4. A new beginning or a shattered end?

"The ones you don't wanna see are the one you tend to cross paths with the most. And this never ended well for them."

SANG-TAE'S P.O.V.

"You can link it to the Law of Finance. You all know what it is?" everyone nodded. "Well who doesn't, I'll recall for ya'll , Finance law is a law and regulation of insurance, derivatives, commercial banking, capital markets and investment management sectors. You can go through the concept from your books in chapter five and don't forget to complete the assignment by tomorrow." And with that the class was over. Everyone started to disperse off from the room when I got a call from Mr. Arthur outside the class.

"Sang-Tae, can you do me a favour?" I nodded. "I have an exam test in room no. 5 downstairs. I want you to proctor the exam for me as I have an important seminar to attend in 15 minutes." He was my English professor always helping me in everything I ask for.

Reaching upon Room No.5 I saw students seated individually prepared to give the exam. A blank white sheet on the table with assignment paper. Approaching the dice greeted everyone and introducing myself, "Good Morning everyone. I am Lee Sang-Tae from finance department and I will proctor you all in absence of Mr. Arthur." Everyone nodded and some even oooed at me. "Okay Okay, let's start the exam..." I was about to finish when a girl rushed in running at second last vacant seat.

"Wait, Wait, Wait.."

About to have seat when I interrupted, "Hey miss, you're late. Latecomers are not allowed in Mr. Arthur's class you should know that." pointing at her and realising it to be Yohana and it was her class. Wow. Fate seems to be really funny. The ones you don't wanna see are the one you tend to cross paths with the most. "Oh, Miss Yohana, is it! It could be expected from you."

"You! " She seemed surprised. "Why are you here? Ain't you a student?" And her series of questions went on like that.

"Its your exam Miss, not mine. So you are the one to answer the question from the sheet. And to inform you, I'm proctoring you on his behalf. Any complaints with that can be solved by him only after the exam." I clarified. "Now, you all have 60 minutes to complete the exam. You can start now." With that it begun.

Everyone seemed to be so into their sheets examining each and every point, statement and question. Time might be slipping fast from their hands but it went at turtle's speed for me. Whole room was silent and the only sound was heard from scribbling of pen and ticking of clock. Half time was over just like that. While I was waiting for the exam to be over, my mobile started ringing, not to disturb others I went out to check who it was. No one important, it was my mum. The ring went off and she texted,

OMMA; If you have started earning, send me 140000 KRW right now. It read. Typical her. No how am I or how am I doing just money. I sighed and went in just to see what I shouldn't have seen. Yohana was using her mobile with one hand and writing with other.

"YOHANA!" She got startled and got up, putting her mobile in her pocket. "How dare you cheat in exam so openly?" I yell getting everyone's attention.

"It isn't really what it seems like." She defended herself. How can it not be? She was clearly copying from her mobile. Her expressions indifferent. At that moment, Mr. Arthur entered and I told him the whole situation and we went to his office. She just kept on saying and shrugging, "I didn't cheat."

"She never cheated in her exam as much as I know her." Mr. Arthur said giving it a thought. "But if you're saying, it might be true."

"It is true. Why would I lie. I just said what I saw. And I suggest you to give her a zero for that just to be fair with other students." I resonated and she gasped at that.

And ultimately she was given a zero. "How dare you get me failed in this exam. I never have cheated in any exam whatsoever." I just ignored her and exited the campus towards Versailles not wasting anymore time. "Ughhh I hate this guy." and heard her saying from distance.

The next day I saw a huge crowd of people chatting and discussing in front of notice board. What was going on? Daniel was getting squeezed out from the crowd towards us. I asked him what was going on. "A number of big companies are hiring job applicants from out major, but there are very limited posts for the job. You gotta apply for that before the deadline and wait for the interview call. " His voice getting me excited. "Its huge right?"

"Yeah." I replied. It really is huge. I can get a job in some big renowned company in America. There was the list of the companies with vacant seats, 8 companies in total. I clicked the notice board and moved on towards my dorm. In there, I searched everything about these all and applied for 3 of them where I could get a suitable job with good salary.

In a couple of days I got a call from The Giant Matthews and Wilson and Co. for the interview to be held on Thursday with two hours gap. I prepared my resume with other essential documents to show there and moved out for supper.

