Office Diaries

"You're right on time, boss," Yanee commented as she and Tohru stepped in the elevator.

"Of course, I've never been late like Ms. Lee," Tohru retorted with a serious face, making Yanee look offended.

"What late? I was never late for work. I always arrive on time unless I have an emergen –" Her voice abruptly stopped as soon as she looked at her boss's face. Even he had on a stoic expression, she realized there was amusement dancing in his eyes and she clamped her mouth shut.  

This bully potato!

"Boss, you really like bullying people," she commented as if she was reprimanding an unruly child.

Tohru turned to her with a brow raised. "You're just stuck up Ms. Lee. You should loosen up a bit," he advised, making her nose flare.

"I'm loose enough," she retorted so suddenly making Tohru choke on saliva and had a coughing fit.

Realizing what her words implicated Yanee panicked. Loose? What loose? She wanted to cry at her own words.

"I mean I'm not stuck up! I'm relaxed okay? I just didn't know how to deal with your jokes because you're my boss," she explained desperately as she tapped her dying boss' back as he continued to cough.

Upon hearing that, Tohru stopped coughing and unhappily looked at her. "Are you saying you'll be able to deal with me if I were not your boss?"

Then and there, if Yanee said yes, Tohru would definitely cry. He took the effort of buying her small publishing company just so he could get close to her without being suspicious. But as it turned out, she couldn't deal with him because he was her superior. He wondered if he made a mistake.

But he then realized he had other more concerns.

"Of course, not," Yanee answered hurriedly, making Tohru hold his breath.

"Then?"

"If you were not my boss, I don't think I'd talk to you at all," she confessed.

"Why?"

Because you're too damn handsome and out of my league…

Yanee wanted to tell him that but decided not to.

"Because boss, I don't think our social circles meet. After I interviewed you for the magazine last time, I was even thinking I wouldn't see you again."

Ah…

Tohru kept quiet. It was the very reason why he resorted to buying her company in the first place. It's because if he didn't do that, there wouldn't be any chances for them to cross paths at all.

But if she didn't know how to deal with him now because he's her boss, wouldn't that make his situation very complicated?

"Why do you look angry, boss?" Yanee asked.

She didn't know why. Tohru didn't have any expression on his face, but she could clearly feel that he was mad about something. She had no idea why but she started pacifying him.

"I didn't mean to be rude. I'm just stating a fact," she told him matter-of-factly. "Our circles were totally different. If not, why haven't we bumped into each other earlier? I mean before I did the interview with you?"

When Torhu continued to look displeased, she hurriedly continued.

"You have to forgive me if I get confused about how to react for now, alright? I mean I haven't known you that long to know whether you're jesting or being serious so I don't know how to respond properly."

Torhu looked at her then with a slight frown, but Yanee could already feel the small anger in him fading. His broad shoulders which were tensed earlier relaxed just in time for the elevator to reach the ground floor. He wordlessly stepped out of the lift as soon as the door opened, and marched towards the restaurant.

Yanee had no choice but to quietly follow. They were technically at work, and so she was trying her best to be professional though she had already chastised herself for letting her mouth runoff.

Why couldn't she be nicer? Her boss was actually very nice to treat her like a friend most times. Still, a part of her believed she did the right thing and honestly told his boss her thoughts.

They were merely strangers who happened to work together now. Her boss shouldn't depend on her to read his mind or know his moods this early on the job.

Tohru James requested the maître d' to arrange a private dining room for them. Yanee didn't find this strange as they would have a business dinner instead of a simple dinner. They couldn't discuss the project at the outer dining hall. Although the restaurant was generally a luxurious one, there were still the toned down conversations of people, clinking of crystals and china, and soft, mellow music for background.

In short, the open dining area was not an ideal place for a working meal.

The waiter led them to the waiting area where they were seated as they prepared a room for them.  Yanee took this time to look around and noted the full hall.

"Er…" she started and Tohru looked at her. "I just noticed the full house tonight. I wonder if they really could arrange something for us since we didn't make a reservation."

This time, Tohru smiled. "Don't worry about it. They will always have a room for us," he said with confidence that Yanee couldn't help but give him a questioning gaze.

It appeared to work as her boss explained. "Even if the restaurant is at full capacity, there's always a room available in all Grand Blue Restaurants or Hotels because it's the private room for Big Sis Jisoo and Big Bro Yushin and their family. It's not available to outsiders no matter how rich they are."

Yanee's eyes widened before they narrowed again in a frown.

"But… we're not family?" she asked with a comical expression, making Tohru laugh.

"What are you talking about? Aren't you Big Sis Jisoo's little sister?" he said teasingly and Yanee had no energy to even refute that since Jisoo indeed said she was her "little sister".

Soon, the maître d' returned and led them to the private dining area. They handed them the menu, but Yanee had no idea what to eat so she asked her boss who happily ordered for the two of them.

"You'll like their tartare americaine," he told her afterwards.

This restaurant served a variety of dishes but mostly centered on French cuisine. Yanee traveled a lot, and she'd been to France, but had never tried the dish mentioned so she got curious as well.

"I noticed you like spicy food, so I think you will enjoy that one," he continued which surprised her.

When they went to the ancient market, Yanee had actually eaten a lot of the spicy version of the food they ordered. If not available, she'd put some hot sauce or chili in them. But she thought she did that in secret. She didn't know her boss saw her sneaking hot condiments on her food. Yanee just decided to smile and not answer that.

Soon, the people served them their aperitif. Small, cutely cut cheese was placed on a fancy tray along with savory biscuits. The starter was foie gras with toast.

All the while they were partaking with food, Tohru refrained from talking about the project and Yanee didn't know why she even bothered calling this as a business dinner when all they had was dinner and no business.

She tried to ask about it, but her boss said he wanted to focus on eating and they would discuss the project after their meal while they digest. She didn't bother protesting and just ate the meal like him, not noticing the pair of fond eyes from the man as she appreciated the food on her plate.

When at last the meal was finished, Tohru ordered a bottle of rosé for them to enjoy while they finally started to talk about the project.

"So, how was the interview with Big Sis Yunjae?"

Yanee took her notes from her purse, before reporting to her boss what she and the Kang coupled talked about. Her boss didn't look surprised at all about the story she told, indicating that he totally knew about the story already. She didn't find this strange anymore as she knew that Tohru was also friends with their clients.

"How about your concerns? You mentioned you are confused about something earlier,"Tohru prompted and Yanee inclined her head, thinking of how to properly word her issue.

"Well, boss, I just want to clarify what the book is really about. You said that Office Diaries is a collection of office romance, right?" she asked and her boss nodded as expected. "Does this mean romance only happening within the office or outside is also okay?"

Tohru frowned. "I'm not sure I know what you mean?"

"I mean, boss, Yunjae and Jinho knew each other before they coincidentally worked in the same office. Isn't office romance supposed to be something that started at work and not before?"

Tohru's eyes shifted and he nodded. "Normally, yes, but the fact is that they worked together as secretary and boss, no?"

"Yes…"Yanee was confused now. "So their story is alright?"

As soon as she asked this question, Tohru smiled. "Ms. Lee, the reason for the interview is only for you to learn their experiences. It's not necessarily about them, but you may use them as inspiration."

"Eh?"Yanee looked confused. "It means..."

"The book you are writing will totally not be 100% similar to their life stories. Their stories are just foundations, and it's up to you to create your own love story based on them…"