Office Diaries - Chapter 150

“Oh gosh!” Yanee placed her hands against her cheeks as she shook her head.

“Why are you suddenly looking all cute?” Nixie teased her.

Based on how her eyes twinkled, she already had an idea why Yanee was acting like that.

“You also thought that Han was his manager right? You did not expect that it was Jason,” Nixie giggled and Yanee nodded with a laugh.

“I was stumped! I was totally not expecting that. But that’s better isn’t it?” Yanee prompted.

Since it was the case, there was nothing for Jason to be jealous of. Or so she thought.

“You’re thinking that Jason’s not jealous anymore since it was him I first fell in love with all along, right?” Nixie prompted and when Yanee nodded, she snorted. “Ha! That’s not the case at all. The reason why I became his ȧssistant was so he could keep an eye on me. He didn’t care if we’re surrounded by models and handsome actors but goes vigilant when we’re with overly healthy people. My husband thought I have a fat fetish for a long while before he calmed down.”

Yanee was stunned.

And then she laughed.

“Oh my gosh!” She couldn’t believe someone who had Jason’s looks and status would be very jealous. “I have no idea what to say.”

Nixie laughed then. “Don’t say anything. Save all your words since your potato produces more vinegar than my husband.”

Eh? EHHHH?

An image of a potato soaked in vinegar came to her mind.

“Really?”

Nixie grinned. “No idea. But he has the tendency. Your ex was lucky since he’s a jackass.”

Yanee frowned. “What does my ex has to do with this?”

“Don’t you know?” Nixie was surprised she really had no idea. “The only reason he still exists is because you both ended up in bad terms.”

“What?” Yanee looked incredulous. Did this mean that if she and her ex were on friendly terms she’d have a hard time handling her boyfriend?

“Yes,” Nixie told her matter-of-factly as if reading her mind, and she laughed at Yanee’s conflicted expression. “Don’t worry. I can imagine he can be totally cute when’s he’s jealous.”

Yanee smiled sheepishly. She didn’t want to think about it. She’d only started dating Tohru less than a week. There were still so many things she didn’t know about him. It’s best to ask him directly than second guess things. As she’d learned from the stories she’d heard so far, even if it’s hard, it’s better to ask and bravely hear the answer than think on her own.

Yanee couldn’t remember when it was and why this topic was brought up, but there was something that Ami had told her one time years ago that she retained in her mind.

Ah! It was that time when she thought she couldn’t make the interview when she first applied for work in Tokyo.

“What are you thinking about?” Nixie asked curiously and Yanee smiled.

“When one thinks, one overdoes it and doubts start to sprout. Doubts evolve into a darkness that consumes the heart.”

“That sounds so profound. Where did you get it from?”

“My sister told me those words years ago when I first came to live with her,” Yanee answered and Nixie almost whistled.

“Your sister is smart then. You should be as smart and not just keep these words to heart. You should also practice them,” Nixie advised and Yanee nodded.

She couldn’t refute that.

“Anyway, just like what I said, the little brother wanted us to discuss the lesson of my story because he wants to let you know that other things didn’t matter,” Nixie reminded her and she smiled, continuing her words in her mind— the unspoken part.

Other things— physical appearance, status, education, etc. didn’t matter. What mattered was that they liked each other.

Somehow, Yanee’s heart was appeased.

“You look happy,” Nixie commented.

“I am,” Yanee admitted. “I’m at the point wherein even if the potato tends to soak in vinegar, I’ll be patient,” she replied making Nixie laugh.

The two of them chatted more for a while before going back to Jena’s room. When the two of them arrived, they heard giggling sounds from the doorway. When they entered the hospital room, they were pleasantly surprised to see Jisoo there along with two children.

“Hey!”

They exchanged greetings and Jena introduced the children as her son and daughter. Yanee noted Sam’s face and even if she already knew that he resembled Alvin based on Jena’s story, she was still surprised at how uncannily similar they were.

Who’d ever not think that this child was somebody else’s other than Alvin So’s? No one.

