Morning at the office hummed like a polite beehive. Computers buzzed, keyboards clacked, and Ji-Ah stood near the tiny office kitchenette with the expression of someone performing a sacred ritual she did not believe in.
Coffee.
Tea.
Corporate survival fuel.
She carefully placed a cup in front of the manager.
"Your coffee, sir."
The manager nodded without looking up from his monitor.
"Mm."
Ji-Ah gave a tiny professional smile that lasted exactly half a second, then walked back to her desk and plopped down into her chair.
Peace.
Glorious, temporary peace.
Hea-In spun her chair toward her immediately.
"So."
Ji-Ah already knew that tone.
"Don't start," she muttered.
But before Hea-In could launch an investigation, Soo-Min leaned forward quickly.
"Ji-Ah, I'm really sorry about yesterday."
Ji-Ah blinked.
"What?"
Soo-Min looked genuinely guilty.
"For leaving you like that. I should've stayed with you."
Ji-Ah waved her hand.
"It's fine."
"No it's not," Soo-Min insisted. "You were alone and—"
Hea-In leaned across both their desks like a detective smelling fresh gossip.
"Wait."
Her eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean leaving her?"
Soo-Min froze.
Ji-Ah froze.
Hea-In pointed between them.
"Leaving her where?"
Soo-Min opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
Ji-Ah jumped in quickly.
"It's nothing."
Hea-In squinted.
"It doesn't sound like nothing."
Soo-Min looked at Ji-Ah.
Ji-Ah looked at Soo-Min.
Both silently screaming don't say it.
Then suddenly—
Click.
The office door opened.
Every head turned.
And then…
Yoo-Na walked in.
The room practically paused.
She looked like someone had dropped a luxury magazine cover into a normal office.
Her outfit shimmered with soft pearls stitched along the collar and sleeves. Elegant heels clicked lightly against the floor. Everything about her was polished, expensive, dazzling.
Ridiculously beautiful.
Whispers started immediately.
Soft.
Curious.
"Isn't that the boss's cousin?"
"I saw her at the wedding."
"Didn't she say she was going to marry him?"
"Maybe she's his fiancée?"
"No way."
"She's rich though."
"Still…"
Ji-Ah sat very still.
Her face felt hot.
Not the embarrassed kind.
The quietly boiling kind.
Yoo-Na's eyes scanned the room.
And when they landed on Ji-Ah…
A brief glare.
Sharp.
Cold.
Then it vanished.
Yoo-Na continued walking like nothing had happened and headed straight toward Ha-Joon's office.
Soo-Min nudged Ji-Ah's arm.
Very gently.
"She's still living in that house," she whispered.
Ji-Ah gave a tiny nod.
"Yeah."
Hea-In leaned over again instantly.
"What are you two talking about?"
Both girls looked at her.
"Nothing," Ji-Ah said quickly.
Hea-In's eyes narrowed even more.
"You're both terrible liars."
Ji-Ah suddenly stood up.
Her chair rolled back a little.
"I'll get the boss's coffee."
She paused.
Then added, a little tighter,
"And that woman's too."
Soo-Min blinked.
"Oh."
Hea-In raised an eyebrow.
Ji-Ah walked toward the coffee machine with determined steps.
Inside her head, however, a storm was brewing.
Ridiculously beautiful pearls.
Ridiculously beautiful shoes.
Ridiculously beautiful everything.
Ji-Ah scooped coffee powder a little too aggressively.
The spoon clinked loudly.
From behind her desk, Hea-In whispered to Soo-Min,
"Why do I feel like someone's about to get poisoned with caffeine?"
Soo-Min watched Ji-Ah stirring the coffee like it personally offended her.
"…I hope not."
Another aggressive stir.
Clink.
Clink.
Clink.
Ji-Ah muttered under her breath.
"Ridiculously beautiful…"
Another stir.
Clink.
"Ridiculous pearls…"
Another stir.
Clink.
Then she took a deep breath.
Forced a professional smile onto her face.
Picked up the two cups.
And marched toward Ha-Joon's office.
Ji-Ah balanced the two cups carefully as she pushed the office door open with her elbow.
The room smelled like expensive furniture and quiet authority.
Inside, Seo-Jun sat at the side table, typing rapidly on his tablet, fingers moving like tiny drummers in a hurry.
Across the room, near the wide glass window, Ha-Joon stood with his back to the door.
And beside him…
Yoo-Na.
Her hands were gently laced in his.
Ji-Ah stopped for half a second.
What is she doing getting that close…
Her grip tightened around the coffee cups.
…Wait.
Her brain snapped back.
Why am I thinking about that?
She shook her head slightly as if physically tossing the thought away.
Not my problem.
Her eyes shifted.
And landed on Seo-Jun.
He had already noticed everything.
Of course he had.
