Rival

 Even though it had cooled down outside due to the rain, it was hot on the bus. The windows were fogged up, and all you could see were raindrops slowly rolling down the glass. The bus was packed with sleepy people dozing off while standing and holding onto the handrails.

 The ride to work felt longer than ever. It was all because of an accident that happened on the city's main highway, right at the intersection. We sat in traffic for an hour. As soon as the clock struck nine in the morning, the passengers' phones went crazy. Everyone made excuses explaining why they were late. Many couldn't stand it and asked the driver to open the door and let them out in the middle of the road.

 Subin was the only one in no hurry today. On her way to the bus stop, she remembered that she didn't have to be at work until ten. Everything would have been fine if not for the rain and Jimin with his yellow umbrella. She had to accept the boy's offer to walk her to the bus stop. Walking next to him was awkward, and holding his arm was even more so. When a bicycle rode past them, heading straight for them, Subin pulled her arm away from the boy's elbow. Even after that, she couldn't breathe a sigh of relief. Jimin stood next to her on the crowded bus, his chest pressed against her shoulder.

 They exchanged glances the whole way. Jimin smiled, and Subin blushed, averting her gaze. That morning, the boy enjoyed the girl's company, and she experienced a range of emotions — surprise, tenderness, admiration, joy, happiness, and embarrassment. There were many more emotions that cannot be described in simple words.

 Finally, the bus arrived at the stop. As soon as the doors opened, Subin ran out first. She hurried to the entrance of the BigHit agency building. As soon as she entered, however, she noticed the sidelong glances of the other interns. She was surprised because she didn't know any of them, yet they were all looking at her as if she owed them money. Suddenly, she heard her friend scream from the elevator. Her friend ran out indignantly and pounced on Subin:

"Subin-a, where the hell have you been? Why weren't you answering your phone? Have you lost your mind or something? Come on, hurry up." She grabbed her shocked friend by the arm and pulled her toward the elevator. "You can't even imagine what's going on here," the girl said on the way. "Something is happening here. You'll be shocked," she assured her as she pressed the elevator call button.

 Subin still couldn't understand what was going on. HaRi kept repeating the same thing, but one thing was clear from her words: everyone was shocked, including her. While waiting for the elevator, she glanced around the building as she always did before work. But again, she encountered the angry and envious glances of the same girls who were staring at her and discussing something in hushed tones. By the time they reached the third floor, Subin couldn't take it anymore. Stepping out of the elevator, she interrupted her friend's incessant speech.

"HaRi~ya!!! Explain what's going on in plain language!" she finally said, raising her voice.

"Subin, you really don't know anything?" her friend asked in surprise.

"Nothing at all..."

"Subin~a..." Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. "You... You passed the selection! She shouted across the corridor.

"What?" Subin cried out, her eyes wide with surprise.

 That's why everyone is looking at her that way. After all, she was the only one to pass the selection process. She was the only one out of a hundred chosen. She is the chosen one to whom all the behind-the-scenes secrets will be revealed. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest. Her legs felt like cotton candy, and it was hard to stand still. She wanted to scream, jump, and squeal with happiness, but that was forbidden now. Now, she had to act serious and grown up. She had to behave more appropriately. She would also have to look different. Everything had to change. EVERYTHING.

"Well, what are you standing there for? The meeting has already started. Run!" As soon as HaRi said this, Subin rushed to the meeting room where a meeting had been going on for over an hour.

Office 504. Meeting room.

Holding her hand over the door handle, Subin tried to calm her heart. She was breathing heavily and felt fear slowly creeping into every cell of her body. She couldn't muster the courage to open the door because then everyone would look at her. What if they scolded her for being late? It's okay; she could handle it. After all, this was her dream.

"Come on, Subin. Do it!" the girl said aloud and opened the door.

"And the new assistant manager, Kim Subin," said Bang Shi Hyuk, announcing the list of newcomers who would continue their internships in their new positions. At that moment, Subin burst into the hall.

"Who are you?" he asked, holding a piece of paper with names on it.

"Good morning! I'm Kim Subin."

"Why are we late?" he asked, looking at the paper.

"I..." she began, but suddenly...

"There are terrible traffic jams in the city, Director Bang," a familiar, sweet voice said from the hall. She wore a black cap. Jimin and the other members were sitting in the hall. They were just being introduced to the new staff.

"Really?" He looked at little Jim. "All right... Come on in," he said, continuing his speech.

 Subin quickly ran up to the line of newcomers, most of whom looked at her enviously. No wonder. She was assistant manager Bangtan. It's a dream job.

 The meeting ended soon, and everyone scattered to their stations. Only Subin remained in the hall. She waited for the manager to tell her what to do. Instead, he asked her to wait outside the door. A few minutes later, everyone left the meeting room.

"Congratulations, Subin." Hoseok was the first to congratulate her, firmly grasping her hands and smiling broadly.

 The rest joined in with their congratulations. Taehyung walked past but managed to say, "Good luck," on his way out. Jimin just smiled sweetly. The manager followed them out while discussing something with the director. Then, a long-legged beauty with model looks appeared from behind the door. It was immediately clear that she came from a wealthy family. She wore expensive clothes, makeup, and a fancy hairstyle. She had painted nails and high heels. She looked condescendingly at Subin.

"Don't even dream about it. The assistant position will be mine..." She raised an eyebrow and, fixing her hair, ran after the bow ties.

 It seems that Subin wasn't the only one who had the opportunity to become one of the guys' staff.

Yes, they'll tear her throat out here.

She'll have a hard time in her new position.