red string | jay

one

the red string theory suggests that people destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread.

this thread regardless of time, place or circumstance remains unbroken, guiding them to meet and ultimately connect

lowercase intended

"kim ina, you have got some explaining to do."
she heard her boss practically bark as she gulped, already dreading what was about to come.

"yes?" ina hesitated, watching lucy lower her glasses and hand her a file, silently waiting for her to open it.

"park jay told me you were the one responsible for this. maybe i've been going too easy on you just because you're young," lucy said, her tone sharp and no-nonsense.

ina furrowed her brows.
"ma'am, i didn't do anything. the actor cancelled because his mother passed away. we had a backup schedule in place, and we've already contacted another actor to fill the spot," she explained confidently.

lucy's stern gaze softened, just slightly.
"hmm. you could've told me that earlier, kid. proud of you. make sure the schedule is streamlined, alright?" she said with a smile, taking the file from ina before disappearing into her cabin.

"i'm going to kill this park jongseong," ina muttered under her breath, slumping down at her desk and running her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"are you now?"
that voice. that voice. the one that made her blood boil and her blood pressure spike for all the wrong reasons.

"why the actual fuck did you tell lucy i was the reason that actor's no longer on the schedule?" ina snapped, her eyes shooting daggers at jay.

"because it's my life's mission to make your life hell," he replied smoothly, smirking like it was the easiest thing in the world.

she scoffed. "sadly, your little trick didn't work because i'm just that good at my job."

"are you sure it didn't work, innie? i mean, look at how infuriated you are," he said, still grinning.

ina could swear she was seconds away from smacking him into oblivion.
"you know what, park jongseong? if your life's mission is to make mine hell, i'll make sure i drag you down with me."

jay just rolled his eyes and strolled back to his desk — which, by the way, was right in front of hers. because of course, the universe had it out for her.

as if it wasn't hard enough seeing him every single weekend, thanks to their families being best friends since college. their fathers had bonded first, and eventually their mothers too, turning their bond into a sacred tradition — dinners, lunches, and weekend getaways that neither family ever missed.

a tradition that, unfortunately, had continued since ina and jay's birth.

"damn, you two really do hate each other, huh?"
juwon, ina's work bestie, said from the desk beside hers.

"you think?" ina muttered, sighing in defeat.

she and jay had known each other practically since the womb, and they had never — not ever — gotten along.
not when they were babies.
not when they were toddlers.
and especially not when they were teenagers.

one weekend, they'd gotten into such a bad fight that their parents had to physically separate them.

as they grew older, they learned how to fake it — how to smile and nod and play nice for the sake of their parents' friendship. but the hate? oh, it never went away. it just simmered beneath the surface.

so when ina found out jay had joined the same agency as her, she briefly considered unaliving herself.
and when jay saw ina sitting across from him on his first day at work, his blood boiled like lava.

"alright, team meeting after lunch!"
lucy's voice chimed from the front of the office. "we're onboarding a new project, and i want really creative ideas for an idol travel show. if your idea gets picked, you get a bonus for the program's tenure!"

the section immediately buzzed with murmurs and excitement. the b word had been dropped — bonus.

"we've officially become slaves to the economy," ina said to juwon as they both scanned the suddenly energized office, laughing at the scene.

"yeah, well... a bonus does sound pretty amazing," juwon admitted.

ina turned to her with mock disappointment, shaking her head.
"another soldier lost to capitalism," she declared dramatically.

juwon lightly smacked her arm, laughing along.

ina's eyes flicked over to jay.
he was already glaring at her.

she gave him a confused look and mouthed, what the fuck?
he just rolled his eyes and turned back to heeseung, continuing their conversation like nothing had happened.

apparently, ina couldn't even exist without jay shooting daggers at her with his eyes.