Seulgi managed to find an empty printer paper box to prop up her foot. She found a clean gallon sized Ziploc bag to fill with ice for her ankle. Her ankle was throbbing slightly less. In a half-hour, she would switch it with a towel with hot water. This is what Doctor Google told her to do, so she’s trying it. So far, so good.

  Everyone was curious to know what happened and wanted to ask why she was limping, but they were bound for disappointment as they were too polite to ask. So, most people waited for one of her three minions to come in and find out, then they would ask them for the gossip…ahem…details ter.

  Seulgi opened her ptop and powered it on, getting ready for the day's work. She was reading her emails when she got her first interruption of the day.

  Nayeon was the first minion in the office, and the least polite, so only she would ask what everyone else was wondering. “Seulgi, what did you do this time?”

  Seulgi winced. It was the ‘this time’ that was most painful. Mostly because it was true.

  Rather than waste time trying to expin her trying morning, she just held up the offending shoe.

  “Not the Prada!” Nayeon gasped.

  Seulgi just smiled painfully and set the broken shoe back down. Ignoring the question, she responded with “Where are we on the Im proposal?”

  Nayeon shook herself back into professional mode and started reeling off the details from st week. They covered what has already been discussed, what needs to be changed, and what still needed to be added. Seulgi reclined in her office chair to stare at the white ceiling to think. Nayeon knew what this pose meant, and waited. It took only a moment to come back and continue the conversation.

  Jackson and Yeji ghosted into the office and joined in on the discussion when appropriate. Nayeon was a sharp bunny, so they did not have much to add. Jackson and Yeji just filled in the very few gaps. This was a good thing since Yeji did not look quite awake yet.

  Once everyone was up to speed on what was going on, Seulgi handed out assignments as to what now needed to be done. Nayeon when off to get some elusive data for the report. Jackson offered to go get the repcement hot towel before getting to his tasks. Yeji just yawned hugely behind her hand and went to her desk where there was slowly cooling coffee waiting for her.

  Seulgi continued reading her emails and replying to those who needed her input. Jeeze, some of these chains were getting ridiculously long. At least they were better than another boring meeting that has zero relevance to her and yet was still mandatory for her to attend. She smiled as she thought of the meme that said ‘Another meeting that could have been avoided with a two line email.’

  Once done with her emails, she opened up the shared office document on her computer that held the Im account proposal and started making the changes that were requested by the department manager. While she was waiting for Nayeon to come back with specific numbers, she could still work on filling out the changes in verbiage that were requested.

  She had a pleasant interruption from Jackson with the hot towel. He wrapped her ankle with professional care. Jackson used to be the assistant football coach in school, so he knew how to treat injuries. He used a smaller towel to protect her skin from the hot, hot water in the rger towel. The heat spread immediately through her ankle and it felt so much better. Jackson didn’t say anything, he just smiled and nodded before taking the now-liquefied ice away.

  Seulgi could never be too thankful for Jackson’s quiet competence.

  A while ter, she was interrupted by Nayeon delivering the notes. For some reason, she could never resent Nayeon due to her cheerful demeanor.

  She spent her morning dealing with the proposal, reading over reports, changing out the hot and cold packs on her ankle, and the occasional person just asking how she was doing. To those people, she would just smile and say that she was fine and keep working. Once, she had the audacity to try to get up and change the ice pack herself. That is until Jackson came by with A Look. She repentantly sat back down and waited.

  Before she knew it, it was time for lunch and then she remembered that it was on the counter, still at home. With her cat. Seulgi sighed at the inevitable, impending mess.

  Yeji, who had finally woken up about mid-morning when the coffee finally kicked in, came bouncing into the office and asked ‘What’s for lunch today, boss dy?’

  Seulgi startled at the sudden noise but hid it well.

  “Hopefully delivery.”

  Yeji, who was too tired to pay attention this morning asked “That’s unusual for you. What’s the occasion?”

  Seulgi was too embarrassed to admit that she forgot her lunch and then broke her shoe, saying “I thought I would do something different today is all.”

  Nayeon and Jackson were nearby and had a bit more tact, decided to join in the delivery for lunch so Seulgi would not feel quite so awkward. They were kind people, after all.

  Jackson knew the owner of a local diner who would do him a favor by delivering to his office building. Jackson was the only person the owner would deliver for as they had been friends for years. It didn’t hurt when he ‘let it slip’ to the owner that he was also ordering for Seulgi. For her, the owner would personally deliver it. Being a world css beauty has its perks, too, after all. Even if you are oblivious to it, as she usually was.

  Everyone sat around in her office chatting about their weekend while waiting on lunch to be delivered. Nayeon had her hijinks, Jackson went home because his mother was not feeling well and Yeji was Yeji, who spent most of the weekend pying video games. Nayeon asked her about her boyfriend, embarrassing Yeji, to which everyone – including Seulgi – joined in on teasing her mercilessly.

  When Yeji started asking everyone else about their love lives, it suddenly got very quiet while Yeji smirked. Except for Jackson, who was married and so he didn’t count anyway.

  The diner owner came in with the delivery and smiled at Seulgi. Both she and Jackson reached for their wallets, but the owner said that it was already paid for, winking at Jackson. The four didn’t know that the mysterious benefactor was the owner himself, but they didn’t need to know that.

  Seulgi said it smelled wonderful and that was all the owner needed to be satisfied. After all, he personally cooked it as well.

  The owner discreetly left, still quietly gazing at Seulgi as everyone dug in. There was quiet chatter, occasional ughter, and lots of eating going on with their lunch in her office. Seulgi wanted to go to the staff breakroom, but that got nixed due to her ankle. Even when people are having dark days, there are still the occasional moments of sunshine. This was one of those moments.