Later that same day, Min-jae sat frozen behind his desk, eyes locked on the paper before him, his expression carved with sharp disapproval—as though every word on the page had personally betrayed him.
"Why are you glaring at it like it stole your lunch money?" Ye-seul's voice piped up. She leaned across his desk, blocking the paper completely.
"Ye-seul," Min-jae exhaled, tossing the file aside, "there are three groups under K&H. Three. So tell me, why is it my group you've decided to punish?"
"Because you're my favorite," she said sweetly, batting her lashes.
He stared at her flatly.
"…Okay, fine," she grinned. "Mostly because I want to get closer to Ms. Choi."
Min-jae dragged a hand through his hair, already exhausted.
"If you won't date her, then I will," Ye-seul announced suddenly, dead serious.
That made him snap his head up. "You can't just—Ye-seul, do you hear yourself? You can't go around joking about things like that."
"Who said I'm joking?" she shot back, shrugging.
"Ye-seul—"
"I know you like her, Actually, why did you two even break up? From those pictures, you were smiling like an over joyed duck. I've never seen you smile that much. Honestly."
His eyes narrowed. "Did you touch my stuff?"
"It's not my fault if they weren't locked away. If they were private, you wouldn't have left them in the attic."
"Yeah, the attic in my house. My personal house!"
"Well, you kept them," she pointed out triumphantly. "Which means you still like her."
His jaw clenched. "How did you even get into my house?"
"You're not really answering my question."
"You little b—" Min-jae's words died in his throat when the office door creaked open.
"Mr. Min-jae," Ga-young stepped in, then faltered, sensing the tension. "Did I… disturb something? I can come back later."
"No, no," Ye-seul sang, smoothing her skirt. "We were just finishing up."
"I heard you're now part of K&H Fashion and Cosmetics, Team 5?" Ga-young asked politely.
"Yes!" Ye-seul said brightly, nodding like a bobblehead.
"Congratulations, Ms. Hwan. I really hope you enjoy your time here. I'll be rooting for you personally."
"Really?"
"Yes, it's an honor to have you join us. Thank you for choosing our group," Ga-young said with a respectful bow.
Min-jae scoffed, loud enough for both of them to hear.
Ye-seul returned the bow dramatically. "Anything for you, Ms. Choi." Then, as she turned to leave, she tossed Min-jae a sarcastic little wave. "Bye, oppa. Try not to combust."
"Bye, Ms. Choi," she added sweetly before slipping out.
As the door shut behind Ye-seul, silence stretched in the office.
Min-jae dragged a hand through his hair again, muttering, "She's going to be the death of me."
Ga-young tilted her head slightly, suppressing a smile. "She seems… fond of you."
He let out a humorless chuckle. "That's one word for it." Straightening in his chair, Min-jae cleared his throat, his tone shifting back to the steady professionalism he was known for. "Anyway, what brings you here, Ms. Choi?"
"Oh—right." Ga-young placed a file on his desk. "This is the draft report for the upcoming collaboration project. Team 1 handled most of the data, and I thought you'd want to review it before tomorrow's meeting with the board."
Min-jae reached for the file, flipping through the neatly arranged pages. His brow softened just slightly as his eyes scanned her work. "Efficient as always. You've managed to tighten the projections—this will save me at least twenty minutes of explanation."
Her lips curved faintly. "That's what I was aiming for."
He nodded, setting the file aside with more care than he had with Ye-seul's earlier paper. "Good work. If anyone asks, you'll present the preliminary numbers. I want them to hear it from you."
Ga-young blinked, caught off guard. "Me?"
"Yes." His tone left no room for debate, though there was something almost reassuring in the way he looked at her. "You understand the details better than anyone. You're the best for it."
For a heartbeat, her eyes met his. There was no teasing smile, no professional mask—just quiet surprise at the rare encouragement he had offered.
Min-jae felt the pause stretch between them, his hand still resting on the file as though he might say something more. But instead, he broke the gaze first, reaching for his pen. "That'll be all."
Ga-young bowed her head, but a faint warmth lingered in her expression as she stepped back. "I'll prepare for tomorrow, then."
She turned to leave, her hand reaching for the doorknob. The door clicked halfway open before she paused. For a moment, she seemed to debate with herself. Then she turned back, her voice softer than before.
"If you're still struggling with insomnia… you can always ask me to help review the reports at night. That way, you won't have to stay up alone."
Min-jae froze, his pen hovering just above the page. His eyes lifted to her, sharp with surprise but not irritation. He didn't expect her to bring it up again. He certainly didn't expect her to say it out loud.
Ga-young shifted slightly, suddenly self-conscious. "I just mean—it might make things easier. Two heads, less time wasted."
For a long beat, he simply studied her, his gaze unreadable. Then, almost imperceptibly, his shoulders eased.
"You shouldn't worry about things like that," he said quietly, but his voice lacked its usual edge. After a moment, he added, "Still… thank you."
Ga-young gave a small nod, her lips pressing into the faintest smile. "My pleasure sir."
"Hm," he murmured, watching as she left for real this time.
When the door shut, Min-jae leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. The corner of his mouth twitched, as though the thought of her offer—unexpected, gentle, and oddly comforting—was something he wasn't sure how to handle.