price of my sins hundred times over

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

A mixture between sleep deprivation and no sense of urgency, Nayeon languidly walked through the airport. With no set plans for until later in the day she didn’t see the need to run to receive her luggage. Not that she had the energy to run anyways. When she arrived there was still quite a few members from her flight there (the baggage pick-up must’ve not started that soon before her arrival). Seeing the only bag that resembled hers going around, she reached for it and pulled it out. “Oh, why does it feel so light?” At closer inspection, Nayeon noticed that the red yarn she had tied around the handle wasn’t there. Which didn’t say much as it could’ve fallen off, so she made sure by reading the claim label. Sure enough she had picked up the wrong bag. Only this suitcase, of this kind, was the only one left to claim. With a sigh, she walked to the nearest bench, and hoped with all her might it was a simple switch. It would be better luck than the airline losing her bag. Or someone else stealing her bag and her almost making off with someone else’s. Looking at the signs in the airport she saw that she’d have to walk all the way to the other side to receive help with mixed up baggage. Or, as she stared at the bag and the almost illuminating baggage claim tag (probably the hallucinating stage from her exhaustion) she thought of just skipping a few steps. If the other didn’t have her bag then at least she’d help one person from making a trip. Copying the information from the label into her phone, she sent out a text to the person.

Hello! Seo Wooyeon-ssi?  I mistakenly picked up your suitcase. I figured to avoid the trouble and time of going through the baggage exchange I would contact you directly. If you wanted to meet-up, I’m still at the airport or can meet you somewhere nearby. If not, let me know and I will drop it off at lost luggage. Byun Nayeon

Leaving the airport in a rush, he did not even open the suitcase he began to answer the calls that came, asking him where he was. If things had been going to play, Wooyeon meant to stop and get coffee. But now it appeared that he would need to go straight and it was always a hassle to try and get out of the airport. Anxious eyes looked out the window. Typically Wooyeon was a calm and composed man. That particular day was an anomaly to his character in many ways. Running late two times, not checking the bag that he had taken, and now being anxious about getting to work. These were traits few associated with Seo Wooyeon. Telling his friend from work that he was on his way and to prep his surgery for the normal time and also grab him a coffee, he hung up, tossing his phone to the seat beside him. Only then did he actually go to open the suitcase, but before he actually managed to, the phone buzzed yet again. Hands immediately leaving the zipper,he checked the message from an unknown number who seemed to know who he was. The message caught him by surprise, and he looked at the suitcase to see that while it appeared to be his, it was not quite the same. Closing his eyes and suppressing a groan, he began to type back to the woman whose luggage he had accidentally taken. 

I am very sorry Nayeon-sshi. I must have taken your luggage without realizing. I have already left the airport and am headed to work now. I will be free in the evening and if you tell me where to meet you, I will come myself. It is my mistake after all. 

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

If this were a cartoon Yejin was sure she would see steam coming out of his ears and his face slowly turning red as his blood pressure rose. The more and more she spoke, the more she pictured it. Not that she was doing it purposefully… for the most part. By reaction he made her speak that way like no one else. From nitpicking wordings to finding a way to be stuck in a room. This was the first time Yejin has ever been this proactive. It actually would feel great if she wasn’t going against a cold boss in order to keep her job. As Youngjae began Yejin, unintentionally, found herself holding her breath. It was time to see if her efforts were futile and the approach she picked was wrong. She couldn’t help the wide, smug smile that appeared on her face when he laid out his explicit instructions that didn’t involve her immediately exit. Fingers coming to her lips as she pretend to seal them, lock and throw away the key. Yejin did what was asked. All she did was watch. Watched as the woman who was once smiling at her shrunk away once Youngjae began to speak with her. It was understandable to her. Anyone who met him and his disposition would try and melt into the background. At this moment though, his tone, the edge of impatience she heard, didn’t help. While Ms. Han was an expert, Yejin could only imagine what kind of pressure she was feeling. What she said might make or break the case. What she said could put someone away, while also bring closure to the victim’s family. It was a lot of pressure for one person. It had to be pressure for Youngjae as well. They just showed it differently. And his way of showing it, impatience, was not helping the witness. From her looks, she seemed like she just had to believe she wasn’t in it alone. Yejin, only threw away the key to her mouth; therefore not interrupting as she put down her pen and reached her hand out and took Ms. Han’s into her’s. She gave them a comforting squeeze, a soft smile and reassuring nod to speak.

Youngjae was hyper aware of his surroundings as the pressure continued to build. This was how it always was before he entered the courtroom and with a case like this, the stress was even greater. His boss put a serious emphasis on this particular case which was why he had fallen behind in almost everything else. And this witness’s testimony was an important piece of the puzzle. It would provide the entire backbone of the prosecution’s case.Without getting the judge to believe her words, they wouldn’t be able to convince him of anything else. The ticking of the clock was ringing in his ears and he could even hear the nervous tapping of Ms.Han’s fingers against the tabletop, eyes shifting and lip falling victim to her teeth. No words came and he spoke, asking if he should repeat the question to which she nodded quickly. They had been working on this very testimony for a while and yet it was shaky. Watching Yejin taking the witness’s hand into hers, he rolled his eyes. This was not the time to be playing games. And it was not like she was going to be able to go onto the stand to hold Ms.Han’s hand while the defense lawyer tried to rip her to shreds.”Ms. Han, please.We went over this. I need you to remember what we discussed and say it exactly like we practiced.” He was about to repeat just how much was riding on her words but chose against it. There was a lack of time and he figured that such a comment would make her jitters worse. “I will be there to make sure the defense can’t get away with anything, but I need you to help me.” All of these were said before which was why, as much as he tried to be soft and gentle, his words couldn’t help but be laced with a latent frustration and tension. He could not speak in a harsher tone with her nor could he be rude. She was a witness not his junior so he could only try and beseech her. “Five minutes.” He turned to see one of the aids and he nodded quickly turning his attention back. 

