Morning in Seoul was always loud. Car horns, rushing footsteps, subway announcements, and the endless hum of a city that never truly slept.
Yoon Ha-rin stood outside across a towering glass building. Her hand nervously clutched to the strap of her bag a little tighter than necessary. Slowly, her eyes moved upward and upward and upward.
The building seemed to touch the sky. And at the very top were the words, boldly written in elegant silver letter:
Moonlight Cultural Foundation
Ha-rin swallowed so hard that it echoed in her eyes, silencing the whole city life.
"So this is the place…" She breathed.
The foundation was famous for funding historical preservation projects, museums, and cultural research across Korea. But what people talked about even more than the foundation itself was the man who owned it. Kang Jae-min.
A business genius and the youngest CEO to control multiple corporations. According to each and every online article she had read last night, his coldness was enough to freeze an entire room with one glance.
"Great," she muttered nervously. "Not intimidating at all."
Ha-rin slowly exhaled, straightened her jacket, and stepped inside. The lobby alone looked larger than the apartment she lived in. And alive with movement everywhere. Employees hustling past, a receptionist answering calls with practiced patience, elevators pinging as people disappeared into their offices.
And others in elegant suits, moved quickly across the floor. Their footsteps echoed softly. There, she noticed the marble floors gleamed under the soft lighting. And the high glass ceiling allowed sunlight to pour into the building.
Ha-rin suddenly felt very small. Just act normal, she audibly exhaled. Her heels clicked on the polished floor as she approached the reception desk. But the sound barely reached her ears. Her mind was tensed enough to silent the whole surrounding.
"Hello," she said politely. "I'm here for the internship interview." The receptionist instinctively gave her a quick professional smile.
"Name?"
"Yoon Ha-rin."
The woman checked her computer and nodded.
"Yes. Please take the elevator to the twentieth floor. Someone will guide you from there."
"Thank you." Ha-rin turned toward the elevators, trying not to look as nervous as she felt.
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime. But just as she was about to step forward, a sudden commotion erupted near the entrance. With several security guards quickly moving aside. Employees instantly straightened.
The air in the lobby changed. Ha-rin curiously glanced back and then, she saw him. Surrounded by two assistants, he walked through the entrance. Tall, with an aura she couldn't explain.
Everything about him seemed calm, controlled and almost unnatural. His black suit fit perfectly, and his sharp features made him look almost unreal under the lights. But it wasn't his appearance that made the room fall silent.
It was his presence. Cold, commanding and untouchable. The receptionist beside Ha-rin suddenly lowered her voice.
"That's him." Ha-rin blinked.
"Kang Jae-min?" The receptionist quickly nodded.
"Don't stare too much. He hates that."
She warned but it was too late because the moment Ha-rin looked at him, something strange happened. Her chest suddenly tightened. Not painfully just strangely. As if something deep inside her had stirred.
Before she could think about it, Jae-min stopped walking and the entire lobby froze. His assistants looked confused.
"Sir?" He called but Jae-min didn't answer.
For a brief moment, his gaze lifted and landed directly on Ha-rin. Their eyes met across the lobby and instantly, the lobby disappeared. Ha-rin felt her breath catch in her throat
All the employees seemed to have faded into the background. There was only him and something felt intense about his gaze. Something unreadable but strong and alluring. But just as quickly, he looked away. His expression remained calm as he continued walking toward the private elevator.
The lobby slowly came back to life. Ha-rin blinked.
"Did… did he just…"
"No idea," the receptionist whispered beside her. "He never stops walking." Ha-rin frowned slightly. That was strange but she quickly shook the thought away. That was just her nerves. Nothing more and nothing less.
Meanwhile, in the private elevator, Kang Jae-min stood silently. One of his assistants glanced at him carefully.
"Sir… is something wrong?" He asked. Jae-min didn't answer immediately. His eyes were distant as if searching through a memory that refused to appear clearly.
For a brief moment, the image of the girl in the lobby flashed in his mind. Something about her had felt familiar but that was impossible.
He had never seen her before. The elevator doors closed and the strange feeling slowly faded along with it. Yet still, for the first time in years, Kang Jae-min felt something disturb the quiet order of his world.
On the elevator ride up, she tried to shake the unease creeping through her. Her reflection in the mirrored wall showed a young woman with sharp features, dark hair pulled into a tidy bun, eyes wide with apprehension. Not so sure what the future holds for her.