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Chapter 1
What could be the worst accident that could happen at a company?
A question I had never thought of before suddenly popped into my mind. The reason was obvious.
If I were to pinpoint it, it must be this very moment.
“Vi… Vice President…”
“What is this…?”
Gasps of shock echoed here and there.
Sehee stared in disbelief at the disaster unfolding right before her eyes.
As expected for the start of the year, the atmosphere was hectic.
It was a time when the organization was being reorganized and employees’ statuses decided, and Sehee was busier than usual.
“Manager, the deputy manager called for an urgent meeting. Can you come right away?”
“I’ll be there in five minutes. Can you tell me the meeting room number?”
Having stopped by the company cafe for a quick break, Sehee hurried back to the office.
Her heart was racing, but her steps were short. She was wearing a two-piece suit she rarely put on, especially for the upcoming executive personnel changes. To make matters worse, she was wearing high heels.
But no matter what, if it weren’t for the power cords strewn across the hallway floor like spiderwebs, this catastrophe wouldn’t have happened.
“Ah…!”
As she hurriedly walked, Sehee lost her balance. The power cord wrapped around her heel tightened suddenly, and she tumbled to the floor.
At the same time, all the miscellaneous items she was carrying flew through the air in an arc.
Her cellphone, notebook, pen, and even…
A steaming hot Americano coffee.
“Ah…”
Sehee groaned, raising her upper body from the awkward fallen position.
And then…
“…!”
Her eyes widened, frowning in physical pain. Through the strands of hair slipping down, she felt like her heart stopped.
Why…
“Vice President, are you okay?!”
“You! What on earth is this…?”
Could that man really be standing in front of her?
Though she had never met him, she knew him very well. He was looking down at her with an expressionless face.
Go Yuwon.
At just thirty-three years old, he was a talent who rose to vice president for his achievements in breaking into the Hainan Duty-Free Market in China and the record growth of Asian sales.
The promising youngest grandson of Chairman Go Deokhyun of Woosung Group.
And above all…
Her direct superior.
The man she must never cross for a smooth company life.
Why was his crotch… stained?
With coffee?!
“Uh….”
Am I dreaming right now?
It couldn’t be real that she not only fell awkwardly in the office but also spilled coffee on the owner of the company’s crotch. Could it?
Still in shock, unable to accept reality, Sehee denied what had happened and got back on her feet.
Her legs wobbled as if trembling under the psychological shock.
“Vice President, are you… okay with the burn?”
One of the executives, Manager Jo from the planning team Sehee belonged to, cautiously handed Yuwon a handkerchief.
His worried gaze cast a glance toward Sehee.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Despite the unexpected coffee attack, Yuwon remained calm.
The freshly brewed coffee must have been quite hot, yet he showed no sign of pain, which somehow seemed almost elegant.
But the cold anger in his gaze directed at Sehee was impossible to hide.
“I’m… sorry!”
Only then did Sehee regain her senses and bowed deeply, trembling as she stammered an apology.
“I’m truly sorry. I was rushing because of a meeting and committed a grave rudeness.”
She closed her eyes tight in self-reproach.
She had never imagined making such a stupid mistake and didn’t know how to fix it.
“I’ll have a change of clothes prepared immediately through the secretary. And if you allow me, I want to somehow make up for my rudeness.”
Without a word, the man simply dusted off his wet clothes.
Silence lingered, and Sehee kept her head down, nervously biting her lips.
“That’s enough.”
After an eternity of silence, Yuwon finally muttered.
“I’m sure it wasn’t intentional.”
His deep, calm voice was polite, but the displeasure he felt was unmistakably clear.
“What’s your name?”
Sehee slowly lifted her pale face.
The first thing she saw was the coffee stain clearly marking the center of his bright cream-colored slacks. Then…
One after another, his sharp waist, broad chest, wide shoulders, straight neck, and small face came into view.
