He turned slightly toward Seri, who was sipping water coolly, her posture poised, eyes focused on nothing in particular. The quiet confidence in her stillness made something in him falter.He gestured toward the empty seat next to her, but…
"Oh! Actually…this seat's a little too close to the speaker. You might get a headache!" Bora jumped up, sliding herself into the seat next to Seri and patting the one beside her. "This one's perfect. Great view of the skyline. And me."
"Can't argue with that logic," Taehyun said with a smirk, sitting where she pointed but subtly glancing at Seri across the table. His tone was light, almost teasing, but his eyes searched her face with quiet curiosity.
"It's Seri-sshi, right? Is this place okay for dinner? Not too fancy for your taste?"
"It's fine. I was secretly hoping someone would suggest a tteokbokki joint, though," Seri replied, not looking directly at him.
Taehyun chuckled softly. But his gaze lingered, just for a moment on Seri, who was now leaning back and playing with her chopsticks, cool as ever. Lee Taehyun lifted his glass with a charismatic smile. "To new beginnings, and the people who make them memorable."
Everyone cheered. Bora slightly overdid it, still swooning from her seat.
Then…
A quiet stir. From the corner of the rooftop, the staff whispers began.
"Wait… is that Han Hanna?"
"…And CEO Kang Jungho?"
Heads turned, including the Kang Corp team. And there they were. Hanna and Jungho. Walking in from the private lift. Stunning. Effortless. Close. Like they walked out of a magazine shoot. All eyes widened especially Seri, who froze mid-bite.
Junho was never supposed to be here. He knew there was a dinner. But not this dinner.
He stopped in his tracks. His eyes scanned the rooftop. Found her. Seri. Their eyes met. She didn't blink. Didn't look away. But her expression was unreadable. Cold, calm…maybe just a little hurt.
Hanna noticed. Her smile tightened. She gently tugged Junho's arm. "Didn't expect a reunion party," she said sweetly.
Lee Taehyun shifted in his seat, watching the triangle unfold. His gaze lingered on Seri. Understanding everything without a word. Silence, brief but heavy. The air shifted. Conversations dropped. Eyes locked on them like heat-seeking missiles.
Bora leaned in, whispering in horror, "I knew it. She brought him here to destroy me." She flipped her hair dramatically… straight into a waiter's tray. Water glasses clattered. No one noticed. All attention was locked on the real tension walking in.
"Well, since the stars decided to descend," Taehyun said smoothly, his tone light, "care to join us?"
Hanna smiled with practiced charm, her eyes pinned on Seri. "Why not? Looks like it just got interesting."
Jungho's eyes flicked briefly toward Seri. "I knew there was a dinner… just didn't expect it to be here."
"Yeah… we didn't know you'd crash it, Mr. Kang," one employee added with an awkward chuckle.
"Coincidences," Hanna said as she pulled out a chair, sliding gracefully into it, "they make the best stories, don't they?"
She sat near Seri… almost too close. Seri said nothing. Eyes low, fingers steady around her glass. She took a sip of water like nothing was wrong.
Then her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number
You have two weeks. Act fast.
Her eyes sharpened. She locked the screen and lifted her gaze. Calm. Controlled.
Taehyun cleared his throat, trying to lighten the mood. "So. We were just discussing who suggested this place. I hope it suits everyone?"
One of the employees raised a hand sheepishly. "Actually… that was me. Thought we could use something a little fancier than samgyeopsal for once."
Another chimed in with a chuckle, "Yeah, and now I regret it. I ironed my shirt twice just to feel underdressed."
Everyone burst into light laughter, the tension cracking just enough to let the night breathe. Even Bora giggled behind her wine glass, mumbling something about borrowing earrings from her cousin just to fit in. The soft jazz in the background filled the silence that followed, and for a brief moment, the rooftop dinner felt almost… normal.
"Right," Taehyun said, clapping his hands,
"let's toast to unexpected company and awkward energy. The real flavor of every great dinner."
Glasses lifted. Light clinks rang out, but Jungho's remained untouched. His gaze lingered on Seri,her silence louder than anyone's words.
Two weeks… she repeated in her head. Then I need to move faster. Much faster.
The laughter resumed, but it couldn't drown out the hum of unspoken things sitting at the table like extra guests.
"So," Hanna began, placing her napkin in her lap while watching Seri, "I heard you'll be helping with tomorrow's interview prep?"
