BXBX NOVEL Chapter 1 - Friday Night, 11:00 p.m.
Chapter 1 – Friday Night, 11:00 p.m.
She did not like him from the moment she first laid eyes on him.
No, not like is not enough. Yes, she hated him from the very beginning.
Of course, Na-Yool admitted to some extent that this was only achieved after a painful mental battle. And as she got to know him better, she rewrote her shameful memories.
For example, she rewrote the times that she stared at his handsome but empty appearance with a love-struck face. And the way she felt butterflies in her stomach when he smiled casually, thanking her for her work. And also during staff dinners when she laughed boisterously and clapped like a seal to his every word. All of these moments were now erased from her memory.
Two years since then. His allure did not last long; only for a month.
The reason isn’t that he suddenly grew old, or he lost all his hair, or that his face turned ugly.
Even after two years, the man is still the same as then; he is incredibly good-looking.
Wide shoulders, a tall stature, and a strong and slender body that put all other men to shame; not to mention his suits! Always well-dressed no matter the season.
The spotlight was always on him; when he speaks, it is like a sacred performance, and one cannot help but listen.
But it means nothing to her.
It has become useless. In just one month.
It would be perfect if they spoke a different language so that she would not understand what came out of that conceited mouth of his. Unfortunately, they were both Korean.
Kwon Si-Jin. A hopeless jerk; a thoughtless jerk who spits out hurtful things; a jerk whose expertise is trampling on the character and dignity of others with his words.
Other than sharing the same language, what was even more unfortunate to Na-Yool was that this jerk ran the company her livelihood depended on. And above all, the worst was that he was a hopeless jerk only to her.
And today as well, because of that jerk…
Na-Yool gritted her teeth, glaring at the computer screen that had been frozen for 10 minutes. It was already 11:00 p.m., Friday night.
As it is common in advertisement planning, she had gotten used to working overtime. Nevertheless, sitting in a desolate office that is–besides the monitor light–plunged in total darkness, was always bitter.
What’s more, was that the work she had done in the past hour was all for nothing.
This damn computer! All she did was turn on several programs at once…
It was her fault for overheating the computer, but was it really such a big deal? Ah, so much for wishing to go home before midnight on a Friday night…
The mouse remained unresponsive, and Na-Yool shook with anger. It was highly probable that all her open tabs would disappear if she were to make one wrong move. From Photoshop to InDesign, all of it would disappear, as if they never existed.
With the exception of a few programs related to her studies at the Department of Visual Design, she was totally computer-illiterate. All she could do now was pray–that is, despite being an atheist.
At this point, Na-Yool could only hope that the computer would miraculously restore functioning.
Oh, Mighty Computer! Please calm your wrath! I beg you, please let that heavy-bodied white arrow move again!
Na-Yool pressed her hands together and leaned her head against them. Until 10 minutes ago, had she leaned anywhere, she would have fallen asleep like a log. But not now. Right now, her head stung sharply, as if she had gotten hit.
If she could not save the situation, she was sure to miss the last train.
“Please, I beg you. Just this once. Please. Come on…”
She carefully opened her eyes. Nothing but a squeaky-clean screen background with its wallpaper could be seen. The wallpaper, as expected from a designer, was a high-definition picture of mother nature…
“This little fucker…”
Her voice was filled with incomparable despair. She did not even have the will to go on a rant.
She stayed silent for 10 seconds.
Then, as if she suddenly came back to her senses, Na-Yool frantically moved her mouse, opening and reopening the problematic folders. Her hands were moving so fast that her eyes almost couldn’t keep up.
However, she quickly realized it was all in vain. Her efforts had gone up in smoke. Not only was all the work done the last hour wiped out, but even the last saved version (almost finished for good) of the outdoor advertising file had returned (who knows how) to its old version saved 4 hours ago.
“For Pete’s sake! Kim Na-Yool, you idiot…”
You fool. You imbecile! What did you do?!
What in the world did you do, stupid dumbass! Worthless half-wit, will you get your shit together only if you die?… Na-Yool kept muttering, cursing herself as if she was just a stranger.
No, in fact, there was no need for it. Because her life was already cursed.
“To begin with, life is…”