The tension in the basement was suffocating.
Lee Song-Hyuk cracked his knuckles, his expression unreadable. In-Hyeop stood with his arms crossed, looking as relaxed as a man who had absolutely no business being relaxed.
Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon, still tied to their chairs, exchanged glances that silently conveyed the same thought:
This is it. We had a good run.
Just when it seemed like they were about to be beaten into next week—
Ding.
The elevator doors slid open.
A new presence entered.
The tension shattered.
Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon sighed in relief—until they realized… it might be someone even worse.
Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed through the room.
Click. Clack. Click. Clack.
The unmistakable sound of heels.
Lee Song-Hyuk frowned. "Who—"
Then the voice rang out—sharp, commanding, and very pissed off.
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO MEATHEADS DOING?!"
Every head snapped toward the elevator.
And there she was.
Jovy.
Wearing a sharp, dark coat, glasses slightly lowered, looking like she had just stepped out of an action movie where she was the final boss. Behind her, Hyun-Jin, In-Hyuk, and Jane stood catching their breath, barely suppressing their grins.
"Oh, you guys are in huge trouble," Hyun-Jin teased, nudging Jane, who nodded way too enthusiastically.
Lee Song-Hyuk stiffened.
In-Hyeop? His smirk faltered—briefly—but Jovi saw it.
Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon, still bound to their chairs, nearly wept in relief.
Jovi took a step forward, her glare locked onto Lee Song-Hyuk.
"Untie them. Now."
Silence.
She raised an eyebrow.
A single muscle twitched in Lee Song-Hyuk's jaw. No matter how cold-blooded the man was, he obeyed like a well-trained puppy.
Without a word, he pulled out a knife and, with one swift motion, cut the ropes.
Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon immediately flopped onto the ground like fish out of water.
"Wow. Thank you so much," Nam-Joo muttered weakly, still face-down on the floor.
"You're welcome," Jovi deadpanned.
Lee Song-Hyuk let out a slow exhale. "They were trespassing."
Jovi slowly turned to face him.
"I don't recall asking for your permission to speak."
In-Hyeop, ever the opportunist, added, "Yeah, what she said."
Jovi's glare snapped to him next.
"…You either."
In-Hyeop immediately shut up, the smirk on his face melting away.
"That's what I thought," Jovi muttered.
Then she turned to Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon, hands on her hips.
"And you two idiots—WHAT WERE YOU THINKING SHOWING UP UNANNOUNCED?! DO YOU WANT TO MEET THE GRIM REAPER?!"
Seo-Joon, still recovering from the near-death experience, wheezed out, "I think we already did."
Jovi blinked.
In-Hyeop and Lee Song-Hyuk? Slowly turned their heads to glare at him.
Nam-Joo kicked Seo-Joon's shin under the table.
Jovi exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "I swear, I leave for five minutes, and suddenly people are getting interrogated in the basement."
She turned back to the two directors.
"This is the last time I better find you two roughing up my friends."
Lee Song-Hyuk said nothing.
In-Hyeop? He gave her a knowing smile.
Jovi narrowed her eyes.
Yeah. This wasn't over.
"Alright, let's go," she muttered, motioning for Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon to follow.
Then, as she stepped into the elevator, she paused, turning back one last time.
"Oh, and before I forget—" Jovi shot both In-Hyeop and Lee Song-Hyuk a pointed look.
"…I might have to fire someone."
The elevator doors began to close.
Instantly, the two men's sharp, intimidating expressions disappeared.
Panic settled in.
They were so ready to repent.
Jovi smirked just as the doors shut, leaving them to marinate in fear.
Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon exchanged glances as the elevator ascended.
"…She's scary," Seo-Joon whispered.
"I know." Nam-Joo wiped his forehead.
From behind them, Hyun-Jin snorted.
Jane nodded.
And In-hyuk?
He just smiled.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Seo-Joon and Nam-Joo—very much alive and kicking—were escorted to a private room inside Miss B's office on the 20th floor.
They weren't sure what they expected after nearly being interrogated into oblivion, but this? This was… surprisingly cozy.
The room was elegant but intimidating, the kind of place where serious business was conducted and no-nonsense decisions were made. A subtle blend of power and hospitality. Everything was sleek, clean, and polished to perfection, but the air carried an unshakable weight, as if the walls themselves knew too many secrets.
As soon as they sat down, Director Shin-Hye took charge.
She moved gracefully, her presence calm yet commanding, like a seasoned diplomat preparing to handle an international crisis—which, given what had just happened, wasn't far from the truth.
A tea set was arranged before them, the delicate porcelain an odd contrast to the chaos they had just endured. Shin-Hye poured the tea with precision, her every movement controlled, like someone who had done this a thousand times before.
