Chapter 89 - Will You (1/2)

Tohru's laughter rang in the garden as his eyes looked at the panicking Yanee Lee before him.

”Boss, you're so good at blackmailing people,”Yanee complained and he threatened to stand up again.

”What did you call me?”

”I mean Tohru— damn it,” Yanee muttered and he laughed again.

”Why do you sound as if you're cursing at me when you said that?” he prompted with mocked offended expression.

”Isn't it because I really want to curse at you? You're such a bully,” Yanee muttered helplessly but mostly to herself.

”What?”

”Nothing! I said you're so handsome why don't you sink more into the water?” Then drown— but of course, Yanee wouldn't say that to his face anymore. ”I won't call you by your name outside or when we're at work though,” she told him defiantly.

This time, he didn't argue with her which was good. He must have realized that it would be totally unprofessional of them if she started calling him by name at work when he's her boss.

”So that means you agree to call me by my name when we're alone?” he asked with that smug smile on his face that Yanee felt like punching him.

”I don't really like you at this moment,” she told him matter-of-factly with a bland expression.

Nonetheless, the potato's smile didn't leave. Instead, he shifted in the water to go closer to where she sat. ”It's fine. You can just like me very much later,” he said with a ludicrously suggestive tone of voice partnered with an outrageously flirty smile as he wiggled his eyes.

”Y-You…”Yanee took another big hit on her HP and her heart just did a huge summersault. If this persisted, she wondered if she'd die.

Anyway, it's best to change the topic.

”Chummy said you came here to settle the issue with the runaway authors?” she asked.

Tohru looked at her with a knowing smile but answered nonetheless.

”Yes. I've actually met with them briefly earlier and set up a meeting tomorrow,”he said which surprised Yanee.

”Oh! Is that where you went earlier?” she asked and Tohru gave her a sly look.

”Is my girl keeping tabs on me now?” he countered coyly and Yanee fought the urge to kick him under water.

”Can't we have a proper conversation without innuendoes?”

”Why not?” he retorted.

”Because I want to have a proper conversation with you?” Yanee insisted but she was already glaring at him.

Tohru sighed. ”Yanee, I won't pressure you but at least give me a chance to flirt to prove that I like you, okay? If I don't do this, you wouldn't even give me the time of day.”

Yanee rubbed her temple to ease the beginnings of a headache. This potato…

”You can do it. But don't do it when we're working.” He was honest with her at least. She shouldn't be too hard on him even when she still couldn't make up her mind.

”But we're not working now,”Tohru said stubbornly.

”We're on a business trip,” she quipped, not backing down.

”But it's not working hours,” he countered again, making her glare at him some more.

Seeing as she was really going to be upset, he laughed.

”Fine, fine, fine. I'll stop teasing you for now,” he conceded. ”Ms. Tan might have already mentioned it to you but those authors ran away due to stress. They're suffering from writer's block and feel helpless since their deadlines are near.”

Oh…

”They were really burnt out?” Yanee asked and Tohru shrugged.

”It's usual for authors to have a period like this. Those two had their fair share of success with their respective series. For successful authors, it's normal for the publishing company to give them more encouragement, and also normal for readers to ask for more. With these two sources of pressure added to the already existing burden they put on themselves to produce something good to please both, it's not unheard of for authors to crack.”

Yanee sighed. This part of being a writer was true. Some people, even if they naturally loved their jobs, but with pressure they started to be miserable. It was why she hated people who dismissed authors' woes as throwing tantrums. She even had an argument with that person back in her previous work too because he defended a worker who dissed an author for being ungrateful.

”They were given the privilege to do and earn from something they like, and now they're being lazy and complain a lot…”

Yanee shook her head at the disgusting memory.

”So what now?” she asked.

She's concerned but as much as she understood what those authors were going through, she could also understand things at a business' standpoint. Also, as an ȧssistant to the editor, there weren't so much she could do as well.