[KV Global Group Headquarters]
It was lunchtime, and the office lobby buzzed with activity as employees filtered in and out of the high-rise.
Secretary Yun strode past them, balancing two massive brown paper bags bearing a trendy café logo—an unusual sight that immediately caught the attention of the gossip-hungry staff.
"Sir, need any help?" a sweet voice called.
He had just pressed the elevator button when he turned and saw her: petite, porcelain-skinned, bouncy curls, big eyes. The type of woman who could make hearts stutter.
But Secretary Yun had worked for Shin Keir for eight long years.
He was immune.
Without so much as a blink, he gave a polite shake of the head and stepped into the elevator, leaving the would-be siren baffled.
Lucia Hera stared, stunned. Men usually stumbled over themselves to open doors for her. Was this secretary blind? Or just gay?
No—worse. He probably thought she wasn't in his league.
Ridiculous! she fumed internally. If Shin Keir weren't so impossibly hard to approach, she wouldn't waste time on a glorified assistant!
Still, she wasn't about to give up. The man wasn't married. He had no fiancée. That made him fair game in her book.
Ambition was sexy, right?
Meanwhile, the oblivious and much-slandered Secretary Yun was unloading boxes of pastel-colored desserts inside the CEO's sleek office.
"Boss, I picked up everything Café Zhillion had trending today. The patissier even made some recommendations."
To his surprise, Shin Keir didn't scowl or grumble. He was actually…smiling?
Secretary Yun blinked.
Sugar? His Boss hated sweets with the passion of a dentist.
But here he was, surrounded by cupcakes and mini cheesecakes like an influencer mom at a bake sale.
Something was definitely up.
"Just leave them on the coffee table," Shin said, eyes still on his laptop. "And brew the usual coffee."
"Yes, sir." Secretary Yun set to work, glancing between the cakes and his unusually mellow employer.
Then he spotted one particularly cutesy item—strawberries, pink flower icing, and little paw prints in chocolate powder.
"Boss," he said carefully, "this cake's named after Miss Zhi. The owner's daughter loves it. It's called the Yeri Matcha Cheesecake."
That got Shin's attention.
He looked up, and for a split second—just a blink—there was amusement in his eyes. The kind of expression normally reserved for bank statements and hostile takeovers.
He opened the box.
Tiny. Round. Green. Girly as sin.
So this was her favorite?
Secretary Yun, sensing an opportunity, lifted his phone. "Boss, do you want me to take a picture? Maybe send it to Miss Zhi?"
Shin stared. "Why?"
A pause.
"…Never mind." Secretary Yun lowered the phone like it was a cursed object.
Note to self: flirty photos and Shin Keir are mutually exclusive.
Still, his boss was definitely in a good mood. That had to mean one thing.
---
Elsewhere...
Yeri had spent the night tossing and turning, reliving the phone call like a courtroom drama where she was the defense and the prosecutor was too hot for his own good.
Defeated and drained, she skipped her last class and went straight to her dorm for a nap.
Why was arguing with Shin Keir more exhausting than studying thermodynamics?
That evening, Jj invited her to a friend's birthday party, sensing she needed to blow off steam. He was right. Over-studying was bad for the soul.
She dressed in a green sequin mini-dress that shimmered like spring rain, paired with silver kitten heels and light makeup. Her long hair cascaded freely—effortlessly gorgeous.
At 9 PM sharp, Jj arrived in his signature red Corvette.
They pulled up to a bar—and Yeri's heart immediately dropped.
"This place… again?" she muttered, staring at the neon-lit entrance.
Jj nodded. "It's one of the best nightspots in town. But stay close, okay? Lot of weirdos out here."
Yeri rolled her eyes. She knew. One of them had kissed her last time.
The attendant led them upstairs to a VIP room where the party was in full swing. About 30 students were already there, mostly from their department.
"Jj! You finally showed up—what took you so long? The girls were getting impatient!"
"Yeah, I thought you forgot my birthday!"
Yeri recognized a few faces—Vince Marion, the birthday boy, and Cedric Moon, another friendly senior.
"Happy birthday, Brother Vince!" Yeri smiled. "Sorry for crashing without a gift."
Vince beamed. "Your presence is the best gift, forget the rest!"
"Don't touch her," Jj said flatly, swatting Vince's hand off her head. "Go play host somewhere else."
"Oh come on—Yeri's also my guest, isn't she? Stop acting like her dad!"
Yeri just laughed and sat beside Jj, accustomed to the attention. It didn't faze her.
"Jj, who is she?" asked a pretty girl nearby, her voice sugarcoated and sharp.
The green gleam in her eye said what her words didn't.
And thus began the battle of silent side-eyes.