Chapter Text
"Hi. I'm looking for Ms. Ella Cruz. Uh, Mr. Moon sent me for the final interview." A tall, dashing man stood in front of the reception. His slender fingers rested nervously on top of the black marble desk.
The two ladies at the reception paused their tutorial session on using the office's information system. The lady behind the screen stared at him, openly studying his pushed back comma hair of the same colour as his fitted dark blue suit. The man felt awkward at the scrutiny.
"Name and ID please," the one in metal grey eyeglasses said. Unlike her colleague, she simply cast a glance at the stranger and went on with the SOP for guests.
"Jeong Jaehyun," he said as he reached for his wallet and promptly gave one of his IDs; scrunching his nose to fix his black specs as they slid down his nose.
"Sign here please," the unbothered clerk pushed the log book in front of him. She inspected his ID front and back, gave it to the junior clerk, and told her what details to key in.
After returning his ID, she glanced at her sleek titanium wrist watch. "You must be her three o'clock." She stood and made some final instructions to the newbie. "Just input the schedules in that panel. I'll come back later."
The girl nodded eagerly, obviously trying to look good in front of a gorgeous man. The senior clerk turned to Jaehyun and smiled with an air of professionalism. "This way Mr. Jeong," her open hand pointing to the hallway across them.
As they walked along the halls, Jaehyun noticed the emptiness of some rooms. "Slow day?" He attempted to make small talk to ease his nervousness.
The clerk shook her head, "Busy day, actually. The empty rooms would be filled by another team later.”
"Ah," he said contemplatively. "So Ms. Cruz, her office is just… here?" His voice was unimpressed. Don't the head honchos usually reside at least on the third floor? "I just remember having my interview with Mr. Moon on the sixth."
The clerk stopped walking and smiled at him politely. "Mr. Jeong, the basement has the same importance as the top floor."
Jaehyun nodded briefly. "Of course. I meant no offense." He glanced at one of the open doors and saw a staff typing in front of a monitor. Cramped rooms, he thought.
As they resumed walking, Jaehyun asked again, "Is she good to work with? I've heard a couple of compliments and some warning from Mr. Moon last time."
The lady smiled as she nodded, "Most of her juniors appreciate what she does. She's flexible and understanding. You'd love working with her." She said enthusiastically; her eyes beamed with pride.
"Have you worked with her?"
"Of course. Ms. Cruz was the first one I worked with here." The clerk stopped in front of a door and knocked twice before turning the knob.
A couple of weeks ago, his housemate Haechan gave him a kick to apply for a job. He wanted Jaehyun out of the house, to breathe some air, and live like the good older brother that he is. Two years of loathing was enough, Haechan said one time.
After days of rewriting his résumé, looking at job postings, and sending out countless cover letters, a consultancy position for a GOCC called him back.
To be frank, Jaehyun did not even believe someone would hire him again. A brief background check would tell them all they need to know about him. So even if consultancy was the last thing he wanted, it didn't sound bad while considering his next steps as a programmer.
He stepped inside, the carpeted floor silenced his footsteps and amplified his thoughts. This was the first time he'll be under someone, as he'd always been the one leading projects ever since he could remember. Not only that, it's odd for him to be under someone who has less experience than him in terms of coding. This person would judge him if he is fit to be working with them. He remembered his interview last week, "She doesn't go easy on anyone, and she's never late." It was a precaution that Jaehyun held up in his nightmares. Jaehyun braced himself for the worst. He breathed and quickly blinked to get his nerves under control.
It was anticlimactic. This "Ms. Cruz" everyone kept boasting about was not there to welcome him as he entered the room. Jaehyun scoffed in his head as his heart rate went down. Before, as manager, he always makes sure he's earlier than his subordinates. Always seen in his office, working and not wasting a visitor's time. He counted this as his first win against this Ella Cruz. He smiled like a sweet peach inside. It certainly gave his confidence a boost.
He looked around the room. Quite nice for someone who's only been a project head for a couple of months.
The office wasn't big compared to what he was used to, but it was still pretty decent. A hard wood table was placed squarely in front of window blinds which let the afternoon sun in. Under the blinds was a short bookshelf filled with thick binders and hardbound books. There were two single deep brown chairs in front of the table. Looks like leather. Jaehyun squinted. Two flat screen monitors dominated the table, beside it was the usual office trinkets of pens and notepads. On the other side of the monitor stood an impressive whiteboard that covered an entire bookshelf and a half. Jaehyun read several lines which looked like codes and team to-do lists. Nothing on Cruz's desk nor board told him what she's like as a person outside of office. It only reeked of work. Workaholic, must be a good person.
