April 11, 2022
"Congratulations!"
"Congratulations Mr. Kim. And to you too Yoon PD nim," Jang said, shaking the hands of each individual in the room.
"Congrats to you too Ms.Park. None of this would have been really possible without you," Mr. Kim said, the representative from the Netflix legal team spoke to Nabi.
Nabi smiled and bowed down in sincerity and politeness. Taking his extended arm and shaking it, Nabi said, "You humble me. None of this would have been possible without any of us."
"You're a very modest person, Ms.Park. I mean it when I say this deal would not have been possible without you. The amount of commitment and encouragement you have shown throughout the entire project is very impressing. i look forward to working with you again in the future," Mr. Kim told her.
Nabi only smiled and politely bowed. She grew awkward when people complemented her too much and didn't know how to react to them.
Mr. Kim turned to Jay and said, "Well then. Let our joining be prosperous."
Joining? Why did he phrase it as if a marriage is happening between the two parties.
Jang walked their visitors out while Jay remained seated in his chair in the conference room. When they were alone, Nabi turned towards Jay and said, "You could have stood up you know. These people will be in charge of your income from now onwards."
"I could've. . ."Jay admitted, "But. . .I didn't feel like it."
"You better change that attitude if you want your deal to last long," Nabi advised, collecting her belongings to leave. Being with Jay always reminded her of Suho. Coming to think of, the two must be similar in age too.
It crazy to think that while Suho is still in university, earning his degree, Jay is out here signing a Netflix deal and earning millions.
"The way I see it, they are more desperate to have me than I am. I doubt they will be dropping me anytime soon," Jay commented. And there is that thing.
Arrogance.
Why is that almost every male that walks this planet is filled with arrogance to the brim?
"Well, congratulations," Jay said, finally getting up from his seat, " I just earned you a higher salary and most likely a bonus as well."
It didn't go past Nabi that Jay emphasized heavily on "I".
Jay leaned a bit closer to Nabi, who was standing on the other side of the table in between them and winked at her.
"See you around," Jay said before guiding himself around.
Nabi rolled his eyes. Boys will always be boys.
Nabi too left the conference room and made her way back to her table in the office. Right as Nabi was settling down her laptop and herself back, Jang walked back into the office with a bright smile and clapped his hands together twice rather loudly.
"Alright team!" Jang began loudly, taking everyone's attention onto him, "Today is a big day because today we finally sealed the deal with Netflix!"
He paused as everyone briefly clapped and cheered, Nabi included.
"This is not only a win for me but it is a win for everyone who is a part of our family. We will only go upwards from here onwards. Of course, none of this would have possible without the brilliant work Nabi has done on Unexpected Fate. You may just be a simple editor to the world but everyone here knows that Unexpected Fate would not have reached the success it has without you," Jang said and everyone cheered for Nabi, putting her on spotlight as she blushed.
"To celebrate, we're all going out tonight on a company dinner. My treat and no excuses aloud. I want to see each and every one of you there," Jang announced, "Now get yourselves back to work. No slacking off."
"Cheers!"
Some of the soju that swayed from the glasses clinking together spilled on Nabi's fingers but she did not particularly care about it.
Tonight is a night of celebrations and happiness and a celebration of success. Also not to mention that Nabi is getting a free meal so she is even in a more particularly good mood.
Nabi turned her head to the side, practicing the polite Korean culture, and drank her shot glass filled with soju. She winced as the bitter liquid hit her at the back of the throat. But Nabi loved that bitterness. Whenever she drank soju, its bitter taste seemed to cancel out the bitterness in her own life.
Nabi engaged in small conversations here and now, laughing at a story Yoon was retelling and laughing at the drunk antiques of her colleagues. Jang had also invited the marketing team, legal team and the finance team out for dinner as well so really there is a full house tonight. They must have occupied half of the restaurant.
A phone call interrupted Nabi from her conversation with her peers and by the time she reached for her phone, the person on the other end had hung up.
Nabi saw that it was a missed call from her uncle and so excused herself briefly and stepped out of the restaurant to call her uncle back. Before she could get to it thought, her uncle had already sent her a message. Apparently the nursing home had called him to notify that their grandmother isn't doing well lately and Nabi began to type in her reply.
"Nabi?"
Nabi looked up from her phone, turning her head around for a few seconds until she found the source of voice from where she heard her name being called out.
Her hands automatically froze when over her phone screen when she finally spotted who spoke to her.