He slowly looked up from his tablet and gave her a very suspicious smile.
Then he wiggled his eyebrows.
Once.
Twice.
Ji-Ah stared at him.
Her face went flat.
She mouthed silently.
In your dreams.
Seo-Jun pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing.
Near the window, Ha-Joon's voice finally broke the silence.
"Who was that?"
Ji-Ah straightened instantly.
Professional mode activated.
She cleared her throat.
"It's me, Sir."
A small pause.
"Park Ji-Ah."
Ha-Joon turned around.
His expression was calm as always, like someone who never once struggled with anything as chaotic as human emotion.
Ji-Ah stepped forward and placed the cups on the desk.
"Your coffee."
She slid the second cup slightly to the side.
"And hers."
Yoo-Na glanced at the cup, then at Ji-Ah.
A tiny smile curved on her lips.
The kind that looked polite.
But wasn't.
"Oh," Yoo-Na said softly. "You work here?"
Ji-Ah smiled back.
The exact same kind of polite-not-polite smile.
"Yes."
Seo-Jun quietly leaned back in his chair.
His eyes bounced between them like someone watching a tennis match.
This is going to be good, his face clearly said.
Yoo-Na lifted the coffee cup delicately.
"Well," she said lightly, "thank you."
Ji-Ah nodded once.
"You're welcome."
For a moment, silence hovered in the room.
Then Ha-Joon casually took a sip of his coffee.
His eyes flicked briefly toward Ji-Ah.
Just for a second.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Ji-Ah saw it.
Her eye twitched.
Seo-Jun saw that too.
He leaned toward his tablet again, whispering under his breath while typing.
"Day three," he murmured.
"Office tension level: catastrophic."
Ji-Ah shot him a look.
Seo-Jun didn't even look up.
But his shoulders were shaking.
Because he was definitely laughing.
Ji-Ah placed the cups down neatly.
"Your coffee," she said.
She turned.
One step toward the door.
Two steps.
Freedom was only three steps away.
Then—
"Wait."
Ji-Ah stopped.
Of course.
Slowly, she turned back.
Yoo-Na stood there with her pearl-draped elegance, holding the coffee cup between her fingers like it was a delicate prop.
Her eyes drifted up and down Ji-Ah.
A small smile appeared.
"Why do you work here?"
Ji-Ah blinked once.
"…Excuse me?"
Yoo-Na tilted her head slightly.
"I mean," she continued sweetly, "if you're going to do everyone's work anyway… why not just become a janitor?"
The room went quiet.
Very quiet.
Ji-Ah stared at her.
Then slowly…
Her eyes slid to the side.
Toward the desk.
Ha-Joon had already sat down.
His elbow rested on the desk.
His hand lightly covered his mouth.
But it did absolutely nothing to hide the smirk sitting right there on his face.
His eyes met Ji-Ah's.
And there it was.
That look.
The one that clearly said:
Go on.
I'm curious.
Because he knew.
He knew exactly what she would do.
After all…
As she had proudly declared before…
She was a rowdy baby.
Ji-Ah looked back at Yoo-Na.
Her expression relaxed.
Then she smiled.
Bright.
Friendly.
Dangerous.
"Well," Ji-Ah said calmly, "if I became a janitor…"
She gestured around the office.
"…who would bring coffee to people who don't know where the kitchen is?"
A tiny pause.
Seo-Jun's fingers stopped typing.
His eyes slowly lifted.
Ji-Ah continued sweetly.
"And if I cleaned floors instead…"
She tapped the desk lightly.
"…who would handle the paperwork that keeps this company running?"
Another pause.
Yoo-Na's smile stiffened slightly.
Ji-Ah tilted her head.
"But you're right about one thing."
Yoo-Na blinked.
"Oh?"
Ji-Ah nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes."
Her eyes flicked to Yoo-Na's pearl-covered outfit.
Then back to her face.
"People should really stick to the jobs they're good at."
A beat of silence.
Then Ji-Ah added gently,
"For example…"
She gestured politely.
"You're excellent at standing near windows and looking expensive."
The room froze.
For exactly two seconds.
Then—
Seo-Jun slowly leaned back in his chair.
His face lit up like someone just watched fireworks.
His satisfaction level rose to astronomical heights.
He clasped his hands together quietly under the desk like a proud spectator.
Perfect, his eyes said.
Across the desk, Ha-Joon lowered his hand from his mouth.
The smirk was no longer hiding.
It had fully arrived.
Yoo-Na stared at Ji-Ah.
Clearly not expecting that.
Ji-Ah gave a small polite bow.
"Anything else you need?"
Seo-Jun's shoulders shook again.
He whispered under his breath,
"Rowdy baby indeed."
Ha-Joon picked up his coffee again.
Still watching Ji-Ah.
Very amused.
Very entertained.
And absolutely not helping Yoo-Na at all.