Go and return. It is completely two different feelings. Especially people like me who would feel embarrassed to return. At this point of time, the best solution will be remaining low-key, silent and subdued. So the following day after receiving the penalty notice, I’m the first person to arrive in the office, when the sky was still dark. I quickly went up into the Legal Department and quietly sit in my own cubicle. The first thing I need to face when I’m back into Legal Department was to ignore those stares from my colleagues. I’m a probationer. Being banished into the wilderness. Alone and accept time punishment. Everyday only Chae accompany me, even Bambam has start to ignore me.
What I could not accept the most was related to Taehyung. Now, I am only able to see him once or twice a week during our regular meeting. The distance between us feels very strange. He would not look at me, nor even smile. In his eyes, I am now classified as a low ranking staff. These type of people would be invisible in the eyes of the President.
Recalling those mischievous moments I had with Taehyung, the warp feeling, I do not know whether is he still continue receiving calls from those blind date girls who admired him. All those moments were the color of my life. When I recalled those memories, it made me feel happy with a smile. Right, our distance are so far apart, I clearly told myself. I regarded Taehyung as my friend. But Taehyung, what about you?
About my case, there are many type of version of rumors. The most popular version was the typical story about a materialistic girl hook up with a rich boss.
Chae looked at my lament look and think I’m in a grief mood. She said it with passion ‘Lalisa, why don’t you explain!’
I answer ‘Stopping people’s mouth is more difficult than damming a river. Can’t even dam a river. Don’t mention about preventing people from doing what they want’.
Chae said ‘Lalisa, you achieve enlightenment!
Time is the best way to heal the wounds, and not to mention this ‘time’ is with interest.
In just half a month we see a huge result from the benefits of merges and acquisitions. AC stocks had soared in the market. All the shareholders grin from ear to ear. The decimal incident has gradually faded away from their memory. In early November, all those employees who participated in the merger are greatly rewarded. Especially those who are in Legal Department. Staff will receive a hefty bonus. This is how a company show their appreciation toward their staff with carrot and stick approach. A typical policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to encourage staff.
Haven’t gotten the money yet, we have started to calculate how to spend the money. During the warm discussion, one of the senior sister suddenly asked ‘Lalisa, how are you going to spend this money?’
Suddenly the discussion pause for few seconds as the senior sister feel a bit embarrass.
‘Ha, ha! I’m more than happy to watch you spend. Pretend that you are spending on my behalf. Spend as much as possible.’ I quickly reply. I’m not being hypocrite. I’m being sincere. Because of my mistake, I have put everyone hard work become bad, I hope they get compensate. Although the compensation is not from me but it can alleviate my guilt.
The atmosphere become eased, we continue to talk and I did not forget to pull some jokes.
Now I’m very satisfied because they can re-accept me.
During afternoon, Namjoon distribute a stack of envelopes according to names.
I stand aside feeling happy. Lastly, Namjoon came up to me and hand me an envelope and said ‘work hard.’
Namjoon did not talk much. It made me feel at ease and the envelope was only a thin one. I was very grateful. AC treat employees very personalized. Even though it is not much of money, at least they also prepared an envelope for me. So that I don’t feel embarrass in front of my colleagues.
I suddenly remembered a phrase from Taehyung Join AC and we achieve our goal together.
Yes, AC has made me achieve and I hope to have an opportunity to achieve for AC.
I was clutching the envelope while daydreaming, when Bambam suddenly came up and snatched the envelope from my hand. He squeezed the thickness and smacked ‘What is this? They also send cheque?’
How can it be? I smiled and opened the envelope. Inside there is a letter. I show and read in front of Peter: ‘Your company’s debt has been reduce from 1.784 to 1.782 Million Yuan. Congratulations. Your free service to our company from 31 years 9 months and eight days has been reduce to 31 years 7 months and 24 days.’
“So cruel!’ Bambam pat my shoulder to show sympathy and said ‘Lalisa, don’t worry, when I retire, I will still come back to visit you.’
I carefully put away this joke letter because below this jargon it got Taehyung’s signature.
Thunder brother ah, do you occasionally think of me, isn’t it?
Of course, in my heart I’m a little disappointed not begin able to share the bonus.
‘Credit and debt are two different things! Profitable is none of your business, debt continues to be borne by you. Just be the little slave and don’t covet.’
At this point, I really don’t think he is as kind as Bambam.
I feel significantly warmer like last week.
November 11 is the anniversary of our company. Every year, on this day the company will only operate for half a day. The employees will be celebrating in a relaxed atmosphere. And the other half will be their off day. We joked about it. Originally, all our shareholders must be bachelors. On November 11, due to boredom they decided to set up a company. Later some got married and forgot those single brother who suffer the pain. Singles don’t work and those with family will go out to have fun. Singles will be looking in depression from the corner alone.
This year, we have more transactions, therefore unable to have full rest like previous year. Someone picked up some gossip, saying company will let those singles off. Let them go and find true love. In order to comfort those who are singles, the married will then need to work overtime.
I suddenly thought, if so, then Taehyung must be active on the road for his blind date. Thinking about this made me laugh out loud.
But in fact, the company had such arrangement for certain departments only. For those who are not busy on 11 November, they can take the day off. For those who had to work, they will enjoy two-day weekend trip to the suburb, organised by the company.
Legal Department is always onerous by nature that is why they has been assigned to the suburb trip.
Suburb trip means needing to travel east outskirts of F City. 50 miles outside one of the lake resort. I am very fond of the lake. Once I hear that we are going there, I was so happy.
I exploited some money from Jisoo and forced her to accompany me to the supermarket to buy some titbits. Jisoo was angry and depressed. She than whispered ‘Is just a broken lake! Why you act so excited, like a school girl going for an outing?’