All of them stayed and chatted while the kids played. Well, although they were playing, it was more like Sam was following his younger sibling around, making sure that she’s not into mischief. Yanee couldn’t help but smile.

“Yanee, do you have any plans tomorrow?” Jisoo suddenly asked and Yanee shook her head.

She had three days to spend in Seoul but she already did her job this first day. It might be because Tohru wanted her to take a break before flying back to Tokyo and then take a longer break.

“I don’t really have any plans for tomorrow. I was thinking to just stay at the hotel to work on my notes and then maybe look around to get a breather,” she replied.

She’d been to Seoul many times and she’d explored the city. She was not inclined to do some tourist stuff at the moment. Tohru was right when he said that she must be tired from all the traveling she did so far.

“Oh,” Jisoo commented looking thoughtful.

Yanee noted that she seemed to want to ask her something but didn’t.

“Is there anything?”Yanee asked.

She really didn’t have to work on her notes if she had something else to do since she would be on a longer break when she returned to Japan. If Jisoo needed her to do something tomorrow, she’s totally fine with it— and then it dawned on her.

Was Jisoo wondering to ask her if she could do her interview tomorrow? Yanee thought so, and she also believed that it was a good idea. She’s already there in Seoul and she had free time. Plus, it would save her the effort of flying back there to interview just her.

“Big Sis, are you free tomorrow?” she asked.

Technically, Jisoo was the one taking care of Jena and her kids while the latter was at the hospital. But as they had chatted earlier, Yanee knew that tomorrow, Jena’s in-laws would arrive and would be taking the kids. The elderly couple would be the one taking care of them until Alvin returned from his business trip and bring them all back to Taiwan.

On the other hand, Nixie would be leaving with Jason that evening to Busan since he had a concert there. Jisoo would be left alone.

Jisoo looked at her carefully and thoughtfully. She appeared to feel a bit sheepish that she would want to take Yanee’s time. But Yanee didn’t really mind, and since the other couldn’t seem to say it, she decided to do it.

“If Big Sis is free, then would you mind if I do your interview tomorrow?” Yanee asked and Jisoo’s eyes widened.

“Are you sure?” she asked hesitantly. “If you get so tired and collapse there will be a crying potato who will sulk on video call scolding me for an entire day,” she told her and Yanee laughed.

These girls….

Their poor little brother had totally turned into a potato. She now wondered if Tohru now knew what Yanee called him behind his back.

“No potato will dare scold you,” Yanee ȧssured her with her lips twitched.

She’d probably scold the potato before he could do the scolding. Jisoo looked delighted by her answer and clapped her hands. The other ladies looked happy for her too.

“Congrats Big Sis, you have something to do tomorrow now,” Jena and Nixie cheered and they all laughed.

Yanee, on the other hand, remembered that among the group, the couple, Yushin and Jisoo, was the oldest. She now wondered how they were related to Tohru. Alex and Michael were his school friends, Jason and Alvin were his cousins, while Liam and Jinho were his in-laws.

“Yes!” Jisoo beamed at Yanee.

She looked like a young girl excited for an upcoming excursion or party. Yanee wondered how bored she was, but didn’t ask. It’s good that her schedule was settled.

“I’ll go to your hotel room tomorrow and have lunch there,” Jisoo told Yanee and she immediately agreed.

If Jisoo didn’t want to go out, it meant that she didn’t want others to hear her story, so she had no problems doing the interview at the hotel. Besides, the food at Jisoo’s hotel was very delicious. She didn’t mind dining there.

“My story is very short so you don’t have to bother with a recorder,” she said and Yanee nodded.

Soon, they all said goodbye, and Jisoo took her back to the hotel. She and Yushin lived in a different hotel, the one where the party when they first met was so she didn’t bother to bring her to her room.

Yanee had a great time that day and she decided to just order dinner later in her room so she could prepare for bed earlier. But of course, the day wouldn’t be complete without a potato checking up on her. As soon as she finished dinner, she brushed her teeth and switched into her pajamas. She just sat on the bed when the phone of the bedside table rang, and a smile played on her lips as she read Tohru’s name on the incoming call before answering it.

“Hey…”