Finally arrived at the company's parking lot and steered my car into the first available spot, the engine shutting off with a relaxing click. I paused for a moment after grabbing my black crossbody bag. Despite the rush, I had an unexplainable want to see how I looked today.
I leaned slightly forward and caught sight of myself in the rearview mirror. My mirror peered back, and a toothy smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. "As stunning as ever," I said, allowing an aura of confidence to shine through the morning's stress.
After finishing my little pep talk, I swung my bag over my shoulder and walked out of the car. The familiar structure of Tun-Tuna Food & Crop stood ahead; it's funny, the name, no matter how many times I saw it, still made me laugh out loud despite the stylish, modern design of the building.
The crisp morning air hit me again as I moved briskly toward the entrance. The sliding doors opened with a soft whoosh, and I felt welcomed by the faint sound of movement inside. The lobby was already crowded with staff members, some chatting at the coffee machine and others hurrying to the elevators.
I looked at my watch—9:38. With only two minutes to spare.
"Not bad, Sungmin-ah," I muttered under my breath as I picked up my pace toward the elevator.
My optimism, however, did not last long. My shoulders slumped as I saw an elevator jammed with people. "Why is it crowded even now?" I huffed and stepped into the chaos.
The moment I walked in, I was caught up in a fit of shoving, squeezing, and whispered apologies—or lack thereof. I was almost crushed between a big man with an oversized backpack and someone who smelled strongly of peppermint coffee. My bag was digging into my side, and I could feel my patience slipping with each floor the elevator hit.
"Excuse me—sorry—" I muttered as I tried getting into a less suffocating standing position, only to be pushed back farther by someone behind me. A particularly strong push caused a quiet grunt. "Darn it," I mumbled under my breath.
After what felt like an eternity—and many more irritated sighs—I made it to my floor. The doors swung open, and I nearly leaped out of the elevator, mumbling an audible "finally" to myself. The air outside felt like pure freedom when compared to the stuffy, crammed box from which I had just left.
After straightening my clothes and regaining my composure, I took a deep breath. "Okay, Sungmin, you made it," I encouraged myself before sneaking to my desk.
"You're finally here."
I turned to see the short bob-haired Bongseon, her eyes narrowed, her curtain bangs framing her face, and she looked as gorgeous as ever. Her soft, tinted lips were pressed into a faint line of disappointment, which I could understand.
I chuckled nervously, taking off my crossbody bag from my shoulder, setting it on my desk, and turning to face her. "Sorry for being late; traffic was crazy out there."
She rolled her cozy brown eyes and gave me a little shake, meaning that she wasn't convinced by my explanation. "Yah, do I look like a fool? I know I probably overslept."
I clicked my tongue at her ever-so-sweet voice, which is now nagging at how late I am, while dragging out my chair to sit. "This is the first time I've been late in months."
"Correct it. It's the first time you have been late this month, not months," Bongseon said, causing me to click my tongue again.
"You know, Bongseon-ah, you are acting more like that kid," I said, pressing on the "kid" part.
Bongseon raised an eyebrow at my words, her lips twitching as if fighting back a smirk. "That kid?" She repeated my words, almost dragging them enough to make me wonder if she was mocking me. "You mean Joo gaw-jang-nim?" She asked, with a smile more like a smirk tugging at the corner of her cherry-red lips.
I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. "You know exactly who I'm talking about. Don't play dumb with me." I said flatly, "You're nagging me as if you were his personal secretary or something." I continued.
Bongseon rested her hands on her hips, her bob swaying slightly as she tilted her head. "Well, someone needs to keep you in check, and you clearly aren't as afraid of him as everyone else is. You have a nerve calling him 'kid,' though."
I shrugged, a mocking smile pulling on my lips. "He may be my manager, but that does not change the fact that I used to babysit him when he was an intern. Do you remember how he couldn't make eye contact back then?"
