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Min-Hyuk paced restlessly inside the dimly lit warehouse.
“Did she just go back to the office…?”
As he reached for his phone to call her, the door suddenly swung open.
The moment he confirmed it was Joo-Eun, he cupped her face with both hands and began inspecting her cheeks thoroughly.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Here… is this a wound?”
“It’s where I popped a pimple this morning.”
Joo-Eun’s reply was followed by a brief silence.
“Oh. You still get pimples?”
“Yes.”
“You’re still young then. But here—this looks like a fresh injury, doesn’t it?”
The charisma that effortlessly subdued even Chaerin, the notorious troublemaker, vanished into thin air the moment he stood before Joo-Eun.
He turned into a devoted puppy, wagging his tail anxiously as he examined her from head to toe.
“I already told you it’s nothing…”
“What if I hadn’t passed by at that exact moment?”
“What would’ve happened? She’d have hit me once, and I’d have hit her back twice.”
“Oh. So you’re this cool-headed about it…”
Min-Hyuk raised an eyebrow in surprise, amused by her response.
Pfft. Smiling softly, Joo-Eun gently removed his large hands from her cheeks and consoled him like a sister would.
“Don’t worry. I’m not someone who’ll let things slide, even in front of your intimidating aura. I can handle myself wherever I go.”
“You’ve grown so well under my guidance.”
“Of course.”
Seeing Min-Hyuk finally relax his expression, Joo-Eun met his gaze and smiled brightly.
Her sparkling eyes were so beautiful that Min-Hyuk instinctively brushed her bangs aside.
As her prominent forehead peeked out, his lips magnetically gravitated toward it.
When he lightly kissed her forehead, Joo-Eun murmured,
“I really need to get going now.”
She seemed to know exactly what came after a kiss on the forehead.
“What are you implying? Why overanalyze a pure little peck on the forehead?”
Since they’d already been caught, Min-Hyuk decided to brazenly lean into his boldness.
Did she really think he could hide his true feelings?
Smiling, Joo-Eun straightened his tie for him.
“I really need to leave. My teammates must be worried. They’re probably wondering if I’m off somewhere crying.”
“They sound like good colleagues.”
“Then I’ll see you when I leave work later.”
“Oh. Almost forgot—I have a meeting tonight. Do you think you can go home alone?”
Lately, waiting for their shared commute home had become such a big part of her day that she almost felt disappointed.
Still, she masked her emotions and replied casually.
“I’ve managed on my own until now, haven’t I?”
“Both near your house and further in, it’s too dark. I’ve been worrying ever since yesterday.”
“My mom wouldn’t worry as much as you do.”
“I care more than a parent, apparently.”
Chuckle. Joo-Eun laughed, shaking her shoulders.
But the soreness in her muscles quickly made her furrow her brows, and Min-Hyuk, who had been laughing alongside her, immediately sobered up and checked on her again.
“What’s wrong? What hurts?”
She couldn’t exactly tell him that it was because he hadn’t given her a moment’s rest last night.
Faced with his mix of guilt and concern, Joo-Eun awkwardly smiled.
“I’m fine… I said I’m fine…”
Their back-and-forth continued for a while—one insisting she wasn’t okay, the other insisting she was.
________________________________________
CEO Hong sat on a high stool, nervously jiggling his leg as he waited for someone.
His throat felt parched, but he hadn’t touched the alcohol he’d ordered. Instead, he gulped down glass after glass of water.
Tak. Setting the glass down, he wiped his mouth with a napkin, his anxiousness evident in every movement.
“Who would dare touch me, anyway?”
One of the tangled thoughts in his mind slipped out without him realizing it.
The mocking tone of Vice Chairman Choi echoed in his head, twisting his expression into a bitter scowl.
He had heard that Chairman Jung’s son, Min-Hyuk, was taking over as director—a sign that his days as president were numbered. He had mentally prepared himself for it.
But then, Choi Dae-Sik suddenly appeared, threatening to cut even that short.
And who had actively recruited Choi Dae-Sik? None other than Jung Min-Hyuk. In the end, they were all birds of a feather.
Since things had come to this, there was no turning back.
“I’ll have to carve out my own path.”
CEO Hong took another sip of his drink, only to realize it was empty. Frustrated, he slammed the glass down.
The bartender refilled his water glass.
How many glasses had it been by now? His stomach was full—he couldn’t drink anymore.
Staring at the glass, he gestured for his secretary.
“Check why he hasn’t arrived yet.”
“He says the traffic is bad, and he’ll be here in five minutes.”
“Does Seoul traffic ever not suck? He should’ve left earlier. Trying to assert dominance with his precious time, huh? All talk with his money.”
CEO Hong twisted his jaw side to side and glanced at the briefcase lying beside him.
“Keep an eye out. If any familiar faces show up, block them.”
“Yes.”
“He wanted to meet in a quiet place—not exactly my style, damn it.”
Though it was an important meeting, he didn’t want to arrive drunk.
But unable to hold back any longer, he tilted the glass and drained it in one gulp.
Finally, after saying he’d arrive in five minutes, Chairman Lee showed up thirty minutes late.
“I’m a bit late. Looks like you started without me.”
Chairman Lee greeted him as he sat down. CEO Hong, half-drunk, swayed unsteadily as he stood up.
