Shit. Shit, shit, shit. '
She was late.
The clock blinked 8:37.
Papers on the floor. Half-empty mugs on the desk. Her cat staring like it had a personal vendetta.
She scrambled up.
Slim, pale skin, long black hair falling messily around her shoulders, pink lips biting her lip nervously.
She shoved on her office clothes, grabbed the documents for her new job, her motorcycle keys, and helmet.
Shoes barely on, she hopped onto her bike.
The old engine rumbled to life.
First stop: her usual Korean breakfast vendor. She balanced her documents and took a steaming egg sandwich and kimchi stew.
"Thanks!" she said, smiling at the vendor as her papers shifted.
Finally, she revved the engine and drove toward the office. The building loomed ahead—glass, modern, corporate.
She sighed and parked the motorcycle, keeping her helmet under one arm, fidgeting with her hair.
Her bag swung on her shoulder, she took a deep breath, and walked in, smiling sweetly at anyone who looked.
The elevator doors slid open.
She stepped inside, closed her eyes, and started counting backward from ten, trying to calm down.
Seven… six… five…
The elevator dinged.
She opened one eye. Someone was already inside. She yelped, stumbled back a step, and froze.
The elevator dinged.
Doors slid open. She yelped and stumbled forward, almost dropping her documents.
A man was there. Tall. Black hair. Sharp eyes. Suit perfectly neat. Calm. Cold. Handsome.
She scrambled to straighten the papers. One slipped. Fell to the floor. She bent quickly, muttering apologies.
He raised an eyebrow. Quiet. Still. Calculating.
"Do you… always start your day by nearly destroying everything around you?" His voice was calm.
Cold. Sharp, like ice.
"I… uh… no? Not usually," she said, cheeks heating.
She picked up the last document and tried to smile. "I mean… just a little… clumsy today?"
He didn't move. Just stared. Then: "And what exactly… is your work here?"
She swallowed. "I… edit. Cards. Layouts. Designs. Fix… things," she said too quickly, waving at the papers like it would make it clearer.
He tilted his head.
"I see." A pause.
His lips quirked almost imperceptibly. "So… you break everything and call it 'editing'?"
She blinked. "I—no! I mean—uh…"
He gave her a look. Cold.
Deadpan. Funny in a way that made her want to roll her eyes.
"Interesting," he said. "I'll… keep that in mind."
Her hands curled a little tighter around the papers. Her heart raced. Her cheeks burned.
---
Ji-Ah finally made it to her desk, sliding into the chair and trying not to drop her documents again.
She set everything neatly—or as neatly as she could manage—and took a deep breath.
"Hi! I'm… uh…" she glanced at the woman beside her. "I'm Ji-Ah. Ji-Ah Park."
The woman smiled warmly. "I'm Soo-Min. Welcome to the team. You'll like it here."
Ji-Ah grinned back, feeling slightly calmer. "Thanks! I… I hope I don't mess things up too badly."
Soo-Min laughed softly. "Don't worry, we all do something clumsy the first week."
Ji-Ah nodded, feeling a little more at ease.
She was just about to start organizing her documents when the office doors swung open.
Everyone froze.
Heads turned. Chairs scraped back. People stood.
Ji-Ah barely looked up. She was too busy trying to arrange her papers.
The man she'd seen earlier walked in—Ha-Joon Kim. Confidence radiated off him like heat. His expression unreadable.
Calm. Controlled. Perfect.
Everyone bowed slightly and greeted him politely.
Ji-Ah blinked.
"Oh… uh… good morning," she muttered, distracted by a rogue paper sliding toward the edge of her desk.
Soo-Min's eyes went wide. She nudged Ji-Ah with a quick, subtle shove. "Stand up!" her eyes screamed.
Ji-Ah froze. "Huh?"
Soo-Min whispered fast, just enough for her: "Everyone stands for him. He's the CEO!"
"Oh… right." She scrambled up, stiff, papers clutched, confused. She glanced at him. Ha-Joon's eyes met hers for a fraction of a second.
Calm. Sharp. Like he'd already noticed everything wrong about her.
Then he spoke. Just two words. Cold. Direct. Terrifying.
"You! My office. Now."
And just like that, he walked away, sliding into the inner office doors without another glance.
Ji-Ah gulped. Her throat dry.
Her hands fidgeting. She sank back into her chair with a loud sigh, exhaling like she'd just run a marathon.
Soo-Min leaned over. "How is a little Cold."
Ji-Ah blinked, wide-eyed. "Cold? Uh… how strict?"
"Very strict," Soo-Min said, nodding.
Ji-Ah stiffened, straightening in her chair. Her documents trembled. Her stomach did tiny flips. She muttered, "Oh… great…"
She tried to arrange the papers again. Her hands shook. She dropped one. It slid off the desk.
Soo-Min stifled a laugh.
Ji-Ah groaned. "I'm going to die today, aren't I?"