Work Text:
The weekend was almost here. It was Friday afternoon, and a rather relaxed atmosphere in the office today. Park Dong Hoon had worked hard all week, and today there didn't seem to be as much to do as usual. Granted, there were still lots of things today, but not as much as other days. The team were feeling relaxed despite having deadlines and bosses from higher up breathing down their necks, but it was almost the weekend.
Assistant Manager Kim was sitting in his chair, spinning from left to right. He saw Park Dong Hoon, their wonderful boss, sat at his desk. He was reading over and over some paperwork that looked complicated. 'Manager...' Assistant Manager Kim slid over to him in his chair and grinned sheepishly. 'Let's go to karaoke!'
At once, people appeared like meerkats from their desks, and they all grinned. 'Manager! Let's go to karaoke after work!' An office chorus had formed, and they all sang, waiting for his response.
Lee Ji An was listening in the break room, cursing the water for boiling too loud in the kettle. She managed to hear his deep intake of breath before he replied. Karaoke didn't seem like Park Dong Hoon's type of thing...
'Okay,' he replied. 'You have all worked hard again, another good week. We can go to karaoke when work finishes.'
'Yes!' Assistant Manager Kim cheered louder than anyone. 'I know all the words to Monster by Big Bang.'
'Let's get back to work now, and we can all enjoy ourselves later.'
Lee Ji An took her coffee and returned to her desk. She looked at her keyboard for a moment before going to type...
One of her earphones was pulled from her ear and she started, causing most people in the office to fall silent and watch from behind their computer screens. Lee Ji An sighed as Assistant Manager Kim was standing over her, leering down, looking smug. Lee Ji An waited...
'We are all going to karaoke tonight...'
Lee Ji An didn't respond.
'The whole team...'
'I don't like karaoke.'
'That isn't a surprise to me anymore,' bit Assistant Manager Kim. 'However, as Manager has agreed, we are all going to karaoke. You must come too. You don't have to sing, but come. It's good team bonding!'
Lee Ji An didn't look up, but she knew he was watching. She could feel the warmth of his eyes, and it made her face grow warm. An expert bluffer, she hid it well: her face remained as stony and as cold as ever. Instead of replying, Lee Ji An simply replaced her earphone and began typing away. Assistant Manager Kim spoke to her some more, but gave up after two minutes when he was called over by his boss.
'Leave her,' Park Dong Hoon said.
'Why is she always so mean?' Assistant Manager Kim wailed.
'Manager, I bet she can't even sing. I bet she doesn't want to come because she'll be embarrassed.' Jung Chae Ryung, the secretary who had made it clear she did not think very highly of Lee Ji An, sniggered.
'Enough,' Park Dong Hoon's one word was stern and enough to silence her, and anybody else who had decided to whisper about the mysterious office temp.
The rest of the afternoon went by without any fuss or issue, and soon enough it was home time.
The team gathered their things together and waited in a group by the door, for Park Dong Hoon, who had decided to go over to her desk.
Lee Ji An had heard him coming, and had removed both earphones before he had reached her.
'Miss Lee Ji An.'
'What?' Her question earned a few mutters from the crowd by the door.
'We are heading to karaoke now,' he said, even though he knew she was already aware of this. 'Would you like to join us?'
Lee Ji An didn't give a verbal reply. Instead, she turned off her computer, grabbed her bag and put her coat on - a coat that Park Dong Hoon had always thought could have fit them both - Lee Ji An and... and anybody else in...
'Let's go.'
'Are you coming with us?' She raised her eyes to meet his and he knew it meant 'yes'.
The whispering began again as the team left the building.
The entire team consisted of Park Dong Hoon, Section Chief Song, Assistant Manager Kim, Yeo Hyung Kyu, Jung Chae Ryung, Ji Woo who was another secretary and best friends with Jung Chae Ryung, and Lee Ji An. They all got into the lift together, and it was rather squished. Park Dong Hoon had entered first, being the boss and all, and everyone else had piled in after him. Lee Ji An had been the last person to enter the lift, but somehow had ended right in front of Park Dong Hoon.
They got out of the lift in a weird little queue, and formed a broken group once they were outside. The two secretaries lead the group, arms linked and heads pressed together, no doubt gossiping about Lee Ji An. Park Dong Hoon walked in a line with his three male colleagues, and Lee Ji An trailed along at the back, purposely taking slower and smaller steps than everybody else.
She had considered going home. She didn't seem to be anyone's main focus and she really wasn't in the mood for any of what the night promised: she didn't want to sing, she didn't want to listen to anyone else sing, she didn't want to socialise with her work colleagues...
Just as she was about to turn back, Assistant Manager Kim was standing before her.
'Come on, you snail! We're almost there.'
Lee Ji An glared at him, and she wasn't certain, but she swore she saw a faint smile play on Park Dong Hoon's face. She sighed and accepted defeat for now. She decided if she had to endure this, she'd just drink several bottles of soju and whatever else was on offer, and hopefully sneak out when nobody noticed...