Whatever amount of alcohol she had just consumed earlier seemed to have evaporated from within her and Nabi felt as if she just sobered up.
"Mingyu. . ."Nabi called out. softly.
Mingyu smiled, almost as if he were painfully smiling.
"It is you," Mingyu spoke to no one in particular, "I thought it was you."
Mingyu was still standing in the distance, standing at a safe length away from Nabi. He didn't make any move to come closer to Nabi either. Mingyu stayed put at where he was, a couple of good meters away from Nabi.
If Nabi were to be honest, Mingyu didn't look extremely well. He looked as if he hadn't slept in a couple of days and that he could probably knockout any moment now. Most importantly, Mingyu looked sad and distressed. He wasn't like his usual jolly and carefree person that Nabi has come to know.
Nabi spied a tiny white cylindrical material in his right and as he seemed to move it slightly behind his figure.
"Uh. . .what are you doing here?" Nabi asked, making the first more for a change and folding her arms across her chest.
"Schedule," Mingyu answered.
"This late?" Nabi asked, concerned about the timing. Who even works this late?
Mingyu only shrugged his shoulders and said, "It's nothing."
There was a brief silence between them before Mingyu asked, "Why are you here?"
"Team dinner," Nabi told him, gesturing back to the restaurant, "We-uh-we closed a very important deal today."
Nabi was about to let it slip that they have just signed with Netflix but suddenly remembered the confidentially clause.
"I see," Mingyu nodded his head.
Another round of silence passed by and this time Nabi broke the awkward tense air between them by pointing out, "I didn't know you smoked."
Nabi was talking directly about the white cylindrical object that was in his right hand.
Mingyu looked down at his right hand and then brought his hand behind his body, almost as if he is embarrassed being caught smoking by Nabi when in fact she didn't care less about it. Nabi doesn't really personally know any smokers and she knows Scoups doesn't smoke either but Mingyu is an adult and is free to make his own choices.
"I don't", Mingyu said, "I mean. . .I don't really like it too much."
Nabi raised an eyebrow and said, "It doesn't seem like it."
"It just. . .it just helps me get my mind off of things sometimes," Mingyu says, "I don't even own a lighter."
Nabi nodded as if she understood what Mingyu was trying to express even if she didn't and a thought suddenly passed her brain.
"Happy belated birthday," Nabi wished him.
Mingyu sharply turned his head towards her and narrowed his eyes onto her.
"I didn't know you knew," Mingyu spoke and it sounded like he is accusing.
"I know your birthday cafes," Nabi told him truthfully, "I wanted to text you but. . ."
"It's okay. I understand," Mingyu spoke in for her when Nabi trailed off in her speech, "I didn't think I was going to ever see you again."
Nabi bit her lip and looked down at her feet. "Neither did I," She spoke so softly that Mingyu didn't even hear her.
"Are you and Hyung still even a thing?" Mingyu asked.
Nabi hesitated before answering. She wasn't sure how much she should share with Mingyu or how much would even be appropriate to share.
"We're working things out," Nabi spoke after contemplation. They may be in the middle of a break but they haven't broken up for good yet.
"So I really have no chance huh," Mingyu sounded slightly bitter.
". . .Mingyu," Nabi started but Mingyu quickly cut her off and began to shake his head, "No no its okay. I can take it. I just wish I found you first. Then maybe things would be different right now."
"I guess this might really be the last time I'll ever see you. We both should go on own our paths," Mingyu said, "It's easier. But I just need to know. . .are you happy?"
Nabi paused and then nodded her head slowly, speaking, "I am."
"Good," Mingyu said, "I just want you to be happy. And that one day you will realize your worth."
Nabi didn't know how to response to that so she didn't say anything.
Mingyu sucked in a deep breath and looked up at the sky.
"I should get going. My manager is probably waiting for me," Mingyu said and Nabi was sure that he was making up an excuse to get away from her.
"Um. . .take care," Mingyu said.
"You too," Nabi told him.
"Goodbye Nabi," Mingyu said, getting ready to leave.
Nabi smiled one last time at him and said, "Goodbye Mingyu."
April 14, 2022
Nabi wasn't sure why she is doing this.
Only a fool would do something as stupid as this but when she saw Mingyu three days ago, Nabi realized she needs to go through this. For herself. For closure.
The way she left things with Scoups two weeks ago, Nabi realized that she never really finished things off with him and that he is probably living under the false pretense of their relationship still being alive.
