- HOSTILE? I BET NOT

"drink"

jiho's boss handed her a cup of warm chamomile tea, their eyes momentarily met and honestly, jiho seemed fazed. what is this? she couldn't process what her boss was trying to give her.

taehyung sighed, seeing the way jiho still looked so lost in thoughts, he decided to just place the drink on jiho's trembling hands that rested on her lap. to say that jiho was quite shocked of what was currently happening, is an understatement. it has not been long since she had stopped crying and seeing her boss being this thoughtful is quite unusual.

with her fidgety self, she tried to calm her nerves as she fixed her gaze on the brownish mahogany concoction that swirled on the porcelain teacup. wanting to regain her composure after a complete breakdown, she sipped on the tea.

soothing. once the warm drink entered her system, a wave of calmness started to spread in her body.

"mihyun, cancel all my appointments for the day"

bloodshot eyes widening, she couldn't help but have her heart inside her mouth at the words that her boss, kim taehyung has just spoken through his smartphone. right at that moment, her eyes trailed on the clock and she remembered that it was almost two minutes before their appointed meeting.

no, that meeting is important for the company. mr. kim has always been so keen in establishing a partnership with them, there's no way—

"sir? but that meeting is-"

jiho heard a feminine voice protest on the other line, taehyung immediately clicked his tongue as his face scrunched into a sour look, jiho suddenly felt a heavy aura with the way her boss turned rigid and strict once more.

"i said, cancel all the appointments"

did he just said what i thought he just spoke off? eyes trailing on the man who held his phone, she couldn't help but wonder

why? is it because of me?

"u-understood sir"

who am i kidding, it isn't because of me.

but, that meeting is a once in a lifetime opportunity. we can't possibly chicken out in the last minute! i can't let that happen.

taking one last sip on the tea, jiho wiped the dried tears on her cheeks before standing up, it was such a good thing that she didn't wear any makeup today or she'd be looking so messed up. fishing out the phone on her bag, she immediately called mihyun — her undersecretary.

"mihyun, we're going"

the moment those words escaped in her lips, her eyes was met with a frustrated taehyung.

"e—eh, but sir kim said—"

"we're going. we'd be there after ten minutes"

"okay, thank you ma'am"

"what do you think were you doing, kim jiho?" oh, he used my full name, this is going to be quite an argument. well then, bring it on mister.

"sir, we must go. i took back what you said"

she'd speak, eyes filled with determination. i don't know the reason of his sudden change of heart but, we can't let this opportunity slip away.

"no"

"no, sir. we must go"

"no"

jiho sighed, you bitch! clearly finding it hard to understand why her boss was acting this way.

"yes"

"i said no, we're not going"

you stubborn boss, i swear what the hell are you trying to pull?

"and i said yes, sir—"

"no, we're not going and that's final"

oh, you did not just.

"what the heck is wrong with you, sir?!" jiho chirped as taehyug widened his eyes. the woman was clearly pissed off at the moment while the boss was dumbfounded. she was put into conflict of her boss's actions.

"look, jiho you need rest that's why—"

"don't give me that excuse, young man"

taehyung blinked, once, twice and thrice before processing what his secretary told him. "e—excuse me?"

"you've been very keen about that partnership and now that we finally had it, you're just going to drop it like that? i know that you aren't like this, you're a lot better than this and what you're doing right now is—"

"it's because you're not okay!"

jiho's eyes widened, lips wanting to speak but finding it no words to utter. her eyes was met with her conflicting boss and right there and then, she saw the way her boss's cheeks flushed into pink and it didn't help but make her feel even more confused.

"it's because you're not okay" taehyung whispered, head hanging low — at this point jiho was clearly at a loss of words. "b—but sir—"

"if you were in my shoes, what do you think you would do when you find the best secretary you've ever worked with, crying? fuck that—" the man cursed before involuntarily carding his neatly styled hair and running a hand on his face.

fuck that? oh that's new.

"—no, you were breaking down, that's the right word."

breaking down. you saw right through me, witty as ever sir taehyung. head hanging low, jiho couldn't help but feel bad. it's my fault.

"In case you didn't know, earlier, before i canceled that nonsense meeting, i've been ringing the secretary's telephone for almost five minutes straight and you weren't even responding to me. what do you think i felt? Well newsflash, i was pissed off and angry of you. i was this ready to give you a piece of my mind but, right when i entered this goddamn office, i saw you breaking down" the man lectured as he kept his voice stoic.

"s—sorry sir"

"you should be, you don't know how conflicted i was. you almost drove me insane" lips forming a straight line, jiho couldn't help but snap her head and lock her eyes with her boss.

"i—sir—"

"it was my first time seeing you so weak. i'm used to your cheerful, witty and dedicated self. when i first hired you, i thought you were going to be the same with the past ones that i've terminated but, you were different. you never tried to launch yourself at me, never crossed my personal space and you were a great secretary, you kept your private life out of the work. i almost missed the fact that you were a married woman and i just — just, just—" pausing, the man broke the eye contact before face-palming.

"—just, seeing you that fragile pulled a nerve i tried so hard to hide" jiho's lips let out a soft gasp and right at that moment, the two's eyes met.

"i was so worried, you rascal" taehyung's face flushed, eyes glimmering with an unknown shimmer through their locked eyes. jiho couldn't get to fathom why her boss was suddenly acting this way.

"sir—"

"i hate how you can make me feel so messed up but, whatever or whoever made you that way, i swear i'd kick their balls."

"sir taehyung—"

"jiho, i'm your boss. and as someone who works with you, i hope you'd let me help you. you don't know how much you mean to me"

"i—sir—"

interrupting their conversation, the telephone in jiho's office rang.

"ma'am, sir, the delegates have arrived"

the voice echoed and as if on cue, just before jiho could process her boss's words, the man spoke.

"they're waiting and i need you with me"