The next morning, the meeting room felt tense. Suho sat quietly, his face calm and composed, though his heart was heavy with worry. Hauen sat beside him, her hands gently holding his for support.
Around the long rectangular table sat all the shareholders and board members. At the head of the table, Haraboji took his seat, his expression serious.
"Good morning, everyone," he greeted.
"Good morning," the others replied politely.
Haraboji looked around the room and said, "As requested, we've called this meeting to discuss the position of the head of Mirae Cosmetics."
The room fell quiet as everyone nodded. Suho stayed silent, glancing briefly at the people seated around the table.
One of the directors spoke up first. "We believe it's time to replace the head of Mirae Cosmetics. Our current head, Mr. Kim Suho, hasn't been doing well since the accident."
Suho's jaw tightened as he looked at the man.
Another director added, "I agree. Since Mr. Kim's accident, the company's performance has dropped, and sales have been falling for months."
A few others murmured their agreement, nodding.
Haraboji sighed heavily. "Alright," he said calmly. "If the board believes this decision should be made, let's vote individually. We'll decide based on the results. If the majority agrees to replace Suho, we'll discuss a new candidate. Otherwise, the current leadership stays."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and the room grew even more silent, the air thick with tension.
"Alright," Haraboji said, his tone steady. "Those who agree to replace the current head of the company, please raise your hands."
Slowly, hands went up one by one, and by the end, almost 80% of the room had their hands raised.
Suho's heart sank. He tried to stay calm, but Hauen could feel the tension radiating from him.
Haraboji counted the votes carefully. "And the rest?" he asked.
Three members exchanged looks before one of them spoke. "We're neutral. As long as the company is managed well, we don't mind who leads."
That left only two people in Suho's favor, one was Haraboji himself, and the other was Mrs. Nam.
"I vote for Kim Suho," Mrs. Nam said firmly.
But it was useless. The majority had already spoken.
Haraboji exhaled slowly, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Since most of the votes are against Kim Suho, it's decided that we will replace the current head of Mirae Cosmetics—"
"Excuse me for interrupting, Mr. Kim," a clear voice cut through the silence.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
It was Hauen. She stood up, her eyes calm but fierce.
Haraboji paused, surprised. "Yes? You wish to say something?" he asked.
Hauen nodded firmly. "Yes. I'd like to say something," she said, her tone steady but respectful.
One of the board members frowned. "Mrs. Kim, I understand you're his wife, but you shouldn't interrupt business discussions like this."
Hauen turned to him, keeping her composure. "I'm sorry for interrupting, and I apologize for breaking the formality. But if you allow me to speak for just ten minutes and listen carefully, you might want to reconsider your decision." Her voice was calm but confident.
Suho looked at her, confused and slightly worried.
"May I?" she asked, turning to Haraboji.
Haraboji studied her for a moment before nodding. "Yes, go ahead."
Hauen gave a small, polite smile. "Thank you so much." She took a brief breath before continuing. "Let's start from the beginning. According to the records, Mirae Cosmetics was founded ten years ago, correct?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Good," she continued. "And Mr. Kim Suho has been leading this company for the last seven years. Am I right?"
There was a brief pause as the board members exchanged glances and shrugged, some nodding slowly in acknowledgment.
"Okay," Hauen began, her tone calm but assertive. "If we look at the financial records of Mirae Cosmetics, the company didn't perform very well during its first three to four years. But as soon as Mr. Kim Suho was appointed as the new head, things started to change. The company began to grow rapidly. In fact, if we look at the numbers closely, the company's growth has increased by approximately 730% over the past seven years. That's a huge leap."
Her words carried quiet confidence. "So, as shareholders, I believe each of you must have earned a good amount of profit from your investments here."
The room fell silent. Suho turned his head slightly, surprised by how well she was handling herself. The board members exchanged glances; some looked impressed, others looked caught off guard. Mrs. Nam smirked faintly, clearly enjoying the unexpected turn.
"Am I right or wrong?" Hauen asked, looking directly at the board.
"You're correct, Mrs. Kim," Mrs. Nam confirmed with a small nod.
"Thank you for confirming, ma'am," Hauen replied politely, her lips curving into a confident smile before her tone softened. "Five months ago, my husband and I went through a severe car accident."
Suho's eyes lowered as her voice trembled slightly.
"That accident broke us in ways I can't describe," she continued quietly. "We lost our four-month-old unborn baby. My husband was badly injured, hospitalized for weeks, and he's still dealing with the aftereffects. His legs are paralyzed, and he's been undergoing continuous treatment."
