Time passed once more, and the day of the shoot arrived.
I checked the Facilities Manager costume I'd received through the mail and the reward from the previous shoot.
The costume was just a single gray work jumpsuit.
The shoot reward was some kind of mysterious potion filled with a sticky fluid.
Unfortunately, the description wasn't very helpful, so I had no idea what its exact effects were.
⚙ ITEM DESCRIPTION ⚙< Love Juice > • Nutritional supplement that whets your partner's appetite. However, you must drink it—not your partner. It emits a scent of sweetened condensed milk and a subtle strawberry fragrance. The effect lasts permanently.
Some kind of perfume, maybe?
The part about the effect being permanent gave me pause—it felt a bit suspicious.
But I quickly shook my head and cast aside my doubts.
Hadn't I already pledged my full loyalty to Evelyn Studio?
Even if strawberries started sprouting from my body, a true loyalist strips when told to strip.
Would our president ever send something weird?
If she wanted to do something shady, she could've done it a million ways without this.
"Of course. As the saying goes, losing trust is as good as death."
─Gulp
I downed the potion in one refreshing swig.
A man's either died once or not at all.
Overthinking it would just lead nowhere.
If you're gonna do it, go all in with some guts.
"Ugh. What the hell is this taste?"
The sticky fluid slid down my throat and spread through my entire body.
It felt like some kind of slime crawling through my veins.
Soon, that energy gathered in my lower body, stimulating my groin with a hot surge.
"Oh, oh! What if it's actually some insane aphrodisiac?"
This bizarre sensation budding in my balls filled me with inexplicable anticipation.
My already vigorous yang energy might've just become uncontainable.
"Heh. Turns out being too healthy can be a problem too."
I could check the effects over time.
I packed a homemade lunchbox and a handwritten note for her.
Since I was heading to her company, I tidied my hair and spritzed on some mist and cologne.
Better to show up looking sharp—she'd like that.
With all my preparations complete, I stepped out of my studio apartment door.
The weather was beautifully clear—a great feeling day.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A towering building in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul.
Home to Cleo & Tiffany, a famous overseas fashion and lingerie brand.
I'd vaguely thought she worked at some big corporation, but this scale was on another level.
Compared to my one-room, it was like heaven and earth.
Seeing the company size made my heart shrink a bit.
Today, I had to spend some very sticky time with Choi A-ran here.
The locations could be the equipment room, the bathroom, or even her office.
The good news? Today's shoot runtime was set nice and long.
I could take it slow and enjoy the situation.
As I approached the building entrance, two security guards stepped up to block my path.
Looks like they required an employee ID for security reasons.
I panicked for a second, but then the studio's authority kicked in.
One of the guards took the lead and smoothed things over.
"Are you here for facilities management today?"
I nodded naturally.
"Yes, that's me."
"Ah, got it. Head inside to the Facilities Management office—they'll guide you."
"Thanks."
Thanks to him, I slipped into the building without an ID.
Before heading to Facilities Management, I went to the lobby info desk first.
My work jumpsuit didn't raise any suspicions with the desk staff.
"Excuse me."
"Yes? How can I help?"
"Could you pass this to Senior Designer Choi A-ran on the 7th floor?"
"Ah! Who should I say it's from?"
"It's not from me— a friend of hers asked me to deliver it. She said she'll know when she sees it."
"Got it. Senior Designer Choi A-ran on 7, right?"
"Yes, thanks."
I sent the note and lunchbox via the desk, straightened my uniform, and headed to Facilities Management.
It was basically just a duty room for janitors and security.
─Knock knock knock
I knocked and entered, greeted warmly by a friendly-looking middle-aged woman.
"You're the one we were expecting today?"
"Yes. Nice to meet you."
"Oh my, perfect timing. Such a handsome, reliable-looking young man."
"Haha. You've got a great vibe yourself, ma'am. Treat me like a son and teach me everything."
"Oh? Really? Our young man's so polite and full of energy."
"You bet. Ladies like you always love me."
"Hohoho. Good talker too. Anyway, today's job is cleaning the corridors and windows from 7th to 9th floors. If any staff ask for cleaning, help them out. Easy, right?"
"Yes, ma'am. They called me the vacuum cleaner in the army. Leave it to me."
"Great posture. Lots to do, so head up. Cleaning supplies are in the 7th floor bathroom caddy."
"Roger. See you after."
After a quick briefing, I was deployed straight to the 7th floor.
Most staff bustling in the corridors were women, as expected.
Brighter and livelier than a typical office.
And a ton of foreign employees.
'Figures for an international brand. Feels global.'
I rode the fancy elevator and hit 7.
It whisked me up, revealing a whole different world from the first floor.
7th floor and up were for executives, apparently.
As a senior designer, she was one too, naturally.
The executive corridors were paved in pristine white marble.
Modern art hung on the walls.
Even the bathroom entrances were decked with tall potted plants—pure luxury.
'...Damn. Does this even need cleaning?'
The floors gleamed so much, the ceiling lights reflected perfectly.
The people walking them were far from dirt anyway, so it stayed spotless.
Still, I was the janitor—time to earn my keep.
I opened the bathroom caddy, grabbed a mop and cleaning cart.
Big corp perks—even the tools were top-notch.
This gear made it a breeze.
I fitted the mop to the cart and got to work.
By now, she'd gotten the lunchbox and knew I was here.
Working diligently like this, we'd bump into each other naturally.
'Hmm. Gets boring, though. Wanna peek at what she's up to?'
