Chapter 8
Through the WinterThe next day arrived bringing dense, cloudy skies and a definite drop in temperature amid Autumn season in Korea. Winter's legs trembled defiantly as she sat on the armchairs at the corner of the lobby in Fantagio building. Upon arriving, she had asked the receptionist for assistance and she responded by asking Winter to wait for her turn to be called. Now that the lobby was empty of people again, Winter felt the coldness of the room more sharply in her bones. She wondered how the receptionist survived wearing such a thin layer of clothing in the lobby, and whether anyone who worked there ever complained of the cold. She guessed not, since a heater seemed to be non-existent in the glass room and the receptionist had seemed perfectly fine when Winter had seen her.
She rubbed her hands together and willed herself to think of something else to rid the cold. Her eyes travelled instinctively to the dark corner of the lobby which Winter knew led to a dimly lit corridor lined with several equally unlit rooms. They reminded her of the very same corridors often featured in horror movies. Not that they were that scary when Winter was in there; they only appeared to be because the boy was in a hurry and forgot to turn the lights on— The boy, Winter realized with a jolt, had told her that he worked at Fantagio Music as well. The boy who never received the chicken that he had ordered because she was in a rush to reach the school, and ended up throwing it in the trash instead. The boy who had never crossed her mind for the past two weeks filled her thoughts at a rapid pace. Dread and guilt seemed to eat into Winter's heart monstrously. How could she have forgotten to give the chicken he had asked for, and ended up carrying it all the way to school instead? Now that she was going to work in the same place as him, the probability of meeting him was higher than the probability of her becoming an idol. She winced from a sudden pain in her lower lip, and discovered that her lips had torn because Winter had bitten down on it too hard. Damn it, Winter thought dreadfully, how am I supposed to face him when I know he must be angry at me?
"Miss Winter!" the receptionist's voice seemed abnormally loud and piercing in her ears, causing her to jump in her seat. "Mr Yoon is ready for you. Let me bring you to his office."
Winter followed the receptionist quietly as they took the lift to the 14th floor and walked down to the very end of the corridor. The interior of this level was much like the lobby, with multiple glass walls separating between the rooms. The floor here, however, was carpeted and there was a certain coldness mixed with warmth in the place where, Winter thought joyfully, a heater definitely existed. It seemed like a typical office place, though certain features of the place made it more posh and business-like, as if they were making it obvious that this was where people of higher-rank frequented. As they trudged past many glass rooms, Winter observed that most rooms had their blinds pulled down, obstructing the viewer from seeing anything inside. She wondered if they did anything important in these rooms.
"We're here." Winter was not surprised to find that Mr Yoon's office was completely blinded as well. The words 'Mr Yoon Ji Sung, Head of Talent Acquisitions Office' were printed classily beside the door. Though the entire floor was exceptionally quiet, Winter could hear the sounds of someone muttering from the room. The receptionist knocked thrice carefully on the door. "Mr Yoon, Miss Winter has arrived. Would you like her to come in now?"
"Yes, she may." It was the same, youthful voice, albeit a little strained, recognizably coming from Mr Yoon.
"You may go in. I'll leave you here." The receptionist already had her back turned and was walking towards the elevators before Winter could speak a word of thanks.
Winter placed a clammy hand on the metal door and pushed the door open. The only thing that entered her mind as she scanned the room was that it was unusually bright. The walls of his office were painted a pleasant mint colour, and despite the exquisite marble flooring and mahogany table, there were hints of Mr Yoon's dynamic personality in the room. On top of an oak cabinet stood a huge antique megaphone and beside it, as if placed there on purpose to clash with the design, a long collection of Marvel hero figurines. As Winter did a sweep of his room, she found more figurines placed at random corners of the room, enough to suggest how passionate Mr Yoon was about the characters. Though the room contained quirky bits that brilliantly showed off Mr Yoon's preferences, it mainly looked like an office room, containing only a personal working desk, a tea table surrounded by several guest chairs, and a cabinet. Mr Yoon sat behind his desk, and there was someone else in the room with her back facing Winter. She realized belatedly that they were disputing.
"... If I have to leave, I will. I have had enough following your stupid rules and not allowing my heart to feel what it wants to!" The woman with her back to Winter was saying, clearly agitated. Winter paused in her tracks, unsure of what to do.
"Hye Rim, this is not a joking matter. If you want to quit, this means putting an end to everything that you have worked for. You'll have to give everything back to the company, including the house—" Mr Yoon's face was blocked by the woman's back, but Winter could tell he was trying his best to reason with the woman, and was struggling to do so.
"Then leave the house I will! I never liked that house anyway! Here's the key!" There was a loud clink that sounded very much like the clashing of metal on polished wood. "And don't look for me again. It's over."
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