int. mixxo company office . day
(The scene begins in the main office corridor. Eun and Won are walking toward the boardroom, holding a stack of project files. From the opposite direction, Mrs. Chairman (Kang's mother) approaches, busy talking on her phone. She is deeply engrossed in her call, while Eun is focused on organizing the files. Suddenly, they collide.)
THUD!
(The files slip from Eun's hands and scatter all over the floor. Mrs. Chairman immediately cuts her call, her face twisting in anger. Eun quickly kneels to pick up the files, and Won joins in to help her.)
Mrs. Chairman: (Garing down at them with extreme arrogance) You two again?! Are you blind? What if my phone had dropped and smashed?!
Eun: (Bowng her head, sounding intimidated) I am really sorry, Mrs. Chairman... I wasn't paying attention to the path.
Mrs. Chairman: (Scoffing with deep condescension) You weren't paying attention? Then what am I supposed to do about it? I seriously wonder how a girl like you even became a Team Leader in this firm. Mr. Chairman must have lost his mind... I have no idea why he felt the need to make you a leader. I don't see an ounce of capability in you!
Won: (Her face turning red with anger, stepping forward to confront Mrs. Chairman) Mrs. Chairman! What does capability have to do with this? It was an honest accident! She didn't bump into you on purpose!
Mrs. Chairman: (Garing sharply at Won) And why are you acting like her lawyer? Can't she speak for herself?
Eun: (Gently pulling Won back, addressing Mrs. Chairman) I apologize, Mrs. Chairman. It might be my fault, but it wasn't intentional. And as for my position, I am here solely because of my hard work and skills. That is why i am team leader
(Just then, Kang and Mr. Park walk down the corridor, deeply engrossed in a conversation. They stop dead in their tracks as their eyes track the commotion.)
Mr. Park: (Whispering from behind, panic in his voice) Oh no... Mrs. Chairman is standing right there with Eun and Won. Looks like something went terribly wrong.
(Kang doesn't hesitate for a single second. He marches forward with rigid posture, shielding Eun completely from his mother's harsh gaze. Park rushes right behind him.)
Mr. Park: (To himself, sweating slightly) Oh man! The atmosphere is already radioactive. I just hope Kang doesn't lose his temper at Mrs. Chairman. God knows when this confrontation will end.
Kang: (Stepping into the circle, his voice freezing cold) Team Leader Eun! What on earth are you doing here? We called a mandatory meeting in the boardroom, and here you are wasting precious company time? Move it!
Mr. Park: (Intervening smoothly to de-escalate) Miss Won, please head inside as well. Our sincere apologies, Mrs. Chairman... we are running incredibly late for the project review, so we must head in right away.
(Without looking at anyone, Kang bends down, grabs the remaining files from the floor, shoves them into Eun's hands, and grabs her wrist firmly. He starts walking toward the boardroom. Mrs. Chairman freezes in shock before yelling out.)
Mrs. Chairman: (Fuming) Ha-joon! What on earth do you think you are doing? Let go of her hand this instant! I was speaking to her!
(Suddenly, Mrs. Chairman's eyes lock onto Kang's hand, noticing the raw, unbandaged red bruises on his skin.)
Mrs. Chairman: (A mix of motherly worry and anger) And... what happened to your hand? How did you get those wounds?
Mr. Park: (To himself, facepalming mentally) Oh boy! What a mess. How do I stop her from digging deeper?
Eun: (Trying to twist her wrist out of Kang's iron grip) Mr. Kang... please let go of my hand.
Kang: (Tightening his grip, looking directly into his mother's eyes with dangerous intensity) There is absolutely no need. Move. (To his mother) And it doesn't matter how I got these wounds, Mom. You have absolutely nothing to do with it.
Mrs. Chairman: (Outraged) What kind of behavior is this?! I am your mother! Of course, I will worry about you! Let go of her hand first!Kang: (With freezing cold intensity) What is your problem, Mrs. Chairman? I am not letting go of her hand. We are running late. Whatever you have to say, say it later. Besides... what do you even know about this project? Do you possess any technical design knowledge? Because I don't think—
Eun: (Stepping in, whispering softly) Mr. Kang... please stop it
.Kang: (Pausing, staring at Eun for a beat before clearing his throat) Fine. Let's just go. We don't have time to stall. This project is vital for me. And since I am your boss, you will strictly listen only to me! Park, let's go!
