Chapter 12

"So sorry I couldn't be with you to give a demonstration of the apartments… I hope my co-worker showed you around?"

"Ah, yeah. I really like the environment here," he glanced at me. "Could you show me the two other buildings, though?"

I frowned at him and chewed on a slice of pizza.

"Well… I'm a little ashamed but all available homes are occupied… and the ones that aren't, are being renovated. Because homes are usually rented during Holidays, there's a small period of renovations after… Since we've just started, it might take two months for them to be finished. Of course, you'd be the first on the list and we'd notify you immediately."

He scratched his head and looked at the administrator with difficulty. "I'll wait two months, then."

I walked over with my slippers towards him while chewing on my pizza. "Hey."

He suddenly looked at me alerted, confused that I hadn't gone back up already.

"Since you're here already just get a place here."

The administrator looked at me with distaste and quickly hid her expression with a polite smile.

"..Ah, okay," he looked a little perplexed but relieved that he wouldn't have to wait two months.

What an amenable bastard. It's ridiculous that he would actually wait two months just because I looked a little displeased that we'd be in the same building.

"Are you two… acquainted?" the administrator interjected with a smile.

"Nope," I answered immediately.

Her smile bloomed, "Okay. I noticed that you gave him some pizza, haha."

I nodded, "Yeah, he had just never tried Broccoli Pizza."

Her interest in me was immediately lost after I mentioned that we were not acquainted and she looked back at Ivan. "So, Ivan… you're going to be in this place?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I really liked it. I guess it's also better than waiting two months."

I began heading towards the elevator to head back up.

She smiled, "By the way, are you doing anything tonight? You do remember… right? Back in college…"

Ahh… so he's still a bastard and hasn't actually changed.

Damn. It would've been better if he was a shitty worker and I could fire him immediately.

Too bad he's actually a good asset for us… aghhh.

I can't believe I actually felt bad for him.

He tried to hide it but he looked extremely uncomfortable.

C'mon, I'm already gone. You can do whatever you want.

"Umm," he smiled, "Haha... yeah." He started off friendly, "Sorry, I don't really do that stuff anymore."

"Oh c'mon… it's just two friends catching up. We haven't met in so long…"

He looked as if he had aged 5 more years, exhausted, but maintained his answer, "No. I'm tired today…"

"It'll just be a little fun. Nothing will happen."

"I'm tired and just want to rest, would you allow me that please?"

"Ivan, c'mon…"

I stomped my slippers on the hard marble floor. "Hey, leave him alone, won't you?"

They both looked at me, surprised that I was still there.

"Haha… sorry. I'm just reconnecting with an old friend," she looked up at Ivan, "How about we move somewhere else?"

"Hey, hey. Can't you see he's uncomfortable?"

"Hey, I'm sorry, but… what's it to you? What's your business?"

"Look lady, all I know is he looks uncomfortable and you keep insisting. Isn't that harassment?"

She frowned, "He's just playing hard to get. I know him well enough," she glanced at him.

He shook his head, "Hey, I'm sorry. I really don't do this stuff anymore. It's been almost three years, right? I went through some things over these past few years and I'm not very comfortable doing these things anymore. I hope you understand."

It looked like he had finally gotten his composure back and talked to her firmly.

"Ohh…" she looked at him with regret, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel like that."

She finally realized it. I felt knives of frustration in my heart aiming at her.

"No, don't worry about it. Thank you very much for understanding," he smiled at her.

She nodded and pat his shoulder, "Whatever you're going through, I hope you feel better."

He nodded gratefully and she left after acknowledging me.

"...So what was that about?"

"Thank you… Well, I guess I just did some mistakes back when I was younger…"

Hmm, yes. I might have a good idea as to what those 'mistakes' are.

"Hmm… Have you seen the terrace yet?"

"...Ah, no, I haven't."

I motioned him to follow me to the elevator and I clicked on the T button, the floor right above the lobby.

We walked out into an open area with a pool and tables. Since it was late in the afternoon and we were at a slight altitude, it was very windy.

Sitting at a table, I immediately asked what was on my mind, "So what's up?"

He hesitated on opening up. I understood his dilemma very well since it's not every day you talk about your traumas with your boss.

"C'mon, it's not for me. Just talk and you'll feel better."

He looked away.

"...Back in college and high school, I focused a lot more on women and partying. I went around doing things that my parents would definitely be disappointed in if they heard of them." He paused and let the wind brush over his face. "I broke a lot of trust from my friends and I never really made the proper connections that I hoped for. I asked myself if this is what younger me would've liked to see me as… and I guess I just started regretting everything."

I nodded. So he did change.

I chewed on my fourth slice.

"The realization is still pretty recent and it was some time until I finally had the motivation to do things again. I just started getting on the right track a few months ago in the internship before being contracted."

Ahh… so that's why he was so happy when he invited us all to dinner while saying we were the best co-workers he could have had.

The mature adult relationships and the friendly bonds he imagined he would have in college but didn't receive was exactly what he received with us.

"She's a pretty nice person but since my change wasn't too long ago, she thought we were just having fun…"

Hmmm.

"...And what do you regret doing exactly?"

He held his chin and looked up at the sky, thinking of his answer.

He looked back at me, hesitant at opening up. Obviously, we weren't that close and so I wasn't expecting too deep of an answer.

Still, it's better to do this than to deal with him moping around tomorrow at work.

He considered his answer, "I regret having wasted so much of my time and being… a terrible person. I realized it very late and now I'm almost in my mid 20's and have just barely started figuring out my life."

"Mm, I see…" I finished the fourth slice.

"I hurt a lot of people and, I didn't really think about it too much before. I was too self-absorbed and I realized how much of a prick I was and started seeing others as humans with feelings too."

Yes, pricks like that are some of the worst.

Sitting here, face to face with a prick.

"And well, there are so many other things I'm not happy about with myself… I didn't create any meaningful relationships and lost the very few that I had. I'm almost friendless because most of the people that I called my friends actually were just assholes like me… and there's a lot more… I kind of realized this a few months before my senior year in college, and it was only near the end of college that I really realized how much I fucked up."

"Hmmm. I see."

So he has no friends because he knows all of his past friends are pieces of shit, and he's too ashamed of himself to reach out to good friends.

And now he realized it and is alone and feels like he needs to atone.

He smiled and looked at the clear sky as we sat in silence.

I comfortably ate my dinner as he looked peacefully at the sky.

He spoke up only after a while.

"Thank you very much, boss."

It seems he still doesn't recognize me at all or maybe doesn't know that I am aware of what he's done.

"I didn't do anything. You did this by yourself."

"Thank you."

"...No problem."

"And… I finally saw something that Ms. Alice is not good at?"

"Hmm?"

"Haha… you don't know what to say when others are opening up to you, right?"

Instantly, I felt heat rise to my face as I was stuffing my face into my fifth slice.

He burst into laughter seeing my reaction.

"Hahahaha…"

"Ah… shut up."

His laugh became even worse.

"Pffft— No way, hahaha."

Look, I just don't have much experience listening to others' problems.

Waiting uselessly for his laughs to stop, I gained a tick mark on my head as I noticed that they wouldn't be stopping any time soon.

"Mr. Hayes."

"Ah," his laugh was interrupted immediately as I entered business mode. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Should I explain myself to you by giving you a few salary cuts?"

"Haha… Ms. Alice… there's no need for such drastic measures."

"You sure?"

"I'm positive. Thank you."

"Hmm," after finishing the last slice, I picked up the box and threw it into the cardboard section of the garbage.

"See you tomorrow at work, Ivan."

He waved at me and thanked me once again.