The man stood in front of the chairman’s office and adjusted his appearance. The CEO of Gil Myung Group was one of the few female owners in South Korea, and she was known for her extremely fastidious personality. Yeong Hwan, who had served her for years, had never been able to enter this room comfortably.

After knocking and opening the door, Yoon Myung Gil greeted him with an expressionless face. The owner of this classical room was maintaining her dignified posture today as well.

“Find out about someone for me.”

As Yeong Hwan bowed his head, Chairman Yoon spoke in a monotone voice.

“Lee Su Rin. The granddaughter of Mibon Foods’ chairman. She recently returned to Korea from Mibon’s UK branch.”

“Yes.”

Gil Myung Group had always been second to Mibon Foods, the undisputed leader in the same industry. As the two groups had been rivals for decades, Yeong Hwan thought the chairman’s instructions were for business purposes.

“I’m not interested in her position at Mibon.”

“Then…”

“Her love life.”

Yeong Hwan was surprised to hear such an expression from Myung Gil, who was known for her elegance and refinement, but he didn’t show it outwardly. He had been her secretary for over ten years.

“No need to look into her time in England. Just focus on Korea. Who she’s meeting or who she might be interested in.”

“Understood.”

“Oh, and Manager Kim.”

“Yes, Madam Chairman.”

“The man involved could be my son.”

What? Yeong Hwan raised his bowed head in surprise, and Chairman Yoon raised one eyebrow and smiled silently. Yeong Hwan quietly lowered his head again.

* * *

“This is perfect! I’m so glad!”

Today was the day Joo Ah was supposed to give advice about job hunting. Their meeting at the café progressed quickly due to Joo Ah’s enthusiasm upon hearing that Hae Yeon was looking for work.

“Huh? Glad?”

“Yeah. Actually, we need to fill a couple of positions in our company. We need to hire urgently, and you just said you’re looking for work.”

Hae Yeon furrowed her brow.

“Joo Ah, that’s a bit…”

“What’s wrong with that!”

Joo Ah burst out as soon as she heard the response. Hae Yeon felt uncomfortable not only about entering her friend’s father’s company but also because it seemed like Joo Ah was ‘specially’ hiring her.

“Besides, I don’t have any experience.”

Hae Yeon hesitated, lacking confidence, but Joo Ah didn’t back down.

“Experience? Not every company only hires experienced workers. Sometimes fresh graduates do a better job. Plus, you may lack experience, but your college grades and certifications are much better than experienced workers. Come on, Hae Yeon, just think about it once. I’d love to work with a friend too. We could see each other every day.”

“Sigh. Alright. I’m grateful, but it’s still burdensome. I’ll consider it.”

“Thanks, friend,”

After parting with Joo Ah, who was satisfied with getting a promise to consider, Hae Yeon arrived home and immediately turned on her laptop.

She couldn’t know if the deletion of the accident article was just a coincidence or if it was related to the incident Lee Su Rin had mentioned. With even the small clue gone, she had to focus on what she could verify right now.

Tap. Click. Tap.

Hae Yeon’s hands moved swiftly over the keyboard. She had started investigating Do Ha and his company CH MICE’s activities from last year a few days ago. Since it covered a year’s worth of information, she focused on major events rather than delving deep. As a result, she discovered a few things.

“Mr. Do Ha didn’t engage in any external activities last year.”

In other words, Do Ha hadn’t stepped outside for several months last year.

While she couldn’t yet understand why Do Ha couldn’t move, her investigation only covered Do Ha’s public activities, and there was no related information or articles.

Of course, she hadn’t looked deeply yet, so she couldn’t say there was absolutely nothing, but it was strange that there wasn’t even light gossip about something that would pique anyone’s interest. Gil Myung Group was a major domestic corporation, and CH MICE, run by its CEO’s son, was always a topic of media interest.

It was odd that there wasn’t a single article about Do Ha not properly running the company for months.

“Hah-.”

Feeling overwhelmed, Hae Yeon took her hands off the laptop and rubbed her face. Then, with a “Hup!” she lightly slapped her cheeks to focus.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

She had almost lost heart at the obstacle encountered just a few steps into her investigation to uncover the truth.

If she gave up here, it would be like kicking away the truth about what she had done to Do Ha, whom she loved. That was absolutely unacceptable.

“Let’s search again.”

Tap tap tap. Click. Tap tap tap.

The sound of typing on the keyboard resumed after a brief pause.

* * *

“Kyaah!”

Hae Yeon wanted to leave the café. Joo Ah raised her arms high and cheered on the spot, not caring that people were staring, so happy was she that Hae Yeon was going to apply to Dally Coffee.

“Still, Joo Ah. I want to be properly hired. Let me go through the application process and interviews.”

