“Sameonim, Seo Hyun-ssi request to come in.” An intercom rang from the phone inside Yong Hwa’s mother’s office.

“Bring her in.” Yong Hwa’s mother replied. After a second, her office door was pushed open and two girls came into her room, as one of them went out almost immediately and leaved the two together in the room.

“Annyeonghaseyo, eommeonim. As promise, I come to work here start from today.” Seo Hyun bowed to Yong Hwa’s mother as soon as the secretary closed the door.

“Seat down. How is your body? I don’t want to be unfair for you when your body is still weak, or Yong Hwa will not satisfy with the result later. And please call me ‘sameonim’ here.”  Yong Hwa’s mother asked coldly.

“I’m fine, sameonim. I’m ready for the test.” Seo Hyun nodded.

“Good. In this week, you will be my personal assistant, take care of my personal schedule and go around with me. I want you to learn and know how Yong Hwa’s life will be when he took over this company and would be better if you able to help him later. The result of this test will depend on how you carry your job and able to keep my schedule in track.” Yong Hwa’s mother explained the test to Seo Hyun.

“Algessseubnida, sameonim.” Seo Hyun nodded.

“You can go out now and ask from the secretary just now for this week schedule. Today your work is to arrange my schedule out and read it to my before lunch break. I’ll give you other task after lunch. And one more things don’t let those workers know about your relationship with Yong Hwa in this week, I don’t hope to see them give you special treatment. If you passed this test, I’ll informed them about your relationship and your wedding to them myself.” Yong Hwa’s mother said.

“Ne, sameonim. If you are done, please excuse me.” Seo Hyun said and stood up to go out from the room.

“Wait, Seo Hyun. I got a question to ask you personally, when is your next appointment to your gynaecologist?” Yong Hwa’s mother stopped Seo Hyun before she turned around.

“Next week.” Seo Hyun answered even though she was clueless on why Yong Hwa’s mother would ask her about that.

“Good, I’ll be going with you two. You can go out now.” Yong Hwa’s mother coldly said and sent Seo Hyun out.

“Ne…” Seo Hyun was surprised with Yong Hwa’s mother sudden request but she had no reason to stop her from following them. She went out from the room quietly.

“Erm… excuse me, I’m sameonim’s new personal assistant and she asked me to get her schedule from you.” Seo Hyun turned to the secretary and asked for the schedule.

“Ne, here you go. Nice to meet you, by the way. I’m Kim Hyo Yeon, I already work here for two years.” The secretary took out a piece of paper with full table of Yong Hwa’s mother schedule for a week and passed it to Seo Hyun.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Seo Hyun ibnida.” Seo Hyun bowed to the secretary as she received the schedule from her.

“I know. Since you will be sameonim’s personal assistance, we will be seeing each other a lot after this, so let be friend.” The secretary, Kim Hyo Yeon smiley said.

“Ne, nice to meet you, Kim Hyo Yeon-ssi.” Seo Hyun smiled back.

“Please just call me Hyo Yeon, don’t be so formal. Oh ya, your seat is here, beside me.” Kim Hyo Yeon pointed to an empty table just beside hers. Seo Hyun went to the table as Kim Hyo Yeon pointed.

“So, Kim… er… Hyo Yeon-ssi, since you already work here for two years, you must be very familiar with sameonim, right? Can you tell me how she is when work and the thing she dislike about? I want to avoid doing what she dislikes about.” Seo Hyun asked as she scanned through the schedule in her hand.

“Sameonim? Actually nothing special about her like or dislike. Just like other boss, they don’t like their workers do something wrong or lazy or do anything that can harm the company.” Hyo Yeon looked up as she thought about Yong Hwa’s mother.

“I see. Is she treated other workers well?” Seo Hyun asked again.

“She usually don’t treat the workers too good or too bad because I remembered that she once said that workers are only come here to work, not come here to make friends or family with her, so to be fair she treated all the workers just as workers, no one is more or less. But if you go over her limit, she will coldly treat you back. I heard that her previous personal assistant was sack by her coldly just because she could not get to her son when her son’s case happened. I don’t know what actually happen because I was in break those two days because my mother was sick.” Hyo Yeon answered as she looked back down to her computer. They did not look to each other when talking because they were afraid that Yong Hwa’s mother might find out about them chatting with each other too much, from her room.

“Her son’s case? You mean the big case happen about two weeks ago?” Seo Hyun asked.