Mr. Seo, one of the members, leaned forward. "We know, Mrs. Kim. That's exactly why we called this meeting, to save the company," he said, his tone slightly taunting.
Hauen turned to him sharply but with dignity. "I'm not finished yet, sir," she said firmly, her voice steady and direct. "Please allow me to finish first."
The room went silent again. Even Haraboji's eyes softened a little as Hauen continued to hold her ground, her presence commanding the space with quiet strength.
Suho remained silent, squeezing her hand gently to calm her down. She looked at him, took a deep breath, and continued, her voice steady and firm.
"It's been five months since my husband has been unable to fully focus on the company due to unforeseen events in his life. I agree that this may have caused some setbacks, but if we look at the numbers, the losses are not significant. Mirae is still performing well in the market. If we compare the losses and profits side by side, I believe all the shareholders are still earning a good return with minimal effort in company growth."
She turned her gaze to Mr. Seo, who had been glaring at her. A small, confident smile played on her lips. "So, Mr. Seo, I'm sorry if this hurts your sentiment, but I noticed you recently sold 5% of your Mirae shares to other directors to save your own company from large losses. Doesn't that show how profitable Mirae has been for its shareholders under my husband's leadership?"
She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. "All of this success is because of my husband's hard work, smart strategies, and bold decisions. Even though he hasn't been actively working for the past five months, the company has not suffered significantly. That alone proves how vital he is to Mirae's growth."
Her voice rose slightly with pride, leaving no room for doubt. "After seeing such a track record of achievements, if you still decide to replace him as head of the company, that decision will be entirely at your own risk. I cannot guarantee that the person who replaces him will be able to maintain the same growth, but I can confidently say that my husband can."
She spoke with such clarity and conviction that the room fell completely silent, every board member absorbing her words, unable to find a counterpoint.
Suho's eyes stayed fixed on her, watching how confidently and professionally she spoke, using the right facts to make the board members reconsider their decision. Slowly, the members began to rethink their choice.
One of them spoke up, "Okay, we understand your points, Mrs. Kim, but Mr. Kim is still not fully well. How can he manage everything at this rate? He's not like before."
Hauen looked at him calmly and said, "He's exactly like before, in fact, even stronger. The accident damaged his legs, not his brain. Running a business requires brains, not legs."
Mrs. Nam and Haraboji couldn't help but laugh, and even Suho let out a quiet laugh, feeling proud and relieved.
Haraboji said, "Alright, members, I agree with her. Let's reconsider your decisions and hold the vote again."
Everyone nodded, and for the next ten minutes, there were discussions among the members. Suho couldn't take his eyes off Hauen; he just couldn't look away. At one point, she caught his gaze and smiled, holding his hand. He squeezed hers gently, feeling the warmth of her palm.
"Okay, let's vote again. Who wants Suho to continue as head of Mirae Cosmetics? Please raise your hands," Haraboji announced.
This time, nine hands went up, much better than the two from before. A few more members raised theirs, and finally, twelve votes went in Suho's favor.
Haraboji smiled. "It seems the majority wants Suho to continue." A few members nodded in agreement.
Hauen looked at Suho and smiled, wiggling her eyebrows. Mrs. Nam said, "Well then, Mr. Kim, since Kim Suho has the majority votes, the decision is final."
Haraboji nodded. "Yes, according to the majority, the board of directors and shareholders agree that Kim Suho will continue as head of Mirae Cosmetics."
The members clapped. Suho smiled like a fool, and Hauen gave him a playful wink.
"Well then, shall we wrap up the meeting?" Haraboji asked.
Everyone agreed, standing up and shaking hands with Suho, congratulating him. Suho nodded politely, a small smile on his face.
As the members left, Haraboji came up to Hauen and patted her back. "Good job, Hauen. I'm proud of you."
She shook her head slightly, smiling softly. "Thank you, Haraboji, but I didn't do anything extraordinary. Suho deserved that place, I just helped them realize it."
Haraboji looked at Suho. "How are you, my boy? How's the therapy going?"
Suho smiled slowly. "It's going well… small results are already visible."
Haraboji nodded and said, "Well then, take care. I have a meeting now." They both bowed, and he left the room, leaving Suho and Hauen alone.
Suho looked at her, his smile brightening. "Thank you, Hauen."
She rolled her eyes with a small laugh. "Oh, please… not again. I'm tired of hearing your thank-yous for every little thing."
He chuckled at her teasing. She smiled and said, "Come, let's go. We're getting late for therapy." With that, she gently rolled his wheelchair toward the exit.