Chapter 2 - Office Whispers and the Discounted Trap

The modern, open-floor office of Hanseong Architecture was buzzing with the usual afternoon energy as Kim Seo-ah and Ma Ha-rin walked inside. They adjusted their lanyards, carried their project files, and walked straight over to their respective desks, settling into their rolling chairs.Ha-rin immediately leaned across the narrow gap separating their desks, her eyes darting toward the grand glass executive cabin at the end of the floor."Kim Seo-ah, look at that new CEO," Ha-rin whispered, her voice tight with absolute irritation. "He looks incredibly handsome, sure, but he is such a total grouch! And the worst part is, he acts like a monster only towards me!"Seo-ah adjusted her computer monitor, letting out a soft, amused chuckle. "What exactly is your problem, Ha-rin? Is it that he acts too sternly with you, or is it simply that he doesn't speak nicely to you during the review sessions?"Ha-rin rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in defeat. "It's absolutely nothing like that! Forget it. Let's just drop the subject and get back to our work spreadsheets."Before they could type a single line, a cheerful voice chimed from behind them. Min-jo, another designer from their creative department, rushed up to their desks with a bright smile."Hey, Seo-ah! You're finally back!" Min-jo cheered, leaning over to give her a quick squeeze. "I missed you so incredibly much on the office floor!"Ha-rin instantly stood up, playfully linking her arm securely through Seo-ah's left elbow to pull her back. "Hey! Back off, Min-jo! I missed her even more than you did!"Seo-ah stood trapped between her two friends, letting out a soft laugh. "Ohhh... you two are unbelievable."Min-jo crossed her arms, raising a curious eyebrow at Ha-rin. "Wait a minute... didn't you two literally live together in the same apartment? You see her every single night!""Yes, we live together," Ha-rin whined, pouting dramatically. "But there was absolutely no one here at the office to listen to my constant chatter during the day! Who on earth was I supposed to vent to about that strict CEO while Seo-ah was away?"Seo-ah patted both of their hands, gently guiding them back toward their professional boundaries. "Oh, you two, please quiet down before a manager walks over. And thank you so much for missing me, okay? Now let's get back to work. We can chat all we want later during the lunch break.""Yeah, yeah, fine," Min-jo giggled, turning back toward her computer station.Right at that exact microsecond, an office assistant stepped into their aisle, holding a clipboard as he approached Seo-ah's desk. "Ms. Kim, the main CEO—Mr. Sun-woo—has requested your presence in his private cabin immediately."Seo-ah blinked in surprise, checking her files. "Yes, I understand. I'm coming right away.""Alright, I'll be going then," the assistant nodded politely and walked away down the hall.Ha-rin instantly leaned over again, her eyes wide with sudden anxiety. "Why on earth do you think he called you in so suddenly?""How should I know?" Seo-ah shrugged, grabbing her notepad. "Come with me to the door.""No, noway—you go alone!" Ha-rin gasped, shaking her head violently. "I am not stepping anywhere near his radar.""Alright, fine. I'll be right back," Seo-ah smiled, smoothing down her skirt as she turned on her heel and headed straight toward the grand glass structure.She stood outside the executive entrance, knocked softly on the wood panel, and held her breath. "May I come in, Mr. Choi?"Inside the pristine cabin, Choi Sun-woo looked up from his massive laptop screen, his executive expression perfectly calm and sharp. "Yes, please come in, Ms. Kim."Seo-ah stepped inside, closing the door smoothly behind her as she approached his mahogany desk. "What is the matter, Sir?""Nothing in particular," Sun-woo replied smoothly, leaning back in his grand leather chair. "I've just recently returned and joined this branch, so I am not entirely sure which corporate projects are currently on hold or pending review.""Work on all the major projects has been completely and successfully completed, Sir," Seo-ah answered professionally, maintaining absolute eye contact. "There aren't any pending projects on our current schedule."But deep inside her mind, her thoughts began to race frantically. 