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

The attendant must have been the vengeful and gossiping type as she and the other attendants skipped over her row the entire flight. This left Nayeon with a severe lack of caffeine as she responded to email after email. Most of it were the usual prescription refill requests or patient files, but as a relieve she’d switch to her personal account which was mostly full of occult and horoscope subscriptions she signed up for. By the time they had landed she finished her work emails, including the one to call off for that day to catch up on the sleep she’d miss. At the captain’s notification that they’d be landing, she put away everything in her area while the other passengers were still waking up. It took practice, but Nayeon’s know how taught her to clear her things for others and let everyone else deplane first. This allowed the best chance of avoiding accidentally touching someone. Of sticking her nose in someone’s business unless absolutely necessary (because once she sees something she has trouble unseeing it and even more trouble of not helping). She shrunk her small frame into the seat and pulled her feet in to let the passengers next to her pass; not that she needed to as her legs barely stretched out to reach the floor. The man who she thought might be uncomfortable she noticed still having a strange aura around him. While most passengers are relieved once they’ve landed and the bad energy significantly reduces around people (mostly the normal levels of stress), his was still the same. She wondered if something really was wrong, but lost her chance to find out. As every once in a while when the polite person stopped to let her go first she would smile, give a slight bow in thanks and repeat herself as if on script. “Oh no! Please go ahead. I have way too much carry on. I’ll wait until everyone gets off.” The words and expression never resting their vibrancy with each person as she gestured them forward until she was the last one left, with a moment of rest before she disembarked as well. 

Wooyeon had been waiting for the other woman to get out before he did since he believed it would be rude to just step over her. However it did not appear she had any intention of getting out before him. She was waiting for the rest of the passengers to get off the flight, usually like what he did. Wooyeon never was in that much of a hurry and he actually preferred staying seated and waiting for the crowd to pass than having to stand in the cramped aisle between people. Lines and queues were hardly welcome. That day being different, the man intended to get down earlier. He was going to excuse himself but there was a continuous stream of passengers coming from the back that made it very difficult for him to pass by. That paired with the quick response she gave to everyone to let them know to pass by, he just gave a quick smile as well as though he were in agreement with the sentiment. So it was only when there were a few stragglers remaining that he was able to mutter a quick apology while stepping over her now contracted body to make it into the aisle. Taking his luggage with him quickly, he went to the luggage pickup so that he could grab the one other suitcase and get going. Standing before the carriage, it appeared that day was conspiring against him in many ways, forcing him to be very last minute for everything. First he had barely made it to the airport and onto the right plane. Then he had to wait in the airplane to get down but it made little difference since the luggage delivery was slow to come, the board only indicating that it would be coming soon by the time he arrived. Checking the time with urgency, Wooyeon nervously tapped his foot while waiting. Most of the time he approached life leisurely, not quite stressing about things but punctuality had always been one thing that worried him. He had learned the importance of just a few seconds the hard way and with no intention to repeat that past experience, he had always done his best to make sure that he was never late. It as only that today was proving to be quite an exception to his otherwise straight record. Which was why Wooyeon was not being all that careful when the suitcases did appear, looking for the one that matched his and grabbing it without thinking too much.

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

Infiltrating the deposition was what Yejin considered the hardest task of all. If she could just sit down then she might have the slightest chance. It be harder to remove her once she was sat down. So she told herself she had to be a force, a flash of lightening right out the gate. If her future boss couldn’t see her coming, then he couldn’t stop her. After passing out the sandwiches, Yejin took one for herself and a seat that was closer to the witness. “I suppose that’s true. But you kind of sent mixed signals. You said, ‘do whatever you want’ before you left. And I, honestly, didn’t want to sit in your office doing nothing, but to come here and help you with your deposition. Anyone would be confused, right?” She asked the witness who nodded in agreement and she smiled before taking a bite of her sandwich, not daring to look back at Youngjae after trying to use such backwards logic. She held back her eye roll at his scoff as it did not help her efforts at all to make him the least bit likable. From his point of view it might not seem that realistic to hear such comments, but she did believe her words especially about his attitude; otherwise she wouldn’t seem that sincere. While she was organizing his files she read up on some of his cases before coming, especially Youngjae’s notes. She didn’t have much knowledge of the law, but she could tell his cases, and this case, were important by the amount of work she saw. It was just the personality. He seemed to have a severe personality problem. She wondered if he has ever won a case yet when he needs to deal with people. Or if that was what the previous secretary had to do and finally gave up. “No, it’s fine. It’s actually a welcome interruption. Thank you very much for the sandwich and drink,” the witness Han Jiwon, first spoke to Youngjae with courtesy then turned to Yejin with a bright smile. “You’re very welcome.” She said towards Jiwon and turned towards Youngjae with annoyance out of view from the witness. “Oh don’t mind me. Please continue your discussion. I should really take the notes anyways,” Her tone was still bright in contrast to the face she gave Youngjae for not even attempting to keep the comments to himself. “People will be able to understand if I wrote them than trying to decipher your chicken scratch.” She said as she pulled out a notebook and pen from her bag; a smile also back on her face.

