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Chapter 17
Despite the opposition around her, Yena decided to work in the same space as the employees of the planning team she led. Every morning at exactly seven, she left home, and by seven-thirty, she was unfailingly at the office, starting work alone.
As always, the team members arrived one by one in roughly the same order every day—and without exception, the very last to rush through the office doors was Jin-sang.
“Good morning, everyone!”
He bowed politely and hurried to his desk. As usual, in his hand was an iced Americano from that famous coffee chain.
Yena, who had been reviewing materials from past product launch events, lifted her gaze and glared at the bright logo on the cup in Jin-sang’s hand.
“Assistant Manager Lee, you really do love your coffee, don’t you?”
Caught mid-step as he tried to slip to his desk unnoticed, Jin-sang froze, then turned around with an awkward smile.
“Ah… yes. If I don’t have my morning coffee, how should I put it… it’s like my day just doesn’t start.”
Bullshit.
Yena barely managed to suppress the laugh that threatened to burst out.
“Should I bring you one too, Director?”
“I don’t like coffee.”
“Huh? But don’t you drink iced Americano pretty often?”
Jin-sang’s eyes widened as if to say, What are you talking about? I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
“No. Not at all.”
Yena liked it. But I, Kim Ji-yoon, never really liked coffee.
My life’s bitter enough already—why would I drink something that tastes bitter, too? I prefer sweet things. Since life’s so harsh, at least what I eat should be a little sweet.
Ji-yoon never understood the appeal of coffee.
The first time she tasted it as a child, she couldn’t fathom why people would willingly drink something that bitter, like herbal medicine, every day. Even as an adult, she couldn’t get used to that acrid, burnt flavor.
Worse still, Ji-yoon was extremely sensitive to caffeine. One pleasant day long ago, she’d been seduced by the smell of coffee and drank a cup for the first time—only to spend the entire night with her heart racing and her stomach burning, unable to sleep.
From that day on, coffee became something she couldn’t go near.
Jin-sang often mocked her for it.
“What are you, a grade-schooler? How can an adult not drink coffee?”
“Hey, everyone’s drinking coffee and you’re there with hot chocolate? You’re embarrassing me!”
“If you don’t appreciate coffee, you’re basically a kid. How can you pretend to be an adult when you can’t even handle a cup of coffee?”
“Married couples are supposed to have some common ground, you know. You and I can’t even share a cup of coffee. We’re so incompatible.”
Every time Yena saw that disgusting face of his, long-buried memories would crawl back to life.
Lee Jin-sang! Do you even know what coffee tastes like?
She’d once heard that in Italy, where they truly understand coffee, iced Americano doesn’t even exist. So, you, who parade around every day with that branded cup like it’s some kind of medal—do you really know coffee, or do you just want people to see that you can afford expensive coffee?
Pathetic bastard!
She glared at his retreating back. The memories she wanted to forget kept linking together, one after another, and every time they did, negative emotions consumed her like wildfire. Yena shook her head hard, as if to sever Ji-yoon’s memories, and turned her gaze back to the computer monitor.
Just then, the youngest team member, Min Ju-young, passed by and quietly placed a small note and a banana milk on Yena’s desk before slipping away.
[Team Leader, you like banana milk, right? Please drink this and have a great day!]
Because of Jin-sang, her face had hardened without her realizing—but now, a faint, pleasant smile bloomed.
When she glanced over, Ju-young was smiling back brightly—so fresh and endearing.
How did she know I like banana milk?
She must’ve seen me drinking it alone at some point. She’s more observant than she looks.
Ji-yoon had always had a sweet tooth.
At home or at work, Ji-yoon was always exhausted, and sweets gave her the little energy she needed to keep going. Among them, the round-bellied banana milk was her favorite—her grandmother had often bought it for her since she was a child.
Yena, who never touched sweets for fear of gaining weight, unwrapped the straw, poked it into the cap, and took a long sip.
Ahh, yes. That’s the stuff.
As the sweet liquid slid down her throat, the turmoil stirred up by Jin-sang settled quietly back into place.
The next day was the long-awaited J.U.N brand launch presentation that Yena had announced. The office was thick with a tense silence broken only by the soft sound of keyboards clacking.
Yena pressed the keyphone button.
Beep!
“Yes, Director?”
Hyun-seung answered almost immediately, as if waiting for her call.
