The marketing department was never completely quiet.
Even on slow days, there was always something—low chatter, the hum of computers, someone laughing too loudly at something that wasn't even that funny.
But today...
It was worse.
"Watch the door!"
A voice hissed from the corner.
"I am watching," another whispered back, already distracted, eyes glued to the small screen in her hand.
A movie played quietly, the brightness turned all the way down.
Lina sat at her desk, flipping through a stack of files she wasn't really reading.
Her mind wasn't there.
Hadn't been for a while.
"I hate this place."
The voice came from beside her.
Flat.
Honest.
Lina blinked and turned slightly.
The girl next to her leaned back in her chair, arms stretched above her head, completely unbothered by the chaos around them.
Her hair was tied up loosely, strands already falling out, and her expression carried that kind of lazy defiance Lina didn't understand.
"Sorry," Lina said quietly, unsure what else to say.
The girl looked at her.
Then...
Smiled.
Suddenly.
Bright.
"You look like a good person," she said, tilting her head slightly. "Do you want to be my friend?"
Lina froze.
"…me?"
"Yes, you," the girl said like it was obvious. "Who else am I talking to?"
Lina hesitated.
No one asked her that.
Not like this.
Not directly.
Not… casually.
"My name is Chen Yuqi," the girl added, leaning forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand. "But you can call me Yuqi.
Everyone does."
Lina blinked again.
"…Lina."
Yuqi's smile widened.
"Okay, Lina."
A small pause.
Then...
"We're best friends now."
Lina stared at her.
"…what?"
Yuqi nodded seriously, like she had just made a life decision.
"Yeah. It's official."
"That's not how—"
"We're going to look out for each other," Yuqi continued, ignoring her. "You seem quiet.
Quiet people need someone like me."
Lina didn't know whether to laugh or correct her.
So she just...
Stayed quiet.
But something small, something unfamiliar, shifted in her chest.
"…okay," she said finally.
Soft.
Almost unsure.
Yuqi grinned.
"See? I knew you'd agree."
Across the room...
"Wait, pause it—pause it!"
"No, no, no, this is the best part!"
"Shh! Someone's coming!"
Everyone froze.
Footsteps.
Clear.
Steady.
Approaching.
Yuqi's eyes widened slightly. "That's not the supervisor."
Lina's heart dropped.
She stood quickly.
Too quickly.
"I'll check," she said, already moving.
Before anyone could stop her, she slipped out into the hallway.
And froze.
The assistant.
Walking toward them.
Calm.
Composed.
Unavoidable.
Lina's chest tightened.
No.
She turned immediately and rushed back inside.
"They're coming," she said quickly, voice low but urgent. "Not the supervisor—the assistant."
That was enough.
Everything changed.
Phones disappeared.
Screens went dark.
Chairs straightened.
Files opened.
In seconds...
The room transformed.
By the time the door opened...
It looked like nothing had ever happened.
The assistant stepped in.
Heels quiet.
Eyes sharp.
Her gaze moved across the room once.
Taking everything in.
Then...
She spoke.
"Who is Lina?"
Silence.
Complete.
Lina felt it immediately.
That shift.
That weight.
Her fingers curled slightly at her side.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The assistant's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I asked," she said, voice firmer this time, "who is Lina?"
The silence stretched.
Longer.
Heavier.
Then...
Slowly...
Lina raised her hand.
"…me."
Her voice was soft.
But clear.
The assistant's eyes landed on her immediately.
"Come with me."
No explanation.
No delay.
Just that.
Lina's stomach tightened.
"…yes," she said quietly.
She stepped forward.
As she passed Yuqi...
A hand grabbed her wrist lightly.
"What did you do?" Yuqi whispered, eyes wide.
Lina shook her head slightly.
"I don't know."
Yuqi leaned closer.
"Don't worry," she murmured. "If you get fired, I'm coming with you."
That almost made Lina smile.
Almost.
But there was no time.
The assistant was already at the door.
Waiting.
Lina pulled her hand free gently.
Then followed.
The whispers started the second they stepped out.
"What happened?"
"Why her?"
"Did she mess something up?"
The door closed behind them.
Cutting it all off.
The hallway felt colder.
Quieter.
Each step echoed.
Lina walked slightly behind the assistant, her hands clasped together to keep them from shaking.
Her mind raced.
What did I do?
Nothing came.
No mistake.
No error.
No reason.
Which made it worse.
Because that meant...
This wasn't about work.
They stopped in front of a door.
The door.
Lina's breath caught.
The assistant turned slightly.
"Go in."
That was all.
Lina nodded.
Then reached for the handle.
And pushed the door open.