Mr. Beni immediately sent the client's contact and project details. Naima hurriedly opened WhatsApp and found the name Kang Seojun. Her eyes widened in shock.
"Damn… he's gorgeous…" she muttered. Her cheeks flushed bright red.
She tried to calm herself, but her brain was running wild: "Naima, relax. Be polite. Introduce yourself. Ask permission to call. Or maybe do a video call instead — safer 😅."
Her fingers trembled as she typed:
"Good day, Mr. Kang Seojun. I'm Naima from Ngide Studio - Jakarta. I'd like to call you about the project."
She hit send.
A few seconds of silence. Naima held her breath.
Then suddenly—her phone rang. A video call.
"Oh… hi, Naima. Nice to see you. I'm Kang Seojun from Be A Star Cosmetic," came a warm, deep voice.
Naima nearly fell off her chair. Her cheeks grew hotter. "Breathe… don't show that you're about to faint from nervousness…" she told herself, eyes glued to the screen.
Next to her, Johann smiled faintly. "Seems like someone's got a crush… on her client?"
Naima forced an awkward grin. "Shh! Don't jinx me, honey… this is work!"
Then it hit her: "Oh my God… I'm in an international meeting but my heart's fluttering like a high school girl!"
The screen brightened, revealing Kang Seojun—handsome enough to make Naima forget how to breathe.
"Hi, Naima. Nice to see you. I'm Kang Seojun from Be A Star Cosmetic."
Naima smiled stiffly. "Good day… Mr. Kang. I—I mean, I'm Naima from—uh…" She gave a nervous laugh. "I'd like to discuss the project, if you don't mind."
Seojun smiled warmly. "Of course. Let's talk."
In the first seconds, Naima's brain went into overdrive—copywriting ideas, content plans, campaign concepts—all swirling at once. She almost blurted out, "Eh… Oppa, I mean this idea…" but caught herself.
"No! Focus, Naima. Focus!"
Then something unexpected happened: every time she got nervous, her creativity exploded. TikTok ideas, Instagram visuals, online promo strategies—everything just flowed from her chaotic nerves.
Seojun raised his brows, clearly impressed. "Interesting approach… You think differently than most."
Naima's inner voice screamed: "Yes! Anxiety-powered productivity!" She laughed awkwardly. "Sorry… I sometimes laugh for no reason. It's… inspiration!"
The call went smoothly. Even when she almost mispronounced the product name, Seojun stayed patient. Eventually, they agreed that her spontaneous ideas would become the main campaign concept.
"I get the point," Naima said, wiping her forehead. "Shall I send you the draft today after lunch? Or at least tomorrow morning?"
"Sure. I don't mind. Thank you," Seojun replied kindly.
The call ended. Naima stared at her laptop for several seconds, panting.
"Oh my God… yesterday I met drama characters—they were fiction, fake. But this…" She pointed at the blank screen. "This is real! My client is a real Korean oppa. Handsome. Breathing. Talking to me directly!"
She chuckled to herself. "Naima, focus! This is work, not a drama audition! But seriously… how can I concentrate on a brief when he looks like that?"
Shaking her head, she burst out laughing. "My heart's racing because of a work VC! But hey… at least my creative ideas come easier when I'm nervous. So nervousness = productivity!"
She slapped her desk, still giggling. "At this rate, I should just work in Seoul! But… Johann must never find out or he'll think I'm having an affair with a hot client 😅."
Naima quickly sent a screenshot of the call to Martha.
"Mar, look! My new client ☺️ A real-life Korean oppa!"
Martha's reply hit like a brick:
"Repent, woman! You've already got a husband—stop drooling over other men!"
Naima pouted. "Ugh, Martha, seriously…" She stood up, glanced at the fridge. "I'm starving. What do I eat? Just instant noodles, eggs, and some meat left… Maybe I should go out for soup? But what if I bump into that oppa again? Ugh… but instant noodles sound safer."
