Can you keep a Secret?

Chapter 2

I'm sitting in the offices of SM's headquarters in Busan, and as I glance at my reflection in the window, I look just like a top businesswoman, or that just what I think I look like. I'm wearing discreet gold swirl earrings like they tell you to in how-to-win-that-job articles. And I've got on my suit that I've bought before graduating aka before I became broke Chaeyoung who can't afford to buy a new suit. (But this suit still look like new so whatever.)

I'm representing G.C.C. or Golden Closet Corporation, which is where I work. The meeting is to finalize the promotional arrangement between the new cranberry-flavored G.C. Prime sports drink and SM. So I flew up this morning from Seoul, especially.

When I arrived, the two SM marketing guys started on this long, show-off "who's traveled the most?" conversation about air miles - and I think I bluffed pretty convincingly. But the truth is, this is the first time I've ever had to travel for work.

Okay. The real truth is, this is the first business meeting I've attended on my own. I've been at G.C.C. for eleven months as a marketing assistant, which is the bottom level in our department. I started off just doing menial tasks like typing letters, getting the sandwiches, and collecting my boss Namjoon's dry cleaning. But after a couple of months, I was allowed to start checking copy. Then a few months ago, I got to write my very own promotional leaflet, for a tie-in-with washing powder! This is a big achievement as you guys might already know, I'm more a sociology, social and literature, analyzing types of girl. Not this creative marketing girl I've said l am in my resume. So even if Namjoon did just glance at the copy and say "Fine" and kind of forget to tell anyone that I wrote it. I'm still proud of myself.

Since then I've done a fair bit of writing promotional literature, and I've even sat in on a few meetings with Namjoon. So I really think I'm moving up the ladder. In lots of ways, I'm practically a marketing executive already!

Except for the tiny point that I still seem to do just as much typing as before. And getting sandwiches and collecting dry cleaning. I just do it as well as the other jobs. Especially since our departmental secretary, Mina, left a few weeks ago and still hasn't been replaced.

But it's all going to change; I know it is. This meeting is my big break. It's my first change to show Namjoon what I'm really capable of. I had to beg him to let me go - after all, SM and G.C.C. have done loads of deals together in the past; it's not like there'll be any surprises. But deep down I know I'm here only because I was in his office when he realized he'd double-booked with an awards lunch that most of the department were attending. So here I am, representing the company.

And my secret hope is that if I do well today, I'll get promoted. The job ad said "possibility of promotion after a year" - and it's nearly been a year. And on Monday I'm having my appraisal meeting which is an ideal opportunity to discuss possibilities for career advancement.

Career advancement! At the thought, I feel a familiar stab of longing. It would just show Dad, Mum, and Alice I'm not a complete loser. If I could just go home and say, "By the way, I've been promoted to marketing executive."

Park Chaeyoung, marketing executive.

Park Chaeyoung, senior vice-president (marketing).

As long as everything goes well today. Namjoon said the deal was pretty much done and dusted, and all I had to do was raise one point about timing, and even I should be able to mange that. And solar, I reckon it's going really well!

Okay, so I don't understand some of terms they're using. But then I didn't understand most of my GCSE Korean Oral either, and I still got a B+.

"Rebranding....analysis.....cost-effective...."

The man in the gray suit is still droning on. As casually as possible, I extend my hand and inch his business card toward me so I can read it.

Suho. That's right. I can remember this..... actually, I'll just write it down.

I write down "rebranding" and "Suho" on my notepad and give and uncomfortable little wriggle. God, my knickers really are uncomfortable. I mean, G-strings are never that comfortable at the best of times, but these are particularly bad. Which could be because they're two sizes too small.

Which could possibly be because Jimin oppa bought them for me, he told the lingerie assistant I weighed 100 pounds. Whereupon she told him I must be size 1. Size 1!

So it got to Christmas Eve, and we were exchanging presents, and I unwrapped this pair of gorgeous pale pink silk knickers. Size 1. And I basically had two options

A: Confess the truth: "Actually, these are too small. I'm more of a size 2, and by the way, I don't really weigh one hundred pounds."

B: Shoehorn myself into them.

Actually, it was fine. You could hardly see the read lines on my skin afterward. And all it meant was that I had to quick cut the labels out of my clothes so Jimin would never realize.

Since then, I've hardly ever worn this particular set of underwear, needless to say. But every so often I see them, looking all nice and expensive in the drawer, and think, Oh, come on, they can't be that tight, and somehow squeeze into them. Which is what I did this morning. I even decided I must have lost weight because they didn't feel too bad.

I am such a delude moron.

"...unfortunately, since rebranding.... major rethink...feel we need to be considering alternative synergies..."

Up to now I've just been sitting and nodding, thinking this business meeting is really easy. But now Suho's voice starts to impinge on my consciousness. What's he saying?

"...two products diverging...becoming incompatible..."

What was that about incompatible? What was that about a major rethink? I feel a jolt of alarm.

"We appreciate the functional and synergetic partnership that G.C.C. and SM have enjoyed in the past," said Suho, "but you'll agree that clearly we're going in different directions."

Different directions?

My stomach gives an anxious lurch.

He can't be-

Is he trying to pull out of the deal?