The response he received was precisely as he had predicted. Only a day of knowing this woman and he felt that he could anticipate the smart ass responses that would come from her. Perhaps in another individual he would have appreciated such a quality, seeing it as an advantage to the position she was filling. With her however he only saw it as yet another disadvantage, another tick against her favor. How was it possible that her mere presence was enough to bother him? Youngjae would not claim to be a patient man nor was he one that was indifferent. He maintained composure externally but internally he often found himself irritated by individuals and it was just a difficult life he led as he tried to act as though the truth were not such. However he felt no such restraint with her and was more than happy to show his displeasure. It was only for this one day after all. By tomorrow she would be gone. “I believe I am being very clear right now,” he repeated though by that point she had already taken her seat and continued the conversation with his witness. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes in front of the witness, he knew that this would be considered a victory in the mind of the childish and rude woman. Truth be told he really did not have the time to engage with her in the moment so he would have to leave her be. Whether she got lucky with her timing or she carefully calculated it would be left a mystery until later. For the time being, Youngjae left his sandwich on the table. “Please do not interrupt once more. I believe these are very explicit instructions that do not have reason to be misinterpreted.” Going back to speaking to the witness about what had to be said, naturally his words were technical. Though he tried his best to bring them down to a level that could be understood, this was the biggest issue he had with the witness. She was nervous and he was sure this would be used against her. In his attempts to prepare her so that she would know all the answers to the questions that came from the defense, he only managed to worry her more. Being unprepared would fluster her in the courtroom but trying to be prepared was flustering outside the courtroom. Her gestures, her body language, her voice, they all said that she was uncertain. Not because she did not know what she was speaking of. She was an expert after all. But her nerves got the best of her and she fumbled on the first question alone. “Ms. Han, we went over this answer earlier. You simply need to tell me whether it is possible for the victim to have died before the poison.” They simply did not have the time for her to be faltering at this point, which his words did not say but somewhere in his tone it was implied.

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

With all passengers on board, the flight was now ready to set off. Nayeon exhaled slowly as she readied herself for the journey. During the routine safety demonstration her concentration was mostly focused on staring into her tea rather than at the provided instructions and attendant’s explaining. When they were done and the captain announced electronic devices were able to be used, she didn’t hesitate for a moment to put the front tray down to place her tea on so she could pull out her headphones. They weren’t the end-all save-all of the bad feelings she was picking up, but they provided a distraction. Sleeping would be an even better option, but impossible with how uncomfortable she knew she’d feel the entire time. It was better to stare at her phone or work on her laptop the entire flight. Her eyes wandered for a moment as she bent to get her laptop and noticed the man next to her a bit more. He was unbelievably tall. Like a giant. Her gaze turned away as she pulled the laptop out and set it next to her tea. “He was probably just feeling very restless about being cramped. See, there was no need to worry,” she thought to herself. Shaking her head and the thoughts away, before she turned her eyes to the numerous unanswered e-mails she had.

Eye closed, Wooyeon felt the exhaustion of the entire weekend consume him. Sleep did not come easily but it definitely came quicker than it would have were it not for the conference. In these cases, fatigue won out against discomfort and he actually felt as though he completely blacked out. The drink was forgotten, the nervous woman beside him no longer in his attention. It was only when he felt them landing that he actually ended up opening his eyes naturally, taking a few moments to remind himself of where he was. There was a soreness in his legs which he was sure would be relieved the second that he stood. Usually he did not bother to stand first, but he knew that this time he needed to leave quickly and could not afford to wait for everyone to alight before he did so. Bending his head, he unbuckled his belt the second that the light was off and they were done and stood so that the other passenger would know that he needed to get off. There was a reason that he really did not like sitting on the inside but there was nothing he could have done since there were no more seats when he had booked this flight. Turning on his phone, he took a second to look at the time and immediately received a flood of text messages asking when he would be back. Apparently there really was no rest for the weary.

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

Yejin did her best to avoid looking in Youngjae’s direction while she was setting up the food she brought. It was like if she couldn’t see the disapproving look that she was sure he was giving her than somehow it didn’t exist. Instead she kept her focus on the witness, whose was a much kinder face. “There’s also a variety of drinks. Tea, water, juice… coffee. Feel free to help yourself.” She smiled, a more genuine one she has had all day. Until the voice interrupted her pleasantries and made that smile waver. He wasn’t yelling or calling her names, so her hunch that he’d stay professional while at work was right. Yejin believed that if he could only see her professional light and out of their personal darkness than his opinion could be altered. Her hard firing could be changed to a strong warning. Finally she turned towards him, “you didn’t,” she answered plainly. Picking out another sandwich, she handed it to Youngjae as she continued. “But what kind of secretary would I be if I am not able to know your needs before you know them yourself.” It was a shameless self-compliment, but spoken in a joking manner as a way to lighten the mood in the room. “Mr. Heo is very passionate, you see, but I’m sure if I didn’t come in you’d be going on for another hour or so without interruption. And he doesn’t know that no one barring the legal obsessed like himself would last.” She directed the next joke towards the witness. While it was partially at Youngjae’s expense and bound to not get her on his good side, it was more her way of connecting with the witness. As from the impression she got from when she walked in was that this deposition was not going too well, so a small joke at Youngjae’s expense with some praise mixed in may help her and him feel closer to the witness for them to open up.   

