Y/N POV:
"Oh wow!" I couldn't help the brief sound of amazement as I stood in front of the building that housed Kim Enterprises. It was a beautiful skyscraper that soared into the blue sky, clearly dominating the smaller buildings surrounding it. It was an impressive structure of chrome, glass, and steel and I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
"Pretty impressive, isn't it?" The deep voice next to me surprised me and I turned to see a handsome man with dark hair standing next to me. His innocent looking eyes gave him a cute babyish look, but his strong jawline and the smirk currently on his lips canceled that look out immediately. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."
"It's alright. My first interview with the HR person was via conference call so this is my first time actually seeing the building." Turning my attention back to the building, I scanned it again. "Beautiful but a little intimidating."
The man at my side grinned. "Don't worry. Everyone inside is exceptionally nice." Holding out a hand to me, I took it, shaking his hand. "Jeon Jungkook. Pleasure to meet you."
"Nice to meet you as well sir. I'm Y/N. I'm the new Lead Financial Analyst."
Shaking his head, Jungkook laughed. "Please. Just Jungkook. I'm the Head of Graphic Design here, but your name sounds familiar. Were... were you with Elysium LTD before joining us?" I nodded my head in response. "Ah. Jin told us you were coming on board. Let's go in and I can help you get settled in. I don't have anything going until 9:30 so I've got some time."
Appreciating his offer, I smiled. "Thank you for that." Jungkook nodded in response then pulled the glass door open, gesturing for me to precede him. The lobby of the building was just as beautiful as the outside, decorated in shades of blue and hints of silver, giving it a very classy and elegant look. A long dark marble counter stretched across the front and Jungkook led me over there.
Leaning over the counter, he addressed the older woman seated there. "Morning Sariyah my love. How are you this gorgeous morning?"
The woman waved a hand at Jungkook. "Get out of here with that silliness. It is still too early and I have not finished my coffee yet." Turning to me, Sariyah gave me an amused smile. "Don't let this one drag you in with his charms. He'll try, that's for sure."
Jungkook's lips turned down in a pout at her words. "Hey! It's not my fault you are already married. Since you're taken, I have to find a woman elsewhere." A smirk appeared on his face and he winked at her. "But if you decide to leave that husband of yours, let me know. I'm always available for you."
Sariyah shook her head. "Sorry Kook. You're handsome and all, but I've loved the same man for thirty years. Ain't no way I'm letting go of him." Sariyah patted his head the way you would a small child then turned her attention back to me. "Sorry about that. How can I help you?"
"My name is Y/N. I'm supposed to be starting here today." I pulled out my identification and presented it to her, along with the papers that Mr. Kim had told me to bring.
"Y/N?" Sariyah looked down at the computer in front of her then picked up a stack of employee identification cards before pulling one out. She handed it to me. "This is your temporary card. It will get you access to the floors you need until we can set you up an appointment with HR for your permanent card. Unfortunately their machine is down right now, so it might take a few days."
"I understand." I took the card from her, along with the lanyard, and after clipping them together, I placed the lanyard over my head.
"Here's the key code to your office, along with the keys for your desk drawers and file cabinet." Sariyah handed me a card with a seven-digit number on it, along with a key ring with three silver keys. "The mini fridge in your office should have some bottled water in it at the moment, but leave a note for the cafeteria staff and they will make sure to stock it with whatever drinks your prefer. It's one of the perks that Mr. Kim insisted his employees have. The employee card will also get you one meal of choice in the cafeteria. It is open from 7:30 AM until 9:30 PM during the week and until 3:30 PM on Saturday."
Surprised by the little things that were included, I could only nod my head in understanding. "Thank you. I appreciate the information."
Jungkook was silent through the whole exchange and when Sariyah went to gesture towards a handsome young security guard to the left, he stopped her. "Don't worry about it. I can take Y/N up to her office and introduce her around." Jungkook eyed me up and down and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "I'd be happy to take care of her."
Smacking him with the folder in hand, Sariyah then handed it to me. "Behave yourself. You understand me?" Her tone was stern as she spoke to him, but I could see the amusement in her eyes.
Fixing the mussed strands, he leveled a pout at her. "I always behave myself." Before Sariyah could protest, Jungkook grabbed my wrist and dragged me away from the desk. "See ya later my love." Trying to keep up with Jungkook's hurried footsteps, I followed him to the bank of elevators. Pulling out a key card, he scanned it then pressed the button for the elevator. Turning to me, Jungkook grinned. "Don't worry too much about what she said. I only flirt with her because she is married. If her husband, Tabari, actually thought I would try and steal her away, he would beat my ass."
Laughing at his words, I nodded. "Fair enough." I was curious to know more about the company and the Kim Seokjin that I would be working for, but I was too nervous to say anything. Instead, I smoothed down my emerald green blouse and made sure there were no wrinkles in my black dress pants. After checking my outfit, I couldn't help but fidget with the silver ring on my left hand. It was a ring that Eric had got me when we graduated college. He jokingly said it was a placeholder for the wedding ring he would eventually put there and insisted I wear it on my ring finger to prevent guys from flirting with me. Knowing he was only joking, I wore it there anyways and it became a habit to spin it when I was nervous.