On the right side of the office is a loveseat similar to the color of the chairs in front of the desk. In front of it was a paper-filled center table. Busy day indeed. The remaining three walls of the room had floor to ceiling shelves filled with books and file folders.
The clerk cleared her throat, seeing Jaehyun's mind was wandering. "You may sit down and make yourself comfortable," she led him to one of the seats in front of the desk.
It is leather. Jaehyun mused as he rested his hand on the armrest. Comfy.
"Ms. Cruz will be here any minute. Would you like some coffee or tea?"
"Just water. Thank you," Jaehyun cleared his throat as he fixed his tie.
The clerk nodded curtly and went out of the room.
A woman in crisp white polo and black pencil skirt came in a few moments after the clerk went out. Jaehyun stood to greet her. "Ms. Ella Cruz."
The woman looked at him, puzzled. "I'm not Ms. Ella. Just the one who put reports on her table."
Then, the clerk came in with two glasses of water and greeted the newly arrived. "Hi Sam," she chirped.
"That's… Ms. Ella," the staff smiled knowingly as she tilted her head towards the person placing the glasses on the table.
Jaehyun felt his blood rush to his cheeks. What the fuck. His widened eyes stared at the clerk who welcomed him at the reception. The same clerk that guided him to the office, and the very person who he asked stupid questions earlier.
Completely shocked, he looked at her-- hair sleekly pulled back in an efficient ponytail, beige long sleeves folded up to her elbows, with an ID hanging down her neck. Why didn't he bother looking at the clerk's ID? Wait. She's not a clerk. She's the project head. His future boss.
Ella and the staff were discussing something that Jaehyun couldn't hear despite being two steps away from them.
"Remind Kathy at the front desk that I'll be back after this interview," her arm swiftly took the topmost file and gave it to her staff. "Thanks, Sam." She turned her shoulders squarely and reached out her hand to her applicant. "Ella Cruz. Head for the GeneBank’s Onco Project." Her beaming professional smile hid the mischief and made Jaehyun more nervous.
Jaehyun snapped out of his thoughts and shook her hand. "Jeong Jaehyun. Your future web developer," he paused recalling his slip earlier, "I hope." He smiled his best smile, dimples showing, and hoped she'd forgive his arrogance earlier. No one could resist those deep slices on his cheek anyway.
"Please," she motioned for him to sit down, not even batting an eye, much to Jaehyun's surprise. "Well, there's no need for hoping Mr. Jeong. Mr. Moon gave strong recommendations for you. And I can't say no to a Senior Officer, can I?" Ella said as she sat down on her black executive chair. She momentarily nodded to Sam, signalling the staff that she's good to go.
Jaehyun felt uncomfortable in her exasperated tone. "Sorry?"
She relaxed into her chair as she opened his file. "I have reviewed your CV. It's quite impressive for your age," she talked as if she carried more years with her. Her brown eyes looked at him while narrating his achievements, fingers interlocked on top of his file. "Head of multiple activities relating to web development. Presented innovative apps to various international conferences, all of which you have developed during your undergrad years. You're even a Google ambassador for a year, which brought sales and employment in your area of responsibility increased a hundredfold. Quite a feat, really." But with a face like that, Ella knew marketing odds were in his favor. She gave him a nice prim smile. "All these to prepare you for a nice spot in a private company. Two years as manager until late spring." Her eyebrows creased for a moment, as if to understand how he snatched an executive position straight out of school. His papers show that after college he went ahead with masters without working first. "You went straight up there without any solid management experience. Wasn't it hard?"
Jaehyun bobbed his head slowly. "It is, but I believe I did the best I could. Although nothing I ever did in school prepared me for that position. Not even the high pressure from heading two organisations…"
"...while being a computer science student," they chorused.
Ella side-smiled at the coincidence. "You said future web developer."
Jaehyun nodded. "Yes, most of my experiences were focused on front-end web development. Although I did some back-end checking when I was manager."
If Ella was disappointed that he's just a web developer, Jaehyun did not catch that.