Seri looked up slowly. "Yes. It's part of PR's job to keep things smooth in front of the camera."
Hanna sipped her wine. "Then let's hope the camera doesn't catch anything too… unscripted."
Jungho glanced at Hanna, subtle warning in his eyes.
"If anything goes unscripted," Taehyun cut in with a smile, "I'd bet on her to handle it better than anyone here."
"She probably writes the script too," Bora muttered with a mouthful.
Everyone turned to her.b"What?" she grinned. "You were all thinking it."
Light laughter echoed, but Jungho didn't join. He kept staring at Seri. "Tomorrow's interview represents the company," he said firmly. "I expect everyone involved to act accordingly."
"Well," Hanna said, nudging him playfully, "if you act like your usual self, people might fall in love with the company… and the CEO."
"Too late," Bora blurted out.
The table froze. "I mean… fall in love with the company," she quickly added. "Big fan of the stationary. And the health insurance."
Taehyun chuckled. Seri shook her head, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"Strong priorities," he told Bora with a deadpan smile.
"Sir," one employee asked curiously, "what's your top priority when working with a new company?"
"Identifying what's most valuable," Taehyun replied, his gaze flicking toward Seri. "Sometimes it's not the numbers. It's the person hiding in the corner of the room… but who sees everything."
"Sounds like you're scouting talent, not spreadsheets," another joked.
"Is there a difference?" Taehyun smiled.
Jungho's jaw tensed slightly as he watched him.
"So, Director Lee," Bora leaned in slightly, "do all men from Hyunmyeong come with broad shoulders and secrets… or just you?"
"Just me. The secrets are part of the job description," Taehyun answered smoothly.
"You sound like you've done this kind of work with Kang Corporation before," someone noted. "Did we miss a season?"
"Not quite," he said with a slight grin. "Let's just say… I once handled a crisis involving a bakery explosion downtown."
Seri froze. Her eyes locked on him.
"A bakery explosion?" someone laughed. "Sounds like a K-drama episode."
"Not everything that sounds dramatic is fiction," Taehyun said, eyes meeting Seri's.
Her lips parted. She was trying to think, to piece it together without making it obvious. What was he trying to do? Was he testing her? Warning her? Or worse… reminding her?
Jungho noticed the shift in her expression. His voice turned sharp. "You seem to know a lot about our internal matters, Director Lee. Almost like you've been… watching."
"I like to be prepared," Taehyun said evenly. "Research makes any merger smoother."
Junho's gaze didn't waver, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him. His fingers curled slightly against the base of his wine glass, the edge of his voice clipped and cold. "Does your research always include… personal attachments?" The question was casual on the surface, but there was something simmering underneath…an edge, sharp and territorial.
The air changed. Bora stopped chewing. All eyes jumped between the two men."Okaaayyy," Bora said with a nervous laugh, "is this the part where we bring out a lie detector… or just settle it with an arm wrestle?"
Glasses clinked again. The scent of grilled steak floated between chatter. Bora, now several glasses in, swayed with drama. Across from her, Hanna sat glowing in a luxury dress, her eyes quietly studying Seri.
"You don't talk much, Miss Im," she said with a sweet, pointed tone. "Not even during dinners like this?"
"I don't talk when there's nothing worth saying," Seri replied calmly.
A quiet pause swept the table. Hanna leaned in slightly. "You seem… a little uncomfortable?"
"I've never been comfortable anywhere, Miss Han," Seri said, her tone steady. "It's a habit of survival."
Hanna's smile cracked for a second before it reset. Then chaos reentered in the form of Bora. "Oh please, Hanna… why don't you ask her if she's stealing your spotlight too?"
Everyone froze. "Wait—are you?" Bora asked Seri. "'Cause that would explain a lot."
"You need bread," someone muttered.
"I wasn't aware I was in a competition," Hanna said, tight-lipped.
"You're not. But if you were…" Bora took a long sip, "you'd be losing."
Gasps fluttered. Seri raised her glass again.
"Don't worry. I'm not playing," she said calmly. "But if I were…" She let the words dangle.
Jungho's lips twitched. Taehyun smirked. Hanna fumed.
"You won't see it coming… not until it's far too late to run."
Silence. The kind that cuts. Taehyun's smile twitched. He tapped his glass once, watching Seri like she'd just revealed a new side of the game. Junho's jaw tightened. He looked at her, uneasy. He didn't get it but whatever it was, it didn't feel safe.