help falling for you more. Jangmi cried inside watching Rumi who looked busy checking out the menu card. "Unnie." Jangmi finally mustered up her courage to talk.

"Eo?" Rumi looked up from the menu. "Jangmi-ssi why don't we eat first?" Rumi quickly suggested before Jangmi could speak up any further. Jangmi pressed her lips together and nodded her head. Rumi smiled placing hers and Jangmi's order. The table was silent again; Rumi had pulled out her phone was busy typing away something in that. Jangmi sighed fidgeting with her fingers and legs.

I can't do this. She took a deep and spoke. "Unnie, jungmal mianheyo (I'm really sorry)." Rumi looked up from her phone. "For what happened that night. I got drunk and- I shouldn't have done that." Jangmi apologized bowing her head.

"Aniyo. I understand. Jangmi-ssi must have been stressed so I can understand what you did that night." Rumi said giving her a tight-lipped smile. Jangmi shook her head. "See the food is here. Let's talk about it when we are done eating." Rumi reasoned looking at the food being serve. "Service is neomu palla. (very fast)" Rumi commented smiling at the teenage boy who was serving their dishes. The boy smiled back bowing his head.

"It was because na unnie joahae (I like youunnie.)"

A/N :

A confession it is! Don't forget to vote, comment and share this story with your pals. Do add this book your library and reading list so you won't miss an update.

Love,

Alba 💜