There is always a time, when you wanna be nervous and anxious for something but you are not. The same happened for me, I wanted to be a little bit of anxious aka that optimal level of anxiety one should have before a big event but I was totally fine. It was like any other day for me on Thursday. I just stepped in the room and answered honestly what the interviewers asked me and it turned out really well as per say. Daniel got an interview call from Wilson and Co., The Locos and Wilhams.

~~~

"Hey, Sang-Tae. Wassup." It was Vanessa who broke me from my thoughts by tapping me. "Such a lost bird you've become past few days without even talking much." In one way or another, she was right. I didn't much converse and engaged with her and many others since the weekend out. Maybe I just wanted to avoid Yohana and ultimately I'm avoiding everyone else too as they're connected with her. I couldn't even explain myself why I was avoiding her, she just gives me negative vibes every time she's in front of me. And I always felt like we're ill-fated in some sort of way. Once we're together, and boom! something happens; incidents, bickering, brawling.

"I heard you failed Yohana in the exam few days ago." Aah, so she told her everything. "I must tell you, it's the first time when she got failed. Or else, she's the topper of the class many a times." She continued glaring at me.

"Oh, is it so? But I saw her cheating that day from my eyes." I defended myself. "She was copying from her mobile."

Sighing, "She was not, it was her father calling her continuously and she was so annoyed from the vibrations that she took out to power it off." Was her reply. Ohhh, that's the case. "You didn't even let her put above her statement and gave her a zero!. And it can really affect her overall result. She was so upset about it and cursing you constantly. " I then realise the whole thing and all of a sudden, guilt rushed through me.

"Then why didn't she stand out to defend herself that day? She's hell of a tongue runner normally."

"She wanted to, but she was just pissed off from her parents. Perks of being rich you know and she ain't an easy book to understand. You gotta do a phD in understanding her." She shrugged saying so.

That made me confused. Why would being rich come in way for her to get angry with her parents? I asked her so. "It's just being the only daughter of The Ma..." Unexpectedly her mobile started ringing. "I need to take that. Remember to apologise." With that she left me out of joint.

"Hey, hey, where are you going?" I kept calling her until she became faded out of my sight.

Couldn't think of anything anymore, I just wanted to apologise Yohana whenever I meet her, it was least I could do after that. At the dorm, I found Daniel dancing out of jubilation. "What's with the excitement?" I shouted.

"Yay Yay Yay! I got a job call from The Locos." He exclaimed. "In finance department under head of department." I felt so happy for him and how his hardwork payed off. "Let's go celebrate."

"Yayy I'm happy for you. I might get a call too in some time. Let's go celebrate at Versailles. Everything on me."

YOHANA'S P.O.V.

"Come onnn. Tell me, who is this lucky girl?"

"It isn't like that. I just met her a few days ago." His tone convincing, said with food in his mouth.

It had been long since we went to have our time together. Ryan took me out for supper to have our own date when he started the topic of that girl he met outside the Matthews' building searching for a place might be new in this town, stopped Ryan and showed him the address to her new rental room which was quite near the hotel Ryan often visited for his meetings and that's where their story begun. Fate really is something, the guy who never really thought about anything but his work is made to mull over that girl and this humorous fate even led them in further encounters here and there. Although denying the face, he really seemed into her. "No... Please tell me. That's first time I'm hearing about a girl from your damn mouth other than work and family and now you're just letting it go like that."

"Leave about me, you tell about yourself, haven't heard in quite a while. Anything new?" He asked with lit eyes. I just grumbled.

"Just some asshole got me failed in exam few days ago when I didn't even cheat in exam." I humped blowing out my nose and told him the whole story.

SANG-TAE'S P.O.V.

"Cheers..." We were ready to have a sip when..

"Celebrating without me? So heartless you are, leaving old friends when met some new ones." Cross armed Yeontan stood outside Versailles smiling.

"Have you ever heard about the statement, out of sight, out of mind?" I asked Daniel teasing Yeontan who hit me hard at the back of my head.

We were chitchatting while having our food and drinks. Yeontan was telling about his final graduation project. In a meantime, Vanessa joined us and took part in our celebration. Yeontan decided to have a boys' night in our dorms. My mobile started ringing from an unknown number all at once. I picked it up and answered.

"Is this Mr. Lee Sang-Tae?" A woman's voice was heard who didn't even articulated my name correctly.

"Yeah it is." I replied politely. "May I ask who is on the other side talking?"

"Yes Yes. This is Lyla from The Matthews. I am very pleased to inform you that you are selected for the post of assistant of financial account department. You must report tomorrow by noon to get the hang of your duty and salary." She delivered such a marvellous news making my day complete.

"Thankyou so much for such a great news. I will be there on time." She ended the call with a polite "no problem"

There was no limit for my happiness and it was a time for double celebration.

The Next Day

I attended all the classes in the morning and took off at 11:30 in morning towards The Matthews building. It was magnificent than ever. I approached the reception and was notified to report at the second floor with my identity card. The whole building had a classy feel, I made it to the second floor and was met by a girl named Lyla who called me a day before. "This way Mr. Lee." She directed me to the main office of finance department where I was introduced Mr. Robinson, the managing director of the department.

"Pleasant to meet you Mr. Lee." He shook my hand delightfully and I returned the gesture.

"It's great to meet you as well." I said smiling.

"You might get an idea about the reputation and position of this company and the job status you might get. But I'd like to do some formality here." He continued his little speech about how old and wide this company is going on. Three decades and it still is earning increasing profits from everywhere and leaving many other companies and business behind in this marathon. "Our CEO and myself were quite impressed with your resume and interview, but since it's a new and first job for you, You'd be the assistant in financial account department. I'm pretty sure you know what it's work is but still I wanna confirm, you gotta handle and file the detailed account reports from each department monthly and annually. For any query and schedule, contact Mr. David. You are still a student, you can report at noon for time being."

"Thank you for the information and confiding your trust in me. Will never disappoint you." I bowed at him with that

"You can now start your work." I was really excited and a bit of nervous about this. This job can be a new start of my industrial journey or can really be wreck to my life.

