There he was—someone she hadn't expected to see so soon, someone who could change everything all over again.
"Ah-rin.... Ah-rin.... Yaaah Seo Ah-rin!!"
Finally, the girl lost her patience and shouted her name to gain her attention. Ah-rin flinched and looked around, only to understand she had zoned out after coming out of the CEO's chamber. She sighed in relief, thinking it was just her imagination.
"Why the hell are you shouting, Maggie!!!" Ah-rin asked with irritation.
Maggie, Ah-rin's best friend for the last five years, looked at her with a done face.
"Do you know how many times I called you? You just dragged me to this rooftop just after coming out of the boss's cabin. What the heck actually happened there?? And why are you looking this pale!" Maggie asked in a concerned tone.
Ah-rin sighed before replying to her, "He asked me to go to South Korea."
"Okay?? Wait a minute.... Where did you just say??" Maggie asked, thinking she had misheard.
"South Korea," Ah-rin replied calmly.
Maggie fumed in anger. "How can he do that even after knowing everything!!! And how can you even talk this calmly after all this! Wait, let me talk to him."
She was about to leave when Ah-rin held her back. Maggie looked at her with a questioning gaze.
"I think...." Before Ah-rin could finish, Maggie cut her off, "Don't tell me...."
Ah-rin just nodded her head, understanding what her only friend in the USA meant to say, making Maggie sigh. She calmed down and asked her, "So...."
"So??" Ah-rin questioned her back.
"When are you going?" Maggie asked, being done with her clueless friend.
"After three days," Ah-rin said calmly.
"It's okay. Don't worry. I will take care of them. You go, do your work and come back soon. It's not like wherever in South Korea you will go, you have to face that jerk again," Maggie said to reassure her friend.
"You are right. I don't know what I would do if you were not beside me. By the way, they are going with me. It might take some years to complete the work," Ah-rin said softly, catching Maggie off guard.
"What do you mean by some years?" she asked, frowning.
"Actually, our branch in South Korea is not doing well. So uncle wants him to go there and solve the problem. But uncle can't trust a brat like him alone with this work, knowing his personality. So he wants me to accompany him there until the branch gets a bit stable," Ah-rin replied with a slight smile, remembering a certain person.
"Hmmm... No offense. But if someday you tell me that the boss wants to marry you with his younger son, I won't be even a little bit shock!" Maggie exclaimed jokingly.
Though Maggie said it jokingly, Ah-rin didn't like it, but she decided to ignore it, for now.
"By the way, you don't have to come to the office for the next three days. And pack your bags too," Ah-rin said, making Maggie frown in confusion.
"Huh?? Why? Did they fire me!!" Maggie asked with concern.
"No dear. Instead you got a promotion," Ah-rin said with a big smile.
"What!! Really? Did the CEO give me your position then? But why do I need to pack my bags though?" Maggie asked in confusion.
"Because you got promoted as my secretary in our South Korea branch," Ah-rin said with a big grin on her lips.
She winked at Maggie, seeing her mouth hang open, about to touch the floor.
"Come again?" Maggie asked, thinking she was hearing things.
"You are going to South Korea with me, girl!!" Ah-rin exclaimed happily.
"WHAT!!!" Maggie asked in disbelief.
"Stop overreacting, Maggie!!" Ah-rin said, being done with her tantrums.
"But why me!!!" Maggie whined like a child who was forced to eat her left over vegetables.
Maggie whined but stopped after seeing Ah-rin's cold gaze at her.
"Fine. You won and I lost. Happy now!! Tell your boss I am leaving. I need to digest this news, or I will die before even going there," Maggie said, admitting her defeat.
"Seems like you don't want to go there. If I were you, I would jump happily by now, knowing my present salary is almost double of my previous salary. It's alright, not everyone has a brain in their head after-all. I will ask uncle to cancel your promotion and give this chance to someone else who won't show me their tantrums," Ah-rin said loude enough for Maggie to hear.
Ah-rin was about to go, but Maggie held her hand to stop her. Ah-rin smirked, knowing the fish had taken the bait, but quickly covered it with her usual cold face and said nothing.
"Almost what? Double!!" Maggie's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets in surprise.
"Yes. So what? You are not interested. So forget it," Ah-rin teased her best friend, playing innocent.
"Who said that? I want that. They gave me this post because I am capable enough for that post. You can't snatch this opportunity from me," Maggie said hurriedly.
"But didn't you just say that you are not interested?" Ah-rin questioned her hardly hiding her smug expression.
"When? I didn't say that! You assume everything on your own," Maggie blamed Ah-rin innocently.
