The Doll's Night - Chapter 5

While everyone watched from afar, regretting their inability to take the first step, Team Leader Choi was different.

A month ago, Choi Se Ho, who had parachuted into the position of Planning Team Leader solely due to being the CEO’s son despite lacking ability, immediately began persistently pursuing Ha Jun, who worked in the CEO’s office, claiming he fell for her at first sight.

At first, he approached quietly, perhaps due to watchful eyes, but when Ha Jun put up a wall and refused to even acknowledge him, he began incessantly pursuing her whenever the CEO wasn’t around, causing no small amount of trouble.

Whether it was because he was a young master from a wealthy family who always got what he wanted since childhood, or if he was just naturally persistent, he continued to harass Ha Jun relentlessly even though he had a fiancée.

“Lee Ha Jun!”

Speak of the devil, the break room door burst open and Team Leader Choi Se Ho rushed in with a pitiful expression.

“I’ll stop you from quitting. So just answer this one thing. Am I really not good enough? Am I really that bad?”

“Yes.”

As if there was nothing to think about, the emotionless answer came immediately, causing Team Leader Choi to sigh.

A womanizer who would jump at any woman, he immediately recognized the curves beneath her modest clothing. Though her expressionlessness was a bit of a flaw, her fair and neat beautiful face was also to his taste.

Just looking at her made him feel crazy, but to have to let her go like this…

Team Leader Choi’s hand unconsciously reached out to grab Ha Jun’s shoulder. Ha Jun quickly swatted his hand away and stepped back.

Watching Ha Jun slip out of his grasp in an instant, Team Leader Choi’s eyes filled with blazing anger.

As his enraged face reached out again, Manager Kim rushed in and urgently shielded Ha Jun.

“Team Leader Choi! Ha Jun is quitting her job because of you. Please stop! If the CEO finds out, there will be trouble again!”

Manager Kim’s angry eyes stared directly at Team Leader Choi. Team Leader Choi glared back at Manager Kim, who was openly rebuking him, and clenched his fist in frustration.

“Tch.”

“Let’s go, Ha Jun.”

Manager Kim took Ha Jun and left the break room. The remaining Team Leader Choi ground his teeth.

“You think I’ll back down like this?”

A chilling voice like a growling beast escaped through his clenched teeth.

How ironic. Yesterday I packed to leave home, and today I’m packing to leave the company…

It seems my fate is to pack up and move, one way or another.

Ha Jun gently stroked the desk after packing her personal belongings into a small box and sealing it with tape.

Jae Suk had insisted she continue her education, saying a college degree would lead to better pay.

She had studied hard, cutting down on sleep to earn scholarships, and worked various part-time jobs in all her spare time to barely graduate college. Then luckily, she was hired immediately upon graduation and had worked here for over two years.

Ha Jun never imagined she would be forced out for such an absurd reason.

Ha Jun continued to stare blankly at her desk.

“Um… Ha Jun. Please take this.”

A coworker approached hesitantly and held out a small envelope. Ha Jun looked at her with her usual expressionless face.

“We weren’t particularly close, but you did such good work that we all benefited a lot. It’s sad that you’re suddenly going to headquarters, and with that jerk Team Leader Choi… anyway, you’ll probably be better off at headquarters than here… In any case, thank you for everything. Take care at headquarters, and don’t worry, none of us will breathe a word to Team Leader Choi about this. Okay?”

Ha Jun’s mouth fell open in surprise at the unexpected warmth.

The coworker who handed her the envelope burst out laughing at her expression.

“Ha Jun, do you know that’s the most human-like expression I’ve seen from you in the past two years?”

“Is that so.”

The coworker looked at Ha Jun with regretful eyes as she quickly returned to her usual expressionless state.

“This is a department store gift card, so buy yourself a new outfit before going to headquarters. And no refusing!”

The employee hastily placed the envelope with the department store logo on Ha Jun’s hand and scurried back to her desk.

Ha Jun’s complicated gaze lingered on the envelope in her palm for a long time.

If I had tried harder, could I have gotten along quite well with people?

Feeling an inexplicable emptiness in her chest, Ha Jun ended up biting her lip hard.

The next day, Ha Jun reported to Seongjin Group headquarters and went to the Human Resources office first.

A friendly HR manager greeted her warmly.

“Welcome, Lee Ha Jun. Such a sudden transfer within affiliates is a first since I joined HR, but your performance reviews are excellent. I heard about the situation. The executive office you’ll be working in is all women, and the executive is a woman too, so you should be fine.”

“Thank you.”

Ha Jun bowed politely with her expressionless face. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke.

“Um… I’d like to get an interim settlement of my severance pay. I forgot to process it at Seongjin Distribution.”

