That evening, Ga-young lay sprawled across her bed, pillow crushed against her chest, the image of Min-jae's bare chest still burning itself into her brain like a brand.
Her cheeks flared again. Why on earth am I like this? she groaned silently.
Just then, the door flew open.
"CHOI GA-YOUNG!!!"
Ga-young jerked upright. Her mother stood in the doorway wielding a broom like it was a weapon of war.
"Mother! How many times have I begged you to knock first?" Ga-young huffed, snatching her blanket up.
"If you want privacy, get your own house!" Mrs. Choi snapped back.
Ga-young glared. "You're the one who said I can't move out until I get married."
Mrs. Choi gasped dramatically, pressing the broom to her chest. "Are you blaming me now? I clearly gave you an option"
"I'm not pointing fingers, just stating facts," Ga-young muttered, staring at her bookshelf.
"You—!!" Mrs. Choi stopped mid-scream and narrowed her eyes. "Why are you red?"
Ga-young touched her cheek instinctively. "I'm not."
"Are you sick?"
"No."
Mrs. Choi tossed the broom aside and grabbed her daughter's face with both hands. "Did you eat something bad? Is this an allergic reaction?"
"Mother, I'm fine!" Ga-young said, prying her hands away. "I'm only red because you keep yelling at me."
Mrs. Choi tilted her head. "So now you're blaming me again?"
"Because it's true!"
"You ungrateful brat!" she hissed, smacking Ga-young's arm with surprising speed.
"Ow! That hurt!" Ga-young winced, rubbing her arm.
Before she could complain more, her phone buzzed. Ji-hoon's name lit up the screen.
"Hold on, Mother." She quickly snatched it up.
"Oh, so I should wait while you talk to your little boyfriend?" Mrs. Choi shouted from the corner.
Ga-young groaned. "Mother! He's not my boyfriend!"
She answered anyway.
"You didn't expect my call, did you?" Ji-hoon's voice slid through the line, smooth and teasing.
A smile instantly spread across her face. "I almost thought you'd forgotten I existed."
"Forgive me, Ms. Choi," he teased, emphasizing the title.
She laughed softly.
Mrs. Choi's eyes narrowed. "What are you grinning at? You look like an idiot."
Ga-young pressed a finger to her lips, begging her mother for silence.
Mrs. Choi scoffed loudly. "She's even telling me to shut up now."
"Are you with your mom?" Ji-hoon asked, clearly amused.
"Yes, but it's fine—she doesn't mind," Ga-young lied through her teeth.
Mrs. Choi's jaw dropped.
"When can I see you again? It's been too long," Ga-young asked, ignoring the dagger-like stare beside her.
"Look out your window," Ji-hoon said.
Her heart stopped. She leapt off her bed and threw the curtains open. The street was empty.
Her face fell. "Why would you joke like that?."
Ji-hoon's laugh hummed through the line. "You sound disappointed. Were you that eager to see me?"
"Yah!!!" she nagged
—and then froze.
Out of the dim streetlight, Ji-hoon appeared. He pushed his hood back, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he raised a hand in greeting.
"No way…" she whispered, her voice cracking.
She didn't give him another second to catch her at the window. She bolted downstairs, ignoring her mother's shouts.
"Is that your boyfriend?! What about the other guy?! Are you double-timing?!"
"It's just Ji-hoon!" Ga-young shot back, flinging the door open.
There he was. Ji-hoon. Real, solid, and grinning charmingly as always.
"Did you miss me?" he teased.
Her breath caught. "When did you get here?"
"This night." His pause was deliberate.
"You should've told me! I would've… prepared something."
"I'm not staying long. Just passing through," he said, nodding toward a sleek black car parked nearby. His friends waved from the windows.
Her face fell. "So you're leaving already?"
"Unfortunately."
She sighed. "At least come inside for a bit."
He shook his head. "We'll be late. I just wanted to see you… even for a moment."
"Really?."
He smiled gently. "Take care of yourself. Next time, I'll visit properly. And quit fighting with your mom—she's getting old."
"You have no idea," Ga-young muttered.
He chuckled, gave a soft wave. "Bye."
She lifted her hand reluctantly. "Bye."
And then he walked away without looking back. She stood frozen as the car drove off, headlights vanishing into the night.
A whisper brushed her ear.
"Are you double-timing?"
Ga-young yelped, spinning around. "Mother! You scared me!"
"That doesn't matter. Answer me honestly—are you?"
"No!" Ga-young snapped, storming back inside. "My boss is my boss. Ji-hoon is my friend. That's all."