The karaoke bar was brightly lit, with neon signs and colours flashing all around, and music radiating from each room. Park Dong Hoon paid and everyone went upstairs to their room, which was wide and spacious, with more neon signs. The sofas were red and plush and softer than anything Lee Ji An had known before. The TV screen and karaoke machine were state of the art, the latest design, and thankfully enough alcohol was provided. Lee Ji An sat at the end of the sofa, coat still on, and grabbed the first bottle of soju she could get her hands on. Half of the bottle had gone before the first song had finally been picked.
Listening to the two mean secretaries sing very badly to Girl's Generation "Lion Heart", Lee Ji An was extremely glad she had a drink. Everyone else got up to sing a song... except for Lee Ji An and Park Dong Hoon.
An hour or so into the night everyone else realised this, too.
'Manager!' Assistant Kim plonked himself down on the sofa and handed him the microphone. 'You need to sing a song for us, Manager!'
'Ha-ha,' Park Dong Hoon shrugged it off. 'I am happy just to listen.'
'Please, Manager!' Jung Chae Ryung sang. 'I bet you have the voice of an angel.'
'I will spare you all,' he laughed. He grabbed a shot of soju and downed it. 'You are all so good, I'd hate to take away your fun.'
'What about you, then, Lee Ji An?' Assistant Manager Kim turned his gaze to the end of the table. She hadn't spoken a word all night. Park Dong Hoon noticed the three empty bottles of soju by her and she caught him looking, so he quickly looked away and pretended to be reading the snack menu.
'What?'
'Why don't you have a turn?'
'Why?'
'It's a karaoke bar. You're supposed to sing.'
'I bet she is so terrible,' Jung Chae Ryung giggled to her friend. 'She doesn't want to show herself up in front of Manager.'
Lee Ji An shot them both a look and stood up. She took the microphone and stood at the front of the room, facing the TV screen. She knew that everyone would be staring and listening intently, but as always his were the only eyes she cared about. She chose her song and took a breath...
The music began, and a few people looked confused and pulled faces. Not many of them recognised the song she had chosen. Everyone else had chosen something bubbly and fast and fun, but this music was the opposite: it was slow and it was sad and it was deep.
*
'Long ago, when I came to the world from a star
I heard a small voice that told me
To give love
Flowers that only blooms when it receives love
It told me to bloom a million flowers
Only when it’s true love
A rose of love blooms
Without a heart of hate
When I only give love
Without holding back...'
*
Everyone was staring at Lee Ji An, and most people were not blinking. This brooding, moody character who seemed to have so much darkness inside of her lit up when she sang, and nobody could quite believe what they were hearing. Her voice was pure heaven. Even Jung Chae Ryung and her friend Ji Woo were speechless. Assistant Manager Kim looked like a besotted fanboy, and the other men were smiling and had their eyes closed, allowing themselves to get lost in her words...
*
A million flowers can bloom
Only then can I go back to my beautiful star that I long for
True love makes painful tears fall
Because it was such a sad world
Where I had to say goodbye to so many
After much time passed
A love that gave its own life for me
That appeared like a light
I was holding that kind of love
Without a heart of hate
When I only give love
Without holding back
*
Park Dong Hoon had sat up straight from the very first note of the music. Had she known this song was one of his all time favourites? She sang it in a way he had never heard the song before, and he was very glad he was wearing a jumper, as his entire body had erupted in goosebumps from the very first word. He hadn't taken his eyes away from her once -- even when a waiter came in and brought the snacks that he had ordered. He had become so engrossed in the song and her performance that he hadn't noticed his colleagues nudging each other and noticing just how he had been looking at her...
*
A million flowers can bloom
Only then can I go back to my beautiful star that I long for
Now even when everyone leaves
That love will continue
Because of this person that came to me from the star
When I’m with you
Many more flowers can bloom
We’ve become one
And now we’ll return to the star forever
Without a heart of hate
When I only give love
Without holding back
A million flowers can bloom
Only then can I go back to my beautiful star that I long for
Without a heart of hate
When I only give love
Without holding back
A million flowers can bloom
Only then can I go back to my beautiful star that I long for...'
*
The music finished and the song ended, and Lee Ji An felt a tear run down her cheek. Singing was a way she had coped with her emotions ever since she had been little, but ever since those harrowing events with her grandma happened she had stopped singing altogether... She quickly wiped it away before applause sounded and people cheered.
Park Dong Hoon came crashing back to earth, and found his feet again. He stood up and walked over to her, reaching her before anybody else even had the chance. He noticed her eyes were slightly starry, but he said nothing. He didn't think words were possible at that moment. It was almost as if she had put a spell on him, and he had completely fallen for her charms. She slowly looked up at him and she waited. Words eventually found him.
'Did you know...?' Her eyes told him everything. 'That was breathtaking.' It was a whisper intended only for her.