Truth to be said, at the time Nabi just desperately wanted to get away from Scoups and so she just dropped the "Mingyu" bomb onto him. Looking back, she regrets it. As much as Scoups does deserve to know what happened, he and Mingyu are teammates and co-workers and she can't imagine how incredibly awkward Nabi must have made things for them.
Which is why she decided to contact Scoups again and clear the ground between them for once and for all. When she first texted him, Scoups didn't reply for a good day and Nabi was really surprised when she saw his reply pop up on her lock-screen. It was obvious from the tone of his texts that Scoups is being passive and unwelcoming. Yet still, she decided to go through with her plans.
Nabi asked him to meet him in the same place she last saw him, at the bench at the park, under the cherry blossom tree and there she waited for him. Funny enough, this place happened to the same exact place where Nabi and Scoups shared their first intimate moment.
Their first kiss.
And now they will also share their last moment here.
With everything going on in her life recently, Nabi had completely forgotten about their first year anniversary. It has just passed last week but in actuality, Nabi is glad she forgot it. It just gave her more reasons to move on.
Nabi heard the sounds of the footsteps first and immediately knew who it was.
She got up and turned around and faced Scoups. He was fully covered with his beanie, mask and jacket that nobody could possibly even guess who he is.
Scoups stared at her with wide eyes and Nabi looked back at him, her fingers fiddling from nervousness.
"Uh. . ." Nabi let out, trying to think of the best way to word her thoughts. She should have rehearsed this earlier.
Scoups suddenly walked closer and leaned in with his hand reaching out towards her head and Nabi blinked multiple times, surprised at his unprecedented reaction.
"Sorry. . ." He spoke raspy, "There was a flower on your hair."
"Oh. . ." Nabi responded, Scoups stepped back.
"Why did you call me here?" Scoups asked her.
"I-I. . .wanted to clear the air between us," Nabi spoke, looking down.
"I think you cleared enough last time," Scoups spoke firmly.
"I-" Nabi started but she couldn't continue. She didn't know how to speak when Scoups is being so cold with her.
Without realizing it, a tear escaped Nabi's eye and fell to the ground and said, "I just wanted to say. . .I'm sorry. . .f-for kissing Mingyu. I shouldn't have done that. Even though we weren't exactly. . .ideal. . .it was wrong."
Scoups only looked down at her with an unreadable expression.
"I just want to. . .end everything without any. . .hard feeling," Now that Nabi is speaking out, she found it hard to let her words out and her voice cracked.
At first Scoups didn't say anything apart from only looking down at her hooded figure. Then he commanded, "Look at me."
When Nabi did not react, he repeated himself, "Look at me."
Nabi slowly found her courage to look up and met his eyes.
"Don't cry," Scoups instructed, "It doesn't suit you."
Very ironic considering all he has ever done is make her cry.
Scoups suddenly sighed and said, "You're going to breakup with me aren't you."
Nabi didn't say anything but her eyes give him her answer.
"I saw it coming so I can't say I'm surprised," Scoups told her.
"Are you mad at me?" Nabi asked quietly.
"No. Why would I be mad at you," Scoups said calmly, "Now that you're far from me, I can see how much of a crap I treated you. It is probably better for the both of us to breakup."
Nabi didn't say anything because she is honestly taken aback. She didn't expect Scoups to take the breakup so well and she didn't expect that he would be the one to make this easy for her.
Scoups sighed once again and suddenly pulled Nabi into a warm and comforting hug. He buried his face in the crook of her neck with his warm breath hitting her bare skin.
"Just. . .one last time. . .then I'll leave you alone forever," Scoups said, his voice muffled and so Nabi to gave into her craving and wrapped her arms around him tightly, closing her eyes as she cherished this last moment she share together.
When they pulled away, Scoups looked into her eyes and smile, saying, "Goodbye Park Nabi. I hope you finally find someone better in the future."
"Goodbye," Nabi spoke softly.
"Cheer for me, will you? When you see me on the screen. Like an old friend," Scoups asked of her.
Nabi nodded.
Scoups grinned and caressed her hair before saying, "Stay safe."
And then he was gone.
And then, Nabi was finally free.
This is NOT the last chapter. This is the second last chapter and we have one more chapter to go before calling it done. I was so confused on how to end it and how to approach this situation because I had never had intended for Nabi and Scoups to stay together and I'm actually satisfied with the way things turned out.