“Yes. You’re just a little late, so I couldn’t wait and had a drink.”
Despite the sarcastic jab, Chairman Lee didn’t take the bait.
“Let’s see the documents you wanted to show me so badly. I don’t have much time.”
“Hmm… These are the corporate card statements of DK Media executives. I thought you’d find them interesting.”
Chairman Lee’s gaze slowly locked onto CEO Hong.
He had assumed Chairman Jung sent him to smooth things over when he requested this meeting.
They were supposed to be close friends who addressed each other informally. Had their relationship soured? Even so, to turn on him overnight like this…
The realization that CEO Hong was a dangerous man made Chairman Lee hesitate to accept the documents.
“What if I’m not interested in these papers?”
“…!”
“If it’s just executive credit card statements, it’s predictable. How scandalous could it possibly be?”
Chairman Lee’s mocking response filled CEO Hong with humiliation.
After abandoning his conscience and choosing the life of a bat—neither fully human nor beast—to be told his efforts were worthless stung deeply.
Nothing could have been more humiliating.
“Not petty cash games or trivial ledgers. If it’s something explosive enough to shake the nation when leaked to the media, then maybe. But trying to trade with me using something so insignificant… Are you overly confident, or just small-minded? Either way, I’m disappointed.”
As Chairman Lee rose to leave, CEO Hong panicked.
“I’ll bring it. I’ll bring it! But in return, what will you give me, Chairman Lee?”
“Well, I’m just a man with money. Isn’t giving you money the right move?”
The question of how much hung unspoken on CEO Hong’s lips.
But pride kept him from asking outright. With a reassuring pat on his shoulder, Chairman Lee stood up, signaling the difference in their scales.
________________________________________
Joo-Eun entered the shop while talking to her mother on the phone.
“Don’t save dinner for me—eat everything. Got it? I’ll come by tomorrow evening. Okay, I’ll hang up now.”
Seo-Young, who had been placing beers on customers’ tables, greeted her with a nod.
Out of habit, Joo-Eun went to the kitchen to greet Seo-Young’s father before sitting down at her usual spot near the designated area.
Once Seo-Young finished handling urgent orders, she approached Joo-Eun with a mischievous grin, shedding the polite smile she had worn for customers.
“No date today? Rare to see your face around here.”
Thunk. She slammed a dish down irritably, spilling corn kernels everywhere.
Unconsciously, Joo-Eun glanced around.
No one understood better than her how lonely it felt when one of your best friends got a partner and communication dwindled.
Up until now, it had always been Seo-Young whose romantic relationships caused her to disappear for stretches of time.
But this time, the roles were reversed, and Joo-Eun felt deeply sorry for the emptiness Seo-Young must be experiencing.
“Sorry. On days I don’t meet Director Min-Hyuk, I promise I’ll come here no matter what.”
“Are there even days you don’t meet him?”
It felt like there hadn’t been any such days in recent weeks.
“He’s been busy lately. And it’s only going to get busier…”
It wasn’t the most satisfying answer, but seeing Joo-Eun lower herself like this, Seo-Young reluctantly softened her expression.
“I’ll be watching. Make sure you keep your promise.”
“Of course. I always keep my promises.”
“Aren’t you the one who disappears the moment you start dating?”
“Hey. We still exchange texts—it’s not like I’ve gone completely silent.”
“The frequency has dropped to one-tenth of what it used to be.”
“You… counted?”
“That’s what it feels like!”
Suddenly raising her voice, Seo-Young’s father peeked out from the kitchen and gestured for them to quiet down.
Joo-Eun bowed her head apologetically instead.
“But it seems there are fewer customers today?”
At Joo-Eun’s question, Seo-Young sighed deeply.
“Yeah. That fancy bar opened upstairs. I thought our customer bases wouldn’t overlap, but it seems to be affecting us a bit.”
“Come on. People who are used to your dad’s chicken can’t just switch to another place.”
“Sometimes people want to try something different.”
True. She had a point.
“Hey, Song Joo-Eun. Since we’re on the topic, why don’t you check it out for me?”
“What…?”
“Both the snacks and the vibe—I’m curious about a lot of things, but I can’t go myself since everyone knows I’m the owner’s daughter. Try ordering a bunch of stuff and let me know how it is.”
“By… myself?”
“Or do you want to go with my dad?”
“No. I mean… couldn’t I go with Director Min-Hyuk next time?”
“If you feel even a fraction of guilt toward me, you’ll go now. I’m dying to know if the drop in customers is because of that bar upstairs.”
With business slowing down, she couldn’t justify delaying it any longer.
“Fine. I’ll go and check it out…”
“Have a safe trip, my friend.”
“You’re serious about this…?”
“Dead serious. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet a handsome owner who makes you toast with those captivating eyes of yours. ‘To your irises!’ He might even buy you a drink.”
Enough with the jokes.
Joo-Eun turned away with a resigned look.
Now that she thought about it, Seo-Young had said something similar before.
Thanks to that, she had ended up downstairs and met a director far more handsome than Leonardo DiCaprio in his prime.
So, would history repeat itself this time?
The thought made her chuckle involuntarily.
Though she was already taken, she decided to humor Seo-Young’s intuition and headed upstairs with a light heart.
Peeking around curiously as she entered the bar, Joo-Eun spotted a familiar face—one quite the opposite of DiCaprio.
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