“Yes, that’s the one. You also know about that case? Oh ya, the newspapers got two full pages just for that case, almost everyone in Seoul, no… should be almost everyone in this country know about that.” Hyo Yeon smiled at her stupid question, but she had no idea that Seo Hyun was one of the involved people in that case.

“Ne… that is surely a big case. But why would sameonim sack her personal assistant, just because she could not contact her son? If that is true, then she is too over because it’s not her assistant’s fault. Her son had to close his phone to avoid police from tracking his signal and finally find where he was at that time.” Seo Hyun felt bad for the previous assistant.

“Yes, you are right. I also feel that it was not her fault… wait… I don’t remember that I read about her son had to close his phone to avoid police, how do you know about that detail?” Hyo Yeon nodded at first but then she realised something was wrong with Seo Hyun’s claim.

“Huh? I… I… I…” Seo Hyun was caught off guard with Hyo Yeon’s suspicion. She never thought that Hyo Yeon would catch on that point.

“Whatever… I didn’t follow that news in detail, you must be read that somewhere else.” Hyo Yeon suddenly said. Seo Hyun sighed in relieve as she was saved by Hyo Yeon because that did not matter for Hyo Yeon.

“Yes, yes… I read there somewhere else, in… in the internet. They have more detail report.” Seo Hyun quickly said along with Hyo Yeon’s answer.

“Oh, look at the time, I have to go to prepare for meeting now. Let’s talk again later, Seo Hyun-ssi, sameonim’s daughter-in-law.” Hyo Yeon suddenly stood up and turned to Seo Hyun smiley. Actually, she knew from the start that Seo Hyun and Yong Hwa’s relation from Yong Hwa’s mother. She was the only one knew about this in this company because Yong Hwa’s mother asked her to keep eyes on Seo Hyun and helped her if she can but she had to keep secret about Seo Hyun from other workers, or her job will ended in that very second Yong Hwa’s mother found out that others workers knew that from her.

“Huh?” Seo Hyun, in other hand, was dumbfounded because she thought she just let Hyo Yeon found out about her relationship with Yong Hwa as Yong Hwa’s mother did not want them to find out before this test ended. She did not care about if other found out their relationship but what she cared was the result of this test if Yong Hwa’s mother found out about Hyo Yeon already found out about her relationship. It was just half an hour since she started the test, and now she already broke her promise with Yong Hwa’s mother?

“Seo Hyun, wait for me until the meeting end and read out the schedule for me after we had lunch together. This meeting is a short one, so it will finish before your lunch time.” Yong Hwa’s mother came out from her room and turned to Seo Hyun.

“Ne… sameonim…” Seo Hyun could only answer weakly because she was scared to let her found out about what she had did.

***********

“Sameonim, that’s all for your schedule this week. I’ll update it every time.” Seo Hyun said as she finished explained the entire schedule to Yong Hwa’s mother after their lunch.

“Good. How is your first day at work? This is just the beginning.” Yong Hwa’s mother nodded.

“F… fine.” Seo Hyun suddenly recalled the mistake she did at the office just before the meeting.

“What’s wrong?” Yong Hwa’s mother noticed that Seo Hyun was strummed.

“Sameonim, will… will you fail me immediately if… if… if I let other workers find out about my relationship with Yong Hwa oppa?” Seo Hyun asked in worry.

“No, but I’ll cut off some point as penalty. Did you accidentally tell someone about that?” Yong Hwa’s mother asked coldly.

“I… I didn’t tell her straightforwardly but in the middle of our conversation, I accidentally said something close related with Yong Hwa oppa that someone stranger should not know detail about it and I think she caught on that and finally guessed my relationship with Yong Hwa oppa.” Seo Hyun explained weakly.

“Who is she?” Yong Hwa’s mother asked.

“Hyo Yeon-ssi…” Seo Hyun weakly answered.

“Emmm… don’t worry about her. I’ll go back to sack her immediately to keep that as secret.” Yong Hwa’s mother coolly said. She purposely used this chance to test Seo Hyun.

“Aniyo, it’s not her fault. I’ll convince her to keep secret, just please don’t sack her. I didn’t hope her to lose this job just because she found about my relationship. Sameonim, please give her a chance, I promise that she will keep secret and that secret will not be known by the fourth person.” Seo Hyun quickly covered for Hyo Yeon.