She carefully placed a tray of confectioneries between them… but her eyes lingered, just for a moment, on a completely obliterated box of cake.
A deep sigh.
Some things weren't meant to survive today.
She recovered quickly, offering a practiced smile.
"Our sincerest apologies, Mr. Park and Mr. Nam," she began smoothly, her tone warm but measured. "We didn't know Ms.—" She paused, carefully choosing her words. "I mean, Jovy, was expecting guests today."
She placed her hands on the table, her expression unreadable.
"Things like this… happen sometimes."
Seo-Joon and Nam-Joo exchanged a look.
"Often?" they asked in unison, their voices filled with wary suspicion.
From behind them, Jane, Hyun-Jin, and In-Hyuk all nodded at the same time.
A slow, creeping realization dawned on them.
"…Wait." Nam-Joo's voice dropped, his hands gripping his knees. "This happens often?!"
Shin-Hye continued her serene ritual, adjusting the tea cups with meticulous care. Then, finally, she spoke.
"The people who work with Miss B are constantly receiving threats," she said lightly, as if she were explaining something mundane.
Then, she hesitated.
"No—let me say it properly."
She set the teapot down with a deliberate clink and straightened her posture.
"We—all of the Directors—live on the verge of death. Every. Single. Day."
A serene smile.
"A lot of people want our heads. And they will do anything to take them."
The words were spoken too calmly, too matter-of-factly, like she had long accepted this reality.
Seo-Joon blinked. Hard.
Nam-Joo had completely frozen, his body stiff as if his brain had just encountered a fatal error and crashed. His eyes were locked forward, unfocused, his entire system stuck on an invisible loading screen.
If his thoughts had been a computer, there would have been a spinning wheel of doom hovering over his head.
Shin-Hye turned her gaze toward them—calm, unwavering, her presence commanding instant silence.
"Without Director In-Hyeop and Director Lee Song-Hyuk, none of us would be alive right now."
Her voice was steady, carrying the weight of an undeniable truth—not a guess, not an overstatement. Just a fact
No further explanation was needed. The reality of it settled into the room like a quiet, undeniable truth..
Seo-Joon felt the shift immediately—the way the room itself seemed heavier with the mention of their names.
Nam-Joo finally blinked.
Slowly.
Like a machine rebooting after a catastrophic system failure.
Seo-Joon, meanwhile, was doing mental gymnastics trying to figure out just how many times he had unknowingly walked past these two men, blissfully unaware of how much they were keeping at bay.
Nam-Joo swallowed hard. "So… what you're saying is…" His voice was quieter now, less sarcastic, more deeply unsettled.
Shin-Hye didn't answer right away. Instead, she simply poured him another cup of tea, completely unbothered.
Then, finally, with a soft but undeniable certainty, she responded:
"What I'm saying is… if they hadn't intervened, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."
The silence that followed was deafening.
A deliberate pause—just long enough for the weight of her words to sink in.
"That includes Jovi."
The room felt colder.
Seo-Joon shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Nam-Joo swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.
For the past few weeks, they had always known something was up. The way the directors carried themselves, the way Jovy's people always seemed alert, always scanning their surroundings. They weren't just executives in a high-stakes business.
They were targets.
And now, everything clicked.
"Ah." Seo-Joon forced a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "That… explains a lot."
Nam-Joo? Still speechless. Still buffering.Processing new data… Please wait.
Shin-Hye took a sip of her tea, as composed as ever. "I assume you understand now why your little unannounced visit was met with such an… enthusiastic response."
Seo-Joon chuckled nervously, avoiding her gaze. "Yeah. Message received."
Nam-Joo? Still staring ahead. Mild existential crisis loading.
"If you need anything, please let me know," Shin-Hye added smoothly, standing up and giving them a graceful nod.
Then, like a perfectly synchronized unit, she stepped back and lined up beside Jane, Hyun-Jin, and In-Hyuk.
The four of them stood there, poised and unmoving, like a group of assassins disguised as the world's most professional hospitality staff.
Seo-Joon hesitantly took a sip of his tea.
It was excellent.
But for the first time in his life, tea had never tasted more like a death warning.
Nam-Joo finally exhaled.
"Yeah," he muttered under his breath.
"Next time… let's call ahead."
The tension in the room hung so thick it could've been cut with the butter knife on the tea tray. Then, as if on cue, I walked in. Dramatic timing? No, just another exhausting day in my life. I flopped onto the couch across from Seo-Joon and Nam-Joo, stretching out like I owned the place—which, technically, I do. But at this point, did it even matter?