With a heavy sigh, she walked toward the elevator. Ting! The door slid open—
and Naima almost slipped from shock.
"Naima, right?" greeted the man inside, smiling warmly. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
She grinned nervously. "Hello, Mr. Kang."
Inside, she screamed: "Why am I meeting him here?!"
"I live on the 20th floor. And you… aren't you from Jakarta?"
Naima froze, then smiled diplomatically. "Ehmm… actually, my husband works in Seoul, and I work remotely from here."
"Oh, great! I'm heading out for lunch. Join me? Before I go to the office," Seojun offered casually—completely unaware he'd just sent Naima into panic mode.
She looked up at the elevator ceiling, thinking fast. "If I say no, it's rude. But if I say yes, I'll have to pay. He's my client! God, this is divine-level dilemma…"
Finally, she took a deep breath and smiled, a bit stiffly. "Sure… why not?"
Naima followed his steps, but suddenly stopped. "Wait… why is he turning into Hyunbin's café?!"
Quickly, she opened her translation app. "Just in case I need to explain this mess…"
As they entered, Hyunbin greeted Seojun casually—but his eyes flicked sharply toward Naima.
"Hyung! Come on in. What would you like? Eh… Naima?"
Naima smiled awkwardly and waved. "Hi…"
Seojun frowned. "You know each other?"
Hyunbin stammered, forcing a grin. "Yeah… she came here yesterday. Turns out, her husband's a regular at Minjae's café."
Naima's thoughts went wild: "Why is Hyunbin suddenly so cold? Because he knows I'm married? Or… is he just shocked seeing me with this super-hot oppa client? Oh no, my poor heart can't take this!"
Seojun smirked playfully. "You and Hyunbin… have a story, huh?"
Naima laughed nervously, clutching her chest. "Eh… no, not at all. Just… food!"
Now she was triple-nervous: a handsome client, a virtual husband in her head, and Hyunbin being weirdly intense.
She looked down at her plate—clear soup with meat that was too tender, kimchi so sour her tongue begged for chili sambal, and rice perfectly sticky but tasteless nonetheless.
Seojun watched quietly, then leaned in and asked softly, "You don't like the meal, do you?"
Naima stiffened. "Oh… no, no! It's great! I know Hyunbin's dishes got, uh, 4.9 stars on KFoodrate! Many doctors and celebrities recommend it, right? People say it tastes like home!" Her smile looked as stiff as a porcelain doll at an airport gift shop. "It's just… I have something on my mind."
Inside, she screamed, "And that 'something' is sambal goreng ati with shrimp crackers, Seojun!"
Seojun nodded calmly. "Ah yes. KFoodrate. Good app."
Naima froze. "Wait… he didn't deny it?!" Her eyes widened. That app existed only in the Cherry Blossom Season K-drama! "Don't tell me… he's a drama character too?! 😭"
She smiled weakly, testing him. "Oh! So, you know KFoodrate too?"
"Of course," he said easily. "My company collaborated with them once. For the Autumn Seoul Kitchen event."
Naima stared blankly. Her brain flatlined. "Okay… this world is glitching. I'm officially talking to a deleted-scene K-drama character. Or a spin-off version."
Suddenly, she clutched her stomach, face paling. "Uh-oh… I think my stomach's cramping!"
Hyunbin, who was handing Seojun a bite of tteokbokki, turned to her, alarmed.
"Excuse me… I didn't order seafood, right? Did you put… something from the sea in my bowl?" she asked, panicked, pointing at her soup.
Hyunbin raised a brow. "Sure… it contains dried shrimp and a little anchovy powder."
Naima's mind screamed while she started coughing. "Arghhh… my stomach!"
Seojun jumped up. "What's happening? Are you okay?"
"Not okay! My stomach… cramps! I'm allergic to seafood!" she shouted, clutching her belly.
Hyunbin panicked, grabbing a glass of water and tissues. "Wait! Don't move! Sit down! Are you sure allergic?"
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