Morning sunlight stretched across the sleek office like it owned the place.
Behind the large desk sat Ha-Joon Kim, flipping through documents with the calm precision of a man who believed chaos was a myth invented by lazy people.
The office door opened.
In walked Ji-Ah.
Her face was calm.
Too calm.
The type of calm that made disasters nervous.
In her hand was a cup of coffee.
She marched up to the desk and set it down with a firm tap.
"Sir."
Her tone sounded professional.
Suspiciously professional.
"Your coffee."
Ha-Joon glanced up.
Something about her expression made him pause for half a second.
But coffee was coffee.
He took the cup.
Took a sip.
Then immediately—
"PFF—!"
He nearly launched the coffee across the desk.
He grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth quickly.
Ji-Ah raised one eyebrow.
"What?"
Ha-Joon stared at the cup like it had just insulted his ancestors.
"Are you trying to assassinate me?"
He pointed at it.
"Why is this so hot?"
Ji-Ah casually leaned against the desk.
"That's my mood today."
Ha-Joon blinked slowly.
"…Your mood."
"Yes."
She nodded proudly.
"My mood is boiling."
Ha-Joon stared at her a moment longer.
Then leaned back in his chair.
"So now you prepare coffee based on your emotional condition?"
Ji-Ah nodded again.
"Of course."
Then added helpfully,
"I confirmed it."
Ha-Joon sighed deeply.
The sigh of a man who regretted many life decisions.
"You may leave."
Ji-Ah didn't move.
Not even a little.
Ha-Joon looked up again.
"…Why are you still here?"
Ji-Ah straightened.
"Because I actually wanted to ask you something."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"What."
Ji-Ah hesitated for dramatic effect.
"That house I'm staying in."
Ha-Joon lowered his hand slowly.
"You said you used to live there with someone."
"Yes."
"A woman?"
"Yes."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Why are you asking?"
Ji-Ah shifted awkwardly.
"I found something."
That caught his attention.
He leaned forward slightly.
"What."
Ji-Ah reached toward her bag.
"Well… I was drying my hair and I opened the drawer and there was this envelope and inside there was this ring and a letter and—"
Ha-Joon blinked.
"…You opened a random envelope in someone else's house?"
Ji-Ah froze.
"…When you say it like that it sounds bad."
"It is bad."
"Well it was curious!"
Ha-Joon stared at her.
"Curiosity is how people end up in prison."
Ji-Ah scoffed.
"You already threatened me with prison yesterday. Get new material."
She reached into her bag again.
"Anyway look—"
The office door suddenly slammed open.
Seo-Jun rushed in looking stressed.
"Mr. Ha-Joon!"
Both of them turned.
Seo-Jun looked serious.
"There's a problem."
Ha-Joon stood immediately.
"What happened?"
"It's urgent."
Ha-Joon grabbed his jacket.
Then glanced at Ji-Ah.
"Ji-Ah."
His voice returned to calm business mode.
"We'll continue this later."
Then he walked out with Seo-Jun without another word.
The door shut.
Silence.
Ji-Ah slowly pulled her phone out anyway.
The photo of the ring and the letter still glowed on the screen.
She stared at it.
Then at the door.
"…Fantastic."
She muttered.
"I break into someone's emotional history…"
Type would have probably nodded if he were there.
"…and the man runs away before explaining anything."
She sighed and shoved the phone back in her bag.
"Perfect timing, universe."
The office door clicked shut behind Ji-Ah as she stepped into the hallway.
She was still holding her phone.
On the screen was the photo.
The ring.
The envelope.
The letter.
She stared at it while walking.
"…Han Ji-Ah," she muttered under her breath.
"Who even—"
She looked up.
And immediately froze.
Standing directly in front of her like an unwanted pop-up ad was Yoo-Na.
Ji-Ah groaned internally.
Why is this woman everywhere?
Do elevators summon her? Does she smell irritation in the air and teleport?
Yoo-Na's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then they flicked down.
To Ji-Ah's phone.
Her gaze sharpened.
"What's that?"
Ji-Ah immediately turned the screen slightly away.
"None of your business."
She tried to walk past.
Yoo-Na stepped sideways and blocked her.
Ji-Ah looked at the ceiling briefly like she was asking the universe for patience.
Yoo-Na folded her arms.
"You know," she said smoothly, "this actually works out well."
Ji-Ah stared at her.
"…What does?"
Yoo-Na smiled faintly.
"You will help me marry Ha-Joon."
Ji-Ah blinked once.
Twice.
Then slowly pointed at herself.
"…Me?"