'Wait... should I tell him about that massive overseas architectural project? Or should I keep it quiet for now?'Sun-woo's intense eyes narrowed slightly, noticing the sudden silence. "What's the matter, Ms. Kim? What exactly are you thinking about right now?"Seo-ah quickly forced a polite, formal smile. "Nothing at all, Sir.""In that case..." Sun-woo continued, his tone turning steady and curious. "Why haven't you been coming to the office floor for the past few days?""I had to handle some urgent personal family reasons," Seo-ah replied, thinking of Junu's hospital admission."Okay, I understand. You may go back to your desk," Sun-woo nodded."Yes, Sir," Seo-ah bowed respectfully and stepped out of the cabin, shutting the door behind her.As she walked down the corridor, Sun-woo watched her through the glass blinds, a bold, secret plan forming in his mind. 'I have to do something to ensure Ma Ha-rin becomes my sister-in-law,' Sun-woo thought to himself, a rare smile playing on his lips. 'What should I do to bring everyone together? What... Ah! I've got it! I could throw a massive celebratory party to celebrate my arrival here, and I'll explicitly invite my brother Hyun-woo! Oh—cut it out, Sun-woo, just execute the plan.'Meanwhile, Seo-ah walked back to her desk. The second her feet touched the carpet, Ha-rin rushed up to her in a total state of anxious suspense. "What happened?! Why on earth did he call you inside?!""Nothing much," Seo-ah smiled, putting her notepad down. "He was just asking about the pending project schedules. Honestly, he was actually quite a nice guy—he spoke to me very pleasantly and calmly."Ha-rin let out a cynical scoff, crossing her arms. "Yeah, sure, he is a nice guy... but it's not quite like that when he looks at my designs."Suddenly, the heavy glass door of the executive cabin clicked open, and Mr. Sun-woo stepped out onto the main office floor. Seeing his tall, sharp figure approach, Ha-rin's mouth instantly snapped shut, and she fell completely silent, freezeing in her tracks."Kim Seo-ah..." Ha-rin whispered frantically through her teeth, not moving her lips. "Sir is right here! He's coming this way!"Seo-ah turned around smoothly. "What's the matter, Sir?"Sun-woo stopped right beside their desk cluster, his eyes briefly locking onto a nervous Ha-rin before turning to Seo-ah. "Ms. Seo-ah, why are you standing? Is there a particular problem with the files?"Startled by his sudden presence, Seo-ah looked at him quickly. "Nothing at all, Sir.""Okay, go ahead and sit down," Sun-woo nodded calmly."Yes, Sir," Seo-ah sat down immediately. The second Sun-woo turned his back to address the room, she leaned toward Ha-rin and whispered harshly, "Couldn't you have spoken a little louder to warn me?!""He was literally standing right behind my shoulder!" Ha-rin hissed back in pure panic. "How on earth was I supposed to speak loudly?!"Sun-woo clapped his hands firmly once, his deep, commanding executive voice echoing across the entire floor. "Attention, everyone!"The entire office department stopped typing, turning their absolute attention toward the sharp CEO."I'd like to throw a grand celebration party for all of you to officially celebrate my arrival here at this branch," Sun-woo announced with a warm smile. "So, everyone—come and join me at 'The Griffin Bar' the day after tomorrow in the evening!"The entire office floor instantly erupted into a wave of absolute delight and excited chatter."Oh, wow! Thank you so much, Sir!" the employees cheered in unison."Okay," Sun-woo nodded gracefully, turning around and heading straight back into his private cabin.The moment the door shut, Min-jo slid her chair over to their desks, her face glowing. "This is going to be so much fun! By the way, shouldn't our department get him a nice welcome gift?"Ha-rin turned her monitor off, muttering under her breath, "There's absolutely no need for a gift."Seo-ah laughed, patting her roommate's shoulder. "Ma Ha-rin, you don't have to worry about getting anything. Min-jo and I will handle the shopping selection ourselves."Hearing this, Ha-rin's stubborn pride flared up instantly. "Kim Seo-ah, noway! If you are getting him a gift, then I am