There really was an audacity in her actions that baffled Youngjae. He would have thought that she would have some sort of shame that precluded her from behaving in such a manner. Anyone looking would think that she were the boss and he was her assistant from the way she carried herself with so much authority. It was his trial, his deposition, and already there were too many things working against their favor. Rather than lessen the burden and stress on his shoulders, her mere presence increased it. Only one day. He had known her for a grand total of four, maybe five hours. Already she had managed to crawl under his skin and bother him repeatedly. He would have wondered if it was all deliberate but unfortunately, his mind was too preoccupied with trying to think of ways to get her to leave. She was not even speaking to him instead directing, all of her comments at his witness. it took all his self control to not just throw his hands up in the air at her actions. Before he could respond there was yet another sandwich in his hands as though he could have an appetite in that moment. Every word that came from her tested the limits of his patience and taught him that there really was no such limit to her own shamelessness. “You are not my secretary,” he spoke lowly, voice betraying only a fraction of the real agitation he felt in that moment. Youngjae could only scoff in disbelief at her explanation, the way she spoke as though they were long time friends and she knew his quirks. “My apologies for the interruption. She is new and does not know where she is not welcome,” he spoke to the witness who had begun to eat the sandwich. “Ms. Kang if you could please step aside, we need to continue our discussion.” With but fifteen minutes, he did not have the time to take her outside the room and force her to leave himself. Which was why he had to resort to asking her to escort herself out. 

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

Nayeon looked up at the new person, a strong energy vibrating off of him. Was he just terrified of flying…or something else? She could touch him to verify, but that’d be weird. There also wasn’t an assurance that she’d even see anything. Then she would have just groped a random person. She didn’t want to make that same mistake a third time. Flying was the problem here. Too many people, full of emotions and mixed signals. No way to know if there was anyone in dire need of help. It was easier on the ground and in less crowded areas. There she could pinpoint people she needed to help. She didn’t even have to touch them when there wasn’t an overwhelming amount emotions floating in the air. It would help if she was better at controlling her power too. But she was taught by her mother and grandmother whom only heard and read that the power was part of their family. It was all but an old wives tale until Nayeon was born. The first in the last century, the truest gift. With it, she did what she could: her best. The stewardess came back and rudely handed her the tea with her newly bandaged hand and walked away. “It’s just a small burn. It’s good that you spilled a little. Better than years of bad luck. Plus you’re going to meet someone now.” Nayeon murmured the words of encouragement to herself before taking a sip. 

Settling into the seat beside the woman, he let out a sigh of relief for having made it. Now he had a few hours to kill that would most likely be spent just sleeping. But because he did not want to sleep right as he got onto the flight, Wooyeon took the magazine placed in front of him and just thumbed through the pages, not really reading, not really even looking. It was just a way to pass the hours until his exhaustion took over. Long limbs made airplanes very uncomfortable and there was very little leg room for him to actually sleep in peace. It would not be restful and as soon as they landed he’d have to head to the hospital. He was going to ask for the attendant for something to drink when she came herself, handing the woman beside him her drink. it did not appear she was quite pleased though he was actually surprised with their service since it appeared she actually did follow the stranger’s request to pour it herself. He wasn’t quite sure what was being said after by the passenger beside him. Given that the attendant walked away, Wooyeon decided he’d just sacrifice that drink for the sake of the woman who was muttering now to not have to see another stink eye. Instead he just continued thumbing through the magazine, putting it back in its place after a few moments. 

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

After organizing almost all of Youngjae’s case files for the last hour, Yejin’s timer went off to inform her that she should enact the next part of operation: keep her job. This part started off on the verge of stalking, but, again, he left her unattended with his schedule right there (well, under a few stacks of papers). She couldn’t help but to look and do her inner secretarial duty and bring snacks. Yejin also figured Youngjae would be all work, no play during his deposition. Mostly meaning his poor witness might not have had a break this entire time. With sandwiches and drinks, the woman spent the bus ride preparing herself mentally for every reaction. She also had to control her own reactions. “Don’t be rash, don’t be rash, don’t be rash.” She repeated as a mantra to herself all the way up to the door to the room of the deposition. Listening outside, Yejin finally barged in when she heard a pause. “Hello, Mr Heo!” She said brightly as she stepped into the room and began setting the sandwiches and drinks down so he couldn’t turn her away immediately. “I brought a little snack for everyone. Thought these might help keep the energy up. I know sometimes answering a lot of questions can be a bit tiring,” she said to the witness as she handed them a sandwich.  

