The next morning, Ji-Ah walked into the office with her usual lunch tucked under her arm, hair tied back neatly, white blazer sharp against her brown skirt.
She stopped dead.
The office was… frozen.
No chatter. No keyboards. No laughter. Everyone stood stiffly at their desks like they'd been paused mid-breath.
Ji-Ah blinked. "Oh no," she whispered. "Did someone sneeze wrong again?"
She slid over to Do-Yoon Who was trying to type something on her keyboard. "What happened?"
Do-Yoon leaned in, voice hushed. "The boss is in a mood."
Ji-Ah winced. "Capital M?"
"Bold. Underlined," Do-Yoon added. "He added three extra hours to work today."
Ji-Ah stared. "…Three?"
Why would he do that? Did the moon offend him? Did coffee betray him?
With a heavy sigh, she turned toward the coffee machine. Her hands were already sweating.
Don't spill. Don't shake. Don't die before lunch.
The cup trembled slightly as she poured. She inhaled. Exhaled. Walked to his office like she was approaching a dragon that drank caffeine instead of fire.
She knocked.
"Come in."
Cold. Flat. Sharp.
Inside, Ha-Joon sat at his desk, sleeves rolled just enough to show forearms that absolutely did not need to exist.
His black hair was neat, eyes focused, fingers moving efficiently across the keyboard.
Seo-Jun stood beside him with a tablet, glasses perched perfectly, wearing the most suspiciously cheerful smile Ji-Ah had ever seen.
She glanced at Seo-Jun and mouthed. What's wrong?
Seo-Jun only shook his head and smiled wider.
That was worse.
Ji-Ah placed the coffee down carefully. "S-Sir… I finished fixing the slides. I submitted them."
Ha-Joon took the cup without looking at her. Sipped.
Silence.
Click. Click. Click.
He scrolled through the presentation.
Ji-Ah stood straight, hands clasped, heart racing like it was late for a meeting.
Finally, he leaned back and sighed.
"Park Ji-Ah."
Yes. That voice. The corporate disappointment voice.
"You took too long."
Her eyes widened. Too long? I barely slept!
"And," he continued calmly, tapping the screen, "your alignment is off."
Seo-Jun leaned closer to look. "Sir, it's only—"
"Three pixels," Ha-Joon finished.
Seo-Jun snorted before he could stop himself.
"Seo-Jun."
"Sorry, sir."
Ji-Ah's inner voice screamed.
Three pixels?! Should I apologize to the ancestors? Should I light incense for the pixels?
Ha-Joon's eyes flicked to her. "Also… personal activities should not interfere with work."
She froze.
"…Personal activities?"
He took another sip of coffee, eyes still on the screen. "Late nights. Restaurants. Unexpected reunions."
Her brain short-circuited.
Restaurants? Reunions? Wait—
Her stomach dropped.
Did he—no. No way. He wouldn't—
Seo-Jun coughed into his hand, very obviously hiding a grin.
Ji-Ah swallowed. "Sir… I don't think my—"
Ha-Joon finally looked up at her. Just briefly. Just enough.
"Your coffee is cold today," he said evenly. "That usually happens when someone is distracted."
Oh. Oh.
He saw me. He actually saw me.
Her inner monologue went wild.
Why were you there? Why were YOU there? Do CEOs stalk employees now? Is that in the contract?
Ha-Joon sighed again and stood, buttoning his jacket. "Work time is not flexible, Ms. Park. Deadlines don't care about old acquaintances."
Old—Acquaintances?!
Seo-Jun fully gave up and laughed.
Ha-Joon shot him a look. "Do you want to join her?"
Seo-Jun straightened immediately. "No, sir. I love my job."
Ji-Ah stared at the floor, ears burning.
"Yes, sir," she said tightly.
Ha-Joon paused, then added, tone flat but pointed, "And next time… choose quieter places."
Her head snapped up.
He was already turning away.
