The Roseate is Noah’s pride

He builds the company from scratch. He works tooth and nail for this, shedding tears and sweat, to finally have his own office in the business district of the capital city. Not a towering skyscraper or something, but Noah is proud that everything he achieves is from his hard work. 

Being a perfumer is his dream, he has been interested in various scents since he was a child. He is lucky enough to actually pursue his dream–hell now even has his own brand and company. Dominique and Kerry are his seniors at college; Dominique from accounting, a very thorough person which his calculation never missed, now he is his finance manager, while Kerry in the same department with him, chemistry, works as head of research for a new scent invention.

No one that Noah can trust, except both of them, really.

“So someone drew $500.000 this month without purchasing a bill?” Noah asks Dominique in the meeting desks with 3 other managers from other departments.

“Yes, which is strange because it same as suicide. It was utterly stupid. Drawing money from an official account for personal purchasing without even trying to make fake bills is the same as if he stole that money and surrendered to being caught,” Dominique explains sensibly.

Noah hums brushing his finger on his chin “Mr Clark,” Noah calls the production manager “Please check if there’s someone in your team who make a mistake in purchasing materials and they are too afraid to tell you so he bought the right one without telling you and of course, couldn’t give the bill,” Noah instruct "Or rather, there's some error in purchasing team, they could slip off the bill somewhere. Anyway, please make sure the supply of production team use is balanced with the monthly cost including that $500.000"

The old man seems conflicting, but he nods “Yes sir”

“And Mrs Choi, I want us to do a whole audit of each employee’s transaction and track where that  $500.000 went. Please do it in silence so we can catch the thief red-handed.” The internal audit manager nods, understanding.

Noah enters the lab and puts on his lab robe and wears his lab goggles. Kerry greets him with his wide grin, as usual.

“So?” he asks as soon as Noah sits beside him.

Noah can’t help but sighs “I prefer lab to meeting room I will seriously age faster”

Kerry snorts. He knows how Noah prefers to deal with chemical liquid rather than managing people and paperwork that stressed him out “So hear me out, dear~ for winter collection I think we can make something different! Something brilliant thanks to my magnificent talent and brain”

Noah’s face brightens, if Kerry starts to act like some mad scientist possessing his soul that means he just got some brilliant revelation – something that Noah desperately needs right now, “Like what?”

“Rather than using a refreshing minty or pine kind of scent like usual, we can develop something warm for contrasting the winter itself, but of course, we can make it distinctive from summer. The warmth itself is not in literal meaning but the warmth associated with the scent of happiness – the excitement of winter that can bring warmness to their heart!! To their cold – pitiful – lonely souls!” Kerry recites while gliding from one counter to another like a theatre actor in the middle of his dramatic monologue. He brings a few bottles of liquid and he sprays it with test papers “like here, this it nutmegs with bit ginger it giving you know the scent of the spices that can be associate with Christmas dinner this is for men and this is bergamot with water lily and vanilla, the scent is romantic and sweet like Christmas eve date for women”

Noah sniffs each of the test papers, he hums contentedly and stares at his perfumer with an unreadable face.

“What is it? Not to your liking?” Keery bites his lips, his confidence is about to falter.

“This…” Noah sniffs again “This is…” then a smile slowly creeps on his lips “This is brilliant Kerry!, how can you- “ Noah goes back to sniff that again even before finishing his word “Where are you got the inspiration? Did you hook up with a hottie recently?”

Kerry just chuckles, mostly in relief, “Well, that is that. Anyway… Speaking about the date, someone asks for your number”

Noah, who is still busy sniffing the perfume, looks at him, confused. “Who? I think everyone I know already knows my number or at least our company number” Kerry settles back to his swivel chair, “You remember Michael from our department?”

“Michael with fox eyes, Michael?” Noah asks and Kerry nods “Michael with a sweet smile Michael?” Kerry rolls his eyes but nods “Michael with a small face but strong jaw Michael?” Kerry groans.

“yeah, Noah, my sweet little pumpkin! Michael, you were being thirsted off for two freaking years”

“Only a year, Kerry sweety! in my senior,” Noah corrects defensively.

Kerry smirks and appears in mischief. “Yeah, because a year before it you had a crush on him, but you were dating Deryl instead. I can’t believe you were dating him out of people, he buttoned his shirt until it literally chokes his neck I couldn’t stand seeing it,” Kerry shivers excessively.

Noah rolls his eyes ``Just because you like to wear self painting converse with a big rainbow flower keychain on your pants doesn’t mean you can criticise someone’s fashion. Besides, I was a  prude innocent little boy at that time. I didn’t have the heart to reject him”

Kerry makes a fake gag noise “Yeah whatever. So Michael that apparently works in the government’s lab now asking for your personal number”

“Is he asking for our formula, or does he want to ask me out?” Noah crosses his arms over his chest.

Kerry looks at him unamused, “Of course for asking you out, moron! Who do you think he is asking for the formula? Do you think we are Krusty crabs or something?”

Noah squinted his eyes, tapping the pen on his chin “So dude, what on earth is still holding you to give him my number?”

“I was asking for your permission dumbass, duh” Kerry groans takes off his goggles to message his nose bridge 

“Please.. of course, I won’t mind. This is Michael Alexander! The most attractive guy in our department, for fuck’s sake, I will send a pigeon myself to give him my number now”

Kerry snorts, “Fine! I give him now, if you are going to get drunk your ass out again just…don’t embarrass yourself, alright?”