Rather than entering right in the courtroom, Youngjae was in one of the rooms speaking with his witness, trying to help him remember that this was not just a regular conference where he was supposed to present his findings. Already with the burden of proof on his shoulders, he knew that it was an uphill battle. And he really needed this verdict to come out in his favor that day. He really just needed a win that week.. Not that there was anyone that knew or sympathized. Nor was he asking for it. Just as he began to speak, explaining for the millionth time how the process would be going, the door opened and an all too familiar voice at this point bellowed. His eyes automatically closed, as though on instinct. Maybe if he closed his eyes and didn’t see her, he could pretend that she didn’t exist. Following instructions was apparently also not on her list of qualifications. Though he suspected she would say something about how he never said not to come to the deposition so she wasn’t going against his instructions. Sandwiches already there, she began to interact with his witness and he kept his cool. “Ms.Kang. I don’t recall asking for your presence here.” 

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

At the cafe, this moment, and what Yejin would do next was all a test. To be better it sometimes takes meeting a cold and unsympathetic person. One who relies on only reason and logic, and has serious trust issues. That’s what she believed, or wanted to believe in that moment. What happened today she’d look back on as life experience, an enrichment to her soul.  As a testament to that, she was determined to prove that she could pass this test. Heo Youngjae might be the most stubborn person she has ever met, but Yejin has often been told the same about herself. It was just up to will power now. “Yes, but instead of being unemployed at home, I can do it in a nice office. It’s a nice change of scenery for the day.” She replied as nicely as the woman possibly could while barring the sarcastic comment she had ready. As she waited for his reply, to see if she’d need to come up with a better deal, Yejin was thinking of other propositions and watching as the other went through the unorganized stack. Containing her sigh of relief that she wouldn’t have to plead any longer followed by the sneer as he was all for having the last word then walking away. “Yeah, have a nice day,” she called out with a faux smile as she bowed to the closed door. Standing back up she began mumbling to herself, “ugh, what a weenie.” Looking at her watch, she set a timer and looked over the stacks and stacks of papers. “Well, I’m fired anyways. It’s his own fault for leaving me unattended and trusting I’d actually do nothing.” Letting out a sigh, she picked up the first stack and began to tackle organizing the files as he told her to before finding out who she was.

-끝-

[heoxyoungjae]

Already Youngjae felt that his morning had been ruined by one pesky woman with no control over her actions or emotions. However he would not nor could he behave like her. Otherwise, his clients would actually go ahead and sue him for spilling his coffee all over them. Which was why instead he had to try and find a way to talk some sense into his expert witness before the other lawyer tried and succeeded in ripping him to shreds. Headed to the courtroom, he already mapped out his day so that he could drop by the HR department following his time in court. Heo Youngjae had made a promise to make sure that his newest assistant celebrated her last day that day and he would fulfill it. Even just thinking of her made his blood boil and so he had to calm himself down so as not to enter the deposition in a horrid mood. That alone could be the reason that they blew the entire case. Parking outside, he noted that the car for his witness was already there. So with a heavy sigh, he stepped out with an air of confidence that did not exactly mirror the sentiments he felt within. But a part of the profession was being able to put on a show. And it had been years since he had properly been in touch with his emotions or at least allowed the world around him to see them. @rcincarnatcd

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

Nayeon hadn’t planned on leaving this late. She was even hoping to go straight to work after arriving back to Seoul. But having forgot to double check her flight plan (and the number of her flight) until the last minute, so she had to cancel and book a next flight. Which, inconveniently, was 4 hours later. It’s not that her superstitions were terribly out of control, but the first flight number literally was 666. Even if she didn’t foresee anything happening, it was better to keep her own mind at ease. At her seat, specially requested to have any seat that did not have a 4 or seat number 13, in the new flight she felt slightly more relaxed. More so than she would have felt in the other plane at least. There was some sort of strange energy around her, but she assumed it was just nervous-flyer jitters. “Excuse me,” she reached out lightly for a passing by attendant, but had to pause for a moment before gathering herself from what she saw. “Sorry. Um, when you have the chance, could I have a cup of tea?” she asked. “But only you can pour into the cup. You shouldn’t pour with someone else, even if it’s a bit shaky here.” Nayeon tried not to sound too creepy as her words came off as if she knew the other and her way of pouring. When she advised people she tried not to be too specific to the person’s methods to not scare them away. Not unless they came to her specifically for help. And she also just didn’t elaborate as to why it would be better. That’s where the stares and names usually came in. // @heoxyoungjae

His conference had only just ended and after exchanging numbers with a few of the specialists he had met, Wooyeon was back in his hotel room, hurriedly packing for a flight he was scheduled to miss. There was no moment for rest unfortunately and as personable as he was most of the time, the man certainly needed a break which he was not being given. “You can sleep the whole ride back,” he told himself, actually speaking out loud without realizing it due to the pressure. Out the door, barely making it to the airport, he was the last one to enter the plane. Pretty much every seat was filled, and he walked around, searching for his own seat. If it was his mother she would have told him to take another flight or demand his seat be changed, but if everyone with a number 4 in their seat decided to change their flight, there would be too many empty seats. He was trying to get past but the stewardess was assisting someone so he just waited, throwing his small suitcase into the compartment above. Though he did not intend to, the words of the stranger reached his ear and he couldn’t help but find them oddly specific. Perhaps fearful about cross contamination of germs or something of the sort, he just excused himself. “Excuse me. That’s my seat.” He motioned to the one beside the woman who had just asked for the specific drink.