"You look beautiful. No worries." I looked up to see Jungkook watching me and he held up both hands in way that indicated he was safe. "I wasn't hitting on you. I swear! You looked nervous and I was trying to reassure you that you didn't need to be."
Soothed by his words, I gave him a smile, one that let him know I wasn't offended by his words. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
The elevator doors opened to the 21st floor and we stepped out. There were three doors on this floor and we passed by two of them: one that read Marketing Department, the other that read Personnel Director. Jungkook stopped at the last door, a frosted glass one that said Lead Financial Analyst. Gesturing for me to open the door, I pulled out the card with the numbers on it that Sariyah had given me: 6132013. Punching them in, I opened the door when the light turned green and beeped.
Stepping into the office, I was once again stunned by the pretty appearance. The same pale blue theme from the lobby was present throughout, making me feel at ease.
"Jin likes the offices to have a calm feeling. I would prefer black and white, but oh well." I turned to Jungkook, who was leaning against the wall. "This does seem to suit you though. It's soothing and pretty, like you."
Not sure how to respond, I said nothing and just wandered around the office, getting acclimated with my new workspace. There was a brand new silver laptop in the center of the desk, with a sticky note on top that said Mr. Kim Seokjin wanted to see me at 9:00. Looking down at my watch, I saw that it was just after 8. It would give me almost an hour to look around my office. There was a mini fridge in the corner with a magnetic pad on top.
Jungkook pointed to the pad. "You can make a list of any snacks or drinks you want and the cafeteria staff will stock the fridge for you. There's a list of things they offer on the back, but if there is something else, mark it down and they will get it."
I nodded my head then slipped my bag off my shoulder, setting it on the desk. The silver keys that Sariyah gave me opened two of the desk drawers and the file cabinet. I could see on of the drawers was completely empty and I stuck my bag in there before locking it back up and sticking the keys in my pocket.
Leaning over my desk, Jungkook wrote something on a bright pink sticky note then stuck it the bulletin board next to my desk. "This is my office extension and my personal cell phone number. If you need anything at all, you can reach me at either of those numbers."
Grateful for his help, I nodded. "Thank you so much for your help this morning."
Jungkook crossed his arms over his chest. "You're not trying to get rid of me already, are you? Come on. I can show you where the cafeteria is and we can get a cup of coffee."
I hesitated but then agreed, realizing the handsome man in front of me was relatively harmless. "Sounds good to me."
I went to grab my bag from the desk, but Jungkook waved a hand at me. "Don't worry. You wont need it. We get free drinks in the cafeteria."
Putting the keys back in my pocket, I followed Jungkook out of the office. We were standing in front of the elevator, making small talk when it opened and a man I hadn't seen in ten years stepped out.
Namjoon POV:
Oh shit! When I stepped out of the elevator, the last person I was expecting to see was Y/N. I knew I would see her eventually but I wasn't expecting it to be her very first day here. I should have known, especially considering her office was on the same floor as mine. Her eyes filled with surprise at the sight of me, but it quickly faded and was replaced by a blank look, one that made shivers run up and down my spine. I could see instantly that she had not forgiven me, still hated me for what I had done all those years ago.
"Joon! Hey! Glad you're here. This is Y/N. She's the new Lead Financial Analyst that Jin stole from Elysium." Jungkook turned to Y/N and grinned. "Y/N this is Kim Namjoon. He's the Head of the Marketing Department."
Y/N gave me a small polite smile and I could see she was going to pretend we didn't know each other, a realization that hurt my heart. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kim." Her words were respectful, but there was coldness in her eyes that I had never seen directed at me. She held out her left hand to me and my heart shattered when I saw the ring on her finger.
"It's... it's nice to meet you too." I quickly shook her hand and forced myself to release her, wishing I could pull her in my arms instead and beg her to forgive me for everything.
Jungkook grinned at Y/N then turned to me. "I'm taking Y/N to the cafeteria for coffee before she has to meet with Jin. Do you want me to bring anything back for you?"
Shaking my head, I forced a smile on my face. "No. It's alright."
Nodding, Jungkook pushed the button for the elevator and gestured for Y/N to precede him. When she stepped in and turned, I tried to catch her eye, but she was looking at everything but me. The doors closed, separating us, and I knew right away that this was going to be harder than Jin had expected, harder than any of us had expected.
Trudging down the hallway to my office, I couldn't stop the flash of pain that was coursing through my body. She was even more beautiful than she had been the last time I had seen her, her body maturing from an awkward teen to a gorgeous woman and it took everything I had to not yank her away from Jungkook. I couldn't help but feel jealous seeing her with the other man and even more so when I noticed the ring on her finger. Knowing she was married made me feel as though my heart were going to shatter into pieces. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, but I knew there was nothing I could do at the moment.
Pacing back and forth across my office, I tried to calm the waves of jealousy that were flowing through me. I hated the unknown husband with a burning passion, knowing he was the one who was able to hug her, kiss her, touch her. The idea that she carried another man's name made feel sick and I had to flop down in my desk chair, close my eyes and wait for the room to stop spinning.