“… Hyo Yeon? Come to *** restaurant now.” Yong Hwa’s mother did not answer Seo Hyun’s request but she took out her phone to call Hyo Yeon instead.

“Sameonim, please, please don’t do this. I… I… I’m willing to give up this test if that can give Hyo Yeon-ssi another chance. Please don’t sack her sameonim.” Seo Hyun continued to brag Yong Hwa’s mother, hoping that she would change her mind before Hyo Yeon reached.

“Sameonim, Seo Hyun-ssi.” But to Seo Hyun surprise, Hyo Yeon reached there within a minute from the call.

“Hyo Yeon, I heard that you already know about Seo Hyun’s relationship with Yong Hwa. Do you remember what I told you when I informed you about their relationship? That no one should know about their relationship beside you or you will be out of this company? Do you still keep your words?” Yong Hwa’s mother asked coolly.

“Sameonim, please… …EH?” Seo Hyun hoped to brag Yong Hwa’s mother until the end and she was not paying attention to what Yong Hwa’s mother just said as her mind was set to help Hyo Yeon.

“Of course, sameonim. Beside me, no one knows about this at all. I already keep myself a distance with other workers since that day you told me about that and I’ll carry on it until this week ended.” Hyo Yeon said.

“Good, since you have to distance yourself, then sit down and have lunch with us, my treat.” Yong Hwa’s mother smiled. She always loved Hyo Yeon a lot because she made her reminded of her late daughter a lot since she first saw her.

“Kamsahabnida, sameonim.” Hyo Yeon gladly accepted the offer as this was not the first time they had lunch together, as she was following her boss order.

“Seo Hyun, Hyo Yeon is the only one knows about your relationship with Yong Hwa, so this time didn’t count. But if you let other workers know about it next time, I’ll cut off the point without hesitation.” Yong Hwa’s mother turned to Seo Hyun.

“Algessseubnida.” Seo Hyun nodded. She was glad that Hyo Yeon was still in the company, if not she would blame herself a lot after this. She should learn from this experience to not talk too much about private thing with other workers, maybe beside Hyo Yeon.

“Hyo Yeon, order your meal. Do you just want to seat there and look at us?” Yong Hwa’s mother noticed that Hyo Yeon was not looking at menu and ordered herself something.

“Sameonim, actually… I already had a burger just before you called me. Maybe a drink is enough for me.” Hyo Yeon softly said.

“Oh… then, go on and order some drink.” Yong Hwa’s mother felt bad to sudden call Hyo Yeon in the middle of her lunch.

************

“Hyun, I’m waiting in the café across the street.” Seo Hyun’s phone buzzed almost immediately as the clock reached five o’clock. She looked at it and it was from Yong Hwa.

“Seo Hyun-ssi, are you going back by yourself or Yong Hwa-ssi will come to pick you? If you going back alone, why don’t we go back together? We can go to have a drink before head straight back to house. But if Yong Hwa-ssi is here to pick you up, then you better tell him to not showing out any place close or other workers might notice you and his relation.” Hyo Yeon asked as she started to pack up her stuffs.

“Sameonim is still in here, I don’t think to go home before her. You should go first.” Seo Hyun turned to see Yong Hwa’s mother shadow was still in the room.

“Okay then, see you tomorrow.” Hyo Yeon said and walked out.

“Oppa, mianhaeyo. Eommeonim is still in office and I can’t leave her here. I’ll go home alone later.” Seo Hyun then messaged Yong Hwa to inform him. She turned back to her monitor as she sent the message off.

“Seo Hyun, come in for a while.” Suddenly, the phone on her desk sounded. She turned around and saw Yong Hwa’s mother was looking at her. She quickly went into her room.

“Sameonim, anything to order?” Seo Hyun asked.

“Now is past the working hour, you can call me anything you want now. Why are you still here? Didn’t Hyo Yeon tell you that you can go as soon as the working hour passed?” Yong Hwa’s mother asked.

“She did, but I rejected because sameonim you are still in here and I as your personal assistant, should stay with you until you decided to call it a day.” Seo Hyun explained.

“I will stay here until much later, so you should head back now, or your abeoji will question me to let his daughter works overtime in the first day. And now I’m talking as Yong Hwa’s mother, not your boss.” Yong Hwa’s mother said.

