Destiny and Fate

No'un

“Xua is No’un” Mo-re repeated and just looked at me in disbelief. “No. We can’t do this. You can’t do this to yourself, Kor.” He stood up and spread his arms on my table, almost begging.

“What do you mean?” I picked up another notepad and wrote that Xua is No’un. “We’re after No’un. This is for our company. We are looking to work with No’un and explore the possibility of hiring her as one of our furniture designers.” I clarified my intentions. We should go after Xua because she’s No’un.

“Kor, you can’t do this. Please.” His voice showed how much he’s against the idea. He walked towards me and tried to level his eyes on mine.

“I’m not gonna do this for personal gains. This is business.” I opened my monitor and pulled up No’un’s design up the screen. “No’un has established her influence towards the same audience we’re targeting for this project. All her designs are still an idea but people have been looking forward to her furniture since day 1. Traffic on her social media is mostly relevant to the furniture and not her.” I continued explaining her profile. I’ve been looking into No’un’s design since she started gaining attention. This would work perfectly with our proposal.

“Okay.” He sighed defeatedly and uncrumpled the notepad I gave him earlier. “We’ll work on this project with her. You have to have me by your side at all times. I don’t want you to fall for her again.” he demanded and waited for me to agree to his condition.

Busy with my thoughts on what product we’re gonna launch for this season I heard Mo-re sighed defeatedly. “I just can’t look at you for the 10th time, dying in misery. Enough is enough, Kor.” Mo-re pulled the pen out of my hand and tapped it on the table to get my attention.

“I won’t.” I looked him in the eyes and saw my reflection. He let out another sigh and put back down the pen on my table.

He’s right.I know Mo-re is right. Xua has a five year old son now. I can’t do anything and I shouldn’t do anything. It’d be best to avoid any more personal encounters.

“I’ll contact No’un for a meeting tomorrow.” Mo-re scrolled through his phone. “Is there anything else we need from her?” he clarified before continuing to type.

“I think it’s better if we visit her studio. We need to check if any of the model designs have been sold and which of her models are available if we hire her as our designer.” I continued to write on my notepad. This should be the only thing I focus on whenever we meet.

“I’ll send you a message if she gives me an update.” Mo-re continued to type on his phone as he walked out of the door.

July 16

No’un has been unavailable due to personal reasons until today. Mo-re was also gone for a meeting outside the country so I have no choice but to meet her by myself. I have to keep reminding myself that this is purely business. It shouldn’t slip out of my mind or else, Xua and I will just end up hurting each other.

“Hi, Mr. Li.” No’un greeted me with a tired smile as she pulled out a chair. “Thank you for meeting me here at the cafe. I usually don’t have time because of Kor. I know you’re also busy so I guess it’s better to make things fast?” Another worker handed us both coffee and walked away.

“I’ll cut this short.” I pulled out the contract papers from my bag and settled it at the table. “Ms. No’un we’d like to hire you as one of our furniture designers in Agile.” I held my cup of coffee and took a sip.

“Mr. Ho already gave me some of the details via email.” She smiled as she picked up the papers from the table. “I’d love to work with you, Mr. Li.” She signed them papers without reading them and handed them to me.

This contract signing shouldn’t be that easily done. I’ve made the contract myself, to make sure it would be fair for her but she shouldn’t easily sign them.“Why didn’t you read the contract?” I put my cup down and scan through the papers. She really signed everything. “I know you won’t do anything bad and my son loved the idea that I’ll start designing furniture again.” She took her cup of coffee and took a sip.

“Are you sure? Don’t you have any additional conditions?” I tried to urge her to change things or to at least demand anything else. Her designs are great and if she just signs any offer, some company might take advantage of her.

“I actually have one.” She put the cup down at the table and looked at me. I took out my pen and paper, and ready myself to take note of things she’ll add.

“Please don’t call me No’un. Call me Xua instead.” I wasn’t able to utter words when she held my pen down. I felt her fingers on my hand while strings tugged at my heart.

Xua, don’t do this to me.

“I think working with you as a furniture designer should be like working as friends. I won’t feel pressure and my design will turn out natural.” she added and tapped the pen on my hand.

“I–” I want to disagree. I’ll be in trouble if we continue treating each other like this.

“I also want to call you Kor instead.” She smiled brightly and pulled both of my paper and pen in her hands.

“I wrote it down so you’ll always remember.” Xua continued to write on the paper while I was lost with my thoughts .Memories flashed on my mind that I wasn’t able to relive for a long time.

