The messenger window blinked red with new message alerts, and the inbox kept filling rapidly.
After thinking for a moment, Yoojin began replying quickly to everyone who had messaged her: "Mr. Kim Jang-woo is currently away due to personal matters. Intern Han Yoojin will review and respond sequentially."
While she was sending those messages, the phone on her desk suddenly rang. Startled, Yoojin flinched hard. The caller ID showed an overseas number.
"Hello, this is Han Yoojin from Samho Apparel's Overseas Purchasing Team."
— This is Vice Manager Joo Myung-gon from Vietnam Factory No. 3.
The crackling static made him sound even farther away.
"Hello, sir."
— Hello? Intern Han Yoojin.
His voice instantly grew rough.
— Hello? Really? Things are chaotic at the factory and you're talking about replying sequentially? Do you think this is a bank? A civil office? Should we take a ticket and wait?
The middle-aged man's harsh scolding stabbed at her ears.
Yoojin frantically searched "Joo Myung-gon" in the company messenger. She had just replied to him.
[Style No. #NV47515 — If the fabric doesn't arrive within 5 days, the production line stops. Update the dispatch status immediately.]
Ah… It was a production-incident issue.
Yoojin's face heated up, and sweat prickled behind her neck. She normally needed a 10-minute high-intensity stretch to sweat, yet here she was.
Is it my turn to cause a major accident now?
Her head began spinning.
"I'm very sorry, sir. I'm just an intern—I didn't understand the urgency. I'll take care of this task first."
Vice Manager Oh clicked his tongue loudly.
Then came muttering about how the overseas purchasing team must have fallen apart.
And then—he hung up.
"…Ha…"
Shaken, Yoojin searched her inbox for emails from "Joo Myung-gon." Her fingertips trembled slightly.
Next to her, Deputy Manager Kang Jin-wook continued typing rapidly. He stretched his neck toward her without stopping his hands.
"Who was that?"
"Vice Manager Joo Myung-gon."
"Ah, Vietnam. What did he say?"
"He said the production line will shut down because of the fabric delay."
Kang Jin-wook looked at Yoojin, who was trying hard to hide her embarrassment.
Assigned to Kim Jang-woo's desk and already faced with a production problem… Was she the next sacrifice after Kim Jang-woo?
Trying to sound calm, he said:
"The factories tend to overreact. Since they're overseas, issues get exaggerated. Next time, handle factory requests first."
Yoojin nodded, then frowned slightly.
"Deputy Manager Kang… how am I supposed to handle all these tasks?"
"…Ah."
Only now did he fully realize: Yoojin had zero real-world experience.
Her clear, bright eyes stared straight into his, and that alone broke his composure.
Deputy Manager Kang was known for being purely logical and fiercely individualistic.
That's why he didn't mind overseas purchasing—he handled his buyers, protected his territory, and swatted away anything that interfered.
He only ever had two weaknesses:
girl-group idols, and his PlayStar console games.
Even if he got home past midnight, he watched every new idol video, gamed until dawn, and slept three hours before work.
But Yoojin's big, shining eyes triggered the hook from his favorite girl-group song, "Gimme Tonight," blasting in his head—
[Gimme Gimme Tonight, your heart and pulseShow-me Show-me this moment, forever with me]
His chest tightened with a sharp, dizzying sensation.
Before he knew it, he stood up, nudging Yoojin aside and sitting at her desk. Yoojin stepped away quietly.
He searched #NV47515, downloaded the shipment documents and dispatch history, then said while rubbing his flushed cheek:
"You saw what I did, right? Search shipping data, download the dispatch report from the system, clean it in Excel, and send it. If there's no shipping document, request it from the vendor."
"That helped a lot. Thank you."
He brushed it off like it was nothing. But Yoojin noticed something odd.
"Deputy Manager, do we input dispatch updates into the system?"
"Yes."
"And… we then export it to Excel and format it manually?"
"Yes. Factories asked for it. It's always been that way."
Yoojin's head tilted further.
"Couldn't the supplier enter it themselves? And couldn't the factories check the system directly? Then it would all run in real time."
Deputy Manager Kang's expression stiffened slightly.
"Why would a vendor do that? And this is our system. Besides, factory staff struggle with it—they're not capable. Excel is easier."
Yoojin's face went pale.
Why does everyone just accept this?
The earlier flush on his cheeks was already gone.
"Yoojin—there's something we always say. If you don't like it, you can leave no matter what we think, the system won't change.It's faster to get used to it."
Yoojin had no words. She just stared blankly.
After a brief time away, Sunyoung returned and handed Yoojin a wrinkled paper and fabric swatch.
"Yoojin, Dongha asked me to give you this."
It was a sample-arrival list and the swatch itself.
Just when Yoojin was checking sample-arrival requests from Sales.
From beyond the partition, Lee Hyuk called, "Mr. Yoon Dongha!"
Sunyoung shouted back, "Manager, Dongha is in the basement warehouse receiving samples!"
Lee Hyuk's lips twisted unpleasantly.
"Fine."
Then his sharp gaze fell on Yoojin.
"Ms. Han, have those additional purchase orders prepared by tomorrow morning. I have an outside meeting now."
"Yes, Manager."
Yoojin bowed deeply.
He barely acknowledged the bow and dialed someone.
"Oh, Dongha. I have an outside meeting tonight. You're coming with me. Yes—leaving in ten minutes."
From the tone, Yoojin realized their dinner plan was canceled.
She was busy anyway…
But realizing she wouldn't have a moment alone with Dongha tonight made her oddly disappointed.
Disappointed? Why?Is it because she wanted to vent?She'd see him again tomorrow anyway…
Yoojin forced herself to stop thinking about it and relayed the sample-arrival info Dongha had prepared to the sales team.
Exactly ten minutes later, Dongha returned. His neat hair was slightly tousled from wrestling fabric rolls in the basement.
When he entered, Lee Hyuk stood, and several male employees—including Deputy Manager Kang—also stood stiffly and grabbed their coats. Only exhausted-looking Manager Koo Ji-hoon remained seated.
Dongha put on a charcoal cashmere coat. Despite his young face, the coat made him look like a full-fledged professional.
Lee Hyuk strode out first; Dongha followed last.
Right before leaving, Dongha glanced at Yoojin. Her small head was bobbing behind her monitor, moving busily.
If she'd just lifted her chin a little, their eyes would meet.
As he turned away, Yoojin's hand suddenly popped above her monitor and gave him a tiny wave—then vanished.
…What is that? A baby chick waving?
Caught completely off guard, Dongha broke into a huge smile.
Remembering the warmth of her hand earlier, he left the office.
That night, past 10 p.m., Yoojin finally began writing the purchase orders.
She had spent hours answering messages and emails.
Many emails still awaited replies, but she had a deadline: tomorrow morning before work.
By the time she finished all 15 purchase orders, midnight had long passed.
She thought she'd be the only one left, but a handful of employees were still there.
So this was what people meant by "we live at the office."
"I'll head out first."
When she said goodbye, people murmured "See you tomorrow."
It was already the next day, technically—after midnight.
She found it strange, but the exhausted employees clearly didn't want commentary.
Outside, the cold air stung her nose.
No messages from Dongha.
Should she ask if he got home safely?
But it was past midnight, and they'd see each other soon anyway.
She slipped her phone into her bag and got into a waiting taxi.