Dongha leaned back against the premium leather sofa, checking his phone.
There was still no message from Yoojin.
Had she gone home? Or was she still working overtime in that bleak office she clearly didn't belong in?
Just imagining her alone there made the back of his neck tense, and a sigh slipped out of him.
Around him, heavy mahogany wood framed the private room.
Men in suits were scattered across the separated lounge, and on the table sat expensive whiskey bottles, an ice bucket, and a platter of fruit.
A woman's hand—red nails, glittering rhinestones—ran quickly down Dongha's thigh.
His eyes flashed pitch-black as his body stiffened instantly.
"Manager, the new intern is so cute!"
The woman, drenched in strong perfume, leaned close to Dongha and whispered.
Across from them, Manager Lee Hyuk swirled his whiskey on ice and stared.
Even as another man, he had to admit—Dongha had nothing lacking: sharp features, clear skin, a superior build, and the advantage of youth.
It irritated him.
But he couldn't show it—not in the bar where he had his favorite hostess tucked under his arm.
"Hey, Madame Shin. Isn't our Dongha handsome?"
"He could totally be a celebrity."
The heavily made-up woman lightly squeezed Dongha's shoulder and leaned in.
Dongha turned away, repulsed by the overpowering cosmetic scent coming from her.
"He speaks foreign languages too. What was it again?" Lee Hyuk asked.
"I speak Russian," Dongha replied.
"Wow, impressive," murmured Manager Park Seok-hee from an outside fabric vendor, sitting politely next to Lee Hyuk.
He had been dragged out on his way home and was now stuck entertaining the overseas logistics team manager late into the night.
It was unpleasant, but this was a symbiotic relationship—like crocodiles and plover birds.This effort would be repaid later. That was the logic of corporate hospitality.
"You could handle Russia's market, then. Whole different business scale," Park said.
"Exactly. Why come to Apparel instead of Electronics or Trading? Completely wasted," Lee Hyuk scoffed. "Let's hear some of that Russian. When else will you use it? Come on, show us."
Dongha looked Lee Hyuk straight in the eyes and parted his lips.
A smooth line of Russian flowed out: "Приятно познакомиться. Меня зовут Юн Донг Ха."
Madame Shin clapped her hands in delight.
"Wow, that's so hot. Really sexy."
Meanwhile, Lee Hyuk narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Is that a swear word? That better not be a swear word."
Dongha chuckled softly.
"Of course not. I wouldn't dare swear in front of you, sir. It just means: 'Nice to meet you. My name is Yoon Dong-ha.'"
Then his eyes glinted sharply, as if remembering something.
"Would you like me to teach you a Russian curse word, though?"
Lee Hyuk stared at him, intrigued.
"Oho? A real Russian curse? Those should be intense coming from the land of bears."
As Park tried to lighten the mood, Dongha opened his mouth—
But Lee Hyuk lifted a hand.
"That's enough."
Dongha clicked his tongue lightly in mock disappointment.
"Shame. I had the perfect one. You would've loved it."
The curse he almost spoke—"Грязный сука" (dirty animal bastard)—was the phrase he'd heard most often during his childhood in Russia.
The tension between Dongha and Lee Hyuk thickened subtly.
Suddenly, Madame Shin tilted her head, curious.
"Hey, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Yes."
Dongha answered without hesitation.
A chorus of surprised "oh?" rose around the table.
"Aww, too bad. I was going to introduce you to someone nice," she said, sounding deflated.Dongha merely stared into his whiskey glass.
"Manager, let's wrap this up. You've got work tomorrow, and we need at least a little sleep," said Assistant Manager Kang Jin-wook.
Someone had to end this drinking session, and Kang stepped in.
Lee Hyuk glanced at the woman beside him, looking reluctant, but finally rose to his feet.Park Seok-hee hurried to the counter to settle the bill.
"Come on, Manager Park. You really don't need to—"
"Oh, it's nothing. Call me anytime you need something handled, Manager Lee," Park said warmly.
Lee Hyuk placed a hand on his shoulder, satisfied.
"You're too kind, Park Manager. I'll make sure to repay the favor."
Park bowed repeatedly, looking like a man ten years older than Lee Hyuk.
Dongha watched silently from behind.
The next morning—Thursday.
Yoojin had been so busy she couldn't join the morning coffee gathering.
As she checked the mountain of emails, she kept thinking about a warm cup of Americano.
She never used to like coffee.But working made her crave it—maybe this was why office workers were always shouting for more Americano.
"Here. Drink this."
Dongha approached and placed a cup of hot Americano on her desk.
"Thank you."Yoojin wrapped both hands around the warm cup and wrinkled her nose happily.Dongha smiled faintly and returned to his seat.
Did he get home late yesterday?
He looked tired. Maybe she should ask later.
When she finally took a sip, the sharp bitterness cleared her mind instantly.
"Yoojin, bring the purchase orders."
Lee Hyuk called her over.
She handed him the neatly organized folder.
He flipped through it, checking the newly drafted orders alongside the first batch.
"How did you calculate these?"
Yoojin explained everything she learned from Manager Kim Se-hee.
Lee Hyuk nodded, gave further instructions, and told her to proceed once Kim approved.
Relieved that nothing went wrong, Yoojin stepped out of his partition—and saw Dongha's profile at her now-empty neighboring seat.
His face looked sharper, tense.
She sent him a message.
[Did you get home okay yesterday?]
[I got home after 1 a.m. You?]
[I think I got home around one, too.]
A pause.
Was he upset she got home so late?
[That must've been rough.]
[I'm okay. Se-yeong and a few others were working late too.]
[I see. I think I'll start working overtime as well. I'll drive you home next time.]
The group chat was already piling tasks onto him.
With Yoojin handling Joo Myung-gon's work, all intern tasks had been dumped onto Dongha—shipping documents, production updates, tedious paperwork that ate up hours.
[You must be exhausted. Don't worry about driving me. I really should move closer…]
[Let's go look at places on Saturday.]
Yoojin smiled softly at the messages and turned back to her work.
But time began to warp.
The second hand ticked steadily—yet every time she came to, one or two hours had evaporated.
Requests from the sales team, demands from factories, updates, checks, corrections—everything piled on endlessly.
And Yoojin's processing speed simply couldn't keep up.
Still no word on when Joo Myung-gon would return.
And Yoojin didn't dare ask.
All she could do was endure each day, hoping the situation would somehow improve.
Friday Morning.
It had been the longest week of her life.
Barely four hours of sleep, no morning stretching—her body felt stiff and heavy, and yawns kept escaping her.
She had stayed up verifying international shipping documents and finalizing delivery reports.
But many records didn't match: shipments sent with the correct weight but wildly inaccurate yardage.
She'd followed Se-young's advice and emailed every single vendor for clarification.
By the time she reached home, it was almost 2 a.m.