alexithymia | l. hyunjae

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Yoon stacked her files before putting them on the shelf. Lines of blue files were neatly arranged according to specific dates. Dusting her hands, Yoon sat on her chair and began to check her emails. As she scrolling down, a knock on her door was heard.

"Come in."

Soon, a man with a grey shirt and plain white necktie came into her office. In his hand was a paper with messy sketches. "I'm sorry for disturbing, Ms Ha but I really need your help with this."

Yoon closed the window tabs and gestured him to move closer. Yoon took a brief glance at his hanging name card. Sohn Youngjae.

Putting the paper on her table, he said, "I just get a call from a client saying that they want to change the roof design but.."
Yoon raised her eyebrows at him. "But?"

Nervously, he wiped his sweaty hands. "But I don't really quite sure on what kind of roof is suitable. You see, I'm new here and to be honest, I don't really have that much time to study about roofings. I'm sorry, Mrs Ha" He bowed apologetically.

Yoon chuckled. "Please. Don't be so tense around me. I don't know what kind of rumors you've heard out there about me but trust me, I'm not that scary." She gestured him to take a sit in front of her.
"Please make yourself comfortable."

Youngjae sheepishly laughed and took a sit.

She then began to analyze the sketch plan. "Do they say anything about the roof? Like how they want it to looked like?" Youngjae shook his head. "I never asked about it so maybe that's why they didn't mention about it either." She hummed as her eyes were focusing on the sheet of paper in her hands.

"Why are there two sketches here?"

Youngjae stood a bit from his sit and leaned forward to take a look before exclaimed, "Oh! The client said that he still haven't decide on what kind of house he wants to build so he asked me to show him my suggestions first." Yoon put down the paper on the table and glared at him.

"What kind of nonsense is that? He should know everything about the building he wants beforehand. At this point, I think he just take an advantage on a new architect like you." Yoon was so upset. If they didn't know what to build then why should they asked an architect? It's their building after all.

Letting out a frustrating sigh, she said to him. "For now, I think you can proceed with hip and valley roof. It's suitable for any kind of building so in case he suddenly know what kind of house he wants, you will not be so stressful again." Youngjae nodded his head and began to take notes.

Thanking her, he bowed before making his way out. Before he could put his hand on the handle, Yoon called his name. "Yes, Ms Ha?"

"I will tell the manager to assign you a senior architect with the project. So, in the future if you get things like this once again, you should directly get their help. Don't handle it alone, okay?"

"I understand that, Ms Ha. Thank you so much" He bowed once again before exiting her office.

As when Yoon started to check her phone, the door was opened again. "I want to tell you that you're nothing like the rumors I've heard. You're so kind, Ms Ha." He then bid his goodbye and closed the door.

"Ah! One more thing, Ms Ha" Yoon almost jumped on her sit as Youngjae appeared. Again with a sheepish smile.

"it's so rude of me for not introducing myself before ask for your help.." Moving away from door, he stood still before bowing down. "My name is Sohn Youngjae! It's nice to meet you in person. Thank you so much once more!" With that, he disappeared behind the tinted glass door.

Yoon waited for some minutes just in case he appeared before shaking her head. What a friendly guy. Yoon smiled to herself. She really should open up to her coworkers more.

Hyunjae laid back on his office chair, eyes closed. His forehead was wrinkled as if he was in a deep thoughts. He then opened his eyes when he heard the door was opened from the outside which soon, followed by Younghoon's tall figure with a stacked of documents in his hands.

"What did I told you about knocking?"

Younghoon looked up at the Head Manager with a brief glance before putting down the documents on the table. "Oh!" He put on a dramatic gasp while closing his wide opened mouth with both of his hands. His eyes displayed horror as if he just did an unforgivable crime.

"I'm so sorry, Mr Lee. What a fool of me to forget about such a simple thing you ask me to do. Fear not, Mr Lee. From now on I promise to myself and I swear on your mom's name, I will not repea-" His emotional vow was then interrupted by a book landing beautifully on his face. "Stop the nonsense, Hoon" Hyunjae laughed at his friend's childish behavior.

Younghoon joined later on eventhough his face was still sore from the hitting. "Out of everything on this table, why must you throw me a book? You're so mean, Jae."

Hyunjae shrugged. "An instinct maybe? The book attracted my attention the most and my hand just followed with the flows." Younghoon scoffed. "Instinct, my ass." Hyunjae sent a glare to his direction. "You can't say that to your boss, Mr Kim."

Turning a chair closer to him, Younghoon took a sit while mimicking Hyunjae with his face. I can't believe this childish grown-up 25 years old man is my friend, Hyunjae thought while laughing to himself.

"Don't use your 'boss' card on me. Please don't be such a social climber. We're Younghoon and his friend, Hyunjae."

"Okay my friend, Younghoon. What can I help you?" While he waited for his friend to talk, Hyunjae playfully turned his chair around and around. "Well nothing important, just wanna say your schedule for today are done. You can go home if you want." Younghoon informed him. He reopened his tablet to make sure the said claim was true and to his confirmation the schedule was empty from any activities for the day.

Hyunjae nodded his head. "Wait." He then adjusted his chair to face Younghoon. "Can I do that?" Younghoon answered his question with a confused look. "Do what?"
"Go home early. Can I do that?" His eyes blinked in pure curiousity like a child asking his mom about something he had just found randomly on the street.

Younghoon stared at his one and only best friend in disbelief. "Hyunjae, of course you can. You're the boss! You can do whatever you want plus it's not against the rule because you're literally free from schedule." Hyunjae went still and be like "Oh, that's right. I am the boss."

Facepalming his forehead, Younghoon rose from his seat and proceeded to the door. "Well, I'm going to work now. Do you want me to call you a taxi?" He asked as he slowly disappeared himself behind the exit, only his head was shown. "Yes please." As soon as his assistant went back to his work, Hyunjae began to pack up his things and walked himself to the company's front door.

Right after he passed the automatic sliding door, a taxi appeared before him. He went straight to the back seat and informed the driver about his destination. Without delaying any second, the taxi drove away.

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