absolutely getting him something too! Who knows? Maybe a nice gift will finally encourage him to treat me better on this office floor."Seo-ah raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh, really? Alright then, if you say so. Min-jo, will you come shopping with us after work today?"Min-jo checked her desktop calendar, looking apologetic. "Sorry, but I really can't make it today. I have to finish this render layout. I'll buy my separate gift tomorrow. You two go on ahead.""Alright, see you later then," Seo-ah nodded, and the two roommates immediately started typing, completely focused on finishing their shift.A little while later, as the golden evening twilight settled over the city of Seoul, the office floor began to empty out.Seo-ah shut down her computer tower, stretching her arms with a satisfied sigh. "Oh, come on—I'm finally done! Let's move, Ha-rin, or the mall shops will close and we're going to be late.""Yeah, I'm completely finished too. Let's go!" Ha-rin cheered, grabbing her luxury handbag from the desk hook. They both gathered their coats and started to leave the department floor.As they reached the elevator lobby, Seo-ah waved back toward the remaining staff. "Bye, guys! Bye, Min-jo!""Yeah, bye!" Min-jo called out from behind her mountain of papers. "Have fun shopping! I still have a massive amount of work to complete here."A few minutes later, the two girls were walking down the wide, bustling pavements of the street road, the evening city lights glowing brightly around them as they headed toward the grand shopping commercial district.Ha-rin adjusted her coat collar against the cool breeze, looking sideways at her friend. "Can I ask you something, Seo-ah?"Seo-ah smiled, navigating past a group of pedestrians. "Sure, go ahead. Since when did you start asking for my permission to speak anyway?""No, it's just..." Ha-rin hesitated for a microsecond, her expression turning slightly serious. "There is a particular matter I want to bring up, and I'm a bit worried that you might not like it."Seo-ah frowned, curious. "What is it? Just say it out loud!"Ha-rin leaned closer as they walked. "If you were to accidentally run into that mysterious hospital doctor again... the one who crashed into you this morning... what exactly would you tell him?"Seo-ah let out a sharp scoff, waving her hand dismissively. "Don't even ask me that question.""But you literally said yes to answering before!" Ha-rin whined, bumping her shoulder playfully against hers."What? Is that guy completely crazy?!" Seo-ah barked back, laughing at the sheer absurdity of the memory. "I don't think I'll ever run into his face ever again in a city as massive as Seoul. And even if I did by some wild miracle, you already know I would definitely say a firm no to his face."Ha-rin blinked, looking genuinely puzzled. "Why would you say no?"Seo-ah stopped at the crosswalk, staring at her roommate in utter bewilderment. "What do you mean, 'why'? He is a complete stranger who blurted out a confession in a hospital hallway!""Nothing, forget it," Ha-rin giggled, seeing the pedestrian light turn green. "Come on, we have to get inside the mall complex right now, or we'll be incredibly late!"Ha-rin suddenly burst into a run, sprinting ahead across the street with a loud laugh."Hey! Wait up for me, Ma Ha-rin!" Seo-ah shouted, running quickly right after her through the evening crowd.They successfully burst through the grand glass entrance doors of The Hyundai Seoul shopping mall. The multi-level luxury mall was beautifully lit, packed with high-end boutiques and glittering display counters.Seo-ah stopped near the grand directory board, looking around the massive atrium. "So, what exactly should we get for Mr. Sun-woo?"Ha-rin let out a lazy sigh, leaning against a glass railing. "Just pick out absolutely anything, Seo-ah. Honestly, nothing looks particularly good on his strict frame anyway."Seo-ah shot her a stern look, placing her hands on her hips. "If we are going to spend our time and money to buy a welcome gift, we should at least get something genuinely nice and respectable. Why on earth are you shopping with such a sour, miserable face? If you're going to keep acting like that, let's just not buy anything at all and go straight home."Hearing