Soo Emi

"Thanks for the lunch again." I tell Hoseok just before he leaves the building. "I have to get back to work now."

"It's not a problem. It was a pleasure having lunch with you." He does a small bow, making me giggle.

"Have a good da-"

"JUNG HOSEOK!"

Our heads snapped around and saw Seokjin exiting the elevator in an angry manner. Naeun was right behind him, rushing after us.

A wave of fear ran through me as I saw the fire in Seokjin's eyes.

He was heading straight for Hoseok and I didn't know what to do.

Before I could make a decision, I was pulled away by Naeun. I held onto her arm as I watched what was about to go down.

"Hello, Seokjin-"

"Don't greet me so casually, Hoseok." Seokjin cuts him off in a second.

He was face to face with him in a dangerous way.

Hoseok kept his calm, but Seokjin was furious out of his mind and I have no clue why.

He looked like he was ready to jump Hoseok any moment now, but Hoseok didn't react to any of it.

"Seokjin, what's wrong?" I tried to approach them.

"No!" He holds out a hand to stop me. "I'm handling this with Hoseok and him only!"

I stayed still, trying to build enough courage to get some reason out of this whole outburst.

Naeun pulls me back. "Emi, Seokjin is mad out of his mind."

"Oh, really?" I let out a deep breath. "Didn't notice."

"Seokjin wanted me to check up on you guys if you went over your lunch break time. I did and I overheard Hoseok asking you to...transfer over to his company. I went down and-"

"You went and told Seokjin?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Emi, I swear it wasn't for a bad intention. I didn't mean for this. I just thought..." Naeun stops her sentence and closes her mouth. "I'm sorry."

"No, Naeun, it's not your fault." I laid a hand on her arm.

"YOU HAVE SOME NERVE COMING HERE AND BREAKING THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF VISITING OTHER COMPANIES!" Seokjin spits out, getting closer and closer to Hoseok.

Naeun and I flinched from his raised voice.

"What did I do, buddy? Huh? Tell me." Hoseok tilts his head.

"You are going to come in here and try to steal Emi from me?" Seokjin lowers his voice, but the anger stayed the same. "You're GOING TO MARCH INTO MY COMPANY AND TRY TO MESS THINGS UP?!"

Mess things up?

"I'm just trying to keep her safe!" Hoseok fires back, finally losing his cool.

What?

My safety?

I gulped.

How did I suddenly become a cause for this?

"You don't know what's best for her." Seokjin jabs his finger at his chest. "You're the one always ruining things for her! You're a danger yourself to her."

"You don't know half the story, Seokjin....and you never will!"

"I don't need to know! I've seen enough! I've witnessed what you've done to her, Hoseok! You hurt her! You break her!"

"And you don't think you'll do the same?"

Seokin didn't reply back and that made me almost shake out of my skin.

Why did he pause after that?

That worried me.

How did this turn from one thing to another? It made me panic. I wanted to stop it, but every word they said made me want to hear the response.

"You think you're better for her than I am?" Hoseok steps forward, taking on a lead. "You think YOU keeping Emi away from me is going to be better?"

"Why are you speaking like that, Hoseok?" Seokjin squinted his eyes. "What are you implying?"

"Can't you tell?" Hoseok breaths out.

They both shut up and were now just staring at each other with such tension and electricity.

Naeun and I were watching. Both in shock, both anxious.

It was so quiet that I didn't even realize the workers around us. They were watching too. They stopped in their tracks to watch the two fight.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and turned back to the two troublemakers.

Before I knew it, they were on each other.

Seokjin grabbed Hoseok by his collars and Hoseok grabbed him by the arms.

They were stable on their feet, but their bodies were swinging around, trying to get the other one to let go.

"Let this go!" I shouted, ripping away from Naeun's protective grip.

They both stopped after hearing me.

I approached them and pulled them apart with all the strength I had.

"What the heck are you guys doing?" I scolded like a harsh mother. "Why are you arguing about something that shouldn't be such a concern to you!?"

"Emi, I-"

I held a finger in front of Seokjin. "I am not finished speaking."

He closed his lips and I turned towards Hoseok.

"I am not a pet. I am not a child. I can take care of myself and I know that sometimes it looks like I can't, but I can. I don't need anyone treating like I can't manage anything and I DEFINITELY don't need you two arguing over something you shouldn't be worried about!"

I paused and I could tell everyone was holding their breaths.

"Let's please...please stop fighting. Especially in a public place. Bringing attention to us is something I-We can't do...and you know why." I lowered my voice.

I looked at Hoseok and eye pointed to the exit. He looked at me with no expression and before I could look away, he grabs my arm.

He leans in and whispers "think about it" so quietly into my ear.

Then he walks away.

I turn to Seokjin and crossed my arms. I gave him a scolding look.

"We're going to talk in your office." I say to him and pointed to the elevator. "Meet me there."

He nods without a word, then goes.

I turn to Naeun and she gives me a sympathetic smile. I just smile back weakly, then left.

As I was walking to the elevator to meet with Seokjin, I could hear Naeun yelling at everyone to carry on and don't mind what just happened.

I can't believe that blew up in front of everyone.

I hope this just stays in the building.

*

"What Hoseok asked me had nothing to do with you." I leaned against the desk right next to Seokjin, who was sitting down with his head in his hands.

"What do you mean it had nothing to do with me?" He looks up in distress. "It has A LOT to do with me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I know Hoseok, Emi. I know what he's trying to do."

I scoffed. "It seems like that all the time. Everyone speaking with no context."

"Emi, what did you say?"

"What?"

"When he asked you to transfer to him, did you...accept?"

"No, Seokjin. Of course I didn't accept." I stood up and walked around the desk. "I actually didn't reject either."

"What do you mean?"

"I...I just told him that I'll think about it."

"Emi!" He stands up. "Why didn't you just reject his offer? If you say maybe, then he'll expect another answer from you later on!"

"Seokjin, why are you making such a big deal out of this?" I spoke at the same level as him.

"It is a big deal!"

"Oh, right. Because you know more than I do. You know him more than I do. You know this entire situation more than I do." I move closer to him. "How do you expect me to understand this whole thing if you don't explain it?"

Seokjin's adam's apple bobbed. He broke off our eye contact and went back down into his seat.

"I'm just confused, Seokjin." I crossed my arms and sat down on the desk. "You two went from being angry about Hoseok asking me to transfer, then arguing about my safety. What's good for me? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't have an answer for that." He quickly shut me down.

"You don't...or you don't want to answer me."

"Emi," He sighs, then looks up at me.

I watched him carefully.

"Go home."

My eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"I have a lot of work to do." He stands up from his seat. "You should go home and rest."

"I'm not tired, Seokjin. Let me help you if you have a lot of work."

"I have a lot of work that is very confidential to my father. It won't need any outside help." He grabbed my coat that was hanging on my chair. "It'd be best if you just went home."

"Seokjin..."

"Emi, please."

We both stared at each other with different emotions, but with the same seriousness.

"Fine..." I took my coat. "I'll leave."

And I left.