CORTIS |Martin|
Chapter 2 — Getting Used to You
By the end of my first day, I was exhausted. Not the kind of exhausted where you wanted to sleep for twelve hours, but the kind where your brain simply couldn’t process anything anymore. There had been schedules to organize, files to sort, translations to check, and approximately a million names and faces I was trying to remember. Somehow, though, the part of the day I kept thinking about wasn’t the work. It was them. All five of them.
I was sitting at my desk, staring at my laptop screen, when someone suddenly dropped into the chair beside me.
“You’re still here?”
I looked up.
Keonho.
I smiled. “Apparently.”
He looked at the clock.
“It’s almost seven.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
“Because I have work.”
He stared at me for a second before nodding seriously.
“That’s unfortunate.”
I laughed. “You’re supposed to be working too.”
“I finished.”
“You finished everything?”
“No.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I finished enough.”
Before I could answer, Seonghyeon walked past us and stopped.
“Keonho, stop bothering her.”
“I’m not bothering her.”
“You are.”
Keonho looked at me.
“Am I bothering you?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
He smiled proudly.
“See?”
Seonghyeon sighed and walked away.
“You’re going to regret saying that.”
“Probably.”
Keonho leaned closer to my desk.
“So… do you like it here?”
I thought about it.
“Yeah. I think so.”
“Even though you’ve only been here one day?”
“Everyone’s been really nice.”
He smiled.
“Good.”
Then he looked over my shoulder.
“You’re working on Martin’s schedule?”
I glanced at the screen.
“Yeah.”
Keonho’s expression immediately changed.
“Oh.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Why are you smiling?”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
He stood up.
“I have to go.”
“Keonho.”
He was already walking away.
“Bye!”
I shook my head, trying not to laugh.
A few minutes later, I heard footsteps approaching.
I didn’t look up at first.
“Are you still working?”
I knew the voice immediately.
Martin.
I looked up.
He was standing on the other side of my desk, holding two drinks.
“Apparently.”
He smiled.
“I thought you’d gone home.”
“I was going to.”
He placed one of the drinks on my desk.
“Here.”
I stared at it.
“What’s this?”
“Iced tea.”
“For me?”
He nodded.
“You looked tired.”
I looked at the drink, then back at him.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know.”
He pulled the chair beside me out and sat down.
“But I wanted to.”
My heart did that stupid little thing again.
I quickly looked back at my laptop.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
For a while, we just sat there.
It wasn’t awkward.
That surprised me.
Usually silence with someone I’d just met made me nervous, but with Martin it felt strangely comfortable.
He looked at my screen.
“You’re almost finished.”
“Yeah.”
“You’ve been working too much.”
“It’s my first day. I don’t want to mess anything up.”
“You won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
He smiled.
“I do.”
I looked at him.
“How?”
“Because you’re already checking everything three times.”
I laughed softly.
“Maybe I’m just paranoid.”
“Maybe.”
He took a sip of his drink.
“But you’re doing well.”
Something about hearing that made me smile.
“Thanks.”
He looked at me for a moment before turning his attention back to his drink.
“So, what do you usually do when you’re not working?”
I blinked.
“Why?”
He shrugged.
“Just curious.”
I smiled.
“Nothing exciting. I watch movies, listen to music, go out with friends sometimes.”
“What kind of music?”
“Pretty much everything.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It is.”
“No, it’s not.”
I laughed.
“Okay. I listen to pop, R&B, indie… depends on my mood.”
He nodded thoughtfully.
“What’s your favorite song right now?”
I told him.
His eyes widened slightly.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I like that song too.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Maybe your taste isn’t terrible.”
I gasped.
“Excuse me?”
He laughed.
“I’m joking.”
“You better be.”
He laughed again, and I realized I was smiling too.
For a moment, I forgot that he was someone I’d only met yesterday.
Then the studio door opened.
James walked in.
He looked at Martin.
Then at me.
Then at the two drinks on my desk.
His expression immediately became amused.
“Interesting.”
Martin frowned.
“What?”
James pointed at the drink.
“You bought her one?”
Martin shrugged.
“She looked tired.”
James nodded slowly.
“Of course.”
Martin rolled his eyes.
“Don’t start.”
“I’m not saying anything.”
“You don’t have to.”
James laughed before looking at me.
“Don’t worry. He does this with everyone.”
Martin immediately looked at him.
“I do not.”
James smiled.
“Sure.”
He walked away.
I looked at Martin.
“Does he always tease you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he enjoys annoying me.”
From across the room, James shouted, “Correct!”
I laughed.
Martin covered his face with one hand.
“I can’t stand them.”
“Yes, you can.”
He looked at me.
“Unfortunately.”
I smiled.
There was a short silence.
Then he asked quietly, “Are you coming tomorrow?”
I looked at him.
“Of course.”
He nodded.
“Good.”
I wasn’t sure why that one word made me feel so warm.
Maybe because I knew exactly what he meant.
He wanted to see me again.
At least, that’s what I hoped he meant.
The next morning, I arrived earlier than usual.
I told myself it was because I didn’t want to be late again.
That was definitely the reason.
It had nothing to do with the fact that I was secretly hoping to see Martin.
Nothing at all.
I walked into the building and made my way toward the studio. The door was slightly open, and I could hear voices inside.
“You can’t just eat mine.”
“I thought it was mine.”
“How does that even make sense?”
I smiled.
They were already arguing.
I pushed the door open.
“Good morning.”
All five heads turned toward me.
Keonho immediately smiled.
“Y/N!”
James waved.
“Morning.”
Juhoon nodded.
“Good morning.”
Seonghyeon smiled.
“You’re early.”
Then I noticed Martin.
He was sitting on the floor beside the couch, looking through his phone.
The second he saw me, his face lit up.
“Morning.”
I smiled.
“Morning.”
Keonho looked between us.
Then he looked at James.
Then back at us.
I narrowed my eyes.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s always nothing.”
James laughed.
“Don’t worry about him.”
I put my bag down.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re deciding what to eat later,” Juhoon explained.
Keonho raised his hand.
“Pizza.”
James shook his head.
“Again?”
“Pizza is never a bad idea.”
Seonghyeon sighed.
“You said that yesterday.”
“And?”
I laughed.
Martin stood up.
“What do you want?”
I looked at him.
“For lunch?”
He nodded.
“Yeah.”
I thought for a second.
“I don’t really mind.”
“Then you choose.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re new.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does to me.”
I smiled.
“Fine.”
Everyone started throwing out suggestions.