The Call That Changed Everything
The café was unusually quiet that afternoon. Soft music played in the background as sunlight filtered through the windows, reflecting faintly off the polished tables.
As usual, Ha-rin was behind the counter, organizing receipts. Her mind, however, was far from focused. The strange encounter with Seo Do-hyun earlier kept replaying in her head. You shouldn't walk alone too often. Why did that sound like a warning?
"Ha-rin." A call came through. She looked up and across from her was Soo-jin, holding a tray. "Your phone had been vibrating for the past minute." She informed but trod off thereafter.
"Oh—" She quickly grabbed it and then noticed it was an unknown number. Her heart skipped, everything seemed to put her on edge lately.
"Answer it," Soo-jin immediately said. Ha-rin hesitated for only a second before picking up.
"Hello?"
"Good afternoon. Is this Yoon Ha-rin?" The voice on the other end was calm and professional.
"Yes, speaking."
"This is Moonlight Cultural Foundation." Everything around her seemed to pause, her grip on the phone tightened. She wasn't expecting their call any longer after the long wait and what happened the day of the interview.
"Yes…"
"We are calling regarding your interview." Ha-rin held her breath.
"We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected."
For a moment, she couldn't speak. "…I… got it?" she whispered.
"Yes. You will begin as an intern starting tomorrow." Ha-rin's eyes widened.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes. Further details will be sent to your email."
"Thank you—thank you so much!" She exclaimed, overwhelmed with joy. The call ended but she stood there, frozen. Then suddenly, "I GOT IT!" Her voice rang through the entire café.
Min-ji, who had just walked in, jumped. "What happened?!"
"I got the job!" Ha-rin shouted, laughing. Soo-jin's face broke into a proud smile.
"I knew you would."
Min-ji ran over and grabbed her shoulders. "Wait—THE job?"
"Yes!"
Min-ji screamed. "This is insane! You're officially entering rich CEO drama territory!" Ha-rin laughed breathlessly.
For the first time in days, the strange uneasiness in her chest faded. Everything felt normal again. Exciting, hopeful, like her life was finally moving forward.
The next morning came with great anticipation. She arrived at the foundation, the sun spilling golden light across the quiet streets.
With her hair neatly pulled into a ponytail, Ha-rin stood once again in front of the towering glass building of the Moonlight Cultural Foundation. But this time, she wasn't just a visitor. She was part of it.
She nervously adjusted her outfit. Deep yet soft breath involuntarily escaped her lips as she tried to calm herself. "Okay, first day. Don't mess this up." She prayed.
The atmosphere inside felt just as intimidating as before. But now, she had a purpose. A staff member greeted her at the reception and guided her upstairs.
"You'll be working under the research department," the woman explained. "You may occasionally assist with executive-level projects." Ha-rin quickly nodded with an okay. Her heart was already racing.
They soon stopped in front of a large office space. The employees there worked quietly behind their desktops with no one at all chit-chatting or grouped at other's desk.
"This is your team," the woman announced. Ha-rin feigned a smile with a nod and stepped in as the lady departed.
Several heads turned. Some curious, others indifferent. And one openly unimpressed woman who was seated near the front desk. She looked at her from head to toe. Displeasure wore her like a mask. Her perfect posture and sharp eyes basically told who she was. The kind of person who looked like she had never failed at anything in her life.
"So this is the new intern?" Choi Eun-seo said coldly but Ha-rin just bowed politely.
"Yes. I'm Yoon Ha-rin."
Eun-seo gave a small, thin smile. "I hope you can keep up. This isn't a place for amateurs." She expressed. The room fell slightly awkward. Another employee lightly coughed.
"Don't mind her," someone whispered to Ha-rin. "She's always like that." Her voice broke the tension and Ha-rin smiled, not irritated at all.
"I'll do my best." She answered. But inside, she could already feel it. This wasn't going to be easy.
Kang Jae-min stood at the top floor window; his back faced the door.
"She has arrived." Hyun-woo announced behind him. His voice cutting through the silence but he didn't turn. As if not interested at all, he ordered.
"Assign her to the research team."
"She already had been." A brief silence followed, then Hyun-woo carefully added. "Professor Seo has taken interest in her as well."
That made Jae-min turn slightly. "…Why?"
"He requested access to her file." Jae-min's eyes darkened. "But it was denied"
Jae-min nodded. "Good." His gaze then shifted toward the city. Somewhere below, she was now inside his world. Closer than before and yet, he still couldn't explain the strange feeling that followed her presence.
Ha-rin was organizing files when something caught her attention. A familiar name on a document. "Palace Coup Records — Restricted Access" It read.
Her fingers paused. The same event from the painting, the same story. But before she could think, a voice spoke behind her. "Interested in that?" Ha-rin turned, and there, Seo Do-hyun stood.
His voice carried a weight she could not place but his smile was gentle as his eyes carefully watched her. She felt her pulse quicken. She wanted to ask why, but the words lodged in her throat.