Bongseon laughed, at last dropping her scolding tone. "True. It's hard to think that the same quiet intern is now the one who makes grown men shiver during meetings. But, Sungmin-ah, you should be careful. You know how much he despises lateness."
I waved my hand dismissively. "Relax. It's not like he's standing behind me, waiting to—"
"Han dae-ri-nim"
My heart sank. That deep, calm, authoritative voice sent shivers down my spine. Slowly, I turned in my chair to see Joo Junwoo standing behind me with two steps back, arms crossed, keen eyes fixated on me.
Bongseon covered her mouth to keep from laughing and took a step back, leaving me to my own.
"Gaw-jang-nim," I exclaimed, forcing a bright smile. "Good morning! What brings you to my desk?"
His brow raised slightly, and he cocked his head. "The question is, why weren't you at your desk 15 minutes ago?"
Busted.
My mind raced with excuses, but all I could muster was a sheepish laugh. "Traffic, gaw-jang-nim. Crazy morning rush, you see," I said it, but I could tell he wasn't buying it.
Junwoo's piercing gaze stayed on me for another second before he straightened up, his expression unreadable. "Traffic, huh?" He repeated, which is more like mocking the reason,n but was covered by his steady and crisp tone as ever.
As I thought, he didn't buy it. but...
I nodded vigorously, trying to look as sincere as possible. "Yes, sir. The roads were a nightmare today. Absolute war."
His lips twitched briefly again, but instead of smiling, he gave me a stiff nod. "Noted. But next time, be early to make up for the 'war.' "
"Of course, gaw-jang-nim," I said quickly, giving him my most apologetic look.
Brat!
Junwoo turned to leave, but not before saying, "The morning meeting begins in just ten minutes. Don't keep me waiting, Dae-ri-nim."
When he was out of earshot, I let out a loud, exaggerated sigh and slumped back into my chair. Bongseon, who had been seeing the whole thing with barely suppressed laughs, finally burst out laughing as he disappeared around the corner.
"You were saying something about him being a kid?" she asked in between her laughs.
I gave her a withering glare, but that only made her laugh harder. "Ha, ha, very funny," I grumbled, putting my notebook and laptop on the desk with a loud thud. "You could have backed me up, you know."
Bongseon wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still giggling. "Back you up? Who is against him? Oh... Sungmin-ah, I like my job too much to even try. Besides, you've clearly got this 'brat-turned-manager' dynamic under control."
I rolled my eyes and sank farther into my chair. "Control? Oh, Please. He is like a human lie detector. I barely got out of there alive."
"You didn't," she chuckled. "I could almost hear the clock ticking down till your execution. But hey, you did well, Sungmin. You are still in one piece."
"Barely," I sighed, brushing my hand through my hair. "I swear he enjoys making me tremble. Do you notice him hovering over anyone else like this?"
Bongseon smirked and leaned against my desk. "Maybe it's because you're special."
I raised my eyebrow at her. "Special? Yes, in the sense that he enjoys making my life tough."
"Or maybe he just likes the banter," she said, wiggling her brow suggestively.
I reached for a pen and pointed it at her. "Don't even go there."
She grinned as she held her hands up, giggling like a little kid. "Okay, alright. But you have to admit, it's amazing how much he has grown. From shy intern to everybody's worst nightmare."
I snorted, looking in the direction Junwoo had gone. "Nightmare is correct. Even so, I can't help but feel a little proud. When he first joined, he was as lost as a puppy. Now he's... an overbearing bulldog."
Bongseon burst into laughter again. "True. However, keep in mind that bulldogs can also be cute.
"Not this one," I said, pointing in the direction that Junwoo went and standing up with my notebook and laptop. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to survive another round of his terrifying meetings."
"Good luck, Sungmin-ssi," she called after me this time, with an honorific tone in her voice and a chuckle. "Try not to get chewed out too much!"