I set the tablet on the cart handle and fired up the Partner Management Console.
Popped in my earbuds and checked her out.
She'd just received the lunchbox and was unpacking it.
Couldn't miss those reactions.
I activated Mind Chat without delay.
🧠 MIND CHAT 🧠[What is it? Who sent this? A sample from somewhere else?] [Hmm. Still a bit warm. What's inside?]
She eagerly tore open the packaging and finally faced the contents.
Colorful side dishes and fruits in a stainless steel bento box.
A luxurious three-tier queen's lunch.
And on top, my handwritten note.
─You know these are my favorites, right?
─No weird stuff, so eat up.
─Made it thinking of you, honey.
─From. Newbie, Facilities Management
She read my note, then broke into an unstoppable smile.
Biting her lip hard, like she didn't want to admit she was smiling.
But which woman wouldn't be thrilled by a guy packing her a lunch like this?
🧠 MIND CHAT 🧠[What? He really made this?] [Egg roll. Bacon roll. Meatballs. Spaghetti. Sandwich. Salad.] [How many dishes is this? Did he make it himself? Or bought?]
Of course, I'd anticipated the doubts and spelled her name in sesame seeds everywhere.
A big heart on the egg roll too—impossible to miss.
Sure enough, she spotted it, and her smile brightened even more.
🧠 MIND CHAT 🧠[What, for real? Does this guy actually like me? What's with the effort?] [Look at those apple carvings. Bunny shapes.] [Total surprise. Thought he only knew dirty stuff. He cooks too.] [Well, he was pro at picking earrings. Bad boys are always good at this crap.] [Still, gotta admit it. This much? Deserves props.] [You're husband material from now on.]
Choi A-ran chuckled to herself.
Then she spread out the lunchbox and snapped photos from every angle.
She was in such a good mood, the smile never left her lips.
🧠 MIND CHAT 🧠[Oh right. What'd the note say?] [Let's see. Newbie, Facilities Management? What's that mean?] [Wait! Facilities Management? He's here at our company?!] [Desk girl said a janitor dropped it off!]
Half-convinced, she bolted to the mirror to fix her makeup.
🧠 MIND CHAT 🧠[Damn! Come here and say something if you're coming!] [Quick head to the salon? What lingerie did I wear today?]
She checked her lingerie design and breast condition, then nodded, satisfied.
🧠 MIND CHAT 🧠[Good. Not bad at all.] [Gotta change before he shows up.]
She had some battle outfit in mind—she locked her office door and rummaged in the cabinet for other clothes.
A navy velvet dress exposing shoulders and cleavage, coffee-colored provocative pantyhose.
And her usual high heels.
More suited to a private party than work.
This being a fashion company, bolder outfits weren't rare.
But hers screamed intense intent to captivate.
🧠 MIND CHAT 🧠[Heh. Guys go crazy for this stuff, right? I did my homework.] [Sprinkle some pearls in the cleavage?] [Nah. He'll just lick 'em off excitedly. Might upset my stomach.]
Now she was even worrying about me.
She hummed a tune while brushing her hair and adjusting her bra for maximum cleavage.
Finally, she struck poses—hip thrusts, subtle cleavage flashes.
Looked like she'd practiced; I couldn't help chuckling.
I'd been pushing the cleaning cart and spectating for a while when a familiar visitor dropped by her office.
Ms. Eun, the designer I'd seen before.
─Ms. Choi, you in? Got coffee.
─Yeah, come in.
─Whoa. Going somewhere today? You're all dolled up.
─What do you think? Matches?
─Total killer. Guys'll drop dead. Party? Wedding?
─Nah, just trying it on. Sick of suits every day.
─Smart move. A stunner like you in suits is a crime.
─Anyway, Ms. Eun, eaten breakfast?
─Breakfast? Overslept, haven't touched food. Why?
─Perfect. Share this.
─Huh? Lunchbox? You made it?
─No way. Someone gave it to me.
─Eek? This ain't no ordinary lunchbox. Choi A-ran typography in sesame seeds everywhere.
─Right? Told 'em not to.
─Who? That almost-boyfriend you mentioned? Finally dating?
─Kinda. We've hung out a few times—clicks in weird ways.
─Oh my gosh! Spill! Cute? Tall? Personality?
─Face is cute-ish. Pretty tall. Personality? Playful type?
─Whoa, you're lucky with guys. Lunchbox screams personality. Malamute or retriever vibe?
─Close, but more wolf if anything.
─Ooh. You like him, huh? Always raving about wolf types.
─Me? Did I?
─Playing dumb. Your voice says you're head over heels. Think I don't know you?
─Ahem. Eat up before it cools.
─Hohoho. Free lunch thanks to you.
The two chattered on, then sat to share the lunchbox.
Ms. Eun's over-the-top reactions had me grinning.
─Whoa, insane. Why's the cooking this good?
─Yeah, pretty tasty.
─Ms. Choi, lock that guy down. Who packs lunches these days?
─Not that big a deal.
─Huge deal. If he were mine, wedding papers yesterday.
Nice. Good reactions.
Her enthusiasm built this weird camaraderie between Ms. Eun and me.
And with her hyping it, Choi A-ran's shoulders soared.
She was fully basking in being the girl who gets lunches like this.
Soon, this lunchbox tale would spread through the company via chatty Ms. Eun.
Choi A-ran probably half-expected, half-hoped for it.
People wanna brag about good stuff, after all.
Seeing her satisfied face filled me with a sense of accomplishment.
Affinity ops—nothing hits like gifts.