Monday, 7:30 a.m.
The Line 2 subway toward Gangnam was packed with people dragging their weekend fatigue into another workweek.
Most wore stiff Monday faces, staring at their phones or dozing off—everyone pretending not to mourn the fading weekend as they began their routine.
Yoojin stood holding the overhead strap, watching the scenery outside the train.
Whenever the car swayed, her body swayed lightly with it.
Soon the train rolled onto the elevated tracks toward Jamsil Bridge.
The blue Han River stretched open, flashing white under the early sunlight.
She watched the river glide past, then suddenly brushed her lower lip with her middle and index finger.
Her bottom lip was still tender, but the swelling had eased overnight.
Her face flushed all at once.Dong-ha's soft lips… The way his hand soothed her… The scent that filled her lungs…
They flooded her memory at once, squeezing her heart tight with a strange flutter in her stomach.
Strange. It wasn't even a deep kiss—more like a gentle touch.
And yet it made her feel like this.
In her previous life, a kiss had been nothing more than desire, possession, or a signal of something being taken from her.
But Dong-ha's kiss felt like healing.
When the subway entered the tunnel, her reflection appeared faintly in the dark window.
The silver cross necklace Dong-ha had placed around her neck peeked out from under her white blouse.
Just seeing it made her smile.
If he hadn't given me this… if Dong-ha didn't exist…What would this morning feel like?
Most likely she would have been crushed already—thinking about the week's work, sinking under anxiety before even reaching the office.
But now, those things floated past her like harmless dust.
The stress didn't disappear, but it no longer ruled her.
At this moment, more than her prestigious degree or the corporate job she had worked so hard for, it was Dong-ha's unwavering affection that gave her strength.
Thinking about him, she realized…
Maybe this commute isn't so bad after all.
Just then, her phone vibrated.
A message from Dong-ha.
[Did you sleep well?]
He had driven her home last night, and they'd exchanged goodnight messages.
But seeing his text first thing in the morning made her strangely shy and nervous—yet warm.
[Yeah, I slept well. You?]
[Honestly? Not really. I wanted to see you too much.]
What—How could he say something like that so casually?
On the silent morning train, Yoojin's face alone was burning red.
What do I say? Should I say I missed him too?But that's embarrassing…
As she hesitated, Dong-ha sent another message.
[Starting today, I'm bringing you coffee. What do you want?]
[Milk tea, please. Thanks.]
[See you soon.]
Even after their chat ended, the warm swell in her chest refused to go down.
A lot might happen today.
But right now—none of it mattered.
*
Dong-ha parked at the HQ building and headed toward Samho Apparel.
It was a twenty-minute walk, but he brought his car again today—he wanted to take Yoojin home after work.
Since his license plate was already registered with the company, he could use the parking lot anytime.
He wanted to pick her up in the morning too.
Soon… I should.Or maybe we should commute together by subway…Or I could move near her place…Or she could move closer…
His mind was full of Yoojin.
He scrolled their chat back up and reread it.
"Because I wanted to see you so badly."
Seeing his own message made his face flush too.
He had never shared his feelings with anyone like this. He had never had someone to share them with.
But now that he accepted the feelings he had for Yoojin, embarrassment was nothing.
He only wanted to be closer to her—to tell her everything about himself.
Milk tea… so she likes milk.Is that why she smells like vanilla?
He remembered the soft sweetness of her scent.
Last night, when she cried and he held her, he had to stop himself from burying his face in her hair.
Thinking of her made him smile helplessly.
His steps felt impossibly light as he walked toward the company.
But when he opened the door of the small café by the back gate, his expression cooled, and his eyes sharpened—as always.
Unlike Friday, the café was empty.
The smokescreen he and Chief Yi had created last week worked.
It was only 7:50 a.m., so only three people were seated inside: Assistant Manager Lee Hyuk, Manager Koo Jihoon, and Deputy Manager Kang Jinwook.
"Morning."
"Oh, hey."
They greeted him one by one.
Assistant Manager Lee was already complaining.
"So Yoojin messed up an order on Saturday morning—ridiculous, seriously."
Dong-ha forced down the irritation and took a seat.
Deputy Kang's eyes glimmered; he had quietly been keeping an eye on Yoojin, worried she might struggle.
"What kind of mistake?"
"Kilograms vs pounds. Seriously? Even a kid doesn't mix that up."
Deputy Kang blinked.
Does he not realize criticizing his junior is the same as revealing his own poor oversight?
He could almost picture Yoojin being scolded on Saturday morning.
Kang answered steadily:
"Isn't that order from Taitex? Taitex supplies other Ocean Bay buyers too. They already have greige fabric stored for FW orders—and Sales got the info mail from Jangwoo. Even if Yoojin made a mistake, the material will be used for other buyers anyway. And the dyeing? No way they started that fast."
Kang knew because he handled U.S. orders and the domestic SPA brand SPO.
He had to keep track of all buyer timelines.
Assistant Manager Lee faltered.
Three teams shared information—there was no way he could remember every email.
But this time, it meant he had chewed out the intern without checking.
He cleared his throat and added:
"And the color quantities? She messed those up too."
Deputy Kang had a lot to say but held back.
Everyone knew Sales rep Oh Myungjoo often entered orders manually, ignoring the system.
And if you ever mentioned the system to Lee Hyuk, he'd lecture you about how relying on systems made you incompetent.
So Kang stayed silent.
Dong-ha spoke instead.
"Yoojin stayed until nine last night reviewing Jangwoo's orders."
Assistant Manager Lee's expression softened.
"And she said she can't even figure out what to review with Oh Myungjoo's order. Nothing matches the system, the sheets, or the actual numbers."
Deputy Kang nodded slightly.
Lee waved a hand as if the matter were trivial.
"Fine, I'll put her and Oh Deputy together later to sort it out. One thing at a time. Dong-ha, you didn't buy the coffee yet, right? Here."
He handed over the company card.
Dong-ha hated that the team used team budget every single morning for coffee.
"Thanks. Also, a friend of mine is coming to help as a part-timer in the basement storage today. I'm planning to take Yoojin's and my drinks over there first—may I?"
Assistant Manager Lee raised an eyebrow.Why hadn't Dong-ha told him about this part-timer?Still—Dong-ha was an intern. What power did he have?
Lee let it go.
"Sure. Bring one for Sunyoung too."
"Of course."
*
When Dong-ha returned to the office with the drinks, Yoojin—already working at her desk—looked up first.
A bright smile bloomed on her face.
Just seeing her filled his eyes and made his own lips curve helplessly.
He forced himself to greet Sunyoung first.
"Good morning, Senior. Here's your coffee."
"Oh, thanks, Dong-ha ."
Only then did he turn to Yoojin.
"Good morning, Yoojin. Here's your milk tea."
"Thank you."
She took the drink with both hands and lifted it to her lips.
Watching her, Dong-ha spoke to both Sunyoung and Yoojin.
"My friend is coming as a part-timer in the basement today."
"Really?"
Sunyoung's eyes widened.
That position had been impossible to fill—hard work for low pay. No one lasted a week.
"Yes. I'm planning to help Yoojin more now."
"Ohh."
Sunyoung nodded.
She knew it was odd to make a new corporate hire run errands in the basement all week.
And Yoojin—Her eyes widened round.
"You're helping me?"