(kpi) orientation. - i.
Today was not an easy day. You weren't expecting to be late on your first day of work.
Coffee in hand, you sprinted toward the front desk of the high-rise building, key card ready to go. After hearing the beep for access, you cursed under your breath as you tried to recall what floor your new workplace was on.
“Fuck, what was it?” you muttered, setting your coffee tumbler down on a ledge to pull out your phone. Fifteen minutes late, and you don't even have the direct contact number to say that you were running behind!
It didn't occur to you how long traffic was going to be. It was your first time traveling to Seoul for work, and it took over an hour and a half for you to go through the infamous and dreadful traffic, and another 10 minutes to find parking. You didn't time it correctly, and now you’re flopping around like an idiot in the lobby.
God, this is so, so bad, you thought to yourself. Arirang Industries was a hard fucking interview to land, and even more so when you got the job after the first interview. Now wasn’t the time to make a bad impression, especially with a boss who you weren’t sure even liked you. You were used to it, though - women in the workplace tend to deal with male supervisors who were a bit demanding.
It didn’t feel real to say the least, and you were half-wondering if this was an elaborate prank. Granted, it was your first big girl job in a big girl city, so you were a little anxious.
“Ma’am, do you need help?”
You whipped your head around to see a young and really attractive man in a white button-up and black slacks. His hair was dyed blonde, and his lips were impeccably plump. He looked around your age, which softened your gaze a bit. Creepy old corporate men scared you, so it was nice to see someone your age in business attire.
“U-uh,” you stammered as he walked closer, leaning over to see your phone. “I’m looking for Arirang Industries.”
“Ah!” he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. “You must be the new hire. We can ride up together.”
You gasped, clapping your hands together.
“Thank you!” you replied gratefully. Your new coworker gestured to you to follow the double glass doors with a plaque that says “ARIRANG INDUSTRIES”. You sighed in relief, thanking the Lord that your cute guy-now-coworker took you to the right place.
“Which department are you in?” he asked, sipping from his coffee mug. “I’m in marketing.”
“Me too!” you laughed, sticking your hand out for a handshake. “I’m ____!”
“Ah, nice to meet you,” he smiled, shaking your hand vigorously. It was a firm, strong handshake, something you appreciated. Floppy handshakes were for the weak. “I’m Jimin. I wonder if you’re gonna be sitting next to me, considering Jungkook just changed departments.”
“Maybe!” you grinned. A part of you was hoping you two were in the same department. You two ended up having an elated conversation as both of you went up the skyscraper elevator. It turned out you guys lived in the same apartment complex, which was great news for you. You had moved from Los Angeles to Korea not that long ago for this job, and were feeling rather lonely with only knowing one friend. Work from home days are gonna be fun, you think to yourself.
“See you inside!” Jimin chirped, waving goodbye before disappearing into the office. You waved back, beaming from ear to ear. You had a good feeling about this job even before you met Jimin. It was a new, fresh start after your disastrous entanglement with a married pharmacist a few months back.
You shuddered, wiping your mind of Jacob. Now wasn’t the time to reminisce on your romantic endeavors.
It’s always a hot mess. Sometimes I wonder if I was meant to date anybody in general.
You reached the front desk, meeting an equally beautiful woman. She had long, curly brown hair and looked like a model. Her eyes were bright as stars, and her dress was perfectly pressed and well-kept, all of it pivoting hints of an exceptional receptionist.
“Hello, my name is ____,” you introduced yourself with a smile, waving softly. “It's my first day here.”
She blinked her wide eyes in glee, clapping her hands together.
“Ah yes, Mark told me that you were coming back in today! Nice to meet you, I'm Sana.”
She stuck out her hand happily, smiling with her eye creases showing. She was humming, and her closed-lipped smile was so prominent on her face. Her eyes were twinkling now, and it wasn’t even that sunny outside.
She looked genuinely happy to see you, almost as if she had met her best friend. The enthusiasm was insane, and you were taken aback by her bubbly nature. Is she always like this? you wondered, shaking her hand vigorously before she maneuvered smoothly back into her chair, typing away.
There's no way she's like this 24/7. That would be exhausting.
“I just let Mark know you’re here! Feel free to take a seat. Welcome to Arirang!”
“Cool,” you said composedly, looking around before sitting on the nearest chair available. There were a ton, and you mean a ton, of really attractive people in the office. You half-pondered if this was a modeling agency in disguise. Not to say that you weren’t ugly (you would be a good 9 in a Midwestern town back home), but damn.
Your throat got caught up in some air as you choked a bit from nervousness. Are you going to make it here? Your Korean has an American accent, and you have heard that native Koreans tend to look down on that. The anxiety built up within you. Maybe this wasn’t the most sound choice, you thought to yourself.
You shook your head. No, you had to do it.
Soon, a somewhat regular human being materialized in front of you. He was in his early 50s with thick frames, a company jacket, and beige slacks. He looked beyond exhausted with his heavy dark eye bags, but his energy was still chipper as he mustered a grin to greet you.
“Hello, you must be ____. I’m Mark, your regional director,” he put his hand on his chest, bowing. You did the same, introducing yourself before he led you to your desk.
Of course, your cubicle did end up next to your neighbor, Jimin. He grinned, moving some of his extra things to his side as you sit down on your swivel chair. After Mark navigated you through the training portal, you began working through the modules to learn more about the company history and the management style.
“Jyamin,” you overheard someone call for your new work bestie. You looked up and formed a little pout with your lips.
You found yourself looking over the cubicle as another tall and handsome guy came from behind Jimin and slammed his hands on Jimin’s broad shoulders, scaring the shit out of the blonde. He was a cool slickness to him with a lip piercing and some hand tattoos. His figure was impeccable as he had the infamous “male slutty waist” that you were sure many would be envious of, with his belt cinched perfectly around it. He was wearing an all-black ensemble, a black button-up, and slacks, with his sleeves rolled a quarter up his arms. It revealed his tattoo sleeve underneath, which kind of rendered you speechless. Not only was this company filled with hot people, but it was also filled with hot, cool people.
“Jungkook-ah, you can’t just keep coming over here. You won’t work here anymore, remember?” Jimin laughed as Jungkook squeezed his shoulders in jest. He chuckled with him, and then suddenly…
Both of you locked eyes. His smile faded a bit, slowly forming into a smirk. You squinted your eyes in slight disappointment.
Oh boy, the playboy is here. Of course, I would run into one of the office flirts on my first day.
“Who’s this?” Jungkook nodded over toward you. His large, brown boba-looking eyes were charming as hell, and they gave a youthful look no matter how old he seemed to be. You half-wondered if he was already hitting on you or if he was being kind. Tale as old as time, you thought to yourself.
“Ah,” Jimin stood up, walking over to you to hit the back of your chair. “This is ____. She’s replacing your stupid ass.”
You snickered, covering your mouth as Jimin cackled, his shoulders bobbing up and down. Jungkook sighed, biting down on his lip piercing.
“You can call me a stupid ass, but I’m happy in finance, thank you very much,” he emphasized the latter, leaning against your cubicle walls. He was stealing glances from you, probably trying to impress you. You snorted, sticking your hand out to greet him.
“Well, whatever it is, it’s nice to meet you, Jungkook.”
His eyes locked in with yours once again, and a small smile formed on his lips. Jungkook gripped your hand tightly, shaking aggressively.
“Ditto. Welcome to Arirang.”
RETURN.