I said ‘This you don’t understand. When you are upset, sitting at the lake, watching the motion of the water, it make you feel that your emotion are like waves. All the trouble gently swing away and vanish.’
Jisoo despise me ‘A polluted lake where got good wave. Be careful when you eat too much. Don’t spit out your food when you see debris floating around ah.’
I said ‘Ya! Ya! You are not going to understand. You don’t have the zest of life of a lady.’
Jisoo laughed and said ‘This trip is specially dedicated to you. Except for you, I don’t think anyone would like to go there during winter to experience cold wind.’
Saturday morning, I wore a very cartoon coat, a top hat, a small backpack and off I go.
When I reach the company’s entrance, I realized that there are still half an hour before we depart. The bus had only a few people and they were all seating far from each other. Really ah, Jisoo was right. No one is interested in this outing.
I lowered my head and went up to the bus. I got ready to look for Chae and Bambam. Suddenly, I heard a laughter from my side ‘If you add a red scarf, you can go up to grade 2.’
I looked up and saw Taehyung sitting in the first row looking at me.
‘Hey, you didn’t go for a blind date ah?’ I blurted out.
Taehyung instantly become interjection ‘Who say I go for a blind date?’
I flatten him out ‘Look, this activity is to replaced November 11 off day…….. 11…….. Single……You are single, so go for a blind date ……. For that day…… today activities……..’ said, I have messed up, ‘If nothing, I will go behind and wait for Chae.’
‘Wait, what is inside your bag?’ Before waiting for my replied, Taehyung open my bag and ransacked all my delicious tidbits.
‘What did you buy ah? Potato chips, jelly, cotton candy…..’ After we depart, Chae gnawing at my ham and complain. I’m so depressed, seeing Taehyung circle by a group of colleagues, happily eating titbits distributed by President.
Chae said she has motion sickness. Once getting off the bus, she went directly to hotel with some colleagues. And I went down to the lake with my backpack. I took a deep breath of fresh cool air, sit on the rock by the side of the lake and feed some ducks.
A shadow cast in front of me.
‘Do you remember that you told me once that you loved the lake.’ Taehyung said.
Jisoo phrase ‘This trip specially dedicated to you.’ In my heart it cast an aura.
I look forward and ask ‘So you specially organised this outing to come here?’
He said ‘I’m sorry for your unrequited love. Here is because its cheap and I can claim back from the company. Look, I have earned back the coffee money for my next year blind date.’
I said ‘You abuse the power.’
In fact, I want to say ‘I’m the representative of Legal Department, the police. You should not use company money for unnecessary expenses.’
After a while, Taehyung poked at me and said ‘Look, there is a temple, you can go and seek for marriage.’
‘I have no interest, I’m only 24. I’m not worry.’
Taehyung replied ‘Your unrequited love again.’ His expression ‘I mean…… I want to go.’
‘Cough cough!’ I got choked to death because I stuffed the bread that I used to feed the ducks into my mouth.
Thunder brother, are you married crazy ah? Those older lady around me also not as crazy as you.
‘Then you go pray, nobody is stopping you.’
‘I’m such a dignified AC President. If people see me seek for marriage where got face ah. You help me to cover up.’
Let people see can lost face ah? Do you think you did less embarrassing than this ah?
‘I can’t cover you.’ I tiptoed, ‘you are one head taller than me, can’t hide.’
Taehyung just said few words ‘to misdirect: to fake one thing while doing another’.**
** Lit. ~ Repair the plank road by day while secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河 WèiHé at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 刘邦 LiúBāng in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 项羽 XiàngYǔ of Chu)
I was ignorant. I could not understand what he meant. See him running away, I suddenly fell to the ground. Holding my feet and yelled ‘Ah, I twisted my ankle, it hurts!
Several people ran around to check my injuries.
Few colleagues who are in the temple probe and looked. Just someone sprained an ankle, they continue their activities. Also, sprained ankle was not a big deal. Does not require so much attention. I shrug at Taehyung ‘I have tried my best, I guess the only way to attract them is to shout: I’m going to give birth.’
Taehyung in the crowd shook his head and pointed to the lake behind me.
Oh my god, November is so hard!
Taehyung show gestures and still adhere to the plan.
Ai, who asked me to owe him favors. I hard-hearted stood up from the ground, swishing away some rocks into the lake ‘Ah, my head feel dizzy, I can’t take it!’ and then with my dignity ‘slip’ fall into the lake.
This time not only my colleagues but people around also gather at the lake. People looked at each other and said ‘She twisted her ankle or twisted her brain?’
When I was pulled out from the lake, Taehyung just came out from the temple.
How ah? Why so careless? Can you move? Taehyung stepped forward and act like a caring leader.
‘I feel dizzy, a bit cold…..’ I whispered softly.
Taehyung being a loyal friend, bend down, planning to carry me. However several macho men rushed out and immediately argue with him.
Seeing this situation, I waved like a heroic and shouted ‘Let leader help first!’
‘I got a good Chinese Fortune Sticks, the master said I’m going to have a good marriage.’ Lying on his back, Taehyung happily told me.
Don’t count those housewife, I despise his extremely feudal superstitious activates.
‘Yo, just now someone with strong voice shouted non-stop. How come now stop talking.’
‘Taehyung, just now when I’m in the water, I was so afraid. I was so worried that people are unable to rescue me on time. I’m so afraid I will drown. Afraid in future …… I won’t see you again.’
Taehyung went silence ‘Lalisa, during your junior high school, didn’t you won the juvenile swimming championship?’
Damn it! Too much nonsense written in my resume. I got busted!