“But I still can’t let you alone in here. Last time when I was still an inspector, I always stay back until late night so I know how the feeling is to stay back in the office alone in the dark. Appa should understand this.” Seo Hyun insisted.

“… Okay, I’ll call it a day now. You should go back now.” Yong Hwa’s mother said.

“Sameonim, I will not leave before you did.” Seo Hyun still did not want to follow her order.

“You sure a stubborn one, hope GOD bless my grandchild don’t pick up this trait from you.” Yong Hwa’s mother sighed and stood up from her seat.

“Eomma, Hyun, anything happen?” Yong Hwa appeared at the door and asked.

“Nothing, in working hour I get to order her around but as soon as the working hour ends, she took over the order.” Yong Hwa’s mother helplessly said.

“Sameonim, I didn’t mean to…” Seo Hyun quickly defended for herself.

“Hyun, don’t worry. Eomma is just joking.” Yong Hwa came to help.

“Let’s go home now.” Yong Hwa’s mother coolly said as she led them out from her room.

“How is your day? Everything’s fine?” Yong Hwa went to Seo Hyun and asked her softly.

“I’m fine. Oppa, for this week, can you not coming to pick me up? I don’t want the workers to find out about our relationship and thought that I’m using this relation to get in here, or they might give me special treatment. Just for this week.” Seo Hyun stepped back to keep some distance with Yong Hwa to avoid other workers saw them being too close.

“What’s that for? They will know it eventually later, or is me burden you this much?” Yong Hwa could not agree with Seo Hyun’s request.

“I’m the one who ask her to keep secret. I’ll tell them the end of this week, so don’t worry about it. Just let her be herself for a week.” Yong Hwa’s mother jumped in.

“Eomma, what is all of this for? I just want people to know that Seo Hyun is mine and tell them to back off.” Yong Hwa turned to his mother angrily.

“I’m doing this not for my own good, it is for Seo Hyun’s good. Do you hope her to be recognised as your wife only but never been respect for her own ability?” Yong Hwa’s mother asked calmly.

“… Arasso, I don’t think in that way. Alright, I will behave for a week but don’t avoid me totally. I’ll contact very night and if you missed one, I’ll come here to claim you as mine immediately. Now, should I leave?” Yong Hwa finally got the point and agreed with his mother.

“Don’t need, what’s the wrong for the son come to bring his mother home and her personal assistance followed?” Yong Hwa’s mother said as she pressed the button of the lift. Luckily that this floor was empty already, besides three of them.

“Ne, sameonim.” Yong Hwa playfully bowed to her mother for her best cover.

*********

“Hyun, you didn’t eat much enough just now. Do you feel anything bad?” Yong Hwa asked in worried. They just done having dinner with Yong Hwa’s parents in their house and now Yong Hwa was bringing her home.

“I don’t know… the smell of the fish make me lost appetite. I already tried hard to finish the bowl of rice and not to vomit.” Seo Hyun said weakly.

“Why don’t you tell me just now? You should change seat with me just now and even you say it out, I believe that appa and eomma will understand you.” Yong Hwa turned to look at Seo Hyun and returned to the front view for a few times to check on Seo Hyun.

“Oppa, I’m fine now. Just concentrate on the driving.” Seo Hyun said weakly.

“Do you want to grab something else before reach home?” Yong Hwa asked. This time he focused on the road while asked.

“I’m fine. I’ll get a glass of hot milk later before I sleep, so don’t worry about me.” Seo Hyun convinced Yong Hwa that she will be fine but actually she was trying hard to stop the urge to vomit and Yong Hwa was doing no good for her as he kept on talking to her. The feel to vomit came to her every time she opened the mouth.

“Hyun, you are keeping something from me again, right? Your forehead is wet of sweat.” Yong Hwa suddenly pulled the car to the road side and turned to Seo Hyun worriedly.

“Oppa… mmm!” Seo Hyun was to convince Yong Hwa again but this time she could not stop the strong feel to vomit anymore. She quickly opened the door and ran to the road side where there is a small waterway and threw out there. Yong Hwa quickly followed her and patted her back as she vomited out almost everything they ate just now. She kept on vomit out for a minute and soon when everything in her stomach was clear out, she stopped.

“Wait, let me get water for you.” Yong Hwa said as he ran back to his car and got a bottle of water out for Seo Hyun. Seo Hyun took it and gargled to clean . After cleaned it for twice, she drank the water a bit to calm down her turned over stomach. She fell onto the road weakly but luckily Yong Hwa got her before she landed hard on the road. Yong Hwa helped her to the car again and wiped of the leftover trace on corner and sweat from her forehead.

