Hot & Cold » Jessica Jung
» I have returned after, what. Ages? Pretty much. It took a long time but I’m finally back. This has to be my longest scenario ever, so I hope you enjoy it because I bled for this. I also didn’t proof-read, so I apologize for any mistakes. @yeppeosnsdscenarios
A loud sigh painted your lips, fingers letting go of the yellow pencil which they held firmly. Your eyes watched as it rolled towards the table's edge, hand reaching out on instinct as you let it fall into your palm. Your eyelids were heavy with exhaustion, irritated by the bright light coming from your lamp. Carefully, you scanned the papers scattered across the glass surface, grimacing in distaste.
"I can't do it." You whined and dropped your head on the sketches, earning your sister's attention. You heard her quiet footsteps as she walked up behind you, peering over your shoulder at your work. Squeezing it reassuringly, she said:
"When are you supposed to hand them in?" Raising your head ever so slightly, your desperate eyes landed on a small, digital clock. The bright red numbers glared back at you mercilessly, reminding you just how little time you had left. "In four hours."
With a wail of anguish you turned to her, throwing your hands around her waist and buried your face into her stomach. "What am I supposed to do Ji Hyo?"
"Go get some sleep." She ordered, rubbing soothing circles into your back. "But-" You went to object, but a displeased stare from Ji Hyo cut your words short. Throwing one last glance at the time you sighed once again, letting go of your sister to collect your work.
"You'll do great, Y/n, don't worry." Said Ji Hyo, quietly closing the door behind her as she disappeared into the hallway.
You let out a deep breath as you organized seemingly hundreds of papers into a single pile, putting them into a desired order before placing them into a pale pink folder. In your mind, you could still see the unimpressed eyes of Krystal, your interviewer and a rather mysterious woman, as she told you to prepare twenty brand new design sketches. She claimed it was to see how well you could contribute to the company, although you believed that behind her blank expression was a much more malicious intent. After all, aiming for a spot in a renowned fashion company such as Blanc & Eclare was not an easy task and you were certain that it was her job to make the entire process that much more difficult. To help yourself overcome the soul crushing amount of stress you were under, you convinced yourself it was only a form of natural selection – rule out the weak and be left with a group of frighteningly strong individuals ready to work day and night in order to become the employee of the month. Scary, but effective.
It didn’t take long for your to fall asleep, in fact, it only took a few seconds. As soon as your back hit the soft matress, you fell a victim to exhaustion. You let your eyes close, dvelving into the dream realm.
Ruling out anything and everything connected to Blanc & Eclare out of your mind before you fell asleep may have seemed like a good idea to your anxiety-fuelled self, but it most definitely didn’t seem like one now, when you were sprinting down the main street. You were running painfully late, trying your hardest to ignore the sharp pain in your side and the burn in your lungs as you were nearing the tall building that unmistakably belonged to the fashion company which you had zero chances getting into after you oh, so convenietly forgot to to set your alarm.
You were ready to spit out your insides from the intense (and dare I say unwanted) workout you went through, attempting to compose yourself in the brightly lit elevator. The 'relaxing' jazz melody coming from the speakers was doing all but it's job at making the ride enjoyable, and if anything, only irrated you more. Anxiously stepping from on leg to another, you impatiently waited for the little 'ding' signalizing the arrival at your floor of choice.
Then, when it finally came, you wasted no time in running out of the tiny space, frantic apologies spilling out of your lips left and right as you approached Krystal's desk.
"I'm so sorry, I forgot to set my alarm and when I woke up it was already 9. I know it’s no excuse but please forgive me. I-" You lips got sealed shut when you realized Krystal was blatantly ignoring you, blankly staring into her computer screen. You took a deep breath, forgetting the tiny bit of pride you had left and tried again.
"I brought the sketches, if you could just please take a look a-" Once again, your efforts were cut short, but this time it was due to the menacing glare sent your way.
You were taken aback at the treatment, mouth opening and closing like that of a fish. Though you soon realized that simply apologizing for your foolish mistake wouldn’t take you anywhere.
"I understand. I'm sorry for wasting your time."