~~~

It's been a week since I started this job. I already resigned from Versailles and fortunately their original cashier was also back from his home town at the same moment. Everyone was so happy and excited after hearing about my job like I found a treasure. I was making the account report I finally learnt properly from my supervisor when the company's CEO approached me. "Working on your first report, are you?" He asked merrily.

"I am sir."

"Oh don't be so formal. Just call me Mr. Ryan. I must say, I was totally impressed by your resume and interview. Very rarely I get such employees in my firm." He continued with the positive comments. "Out of all the 37 resumes, yours attracted me the most although you have zero experience, I expect more from you.." All at once his mobile started ringing, "I have to take this. All the best for your work." He left with that.

An hour later, I straightened up my neck and back and got up to get a coffee outside Mr. Ryan's office when I got a glimpse of a girl in front of him talking, her back facing me. Might be an employee or his girlfriend from his expressions. I got my cup filled and hauled towards my desk when that girl almost collapsed with my but Ryan took her aside.

"YOU!" The wheel of fortune turned anticlockwise when I saw Yohana in front of me again. "Here again?" As shocked as me she asked.

"Sang-Tae, meet Yohana my younger sister." Mr. Ryan pointed towards her. "I assume you study in same university. She is planning on starting an internship here. I was about to show her the desk but I guess I have a meeting right now, Can you show her the way to marketing department?"

"What are you doing here?" She groused as soon as Mr. Ryan left getting all grumpy on our way.

"Don't worry. I'm not stalking you." I replied. "I didn't even know this industry belongs to you." Rolling my eyes.

"As if I want to." She whispered under her breath.

"This is your desk and if you need anything or wanna ask anything,  don't call for me.  I don't wanna see you. Just ask anyone else you want. " I informed indifferently.

"No worries,  I don't like your vibe at all. So being near you won't work at all. " Fake smiling, she replied.

__

A year later

"You are under arrest Mr. Ryan Matthews. " The police handcuffed Mr. Ryan.

"Sang-Tae got CEO arrested, Sang-Tae got CEO arrested..." Everyone kept saying that.

"I hate you Lee Sang-Tae. I despise you the most. Don't ever show your face to me. " It was Yohana's breaking voice.

From that moment on, our lives took totally different turns...