Dongha's pupils widened, unfocused, as Yoojin's face filled his vision.
A sweet scent of milk candy lingered around her, soft and nostalgic.
The moment he caught it, heat coiled low in his abdomen, spreading fast.
This was insane.
Feeling this way during the new employee welcome lunch?
Frozen, Dongha could neither move nor speak.
He pressed a palm over his eyelids, blocking her face from view.
As her image disappeared, voices filtered back into focus—Seohee's and Chansoo's.
"Dongha, your face and neck are completely red."
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Are you okay? Do you have allergies?"
That jolted him back to reality.
Reaching for the water glass in front of him, he gulped it down as if drowning.
"Ah—must've been some spicy pepper in the food."
"What?"
The main dish was steak and salad.
Nothing spicy, not even at the buffet.
The menu had been carefully planned to avoid any risk of indigestion for the new recruits.
"Hm?"
Across the table, Yoojin leaned forward, scanning his plate.
"You didn't even touch the buffet food. Maybe there was a whole peppercorn in the steak? Looks like the grinder missed one."
"Y—yeah. Must've been that."
Dongha mumbled awkwardly, covering his mouth with one hand.
Seohee and Chansoo nodded, poking at their own steaks with forks as if checking for unground pepper.
Dongha pretended to focus on his food, but in truth, all his senses were fixed on Yoojin—her soft voice, her movements, the rhythm of her breathing.
Dancing with Yoojin… it was supposed to be about becoming partners.How did I never realize it was also about wanting her?
Right now, the only thing he could do with Yoojin was dance.
And dancing—that was the one thing Dongha knew best.
After all, he was terrible at expressing anything with words or expressions.
I need to get to the studio. Fast.
If he could just get her there—to his place of comfort, his world—he was sure he could figure out the rest.
He didn't know how yet, but he'd find a way once they were alone.
That settled it.
He had to intern at Samho Apparel.
Decision made, Dongha slipped out his phone under the table and sent a quick text to his brother.
[I'm going to intern at Samho Apparel.]
*
At that same hour, Dongha's brother—Chairman Yoon Taeyoung—was having lunch with executives from each division after the morning orientation.
Most of the urgent matters had already been handled, so the mood was relaxed, full of light conversation.
"The new hires this year… quite the visual lineup," said Park Jin-hee, executive director of Samho Apparel, her face flushed with amusement.
The others chuckled and nodded in agreement. They were, of course, talking about Dongha and Yoojin.
Taeyoung's lips twitched at the thought of the two—but he quickly erased the smile.
"Maybe so. But looks won't get them through the workload."
Everyone nodded.
Business performance had nothing to do with appearance, after all.
Still, as Taeyoung thought of Dongha, he pulled out his phone to check for messages—and froze.
A message from his brother blinked on the phone screen.
Taeyoung coughed sharply, half choking on his drink.
"Chairman?"
"I'm fine. Nothing."
He blinked several times at the message, half in disbelief.
Dongha, texting him—and of all things, volunteering for Samho Apparel?
That division was the company's problem child.
Founded by their late father, it had once been the core of the group's success but had fallen deep into deficit.
Every year, only the lowest-ranked interns were forced there, often leaving in tears after a few months.
And now Dongha wanted to go there?
A slow, almost giddy smile crept across Taeyoung's face.
Despite himself, excitement flared in his chest—an intoxicating rush he hadn't felt in years.
Dimples deepened on both cheeks.
Still, granting the request right away would be boring.
He wanted to tease him a little.
His long fingers tapped the screen.
[That might be tough. Samho Apparel's the elite course. Only the top team from the afternoon evaluation will get in. You'd better be ready.]
The "read" receipt appeared instantly, but no reply came.
Taeyoung grinned. Hooked.
He raised his eyes and called across the table.
"Director Park Jin-hee."
"Yes, Chairman."
A woman in her early fifties, round-faced and genial-looking, smiled brightly.
Despite her kindly appearance, everyone in the room knew her reputation—a bulldozer in negotiations, fierce enough to make even senior managers bow their heads.
Whenever she flew abroad to deal with production partners, she could silence entire conference tables with a glance.
She was also the leading candidate for the vacant SH Apparel presidency in the upcoming reshuffle.
"Director Park, those two new hires you mentioned earlier—the top visuals."
"Yes?"
She smiled faintly, recalling their faces.
"How about assigning them both to Samho Apparel?"
The room went still.
Everyone knew what that meant.
The workload there was brutal. Few interns ever lasted the full three months.
And now the Chairman himself was intervening in assignments?
"Last year, both of our assigned interns quit midterm," Park said, frowning.
"We assumed no one would volunteer this year. But if those two are willing…"
She hesitated. "There is an opening in the overseas procurement team."
A quiet cough rippled around the table.
That department was notorious—the midpoint between Sales, Production, and Management—meaning it handled every conflict and crisis in the company.
"I believe their looks might actually overshadow their skills," Taeyoung said mildly.
"If they complete an internship in overseas procurement, it'll prove their competence without question."
"You're right," Park replied slowly. "No matter how hard the work, capable employees manage it. Let's see how they perform this afternoon."
Her warm smile returned—but her eyes gleamed with challenge.
The other executives looked uneasy.
Then, from the far end of the table, a hand rose.
It was Director Jo Taejin from Spring Entertainment.
"Yes, Director Jo?"
Taeyoung encouraged open discussion, and spontaneous comments often led to fresh ideas.
"I was planning to present this next week during the Samho Entertainment report, but since we're discussing those two new hires, perhaps now's the time."
"Go ahead," Taeyoung said, intrigued.
"As you know, Samho Entertainment is preparing a new promotional campaign to mark the third year of your leadership. Since Mr. Yoon Dongha recently joined the company, we could use his talent to create a cross-brand promotional project for the group. And as for Ms. Han Yoojin — I personally scouted her near Korea University not long ago."
Taeyoung's interest sharpened.
If they positioned the two as the "faces of a new Samho era," it could become a sensation.
And if, later, Dongha's identity as his brother came to light — the publicity would explode, boosting both of their reputations and the group's image.
"Not a bad idea," he said. "Put together a proposal."
But Park Jin-hee's smile vanished. Her tone hardened.
"Chairman, didn't you just say ability matters more than looks? How can they handle Apparel work and promote for Entertainment?"
Her voice rang sharp, but Taeyoung merely smiled back, unfazed.
"Director Park, looks are part of their ability—and part of Samho's assets.Their work in Apparel is important, yes, but using their appeal to elevate the company's image is also valuable."
Her eyes flashed.
"So they'll be assigned to Entertainment?"
"No," Taeyoung said smoothly.
"Their main duty will be Apparel. The Entertainment project will just be extra work—after hours."
"Extra work," Park repeated, her smile returning—tight, satisfied.
Exactly what she wanted to hear.
"Then the Apparel division won't interfere with their promotional activities, as long as the Entertainment work doesn't take priority. If the procurement team reports any delay or imbalance, we'll act accordingly."
With that, she secured her footing between Taeyoung and Director Jo, her tone polite but firm as steel.
Taeyoung, however, wasn't the least displeased.
If anything, he was intrigued.
He couldn't wait to see how Dongha would handle this.
And if the boy made it through the internship,
Taeyoung knew exactly what he'd do next — bring him closer, into the heart of the group's future.
When that time came, he'd remember Han Yoojin, the one who'd unknowingly opened the door for it all, as the woman who changed everything.