Yawnnn…
"Wahaaaaa~ what a pleasuring morning!"
Threw his arms up, stretching with a heroic groan. "Haaa—! My arms feel alive!"
Then he bent backward with another exaggerated noise. "Huuuu—! My back is reborn!"
Finally, he collapsed onto his bed again with a satisfied sigh. "Phewww… that was the best
sleep of my life. Never, ever slept like this before! Haha!"
Sam woke up with a grin, basking in his self-proclaimed perfect morning.
Without warning, he broke into a little tune, his voice echoing dramatically off the walls:
🎵 "Rise and shine, oh world of mine~"
🎵 "Today I'll sparkle, today I'll shine~"
He held the last note like he was performing on stage, then chuckled to himself, clearly
impressed by his own talent.
Fwip! — he pulled his towel from the chair and, with two dramatic spins, struck a pose like a singer clutching a mic.
🎵 "Watch me dazzle, steal the show~"
🎵 "I'm the star you'll never outglow~"
He stood there for a moment, truly impressed with his own performance, before strutting into the bathroom.Facing the mirror, he pointed at his reflection with flair.
🎵 "Mirror, mirror, say I'm divine~"
Slowly, he placed his hand on the shower knob, still lost in his imaginary concert.
🎵 "This brand-new day is surely mine~" he sang proudly—just as the water burst down on him.
The icy stream hit his skin. He froze.
"AYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
And thus, our morning singer ended his concert with an unplanned, but truly massive final effect.
"Is it me, or is this water freezing like hell?! My beautiful morning—" sniff sniff "—ruined…"
( small crying noises )
"I should've used the heater… next time, I swear… I just… forgot, because I was too melted by my own divine sound. Ahem."
Sam puffed up his chest, even in the freezing shower, and started complimenting himself out loud. "Truly… I am a man of talent."
Tik. Tik. Tik.
He blinked. "Hoo… time already? Guess I won't be late today—"
He tilted his head upward and glanced at the clock.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"
9:30 AM.
"HA?! Boss is gonna kill me! I missed my bus! Oh nooooooo!"
Vooosh! Boom! Vooosh!
Sam exploded out of the bathroom like a flash. He grabbed his pants—fwip!—pulled them on.
His shirt—swip!—worn in a blur.
In what could only be described as a world record, he finished dressing in seconds.
Then, in his mad dash, he grabbed his work files—the ones Boss Mai had demanded he submit today. But without realizing it… he snatched the wrong one.
The file he'd slaved over all night sat abandoned on the desk, while he bolted out the door
carrying its useless twin.
—Dash! Dash! — Sam sprinted toward his room, hair flying and arms flailing.
"Huff, huff, huff! Move, move, moveeeee!"
Sam tore down the street like a man possessed, his bag flapping wildly against his hip. Inside, the wrong file bounced around with every frantic step, but he was far too panicked to notice.
If I don't make it before Mai sees me, I'm finished. Done. Cooked alive!
He shoved the office doors open with a dramatic crash, nearly tripping over himself as he
stumbled inside. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his hair sticking out in every direction.
Cyan glanced at Sam's empty seat and murmured, "So… he really is late."
And with that entrance…
What happened next, you already know.
The moment he stepped into the office—Boss Mai was waiting.
The scolding. The beating.
Sam's fate was sealed the instant his foot crossed that door.
And that was how Sam's "perfect morning" ended—beaten, bruised, and carrying the wrong file.But that was the past.Now—back to the present.
The office had already changed, with new faces filling the room.Alia Fene, the mysterious girl from the elevator, now sat among them…and another newcomer, whose appearance had thrown everyone into chaos...
"Sam… are you forgetting something?"
Mai's voice cut through the office like a blade. She stepped toward him slowly, her sharp eyes narrowing, as if questioning a criminal.
Sam stiffened. Forgetting? Me? His mind scrambled. He replayed everything in his head—yesterday's work, old assignments, even the time he accidentally spilled tea on the carpet.
Finally, he forced out a nervous laugh. "Hahaha… nope! I didn't forget anything, boss! Not a single thing!"
Mai's gaze darkened. "You're forgetting something."
This time, the weight in her tone crushed him. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as his brain flipped through every possible mistake he'd ever made. Did I missed a deadline?
What if I messed up code? What if she found out I was singing in the shower instead of working last night?!
"Idiot," Mai snapped, slamming her palm on his desk. "I'm talking about the work I told you to
submit today. Today is the deadline, Sam. Don't tell me… you really forgot?"
Sam's stomach dropped. His legs wobbled.
"And don't you dare say you didn't finish it," Mai leaned in, her voice a low growl. "Because if
you didn't… I'll fire you on the spot."
