The rooftop air shifts the moment Kang Junho and Hanna are spotted. Conversations hush. Eyes follow them like heat-seeking missiles.
BORA
(whispers, horrified)
"I knew it. She brought him here to destroy me."
She dramatically flips her hair—straight into a waiter carrying water. Glasses clatter. Nobody flinches. They're too focused on the real tension.
TAEHYUN
(smoothly)
"Well, since the stars decided to descend… care to join us?"
HANNA
(smiling with charm but eyes locked on Seri)
"Why not? Looks like it just got interesting."
JUNHO
(glancing at Seri briefly)
"I knew there was a dinner… just didn't expect it to be here."
EMPLOYEE 2
(awkward chuckle)
"Yeah… we didn't know you'd crash it.Mr Kang"
HANNA
(pulling out a chair)
"Coincidences. They make the best stories, don't they?"
Junho hesitates for a split second, but Hanna already takes her seat. Right beside where Seri is… almost.
Seri? She says nothing. Eyes down, quietly sipping her water. Her face unreadable.
Then her phone buzzes.
TEXT ON SCREEN:
[Unknown Number]
You have two weeks. Act fast.
Her eyes sharpen. But she hides it. Her fingers press the screen to lock it. Calm.
She lifts her head — emotionless.
TAEHYUN
(trying to lift the mood)
"So. We were just discussing who suggested this place. I hope it suits everyone?"
HANNA
(smiling sweetly, looking at Seri)
"Oh, I suggested it. I thought something classy might refresh our taste… and remind us what matters."
BORA
(bitterly mutters)
"Like Botox and betrayal?"
EMPLOYEE 1
(coughs, holding in laughter)
"She really said that…"
TAEHYUN
(clapping his hands)
"Right! Let's toast to unexpected company and awkward energy. The real flavor of every great dinner."
Glasses are raised.
Junho? Still stiff. His eyes keep drifting to Seri — her silence, her cold wall, the way she's somewhere else entirely.
Seri? Looking ahead.
Two weeks… That's all?
Then I need to move faster. Much faster.
Glasses clink. Laughter simmers, but there's a crackle underneath — the kind that comes when too many unspoken things sit at the table.
HANNA
(placing a napkin on her lap, eyes on Seri)
"So… I heard you'll be helping with tomorrow's interview prep?"
Seri looks up slowly. Calm.
SERI
"Yes. It's part of PR's job to keep things smooth in front of the camera."
HANNA
(sips wine)
"Mm. Then let's hope the camera doesn't catch anything too… unscripted."
Junho glances at Hanna. Subtle warning in his eyes.
TAEHYUN
(grinning, watching Seri)
"If anything goes unscripted, I'd bet on her to handle it better than anyone here."
BORA
(mutters with a full mouth)
"She probably writes the script too."
Everyone turns to her.
BORA
(grins)
"What? You all thinking it."
Laughter erupts lightly. Except from Junho — he's staring at Seri again.
JUNHO
(firm, trying to sound neutral)
"Tomorrow's interview represents the company. I expect everyone involved to act accordingly."
HANNA
(playfully nudges his arm)
"Well, if you act like your usual self, people might fall in love with the company and the CEO."
BORA
(blurts out before she can stop)
"Too late."
Everyone stares.
BORA
(defensive, then funny)
"I mean… fall in love with the company. I already did. Big fan of… the stationary. And the… health insurance."
Taehyun chuckles. Seri just shakes her head slightly, amused.
TAEHYUN
(to Bora, deadpan)
"Strong priorities."
EMPLOYEE 1
(grinning, curious)
"Sir, if we may ask… what's your top priority when working with a new company?"
TAEHYUN
(charming smile, glancing briefly at Seri)
"Mmm… Identifying what's most valuable. Sometimes, it's not the numbers. It's the person who hides in the corner of the room but sees everything."
Seri, mid-sip of her drink, pauses — just for a beat.
She lowers her glass. Her eyes flick toward Taehyun subtly.
EMPLOYEE 2
(teasing)
"Sounds like you're scouting talent, not spreadsheets."
TAEHYUN
(still smiling)
"Is there a difference?"
Junho eyes him from across the table, jaw tensing slightly.
BORA
(sipping her drink, leaning in slightly toward Taehyun)
"So, Director Lee… do all men from Hyunmyeong come with broad shoulders and secrets, or just you?"
TAEHYUN
(chuckling warmly)
"Just me. The secrets are part of the job description."
EMPLOYEE 1
(grinning)
"Okay, but you do sound like you've done this kind of work with Kang Corporation before. Did we miss a season?"
TAEHYUN
(light smile)
"Not quite. Let's just say… once, a long time ago, I was involved in a crisis clean-up. A certain incident… involving a scandal and a bakery explosion downtown."
Seri freezes slightly — eyes locked on him.
Everyone else laughs, assuming it's a joke.
EMPLOYEE 2
"A bakery explosion? That sounds like a K-drama episode."
TAEHYUN
(gazes at Seri calmly)
"Not everything that sounds dramatic is fiction."
Seri's lips part just a little.
That incident… it was real. She remembers it — vaguely. But only someone who was there would know.
She blinks. Looks at him again, more carefully.
Still smiling. Still charming.
SERI (V.O.)
"Wait… No. It couldn't be…"
Junho notices the look. The sudden tension.
His jaw clenches.
JUNHO
(coolly, but sharp)
"You seem to know a lot about our internal matters, Director Lee. Almost like you've been… watching."
TAEHYUN
(pleasantly unfazed)
"I like to be prepared. Research makes any merger smoother."