Trailing behind me, In-Hyeop and Soo-Hyuk entered in their usual silent, intimidating manner. They positioned themselves behind me, aligning perfectly with the rest of the group. If I didn't know better, I'd say they practiced that move in the mirror.
I exhaled dramatically. "I feel like I'm gonna die today. The stress is killing me." I tilted my head back, massaging the tension in my neck.
Seo-Joon and Nam-Joo exchanged glances.
"Again, sorry for the behavior of these two," I said, gesturing vaguely behind me like they were misbehaving pets. "Anyway, let's get to the point. What are you two doing here?"
"We came to give you this." Nam-Joo presented a box of cake like an offering to a deity.
I accepted it with suspicion. One glance inside, and I immediately regretted opening it. The poor cake looked like it had been mugged in a dark alley and left for dead.
"…Thanks." I set the box aside like it was a crime scene and moved on.
Seo-Joon squinted at me. "Are you sure you're not the boss?"
I smirked. "I'm not. Let's just say we value each other a lot."
Then, an idea struck me—an absolutely terrible, wonderful idea.
"Given our long history, you could even say we love each other," I added, my voice dripping with mischief. I turned to In-Hyeop and Soo-Hyuk, flashing my most devilish grin. "Right?"
"YES!"
Not just the two of them—Hyun-Jin, In-Hyuk, Jane, and Shin-Hye joined in unison like a cult reciting its creed.
"These idiots can't even pretend," I thought, suppressing a laugh. I turned back around, smiling awkwardly at Seo-Joon and Nam-Joo, who were now very confused.
"So, what really brought you here?" I asked, taking a sip of tea.
"Ah, yeah. We just wanted to visit." Nam-Joo scratched the back of his head. "See where you work, what you do."
"A visit, huh?" I eyed them suspiciously.
"Yeah, and we wanted to meet your colleagues," Seo-Joon added, now glancing at the assembled group. "And I think we've learned way more than we were supposed to."
I shrugged. "My work's boring. I'm a seamstress. Nothing exciting about that."
The room fell silent again. Heavy, loaded silence. Even the air seemed tense.
Then, an idea popped into my head. Oh, this was going to be good.
"Oh, by the way, I got a message from Miss B, Mr. Park." I turned my attention to Seo-Joon, ignoring the subtle side-eyes from Hyun-Jin, In-Hyuk, and Jane. They knew what was coming. And they did NOT approve.
"She said she'll personally handle your wardrobe request," I continued. "But—" I paused, drawing out the anticipation. "She needs people to model for her brand."
Blank stares. A lag in processing.
"I think it's finally time she put a face on it," I went on smoothly. "So, she's inviting you and Nam-Joo to model for her at Korea's Fashion Week."
The room exploded.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Seo-Joon and Nam-Joo shouted in unison, their voices loud enough to shake the furniture.
Meanwhile, In-Hyeop and Soo-Hyuk's souls visibly left their bodies. Shin-Hye, Hyun-Jin, In-Hyuk, and Jane all looked like they just witnessed a murder.
I, on the other hand, calmly grabbed a cookie and took a bite.
"Mm-hmm," I nodded, chewing. "Serious."
"B-But—" In-Hyeop started, his voice wavering.
"We'll talk later," I interrupted, my gaze turning sharp. "I'm not done with either of you."
They shut up immediately.
I turned back to my unsuspecting victims—er, models. "That's the deal. The competitors can't know who's walking the runway. So, keep it quiet."
This wasn't just about the brand. This was about me. These two had the audacity to find out where I worked? Now, they were going to be too busy to bother me.
"The good news is," I continued, leaning forward, "we already finished your requests ahead of time, Mr. Park. And your suit is ready, Nam-Joo."
I smiled. The kind of smile a demon makes when sealing a deal for someone's soul.
And, just like that, they took the bait.
"DEAL!!!" they both yelled, sealing their fate.
Perfect.
"Alright!" I clapped my hands. "Shin-Hye, can you handle the rest from here?"
"Yes, Miss Jovy," she said efficiently. "I'll have The Luminary and The Shade take over."
"Great. Then let's call it a day, yeah? I still have…" I glanced at the clock. "Three hours before I clock off. I need to get back to work. Jane, Hyun-Jin, In-Hyuk—you take care of them."
Without another word, I got up and strolled toward the workshop, In-Hyeop and Soo-Hyuk trailing behind me like two men who had just been sentenced to life.
Behind us, Hyun-Jin, Jane, and In-Hyuk guided Seo-Joon and Nam-Joo out. This time, thankfully, without making a scene.
And just like that, peace returned—at least for now.
Until the next inevitable disaster.
-End-