this, Ha-rin immediately let out a loud laugh, her sour mood melting away in an instant. "Yeah, yeah, okay! I'm completely fine now. Don't be angry, Seo-ah. Come on, let's go buy a nice wristwatch. Men always love premium watches."Seo-ah's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "That's actually a great idea. Tell you what—you pick out a watch for him from your side, and I'll go find something entirely different for my gift.""Yeah, okay, sounds like a perfect plan," Ha-rin nodded enthusiastically. "So, let's go get my watch gift settled first.""Sure, let's go," Seo-ah agreed, and the two roommates walked down the luxury corridor, entering a premium watch boutique filled with gleaming glass cases. They began slowly browsing through the rows of metallic and leather timepieces.Ha-rin's eyes widened as she stared through the glass. "Wow, there are so many incredibly beautiful watches here!"A sharply dressed watch seller immediately stepped behind the counter, bowing politely to the two girls. "Good evening, ladies. Are you looking for a premium watch today? We currently have a wide, exclusive selection here."He began sliding open the cases, showcasing the brilliant designs. "These models over here are specifically designed for men, and these over here are... Which particular style would you like to inspect? Oh, and you should know, we currently have a massive discount promotion running on our luxury couple's watch sets!"Ha-rin froze, staring at the gorgeous matching pair of watches resting on the velvet cushion. Her mind began to calculate rapidly. 'Since there is such a massive discount running, should I just go for this couple's watch set? Then again... why on earth should I spend my own hard-earned money to buy such an expensive luxury set for that strict CEO anyway?'The watch seller noticed her intense gaze and smiled warmly, trying to close the sale. "Are you perhaps buying this watch as a special gift for your boyfriend, Ma'am? If so, you should definitely take advantage of this discount and get this couple's watch set."Seo-ah's jaw dropped. She quickly stepped forward, frantically waving her hands to clarify the massive misunderstanding. "No, noway... it's absolutely not like that! I mean, who are we even giving this gift to? He's just our—""Yes, we'll take it," Ha-rin interrupted firmly, pointing directly at the couple's watch set."WHAT?!" Seo-ah screamed out in a harsh whisper, her eyes staring wide-eyed at Ha-rin in complete, absolute horror.The watch seller's smile widened to his ears. "Really? Excellent choice, Ma'am! In that case, which color variant would you prefer? This particular set is quite special, you see..."Before the seller could finish his technical description, Seo-ah violently grabbed Ha-rin's sleeve and forcefully pulled her completely away to a quiet corner of the boutique."What on earth are you doing?!" Seo-ah hissed, her voice filled with pure, panicked bewilderment. "Why on earth are you buying a couple's watch set for our executive Director?!"Ha-rin let out a triumphant smirk, patting her purse. "Because it's on a massive sale, Seo-ah! Why should I spend a fortune of my own money on an individual piece for him when this deal exists? Besides, I actually needed to buy a fresh new watch for myself anyway—this way, I'll give him the male version as a gift, and I'll keep the twin matching watch entirely for myself! It's a total win-win!"Seo-ah stared at her roommate for a long, quiet second, completely speechless at her ridiculous logic. She let out a heavy sigh, throwing her hands up. "If you've already made up your stubborn mind, then I won't say another single word. Just don't come crying to my bedroom if something goes completely wrong with this plan.""Don't worry, nothing will go wrong," Ha-rin giggled, walking back over to the counter.The watch seller handed over a beautifully wrapped gift bag with a polite bow. "Ma'am, here is your beautifully packed gift set.""Oh, thank you so much!" Ha-rin smiled warmly, taking the bag securely. She turned to Seo-ah, completely happy. "See, Seo-ah? Don't worry about it at all—I'll handle everything perfectly."She turned back to wave at the employee. "Bye!""Yes, goodbye, Ma'am," the watch seller called out as they began