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

Yejin knew, to some extent, that she was grasping at straws here. It was how desperate she was at this point. Then again she felt she wouldn’t have to go to such lengths if he wasn’t so unemotional. Any other person would see that she had good intentions and even if they were the victim they’d at least give her a chance to make it up to them. She wasn’t aware of that, but still was not planning to back down. “Then charge me,” she dared, “either way you’ll be seeing me often.” She commented boldly as after reading him she was taking a 50/50 chance on his response. He seemed like the type to do it out of spite, but she was hoping more that it would be too much trouble to actually go through with (and that he wouldn’t want to see her through more trouble). While most would consider her crazy to be trying so hard to work for this unsympathetic man, but for Yejin it was important. How would other companies view her if they see she was fired on her first day? Or how will her father and friends react when she has to tell them? Sure, they’ll be understanding when she tells the story, but she’ll see the disappointment. It’s embarrassing to have a farewell party so soon after the hiring celebration. She chose to pretend like she didn’t hear his words. Unbeknownst to him she was already planning against his guarantee. Watching him carefully as he prepared to leave, she started, “what time should I be gone by today so we can avoid a repeat of this?” Quickly amending herself, “and before you answer ‘right now’, just know that will bring us back to the beginning and I can just sit at the desk until clock out time if you truly don’t trust me to do anything. You don’t even have to pay me.” For today, at least, if that’s all she was going to do. Looking up at the clock, "And if you want to argue about it, you’ll be late.” 

For Youngjae, first impressions were everything. And their meeting also was far more genuine than it would have been otherwise. So while he could not see it that way in the moment, later he would regard their encounter at the coffee shop as a blessing in disguise. Through that, he was able to get a sense of her temperament and understand just how emotional she was. Driven too much by her passions, he knew now that she was likely cause troubles like this later if something went against her own moral compass. And that was not how law worked. Her confidence was appalling to him and he wondered if she did it with the assumption no one would dare call her bluff or she was just really that reckless. It was all hypothetical but one by one, he was learning much more about this woman. She was far too impulsive and that was likely to be her undoing. After all it was what cost her this job as well. Choosing to not engage with her too much, he had to breath slowly to keep his rising blood pressure from making him explode. Why was she still here? What happened to all that pride of her’s from before? Why was she not confident enough to go find another job? It was all over confidence apparently. An ego without any substance to justify it. He was going to tell her to leave of course but she preempted that comment with one of her own. In the end her last suggestion sounded the best. “That sounds a lot like being unemployed. Sitting around doing nothing and not getting paid.” He commented as he walked to get a few more files from the stack that he would take care of himself in the ride back from the deposition. “Do whatever you want. After all, it’s your last day.” Youngjae would make sure of that. With that, the man strode out of the office, compartmentalizing the irritation so that he could be composed during the meeting. His witness was frustrating as well and if he was as emotional as Kang Yejin then this frustration paired with that would make him blow. 

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

This man seemed to not have a single lenient bone in his body. What Yejin did wasn’t worthy of unemployment for another few years until she could find another place that wouldn’t look down on her. She knew she was going to be good at this job, or any job. The woman received top scores (from a lesser known school) and did well in the mediocre part time work she did get. It was unfair to be judged by something other than her performance, how she felt she’s always been judged before. This time she wasn’t going to let that happen. She couldn’t let that happen. She was already in and she would rather go through hell than to leave. “I think the key word is ‘barely’,” she said as if it were a defense before continuing, “and, I mean, some could say that was an accident.” Although both of them knew it was not, the best way to win was how you defend it in court. Most of the time, aside from present company, she was well liked. Yejin was willing to bet the opposite for her new boss. HR could believe that she wasn’t the vindictive person she was for that split moment. “I’d rather be a psycho than a—” she stopped herself and closed her eyes, clenching her teeth and hands. Yejin had to keep repeating that he was her boss now and she was on thin ice as it was. Inhaling deeply, she opened her eyes and spoke when she thought the words wouldn’t involve name calling or a sure fire way of her losing her job for good. “Do you always think negatively? It’s not a threat, Mr. Heo. Threats can be considered illegal. It’s more like a guarantee,” she clarified with a smile.  

The audacity of the woman was what he could not believe. He really had never met anyone as shameless as her and there she was, trying to claim that it could be argued to be an accident? He had seem some ridiculous defenses in court but this was by far the worst. It was obvious by all accounts that it was very much premeditated and if anything, perhaps it could be said to be a crime of passion. But that hardly erased the fact that there was deliberation in the act, no accident. “There is still a sentence even for involuntary actions Kang Yejin-ssi.” He informed her, trying his best to keep the composure that was very quickly slipping from his grip. After all, he had run into the one person that had single handedly ruined his morning and now she was standing before him trying to work? No that was impossible. He would not allow it. So by the end of the day she would be out. He would make sure that she would be gone. He raised a brow to see what she would come up with, what she would call him now. Instead she stopped herself, perhaps the first normal and human action that came from the woman that reminded him of a rabid animal at present. “Well then take my guarantee that you will not be my assistant as well.” He did not return to smile and instead just began to fill his briefcase. Unfortunately he had the deposition so he couldn’t fulfill that guarantee in that moment, but he would not allow her to work there for long. 

