Chapter 1 Am I Slacking Off This Much Or Are You?

"Hana, you have to finish these documents before you run off somewhere again," Ericka, her secretary, insisted while heaving. The woman dumped stacks of paper on top of her table. "Why are there so many pending documents? Am I slacking off this much or are you?” She was spinning her chair while drinking her iced latte. She also waved her hand around when she asked the question. Ericka stopped her from moving the chair around. "We both know the answer to that. Now, get moving.” Ericka hit her head with a bunch of paper she rolled. The seated woman just glared at her secretary. Hana Figueroa is a small-time online writer. However, she eventually turned her savings into buildings and farmlands. She's currently using one of the floors in one of her buildings as the company's headquarters and people who kept things flowing in her businesses were gathered on this floor while the rest of the building was being rented out to other clients. Hana stayed in the building most of the time. As a rookie business owner, her attitude is a little more… peculiar. As a writer, she's used to functioning alone. She didn't know how to collaborate with a large group of people, much more to lead one. Ericka, her secretary, was the one helping her fill up her lapses as the head of a company. "What else do I have in my schedule today?” She fixed her glasses and looked up at Ericka. "We'll be visiting La Marina and we're leaving at three. We'll be there until the following day. Do you want the cooks to prepare your meal?” She contemplated for a while. "Nah, I'll just have pizza. I don't want the staff to stay up late just to serve me. It'll be awkward.” Hana shivered. She might be the boss but she did not want people to serve her. Weird, but she liked to keep a low profile. As a writer, she liked the feeling of solitude achieved only when there was no one hovering around her. La Marina's one of her baby projects. It's a sea farm where her staff raised different species of fish and sold them when they got older. The clock struck one in the afternoon. "It's past lunchtime already. Why don't we eat first?” Without looking up from the documents she's reading, she shooed the other woman away. Ericka went to lunch while she sipped on her latte. She buried herself in her work. When she concentrated on the work in front of her, her focus stopped her from feeling hungry and she forgot everything else. An hour later, Ericka returned with a take-out lunch from the fast food restaurant across their building. This is how they usually get by daily. The fast food restaurant across basically fed them the entire time they were working in that building. Working together for three years now, Ericka understood her boss enough. Hana hardly ate while working but that did not mean that she won't need food. If she will just let her starve, Hana's stomach growls will fill the entire office. The crazy boss could ignore her hunger and the noise of her stomach, but not Ericka. She would not be able to concentrate at work! The "thoughtful" secretary placed the paper bag in front of Hana. The latter did not notice the bag at first. However, the smell eventually wafted to her nose and it made her salivate in hunger. This distracted her from working for a moment. Hana finally looked up and noticed the paper bag. It was only then that she realized Ericka had already returned from her lunch. "Is this for me?” She excitedly grabbed the paper bag and opened it. Seeing two cheesy mushroom burgers, fries, and cola inside, she giddily let them out and started eating them. "I never said they're yours yet." Hana did not believe her. The combination has always been her usual order. "Yeah, yeah, thank you. How much do I owe you?” Hana asked while munching on her burger. Ericka looked at her boss who was talking while her mouth's filled with food. She has been working long enough with the woman in front of her to know that there's a huge difference between how she's acting now compared to when she's attending events with important figures. She also has a different attitude when dealing with other employees aside from her and Carlos. How does she do that? Ericka's aware that humans wear different masks all the time. However, Hana switched masks so effortlessly which leaves her speechless, especially since she knows that Hana's an introvert. If work is not required to live life as a normal human being, she’ll stay in her house her whole life. Shouldn't introverts feel tired after switching from one persona to another? Hana's other characters are total extroverts. It amazed Ericka that she had done it tirelessly ever since they met three years ago. Ericka was lost in her thoughts and she did not notice she's been staring at Hana for a while. Hana looked back at her without blinking, while still eating the food Ericka bought her. She witnessed how Ericka's facial expressions changed depending on the thoughts that flowed into her head. The staring contest dragged on for a long time. Eventually, Ericka broke the silence. "That would be 252.75.” Hana was drinking the cola when Ericka spread her palm. She just finished eating everything inside the paper bag. She unexpectedly burped loudly. She hurriedly covered her mouth and motioned with her hands for Ericka to excuse the burp she wasn't able to suppress. *Oh, please.* Ericka wasn't able to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "What's 252.75?” "Your lunch.” She fiddled with her phone to pay Ericka back. "So, why did you stare at me? Do you have a question? Ask and I'll answer.” Ericka stood to return to her table. "Nothing, Boss. I was just daydreaming.” Hana did not believe what she said. Ericka’s face clearly showed all the thoughts she had earlier. It was easy for Hana to read her. The two went back to work until three in the afternoon when it was finally time for them to leave. Hana was only able to finish three-fourths of the things she planned to do for the day, but that's fine. "It's time to go, Boss.” Ericka came knocking on her door to remind her. "Ok. Let me freshen up first.” She was retouching her makeup when she suddenly remembered something. "By the way, don't forget my pizza and your dinner, darling. Food deliveries won't reach us at La Marina…" She spoke in a melodic tone which was not unusual for her to do. She was still doing her makeup when she stopped and thought of something. "Are food deliveries using boats and ships now? If that's the case, we'll just order when we get there. I want to experience being delivered food via boat.” Ericka just stared at her weirdly. "I know time and technology advance fast and I also know that your head is always in the air thinking about the future, but that way is just not profitable. No one wants to invest in wasting a lot of expensive fuel just to send a few dishes. So, could you please hurry it up? We will be late if you dilly-dally much longer.” "Okay, okay.” Hana and Ericka's office was enclosed in a cubicle that separated them from other employees. Because of this, only Ericka was able to witness Hana's "weirdness". Every time Hana left the office, she always stood tall and she acted like she was someone worthy of people's respect. The employees looked at her with admiration, not knowing she was childish and not the leader material they had in mind. "Miss Hana, are you leaving now?” "When will you be back, Miss Hana?” "Miss Hana, how was my proposal? Did you like it?” Hana stopped for a moment to address their concerns, acting like the 'perfect' boss everyone looked up to.