(Kang pulls Eun along by her hand, walking briskly toward the boardroom. Park stays back for a second, bowing politely to Mrs. Chairman.)Mr. Park:My apologies, Mrs. Chairman. Kang is exceptionally serious about this launch, please don't take his words to heart. You know how he gets... we must head in now. Come along, Miss Won.
Won: (Nods quickly, but as she turns to leave, she shoots a glaring, teasing smirk back at Mrs. Chairman.)
(Mrs. Chairman is left standing entirely alone in the corridor, her face pale with a mix of fury and deep, restless anxiety.)
Mrs. Chairman: (To herself, panicking inside) Ha-joon is acting overly protective of a girl again... Don't tell me he has actually started catching feelings for this Eun? He already dismisses my opinions completely. Even after everything that happened years ago, he still stubbornly believes that I was the one who pushed 'Hanu' off that cliff! If this keeps up, I won't be able to control him. Huh! I need to keep a close eye on him... or better yet, find a wealthy partner for him immediately. That is the only way to block out Hanu's memory and keep him away from this girl!
(Won and Park walk briskly down the hallway toward the boardroom.)
Won: ( Huffing in frustration) Ugh! That Mrs. Chairman is incredibly rude! I swear, I was holding back the urge to give her a piece of my mind! Thank goodness Mr. Chairman is a sweet gentleman. Mr. Kang definitely acts like a grumpy kangaroo most of the time, but today he proved he definitely didn't inherit his mother's toxic traits!
Mr. Park: (Checking the surroundings before lowering his voice) Miss Won, I understand. Mrs. Chairman comes from an elite, filthy rich family. She has been pampered her whole life, which is why she mindlessly judges anyone she deems beneath her. Just ignore her.
Won:Then how on earth did Mr. Chairman fall for someone like her?
Mr. Park:That is beyond my knowledge, so just drop it! Focus strictly on the project. Once the designs are finalized today, the workload is going to skyrocket. And let me warn you, Kang has an insane eye for detail. He will definitely find some loophole or flaw in the layout.
Won:What? But Lee won't do that. He is incredibly supportive and sweet.
Mr. Park: (Stopping for a split second, shooting Won a deeply jealous, stiff look) Right... because you are constantly looking at him...
Won: (Frowning in confusion) What? Why are you staring at me with that weird expression?
Mr. Park: (Quickly clearing his throat, adjusting his tie) Huh? Nothing... let's just go inside
OUTSIDE THE BOARDROOM
(THE TENSION & FUN)(Right outside the boardroom door, Kang and Eun are standing. Eun abruptly jerks her hand away.)
Eun:Alright, that's enough! Please let go of my hand now. Everyone is sitting inside. What on earth will the team think if they see us like this?
Kang: (Letting go of her wrist instantly, looking visibly awkward) Ahem...Eun: (Gently rubbing her wrist, looking down) Thanks... for helping me back there
.Kang: (Leaning in slightly, his face dropping close to hers as he speaks in a flat, defensive tone) Oh, don't mention it. But get one thing straight... I didn't do that for you, understand?
(Just then, Park and Won walk up behind them. Catching them standing so close, both of them instantly flash knowing, teasing smiles.)
Won: (Teasingly, raising an eyebrow) Well, well... what do we have going on over here?Eun: (Startled, taking a frantic step back) N-Nothing, Won! Come on, we need to cast the designs onto the main screen.
(Eun quickly grabs Won's arm and practically drags her into the boardroom to escape. Park steps up next to Kang, instantly poking fun at him.)
Mr. Park: (Smirking, nudging his shoulder) What was that all about, Ha-joon? You clearly have a massive soft spot for Eun, so why are you still maintaining that arrogant boss attitude?
Kang: (A small, calculating smirk playing on his lips) That part is true... but teasing and flustering her is way too much fun.
Mr. Park: (Chuckling, shaking his head) Oh ho! Alright, lover boy, let's head inside.
(The entire project team is seated inside the boardroom. Lee is already there, looking sharp. Kang and Park walk in, exchanging a cold, stiff glance with Lee before taking their respective seats at the head of the table. Eun steps up and flashes the new project designs on the projector screen. The team falls into a murmur of pure admiration; they genuinely love the layout. Lee smiles warmly.)
Lee: (Clapping his hands, looking directly at Eun) Brilliant work, Eun! You have my 100% approval on this. This layout is absolutely flawless. Let's lock it right now.
Kang: (Coldly interrupting, his eyes narrowing as he studies the screen) Lock it? Mr. Lee, are you here to evaluate the structural integrity of the project or to just mindlessly praise the Team Leader? Look at section four. The grid lines are completely misaligned with the digital rendering. If we proceed with this flawed layout, the entire framing for the model shoot will collapse. It's a completely amateur mistake.