I ignored her joke and headed towards Junwoo's office, mentally preparing myself for the upcoming meeting. I sighed and straightened my shoulders as I approached the meeting room. With Joo Junwoo at the controls, luck was exactly what I needed.
Just as I was ready to go in, an angelic voice called out to me, "Dae-ri-nim."
I turned to see the raven-haired figure of my team leader, Park Minjae. At 28, he is the office Romeo—always making time for his girlfriend, no matter how busy he is.
"Yes, Timjang-nim?" I replied while facing him. His raven side bangs framed his oval face, with some strands falling into his eyes, and he never lost his charming, effortless smile. No wonder he got his nickname as the "Angelic Team Leader."
Minjae leaned in a little closer, keeping just enough space to make things professional. "Hyung, please don't call me that. I am younger than you. How many times do I need to remind you?"
I couldn't help but chuckle. This was the difference between Joo Junwoo and Park Minjae. Both of them had been taken under my wing when they first started, but whereas Junwoo had grown into a strict and also bratty manager, Minjae had remained as kind as before. The difference between them was like something out of a K-drama: one was cold and disinterested, and the other was kind and charming. Not to mention, they were best friends, which made the situation much funnier.
"Yes, you did, Timjang-nim, but as an assistant manager, despite my age, I still need to remind you that respect is necessary in the workplace," I said with a teasing smile.
Minjae rolled his eyes and stood up taller. "Don't you call Junwoo 'kid','" he said, trying (but failing) to hide the teasing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Yah!" I stopped myself and looked around before dropping my voice, trying not to sound loud or be heard by anyone. "Keep it down. I only call him that behind his back, not in front of him."
Minjae chuckled and shook his head. Darn his best friend. Minjae, despite his angelic looks, could also be a mischievous kid.
I closed my eyes and shook my head, sighing. "Forget it. Let's go," I said, pushing the door handle and entering the meeting room.
As soon as I walked in, Junwoo was engaged in conversation with the senior manager and the company's president. I knew I was in for a long meeting. Minjae followed behind me, still grinning mischievously, like a little troublemaker.
As the discussion began, Junwoo jumped right into outlining the product's sales and marketing strategies, while I tried to focus on taking notes and being focused. Minjae stood beside him, providing an update on how the team members were working hard towards reaching their targets.
I felt proud as I saw these two kids, who had begun as interns, now confidently taking the lead in important discussions with the higher-ups. Knowing how far they had come made me feel happy with it, and that's how my day has started.
Later, I had to present the product's PowerPoint presentation, outlining what needed to be improved for the next quarter.
The meeting felt like it lasted three hours instead of one.
"I'm really tired," I whined, massaging my shoulders from the tension of sitting still for so long. Bongseon turned her gaze to me without quickly turning her head and then again to her computer.
"How did the meeting go?" She asked without turning to face me. Excel work, I guessed.
I slumped into my chair and stretched my arms in an attempt to get rid of the fatigue. I mumbled, "It felt like it lasted three hours," while continuing to rub my aching shoulders. "However, the same old... Just the usual targets, strategies, and end deadlines."
For a brief moment, Bongseon's gaze shifted from her computer screen to my face. She raised one eyebrow and asked, "How did the presentation go?"
I smiled at her, exhausted but a little proud, and leaned back in my chair. As I said, "I made it through without embarrassing myself," I chuckled a little. "But I'm definitely ready for a nap after all that."
She tapped away at her keyboard with her tinted lip curving into a sly smile. "That's bad, huh?"
With a sigh, I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling it back from my face. "It was exhausting, but not bad. There's just too much to do in so little time. I hope the upcoming quarter won't be as hectic."
Bongseon's eyes scanned the screen before replying. As she chuckled, "You're the one who signed up for all this, Sungmin." Her tone was light. "Now go grab a coffee or something before you collapse."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you're lucky that you're not in my position today," I murmured, but I still got up to get that coffee, not before her sweet laugh echoed in my ears. In the chaos of my life, I need a best buddy like her, though.