"I see. Have you done anything related to data engineering before? Bioinformatics, the likes?"
"Data Engineering, yes. For a bit, during my stay in postgrad. Mostly theoretical classes. I'm not really a thinker, I'm more of a doer, so research is at the back of my mind," he said, then thought better. "But I always do my best and take initiative in all that I do." His chest involuntarily puffing out.
She turned her head thoughtfully, pressing her lips together. "Hm. I specifically asked for a data engineer. Someone who could make sense of the vision I'm working on." Her eyes measured him up. "Web development and data engineering are not entirely the same. If you’ve had more years in software development than in web dev, then maybe. But I don't think I could accept you in my team."
Jaehyun stayed silent. This rejection felt more painful than being betrayed by his ex-partner. Mr. Moon gave him hope that the job was as good as his; only to be stripped off of his last hope. Ms. Cruz’s next words seemed to read his mind: I thought you said I was as good as hired.
"This last interview was supposed to be for formalities since Mr. Moon Taeil gave strong recommendations. Mr. Jeong," she looked him in the eye, "at the same time, I don't need a liability in my team. I'm sorry."
Jaehyun wasn’t the kind to cry right away. He wasn’t even the type to cry at anything at all. Yet right now, a chock full of tears threatened his throat. At that point, he refused to be defeated anymore. He’ll fight his way into this job if it would be the last thing he did. Today was a make or break for him. So if he looked pitiful pleading her to give him the job, it’s fine. He’s got nothing to lose anyway. His pride has been crushed for a long time now. Swallowing hard, he firmly said: “Give me this chance, I won’t disappoint you.”
Ms. Cruz gave a heavy sigh. “They all say that.”
A string was strung at her words. The painful melody echoed in Jaehyun's ears. Four words that contained the kind of pain he knew so well. He clenched his jaw and decided to risk it. "Ms. Cruz. I learn fast," he leaned forward, almost reaching over her table. "I promise I will exceed your expectations."
Ms. Cruz's eyes slanted at his restrained pleading. "A no is a no Mr. Jeong. I could recommend you to another team. But not mine," she stood up and showed him the door.
Dejected, Jaehyun stepped out as he politely thanked the project leader. As they were exchanging formalities, the lady he mistook for the project leader greeted them. Sam, was it?
“Congratulations.” She smiled widely past the obvious temperature of the room.
Jaehyun stared at her confusedly as if trying to understand the sick joke. Ms. Cruz simply raised her eyebrow and corrected her staff.
“Sam. I did not accept him.”
Sam’s exaggerated ‘oh?’ partnered with her bright sparkling eyes irked her team leader. “But boss, he’s a handsome fellow! How could you say no to him?”
Ms. Cruz narrowed her eyes on her and sharply saw a piece of paper in Sam’s hand. Jaehyun saw her mouth ‘fuck’. Sam gave the memo to her. Ms. Cruz sighed as soon as she read it. She was right. The higher ups interfered again. They cut her budget twice already, down-sized her team, and now they want her to accept a talent that doesn't match the job criteria? Damn them.
Jaehyun politely cleared his throat. “Excuse me, what’s happening?”
"STO recommendation," Sam answered him. “For you.”
“STO?” Jaehyun echoed.
“Senior Technical Officer,” Ms. Cruz sighed deeply again and took one glare at Jaehyun. "I don't care if it's one of the sixth floor heads. I value my integrity above all else."
Sam approached her boss and leaned over. "You sure about that, Ms. Ella? We can't afford another day one brain less. At this rate, we-- no you -- won’t get anything done."
Ms. Cruz clenched her jaws and closed her eyes. If there's one thing that Jaehyun learned while he's awkwardly standing by the door is that Ms. Cruz can't hide her fury that well.
"Mr. Jeong," her call was like a platoon leader calling the moving soldier in the fourth row.
"Yes ma'am," his voice shook as tried to answer fastly, looking a head below him to meet the lady boss’ voice.
"I don't want you. Let me be clear on that," she pointed her fingers against him, almost touching his chest. "But I do value the voice of my team. Especially if my life depends on it. Sam here will show the team file as well as the detailed job description and contract."
"I got the job?" Jaehyun nervously asked, half-believing the lines he heard.