JUNHO
(leaning back, voice edged)
"Does your research always include… personal attachments?"
A tense beat. Everyone senses the shift. Bora stops mid-bite, eyes flicking between the two men.
BORA
(chewing quickly, trying to lighten the air)
"Okaaayyy, is this the part where we bring out a lie detector or just settle it with an arm-wrestling match?"
EMPLOYEE 1
(grinning)
"My money's on Seri. She's scary when she's quiet."
TAEHYUN
(smiling at Seri)
"Agreed."
Junho's hand tightens slightly on his glass.
Wine glasses clink. The table is full of laughter, chatter, and the scent of grilled steak. A few employees start to loosen up — and so does Bora, who is definitely tipsy now, sipping her fourth glass with dramatic flair.
Across the table, Hanna, poised and glowing in her luxury dress, twirls her wine and eyes Seri, who's sitting quietly, her posture straight, her expression unreadable as usual.
HANNA
(sweet but sly)
"You don't talk much, Miss Im. Not even during dinners like this?"
SERI
(sips her wine, calm)
"I don't talk when there's nothing worth saying."
A small pause. Tension ripples like a quiet wave. Some people smirk. Junho, from the end of the table, eyes Seri. Taehyun, too, notices the exchange with quiet amusement.
HANNA
(smirking)
"Ah… but dinners are meant to be social. Relaxing. You seem… a little uncomfortable?"
SERI
(glancing up, tone even)
"I've never been comfortable anywhere, Miss Han. It's a habit of survival."
Hanna's smile flickers, almost like she's been slapped politely.
Junho's brows lift, slightly surprised. Even Taehyun tilts his head.
Then suddenly—like a chaotic little storm—BORA leans in, resting her elbow on the table, wine glass wobbling in hand.
BORA
(tipsy, giggling)
"Oh please, Hanna… why don't you ask her if she's stealing your spotlight too?"
Everyone freezes a beat.
BORA
(squints at Seri)
"Wait—are you? 'Cause that would explain a lot."
EMPLOYEE 1
(coughs to cover a laugh)
"Bora, you need bread. Lots of it."
HANNA
(tight smile)
"I wasn't aware I was in a competition."
BORA
(sincerely drunk now)
"Aw, honey. You're not. But if you were… you'd be losing."
A gasp. A few people laugh nervously. Seri just sips her wine and raises an eyebrow.
SERI
(still calm)
"Don't worry. I'm not playing. But if I were…"
She lets the sentence hang.
Junho's lips twitch. Taehyun smirks. Hanna is clearly fuming.
You won't see it coming —
Not until it's far too late to run."
The table falls silent. Even the clinking of glasses fades.
Hanna's expression stiffens for just a breath before she masks it with a tight smile.
HANNA
(wet smile, eyes locked on Seri)
"Well…
A woman with secrets. How charming."
(she turns suddenly to Jungho, voice soft and sweet)
"Not like me. You always know what you're getting with me, right, Jungho?"
(she touches his arm gently)
"Reliable. Familiar. No masks."
Junho doesn't respond immediately — he glances toward Seri instead.
But Hanna leans in closer, laughing softly.
HANNA
(teasing, but with bite)
"Unless, of course… you've developed a taste for mystery lately?"
SERI
(sips her drink, calm)
"Not everything that's hidden is a mystery.
Some things are just… none of your business."
Hanna's smile falters — just for a second.
Junho keeps silent, but his eyes haven't left Seri.
BORA
(tipsy, muttering)
"…Okay, someone pour me another glass before I start punching celebrities."
TAEHYUN
(sipping his wine, voice light but pointed)
"So, Miss Han… how long have you known Director Kang?"
HANNA
(chuckles, brushing her hair back dramatically)
"Oh… years. We go way back.
Long enough to finish each other's sentences… or at least his coffee orders."
(she winks playfully)
JUNHO
(flatly, without looking up)
"She exaggerates."
HANNA
(grinning)
But you didn't deny it.
TAEHYUN
(leaning in, curious)
So is this… friendship? Or something more?
Should we be calling you the First Lady of Kang Corporation?
The table goes silent for a moment. Even Bora straightens up in her tipsy haze.
Seri doesn't flinch, but her fingers tighten around her wine glass.
HANNA
(eyes locked on Junho)
"Well, that depends… on how fate decides to play her cards."
(She slowly turns to glance directly at Seri — sharp, elegant, and intentionally provoking.)
HANNA
(smiling with poison)
I mean… if I wanted, the headlines would write themselves.
'CEO Kang Jungho and Top Anchor Han Hanna — Korea's Power Couple Confirmed.'
(pause)
But what's the fun in giving people what they expect?
BORA
(under her breath, mouth full of steak)
"…SOMEONE needs to take her mic away."
Junho shifts slightly — uncomfortable. He catches Seri's expression, still calm, but unreadable.
And Taehyun? Watching it all like a front-row guest at his favorite drama.
SERI
(small smile)
"Don't worry. I'm just a typical employee."
(beat)
"I don't have time for dramas I'm not paid to fix."
A ripple moves across the table.
Jungho blinks, like she just slapped him — not physically, but right in the gut.
That word — typical — still hits her. And he knows it.
But Seri's not finished.
She glances once at Hanna, once at Jungho.
SERI
(still smiling)
"If my presence makes things uncomfortable…
just treat me like one of those side characters.
The ones who show up briefly, deliver what's needed…
and then disappear quietly."
She calmly takes another bite.
Focused. Cold. Unbothered.
Taehyun watches her, visibly impressed.
Jungho?
Staring.
The food on his plate untouched.
Because now he's the one who's not hungry anymore.