The iron gates creaked softly as they opened. Dim moonlight washed over the stone path leading away from the estate. Mist curled along the ground. Crickets chirped in the still night.
Seri and Taehyun walked side by side toward the parked black Genesis G90, the estate lights glowing faintly behind them. From the front steps, Kenji Saito watched them silently, the shadow of his figure tall against the glowing porch light.
"Two weeks is a blink. Don't let yourself be followed. And don't hesitate to find me if you need anything," Kenji said in a low, serious voice.
Seri turned back, her face half-shadowed under the low light. "You don't need to worry. I'll move faster than that."
Taehyun let out a slow breath, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. "She's not alone. I'll make sure she's too busy to even smell tteokbokki."
Seri shot him a side-eye. "That's still my dinner, not a guilty pleasure."
Kenji chuckled. "If you wrap this up cleanly, I'll take you to the best tteokbokki stall in Korea. No disguises. Just you and your spicy obsession."
"And me," Taehyun added with a grin. "I'll need to supervise her chewing rate."
Seri rolled her eyes and opened the car door without another word. Kenji watched as they got into the vehicle, then stepped back into the shadows of the estate.
The office buzzed. Gossip traveled faster than coffee. Employees huddled in small groups with their phones out, playing clips from the late-night interview.
"Did you see the way he looked in that charcoal suit?" one said, eyes gleaming. "CEO Kang looked like he walked out of a Netflix drama." "And the way he dodged that personal question? Total pro. He's too composed. It's unfair," another added, sipping iced Americano.
Laughter and chatter flooded the lobby just as the elevator dinged.
Kang Junho stepped out, crisp in a tailored black suit. Handsome as ever, but his face was stone cold. He walked past the admiring stares and murmurs without a single glance, his gaze locked on something, or someone…across the hallway.
Im Seri.
She stood with a tablet in her hand, checking reports. Her eyes flicked toward the elevator the second she heard it. Her breath caught… just a beat. She straightened, composed, distant. The same way she had always been.
But Junho noticed the stiffness in her shoulders. The subtle tension in her jaw. The two-week clock ticking loudest only between them.
He turned slightly, his gaze lingering on Seri's retreating figure. His lips parted. He was about to call her name, to say something, anything…
"CEO Kang!" Bora's voice cut in as she suddenly appeared beside him.
He flinched slightly. Of course.
"Okay, so last night? You were glowing like a K-drama chaebol," Bora gushed, starry-eyed. "My entire group chat went crazy."
Junho looked at Bora, his expression already bracing for another ridiculous sentence to tumble out of her mouth. "Good morning, Bora," he said with a sigh.
"One of them even asked me if we're dating."
Junho startled slightly. "…What?"
"I said 'No comment'… Let's just say I left it vague enough for their imaginations to run wild."
Someone murmured, "Did she just ship herself?" "Hold my coffee… this is gold," came the reply.
"They were like—'OMG you work with THE Junho? You two must sneak around in parking lots, right?!' And I was like, 'Duh, we sneak paperwork.'" Bora struck a pose. "Scandalous… tax reports at midnight."
"Oh my God," someone choked, trying not to laugh.
"Bora…" Junho looked utterly done.
"Someone even made a fan edit of us. Totally unasked for, but it had jazz music and everything!"
"…I need stronger coffee," he muttered.
"Or just accept your fate. We're the ship no one asked for, but everyone's watching sink in slow motion."
Junho really tried not to let the morning chaos get to him, but his eyes drifted toward the hallway again. Seri was long gone. Opportunity missed. Again. He sighed. They all stepped into the elevator.
In the pantry, Daejin prepared a sleek cup of espresso for Junho, his movements precise. Bora barged in, phone in hand, still overly animated from earlier.
"Daejin-ssi, do you know my friends actually think I'm dating the CEO now? Can you believe that?" she said dramatically. "They said—'You looked like his secret wife sitting five desks away!'"
"That's disturbing on too many levels," Daejin replied flatly.
"One even zoomed in and said we had matching auras. AURAS, Daejin! Should I start a vlog? Life with my boss future husband?"
Daejin took a long sip of espresso. "I think the only aura you're projecting is delusion."
"I ship it," an employee called from the hallway. "CEO Kang and Miss Delulu. Has a ring to it." They all laughed… except for Junho, who stepped in quietly, listening to the madness unfold.
"…and he wonders why he has a headache every Monday," Daejin muttered under his breath.
