“It’s her!”
“Omoomoomoomoomo…”
“Hurry! Hurry, get to your desks!”
“ - so I told him, to last only three minutes isn't long at all - ”
"Yaaah! Pabo! Look who's coming behind you!"
My heels click rhythmically against the cold floor of Hwang Industries (now a subsidiary of Kim Corporation), Seoul. I’m wearing a black dress that swishes at my knees. Everywhere I go employees scamper to their desks, diving into their work.
Which is a strange sight.
Because the working day has just ended and it’s actually time for people to go home. I spot a man trying to subtlety wriggle out of his jacket. A few quick thinkers swipe up random pieces of paper and intently scrutinize them.
I sigh. Do they think I want them chained to their job?
I stop and address the room. “Thank you everyone for your hard work. Now, please get some well-deserved rest.”
All of them freeze in place. Their gazes darting uncertainly at one another. Who is going to be the first guinea pig?
The manager approaches me, bows and dollops on a modest smile. “It’s okay Ms Kim. We enjoy working and usually stay an hour or two extra anyway.” His coat is halfway on with the remainder flapping behind him.
Aish!
I beckon him closer towards me and say sternly, “I insist. By the time I return, everyone should be either on their way home or in the process.”
He opens his mouth probably to feed me another saccharine line but I cut him off. “Otherwise, I will have no choice but to think of this as highly inefficient behaviour.”
His smile drops immediately and he nods in apprehension. As I depart, I hear him rallying the staff to leave for the day.
I make my way to the secretary’s desk and frown. It’s not someone I recognize. Jieun, Tiffany’s usual secretary must not be in today. This girl looks very young and inexperienced. At the moment she has a phone receiver pressed to her ear, frantically jotting down a message. Without looking up, she holds out a well-manicured finger and waggles it in my face. The corner of my lips twitch in amusement.
She is new.
I place my hands on her desk and lean in. She turns to me already poised with an annoyed expression which instantly melts into pure terror. The phone drops with a clatter on the polished wooden surface.
“Ms Kim!” She jumps up from her chair and bows. “I – I am so –so – sorry!”
“I’m here to see Ms Hwang.” I say wryly.
“Of c-c-course!” She stammers. She attempts to show me to Tiffany’s office but her whole body is trembling so much, it looks like she’s having an epileptic fit.
“It’s okay. I know the way.” I brush past her to enter the room. It appears empty at the moment so I look around for a place to sit.
And this seems to be a problem.
All the chairs, except the one behind her desk, have numerous folders piled on it. I’m hesitant to move anything in case it’s arranged in any specific order. So I resort to sitting in Tiffany’s chair and check the time on my phone.