Lee: (His face instantly stiffening as pure rage surges inside him, leaning forward flatly) With all due respect, Mr. Kang, that isn't a mistake! That is a deliberate design choice to give the background elements more breathing space! You are deliberately nitpicking flaws in everything she does because you are looking at it with a biased perspective!
(The confrontation turns explosive. The remaining employees freeze in terror, instantly dropping their heads into their notebooks to avoid the crossfire between the two heavyweights.)
Won: (Leaning in closer, whispering frantically to Eun) Oh man, Eun! If these two keep tearing into each other like this, do you honestly think we can ever execute this project smoothly? I highly doubt it! Lee looks like he wants to strangle Kang, and Mr. Kang is matching his energy perfectly
.Eun: (Sighing in deep stress, looking at both of them) Ugh... why can't you two just shut up for a second!
Mr. Park: (Coughing loudly to break the suffocating silence, stepping in to smooth over the argument) Ahem! Gentlemen, please calm down. Mr. Lee, your point about the breathing space is completely valid... however, Mr. Kang's technical observation regarding the rendering misalignment is also spot-on. We should definitely dedicate some attention to fixing it.
(The rest of the team nods in rapid agreement with Park. Seeing the room lean toward a logical middle ground, both Kang and Lee slowly back down, leaning back into their chairs with suppressed anger.)
Eun: (Taking a deep breath of relief) Alright, so we are all on the same page. Thank goodness!
Lee: (Quickly masking his rage, forced a bright smile as he stands up) Fantastic! Now that our core project design is officially finalized... to celebrate our next phase, dinner tonight is completely on me for the entire team!
(The room erupts into happy cheers—"Wow, thank you so much, Mr. Lee!")
Lee: (Turning his gaze toward Kang, a cynical, challenging smirk on his face) Mr. Kang... you are more than welcome to join us.
Kang: (Without even looking at him, smoothly sliding his champagne-gold pen into his pocket as he speaks with cold indifference) No need. I have no desire to attend. Go ahead without me.
(Kang pushes his chair back, stands up with rigid posture, and exits the boardroom with pure arrogance. Lee's face turns dark and calculating as he watches him leave.)
(Kang exits the boardroom, leaving a trail of heavy silence behind him. Eun watches the glass doors close after him, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and unsaid emotions.)
Eun: (To herself, her chest tightening) Why did he leave like that? His behavior has been getting stranger by the day. Back there in the corridor... was he actually worried about me? Huh... what on earth is going on with him?
Lee: (Breaking her train of thought, turning his attention to Mr. Park with a polite but fake smile) Well, since Mr. Kang is too busy, what about you, Mr. Park? You'll join us for the celebration dinner, right?
Mr. Park: (Gathering his tablet and files, bowing politely) My apologies, Mr. Lee. I won't be able to make it either. All of you should go ahead and enjoy yourselves. I have to head back to my desk to save today's project data and prepare the files for tomorrow morning. I will submit the final report to you later tonight.
Lee: (Nodding, hiding his satisfaction) Alright, that works. See you tomorrow then
(Mr. Park exits the boardroom. The remaining project team members happily gather their belongings and files, chatting excitedly as they leave the room [14.5]. Lee steps closer to the desk where Eun and Won are packing up their laptops.)
Lee: (Smiling warmly, leaning against the table) We should all ride together to the venue, alright? Let's quickly wrap up the pending logs for the day so we can leave on time.
Eun: (Nodding with a small smile) Yes, sounds good.Won: (Eyes lighting up, looking up from her screen) By the way, Lee, which restaurant are we going to?Lee: (Chuckling softly) I haven't picked the exact spot yet, but I want it to be special. Won, where would you like to go?
Won: (Excitedly tapping her chin) Ah! Let me think... There are so many good places!
(The three of them continue chatting casually as they return to their desks. After a short while, the team members complete their final tasks with cheerful smiles, and everyone happily heads out for the dinner party.)
L'ÉTOILE SEOUL – NIGHT (THE CELEBRATION)
(The scene cuts to the exterior of 'L'Étoile Seoul', a gorgeous, ultra-luxury glass-walled restaurant situated on the top floor of a skyscraper, offering a breathtaking view of the glowing Seoul city lights and the Han River.)