“You should tell me early when you are not feeling well. Do you still feel to vomit?” Yong Hwa scolded her in worry. Seo Hyun just gave him another scare of his life but the worst was she did not tell her about it at all before, beside about the fish that make her lost her appetite in dinner just now.

“I thought I can hander it well until home… mianhaeyo, oppa.” Seo Hyun pulled out a weak smile.

“Andwae, I should get you to the clinic for a full check-up.” Yong Hwa said and ran back to his driver seat and drove off toward hospital direction.

“Oppa, I’m fine now. Just bring me home for a rest.” Seo Hyun weakly rejected.

“Shiro! Shiro! Shiro! Shiro!” Yong Hwa did not listen to what Seo Hyun said and kept heading to the hospital.

**********

“Doctor, what’s wrong with her?” Yong Hwa asked nervously while the doctor checking on Seo Hyun. This was his tenth time asking the same question since they went into the doctor’s room in the past three minutes.

“She is fine now. She just has the wrong choice of food and this is very common among some pregnant women. You should choose wisely on what to take and what to not take.” The doctor smiley said as she wrote down something on Seo Hyun’s profile.

“Doctor, does it have to do with stress she was having recently?” Yong Hwa asked.

“Yes, that could be the cause too. Seo Hyun-ssi, please relax and don’t stress yourself too much because it could affect your baby too.” The doctor changed to serious one.

“I don’t. There is nothing stressed me recently.” Seo Hyun denied.

“Don’t lie to me. You are thinking a lot about your suspended post and the test. Hyun, why don’t you take this chance to stop being an inspector? There is other way to get the income and even we can’t find one, the money I got now is enough to support three of us until fifty years later.” Yong Hwa countered.

“I don’t want to sit down and spend that money only, what will happen if the money finished? Then only we come out to find a work? It will be too late for that. But I promise you that I’ll give it a think to whether quit the post or not. This post is not belonged to me at all; it’s given by that woman.” Seo Hyun nodded.

“Alright, Seo Hyun-ssi. As long as you remember to not stress too much, you should be alright. You can go out now as I’ll not give you any medicine today because it is not that serious and you should avoid having too much of medicine in this next eight months, and don’t forget about next week appointment.” The doctor smiley sent them out.

“If my future man can treat me like how he treats her, I’m willing to sacrifice my life for him.” The nurse, who stood beside the door, said as she closed the door.

“Stop daydreaming, call next patient in.” The doctor rolled her eyes on her nurse.

“I think we should tell eomma about this and ask her to postpone the test to much later. You are just gone in for a day and see what happen to you now?” Yong Hwa suggested as they took a seat to wait for payment.

“Aniyo, I’m fine oppa. Today is the exception and I promise this will not happen again. I don’t want eommeonim to think that I’m a weak girl.” Seo Hyun quickly rejected the idea.

“Alright, alright. But you must tell me anything wrong happen to you immediately, got it?” Yong Hwa let out a heavy sigh, because he knew that he could not change Seo Hyun’s mind when it was make and even worst, it was already started working.

“Ne… this will not happen anymore.” Seo Hyun smiley nodded.

“Since you already empty your stomach, do you want to get it refill again?” Yong Hwa changed the topic as he thought they already got the agreement on.

“Ne… I’m so hungry now. I want to eat… double fish burger with a piece of cheese in the middle of them.” Seo Hyun nodded excitedly.

“Fish burger? I thought you said you can’t eat just now was due to the smell of the fish and now you want to eat fish burger?” Yong Hwa was caught off guard with Seo Hyun’s answer.

“This fish and that fish are different. This fish doesn’t have the smell like just now. Oppa~ you will buy me one right?” Seo Hyun bragged with puppy eyes and used her full aegyo to make Yong Hwa bought for her.

“Ye, ye, ye, everything for my wife.” Yong Hwa smiley said.

“Seo Hyun-ssi!” The casher counter called out their name. Yong Hwa quickly went to pay the money and brought Seo Hyun to 24 hours fast food restaurant to buy her the fish burger she wanted before sending her home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: OMG! I'm getting slower and slower now, in term of update, what should I do to pick up the momentum again? but anyways, this story is going to end soon, one last case to come.