ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴏɴs: ʀᴀᴠᴇɴᴡᴏᴏᴅ ᴅɪᴀʀɪᴇꜱ || c.bg + h.k

14: Changes

┊ᴊᴀᴇᴍɪɴ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ┊ೃ⁀➷

"There are no updates on your story, Jaemin-ssi." The bag of tea dips in the steaming mug of milk, moving along with the string attached to it. The cup makes a soft clink as it is put down onto the mahogany table. "What do you have in mind?" Editor Kwon smirks as he leans in his chair, providing me with one of his nastiest looks.

He had been a thorn in my side for almost three years now. A prick I don't know how to get rid of yet. I stare at the swirling beverage in his cup, wondering how big of a tea addict he is. "SMPA has been a lot secretive with the case these days. I know nothing other than the shooting incident in a local bar."

He scrunches his nose. "Such a third-page article. No one will be expecting that from a front-page writer like you."  He leans closer and whispers conspiratorially as if we were two schoolboys. "Such drivel is a waste of our time. Maybe you should go back to your wildlife researcher self and drop this story altogether."

Every single word that he utters burns down on my skin like a hot knife. I know he is trying to provoke me, urging me to react, but I don't wanna give up just yet. "It won't happen," I say calmly, not looking away from him. "I will make sure you have the scoop."

"We don't have all the time in the world, honey. Give me a deadline."  His eyes bore into mine.

I clear my throat. "Two days."

He rolls his eyes. "Three. I am giving you three days and, by then, you must present me the manuscript and some pictures along with it. No excuses. And if you don't get anything, then you are most welcome to go back to articles about polar bears and penguins. It suits you better with that face, anyway."  With those words, he stands up and heads out the door. I hear him call for one of his assistants to follow him to their next meeting before closing the door behind him.

I release the breath I don't even realize I was holding. I don't understand what this piece of shit thinks of himself to be. Some emperor?  A king?

I groan and storm out of the cabin. I need to do something to stay in the crime section of 'the Seoul Daily'. That's my only way to increase the demand for my articles amongst the general readers and to be noticed for once.

What was I thinking when I picked up such a high profile case? Dealing with these types of stories is hard, collecting the information even harder. And the fact that some of the most renowned faces are working with this case only makes it almost impossible to even lead a sting operation.

I reach my cubicle and slump down on my seat, covering my face with my hands.  As much as I want to throw myself off a cliff right now, I'm too tired for that.

"You look stressed." I look up to see Seo Yeongeun peeking from over one of the walls of the cubicle. Then her phone appears beside her, its flash going off. She proceeds to smile like she got her hands onto a juicy story. "This is making to my Instagram. Caption— when you find out polar bears like cotton candies."

"Not funny, Yeongeun," I grunt, throwing her a glare. She rolls her eyes and walks around the wall and inside the cubicle.

"Then don't make a face like someone murdered your dog." She plops onto my desk. "So spill it. What's bothering you?"