(Inside, the ambiance is warm, classy, and vibrant. Jazz music plays softly in the background. The corporate team occupies a large, beautifully decorated private dining section. Tables are filled with premium dishes, appetizers, and fine drinks.)
(Eun, Won, and Lee walk into the venue together. Lee politely pulls out a chair for Eun, who sits down with a polite thank you, while Won slides into the seat next to her, immediately marveling at the luxury setting. The rest of the employees are already laughing, clinking their glasses, and celebrating the successful design finalization.)
KANG'S OFFICE CAR PARK – NIGHT
(The scene cuts to the underground parking lot of the corporate building. Mr. Park is holding his briefcase, adjusting his coat, ready to head home. Kang is standing right next to his sleek luxury vehicle, staring blankly ahead. His mind is clearly drifting elsewhere—straight to the dinner party.)
Mr. Park: (Unlocking the car doors) Alright, Ha-joon. Everything is wrapped up for the night. Let's head out. Kang? Kang... hey, Kang!
Kang: (Snapping out of his trance, blinking rapidly) Huh? What did you say, Park?
Mr. Park: (Sighing, crossing his arms) What zone were you drifting into? I asked if you wanted to join the team's dinner party after all. You've been acting restless since you stepped out of the boardroom.
Kang: (Defensively, fixing his collar) Huh? Absolutely not. Why would I want to go there?
Mr. Park: Then what's the plan? Are you staying back to do some more late-night operations on the files?
Kang: No. Let's just go.(Both of them slide into the back seat of the premium luxury car. The personal driver starts the engine, moving smoothly out of the underground parking lot. The car hits the city boulevard. Kang looks out the window, his fingers restlessly tapping against the armrest as he thinks about Eun sitting next to Lee at the restaurant. Suddenly, he leans forward.)
Kang: (Directing the chauffeur) Change the route. Take us directly to L'Étoile Seoul, where the project team is having dinner.
(Mr. Park turns his head so fast he almost snaps his neck. He glares at Kang in absolute disbelief.)
Mr. Park: (Exasperated, throwing his hands up) What on earth was that?! If you wanted to go so badly, why did you put on such a massive dramatic show in front of everyone back in the boardroom?!
Kang: (Turning his face away, looking out the window) I... I just want to oversee the team. I need to know what kind of project discussions are taking place over dinner. That's all.
Mr. Park: (Leaning in close, blocking Kang's view) Kang, drop the act. Enough is enough. How long are you going to keep lying to me? Your bizarre behavior is screaming the truth, yet every time I ask, you make up these ridiculous corporate excuses. Just tell me the truth. You are heading there entirely for Team Leader Eun, aren't you? Admit it already—you've started catching feelings for her!
Kang: (Stammering slightly, his defensive walls cracking) Huh? That's utter nonsense! I do not have feelings for her.
Mr. Park: (Smirking, leaning back) Fine then. If it's nonsense, there's absolutely no reason to crash their dinner. (Calling out to the front) Driver, disregard his order. Take us straight to Mr. Kang's residence.
Kang: (Instantly panicking, raising his voice) No! Driver, keep driving to the restaurant I mentioned! Do not turn around!(The driver glances nervously at the rearview mirror, tracking Kang's intensely flushed and panicked face before keeping the car steady on the highway toward the restaurant.)
Kang: (Sighing deeply, running a hand through his hair, finally breaking down) Ugh... fine! Fine! Yes! Yes, damn it... I have started falling for Eun!(Mr. Park freezes, his jaw dropping slightly as he processes the direct confession. In the front, the driver's eyes widen in shock, staring wide-eyed at the rearview mirror at his usually untouchable, cold CEO.)
Kang: (His voice dropping into a soft, vulnerable tone, entirely focused on his internal turmoil) She... she reminds me so much of Hanu. Every single thing she does brings back memories of her. And besides... I absolutely despise the idea of her spending time around Lee. My gut says that guy is not right. He is dangerous for her, and I refuse to let her stay near him.Mr.
Park:(A massive, victorious grin spreading across his face, clapping his hands together) Wow! Look at you finally spitting out the absolute truth! I knew it all along! My instincts never lie. So... tell me, when exactly do you plan on confessing these giant feelings to her?
Kang: (Tense, adjusting his coat, trying to regain his alpha composure) Soon. Very soon. But for now, shut your mouth and sit back(Leaning forward again, sternly to the front) Driver, step on the gas. Get us there immediatel
.Mr. Park: (Chuckling, leaning back comfortably into the leather seat) Oh, absolutely, boss. Step on it, driver! We have a romantic intervention to attend!