Xua still likes to write things down. I learned this stupid habit from her and now she’s teaching me how to do it again. I want to hit myself in the head for smiling at the thought that maybe she remembers me too.

“I’ll remember that.” My words came to a whisper but she never heard me.

July 18

“We’re looking into hiring one of the known furniture designers on Zaibo and Rok. We believe this will be our chance to be relevant to our target market” Mo-re flip through slides showing the projectile of sales and estimation of Return of Investments.

“No’un? It seems that all her designs are still models. There are no physical products.” Mr. Lee read on in his papers.

“Yes, Sir. All of her current designs are conceptual. But after reviewing, her designs are quirky and homey. The only thing is that her designs aren’t practical enough. Through this project, we want to show that any furniture can be eye pleasing and sturdy. Also, since they are all just a conceptual product, we're sure that they are original and even if the designs are out in the public, no one can’t copy it.” I interjected his comment. No’un has the potential to add to our goal this quarter and I want to prove it to them. We'll help her realize her concepts to a real product.

“You said it yourself. Her designs are still conceptual. Can we have a physical sample of her design? I want to make sure we’re betting this event on this designer when she doesn’t have a single piece sold in the market.” Zike added and continued to read his papers.

“We’ll notify her and make sure to deliver one of her pieces soon.” Mo-re reluctantly joined the conversation.

After getting back to my office, Mo-re pulled out his phone and started typing. “Zike is really getting on my nerves these days.”

“We have one month before we launch this. Can you set up a meeting with Xua tonight?” I pulled out my chair and opened the monitor. I have to start reviewing which product we should start this project with.

“Kor” Mo-re warned me. “This is business. Why set-up a meeting tonight?” He added and continued to type onto his phone.

“The sooner the better. We can’t let a single day go on without making sure that Xua’s design can be realized. We need to go after the deadline.” I typed in on my email and further read some of the things in my inbox.

“Fine. But I need to be there.” He stopped typing and looked in my direction. “Of course. You need to–” My words cut off after reading another email.

“You need to go to Cua Mountain. They need something there.” I read and just looked at him in disbelief. Immortals are still treating us like slave mortals.

“Those damn immortals. Why can’t they just!” Mo-re ended his words knowing the afterlife can hear him.

“I’ll go to Xua and you need to get a truck load of ginger ale?”. They really make us get things that don't make sense. So much for being an immortal when you can’t even buy these things back there.

Mo-re stamped his feet on the ground before saying another sentence. “I’ll go. But Kor, you have to keep in mind that this is business. Don’t do anything out of the line.” He gave me a final look and sighed. “Your pen must have been broken. Look at the ink on your neck and shirt.” He then left and after sending me the email for Xua’s meeting.

It was 8 in the evening when Xua closed down the cafe. “I’m sorry you waited for me, Kor. The other employee of the half shift had an emergency. I had to fill in for her.” She apologized and dusted her uniform off from coffee and sugar.

“I should be the one to apologize since this meeting is sudden.” I pulled out my handkerchief and handed it to her. She thanked me after taking it but there was some dust on her hair. It must have come from the shutters.

“Your co-worker should be reported. No one should be allowed to cover two shifts a day.” I was concerned at how much dust gathered at the top of her head. She’s in a smaller body frame than me. How could she do a 12 hours shift with this kind of body?

She didn’t say anything and continued brushing off her uniform.

“Kor, there’s ink on your neck. Let me wipe it off for a bit.” I heard Xua say before I felt her hands on my shoulder and neck. Her left hand felt cold on my neck while I stood there frozen in my place. “You look a little silly with this ink on your neck.” She laughed a little bit and continued to wipe my neck with the handkerchief.

“Xua” I felt restless at how close she was. It’s suffocating to be this near and yet I know how much I shouldn’t do this to her, to us. Mo-re is right. Nothing good will come out if I continue clinging to her memories.

“I’ll do it.” I wanted to let her take care of me but my thoughts kept on insisting I shouldn’t. I avoided touching her hand that was on my neck and instead grabbed the handkerchief from her and turned around.

She didn’t say a word and I felt guilty of the silence. “Where’s Kor?” I blurted before I continued to wipe the ink off. I heard Xua’s footsteps receding before she answered “He’s with my mom. He’s staying until the weekend.”

“He seems like a great kid.” I added and turned around to see Xua tying her hair. “I know. He’s only five and he seems to be better than me. “ she chuckled.

Kor is her priority. How could I compete with her son? Memories don't matter. Xua should live in the present and so should I.

“Where should we go for the meeting?” Xua prompted me towards my car.