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

Hanging up the phone was definitely going to be another point against her, she knew it. It was just the first thing her mind and body told her to do when the alarm bells began to go off. Then trying to talk lightly… was now another misstep. Some could say it’s her stubborn personality, her pride, or a combination of both that prevented Yejin from saving the time of arguing by just apologizing for what happened at the coffee shop. If she relayed the details to others, even if this incident was explained to HR, most would be done with this by just having her apologize. But she couldn’t do that, not when she felt strongly of not being in the wrong. Not only for her actions, but at the time he was not technically her boss. She also felt that if she did swallow up her pride and apologize (ultimately admitting that she was in the wrong) that the man still would not let her keep her job. It wasn’t worth it. “I’ll never be done,” she replied, words sounding like a threat. She tried her best not to glare at him as he spoke, or to contort her face in any way. Of course he didn’t need more than one meeting. He seemed just like the type to not give second chances, especially to a well-deserving person. Wasn’t that the definition of what a lawyer did? “Poison?” she interjected flabbergasted at the insinuation. “I would never. As you know, I am more the humanitarian type,” barring the occasional coffee spillage, “Life is precious to me. Even yours,” she added in as if his was different from others and needed specification. “And I’m not expecting my mistakes to be overlooked. I made no mistakes since I started being your assistant, or prior to that time,” she stated in no way giving in. Determined, amber hues met his. “I wouldn’t bet on it. You’ve seen me passionate, but wait until you see that combined with my persistence.” 

He was not sure if she had never been educated on proper manners or if she was just very forgetful. Maybe a terrible student which he wouldn’t be surprised about either. Nonetheless whatever it was, Youngjae could not be bothered to try and figure this woman out. All he knew was that they did not nor would they ever match each other. She was not meant to be his PA because he was a very particular person and clearly she was not someone that could handle a man like that. Maybe he was being stubborn, maybe he was being unfair to her. She was right of course that when that incident happened, he was not her boss. But it did not change the fact that it showed a lot about her. The same could be said about him as well. He was not usually that rude and he was not a man that lost his cool on a regular basis either. If she were to judge him on just that one incident, that was probably what she’d think. Youngjae understood all the logic of the situation and saw the point from all angles since that was what he was meant to do of course. Yet he could not bring himself to stop reacting emotionally, just claiming that he did not like her and could not work with someone who he did not like. Which was why he couldn’t hold back the scoff that otherwise would never have escaped from him. “Humanitarian? You barely escaped scalding me with my coffee.” For all he knew, that was her intention from the start. “So what’s to say you won’t take more serious action in the future? I won’t risk my life at the hands of a psycho.” He emphasized the nickname he had given her. Of course she would not see why she was in the wrong. While Youngjae had already admitted and therefore tipped nicely for his err, she would refuse to see how her temper had put her in this situation. If she had kept her cool then they would be having a pleasant conversation, or at least civil one, right now. “Are you threatening me Ms.Kang?” Brow furrowed, he wondered just how many rules she was going to break in one day. What was he even going to do with this woman?

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

She was doomed. More than doomed. His eyes told her that there was no way she was going to get away with pretending what she was now dubbing ‘the coffee incident’ did not happen. Not that she should have ever believed that the man she had met that morning could be capable of such sensibilities. The man couldn’t be considerate to a woman who did nothing to him, she didn’t have to imagine what he’d do to Yejin who went out of her way to argue with him. Even worse she spilled his coffee on him. How could be be punished for doing a good deed? This wasn’t fair. Unless he was the one being punished, she thought. She was sure that incident was his first and if anyone could straighten him out it was Yejin. She had to think positively. This isn’t her punishment, but his. Watching him carefully, she wondered just how he’d react. “Right… You are probably capable of getting food yourself, right?” She replied, although she knew full well what he meant as her eyes continued to follow him. Eyes widening at the realization of what he planned on doing, she spoke up no longer feigning ignorance. “Ah.. Wait a moment,” although her hands were still full she reached over his desk to click the switchhook and hung up the phone. “Now I know we had a little bit of a…disagreement,” she struggled to lean back up under the weight of the files and decided to set them down neatly before continuing, “but how can you try and fire me without seeing my work? To judge me based on that one incident when you weren’t my boss and I was not your employee. And if you were to try, what do plan to tell HR? ‘She can’t work for me because she spilled coffee on me.’ I mean, what assistant hasn’t spilled coffee before?” she spoke defensively, although trying to make the matter seem less serious than what it was.

While she was trying to play stupid, Youngjae was not actually stupid. He saw through her act and knew that she was there trying to act like they did not cross paths, that she was just assistant. And while maybe someone else would have thought that it was a cute attempt, he was only further irritated by this woman’s shamelessness. Otherwise rather than apologizing to her new boss for her behavior earlier that day she was...even just thinking about it was making his blood boil. And if he was supposed to stay calm and composed in the office, she would make that impossible. Yet again she was stepping over the boundary, hanging up the phone causing him to look at her with incredulity. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Then her speech started once more and it appeared that while he was the lawyer, she was the one that loved to talk. She behaved as though he were being unreasonable for wanting her out. Her temperament had been displayed in the coffee shop and he would not be able to work with someone who couldn’t control their emotions like her. Just as in the cafe, her words did little to convince him and he just let out a heavy sigh paired with a roll of his eyes as he put his hands on his sides, waiting for her to finish impatiently. In the time he should have been doing work, he was stuck listening to her ranting and raving. “Are you done?” He asked, eyes wide with irritation once she paused for a breath. “First of all, I do not need more than one meeting to know whether I can work with someone or not. And you I cannot work with. Second, it was not accidentally spilling coffee. It was intentional. This is difficult work where I will demand a lot from you. Who knows if next time you’ll feel wronged and decide to poison me instead?” Extreme but his emotions were running slightly higher than usual since he had not gotten his daily dose of caffeine. No thanks to the one before him. Third, I do not want to work with someone who expects all her mistakes to be overlooked.” Like the one that she had made which she was trying to write off as ‘who hasn’t spilled coffee on their boss before?” His last PA that was who. “Do not get comfortable here. Today is your first and last day.”

