Just in a few weeks, Mi Rae's life had taken a drastic turn, and even she couldn't believe it. A week ago, she was a struggling reporter who barely had the strength to drag herself into the newsroom. Now… she was a manager under Vega Entertainment, one of the biggest companies in South Korea.
Was she nervous? She was crazy nervous.
Now she sat in the company's black van, the driver waiting for Han Jehoon to arrive. Her hands twisted in her lap, heart thudding too fast. This hadn't sounded like a good idea when the chairman had first suggested it, but now that she was here… Mi Rae couldn't deny the flicker of excitement in her chest.
Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all.
She just needed to do her job well and, above all, avoid Raven Park at any cost. Everyone said Raven rarely stepped into the company building anyway, maybe it was fate throwing her a lifeline.
And Jehoon… Jehoon had a good impression of her. That mattered.
Her mind wandered back to the first time they'd met—when he had come to her workplace for an interview, back when she was still learning to type reports properly. At that time, Jehoon had just been tangled in a messy scandal—a so-called "sex party" that turned out to be nothing but rumors. Still, the industry had been ruthless. He'd been treated differently, almost branded.
Mi Rae couldn't stand it. She had hated seeing someone isolated, prejudiced against, cornered unfairly. So she did what came naturally to her, she defended him in her own way, looked after him that day, even played along as his "manager" until his real one arrived.
Maybe it was that part of her, the part that refused to let anyone be left out, that had brought her here now.
The thought made her chest ache in a strange way.
She quickly opened the van door, stepping outside before Jehoon arrived. It didn't feel right to sit still when he was the one coming. She smoothed down her clothes: a soft oversized cream sweater tucked loosely into high-waisted jeans, white sneakers on her feet.
She looked casual but neat, comfortably herself, not the stiff, polished image of a manager she imagined in her head.
Taking out her phone, she checked his schedule one more time, a determined smile forming on her lips.
She was going to do great.
From the underground parking lot, the elevator doors slid open with a soft ding. Han Jehoon stepped out, the warm glow of the lights catching on his neat black coat and easy smile. His presence seemed to carry the room with him, like he belonged wherever he stood.
The moment his eyes found her, his face broke into a bigger smile.
"Mi Rae-ssi," he greeted brightly, walking toward her.
And for the first time in days, Mi Rae felt the heaviness on her chest ease just a little.
Han Jehoon's smile was like sunlight breaking through clouds. He walked toward her with confidence, his tall frame wrapped in a black coat, his eyes clear despite the harshness of the industry he lived in.
"You're really here," he said, the corners of his lips tugging higher as if he himself couldn't believe it. "I thought maybe they were joking when they said I'd be meeting my new manager today."
Mi Rae blinked rapidly, then bowed quickly. "Ah.. Jehoon-ssi… yes, I'll do my best—"
He laughed lightly, the sound warm and genuine, disarming her. "Don't be so stiff. It's just me. The same guy you once scolded for not eating properly during an interview, remember?"
Her cheeks warmed at the memory. She hadn't expected him to remember something so trivial.
Jehoon tilted his head, studying her face with a grin. "You don't need to look so nervous. I promise I'm not as much trouble as people make me out to be. Just… treat me comfortably, okay?"
Mi Rae nodded quickly, her lips twitching into a small, shy smile. "Yes. I'll try."
"Good." He gave her an encouraging wink that, strangely, soothed the storm in her chest.
Gathering herself, Mi Rae rushed forward to open the van door for him. Jehoon slipped inside with ease, thanking her as though she'd done something monumental. She lingered for a moment, her hand still on the door handle, preparing to climb in after him.
Suddenly, a powerful force yanked her backward, away from the van, and slammed her into a wall of solid muscle. Air rushed from her lungs as her back hit a cold chest.
Shock filled her as her breath caught.
The first thing she noticed was the familiar scent of an expensive cologne underscored by a bitter undertone. Then came the voice, dripping with venom and so close to her ear that it chilled her to the bone.
"Well, well."
Mi Rae's body tensed up completely.
That voice.
Raven Park's voice.
He seized her arm with a grip that was firm but not bruising, anchoring her in place as if the very idea of her escaping was a crime. A slight twist revealed his face, and her stomach plummeted at the sight of his narrowed gaze.
Gone was the charming smile he wore for the cameras, the easy-going façade… he appeared ready to explode, overflowing with unfiltered rage.
"What the hell are you doing here?" The mockery in his tone was overshadowed by the heat in his eyes.
"Mr. Raven—" she murmured, panic swelling in her throat.
He leaned in slightly, his stare piercing as if she had committed the greatest offense imaginable. "Didn't you say," he spat with a low voice, "you wouldn't show your face in front of me again?"
Mi Rae's lips parted, but silence ensued.
His anger wasn't loud or chaotic; it was far more menacing. More like controlled and frigid. Each word coiled around her like iron chains, tightening until breathing felt like a task.
Her hands trembled helplessly by her sides. She felt his fury radiate off him, from his clenched jaw to his unyielding grip. He regarded her as though her mere existence in this moment was a betrayal.
"Answer me," he demanded, his voice now harsher. "Why are you here, Mi Rae?"
Inside the van, Jehoon was half-standing, his brows furrowed, his warmth evaporating as he exchanged cautious glances between them.
Mi Rae's throat went dry. She longed to shrink away and vanish, but Raven's eyes held her firmly in place. It felt like the very underground parking lot darkened around them, casting her into the tumultuous storm of his emotions.
He leaned closer, his grip on her arm tightening just enough to elicit a wince. His dark, seething, and nearly unrecognizable eyes compared to the smiling idol displayed in glossy magazines, seemed to strip her of everything.
"I thought you said you wouldn't show your face in front of me again." His tone sunk lower, becoming sharper, every word laden with disdain. "Was that a lie, Mi Rae? Or are you so desperate that you'll invade spaces you don't belong?"
Each word stung viciously, yet it was his gaze that pierced her deepest. Eyes that scrutinized her not as an acquaintance, but as someone he despised at first sight.
The warmth Jehoon offered just moments earlier felt like a distant memory, swallowed whole by the tempest that was Raven Park.
Mi Rae's lips moved, but no sound emerged. Her throat felt locked, her mind a blank slate. All she could sense was his fury, reverberating through her bones, much louder than the pulse of her own heartbeat.