What If?

Chapter 11 - Friend?

Is this guy even human? One minute he’s flying off the handle, then out of nowhere he’s taking my side, and now he’s pulling a cocky stunt like this.

Launa wondered in sheer disbelief. Her almond eyes blinked, still staring at the center of the cubicle area where Glenn had just casually hopped down.

Launa let out a long sigh while rubbing her temples, which had suddenly started to throb. Was she seriously going to have a boss like Glenn Ellsworth? If her heart was already being put through a roller coaster ride on literal day one, wouldn't she end up losing her mind before her internship even ended?

There has to be a reason why he's acting this ridiculous, Launa thought again. She didn't want to be too quick to judge someone without a clear reason. Because to her, everything always happened for a reason.

Oh, well. There was no point in stressing over her long-term sanity in this office anyway.

Launa quickly glanced down at the watch on her left wrist. The hands already showed it was just ten minutes until noon lunch break was just around the corner. That meant she had to move fast if she wanted to pick up her younger sister, Laura, at the bus stop on time.

Wow, this is going to be incredibly brutal, isn't it? The trials she had to face just to survive and chase a permanent position at this company were absolutely no joke.

Amid the chaos of the 12th floor, which was still buzzing with the frustrated grumbling of senior staff members post-Glenn’s stunt, Launa tried to sweep her gaze around the room. Based on the corporate system she was familiar with, lunch breaks usually lasted for a full hour, and employees were completely free to leave the building without needing approval from HR.

However, since this was her very first day, Launa knew she couldn't just vanish and go MIA like that. She needed to find someone to at least leave a word with that she would be stepping out of the office for a bit during the break. In her mind, Sarah’s name instantly popped up as her best bet.

Launa’s gaze swept across the room, and before long, she caught sight of Sarah near the meeting room where they had gathered for their onboarding session earlier. The woman seemed to be packing up some personal belongings and documents from her sub-team's desk. Without wasting a single second, Launa broke into a half-jog to head over to her.

The moment Launa stepped into Sarah's cubicle area, the woman looked up and turned around.

"Oh, Launa? What's up?" Sarah asked warmly.

Launa caught her breath for a moment before asking politely, "Um, Ms. Sarah... sorry to bother you for a second. I just wanted to ask, for the lunch break today, am I allowed to step out of the office premises for a bit for an urgent matter?"

Sarah glanced down at the digital watch on her wrist, then looked back up at Launa with an understanding smile.

"Oh, sure you can. The break system here is pretty flexible. We're given a full hour starting from noon. Just keep in mind, since you're still a new intern, try to be back in the office ten minutes before the break ends if possible. That way, your supervisor won't come looking for you."

Hearing that confirmation, a relieved smile instantly broke out on Launa's face. She nodded quickly, her eyes bright. "Got it, Ms. Sarah. Understood! Thank you so much."

Without delaying for a single second, Launa immediately spun around and rushed toward the main corridor to catch the elevator. Her heart was pounding, counting down the minutes until she could pick up Laura. However, right as she was about to reach the glossy metal elevator doors, a soft voice called out her name.

"L-Launa...?"

Launa turned around and found the girl with the thick, round glasses and twin braids who had been with her in the archive room earlier. Her name was Sofia.

"Oh, Sofia? What's up?" Launa asked, pausing her stride for a brief moment.

Sofia seemed to be hugging her notebook rather nervously. "Um... do you want to grab lunch together at the cafeteria downstairs? I... I'm not really sure who to eat with."

Launa put on a look of pure regret, then offered an apologetic smile. "Oh, gosh, Sofia... I am so sorry, but I can't make it this afternoon. I have to rush out to pick up my younger sister at the bus stop nearby."

Sofia’s brow furrowed slightly, looking surprised. "Oh? Are we actually allowed to leave the office premises during the break?"

Launa gave a firm nod, offering a reassuring gesture. "Yeah, we are. I just asked Sarah about it. She said our break is an hour long, as long as we’re back in the office ten minutes before our shift starts again."

"Ohhh... I see," Sofia nodded in understanding, though she couldn't entirely hide the look of disappointment on her innocent face. "Alright then."

"I'll head out first, Sofia—"

"Launa, wait a second!" Sofia called out again, her voice laced with a hint of quiet panic.

Launa held back from pressing the elevator button. She observed Sofia, who had suddenly ducked her head down low. The spectacle-wearing girl's hands moved restlessly, her fingers twisting and wringing together in front of her chest in a deeply self-conscious gesture.

"What's wrong, Sof?" Launa asked gently.

"It's just... um... can I... can I be friends with you?" Sofia whispered softly, her voice nearly swallowed by the bustling office noise. She forced herself to look up just a fraction from behind her thick glasses. "It’s just that... out of everyone on this floor, it feels like you're the only one who's willing to talk to me and be nice."

Hearing the innocent words coming out of Sofia’s mouth, Launa’s eyes instinctively locked onto Sofia’s hands, which were still wringing with anxiety. Launa's heart softened instantly. Without a second thought, Launa stepped forward and warmly placed both hands on Sofia’s shoulders, trying to pump some confidence into her new friend.

"Oh my gosh, Sofia, what are you even talking about?" Launa replied in a warm, familiar tone, a genuine smile spreading across her face without a hint of pretense.

"I’d actually be thrilled to be friends with you! Honestly, I’ve been thinking the whole time how lucky I am that you were there. If it wasn't for you, I would've been crying all by myself in that archive room earlier."

Sofia’s face brightened instantly, her eyes sparkling with happiness behind her lenses. She let out a long sigh of relief. "I am so relieved to hear that. I... I was actually worried for a second that you wouldn't want to be friends with me."

Launa raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Wait, why on earth would you think that?"

Sofia briefly swept her eyes over Launa from head to toe. "Well... because you're so pretty. And just looking at your style, you look amazing, so fashionable and classy. I guess I just felt insecure, worrying you’d be the type of popular girl who's picky about her friends."

Launa let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head at Sofia’s innocence. "There's no such thing in my vocabulary. Dressing well is just a job requirement. At the end of the day, I'm exactly the same as you, just another intern fighting not to get kicked out."

Glancing at the elevator indicator light as it chimed to signal its arrival, Launa knew she couldn't stall any longer.

"Sof, the elevator's here. I really have to run now," Launa said quickly. "Once I've picked up my sister and head back to the office, I'll let you know. But before that... can I get your number so we can swap contacts?"

"Oh, yeah! Absolutely!" Sofia chimed in, suddenly full of energy.

With lightning-fast movements, they both whipped out their phones from their pockets, typed in the digits rapidly, and gave each other a quick missed call to save the numbers.

"Awesome, got your number. See you back at the cubicles later, Sofia! Bye!" Launa called out cheerfully, stepping backward into the elevator as the doors began to slide open.

"Bye, Launa! Get there safe!" Sofia called back, waving her hand with a wide smile lighting up her face.

The exact second the metal elevator doors slid shut, the smile on Launa’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sheer determination. She zipped her bag tight, bracing herself in a sprint position. The moment the elevator doors opened on the ground floor, she was going to run like the wind toward the bus stop. Mission, Pick Up Laura was officially underway.

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