Ah-rin narrowed her eyes and looked at her best friend suspiciously. Maggie sighed, knowing all her acting wouldn't work on this devil cold queen. So she decided to throw her last weapon — her cute puppy eyes.
"You are the one who was showing tantrums like a little child, saying you don't want to go there. Now what happened? What do you want?" Ah-rin teased her best friend, even though she knew very well what her best friend actually wanted.
"Why have you become an angry bird!! You didn't tell me about the salary. How would I know that! It's all your fault," Maggie complained like a child.
"So you want to go there for money but not for your best friend, nor even for them?? I will tell them about this," Ah-rin tried to blackmail her emotionally.
Ah-rin was about to leave, but Maggie again stopped her. She gave her best puppy eyes to Ah-rin with an adorable pout on her lips.
"I didn't mean that though. Okay, fine. What do you want?" Maggie asked, knowing very well her best friend's nature.
"Pay for today's dinner," Ah-rin winked at Maggie with a mischievous grin.
"I knew it. You just want to rob me. Hmph!! Fine. Today's dinner is on me. I hate you," Maggie finally said, admitting her defeat.
"Awww!!! I love you too. I will inform them to get ready for dinner outside. We are gonna have a feast tonight," Ah-rin jumped like a happy teenager. She left, swinging her peaches.
After she left, Maggie sighed and thought —
"I know you are just pretending as if everything is fine when I know it's not. Whenever you act like that in front of me, I feel so helpless. When will you stop this act, Ah-rin!!"
Time skip — at the restaurant....
"Naomi, Noah, don't forget your table manners," Ah-rin reminded them.
"Give them a break, girl!!" Maggie said on twin's behalf.
Ah-rin gave Maggie a bombastic side-eye look, to which Maggie showed an awkward smile.
The twins shook their heads and giggled, seeing their mom and godmother fighting.
"Oppsie..." Naomi covered her mouth.
"Thank you, aunty, for the dinner," Noah said with a cheeky smile.
"Me too, me too. Thank you, aunty," Naomi chimed in.
"It's nothing, babies. I can do anything for my cuties," Maggie said cheerfully.
"Okay, okay... Enough of your dramas. So, Noah, Naomi, what I want you guys to know is that after three days, we are moving to South Korea," Ah-rin informed them.
"Wow!! South Korea..." The twins clapped happily. They squealed in happiness and looked at each other as if talking with eyes. Ah-rin frowned seeing their unusual behaviour. Usually they would throw tantrum about leaving old school and friends. But now they are acting totally opposite.
"Why are you guys so happy about moving to South Korea?" Ah-rin asked.
Hearing her the sudden panic in their eyea didn't avoid Ah-rin's sharp gaze.
"What did you guys do this time, hmm??" she asked sternly.
"No, mommy... We..." Noah tried to find any excuse but failed.
"Hmmm??" Ah-rin asked softly this time.
"It was not Noah's fault, mommy. He said to us first that our daddy left us because he didn't want us. And he also asked others not to play with us because we are bad kids, that's why dada don't want us," Naomi explained sadly.
Naomi's eyes brimmed with tears, making Ah-rin's heart bleed. She stood up and went to them.
"Baby, who is it?" Ah-rin asked calmly.
"It's Jack, Noah's friend. But they fought, so now they're not friends anymore," Naomi replied.
"Baby, whoever hurts us knowing our weak points is not our friend, never, hmm?" Ah-rin said softly.
Noah sobbed but nodded.
"Also you both are not bad kids. You both are most adorable, lovely and understanding kids of the world. Mommy is so lucky to have you guys okay?" Ah-rin closed her eyes to control her emotion before again speaking.
"Baby, you know that you did wrong, right?" Ah-rin asked Noah.
He nodded.
"Tell me, what was your mistake?"
"I should have told you instead of fighting," he said guiltily.
"Good boy! Next time don't fight — tell mommy. Mommy will handle it for you, okay?"
He nodded again. Ah-rin smiled and quickly wipped the tears in her eyes which were about to fall. She composed herself before presenting herself with big warm smile infront of her kids.
"Now who wants a bear hug??" Ah-rin asked cheerfully.
"Me, me..." the twins chimed.
They jumped on her, hugging her tightly. Maggie smiled at the little happy family sight.
"No one loves me!!" Maggie exclaimed dramatically.
"This drama queen!!! Come here," Ah-rin said, opening one arm. Maggie joined the hug.
After the warm family hug they settled down on their seats. Maggie went to the washroom after giving her order. When she returned, she found the table was full of expensive dishes.
"Yaahhh Seo Ah-rin!!! Why did you order so much food?? Can you even finish all this!! I just went to the washroom and you...YOU JUST ROBBED ME!!" Maggie shouted.
To Be Continued....