Chapter 5 (2/2)

Silenced overtook the office once again, a few chatters, but everyone turned serious. Jhing was actually surprised that Miko was busy too. There are times that Facio, his co-ill.u.s.trator who is sitting beside him, asks him questions but most of the time, Miko's focused.

Focused on working?

Uh… Not so sure especially when Jhing saw his screen.

It was an accident.

She went to the washroom. When Jhing accidentally swept her eyes towards Miko's cubicle because of his laughter…… she saw the man scrolling at 9gag website.

It was not on purpose!

A few hours after, it was already dark outside. Everyone's already tired at this point, and a few of them are panicking because of the deadlines.

Jhing was idling because she doesn't want to go home yet. She has nothing to do at home anyway and… she likewise doesn't want to face her novella ma.n.u.script for a moment.

Especially when that Mikong is sitting a few cubicles away from her.

This is seriously the reality.

Jhing was playing Candy Crush on Facebook when an email popped up.

And her heart wanted to pop out the second she saw it.

An email from MJ Crux.

Jhing looked at Miko with hesitation but he was not looking at her way. His head was lowered so she couldn't see his expression. She looked back at her screen and Jhing became even more nervous because the subject was simply:

Riona Jayne Blanco, Hi!

And the most annoying part?

The message.

Hi. :)

Her eyes turned dangerous.

Jhing doesn't want any expectations but…. f.u.c.k.

That man really has nothing to do.

She ignored the email.

Jhing was replying to other emails from the authors when she felt a presence. She was wondering if that person is going to walk away or not but after a few seconds, that person was still standing behind her.

She spun her computer chair around before hearing an 'Oomph!' coming from that person. Jhing felt sorry…. not until she saw that the person she hit was actually Miko.

She just looked at him, lips twitching, as Miko held his stomach as if he was in a great pain.

“E-Email,” he grunted.

She did not say anything.

What does this guy want? Reply to his 'Hi'? With what? Was it his intention to make this workplace his playroom or something? What the h.e.l.l does this guy actually want to do with her?

“Hey, Miko.” Miss Vams walked closer to their direction. She frowned when she saw the man clutching his stomach, “What happened to you?”

Jhing did not even flinch. On one side, Miko just shook his head and even tried to smile… Tried to… because what formed his lips was a grimace.

“Anyway, Jhing? Did you send it to Miko?”

Jhing was confused. “Po?”

“The ma.n.u.script.”

“Ma.n.u.script?” Jhing turned to the ma.n.u.script that she was editing earlier. Why would she give it to Miko? Is he also an Editor? “Do I need to—”

“Yes. He'll be the one ill.u.s.trating it.”

Jhing nodded at her words, still quite unsure.

During the months she has been in the company, Jhing knows that the cover will be required early… but not this early. She's still in the initial editing so why are they asking for the ma.n.u.script already?

“Okay po, I'll send him an email.” Jhing looks at Miko. She still gets anxious from his eyes, but it's a bit better than before.

She even wanted to laugh because that man is still holding his stomach.

“That's good, we can finish your novella early.”

Wait… what?

“Po?”

“Your novella,” Miss Vams said. “The ma.n.u.script?”

Her heart….

“What do you—”

“Miko, did you not ask for her novella? You need to read it so you can get the gist of what to ill.u.s.trate.”

… Jhing's heart exploded.

“I did, ah, but she didn't reply to my email so I just spoke to her directly.”

Jhing’s eyes widened. So that was the purpose of that weird ‘Hi’?! She wanted to complain: Why did you only put a ‘Hi’ on your message then!? You should’ve told me directly!!!!!!

But… but… the novella? Miko will read… the novella…. she wrote?

“Ha?” She screamed in disbelief which made the two who was standing in front of her shock.

Jhing's neck started aching from looking up at the both of them, but that was the least of her worries for now. Her novella? To be read by….him?!

“Why him?!”

If Miko was offended, he did not show it.

“It's me ah,” he said with a smile. “Unfortunately?”

Jhing wants to run and hide in a cave or something. “Miss Vams, why not Facio—”

“Facio has a lot of work to do. He and Miko split the work amongst them—”

“I can't—” Vams looks at her in confusion while Jhing's heart was pounding and it’s not helping her a lot. “I mean, it's not—I'm not yet done,” Jhing said.

She looks at Miko and saw the man staring at her…. His smile was slowly but surely starting to bloom… Jhing looked away.

“I still need to fix the ending. You told me to change it, right?”

Miss Vam’s face brightened which is a horror for Jhing. “You mean, they will get a happy ending? They will end up togeth—”

Jhing cut Miss Vams when she stood up and almost shouted, “Ah!” which made a few heads turn to her direction.

Jhing even wanted to faint because she also saw Miko smiling at her, his hands are leisurely inside his pocket.

Vams, on the other hand, felt strange from her reaction.

“I-I'm not sure,” Jhing said.

She abruptly sat back down and quickly saved what she needed to save before shutting the computer down. Jhing hurriedly grabbed her bag. She was in a panic as if a bear was chasing her so she almost hit the jar that was filled with pens on her table.

”I'm going home.” Jhing looks at her phone as if she was busy.

“Wait, Jhing—”

She ignored him and walked away. Jhing' two feet didn't even pause for a bit as she shouted towards Miss Vams, ”Don't read it! Bye!”

She ran to the elevator, repeatedly pus.h.i.+ng the down b.u.t.ton while her head was spinning and her heart was pounding. 'Pathetic, Jhing. Pathetic.'

When the door opened, she quickly entered and pushed the close b.u.t.ton.

Jhing doesn't want Miko to be with her on the elevator. Alone.

No way.

She almost broke the b.u.t.ton when she heard the voice of Miko shouting, ”Elevator!”

But when the man reached the elevator, he did not try to open the door. He simply stood in front of Jhing, giving her a smile as the elevator door closed between the two of them.

The second Miko disappeared from her vision, Jhing leaned on the wall with closed eyes.

Oh boy, what the h.e.l.l should she do?

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