The office buzzed with whispers.
"Ha… it's his end."
"He's gonna get fired…"
"Poor Sam…"
"'Bye-bye, Sam!' — hey, you idiots! I'm not leaving!" Sam shouted...
But the one who should've been nervous—the one whose eyes should've darted
around in fear like a cornered cat—wasn't like that at all.Sam held his head high, lips curling into a wide, unsettling grin. A creepy, almost triumphant
smile stretched across his face.
The coworkers who saw it shivered.
"What the… has he gone mad?"
"Is he… smiling even though he's about to be fired?"
"What's with that creepy grin?!"
Mai's expression froze, her usual rage dulling into disbelief. For once, she stood blank, almost
Luc, standing nearby, blinked in disbelief. "What… is he insane?"
Alia, on the other hand, froze completely. Wide-eyed, she thought to herself,
Just what kind of workplace did I walk into? Is this guy… actually a psycho?!
Meanwhile, Cyan didn't even blink. He kept typing at his desk, expression calm and unreadable. He'd seen this routine too many times. He knew exactly what would come next—
Sam crying, begging, and getting scolded anyway.
With almighty confidence, Sam threw his head back and let out a booming laugh.
"BUAHAHAHAHA!"
"Boss Mai!" he declared, pointing at her like a stage actor. "What did you think of me?
That I, Sam, would forget my work? That I wouldn't finish it within your deadline? Hah!
Who do you think I am?!"He lifted his chin, raising his eyebrows with smug pride.
"Do you think I Sam is an idiot?!"
Mai didn't hesitate. "Yes. You are."
Sam froze mid-pose.
"C-cough, cough! I-I didn't mean it like that, Boss Mai!"
"Boss, at least once you should admire me!" Sam cried, still holding his ridiculous pose. "You
should say: 'Yes, you're not an idiot, Sam, you're great!'"But his mighty aura cracked. In the next second, he slumped forward,hands clasped together
like a child begging for candy. "Come on, Boss… just once, say it…"
Mai's eyes narrowed. "Sam. I'm not joking. Did you finish it?"
Sam flinched, startled, then puffed up his chest again, switching back into his "mighty" character.
"Boss, boss, boss—why are you so impatient?" He sniffled dramatically, rubbing his nose. "You know I didn't sleep a wink last night!"
All around him, coworkers sighed.
"Here we go again."
"Not wasting my time on this."
"Yeah, let's continue our work."
Sam pressed on anyway, clutching his back and groaning like an old veteran.
"Even my spine cracked in half, yet I worked through the pain to finish your assignment!
Do you understand my commitment?!"
He hunched over, wobbling like an ancient worker who'd slaved away for decades,
milking every ounce of pity he could muster.
Luc, sitting nearby, suddenly sniffled. "Ohhh… my poor Sam…"
Snrrrk–hhnngk! He blew his nose into his towel, his face red from emotion.
Sam, who noticed Luc crying, almost broke his act. Wha–wait,
I didn't mean for YOU to fall for this! And since when am I "your Sam"?!
But Luc was already gone, completely swept away by Sam's tragic performance.
Alia's eyes shimmered with tears, her lips trembling.
Cyan, glancing up from his desk, frowned. …Is Sam's acting actually that good?
Mai, utterly unfazed by the spectacle, tapped her foot. "If you really worked all night,
then show me the file."
Luc, his nose completely stuffed, sprayed out a watery hhnngk–shhhh! and cried,
"Sam! Show Boss your work! Show her your hard work! Be cool!"
Sam couldn't endure Luc's sincerity. He almost broke character, biting his lip to stop from
laughing at Luc's pitiful, runny-nosed face.
He turned dramatically to Mai.
"Boss … you thought I was an idiot who never finishes work? Hahaha! I'll show you!"
Luc pumped his fist. "Yeah! Show it, Sam! Show it!"
Sam's face twitched. "…You idiot, shut up."shhhh
Mai didn't even blink—just kept her piercing gaze locked on him.
Sam froze, then, trembling under that stare, plunged his hand into his desk.
In one swift motion, he pulled out a file and raised it high.
The folder caught the sunlight streaming through the office window,
glowing with an almost divine brilliance.
Mai shielded her eyes. Alia and the other coworkers squinted and covered their faces.
Luc, however, gasped in awe, stars sparkling in his eyes.
"Wooooaaahhhh… so cool!!"
Sam raised the file high. The sunlight caught its edge, making it glow like a holy relic.
Luc gasped, tears still streaming. "So cool… Sam… you're my hero!"
Mai squinted, shielding her eyes. "Enough drama. Open it. Show me the work."
The office fell silent, everyone leaning in.
Sam's confident smile twitched. For a second, the great actor almost cracked.