"Oh! Director Kang!" Bora gasped. "I was just… hyping the team spirit."
"Maybe we should start a policy," Junho said as he took the coffee. "No caffeine… and no fanfiction in the pantry."
Bora stood frozen, clutching her phone, cheeks puffed with fake innocence.
A light wind rustled Seri's coat as she stood at the edge of the rooftop, high above the city. Below, Seoul buzzed with movement. Deadlines, ambitions, lives. But up here? Silence. Space. A moment to think. She held her phone loosely in her hand. The screen still showed the last message.
You have 2 weeks. Act.
Her eyes drifted to the skyline, sharp and endless. Her jaw tightened. "Two weeks. That's all I've got…" she whispered. She exhaled slowly.
She had to bring him to Iwao. But she wasn't his secretary. She couldn't schedule an overseas trip just because she wanted to. There needed to be a reason. A business reason. A PR reason. Something that wouldn't raise red flags. Her eyes narrowed as she sifted through possibilities. Did Kang Corporation have any active deals in Japan? Any brand partnerships? Or perhaps… she could create one.
She unlocked her tablet and began swiping through the files. One stood out…a pending PR proposal from a Japanese luxury brand. It might be just enough.
Her phone rang.
She stopped. Caller ID is Daejin. Her heart skipped.
"Hello?" she answered calmly.
"You need to come to the office. Now," Daejin's voice came through, low and serious.
"What happened?"
"I'll brief you when you get here. It's about Director Kang. Something's… come up."
Click. He hung up.
Seri lowered the phone. Her calm exterior tightened. Not now… Not when I'm this close. But she didn't hesitate. She walked back into the building, the skyline behind her fading… as something new stirred within the glass walls of Kang Corporation. The door swung open. Seri entered, breath tight then froze.
Taehyun was already there.
Seated at the table, casually flipping through a thick file of documents, he looked far too calm for someone who just changed the game. Beside him, a printed banner mock-up read…
Korea–Japan Brand Harmony Summit 2025 – Kyoto Chapter
"Kyoto…?" she murmured, surprised.
"Thought Tokyo was too obvious," Taehyun said without looking up. "Kyoto's quieter. More elegant. Better cover for what we're actually doing." He finally glanced at her, a knowing smirk on his lips. "And don't worry. I already pitched it to the strategy team. Guess who approved the first draft?"
He slid a stamped folder toward her. Seri stepped forward cautiously and opened it.
Inside were detailed plans for a cross-cultural PR event, co-hosted by Kang Corporation and a Japanese tech foundation. Perfectly manufactured… but filled with hidden gaps for their real mission.
The door opened again. Daejin entered with a sigh and a coffee. "Well. Looks like I don't have to tell you anymore."
Seri looked between both men. Her gaze lingered on Taehyun. This changes everything. She took a breath and stepped forward, heart racing. But she wore the role well…the fixer.
"This initiative isn't just symbolic," she said clearly. "It puts Kang Corporation in the spotlight for cross-cultural leadership. With Japan's tech sector pivoting toward media integration, this opens doors we've only scratched."
She flipped a slide, showing projections. "The Kyoto chapter adds elegance and international prestige. Less crowded than Tokyo, but deeply tied to tradition. That kind of subtle power, it suits our current positioning."
A few nods around the room. Even Bora mouthed "wooow" like she was watching a TED Talk.
Junho watched her quietly. "So it's already been mapped out?"
"Just a draft," Taehyun replied smoothly. "We wanted to see if it fits your vision."
Junho's eyes rested on Seri. "Yes, sir. It's a smart opportunity. One worth taking before someone else does."
Junho didn't speak for a moment. He sensed nothing unusual. Not like before. She was locked up tight. Clean. Professional. "Then let the PR team refine the proposal. I'll review it again before the end of the day."
"Copy that. We'll prep logistics," Daejin nodded.
Seri exhaled, just slightly. One step forward. Taehyun, watching her like a hawk, gave a tiny smirk.
"Wait, wait," Bora said suddenly. "If we're going to Kyoto… do I need a kimono? I mean, it's a summit. We should go full power, right?"
Daejin blinked. "We don't even have an official itinerary yet." He gestured at the screen. "This discussion's barely started. No one's packing anything."
Bora shrugged, unfazed. "I'm just saying… fashion is part of diplomacy."
Laughter broke the tension. Except for Seri…who was already calculating her next move.