A beauty mark was set right in the middle of his smooth cheek.
The mark stood out even more against his fair skin.
Unintentionally, her eyes were drawn to it.
“I asked, what’s your name?”
Before she could properly notice the man’s striking features, a sharp rebuke came flying.
Startled, Sehee quickly answered.
“Han Sehee.”
“Your position?”
Yuwon looked at her with hostile eyes. It was almost a glare. She smiled awkwardly and opened her lips.
“I’m a manager…”
“Manager Han Sehee.”
Yuwon quietly repeated as if to remember it. Sehee pressed her pounding heart with her hand.
Please don’t… do something to me, right?
She looked at him pleadingly, but he ignored her desperate gaze and just checked his wristwatch.
“I’ll have to adjust the time for the next meeting.”
“Oh… okay.”
An executive watching Yuwon nodded cautiously and spoke carefully.
“Vice President, I’m worried you might have burns. You should probably go to the hospital first…”
“I’m fine. Let’s go upstairs.”
Yuwon dismissed the concern and walked away.
“Ah.”
Just as he completely passed by Sehee, Yuwon suddenly turned his head and glanced over her.
His blatantly rude gaze swept over her.
“Manager Han Sehee.”
“…Yes, Vice President.”
His eyes, framed by long, thick eyelashes that gave off a sensual atmosphere, tilted slightly.
Yuwon muttered with a sneer.
“Your skirt is torn.”
“……”
“Your stockings too.”
Sehee’s face flushed bright red as she lowered her head in embarrassment.
The slit on her knee-length skirt was torn to a dangerously high point. Through the gap, her thigh was revealed, the stockings completely run and ruined.
Without a second glance, Yuwon turned his back and left the office.
After the executives following him had all disappeared, the corridor became so silent you could hear a pin drop, leaving Sehee all alone.
“Ha…”
Sehee swept back her messy hair and exhaled the breath she had been holding.
Colleagues peeked quietly from behind partitions.
Feeling all the eyes stuck to her, Sehee repeated Yuwon’s words in her mind.
“Your skirt is torn.”
That was definitely meant for others to hear.
Not kindness, but spite.
She had heard the rumors that Yuwon was strict, difficult, and clear about what he liked and disliked.
Realizing she was marked from day one by such a man shook the ground beneath her as if an earthquake hit.
I’m really… doomed.
Completely ruined.
It felt like her previously uneventful life suddenly took a turn for the worse.
A bad premonition made a chilling fear well up inside her.
Bang!
The door to the executive office slammed shut roughly.
Having pretended to be calm in front of others, Yuwon immediately shed his social mask as soon as he was alone.
“Damn it.”
He roughly loosened his tie and checked himself in the mirror, letting out a harsh bitter laugh.
Spilling coffee on his crotch like he had wet himself.
It was a ridiculous sight.
Yuwon usually wore dark blue, gray, or black suits.
The reason he was wearing bright cream-colored slacks today was because of his personal shopper’s strong recommendation.
“It’s a new start, so how about this suit? The color is a bit bold, but the tone is calm, and it’s from the signature line of brand B you like, so it will feel familiar to you.”
From the start, it was an unwelcome suggestion.
He reluctantly accepted it just to avoid dealing with the persistent shopper.
His mother assigned the staff, so it was easier to just go along with it.
But if he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have agreed to the silly fashion play.
Still, how did she manage to target exactly his crotch with coffee?
“Vice President, are you alright?”
While everyone else was shocked, Yuwon was the most stunned.
The shock felt like a blow to the back of his head was immediately followed by a burning humiliation.
Pain? He didn’t even have time to feel it.
His usually busy mind went blank with embarrassment, so he tried to act as nonchalant as possible, knowing that getting upset would only make him look worse.
Of course, amidst the chaos, he remembered the culprit who caused the humiliation very clearly.
“…Han Sehee, right?”
Yuwon muttered grimly as he started to walk away.
