Yoon Seri posts an inquiry about the mysterious piano song she heard in Iseltwald on an Internet forum and an anon commenter picks it up.
A Crash Landing on You AU fiction. #serihawky
Illustration by @chummychurri (Twitter)
Cover design by @edelweir...
No one sees Hong Chang-sik come in and out of the office. The manager would already be roaming the halls or be stuck in a meeting by the time people time in. He was as ubiquitous as the water dispenser at the common area, as inevitable as the scent of coffee wafting in the air while entering the pantry—only taking breaks to answer the call of nature, caffeine, or chicken. Officemates used to warn him that it would not bode well to his dating life, but those officemates have already since left or accepted the workaholic's fate. He was married to the work indefinitely.
That Friday was no exception as he came in yawning to the pantry in search of instant coffee. He was choosing between something stronger or maybe something creamier when one of the interns came in, the one that lived in Bundang.
"Good morning. Are you getting coffee?" Chang-sik greeted as he filled his tumbler with hot water.
The intern bowed. "I already got one, Manager Hong. Have you seen Ms. Yoon?"
"No." Chang-sik shook his head, "She probably won't be in an hour." Or longer? Chang-sik wasn't sure.
"But she's already in." The intern pointed behind her.
Chang-sik nearly dropped his beverage. "W-what? Today??"
"I saw her when I was making my coffee. She asked if I saw you but I said no."
Chang-sik managed a hasty thanks before running past her.
He prepared an apology in his head — one that started out as a speech to his defense and why he had to pry into her private affairs. But at that moment as he was knocking on the CEO's door, he was prepared to kneel for forgiveness.
"You're here." Just like that the CEO that fled the day before was sitting in front of her computer screen, one that she just put to sleep. She stood up and picked up her purse from the coat hanger. "Let's get coffee."
Let's get coffee?
But Seri paused when she saw the tumbler in his hand. "You already got one?"
"Oh I was about to wash my cup." Chang-sik gave his tumbler a jiggle as though it wasn't filled with scalding water.
"Ok. Leave it here." Seri gestured vaguely at the meeting table. "Let's go."
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May 14, 2021 7:30 AM A Twosome Place, Mapo, Seoul
Seri gave Chang-sik the choice of cafe and he chose somewhere near where he was sure the CEO could sit comfortably. She normally had her coffee in the office, either as a takeaway or something she brought to work with her own insulated mug. She swore by her homemade brew.
"I'll have a long black espresso." She knew what she was ordering without checking the menu, "Manager Hong?"
"Uh I'll have honey lemon tea." Chang-sik told the cashier.
