As it will, Time passed. Things fell back into order. Routine was inevitable.
Horror and sadness both would blunt and become memories even when still fresh and still bloody at the moment.
Thus, things recently shaken up fell back into the orderly chaos of the business world.
Seulgi checked her phone again, she received a puppy picture from Wendy. Even the minor things became important again. She sent a text back asking if/when she would be back home?
She and they would remain vigilant for a while yet.
Jeong-Hui sent Seulgi a text saying that she knew Dr. Mi Kyong personally and was a good choice. Seulgi did not even question how Jeong-Hui would know about the appointment. Technically it would be a massive breach of trust and illegal, but Jeong-Hui was Jeong-Hui and a law unto herself. Besides, Jeong-Hui was family.
There was a follow-up text saying that she hoped to have some good news for Seulgi by next week. She didn’t question the subject of the good news, she knew she would find out when she received it and not before. If it were anyone else, she might try to wheedle a hint out of the person who said that but knew better than to try it with Jeong-Hui.
Maybe she could ask Wendy if she knew. Probably not, but can’t hurt.
Her phone dinged. Another message from Jeong-Hui that manages to scare her. “Don’t bother asking Wendy. She doesn’t know.”
Previously, Seulgi thought that she was beyond being amazed, but still had to pick her jaw up off the floor. She looked around for cameras. She’d have to get Bhuwakul to give her office a once over. Again.
Ding. Seulgi was beginning to hate that sound. “Don’t bother looking for cameras. I just know you.” She could almost hear the laughter coming from the text. She knew that Jeong-Hui was messing with her. Still, after everything that has happened, she could not begrudge her ‘little pranks’.
Seulgi ignored the next ding. She just set her phone aside and got back to work. There were still two more hours before the end of the day. She got back into the latest project she was assigned. Her phone dinged twice more.
An error message popped up on her screen. She was worried that she was about to be blue screened, but then read the message. It said ‘Quit ignoring your phone.’ This was just too much. She hit the OK button to close the message and saved everything. She turned the phone over and read the message.
The message said ‘Gotcha.’
She sent a text back saying ‘Stop it, I need to work.’
The text back said ‘Ok. Ok. Stop glaring.’
While glaring at the phone, Seulgi thought ‘How does this witch do it?’ She turned the phone back over and got on with her work. Thinking about what just happened, she got her nerves shaken to the point she got up and left her office and got a tea that she neither needed nor wanted but was a good excuse to get out of her office.
A half hour later, she could still hear the imaginary witch cackle from Jeong-Hui from behind the computer. She calmed herself down unlocking her computer and got back to work. Her one thought before she dove back into the project was ‘What did I do to deserve this?’
She received no more interruptions from Canada for the rest of her work day. Local people, however, had no such compunction and still bothered her. But that was normal and expected. And best of all, they were in person.
Nayeon slunk back in from lunch. She felt slightly guilty about walking out on everyone without telling anyone where she was going. Especially when she was still ‘under orders’ to take more care lately.
She secreted back into her office, like a schoolgirl ready to be scolded.
She felt oddly worse when nothing happened.
She nearly cringed when a harried Seulgi walked past her office on the way to the break room. However, she felt even more absurd when Seulgi flashed her a thumbs up and a Seulgi Smile on her way back to her office with a cup of tea.
She calmed herself down and got back to work. She had some last minute updates and details to add to this project before sending it up to Seulgi to once over. She was determined to be as close to perfect as she could be.
Taeyeon was looking at the camera footage from the garage again. She blinked in surprise as the feed that she was watching disappeared. She didn’t do it, but it was gone.
That was nothing compared to the pop-up on her screen. It simply said: “This is your first and last warning. Drop it.”
She was unsure if she should be indignant or terrified.
JooHyun was both mentally and physically exhausted near the end of the work day. She was still looking forward to going to the gym tonight. She knew that she would see Katie there. Maybe Seulgi and Nayeon, too. That would be refreshing to see them again.
Soo-Young woke up with a massive hangover and a messy bedhead. She made a face at her morning breath and for a drink of water from her bed stand. She got up to brush her teeth and started getting ready for her night shift at the restaurant. Despite it being mid-afternoon, she was still not a morning person and shuffled about her morning, still waking up.
Katie, on the other hand, was being buried under the duties that Wendy normally held. She was still doing her best but knew that currently her best was not good enough. She was determined to do as much as she could. She even roped in a couple of people to ask them to do a few of the easier things that were dull but necessary. She could count on them to do these minor but vital things.
She was not aware that she was on her way to becoming an incredible manager in her own right. She did not know just how many people were watching her take her baby manager steps and were proud of her. They let her panic, fail, and fall just to see how she would crack or bounce back. They had constructive criticism for her, but so far, everyone was impressed. Even the higher, higher-ups. This is what her company called ‘grooming’.
