Gregor se je odpravil proti pisarni, ko so prvi jesenski listi plemenito pokrivali pločnike.

Gregor set off towards the office as the first autumn leaves nobly covered the sidewalks.

V zraku je bila hladna sapa jeseni, ki je s seboj nosila duh grozljivk in kurjavine.

There was a cold breath of autumn in the air, carrying with it the scent of horror movies and hearth fires.

Gregor je bil v svojem elementu; rad je imel jesen, predvsem pa Halloween.

Gregor was in his element; he loved autumn, especially Halloween.

Njegova služba v veliki korporaciji je bila sicer resna in veckrat dolgočasna, a Gregor je imel načrte.

His job at a large corporation was serious and often boring, but Gregor had plans.

Gregor je bil zgodaj v pisarni.

Gregor arrived at the office early.

Njegov cilj: počasi in tiho okrasiti svojo pisarno, brez da bi Mateja, njegova stroga šefica, opazila.

His goal: to slowly and quietly decorate his office without Mateja, his strict boss, noticing.

Mateja ni marala prazničnega razmetavanja in je ostro opozorila ekipo, naj ne pretiravajo.

Mateja did not like festive clutter and had sternly warned the team not to overdo it.

Njegovo delovno mesto je bilo v kotu modernih sivih kabin, običajno urejenih in brez okraskov.

His workspace was in the corner of modern gray cubicles, usually orderly and decoration-free.

A Gregor je imel drugačne načrte.

But Gregor had different plans.

Vsako jutro je prinesel malo več: najprej majhne plastične buče, nato nekaj pajčevin, in na koncu papirnate netopirje.

Each morning, he brought a little more: first small plastic pumpkins, then some cobwebs, and finally paper bats.

Največkrat se je srečal z Anžetom, ki ga je občasno spraševal: "Gregor, si prepričan? Mateja je danes razpoložena kot siv oblak."

Most often, he crossed paths with Anže, who occasionally asked, "Are you sure, Gregor? Mateja is in a mood like a gray cloud today."

Dnevi so minevali, kot da bi se listi spreminjali iz zelenih v oranžno in rdeče, in Gregorjev kotiček je počasi postajal prav ljubeznivo čuden.

The days passed, like leaves changing from green to orange and red, and Gregor's corner slowly became delightfully quirky.

Toda dan velikega razkritja se je bližal.

But the day of the grand reveal was approaching.

Na Halloween jutro se je Gregor odločil za zadnji dodatek - majhno, utripajočo čarovniško luč.

On Halloween morning, Gregor decided on the final touch—a small, flickering witch's light.

Na žalost je Mateja tistega jutra prišla nenapovedano pri vhodu.

Unfortunately, that morning, Mateja arrived unexpectedly at the entrance.

Njena pot je neizogibno vodila mimo Gregorjevega kota.

Her path inevitably led past Gregor's corner.

"Kaj je to?" je vprašala z ostrim, a presenečenim glasom, ko je vstopila v Gregorjev čarobni kotiček.

"What is this?" she asked with a sharp but surprised voice as she stepped into Gregor's magical corner.

Njene oči so sledile pajčevinam, netopirjem in tisti mali lučki, ki je tleskala v ritmu dneva.

Her eyes followed the cobwebs, bats, and that little light flickering in the rhythm of the day.

Gregor je zadržal dih, pričakujoč nezadovoljstvo in opomin.

Gregor held his breath, expecting dissatisfaction and a reprimand.

Namesto tega je Mateja zastala, nato pa se njene ustnice rahlo nasmehnile.

Instead, Mateja paused, then her lips curled into a faint smile.

"Veš," je dejala, "v času mojih študentskih let sem bila kraljica Halloween potegavščin."

"You know," she said, "during my student years, I was the queen of Halloween pranks."

Obrnila se je k njemu in prikimala s tihim odobravanjem.

She turned to him and nodded with silent approval.

Gregor je bil osupel in olajšan.

Gregor was stunned and relieved.

Poleg tega je spoznal, da Mateja ni le stroga šefica, ampak tudi oseba z zgodbo in preteklostjo, ki je bila podobna njegovi.

He also realized that Mateja wasn't just a strict boss but also a person with a story and a past similar to his.

S tem novim razumevanjem se je iz pisarne odpravil z lažjim korakom, zavestno cenjen, da si lahko privošči kreativnost in majčken nasmeh v sivi pokrajini pisarne.

With this new understanding, he left the office with a lighter step, consciously appreciating that he could afford creativity and a slight smile in the gray landscape of the office.

In tako je Gregorjeva pisarna ostala čarobna še ves Halloween, njegovi sodelavci pa so mu hvaležno čestitali za malo svežine v njihovem vsakdanjem delovnem okolju.

And so, Gregor's office remained magical throughout Halloween, and his colleagues gratefully congratulated him for bringing a bit of freshness into their everyday work environment.

Gregor se je zadovoljno nasmehnil, vedoč, da je združil resnost dela in veselje praznikov.

Gregor smiled contentedly, knowing he had combined the seriousness of work with the joy of the holidays.