And with that, she left her mother speechless in the doorway.
"I can't believe she's double timing, that little girl of yesterday" Mrs. Choi said more amazed than disappointed.
---
The next day, sunlight spilled through the towering glass windows of Adore Enterprise, gilding the office in a sheen of gold. The atmosphere was worlds apart from the glittering chaos of the previous night—here, power hummed in silence, precise and deliberate.
"Hmm. I like the sound of it. The name is catchy… Maison Éclat," Yoo-na murmured, her slender fingers tracing the embossed letters on the proposal file. She let the name linger on her tongue as if savoring it.
She leaned back, posture elegant yet commanding, before turning to her secretary. "What do you think, Mr. Bae?"
Mr. Bae adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable as he scanned the proposal once more. "It's bold," he said finally. "If carried through with discipline, it won't just elevate Adore and K&H—it will place them in a tier no competitor can touch."
A flicker of satisfaction touched Yoo-na's lips. She shifted her gaze to Min-jae, her eyes sharp, calculating. "You don't strike me as a man who gambles recklessly, CEO Min-jae. This feels less like a project and more like… a declaration."
Min-jae's jaw set, but his voice carried calm conviction. "Maison Éclat isn't a gamble—it's inevitability. Not a fleeting campaign, but an emblem of what true elegance looks like when it refuses to fade."
From her corner, Ga-young marveled silently. His words didn't simply convince—they carried weight, as if every syllable was etched in stone.
Yoo-na's smile curved wider, all charm laced with challenge. "Interesting. But tell me—what exactly is the heart of this concept?"
Ga-young straightened, bowing respectfully before speaking. Her voice was steady but tinged with fire. "True brilliance only shines against the dark. Maison Éclat embraces contrasts—luxury born from struggle, beauty forged through pain. We envision a runway drenched in shadows and light, velvet against silk, power clashing with delicacy. The tagline: Where brilliance defies the dark."
Yoo-na's brow arched. "We've never dared anything quite like this before."
That was when Min-jae leaned forward slightly, his tone measured yet piercing. "Greatness is never found in the familiar, Ms. Jae-hyuk. It's always hidden in what others fear to attempt. That's where vision lives."
Mr. Bae's eyes glimmered behind his glasses. "He's right, ma'am. This could be the very step that defines the next era of Adore."
Yoo-na held their gazes for a long, weighted moment—then finally stood, her hand extending toward Min-jae. "If Mr. Bae vouches for it… then it's settled. Let's make this work."
Min-jae rose, his hand firm against hers. "Let's make it work."
Ga-young and Mr. Bae bowed in unison as the air thickened with quiet triumph.
"Then we bring it to life," Yoo-na said, her voice softer now, though her smile carried the gleam of someone who rarely offered it. "I look forward to working closely with you, CEO Min-jae. You're… unexpectedly impressive."
"The pleasure would be mine, Mrs. Jae-hyuk" he replied with a slight bow.
--
Minutes later, Ga-young and Min-jae stepped into the crisp air outside Adore Enterprise. She released a long breath, her heart still racing. "Wow… I can't believe we actually sealed the deal."
"This," Min-jae said quietly, his tone dark and reflective, "is only the beginning."
Her brows furrowed. "Why do you say that, sir?"
He paused, the weight of his thoughts shadowing his features. "Because Fendc Group's apology letter isn't sincerity—it's bait. He knows one of his men failed, and this is his way of resetting the board. Which means he already suspects I've shifted to something bigger… something hidden."
"You mean…" Ga-young hesitated, her eyes widening. "He thinks Maison Éclat is your secret card."
Min-jae met her gaze. "Exactly. And if that's the case, then every step we take drags us deeper into his trap."
The chill in her stomach deepened. "So he's watching. Anticipating everything."
"Most likely," Min-jae admitted. His eyes glinted with a dangerous calm. "He knows me as well as I know him. Which means the real war isn't about who strikes first—it's about who reads the other more clearly."
Ga-young fell silent, shaken by the gravity of it. "So what do we do?"
"We wait," Min-jae replied. "We watch what he does next. His move will expose his plan—and when it does, I'll be ready to trace it back to him."
She swallowed, nodding reluctantly. "I just hope he reveals himself soon."
"He will," Min-jae said with certainty, his gaze narrowing at the horizon. "For now, we focus on Maison Éclat. Even if it's bait—we'll turn it into the blade."
A shiver ran through Ga-young at his words, but she nodded firmly. "Yes, sir."