It wasn’t until you’ve stepped a foot outside of the building that your phone rang, Ji Hyo’s name popping up on the screen. You, however, were by any means not in a mood to talk. Declining her call, your fingers typed a quick message to assure her of your well-being, choosing to leave out the quite important part where you’ve lost your very last drop of dignity.
[9:53AM] I’m okay, don’t worry. I’ll stop by Claire’s coffee shop, you want anything?
[9:55AM] If you say so. And no don’t bother. I got called into work so I won’t be home until late at night.
Sighing, you threw your phone into your purse, muttering a quick apology to a young man you’ve bumped into. You chose to ignore the curses hurriedly slipping off his tongue, instead focusing your attention of the nearing bright blue doors you knew so well. You and Claire met in your first year of college where you hit it off right away. At the time, she was your only friend, as your then-roommate couldn’t be considered one. Although she dropped out soon after - wanting to rebel against her parents and their strict reign over her, the two of you remained close.
Stepping inside, you were greeting with a familiar scent of coffee and sweet, freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Greeting Claire through the busy chatter of customers, you made a beeline towards your favorite seat. At the very back of the shop, in a small and quiet corner was a table hidden away from the rest. It was a nice and cozy place for no more than two people, creating a calm and intimate atmosphere. As soon as you sat down, you finally acknowledged the heavy feeling on your chest. You were done for. Absolutely, royaly fucked, for a lack of better word. Your only choice now was to find a regular, 9 to 5 job which would make your miserable for the rest of your days. Then again, maybe Claire would be kind enough to let you help out. Either way, your hopes and dreams were ruthlessly crushed by Krystal (and your own stupidity, though you wouldn’t admit it).
You were soon approached by Claire, your dull eyes giving away your poor state right away. You sensed her curiosity and the need to ask what happened, providing an answer before she even had a chance to take a breath. “Job interview fiasco.”
“You poor thing.” Her eyes were filled with sincere understanding, words of encouragement quickly flowing out of her glossy lips. “Stay right here. I know exactly what you need.” She said at the end of her motivational monologue, disappearing behind the counter.
As you sat there, wallowing in self-pity and disappointment as you scrolled through Instagram, you almost didn’t notice a small frame of a woman towering over your seated form, asking if she could take a seat. Without looking up you nodded, eyes fixed on your cracked phone screen. The two of you were silent for a few moments until you finally put the addictive gadget away. Once you raised your gaze to look at the woman sitting across from you, you couldn’t help but feel as if you’ve seen her before. Her strong yet soft features, as well as her long caramel curls seemed oddly familiar, yet you couldn’t put your finger on where you knew her from. Or at least thought you knew her.
The pretty woman suddenly looked into your eyes with a gentle smile on her lips, catching you off guard. You began apologizing profusely (third time in such a short amount of time, too), explaining yourself with cheeks as red as they could get. She only chuckled, shaking her head.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m the one who should say sorry. After all, it was me who suddenly stormed in asking if the seat was taken.” Her voice was quiet as she spoke, and you couldn’t help but notice how sophisticated she looked. From the way she talked to the way she sat, everything about her screamed ‘luxury’.
“You? Oh, please. It’s fine, really. I could use some company.” Pleasantly surprised at your ability to regain your composure so quickly, you smiled to yourself.
“I’m Jessica, by the way.” Even her name sounds familiar, you thought. “Nice to meet you. I’m Y/n.”
“So, Y/n...” Trailed off Jessica, “Why do you look so down? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.” An involuntary sigh slipped past your lips, memories of what happened not too long ago resurfacing. Hesitantly you began explaining your situation, completely forgetting that the woman you were talking to was a complete stranger just a few minutes back. While you rambled on about your great misfortune and lack of what some would call luck, Jessica listened on in deep thought. Strangely, she was captivated by you – something which has never happened to her before. What really sparked her interest though, was when you finally mentioned the name of the company you wished to work for.
“So yeah, that’s how I got rejected at Blanc & Eclare after spending hours on planning out the new designs. Might as well throw them into trash now and burn them.” You joked, a weak attempt at making yourself feel better.
