THIRD PERSON'S POV
Jake took a moment to calm down. He regained his composure and went to take a drink. With unsteady hands, he dialed Sunoo's number. In just one ring, the younger answered.
"HYUNG!"
Jake smiled.
"Hey Sun..."
"Hyung! How are you?! Is everything okay now?! Do you need help? I NEED AN HONEST ANSWER THIS TIME!!!"
Jake sat on his couch and covered his face with his other hand.
"Gosh... Thank you..."
Sunoo furrowed his eyebrows.
"What's wrong? Are they bullying you at work? Tell me hyung. I'm willing to do anything for you.."
Jake released a breath. He stared at his ceiling, hand on his phone gripping tighter.
"Say Sunoo.... If you need to decide between two things... And you don't know what to choose... What will you do?"
Sunoo kept quiet immediately. The younger has been waiting for Jake's call since the incident. Even if Sunoo wanted to call Jake or even go to him personally, he gave his brother the space.
Because Sunoo knows that Jake needs it.
"It depends on the situation and on what are the choices hyung... Why? Is someone making you choose?"
"Yeah... What if... You can actually clean the mess that you unconsciously made by giving up the space that you made effort to create?? If that happens to you... Will you give up your space?"
There was a long silence before Sunoo answered.
"First and foremost. I'll think about the space that I had created first... Will that space be alright with me sacrificing like that?"
"There are things that for sure is hard to prevent once it already happened... But hyung... You need to remember that when such happenings happen, you should be aware of the people around you too..."
"Because they also make up your space right?"
Jake looked down and bit his lip.
"Yeah... That makes it much harder... They're doing their best to fix my mess and yet I can't even do anything about it..."
"I don't believe that."
"What?"
"I don't believe that my hyung doesn't do anything... Because of all the people, I know how genuine my hyung is to the people he cares to..."
"Hyung if you're struggling to decide... Then why not ask them too? Maybe they can help you... After all, they'll be affected too right?"
Jake couldn't stop his tears again.
“But Director Park..."
“Hmmm? What about the Director hyung?”
“Sunoo... I've heard nothing except words of comfort and trust to them... They believe in me before I could even say a word.."
"And that hurts because I disappointed them... I keep on disappointing the people who are taking me under their roof... I can't continue living like this... Why can't I just be a proper employee even for once? Why can't—"
"Hyung stop belittling yourself... If you can't do it for yourself, then do it for me... For us... Hyung you need to know that you're also worth it..."
Sunoo sniffs.
"Stop acting as if everything's your fault! That when things go wrong, it's only YOU that needs to be blamed!!! Why can't you think about yourself even just for once?! Think about what you really love hyung!!"
Jake stopped at that.
"Love?"
He wiped his tears and smiled sadly.
"Love... Right... I love Director Park..."
"That's it!!! Love!! Okay! You love Director Park! Then you should consider that—WAIT! YOU LOVE DIRECTOR PARK?!?!!"
Sunoo screams on the other line. Jake realized that he haven't told anyone about his feelings yet. Not even Sunghoon.
"Yes... "
"Oh... Is that why you're this troubled?? Hyung... It's actually the first time that I found out that you're in love..."
Jake sighed.
"That's right... I'm in love... It just happened Sun... Who wouldn't love someone like him?"
"Director Park is kind... He's very very understanding... He tries his best to catch up to us... Even if he's strict, he shows that he cares for us...."
"I don't know how... But I just knew... After that night, I've been seeing Director Park differently..."
"Hyung... Do you have any plans on telling him about it then?"
Sunoo is totally focused on Jake's answer now.
'I'll make sure to run a proper background check about this Park later... Better see if he's really worth it for my hyung's love...'
"Oh..."
Jake just realized that.
"Should I?"
"Well... If you wanted to know his answer?"
Jake thinks. Does he want to hear Sunghoon's answer?
The thought of it somehow scares him. But at the back of his mind. Just on a little corner, a part of him declines. There should be a chance. Even just a little bit.
His own thoughts finds their way on that conclusion. And even if he wanted to refuse, he knows that he's actually hoping for it too.
"I don't know..."
Sunoo humms.
"Well... If that's the reason why you're struggling, I think you should consider telling the young boss about it..."
Jake sighed and just thinks again.
"I don't know... Should I ?"
"Hyung if you think it can at least help you... Why not?"