“We can do that here. The General Affairs office is right next door, so go check there. We’re making your employee ID now, so stop by when you have time.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Ha Jun went to General Affairs and applied for an interim settlement of her two years’ severance pay from Seongjin Distribution, and while at it, changed her salary deposit account. She thought she should continue providing living expenses at home, but it was time to find her own way as well.

Ha Jun didn’t realize it yet, but she was gradually changing, little by little.

Returning to the HR office and sitting down, Ha Jun became lost in thought.

A female executive, it must be Executive Oh Se Ra.

Seongjin Group’s only daughter Oh Se Ra, a quite capable businesswoman, unmarried, outstanding appearance, and her personality was…?

As she was listing information about Executive Oh Se Ra in her head, an HR employee came with her new employee ID.

“Take this and follow me.”

Ha Jun put on the employee ID and picked up the small box, following the female employee into the elevator.

The doors opened on the 23rd floor, and as Ha Jun stepped out, she heard the HR employee say, “This way.”

Ha Jun walked towards the large door marked “Executive Office.”

She entered the executive office and placed the box on an empty desk as the HR employee gave a slight nod and left.

Ha Jun stood in front of the women waiting for her, and the one who appeared to be the eldest extended her hand first.

“Lee Ha Jun. Nice to meet you. I’m Oh Mi Hyun, the General Manager. I’m college friends with Manager Kim Kyung Ran, so I’ve heard a lot about you. Let’s work well together.”

“Hello. I’m Lee Ha Jun. Please take care of me.”

“Here, Choi Hyun Ju is the executive’s dedicated secretary, and this is Heo Yeon A. She’s the youngest on our executive secretarial team, just in her first year. It’s your first time at headquarters, but you have more work experience, so please help her out. I’m not officially part of this team, so think of it as mainly working with Yeon A.”

“Yes.”

General Manager Oh Mi Hyun smiled at Ha Jun’s polite response, gave a slight bow, and left the executive office.

“Nice to meet you, Lee Ha Jun. Let’s work well together.”

“Welcome! Please take care of me!”

Ha Jun bowed her head at Hyun Ju and Yeon A’s greetings.

“Please take care of me as well.”

“Now, let’s go greet the executive.”

“Yes.”

Hyun Ju led the way and knocked on the executive office door. A cheerful voice called out, “Come in.”

Entering the executive office, they saw a typical cat-like beauty with neat short hair and bright red lips, leaning against a large desk, perusing some documents.

“Welcome, Lee Ha Jun. You’re incredibly beautiful. I look forward to working with you.”

Ha Jun shook the hand of this woman who exuded confidence with her bright smile and seemed to radiate energy just by looking at her – the complete opposite of herself.

“I’ll work hard.”

“What’s important is doing well, not just working hard. Well.”

“Of course.”

“Ah~ I really feel reassured. I love such straightforward eyes. You may go now.”

Se Ra’s eyes looked exceedingly pleased, as if she quite liked Ha Jun.

“Yes.”

Ha Jun bowed politely and turned to open the executive office door. But in front of her eyes appeared the chest of a man wearing a dark navy suit.

“Excuse me.”

As Ha Jun stepped aside and lowered her head, the man’s voice lodged firmly in her ear.

“It’s alright.”

It was a man’s voice she remembered. Ha Jun’s gaze turned upward.

She was dumbfounded. Why on earth was this man standing here?

However, as always, Ha Jun’s face showed no expression.

“Nice to meet you. I haven’t seen you before, you must be a new employee.”

Ha Jun slowly bowed to the man who was smiling with a glint in his cold eyes.

“It’s… nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Lee Ha Jun, the new secretary who will be serving the executive starting today.”

“Lee Ha Jun, Lee Ha Jun… A masculine name that doesn’t suit your pretty face at all. It’ll be quite memorable.”

The cold, shining eyes continued to examine Ha Jun.

“Barging in without notice, stop the useless chatter and close the door! Where did you disappear to in the middle of the foundation day party?”

Despite Se Ra’s irritated voice, Yi Hyun’s eyes remained fixed on Ha Jun.

“Something came up. Something very important.”

Ha Jun couldn’t bring herself to look at Yi Hyun and turned her gaze to the side.

Yi Hyun kept his gaze fixed on Ha Jun until the end as he slowly closed the door.

Ha Jun swallowed hard as she watched the closed door, then walked to her seat as if nothing had happened.

“He really is so handsome every time I see him.”

“I know. Even though he’s someone else’s man, just looking at him is satisfying.”

At Yeon A and Hyun Ju’s words, Ha Jun hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Is the person who just came in the executive’s boyfriend?”

When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem

This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Synopsis:

“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”

Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.

Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.

While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the  Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…

Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.

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