Morning came too fast.
Ji-Ah stepped into the office, coffee in one hand, presentation folder in the other, documents clutched to her chest. Her hair bounced with every hurried step.
She reached Ha-Joon's office and froze. Hands were full. She couldn't knock.
"Sir!" she called.
The door opened.
Not him.
A tall man stood there. Soft features. Gentle eyes behind glasses. Sharp suit. Warm smile that felt… illegal in its kindness.
"You must be Ji-Ah, the coffee girl," he said.
She blinked.
"…Yes?" Her voice squeaked slightly. Her cheeks warmed.
He gestured inside. "Come on in."
She walked in carefully, careful not to spill coffee, documents pressed to her chest.
Ha-Joon was at his desk, black hair perfectly in place, eyes sharp as ever, expression flat.
She placed the coffee cup neatly beside him, then set the folder down.
He looked at it. Slowly. Methodically. His eyes scanned each slide.
"Hmm," he said, lips pressed together. "The layout… a little crowded. Fonts… acceptable, but uninspired."
Uninspired?! Ji-Ah thought.
He leaned back slightly, still calm, still cold, eyes narrowing at her work. "…Colors are decent. Charts… readable."
She let out a quiet, relieved breath.
Ha-Joon glanced at Seo-Jun, his P.A., who stepped forward.
Seo-Jun adjusted his glasses and looked at the folder. A few seconds of scanning. Then:
"Slide four," he said, tapping lightly.
"You need to move the graph up. Change the font here. And lighten the background."
Ji-Ah's mind screamed Lighten the background? Sure. Why don't I also paint it gold.
She nodded obediently, scribbling notes. "Got it. Slide four. Move, font, lighten… check."
Seo-Jun smiled faintly. "Everything else looks good. Just small tweaks."
Her inner voice groaned. Small tweaks my foot.
Ha-Joon didn't say a word.
He didn't need to.
His sharp gaze alone made her straighten her back, fingers gripping the pen like a life raft.
She exhaled quietly once they were done.
Coffee still warm. Hair a little messy. Heart still racing.
Why is work like this? she thought, shaking her head. Coffee, cold boss, warm P.A., and me… juggling everything like an acrobat. Perfect first day. Perfect.
Ji-Ah walked back to her desk, shoulders tense, hair slipping from her ponytail.
She set the folder down, opened the presentation, and tried to focus.
Okay. Slide four. Move graph. Change font. Lighten background…
Her fingers flew over the keyboard. Her hair fell forward; she pushed it back with one hand while typing with the other.
Stress coiled in her stomach like a tiny storm.
She let out a long sigh. "Why is this so stressful already?" she muttered.
Her eyelids drooped. Half-asleep. Coffee had only done so much.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
She jolted upright, almost dropping her pen.
Two people stepped in.
A woman. Elegant. Hair pinned neatly. Sharp blazer. Confident heels clicking.
A man. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Hair perfectly combed. Suit tailored to the point of perfection. Eyes calm, unreadable.
Everyone in the office froze. Chairs creaked. A few papers fluttered.
"Good morning, sir," someone whispered. "Ma'am."
Everyone—except Ji-Ah—stood immediately and bowed slightly, murmuring greetings.
Ji-Ah blinked.
Blinked again.
Brain half-asleep, heart still racing from her morning coffee.
She scrambled upright. "Oh—uh… good morning!"
The two didn't answer.
Didn't even look at anyone. They walked directly into the room, silent, confident, as if the office belonged to them.
Ji-Ah's hands tightened on her pen. What now? Who are these people? Why do they look like models who walked straight out of a magazine?
Her eyelids twitched. She blinked once more, trying to wake fully.
And then… froze again.
Because her morning was officially about to get even more complicated.
-
Lunch hour rolled around.
Ji-Ah was already holding Ha-Joon's black coffee—exactly how he liked it.
She was halfway between sipping her own when Soo-Min popped up beside her desk with two other coworkers.
"Ji-Ah, come with us to lunch!" Soo-Min said.
She blinked, glancing at the coffee. "I… I'll come. Just need to take this to Sir first."
"No problem," Soo-Min said, smiling. "We'll wait."
Ji-Ah exhaled quietly.
Then leaned closer. "Soo-Min… who were those people that came to Sir earlier?"
Soo-Min grinned. "Oh… those two? You don't know them? At least know the woman. She's a super popular model and singer."
Ji-Ah's eyebrows shot up. "A model? And… the man?"
"Her boyfriend," Soo-Min replied casually. "Also a model. You know… tall, handsome… basically made of expensive fabric and charm."
Ji-Ah blinked, staring at her computer screen.
Her phone buzzed suddenly. She jumped, nearly dropping the cup.
Grumpy Sir.
She unlocked it. A new message:
Bring three coffees this time.
She stared. Blinked. Then muttered, "Of course, sir."
Three? she thought, trying to steady her hands.
She grabbed another cup. Exhaled. Tightened her ponytail. And prepared for round two of coffee delivery.
--
Ji-Ah gripped the tray with three coffees like her life depended on it.
How do people carry things without looking like they're about to topple over? she muttered under her breath.
She walked into Ha-Joon's office.
He was seated at his desk, hair perfectly in place, black suit immaculate, eyes scanning the first coffee already in front of him.
The other two—the model-singer woman and her boyfriend—stood near the window, talking quietly, laughing softly, completely absorbed in each other.
She set the tray down carefully.
"One for you, sir. And… the other two," she said, nodding politely.
Ha-Joon's gaze flicked to her, neutral, unreadable. She exhaled. Almost free.
She turned to leave.
"Park Ji-Ah."
She froze.
She looked back. His sharp black eyes locked on hers.
She swallowed.
He didn't move. He didn't speak. Just… held her there, mid-turn.
The other two kept talking, oblivious to her.
The woman's laugh was soft, musical. The man nodded, voice calm, confident. Discussing something about a fashion shoot.
Their presence filled the room like sunlight.
Ji-Ah stood awkwardly, one foot half out the door, tray still balanced carefully, eyes darting between them and Ha-Joon.
Seo-Jun, was standing quietly to the side, small smile on his face, nodding with every word the two said.
Why does everyone else get to act normal? Ji-Ah thought. Why do I always look like I'm auditioning for a slapstick comedy?
Ha-Joon's eyes flicked back to her. Just a glance.
No comment. But she felt it like a weight.
She forced herself to straighten.
Took a deep breath.
And waited—because she knew one wrong move now would probably be recorded in her brain forever.