Butterfly | Park Jimin [Book II]

11: Professional

happy birthday to our precious Jiminie! ♡

next update will be when I'm back after my final exams which is next week. also, go drop your theories because I'm really curious about what you think is going on at this point in the story (+ if you have any requests and the like). take care and stay healthy, lovely people.
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I did not need someone to evaluate me to figure that my work performance was dropping with a big hit.

The following day after I had walked out of the conference room, I had called in sick to excuse myself from having to attend work. By the second day, my fever had completely subsided and I was back in shape for work.

However, something else made me feel sick—someone, rather.

I did not expect Dongsun to appear so often, since Jimin mentioned that he was merely a business partner involved.

Keyword: involved.

But he did. He had often been there, even if he was clearly unneeded. And I wasn't so dense as not to know the reason why.

He was clearly there to pull out the joke on me, to annoy me and basically to make me remember all the atrocity he had done to me.

How dare he? I couldn't even believe he had the face to do this.

Lately, I'd been creating random excuses, letting Jungkook handle most of the work together with the team. The first few ones were real, since I really had a fever. But then, I kind of used the same excuses all out of habit, mentally exhausted to even bother thinking of other valid reasons to miss a work day or be late.

All because of that Choi Dongsun.

I wiped on the tears that had unconsciously flown on my cheeks with the sleeve of my jacket. My palm stung at the contact of the salty droplets on the freshly scratched skin, caused by my own nails digging on them.

Composing myself, I shoved the chips to my mouth and let my head fall back on the sofa.

I was about to dive back into my thoughts when my phone rang, and just by reading the caller ID, I knew I was kind of in trouble.

After the phone call, I quickly prepared myself and drove to work. The urgency in Jimin's voice was something I couldn't neglect. He actually sounded mad—like angry-mad for an emphasis.

↠

"Could we act professional?"

I was seating across Jimin, inside his office, and my first instinct was to curse at him.

Professional. Yeah, as if he had fully been one for the first few days. But considering the tone he had used and his dignified composure whilst he folded his hands atop his table, I calmed myself down.

I had to admit that I was the one at wrong here this time. It came to a point where I was neglecting most of my work, and any normal client would probably complain.

Though he must have thought it was because of our past issues, and it obviously wasn't going to ease up the situation.

With conflicting thoughts, I looked down on my lap. "I'm really sorry."

"If you couldn't set aside personal matters, then maybe you should drop this contract and we'll get someone more suitable to replace you," he bluntly said. Direct to the point, no beating around the bush.

Perhaps he is right?

It was really about personal matters, but not our personal matters. I wanted to defend myself. Hadn't he been taking me personally once in a while, too?

Yet that wasn't the point, and it wasn't like I would explain myself anyway. What's the use?

"I'll think about it."

If my eyes weren't deceiving me, Jimin seemed a bit astonished at my reply. Whereas, when the words rolled out of my tongue, it only convinced me that maybe I should admit it that I wasn't the right person for this.

"I shall get going then." I stood up from my seat, giving him a proper dismissive nod, and exited his office discreetly.

When I reached my work cubicle, I simply leaned on my elbows and pressed my fists on both cheeks, looking down. Project folders were stacked on the side of my desk, particles of dusts had intruded some spaces on my work space.

Everything that had a relation to this project just never seemed to flow smoothly for me. From my interactions with Jimin, the constant rejections and conflicts, accidentally leaving my files one time, and the recent issues.

"Noona."

"Huh?" My brows shot up and I snapped my head towards Jungkook. I forced a laugh before joking, "Since when are you back to calling me noona?"

"I've been calling you Haneul for a lot of times so I tried noona," he explained with a shrug. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, staring down at my desk again.

"It's him, right?"

I didn't respond.

"I don't mind if you pass me this project again." I instinctively turned to him. "You know I care for you, okay?"

"Thank you, Jungkook." I smiled faintly. "Also, don't call me noona. It sounds weird, I'm not used to it anymore."

"Haneul."

Well that was quick. I chuckled dryly, raising a brow expectantly. But Jungkook kept his serious demeanor.

"It's really fine if you drop this. I will understand, and I'm sure Manager Sejin will too."

Professional. Jimin's voice echoed through my head, and I pondered over it. In everything I did, I always pulled out the rationality in me, always projected a calm facade despite rigid times, always set aside my personal feelings to get work done.

But I didn't think I could handle it with this one.

For I wasn't that strong to just brush past it, and until now, just the recollection of the memory still broke me apart.

"Don't force yourself, Haneul."

Maybe Jungkook was right. Maybe Jimin, too. Maybe I should just give up on this project and take a hint that it wasn't for me after all.

Perhaps it was fate slapping me in the face for me to realize that I shouldn't have gotten back and left this work completely.

I've gotten myself into another mistake, didn't I? How dumb of me.