"Fix the alignment. Resubmit. You're dismissed."
She bowed, spun on her heel, and marched out, muttering internally.
Behind her, Seo-Jun shook his head, smiling. "You really leave an impression, Ji-Ah."
Inside the office, Ha-Joon stared at the door a moment longer than necessary, coffee still warm in his hand.
Unimpressed. Unamused.
…And very aware of a certain clumsy employee he definitely hadn't meant to notice.
--
Ji-Ah and Soo-Min stepped out of the building together, the afternoon air warm and light.
A soft breeze passed by, tugging playfully at Ji-Ah's tied-back hair, loosening a few strands around her face.
Soo-Min's shorter hair fluttered too, and she laughed, pushing it back behind her ear.
"Finally," Soo-Min said, stretching her arms. "I thought the office air would turn me into paper."
Ji-Ah smiled, relaxing a little as they walked. "Same. I swear the boss controls the temperature just to test our survival skills."
Soo-Min snorted. "So… how are you liking the job so far?"
Ji-Ah sighed, dramatic as ever. "Hmm. Let's see. Coffee delivery. Pixel crimes. Mind-reading CEO. Emotional damage."
Soo-Min laughed. "That bad?"
"He's… intense," Ji-Ah said, shrugging. "Cold. Scary. Handsome for no reason. And somehow always knows when I'm thinking something rude."
Soo-Min raised a brow. "That sounds personal."
"It is," Ji-Ah muttered.
They turned a corner, the street opening into a row of small shops and food stalls.
Buzz.
Ji-Ah's phone vibrated in her hand. She glanced at the screen and froze.
Seo-Jun.
She answered. "Hello?"
"Ji-Ah," Seo-Jun's calm voice came through, oddly serious. "The boss wants to see you. Now."
Her steps slowed. "Now? I'm on lunch break. I still have work—"
"He said," Seo-Jun cut in gently, "that you should hand your work over to Soo-Min."
Ji-Ah stopped walking.
"What?" Her brows knit together. "Why? What's so urgent?"
There was a pause on the line. "He didn't say."
The call ended.
Ji-Ah stared at her phone, heart thumping.
Soo-Min looked at her. "What happened?"
"The boss wants to see me," Ji-Ah said slowly. "Right now. And told me to give you my work."
"…That's suspicious," Soo-Min said.
"That's terrifying," Ji-Ah corrected.
She quickly explained as they walked back toward the building, her steps faster now.
"Don't worry," Soo-Min said, squeezing her arm. "I'll handle the work. You go before he adds another three hours."
Ji-Ah groaned. "If I don't come back… delete my browser history."
"I will," Soo-Min said solemnly.
They split at the entrance.
Ji-Ah turned the corner—and nearly collided with someone.
"Hey!"
She looked up.
"Min-Jea?"
He stood there grinning, brown hair messy like he'd just run his hand through it too many times.
His clothes were simple but stylish, sleeves rolled up, a paper bag hanging from his fingers.
"I went to your office earlier," he said, pouting slightly. "You weren't there."
Her eyes widened. "You came?"
He lifted the bag. "I brought you sweets. I even asked around. Very embarrassing."
She laughed despite herself. "Sorry. I got dragged into boss chaos."
He handed her the bag. "Eat later. You look stressed."
"I am stressed," she sighed. "Extremely."
He fell into step beside her. "I'll walk you back."
As they walked, Ji-Ah stole a glance at him—familiar, warm, easy. The opposite of her workplace.
"You're lucky," she muttered.
"Why?"
"My boss is like a block of ice."
Min-Jea smirked. "Mine once helped me carry boxes and bought us lunch."
She scoffed. "Lucky."
They reached the building. She stopped at the entrance.
"Thanks," she said softly. "For the sweets. And the walk."
"Anytime," he replied. "Don't let the ice king scare you."
She smiled, then turned and headed inside—heart pounding again, sweets warm in her hand, and no idea why her boss suddenly needed her now