"I'll give that a thought... Anyways. I'll hang up now... Thank you Sun..."
"You're always welcome hyung.. And..."
"And?"
Sunoo hesitated for a moment.
"I-If you're free soon... I'll be waiting for us to m-meet.."
Jake smiled.
"Alright... I'll make time for me brother."
"Don't think about me too much! See you when I see you hyung."
"Thank you again... Love you."
"Love you too hyung."
Jake ended the call. With another sigh, he slumped to the couch.
Jake raised his left hand and stared at the watch. He ran his fingers on the patterns.
"If... If I told Director Park about it... Will he accept me still?"
Heeseung's words echoed to Jake.
"I can bring back the designs... Two weeks from now is the runaway... If I can get the designs back, I surely can decrease the work that we will do..."
"But that means I need to do what Heeseung hyung had asked..."
Just then, Sunoo's voice from a while ago reminds Jake.
"Hyung stop belittling yourself... If you can't do it for yourself, then do it for me... For us... Hyung you need to know that you're also worth it...”
"If I do it... They'll hate me for sure... Director Park will be mad..."
"But..."
Jake shook his head.
"I need to be firm with this one.. . Sunoo's right... I should consider them too. And I think this is the right thing to do..."
Jake took a deep breath and stood up.
"Okay. I've made up my mind."
Chohwan was the first one. The next day, it was Minhee who welcomed him on the lobby. Wednesday came and it was Minseo. Thursday was Haegon. And Friday was Nabi.
Throughout the mornings, the five just made sure that Jake will enter the office quick without hearing nor seeing the other employees.
Whether Jake realized that fact or not, he doesn't think it matters. At this point, Jake is just focused on his goal.
Their new designs was finished in a blink of an eye. Jake finally convinced them that he can handle going out on his own and so, he can finally take the ride to meet Jay for a moment.
But it was not that smooth as he thought.
"Is he really still going to stay here?"
Jake found himself hiding in the corner as he listens to their conversation.
"I don't know..... I hope they won't turn a blind eye on this."
"The runaway is going to be on the week after next week, Director Park is going to tolerate the person who caused such problem to us go just like that?"
"I don't even know what the Director is thinking... If it's all of our designs that's stolen, then at least that could be more acceptable."
"But the fact that everyone's designs except his was stolen? That isn't fair."
"That just means that he really was the one who stole it. And he wanted to take the credit so he left his designs.. See? He doesn't even look that affected.”
"I can't believe it. We have an employee like him in the company."
Jake was just curious with their conversation but then he stopped.
‘Everyone's designs was stolen except mine?’
"What did I told you both about gossiping at work?"
The two ladies gasped when Jay spoke behind them.
"This isn't the first time that I warned you didn't I? My patience is not as long as you think..."
"W-We're sorry Team Leader Pa—"
"Just get back to your works! Why are you even at my floor?"
Hearing the raise of tone, the two rushed to the elevator. And they stopped for a moment when they met Jake's eyes.
"S-Secretary Shim..."
Jake recovered and smiled at them.
“Good morning to you two.."
He even bowed at them.
"Secretary Shim?"
Jay looked at him, surprised.
"How long have you been standing there?"
Jake shrugged.
"Long enough to know that my designs was not presented by the Lee's... Team Leader Jay... These are the final designs. Director Park wanted you to have a look on it."
"Oh... Okay... I'll just bring it back later... Secretary Shim you shouldn't roam around so free—"
"It's fine Team Leader Park... It's not like I could hide forever right? And besides... If I didn't do anything wrong, I shouldn't feel guilty..."
He bowed to Jay.
"But rest assured... I'll clean up this mess... I won't bring trouble anymore.."
Before Jay could even question him, Jake already headed to the elevator. Seeing the two ladies still frozen in their places, Jake took the initiative to open the elevator.
"You both will need the ride?"
The two just went inside quietly. Jake fixed his eyes in front of him. When he knows that he's close to their floor, he spoke.
"I suppose you won't believe me with whatever that I'll say but... I genuinely wanted to work here. And I don't want to fail myself and the expectations that the company has been giving me... "
"So please trust me when I say that I'll bring the designs back..."
Without another word, he walked outside the elevator and bowed to them before it closed. Jake headed to their office, this time, with a fixed goal.
'I'll get the designs back no matter what.'