“Of course. I’ll formally tell the HR team.”

Joo Ah reassured her with a bright smile, and only then did Hae Yeon feel at ease.

Ten days later.

After diligently preparing during the tight schedule, the day of the Dally Coffee interview finally arrived.

Although it started as a smokescreen, Hae Yeon was determined to do her best now that she was committed. She managed her condition for the interview and was able to move refreshingly from early morning.

The world was clear after the rain overnight. As Do Ha, who had finished preparing for work, came out to the reception room, Hae Yeon went to see him off. She felt a bit strange thinking that she wouldn’t be able to do this if she got the job and started working.

“Aren’t you nervous about the interview today?”

“A little?”

Do Ha smiled and tucked Hae Yeon’s hair behind her ear.

“You’ll do well, so don’t be too nervous.”

“Okay.”

She answered, but Hae Yeon inwardly didn’t expect much. It was a trace of a habit ingrained in her life, continuing like inertia. A habit she had become accustomed to while living alone in the world. Not expecting too much from anything and not getting discouraged.

As Do Ha put on his shoes after hearing her response, Hae Yeon urgently called out, “Wait!”

“Huh? What?”

Hae Yeon gestured for Do Ha to lower his height, not understanding why, and when he bent his legs slightly, she kissed him on the cheek. Do Ha chuckled and said,

“Joo Ah is one of the directors at Dally Coffee, right? Ask her to put in a good word for you.”

“Don’t say that. I don’t like it even as a joke.”

“Alright. Min Hae Yeon is so stubborn.”

Do Ha’s eyes were smiling as he clicked his tongue briefly. Hae Yeon walked with him through the garden to the main gate and waved to her husband as he got into the car.

After seeing him off, Hae Yeon picked up her phone and called someone. The interview was in the morning, so there was something she needed to do before that.

“Haah-.”

Hae Yeon waited anxiously for her turn in the waiting room. Today’s special recruitment was sudden, so the period was short and there weren’t many applicants. However, the threshold was still high as Dally Coffee was called a ‘dream workplace’ for job seekers.

Dally Coffee, founded by Joo Ah’s father, was a franchise café that had secured the largest number of franchises in the fiercely competitive coffee shop market while also leading in customer satisfaction. Dally Coffee, which maintained the top position in brand preference surveys in its industry, also boasted the highest sales per unit area.

In short, it was the undisputed number one company in the coffee shop industry with outstanding sales and franchises.

Yoo Jun, the interviewer for this prestigious Dally Coffee, opened the documents. On the table were neatly arranged application forms, self-introductions, copies of various certificates, and transcripts.

– Not only was she the top student in her department, but also in her college. She’s a perfect fit for our company. However, she lacks experience.

Yoo Jun recalled what his subordinate had said and looked at the woman in front of him. She was a noticeable beauty, but Yoo Jun was more drawn to her clear and transparent eyes.

“Whether it’s a company or a person, there needs to be a spirit to reach the master level. What do you think is the ideology that our company can effectively convey to customers?”

Yoo Jun waited for an answer. The woman raised her slightly flushed cheeks and answered neatly.

“I think it’s space.”

It was unexpected. Most interviewees gave the obvious answer of ‘taste’.

“Why do you think so?”

“I believe that Dally Coffee customers don’t just visit the stores to buy delicious coffee, but to find a place. A place where they can comfortably drink their favorite coffee without disturbance, even when alone. That’s why I think it’s about space.”

Someone next to him made an agreeing sound, but Yoo Jun continued with his questions, maintaining an expressionless face.

“Our company doesn’t advertise yet. Do you think advertising is necessary?”

“It’s not necessary.”

At the clear-cut answer, the corners of Yoo Jun’s eyes rose as if amused.

“Why do you think so?”

“If advertising were necessary, it wouldn’t fit with the Dally Coffee philosophy I just mentioned. It’s not appropriate to advertise a place where you can take a more free and comfortable rest than at home, school, or work. Such a place would become too well-known to people and would no longer be a resting place.”

Another interviewer next to Yoo Jun was about to clap. Yoo Jun stepped on his foot with his shoe, wearing a bored expression, and his colleague flinched.

“Usually, coffee shops have mostly identical interiors across all their stores nationwide. Should our company do the same?”

This time, the woman smiled slightly.

“No. On the contrary, the stores shouldn’t be identical.”

“Why is that?”

“Because each region has its own local culture. Even in Seoul, there are various atmospheres. If we ensure the independence of each store while conducting joint marketing promotions, we can create unique atmospheres that reflect local characteristics and increase both image and sales through tourism effects.”

This was enough for her to pass. There was nothing more to ask. Yoo Jun looked at Min Hae Yeon’s documents with satisfaction as the interview concluded.