"You formally start on Monday. And by Jove if you don't meet the trust my team placed on you, not only will you need to find another job, you will also be the evidence I need not to trust them in the future. Understand? Don’t be the third strike."
She doesn't hide her emotions, and that's what makes her scary. The weight of her words was enough to tell him she wasn't playing around.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am," he answered snappily.
Ms. Cruz stared at him for a good three seconds. Turning to her aide, she curtly said in the same commanding tone, "Sam, you know what to do with new recruits."
Jaehyun blinked his eyes once and looked scaredly at Sam.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am." There was a twinkle in Sam's eyes and the little smirk sent chills down Jaehyun's spine.
Jaehyun went to the lobby to breathe after a whirlwind of events. It felt as if he was being terrorized the entire time he was there. Thankfully, the welcoming of new recruits was just the usual personality test, diagnostic tests, and filling out of forms. Sam was chatty as well. She was the opposite of Ms. Cruz, personality wise. He enjoyed her debriefing about what ensued earlier. She reassured Jaehyun that Ms. Cruz is just strict professionally. That she was just cross because he did not turn out to be the person she wanted, and was angrier because she was made to accept someone whom she already said no to. Jaehyun found it cute that Sam would trust him enough to gossip about their boss on his first day.
"Her words are always final. Even granpa Taeil goes through her. Only the STO could overturn her. And on the rare times he does, she doesn't like it." Sam explained.
"How come?"
"Because it always goes against her principles."
From Sam's debriefing, Jaehyun's fear calmed down for a bit. Yet anxiety still lingered in his heart. Ms. Cruz reminded him partly of the past he longed to forget.
He sat down on one of the waiting chairs and opened the folder. The team members' roles were listed according to hierarchy. He went to his page. Database engineering: implementing internal processes. He could do that. Pretty sure Biology-based info could be processed the same way as any other info he’s worked with. Creation of security systems for database management. God, security, his weakness. Creating security systems meant a lot of thinking from a hacker's perspective. He could punch a goon but he couldn't outsmart a goon. Doyoung proved that once. Jaehyun read on. Research on existing vulnerabilities and troubleshoot such vulnerabilities to strengthen data protection. Protection, what irony. He couldn't even protect himself from vulnerabilities.
Jaehyun’s heart sank as read. Usually, different people were assigned to those tasks. It’s kind of weird that they’re hiring one person for all of those.
He snapped the folder close. This is not his niche. No, it's far from it. Bioinformatics is alien to him. Like a bug he could never find. Did he forget that he struggled with their hard science electives? What did he eat that made him apply for this job in the first place? The job title? “Assistant Developer” God, he knew he was clumsy. But not this clumsy.
Jaehyun sighed deeply. On the bright side, at least he won't be working with Johnny or Doyoung this time.
Jaehyun shook his head and casually turned to the reception area. There he saw his future boss, eyebrows animated as she pointed to the monitor, lips pursed in patience as the receptionist typed away. Jaehyun heaved a heavy sigh once more. Turns out, he's the junior here. He knew then that it wouldn't matter if she knew less IT stuff than he, nor if he had more managerial experiences than she. It's a different field, an entirely different language, and a boss who's expecting a lot from him. He cursed under his breath. It’s going to be an uphill battle.
Come weekend, Jaehyun studied his ass off. He wanted to learn and brush up his skills. His housemate Haechan saw him working in front of the computer and smiled. He crept behind him and asked to sit on his lap. Instead of his hyung’s usual warmth, he received a cold “Not now, Haechan”. Then he saw beads of sweat flowing down his temple, ruffle hair telling him he slept on his desk, lips pouting in utter concentration, and eyebrows slightly crossed. He pushed up Jaehyun’s silver rimmed eyeglasses.
“So you got the job?”
Jaehyun silently nodded.
Haechan would’ve pressed for more stories, and bothered his favorite person more. But for today, he thought he’d make an exception. Not because he was scared of Jaehyun’s cold voice. Just because. He’d just bother him when his payday would come.
Jaehyun did not even notice that Haechan left him without a second attempt. Buried beneath multiple tabs and lines upon lines of codes, Jaehyun surfaced for a moment. Don’t be the third strike. As Ms. Cruz’s voice echoed in his head, his competitive spirit marked that he won’t be the strike. “What happened with the two other strikes?” Jaehyun wondered as he dove back in his study.