Back at her desk, the blank papers, the root cause of today’s turmoil, lay there. Overwhelmed by a wave of sadness and frustration, she remembered Jun Hwi’s last gaze.

He wasn’t just criticizing her mistake; his suspicion was different… whether it was about her capabilities, her relationship with Cha Han Bin, or perhaps both.

Part of her felt slighted by Jun Hwi. She had never believed the absurd rumors about him. Why couldn’t he trust her sincerity?

Yet, having made such a grave error, she couldn’t fully resent him.

Perhaps questioning all this was futile.

“I’m trusting you, Ms. Yeon Woo.”

“Please do your best.”

Until recently, there had been a subtle emotional flow between them.
“No, even before that, our conversations were already laden with dense emotions.”

Yeon Woo was no fool to miss that. In fact, she had even felt butterflies.

‘Is it better to keep this distance?’

Initially, she had pushed him away, not understanding his aggressive approach. Now, although she vaguely guessed his intentions, she still couldn’t be certain.

Being swayed by him, or holding onto him – either way, she wasn’t ready to overcome the guilt of engaging in such acts with her superior.

Perhaps drifting apart like this was for the best.

After all, she needed to focus on the hectic work at hand. If it really didn’t work out, she could simply resign, even if it meant going AWOL.

There were plenty of opportunities to end this precarious relationship.

But, was it okay to leave things unsettled like this? Really?

There was an unexplainable frustration and sadness about ending things amidst such absurd misunderstandings and doubts. Even if she couldn’t win back his favor, she couldn’t let her sincere desire to help him go unnoticed.

‘I’ll help as much as I can.’

She’d do her duty, then either complain about his mistrust or resent him.

Taking a deep breath, Yeon Woo busied herself with the next steps.

The next day, around closing time.

As people poured out of the situation room, Lawyer Yang suggested going for Korean beef using Lawyer Kwon’s card. Yeon Woo flatly refused, and with Ji Eun also gone for the day, she headed to the empty room to tidy up the leftover supplies.

These were miscellaneous items she’d left to organize when it wouldn’t be a disturbance.

Entering the meeting room with her fingerprint, she had expected it to be empty since it was dark from outside, but,

“Ah…”

To her surprise, Jun Hwi was there alone at the far end of the long meeting table.

“I didn’t realize anyone was here.”

He glanced at the door upon hearing it open, and upon recognizing Yeon Woo, returned his attention to his documents.

“I came to tidy up the supplies.”

“Yes.”

“I, um, waited until everyone was gone so I wouldn’t disturb.”

Despite her elongated explanation, he showed no particular reaction.

Was he suspecting her of sneaking around to leak information to Cha Han Bin?

Feeling paranoid from the recent hurt, she quietly proceeded with her task.

“I apologize for the disturbance.”

Unfortunately, the storage area was right behind where he sat. Moving as quietly as possible, Yeon Woo handled the boxes with extreme care.

She decided to finish in three minutes, cautiously moving about, wary of making noise.

Every time a clatter occurred, she nervously glanced at his back, feeling oppressed and anxious.

Searching for a spot to place the last box, she spotted the perfect spot on top of the storage unit.

‘Why didn’t I grow taller!’ she lamented to herself.
Yeon Woo struggled to push a box onto a high shelf, even on tiptoes.

With no other option, she quietly moved Jun Hwi’s chair next to her, took off her shoes, and prepared to climb it.

As she stepped onto the chair with the box in her arms, she grumbled to herself about the variety of tasks at work.

“Whoa!”

She underestimated the wheeled office chair. As it moved under her weight, Yeon Woo lost her balance and wobbled dangerously.

Fearing the imminent fall, she instinctively closed her eyes.

Thud.

She braced for impact, but it was surprisingly not painful. She felt a firm, contoured, and warm surface.

Could it be? She thought such things only happened in cartoons.

“…”

Yeon Woo was enveloped in the familiar scent of Jun Hwi. She leaned back, looking up at his defined jawline.

“Ouch!”

“Be careful,” Jun Hwi warned as the chair wobbled again. His arms steadied her.

“You’re always in such a rush. Come down slowly,” he scolded.

Yeon Woo suppressed her urge to retort, feeling chastised by Jun Hwi.

In a brief moment, as she safely descended, Jun Hwi swiftly placed the box in the desired spot.

“Thank you for your help,” Yeon Woo expressed her gratitude.

With no reason to stay any longer, she quickly headed for the door, eager to leave.

Please, no more.

She didn’t want to make any more mistakes in front of him. Her face burned, partly from embarrassment and partly from the humiliation of needing his help after such a clumsy mistake.

“Yeon Woo.”

Hearing Jun Hwi’s voice from behind, she paused but couldn’t bring herself to turn around. His deep, resonant voice caused a stir in her heart. With her face still warm, she remained still, letting her silence respond.

“Join me in the situation room. Stay where I can see you,” Jun Hwi requested, his tone reflecting a mix of sternness and underlying concern.