Daniel looked at Sean with a sharp and cold gaze, his voice as smooth as ice, yet piercing. “You happy doing this?”
Sean shrugged and smiled casually. “Hey, calm down. I just pressed the gas pedal a little deeper. That woman? She showed up out of nowhere, so it’s not my fault that I almost hit her,” he replied.
“Sean,” Daniel began, his voice remaining calm. “You understand the rules, don’t you? Rules are not toys. Especially in the parking lot, where speed must be controlled. As the new assistant manager, set an example, not causing chaos.”
“Causing chaos? Who? Me?” Sean chuckled, his voice full of unconcealed arrogance. “I did nothing wrong.”
“This time, I will ignore this incident.” Daniel’s voice was calm, yet there was a firm vibe in it. “However, if this happened again, I will not hesitate to take the disciplinary action. Consider this your final warning and a chance to improve yourself.”
With an authoritative step, Daniel left Sean rooted to the spot. Sean’s jaw hardened, his muscles tensed, as if every word Daniel had thrown at him had become a chisel that shaped his expression of exasperation.
Emily, who had been watching the sharp exchange from a distance, cast a mocking glance at Sean. Sean felt his anger mounting, but he could do nothing but swallow his wounded pride.
Emily, with light, almost dancing steps, left Sean, who was still transfixed. She hid a satisfied smile behind his glasses.
That morning, sunlight slipped in through a gap in the curtains, illuminating Daniel’s spacious study. With steady steps, Daniel entered his room and sat down as he prepared to complete his task. A soft knock on the door soon broke the silence.
“Morning, sir,” greeted Richard in a deeply respectful tone.
Daniel turned his head, his eyebrows raised slightly. “Are you back yet?” asked Daniel in a calm yet authoritative voice.
“Yes, sir, I am,” Richard replied.
“Are there any further developments regarding the old lady?” asked Daniel, his eyes not leaving the task before him.
“Sorry, sir. I have gotten none updates, but I’ve instructed our people to look into it in Thailand,” Richard explained.
Daniel nodded, his eyes still fixed on the task before him, but his mind clearly drifting elsewhere. “Alright, thanks for your hard work,” Daniel said.
Not long after, there was another knock on Daniel’s door. Emily appeared in the doorway, a mug of hot coffee clutched tightly in her hand, the steam billowing gently.
Daniel turned around, signaling Richard with a nod of his head. “Alright, you may return.”
“Yes, sir. Then I’ll take my leave,” Richard said, saluting before leaving the room with orderly steps.
Emily waited until Richard had completely left before she began her conversation. “Sir, I think I know what makes our souls return,” she said in a voice full of confidence.
“The first day our souls could return because you saved me from the accident, the second day was the same, and today, when you almost got hit, our souls return again,” Emily explained, her eyes sparkling with new discovery.
“It looks like we can return to our original bodies if one of us is in danger,” Emily added confidently.
“I already know,” Daniel replied briefly, his voice flat.
“What? You knew?” asked Emily, her eyes widening in surprise and her lips quivering slightly, signaling a deep disappointment that Daniel had withheld that knowledge from her.
Daniel nodded slowly, his gaze unchanged, as if he had considered every possibility before he answered, “We can go back if one of us almost crashes and the other saves,” he explained in a calm but heavy voice.
“So, that’s true? How could you keep that secret to yourself? You could have told me that,” Emily said, her voice containing a hint of disappointment.
“So that you can try to endanger yourself by deliberately creating a fake accident?” guessed Daniel, his eyes narrowed, as if he could see through the plans that had not yet formed in Emily’s mind.
“We could at least try, sir,” Emily said, her voice almost a whisper, as if she was afraid of the words coming out of her own mouth.
“That would only jeopardize our lives,” Daniel replied firmly, his voice echoing in the room, emphasizing that there was no room for negotiation. “Our souls only return for twelve hours and we’ll exchange souls again,” he continued.
“Twelve hours?” asked Emily, her voice barely audible, as if she was speaking more to herself than to Daniel.
Daniel just nodded, his sharp eyes back on the document in front of him, as if he had closed the door on that discussion. “Instead of you thinking of crazy ideas that will only harm yourself, think of a way for us to return to our bodies permanently,” Daniel said, his voice authoritative.
“How can I know, you don’t know even know how? But if you do, it seems like you wouldn’t tell me either,” Emily whispered, her voice barely audible, as if talking to herself.
“What did you say?” Daniel asked, his brow furrowing in confusion, catching every tremor of uncertainty lurking behind Emily’s voice.
“No, sir. Forget it,” Emily said in a choked voice, her salute heavy and filled with reluctance, before she turned to leave Daniel’s room.
Her steps halted as she returned to her desk, and she let out a long sigh. “I thought I found out first. Turns out he already knew and didn’t tell me,” she muttered in a tone of pent-up annoyance.
Her gaze drifted to her normally messy desk. Now, everything was neatly arranged-the signs of work that Daniel had completed perfectly, while Daniel’s soul was trapped in her body. Her eyes then fell on the door to Daniel’s room, and she whispered in a tone full of both admiration and envy, “He can even replace this position so well. What can’t he do? I really envy him.”
When the clock struck break time, Emily headed for the crowded company cafeteria. The roar of conversation filled the space. Her head moved right and left, her eyes searching for a familiar figure. Her memory took her back to her last meeting. Back then, her soul was still in Daniel’s body, and that’s what made her realize Mia was also working at the same company as her. She desperately hoped that she wouldn’t run into Mia, afraid that she would be brought back to the hallways of teenage memories that she had long left behind.
Suddenly, a warm touch touched her shoulder, startling Emily out of her reverie. She took a sharp breath, startled, and turned around with a reflexive movement.
“You look confused, Emily. Don’t you take any food?” asked the person who had touched her shoulder earlier. It turned out to be her coworker.
Emily smiled, feeling a little relieved. “I’m just going to get something to eat now,” she replied, her voice calmer.
Emily and her coworker walked over to the food table, grabbed what they wanted, and sat down to eat. Light conversation filled their time, and Emily almost forgot about her worries for Mia. After eating, she was relieved not to see Mia there. Suddenly, however, her coworker sitting across from her turned her head and shouted, “Mia!” The name was like thunder in broad daylight, making Emily jump in surprise. She turned her head quickly, her heart pounding.
Seeing Mia standing nearby, Emily felt her breath catch.
“I’m a little late today because I have a lot of work to do,” Mia said in a voice that sounded tired but still friendly.
Cold sweat beaded on Emily’s forehead. Fortunately, she had already finished eating, so she had an excuse to avoid Mia.
“Sorry, but it looks like I have to go back first. I have a lot to do,” Emily said with a smile, trying to hide her anxiety.
“Alright, you must be very busy,” her coworker said.
Emily smiled at her coworker, but she didn’t dare look at Mia, who had taken the seat across from her. As Emily was about to leave, Mia held her hand gently. “Wait, Emily.”