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

Yejin was staring at him wide-eyed as he began. It seemed he still had yet to notice, which was a relief. She had to shake off the initial shock quickly and be prepared for whatever might erupt. “Yes, of course,” she responded in a soft tone as she slightly adjusted her hair in a lame attempt to disguise herself. As he continued with informing her of where the files were while still not acknowledging her. This caused a small twinge of hope to spring inside her that maybe she could avoid this first encounter and an unpleasant first day due to his rude behavior. Slowly backing up as his instructions seemed to be coming to an end, she turned to make an attempt to escape and get straight to work. Surprised by his question, she turned back to face him with the best smile she could manage. Yejin had to remind herself that he was her boss now as she thought of an answer. There was no smart-mouthing or beating around the bush. The man she had dumped coffee on, a man she disliked completely, she now had to treat with the utmost respect. “Getting the files…for your schedule. Taking over and active…” She emphasized, as she cautiously walked towards his the shelf and his desk to pick up the respective piles. “And, if you needed me to,” she was stating this more as the good assistant inside her told her to (although with anyone else she would’ve been more enthusiastic about it), “I can come with you to the deposition to take notes or I can drop off coff—” she stopped herself and cringed at the mention of what she was going to consider a banned word for the day. “I can bring over lunch or snacks.”

He had noticed the way she was backing away, trying to escape his gaze. As though by doing that he wouldn’t find out her identity. As though if she prevented him from catching her that day, then he wouldn’t ever realize that the psycho was his assistant. Eyes narrowed, silence maintained, Youngjae only followed her with his gaze watching the way she flitted around the office trying to act as though nothing was wrong. He was more than confident that he could not work with her. It was pretty much impossible. After that slight interaction that much was enough for him to know what type of person she was. All that it took was one meeting for him to pass a judgment and while many said first impressions shouldn’t be everything, for him they were. And her first impression was of the woman that had spilled his coffee after not controlling her temper. What if she decided she didn’t like something they did in the office and she went shredder crazy or decided to do the same thing to a client. One by one she explained things carefully and hesitantly since she likely knew as well that they were walking a thin line. Well she was. He had already decided he was going to HR. She was not working for him. He was about to close his eyes at the mention of coffee, the sore memory of a few minutes ago being brought up once more. “There will be no need for that.” Youngjae announced, returning to his desk to dial the number for the HR department. Watching her from his spot he waited for someone to answer before speaking. “This is Heo Youngjae. I got my new PA today,” he waited as they filled him in on all the paperwork that had been completed, getting ready to explain that he would not work with this woman and that they would have to find someone else.

[heoxyoungjae]

rcincarnatcd:

Staring around inside building in amazement, it was finally dawning on Yejin that she was finally on making her way into the work force. With the confrontation she let it ruin a joyous day. Momentarily, that is. From now she was going to look towards her bright future. While all the other places she has applied that rejected Yejin due to her gender or family background; this was the first to promise to only look at the skills of applicants. She had to make it work. As she went to HR to settle the final paperwork (apologizing profusely for being late while promising it would never happen again) and found out who she would be working for. “Heo Youngjae…” she enunciated carefuly, trying to commit it to memory on her way to his office. Outside of his door she knocked gently, having heard he was expecting her before opening the door. “Hello,” she said bending over out of respect to bow almost immediately as she introduced herself, “I’m your new assistant, Kang Ye…jin.” She trailed off in her introduction and the bright smile was wearing immediately faded. As when she began to stand back up, she was was facing none other than Jerkface himself. What a small, cruel world. 

The knock barely brought his attention up from the file that he was reading. Instead he just called for the person to come in, continuing his task not wanting to break his concentration. After all this was someone who would have to work for him and this was how he functioned. The person would need to know that from the get-go. The door opened but his eyes did not flash up to greet the other, instead just nodding at the introduction as he turned the chair around to face the woman. Kang Yejin she provided him, making sure to be ver clear that she was going to be his PA. Clarity was good of course, though she was late and he did not appreciate that fact. “I have a deposition later today so I’ll pretty much be out of the office all day. I hope you can take that time to get yourself situated in the office and get my schedule all in order. There are meetings this entire week and this whole pile are my active cases. Those on the shelf are the ones I’ll be taking over.” Closing the file he was reading, Youngjae finally actually looked up at the woman that stood before him and felt as though his entire words, the entire introduction speech that he had for her got caught in his throat. “What are you doing here?” He asked, unable to hide the surprise and distaste from his features as he stood, pushing his glasses off his face as though that would change the reality. Granted he knew the answer to his own question. She had been clear so he could not even act like it was not what he thought. She was the one that would be working for him now. This could not be possible!