walking toward the boutique exit. "Oh, and just so you know—the unique feature of that rare set is that the watches actually chime and vibrate wirelessly when someone presses the master frequency button on the side—"But Ha-rin had already walked off down the mall corridor without hearing a single word of what the seller said, and the two friends left the shop doors together, completely oblivious to the magical loop they had just purchased.A little while later, after completing the rest of their shopping tasks, the two girls stepped outside the mall complex onto the cool sidewalk, holding their wrapped shopping bags securely.Ha-rin peeped inside Seo-ah's bag, looking thoroughly curious. "By the way, Seo-ah... who exactly are these three separate gifts inside your bag for?"Seo-ah checked her bag handles, listing them out calmly. "Well, I got one nice item for Junu's recovery, one for his department doctor, and this final one is a formal item for the CEO's party."Ha-rin's eyes lit up instantly at the mention of the medical staff. "Oh! A gift for Junu's doctor? What exactly does he look like? Is he handsome? Is he single?"Seo-ah shook her head, letting out a soft sigh. "Honestly, I don't know at all. I haven't actually seen his face even once. Whenever I went to visit Junu's ward over the past week, that specific doctor was always out handling emergency shifts and was never around.""I see, that's a shame," Ha-rin nodded as they walked along the pavement. "Speaking of which, how is the lovely older grandmother in the adjacent hospital bed doing?""She's doing perfectly fine now," Seo-ah replied with a warm smile. "She used to feel very lonely resting in that ward, you know? That's the exact reason why I used to go visit her bed and chat with her so often. She's actually getting fully discharged soon; her son is coming down to pick her up. Anyway, let's get going back to our apartment—we're running late."Ha-rin suddenly stopped in her tracks, a brilliant, stubborn spark hitting her eyes as she grabbed Seo-ah's arm tightly. "No, let's go straight to the university hospital right now! I want to personally meet Junu's mysterious doctor today!"Seo-ah gasped, trying to pull her arm away from her roommate's grip. "What?! Are you crazy? Can't we just go tomorrow morning? It's getting dark and late now!""Oh, come on, please!" Ha-rin whined, using her full physical force to start pulling Seo-ah along the sidewalk toward the transit line."Yeah, alright, alright then! Let's go!" Seo-ah groaned, giving up the struggle with a laugh as they headed straight toward the medical complex.[INT. International Daehan University Hospital – Ward – Night]Inside the quiet, softly lit orthopedic ward, the atmosphere was peaceful. Kim Do-jung—Junu—was sitting comfortably against his white pillows, his cast-bound leg resting steadily on the mattress. Dr. Choi Hyun-woo stood right beside his bed, dressed sharply in his pristine white medical coat, holding a tablet as he checked the recovery charts.Dr. Hyun-woo looked down at him, his voice professional but deeply warm. "How exactly are you feeling now, Kim Jung-junu? Is there any sharp pain in the bone alignment today?"Junu smiled brightly, waving his hand. "Yes, Doctor, I'm doing perfectly fine. The cast doesn't even throb anymore."Hyun-woo let out a soft chuckle, tapping the tablet screen. "Yeah, you certainly look fine and full of energy. Just sit completely still for a second and let me check your vital reflexes over properly.""Okay, I'll stay completely quiet," Junu nodded, resting his arms flat on the sheets.Right at that exact second, the heavy door of the ward flew open with a sudden, loud click.Ma Ha-rin burst straight inside the room, her face glowing with a huge, energetic smile as she carried her shopping bags. "Junu! We're finally here!"Kim Seo-ah walked inside right behind her, laughing as she started to close the door. But the moment the two girls stepped into the bright light of the ward and their eyes took in the white-coated figure standing beside the bed, they both froze completely like absolute statues.The shopping bags slipped slightly in their hands, their jaws dropping to the floor in pure, paralyzing shock as they spotted Dr. Hyun-woo staring straight back at them.