---
The next morning, Miso woke up with the same knot of dread in her stomach as yesterday—except now it had a side of caffeine withdrawal.
She'd barely made it through day one without spontaneously combusting under Yumi's gaze.
Day two? She wasn't feeling optimistic.
Her phone buzzed as she walked to the subway. It was a message from Jisoo:
> Bring your A-game. The boss is in "test the newbie" mode today.
Miso's thumbs flew over her screen.
> Define "test"?
> You'll see. Good luck.
Great. Exactly what she needed—an unpredictable boss with the power to make her life miserable… and the memory of kissing said boss in a dimly lit bar.
---
Morning Briefing
By 9:05 AM, Miso was seated at her desk with her notebook open, trying to look like a model intern. The hum of the office was almost soothing—until Yumi's voice cut through it.
"Miss Han. My office."
Miso felt every pair of eyes in the vicinity turn toward her. She stood, smoothing her skirt, and marched into Yumi's office, praying she wouldn't trip.
Yumi was standing by her desk, a folder in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. She set the cup down.
"Do you drink coffee, Miss Han?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Because your first task today is simple: get me a caramel latte, extra hot, no foam, with a shot of espresso on the side. And don't be late for the 9:30 meeting."
Miso blinked. "Is this… part of the orientation?"
"Consider it a test of your efficiency," Yumi said, not even glancing up from the folder.
It was just coffee. She could handle coffee.
---
The Coffee Incident
She arrived at the café downstairs, rattled off Yumi's order perfectly, and watched the barista make it with laser focus. But as she was leaving, some guy in a hurry brushed past her, jostling her elbow.
Half the latte sloshed onto her sleeve.
Miso swore under her breath and bolted back to the elevator, clutching the cup like it was the crown jewels. She made it to the meeting room at 9:29, hair slightly windswept.
Yumi glanced at the cup, then at Miso's damp sleeve. "You fought a war for this, didn't you?"
Miso tried not to laugh. "Something like that."
Yumi took a sip, and for a fleeting second, Miso thought she saw her lips curve—not in mockery, but in genuine amusement.
---
The Real Test
The rest of the morning was filled with back-to-back tasks:
Sorting through client files.
Taking notes during a strategy meeting where half the terms sounded like a foreign language.
Chasing down a missing invoice from an assistant who clearly did not care about interns.
By lunchtime, Miso was slumped at her desk, wondering if anyone had ever died of pure information overload.
That's when a sticky note appeared in front of her.
Conference Room B. 1:00 PM.
She looked up to see Yumi walking away without explanation.
---
Conference Room B
Miso arrived to find Yumi setting up a projector.
"Miss Han, I want you to prepare a quick pitch for this mock campaign," Yumi said, handing her a file. "You have twenty minutes."
Miso nearly choked. "Twenty minutes?"
"Yes. You're not expected to be perfect, but I want to see how you think under pressure."
It was unfair. Cruel, even. But Miso opened the file and got to work.
Twenty minutes later, she stood at the front of the room, palms sweaty, and delivered her three-slide pitch to an audience of exactly one: Yumi.
When she finished, Yumi tapped her pen against the table.
"Your concept is fresh," she said finally. "But you need to watch your pacing. You tend to rush when you're nervous."
Miso nodded, noting the feedback. But her heart stuttered when Yumi added, "Still, for someone thrown into the deep end… you did well."
Praise from Yumi felt like gold. She had to stop herself from grinning like a child.
---
The Elevator Moment
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of emails and document formatting. At 6:00 PM, Miso was ready to sprint home—until she found herself in the elevator with Yumi.
They were alone. The air felt charged, like the tiny space had shrunk even smaller.
"Good work today," Yumi said, eyes on the elevator doors.
"Thanks," Miso replied, fidgeting with her bag strap.
There was a pause.
"You didn't complain once," Yumi added, glancing at her. "Most interns would've folded by noon."
"I don't fold," Miso said before thinking. "I… just maybe crumple a little."
Yumi's lips twitched. "Noted."
When the doors opened, they walked out together. For a second, it almost felt normal—just a boss and her intern heading home.
But then Miso caught the faintest smirk on Yumi's face, and she knew this wasn't normal at all.
---
Late-Night Text
At 11:42 PM, Miso's phone buzzed.
> Yumi Kang: Don't forget to review the project brief I emailed you.
Yumi Kang: And… try to avoid coffee casualties tomorrow.
Miso stared at her phone, unsure whether to laugh or scream into her pillow.
She typed a reply.
> Miso: No promises.
And for the first time since starting her internship, she fell asleep smiling.
---