Yoojin desperately needed a strong sip of coffee to stop the yawns that kept breaking out.
Chalang, chalang—
When she opened the door to the café, her fresh "casual Friday" outfit caught the eye immediately.
White jeans, a beige knit top, and a light blue tweed jacket. Her long legs carried the white jeans effortlessly, and the slight roughness near her eyes—evidence of a hard week—was barely noticeable.
But unlike the people watching her, Yoojin herself was stunned by how different the café felt.
It used to be quiet.
Now it was overflowing with people. Not a single empty seat, and the counter area was filled with employees waiting for their drinks. Some were drinking outside near the front door, cups in hand.
The office had been quiet around 8 a.m., but strangely, this place alone was packed.
On top of that, everyone looked strangely… thrilled.
Weird. Why is everyone so lively on a tired Friday morning?
Yoojin squeezed past the crowd.
Employees from Sales, HR, and System Operations—people she had seen before—smiled and greeted her as she passed.
In the back corner, almost like it was reserved, sat Assistant Manager Lee Hyuk, Dongha, Sunyoung, Kang Jin-uk, and the rest of their team.
"Good morning."
Yoojin bowed politely, and the team greeted her in return.
Dongha also greeted her—blankly, as if pretending not to be happy to see her.
When Yoojin took the corporate card from Lee Hyuk and headed to order Americano, the eyes of the entire café followed her like magnets.
At the coordinated movement, one of Dongha's eyebrows shot up.
Even as she waited for her coffee, people kept sneaking glances at her.
What's going on?
Dongha's eyes flickered sharply.
When Yoojin returned with a warm Americano, the crowd suddenly pretended to be normal—drinking coffee and chatting as if nothing had happened.
Assistant Manager Lee Hyuk had also been watching. His thick lips pressed together, annoyed.
This café was normally their private "before-hours hideout."
A place to chat freely before work.
But with so many employees here today, he couldn't speak freely.
What should I do?
His jaw tightened.
Then, as if something occurred to him, he suddenly raised his voice so everyone could hear.
"Dongha."
"Yes, sir."
The café instantly fell silent. Everyone listened.
"I heard you have a girlfriend."
Dongha froze, as if struck.
From the far corner, Yoojin looked at him—her clear face unchanging.
"Hm? Don't you have a girlfriend?"
Lee Hyuk urged.
"Yes. I do."
Only then did Lee Hyuk grin, satisfied.
"Is she pretty?"
"Yes. Very pretty."
The mood among the female employees instantly sank.
Very pretty? He must really like her… If he says she's pretty, she must be really pretty. Of course he would have a girlfriend…
Lee Hyuk picked up on the sudden shift.
His sharp eyes drifted toward Yoojin.
"Yoojin."
She was blowing on her hot coffee when she quickly responded.
"Yes?"
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
Without a second of hesitation, Yoojin answered firmly.
"No, I don't."
A man somewhere in the café let out a quiet "Yes!"
Male employees all around brightened instantly—even the male staff from the Overseas Trade Department.
Meanwhile, Dongha's expression darkened like ice.
His already sharp features hardened even more as men stared openly at Yoojin.
Lee Hyuk's expression stiffened too.
It was the first—and likely last—time he and Dongha felt the same thing.
Scanning the strangely excited men, he spoke to Yoojin in a firm tone.
"Yoojin, you're not busy? Seems like you have plenty of energy."
"No. The work is hard."
She admitted the truth plainly.
And Lee Hyuk didn't miss the opportunity.
"Good. Then don't bother coming down here in the morning."
"…Sorry?"
Lee Hyuk looked at Dongha.
"Dongha."
"Yes, sir."
"You bring Yoojin's coffee for her. She's an intern doing real work—of course it's hard."
"Yes, sir."
Dongha's face brightened instantly.
Forget coming downstairs and getting stared at—Running coffee errands for Yoojin?
He could do that ten times a day.
At that moment, Sunyoung, sitting beside Yoojin, raised her hand timidly.
"Sir… I'm having a hard time too…"
*
9 a.m., Executive Conference Room, 20th floor.
Chairman Yoon Tae-young of Samho Group sat at the head of the table, leading a meeting with Samho Entertainment staff on a promotional strategy.
The Corporate PR Planning Team and the Chairman's chief secretary were present.
The PR team was responsible for all branding across the group's subsidiaries. Even though the meeting was sudden, attendance was mandatory.
Intern Jang Seo-hee, who had practically stayed up several nights preparing the proposal, began her presentation.
"So instead of producing a promotional video featuring Yoon Dong-ha and Han Yoojin, we propose filming a short reality-style video capturing the workshop for the 30th class of interns—who will be the new driving force behind the Samho Group's transformation."
Chairman Yoon raised a hand.
"Wait. According to what you just said, Han Yoojin would never agree to be in an advertisement, correct?"
"Yes. I'm certain. Over the last four years, based on observation, she avoids anything remotely connected to the entertainment world—as if she has a phobia of celebrities."
"That's unexpected."
"Yes, but she is very interested in management, operations, self-development, certifications, and competition."
"Interesting."
Seo-hee agreed with a small shrug.
"We plan to film a 3-night, 4-day workshop: interviews, activities, team tasks… Then edit the footage with Yoon Dong-ha and Han Yoojin as the main focus. The video will be uploaded to YouStar, our entertainment group's promotional platform."
"YouStar?"Chairman Yoon looked at Director Jo Tae-jin.
"Yes, sir. It's a platform where individual creators upload videos and earn revenue. If a company account uploads videos, the profits go to the company. It's trending among people in their 20s and 30s, and many entertainment agencies scout new talents from it."
"Hm. So it's useful for reaching younger audiences. And during the workshop, interns receive management and leadership training, correct?"
He was clearly thinking of Dongha.
"Yes, sir. We can incorporate it naturally. Han Yoojin will like that part especially. We'll need cooperation from HR for scheduling the training sessions."
"Do it. This might also help reveal the strengths of our new hires."
Chairman Yoon nodded, satisfied.His gaze shifted toward the PR team.
"This will also be a good chance to promote Samho Resort and the Samho Electronics home appliance lineup."
"We'll prepare accordingly."
"And notify HR for all subsidiaries: there will be a company-wide intern workshop within one month. Detailed schedules will be released next Friday."
"Yes, sir."
The chief secretary recorded everything and immediately drafted the announcement email.
Just like that, the Samho Group promotional project gained momentum.
*
Late Friday morning.
Since Yoojin had stayed up late reviewing shipment data, all she had to focus on today was email communication with vendors.
Tomorrow was Saturday.
She was excited about house hunting with Dongha and going to salsa dancing with Seryun.
But suddenly her excitement shattered.
Dongha said he has a girlfriend…Then is it okay for us to look at houses together?What if his girlfriend hates that?
Her mood swung cold.
Then why does he act like he cares about me more than her?Why confuse people like that?
She pouted—then froze as an image flashed in her mind.
Dongha at her father's funeral. Dongha desperately asking her to dance one last time.
His younger, pleading expression.
Was it because I quit ballet?Is that why he's been acting strange?
Her shoulders sank. Suddenly she felt drained.
No, not now. Focus. Focus.
Her notebook was filled with pending tasks. Requests kept coming through email and messenger. More to sort, more to check, more to send.
Her breathing tightened.
Then—A fresh citrus–woody scent cut through the stuffy smell of textiles.
Dongha had arrived.