“Manager, please have tomorrow’s presentation ready to start right after lunch—1 p.m. sharp. And make sure as many of the executives attend as possible.”
“Understood.”
“And Manager Cha, I’d like you to be there as well.”
“Me? As well?”
“Yes. Please. A talented person like you, educated at Harvard, could offer valuable feedback.”
“…All right. I’ll be there.”
Hyun-seung hung up, puzzled by Yena’s sudden request. Until now, she had deliberately excluded him from company business, using him only for personal errands.
She’s really unpredictable lately. Making every team member present, insisting all executives attend… What’s she planning for tomorrow?
He set the receiver down, torn between anticipation and anxiety.
Meanwhile, despite the presentation being just around the corner, Jin-sang was still lost.
“Damn it! Isn’t there anything new?”
He pretended to be calm, but inside, his nerves were on fire—his promotion depended on tomorrow’s results.
Shit. If that Shin Da-hyun beats me and gets promoted, how am I supposed to show my face here? The Vice President will flip out on me!
No, no way. There’s no way I, Lee Jin-sang, lose to that middle-aged woman. Pull yourself together, man. You’ve got this.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder—What’s Shin Da-hyun planning to present tomorrow?
Spinning his chair, he glanced over at Da-hyun’s desk. Her eyes, fixed on the monitor, were slightly bloodshot.
Why is she working so hard?
No matter how he tried to ignore it, he couldn’t help watching her. Clicking his tongue in irritation, he got up slowly and strolled toward her, pretending to head for the restroom.
Da-hyun had piles of documents spread across her desk, deeply focused on editing her presentation slides. She was so absorbed that she didn’t even notice Jin-sang approaching.
“Hey, Assistant Manager Shin. You busy?”
“Oh, gosh! You scared me! You can’t just sneak up behind someone like that!”
Clutching her chest, Da-hyun shot him an annoyed glare.
“What? You guilty or something? Why so jumpy?”
“Sigh… what do you mean, guilty?”
Her voice was tinged with irritation.
“Ha, just kidding, kidding. So, how’s the prep for tomorrow’s presentation going?”
His eyes darted quickly across her monitor and documents. The slides already looked nearly finished, and that made him even more nervous.
Feeling his gaze, Da-hyun replied uneasily.
“Not that great. There wasn’t much time to prepare.”
Her three-year-old daughter had caught a cold that week and couldn’t go to daycare. Though her mother had helped out, Da-hyun still had to take care of the child after work, leaving her little time for anything else. She’d cut her sleep hours just to get some work done, but it still felt incomplete.
“Assistant Manager Shin, how about a quick coffee break?”
“Ah, I don’t really have time…”
She had to finish before going home. There would be no time once she got there.
“Come on. You know what they say—‘slow down when you’re in a hurry.’ Let’s get a cup of coffee and clear our heads.”
Reluctantly, Da-hyun followed, unable to refuse his insistence.
“I usually don’t touch cheap coffee mix, but since you’re busy, let’s just grab a quick one in the break room.”
“Okay.”
He prepared the instant coffee skillfully and handed her a cup, watching her closely.
“Assistant Manager Shin, things must be rough lately, huh? Taking care of your kid, and dealing with Director Choi Yena breathing down your neck.”
“Yeah… I get really nervous when she’s around. And this is my first time doing an individual presentation.”
“Tell me about it. I’m so pissed off myself. What’s with this sudden presentation assignment? And letting even the temp, Min Ju-young, present? Ridiculous, right?”
“……”
Da-hyun stared quietly into her cup, saying nothing. Jin-sang kept talking, gauging her expression.
“Let’s be real. Min Ju-young and the others are just props. The main ones are you and me. Right? You heard the rumor—they’re promoting one of us to manager.”
“Y-yeah… everyone in the team knows.”
“Hmm… so let me ask—if you do get promoted, think you can handle it?”
Da-hyun, who’d been avoiding his gaze, looked up in confusion.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, I saw how much Ji-yoon suffered back then, remember? I’m just… worried for you.”
“Yes… Manager Kim Ji-yoon really did have a hard time.”
Da-hyun lowered her gaze again to the coffee in her hands. She knew all too well how Ji-yoon had been dragged around by Yena every single day.
Jin-sang leaned in close, whispering as though sharing a top secret.
“Let me tell you—Director Choi Yena’s the kind who grinds people to dust. You know Ji-yoon even miscarried because of her?”