Yoo-Na nodded calmly.
"Yes."
Her voice carried that confident, spoiled certainty.
"Your sister needs to marry Min-Jea."
Ji-Ah's eyes narrowed.
"So you must make Ha-Joon marry me."
The logic hung in the air like a crooked picture frame.
Ji-Ah scoffed loudly.
"Yeah… about that."
She slipped her phone into her pocket.
"Ha-Joon literally said he doesn't want to get married."
Yoo-Na's expression tightened slightly.
Ji-Ah continued, enjoying this far too much.
"Especially not to you."
That landed.
Hard.
Yoo-Na's smile stiffened.
Ji-Ah leaned closer slightly.
"He said he's not marrying anyone."
Then she straightened and shrugged.
"But don't worry."
Her voice turned cheerfully dangerous.
"If I ever find him someone…"
She pointed casually at Yoo-Na.
"…it definitely won't be you."
Yoo-Na's eyes flashed.
Ji-Ah gently shoved past her shoulder.
Not hard.
Just enough.
Then walked away down the hall.
Yoo-Na stood there.
Completely still.
Her jaw tightened slowly.
"That woman…"
Her nails dug into her palm.
"Wasn't what I did to her before enough?"
Her eyes darkened as she watched Ji-Ah disappear down the hallway.
"She left the house… and now she talks to me like that."
Her lips curled into a thin smile.
Cold.
"Fine."
Her voice dropped to a quiet whisper.
"I'll teach her a lesson she'll never forget."
--------
Smoke curled out of the restaurant entrance like a dragon reluctantly leaving its cave.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Employees of Hanryeon Foods crowded outside, some covering their mouths with napkins, others coughing and shouting instructions that nobody followed.
Into this smoky chaos walked Ji-Ah.
Her eyes scanned the scene immediately.
Right then, Seo-Jun jogged toward her.
She marched straight to him.
"Where is Sir?"
Seo-Jun blinked, slightly surprised she had arrived so fast.
"He's inside."
Ji-Ah's eyebrows shot up.
"Inside?"
Seo-Jun nodded, slightly breathless.
"There was a fire in the kitchen. Small one."
He gestured toward the smoke drifting out.
"Kitchen accident."
She squinted at him.
"Then why are you standing here calmly?"
Seo-Jun shrugged.
"I came out to call you."
Ji-Ah frowned.
"…Why?"
Seo-Jun pointed toward the building.
"Sir said we should bring you."
Ji-Ah blinked.
"…He specifically asked for me?"
Seo-Jun nodded.
"But it's under control. The fire isn't large."
Ji-Ah looked toward the restaurant again.
Then something caught her attention.
People were murmuring nervously.
Someone said a name.
"Aiko is still inside!"
Ji-Ah turned sharply.
"What?"
A young employee nodded frantically.
"Chef Aiko fainted near the kitchen!"
Another voice added nervously,
"Sir ran inside to get her!"
Ji-Ah froze.
Seo-Jun stepped closer to her and lowered his voice.
"There's something else you should know."
Ji-Ah glanced at him.
"What."
Seo-Jun rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sir… has a problem with fire."
She blinked.
"What kind of problem?"
"He panics."
Seo-Jun said it bluntly.
"Serious panic attacks."
Ji-Ah stared at him.
"…You're telling me the man who negotiates billion-dollar deals like he's ordering tea…"
She pointed toward the burning building.
"…is afraid of fire?"
Seo-Jun nodded.
"Very."
Ji-Ah slowly turned toward the smoke again.
Her expression hardened instantly.
"I'm going in."
Seo-Jun grabbed her arm.
"Wait—"
She shoved her bag into his hands without warning.
"Hold this."
Seo-Jun blinked down at the bag like it had been thrown at him by fate itself.
"Ji-Ah—"
She was already tying her hair back quickly.
Smoke rolled out of the doorway thicker now.
Across the crowd, Min-Jea Kim spotted her.
"Ji-Ah!"
He rushed over.
"Don't go in there!"
Beside him, Lin shouted the same thing.
"It's dangerous!"
Ji-Ah glanced at them.
Then at the smoke.
Then back at them.
"Relax."
Her voice was calm.
Almost cheerful.
"I just came to yell at your brother anyway."
Before anyone could grab her—
She ran straight into the building.
Smoke swallowed her instantly.
Behind her, Min-Jea grabbed his head in disbelief.
"…Did she just run into a fire?"
Seo-Jun stared at the bag in his hands.
Then at the burning doorway.
"…Yes."
He sighed.
"…She absolutely did."