Chapter Three

Inside the box was a brand new laptop, a brand new tablet and a box of headphones. I looked at him, questioning as to what I saw.

"The boss personally suggested that you use these for your job. He said it will be beneficial if you accompany him on business trips," he explained. He continued, "The headphones are for calls. I already incorporated a software into your laptop where you can receive and make calls. Please, make sure that your calls are exclusive for work purposes."

I nodded as I closed the box. I then asked, "Are you sure that this is for me? I didn't expect this to happen next. I'm still at the part where I'm questioning if everything right now is real."

"I assure you, Miss Ryuk, everything was planned meticulously for you," he replied. "We take pride in taking care of our employees, especially those who do heavier workloads. This is our boss' way of compensating for the abrupt start of your career, as well as the incoming heavy workload."

I nodded again as I smiled. I felt like a kid who just received everything on her wishlist for Christmas. I couldn't believe how much care the boss had for me. And I was just a new employee.

"Are those all your questions?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered quickly as I couldn't find the right words to thank him.

"Very well. Let us proceed to your workstation," he replied as we both stood from our chairs.

---*---*---*---

"Just to clarify, that would be for an eight-thirty dinner next week?" I asked the client on the other line as I wrote it down on the excel file. Right after I was shown around my desk, I immediately got everything settled and worked. The only thing that Mr. Kim reminded me that I couldn't finalize anything. Aside from that, everything would be fine and easy. I already received three bookings for the boss and so far, my job was easier than what I previously thought.

"Mr. Nam is currently on a business trip so I can't confirm the schedule now. Is it okay to call you back after an approval from him?" I asked another question.

"Yes, no problem," the client responded.

"Thank you very much for understanding. I have your name and number written down. I'll call you once everything is settled on our end. Thank you and have a great day," I replied. After the client bid his goodbye, I took out my headphones and incorporated everything in my file.

Seconds later, Mr. Kim stepped out from the main office and said, "I'll be away for a while, everyone. Make sure to finish half of your tasks before lunch break. If you need anything or have questions, Miss Ryuk is here."

"Yes, sir," they all answered in unison.

Mr. Kim turned to me and continued, "Miss Ryuk, the floor is under your care."

I stood and bowed with a smile. But on the inside, I was terrified. I was still a new arrival and immediately, I was put under such pressure to look after one whole floor. I sat back down as Mr. Kim walked away. I gathered all my strength, composed myself and went back to work.

My eyes were fixed on my computer screen when a group of ladies walked up to me. One of them asked, "So, you're the new secretary, right?"

I stood and bowed towards them. "Yes, I'm Ryuk Mingyu. It's very nice to meet all of you," I smiled at them.

They chuckled at one another before they turned back to me. The girl at the center replied, "I'm Chun Minju. These," she pointed at the rest, "Are my friends."

I bowed towards them once more.

"How do you find your first day?" she asked.

"Well, it's a bit nerve-wracking. But so far, everything's been going well," I said. I added, "I never worked for a big company before, especially in this kind of position. So, everything is new to me, really."

"Is this your first job?" she asked.

I replied, "First office job. I only worked at fast food chains before. So, it's quite a huge adjustment for me."

They looked at each other with a strange smile. No one said a word, they were just smiling at one another.

I broke the awkward silence as I said, "If you need anything, just let me know."

They returned to me and Minju said, "Actually, we do need help with a few things. Do you mind if you help us with it?"

"Sure, no problem."

She replied, "You see, I have a few files that need to be delivered to the fax room and other lower floors. I want to bring them myself. However, with the workload that I have, I can't leave my desk."

"I can help you with that," I smiled. "Do you have the files ready?"

"Yes, everything is on my desk."

"You can bring them here," I answered as I moved a few things from my desk.

"Are you sure it's okay? I don't want to disturb you if you're currently doing something," she answered with her doe eyes.

"No, really, it's okay. And besides, Mr. Kim did say that if you need anything, you can tell me," I said.

The ladies looked at one another again, giggling.

Minju returned to me and replied, "Okay, then, hold on for a moment. I'll get them from my desk."

"Sure. Take your time," I smiled.

They then walked away and I returned to my laptop. I opened the new e-mail from the finance department and it said I should review everyone's attendance, overtime and leave for an accurate paycheck.

'Perhaps, I should send an e-mail to Mr. Kim about his records for this,' I thought to myself. But before I could compose a response, three big piles of documents landed on my desk.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Minju said as I jumped from my seat because of the sudden arrival. "Here," she put her hand on top of one of the piles, "Is everything that needs to be delivered. You see these sticky notes?" she continued as she pointed the various colored papers on random places within the piles. "They indicate where they need to be delivered. It also has a few notes for the recipients."

My eyes widened at the amount of files that needed to be delivered. And the thought that this building had forty-nine floors! Why was she given this sort of task? If I was the one who got this position, I would be the fittest employee of this company. Just for the amount of time that I would need to go to different floors and to return here for the rest of the files.

I stood and stepped closer to the files. I looked at each sectioned compilations of documents. Some were only a few pages long and some were as thick as my old encyclopedia at home!

"Are you sure it's okay for you to do this?" Minju asked once again. "You don't have to do it if it's too much."

"Yes, I'm sure," I quickly looked back at her, even though I was already hesitant to proceed with this.

"Thank you very much. I owe you, big time," she smiled. She gave me a pat on the shoulder before she returned to her desk.

I returned to the stacked piles of documents and slowly let out a sigh. Since I wasn't doing anything much, I might as well get these done. I didn't want to be away from my workplace for a long period of time. Mr. Kim would not be pleased with that.