Sitting up and opening my eyes, I picked up the phone to call Jin. He answered in seconds, a polite 'Kim Seokjin speaking' coming through the line. "Jin? She's fucking married!"
"What? Who's married? What are you talking about?" I could tell from Jin's voice that he was confused, unsure about whom I was shouting about.
"Y/N! She's married." The frustration left my voice, being replaced by sadness, a devastation that was only too obvious. The sight of the ring on her finger wouldn't leave my mind and I didn't even know what to do about it. How could I even say anything to her? What could I say to her? From the look on her face, I knew she was going to act as though she didn't know me and the knowledge of that destroyed me.
Jin was silent for a moment as he processed my declaration. "Are you sure about that and when did you even see her?"
"Yes. She... she was wearing a ring. I saw her just a few minutes ago. She was with Jungkook. He was... was showing her around the company. She pretended she didn't even know me."
"Shit Joon. I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't... I didn't know." Jin's voice was apologetic and I knew he hated putting me in the situation I was currently in. "Maybe... maybe it's just a ring?"
I knew Jin was trying to reassure me, trying to make me think positively but it just wasn't working. "I... I don't know." I was silent for a moment before I continued. It was... it was awful Jin. Her eyes... those pretty eyes that I love... that I love so much? They were so cold. It..." my voice trailed off and I tried to keep the tears that were burning my eyes from sliding down my cheeks.
Jin sighed and I could hear the frustration, the regret, and the pity in the soft sound. "We'll figure it out. We all will. You have a whole team of people behind you who care about you, who will help you. She's meeting with me soon so I will talk to her, try and figure things out."
"No. It's... it's okay. Don't ask her about it." As much as I wanted to hear her say it wasn't true, that she wasn't married, I knew hearing her say she was married would make everything so much worse.
"Are you sure?" Jin's voice was filled with doubt and I knew he wanted to make it better.
I hesitated before answering, but then let out my own sigh. "Yeah. I'm sure."
We spoke for a few more minutes about everything that wasn't related to Y/N and when we disconnected the call, I sat back in my chair, dropping an arm over my eyes. A knock on my door had me looking up to see both Kim Taehyung and Park Jimin entering the room. They were part of my small circle of friends, ones that I knew I could trust with everything I had, every secret that was a part of me. They all knew about the situation with Y/N, with everything that was going on.
"Joon? Are you okay?" Jimin's voice was soft, gentle and the sound of it was enough to make the tears spill down my cheeks, the ones I had been trying to hold in. "Oh shit." The curse was almost silent and he hurried to my side, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a hug. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."
Taehyung was right behind him, taking up my other side. Knowing I was in the presence of my friends, I let myself feel the pain I had been trying to keep in for so long, pain that threatened to consume me, take over, destroy me. After a moment, I sat up and wiped my face. "What... what are you guys doing here?"
Taehyung sat down on the edge of my desk and handed me a tissue. "We saw Jungkook in the cafeteria with Y/N. We... didn't know if you had seen her yet and we wanted to make sure you were okay."
Letting out a laugh, I shook my head. "Yeah I saw her, but am I okay? I don't even know how to answer that question anymore. My best friend, or the woman who used to be my best friend, just pretended that she didn't even know who I was and to top it off, she's wearing... wearing a ring."
Taehyung's eyes widened. "Fuck Joon. I'm sorry."
"How did you even know who she was?" None of the guys had ever met Y/N so I was surprised that Jimin and Taehyung knew who she was.
Jimin patted my shoulder. "The photo you had of the two of you on your dresser. We... we recognized her from that."
"She's beautiful, isn't she? Even more so than she was back then." I knew exactly what photo Jimin was talking about, a photo that made my heart ache as I thought about the memory to go along with it.
Right before I left her that fateful summer, we had taken a day trip to the beach. We had spent the day there, splashing around like kids and when the sun was starting to set, we had decided to take a photo together. It turned out beautifully, the sun casting a gorgeous glow behind us, our arms around each other's waists and the biggest smiles on our faces. Y/N never knew I had printed the photo and framed it. It had a place of honor on my dresser and sat there every single day. When I headed to college, the photo had traveled with me and when I moved into my current apartment, the photo was back on my dresser again, where it remained to this day.
"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" Taehyung's voice was curious as he spoke and I sighed. It was the same question they all asked me, a question I didn't know the answer to.
"Do you really think she would have believed me?" Dropping my head to the desk, I welcomed the pain in my forehead from hitting the wood surface. "She would have laughed at me, told me I was crazy, and ended the friendship."
Jimin snorted. "From the way you talked about her? Would she really have done that?"
Sitting back up, I rubbed my sore forehead. "No. She wouldn't have. She would have hugged me, told me she understood then would have promised to figure out a way to help me." I knew without a doubt that was exactly what she would have done. She would have believed me and vowed to protect me, her fiery personality standing up for me like we had done for each other so many times. "But now? I guess I'll never know."