“I said just call me Viola. Are all Japanese this reserved?" Ms. Au Yeung - also known as Viola, a friend of Kou’s, immediately gave me an impatient look.
"No, not really..." I sighed and lowered my voice, saying, "I just don't want to create any misunderstandings around here, given how the gals here are quite petty. If they knew that you and I were friends, they would definitely gossip behind our backs and spread rumours about me trying to leverage our relationship for certain gains. Work alone is already tiring me out, so I would very much wanna stay out of the limelight."
Right after I spoke, I sneakily took a glance behind me. Just as I thought, the nosy colleagues who were watching drama shows on their computers while having lunch turned their heads in our direction at once!
"You worrywart, it’s pretty common to address each other with English call names. Plus, when it comes to women gossiping, once they’ve set their eyes on you, even if you are a blank slate, they can still manage to create a whole directory of gossip revolving around you for at least a year. Besides, there are a few people from your department who are well-known within the company for being nosy. No matter what you do, you just can't escape from their scrutiny. So, you might wanna give up on dodging gossip and learn how to 'defuse’ the ‘bombs' coming your way instead." Startled, those who were watching us switched their attention back to their monitors and continued eating as Viola deliberately stared back. None of them dared to take another peek at us.
No wonder why even Kou played second fiddle to her - her aura was truly unmatched.
"The HR manager does know how to read people’s minds!" Not only did I admire her words of wisdom, but also her strong aura.
"How come you’re sounding like Kou too... forget it, I just wanted to come check up on you, and see how you’re holding up." As lunchtime was about to be over, she put an end to the discussion and shifted to her topic of interest.
Smiling wryly, I said, "Ah about that, I’ve got my hands full processing all these documents right now, as you can see."
This is too much for me…I might as well just rest my head on these piles of documents and sleep it off.
"Keep up the good work, Sakura! I met Kou recently, and she also mentioned how busy you’ve been at work." The lady in a black suit with shoulder-length jet-black hair spoke gently.
Kou must be referring to my workload as a mageka and not as a clerk.
I chuckled and said, "It's not just me - everyone’s swamped at the moment. I believe it’s the same for the HR department, right?"
"We're doing okay lately, but don't you dare impose more of a burden on us by resigning," Viola jested.
"Haha, of course I won’t." I forced a laugh.
I was contemplating my own career path just a while ago, and now the word ‘resign’ pops up. What a coincidence.
Suddenly recalling something, I asked, "Just curious, have you ever considered resigning?"
"Nope, why do you ask?" Viola looked confused.
"Is it because you like this job?" I drilled deeper, hoping to seek an answer to the question in my heart.
Viola instantly looked disdainful. Oblivious to our surroundings, she thundered, "No way! Who the hell would enjoy working here?"
There was probably only one person in the whole company who dared to speak their mind so loudly, and that was most definitely her.
Yep, she’s right. I couldn't help but laugh. "So why’re you still working here?"
"Why’re you suddenly asking me this... it’s not like I have a choice - the only way out for me is to grit my teeth and grind through it! With the crushing pressure of saving up to purchase a flat, pay rent, and provide for my parents, how could I afford to give up everything for the sake of my own hobby? The same goes for you too! Bear in mind that it’s not easy securing a job, so don't resign without a backup plan just ‘cause the market out there is stable right now." Viola started her favourite sermon halfway through. In her eyes, Kou and I were both inexperienced and needed guidance every now and then. After her speech was over, I sighed - not because I was tired of her preaching, but because of the helplessness conveyed in her words about the pessimistic circumstances that Hong Kong people were in.
If we got to choose how we wanna live our lives, who wouldn't want to leave everything behind and pursue their dreams wholeheartedly? Yet, when it’s challenging enough for us to merely survive, chasing dreams sounds to me like nothing but wishful thinking.
"Yeah yeah, I get it." I gave her a perfunctory response as usual.
"Kou rarely vents to me, but she's been worried about you working too hard lately and not taking her advice. So I came here to tell you not to make her worry. I'm not sure how much of a workload you two have as of this moment, but try working overtime less if that’s possible, okay?" I thought Viola would leave after her lecture, but to my surprise, she brought up Kou.
My heart suddenly sank.
Has she been that concerned about my well-being?
Indeed, she had suggested lightening the workload regarding ‘vampires’ a couple times before, but that was about it. I had no idea she was actually so worried that she had to vent to Viola, and consequently prompt a check-in on me.
The truth was, Viola was in the dark about my side job as a mageka and simply assumed I was working overtime until midnight. At the thought of this amusing misunderstanding, I could not help but chuckle.
"I'm serious. Why’re you laughing?" Viola was not very pleased to see me laughing.
"Nothing, I was just thinking: does Kou never vent in front of you? She complains to me quite often, and lectures me too." Of course, I would not come clean to her about the mageka deal, so I switched the topic to something she would care more about.
"She's known among her peers as quite the tough cookie. No matter what comes crashing down onto her shoulders, she’ll just smile and not ask for help." Viola shook her head, then as if recalling a memory, her expression suddenly softened. "The fact that she only shows this rare side of herself in front of you proves that she trusts you very much."
"Is that so..." I could barely react to the sudden revelation.
Am I that important to her? It comes off as rather...surprising.
"It’s a precious bond to be cherished.” Viola looked at the clock and came to realise that lunchtime had already passed. “Right, it's getting late, so I should head back. Otherwise, those newcomers will just focus on playing with their phones, hmph!"
I smiled to myself.
Checking messages for ten minutes should be fine. Sometimes a little distraction helps relieve stress.
It seemed like her team was also under a lot of pressure.
"Take care of yourself! Let’s meet again when I come by for a visit at your place next time. I’d love to hear more of you two’s comic dialogues." With a grin on her face, she turned around to wave at me and walked away slowly.
...But that’s not even comedy.
Frustrated, I saw her off with a helpless look as she waved goodbye.
A pile of unfinished documents entered my sight as I looked down on the desk, which sent an ache straight to my head. After giving some strong, hard rubs against my temples, the pain finally went away. I mustered up my remaining motivation and resumed ‘cleaning up’ this mountain of tasks.
"Sigh...not another phone call to that troublesome client again for information..."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4w3Xain41
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