“May I take a look at them?” You furrowed your brows but hummed in agreement, already reaching into your bag to take out the portfolio. You handed it over to Jessica, watching carefully while she flipped through the sketches. It warmed your heart when you noticed the genuine surprise in her eyes, more so when she praised your talent here and there. At least someone saw them.
“These are wonderful, Y/n! They must’ve been really stupid not to take a look at them. I-” She stopped abruptly when her phone started buzzing, signaling an incoming call. She looked at you apologetically before standing up with her phone in hand, ready to leave.
“I’m sorry, I have to go now. It was amazing meeting you, though. I hope we can see each other soon!” You smiled, agreeing before bidding her goodbye.
Not long after she left, Claire re-appeared with a cup of your favorite coffee and a cutely decorated muffin in hand. “It’s on me.”
“Thanks, Claire. So tell me, how’s the married life?”
“Let me get this straight. You were late because your dumb ass forgot to set your alarm for 6AM, then you proceeded to get rejected by that Krystal girl with your hard work essentially going to waste. Afterwards, you met a complete stranger at Claire’s who praised your designs and then disappeared without a trace.” Ranted Ji Hyo, wildly waving her chopsticks around. You nodded, swallowing the huge bite of your meal in your mouth.
“All that in two hours. I’m impressed.” You shot her a glare, reaching for a napkin to wipe the corners of your mouth. “You being impressed doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t get the job.”
“Yeah, but as your sister, it’s my job to tease you.” Ji Hyo’s laughter soon ceased when she noticed you staring at your phone in disbelief, mouth hanging wide open. She demanded you tell her what got you so shocked, but you were too occupied with gawking at the text message from a person you never expected. When she realized she wouldn’t get you to utter a single word, Ji Hyo snatched the phone from your hand.
[8:30PM] Tomorrow at 10AM. Don’t be late. - Krystal
“Y/n, that’s amazing! They’re giving you a second chance.” Ji Hyo squealed excitedly, eyes shining with happiness as she look at you. The joy was quickly replaced, however, confusion taking it’s place. “But how?”
You froze in the doorway, eyes fixated on the person behind the large desk. Suddenly, the second chance didn’t seem so out of place anymore. Yet, you couldn’t help but let the fear get the best of you, as your shaking legs slowly took you to the seat she had offered. With a big gulp you sat down, stiffly placing your palms on your knees. The atmosphere was much more different from the last time. Now it seemed cold and uninviting, fear of angering her forbidding you from doing as much as breathing properly. You watched as she scribbled down a few lines into her notebook, breath hitching when she placed her pen down and looked at you. Her face was straight as she began.
“Now, miss L/n, I’ll get straight to the point. I have been thoroughly impressed by your work. So much, that I was willing to overlook the fact that you were late to the interview. I believe you would be a wonderful addition to the company and could be of great help in bringing it to new heights.” She stood up, walking around the desk in a leisurely manner. Stopping just a few inches from where you were seated, she leaned against the polished wood.
“I also think that it would be a waste to let such an idea bank like yourself go, without giving you a chance at properly showing what you’re capable of.” You must’ve looked crazy – focusing on each and every word she said, afraid to miss anything.
“You’re great at following deadlines, however, you seem to have trouble arriving places on time.” You wished she wasn’t right, oh how hard you wished she was wrong. Sadly, what she said was one hundred percent true, and today proved it. Because despite Krystal’s very clear and easy to understand warning, you still managed to be late.
“Miss L/n, as a new employee of Blanc & Eclare, I’ll let you know that I cannot stand people who don’t know how to be on time. After all, time is precious. And because I would hate for you to get in trouble so soon, I have a simple procedure in mind.” You gulped, nodding frantically. Your palms were sweating and the knot in your stomach grew bigger with each tick of the clock. You were starting to feel sick, the anticipation killing you in the most pain-stakingly slow manner.
“Every Friday, you’ll meet me at the coffee shop down the street at exactly 6 PM. Not sooner, not later.” Your gaze shot up to meet hers, confusion written all over your face. “What?”
“Had I not made myself clear?” You shook your head profusely, afraid that you had insulted her. She only sighed, making her way back behind her desk. “Very well. You may leave now.”
Little did you know it had nothing to do with you being late.
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