The next day.
Ilyana and Val sat at a round table discussing their work. Val was new, still had a lot to learn, and Il was his senior. Ilyana, who liked all the handsome guys in the office, took full advantage of the situation by sitting close to Val. Val was her latest target.
"So, this is the report. It needs to be copied three times, and the signature needs to be marked like this. Usually, the big boss, being older, just signs whatever he thinks is right, even if it's wrong," said the girl in soft, small, clear voices.
Jason approached with a steaming cup of tea, smiling at Ilyana's body language, which seemed to be enveloping Val, unbeknownst to the younger man.
"Ahem! Il, Is the report finished? The boss will be here any minute," said Jason.
Ilyana sat up straight, flustered by Jason's meaningful glance. She tucked her shoulder-length hair behind her ear.
"Oh, boss, it's done. I'm just going to put it on his desk."
Immediately, the pretty girl, in her short skirt, tight white shirt with three unbuttoned buttons revealing her cleavage, stood up.
"Excuse me, boss."
Val stifled a laugh.
He knew how mischievous Jason was and how much he liked teasing Ilyana. If he didn't know Jason's playful nature, he would have thought his boss was a womanizer.
Jason sat opposite Val, slowly sipping his hot tea.
"So, Val, I heard you're looking for a new place? I heard your apartment's being demolished. How about you move in with me? My apartment's pretty big, three bedrooms – one's already rented out, but there's one spare room. It's pretty sweet."
Val looked up, furrowing his brow; he might have heard it wrong.
"Boss, are you kidding?"
Jason frowned.
"Why would I be kidding? I'm being serious here."
Val thought for a moment, afraid his boss might be teasing him, but Jason's eyes seemed genuine. He curled his lips, hesitant.
"Hmm, that's tempting, boss, but it must be incredibly expensive. Your apartment is luxurious; I couldn't possibly afford the rent," said Val in a small voice.
Jason smiled, leaned closer.
"Don't tell anyone, but I'll offer you to stay for free. Think of it as keeping me company. My current roommate is… a bit strange, and I'm a little scared," he whispered.
Val's eyes widened at the word "free."
"Free? Seriously, boss?"
Jason nodded, pulling a key card from his pocket – clearly prepared.
"Yup. Here. If you want to move in, just let me know, and I'll help you."
Val took the card, his face beaming, though he was still a little hesitant. Was his boss making a mistake in inviting him to live with him? It seemed suspicious. He wrinkles his brow.
"Seriously, boss?" asked again to make sure.
Jason nodded.
"Hey, I've never been unserious about things like this. We can go to the apartment together this afternoon, okay? I'll show you your room. I just had the apartment cleaner in; it's fully furnished, but you can add your own furniture if you want," said Jason.
Val is still in deep thought. It's weird, but why not? He desperately needed a place to live, and amazingly, his boss's apartment was right across the street. He could commute super easily and save a ton of time and money.
"Wow, what did I dream last night?"
....
"Chitcit chicit!"
A little bird just flew in with its tiny wings and landed on a branch, sharing its cheer with its mate and a few other little birds perched on a small pile of straw atop a large branch. Tall trees towered amidst the cityscape; the morning calm was already overtaken by the hustle and bustle that quickly spread everywhere. Pedestrians, like ants in a colony, immediately filled the sidewalks between the high-rise office buildings of the city center.
Mr. Garber senior is leading the meeting that day on the marketing floor.
From the moment they arrived, the staff became very serious in their seats, instantly busy.
The CEO was known to be very strict and didn't hesitate to scold staff who performed poorly—really troublesome, thought Ilyana, occasionally peeking from her cubicle. Val, who had just made coffee from the pantry, approached, and Il immediately pulled him back.
"Hey Val, don't wander around like that, Mr. Garber might see you and scold you," Il whispered. Val smiled.
"He's not going to scold people randomly, you're being dramatic. Relax, Il, my work is done, so I just want to stretch my back a little; I've been sitting for so long," said Val, stretching his waist.
"Still, you know… come here, let's not get scolded by the boss," Ilyana whispered.
The meeting ended sooner than usual.
One of the businesses of the huge company group is dealing with consumer food, selling high-quality food and drink. Jason led the market research team, requiring constant interaction with customers. One of their tasks was interviewing customers and assessing their satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the final product, and how to market their new products.
While Jason was still tidying up files on his meeting table, Mr. Garber senior left the room. He is Jason's old grandfather, who is old but looks so fine in his golden years.
"Jas, don't forget to stop by the house tomorrow night. I want to discuss that issue again," he said before leaving Jason alone. Jason nodded.
"Okay, sure."
When the old man stepped out of the meeting room, the previously noisy office fell silent. Everyone returned to their work.
Mr. Garber stopped in his tracks when he saw Val emerging from the pantry with food in his mouth. Caught red-handed, Val felt flustered as the man stared at him intently. He quickly finished his food and smiled.
"Hey, good afternoon, sir."
The old man looked Val up and down with his eyes wide, as if in surprise. He must be a new employee, as Mr. Garber had never seen him before.
"What's your name?" the director asked, his gaze fixed on Valiant.
"Valiant, sir," said Val.
The director was silent for a moment, staring intently at the young man, so long that his assistant, Mr. Tyus, had to poke him gently.
"Pardon me, sir, but we need to leave for the airport soon, or we'll miss our flight."
"Y-yes, let's go," the man said, finally looking away.
Val scratched his head. It was strange, the look on the man's eyes at him just now.
The old man had passed by in a hurry, speaking very little and with a flat expression. He kept glancing back at Val even as he entered the elevator. For some reason, Val didn't find the man intimidating, just…odd. He must have been incredibly handsome, because the man kept staring at him without blinking.
"He's weird," Val muttered.
Il ran up and grabbed Val's arm.
"Val, I told you not to keep going back to the pantry! You got caught! You could have gotten in trouble!"
"I did, Il, relax, it's fine."
"Easy for you to say, this naughty brat!" said Ilyana.