In Dreams (Jayhoon)

Page 2

Jay parked his car, checking his appearance once last time before stepping outside and preparing for the day ahead of him. He was anxious, mostly because it was his first day, but also because of the CEO. He always gaslighted himself to not believe false rumors, as he, himself, faced something similar, where people judged him simply by his looks and took advantage of him. He learned never to believe anything, no matter how real it looked. He thought of it as staring in the mirror. His reflection wasn't his. It was somebody else's perspective— he wasn't himself in the mirror. The mirror could never show the real him. It was the opposite. It showed his insecurities— it showed him multiple versions of himself, all morphed into one. So he stopped believing in everything and simply ignored his reflection; his view of the CEO could be so much different than what everyone else had said. Maybe he wouldn't get fired on the first day.

Jay breathed out, collecting his thoughts and entering the huge building that stood there, towering over him. The automatic door slid open, and he entered inside, feeling the stroke of AC flow through his hair, resting his heart down for a few seconds.

He could finally breathe. He glanced around the interior; it was jaw-dropping. The huge linings of floors were ascending up— looking neverending, the huge chandeliers hanging on the platforms of the roof highlighting the prodigious lobby, where people dressed in suits and blouses walked around. 'Damn. I'm really working in an office right now.' A small smile stretched on his lips as he made his way to the counter for further instructions.

"Uh.. excuse me? I'm Park Jongseong, the new secretary. Could you guide me to my office— or the CEO?" Jay smiled at the lady at the front desk, the lady following suit. "Of course, Mr. Park has been waiting for you." She spoke up, "One second, I'll call Mr. Lee to assist you." She smiled and dialed a number on the telephone. Jay stood there, eyes wandering around the building, as he acknowledged his surroundings to be more comfortable if he was suitable to the perfect secretary.

He noticed the magnificent cafeteria, swarmed with many office workers sitting and having their morning coffee, some working, while some are simply sitting there. He smiled, thinking about what it would be like to have friends here. Although he knew he never initiated a conversation, he hoped he'd step out of his boundaries and make a few friends. He didn't want to stay lonely.

Maybe he'll get a girlfriend too; he saw many attractive women walking by, some fitting his type. But he knew he could never approach them, let alone ask them out. He was too shy for that, no way.

His thoughts were interrupted due to the lady in front of him. "Mr. Lee will assist you, he's Mr. Park's assistant. He'll be here in a while." She softly smiled at him, and he returned the smile, politely bowing. "You can wait over there, maybe get some coffee to start your first day off." She pointed at the cafe, and Jay nodded, feeling comfortable with the lady. She seemed nice and friendly. "I wish you good luck!"

Jay waved at her, thanking her one last time before excitedly making his way to the cafeteria to get himself a cup of iced americano. After paying for his drink— which surprisingly didn't take long considering the fact that there was a huge line. He situated himself at one of the tables and scrolled through his phone, waiting for 'Mr. Lee' to guide him.

"Park Jongseong?"

Jay looked up to the source of the voice and clicked his phone off, immediately standing up. "Yes. That's me." He smiled politely while the other nodded, showing his hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Lee Heeseung, Sunghoon's assistant." Jay shook hands with him, and they both walked and chatted— it was mostly Heeseung leading the conversation.

"Is the CEO named Park Sunghoon?" Jay asked since the information about the CEO wasn't present online, neither his face nor relations. "Yep. He's kind of an arrogant jerk at the moment. I think he couldn't sleep last night. Just be careful of our words. He can be a bit of an asshole at times." Heeseung chuckled lightly.

"I know. I've heard the last secretary was fired within a week or something. Is that true?" Jay asked, pooling out his curiosity. "Yeah. The last guy— Juwon, apparently bought him a medium cup of coffee, and Sunghoon was pissed. So he immediately fired him."

Jay shivered. He couldn't believe that arrogant CEO really fired someone because they bought him the wrong size of coffee. That's utterly stupid— and quite immature if you think so.

"Sunghoon strives for perfection. Maybe that's why he's always looking to be better at everything. He can't stand imperfections— if things don't go the way he planned, it will bring nothing but destruction." Jay only listened and hummed, thinking about the CEO that he'd be working under now.' He sounds strict; I should keep my guard up and do everything pleasant regarding his league. Everything needs to be the way he wants it to be.'

"Well. Jay, I'll see you around. This is the office, I really, really wish you good luck! Don't mess up, please." Heeseung playfully begged and ruffled the shorter's hair. "I'll go now. Call me if anything happens." Jay waved, feeling the wave of anxiety wash over him. He had long forgotten about the fear, but now that he was standing in front of the door, he felt shaky.

'It's now or never.' He tightly shut his eyes, taking a step forward, hands clenching in fists, gradually moving near the door— and as he was about to knock, the door suddenly burst open, causing him to collide with a broad shoulder. He gasped and immediately backed away, swiftly standing on his feet and staring at the taller in front of him.

His jaw dropped when he realized who the person was.

"H-hoonie? You're the CEO?!"