the chair completed its slow turn.
There he was.
Kim Tae-hyung.
The man she once knew—perhaps too well. Dressed in a crisp black suit, his features were sharper than she remembered, more refined. But it was undeniably him.
Her heart skipped a beat, her breath caught somewhere between her chest and her lips.
"What the—...
No way, right?
Surely not ? How can he be the....."
Her thoughts raced ....
She pinched herself, just to be sure. But the sharp sting on her arm told her it wasn't a dream. It was real. Painfully real...
But Tae-hyung didn't flinch. His expression was unreadable—cool, poised, businesslike. His gaze met hers briefly, without a flicker of emotion.
As if... she was a stranger.
Then, his voice cut through the silence.
*"You're late."
His tone was calm. Controlled. Not angry, not even cold—just... distant. Like they hadn't once shared something beyond words.
Sooyaa blinked, stunned.
"Wha… what?"
A pause. A silence thick enough to choke on.
"I had expected my Marketing Director to be present on my very first day at the office," he said, each word deliberate, as he leaned slightly back in his chair. He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk, eyes never leaving her face.
Sooyaa forced herself to speak. "There was a… personal emergency."
She swallowed hard, but her mind was racing.
Is he pretending not to know me? Or… does he truly not remember?
Tae-hyung rose from his seat slowly, one hand sliding into his pocket. He walked around the desk. He stopped just a breath away from her and leaned slightly against the edge of the table, his gaze sharp yet unreadable.
"Noted. Personal emergency," he repeated, as if filing it away in some invisible drawer.
"I won't ask further."
A faint smile—polite, almost cold—curved his lips.
"Nice meeting you," he added, his voice was softer this time. "You may return to work."
With that, he turned back to his desk, already flipping through the next set of papers.
Sooyaa stood there, heart hammering in her chest, lips parted—wanting to say something,—but nothing came out.
She bowed slightly, legs heavy as she stepped out of the room, the soft click of the door behind her sounding louder than it should have.
And just like that… it felt like he'd never known her at all....
After the door clicked shut..... the ceo slowly lifting his gaze and with a cute smile ^_^ parting on his lips.
"she hasn't changed ...still has beautiful as before " he murmured
then , the door creaked open again.
The CEO quickly rose from his chair, a spark of excitement lighting up his eyes.
"Ms. Park Sooyaa—"
he said, almost too eagerly and loudly.
Meeting her after the five years the kim tae hyung (The CEO) himself the master of facial expression also couldn't stop expressing his feeling towards the sooyaa....
But it wasn't her.
It was his secretary.
With a sly grin and one eyebrow raised, the secretary leaned against the doorframe.
"Sirrrrrr… whose name were you calling with so much enthusiasm, hmm?"
Caught red-handed, the CEO cleared his throat and straightened his posture, clearly flustered.
"O-Oh… You? No. No one. Nothing. Just— I am just doing my work nothing else ye-yeah... hmm."
The secretary smirked.
"Uh-huh. Sure. Nothing."
The CEO sighed, trying to regain composure. "Why are you here? What's the matter?"
Meanwhile,
Sooyaa rushed back to her desk, her heels clicking against the floor in a daze.
She sank into her chair, her eyes were wide,
"Was he really pretending not to know me… or does he truly not remember me?"
The thought hit her like a wave.
"After all… why would he remember me?"
Sooyaa stepped out of the building, clutching a warm cup of coffee between her hands. The cold breeze kissed her cheeks, and for a moment, She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered to herself, "Ahhh… now I can breathe."
She wandered toward the courtyard near the campus café, hoping the air would clear the storm swirling in her chest after that cold encounter with him
Kim Tae-hyung.
Laughter pulled her attention to a group of boys and girls by the main gate. Bright-eyed, energetic, excited—they were all wearing University orientation badges.
looking like It was their first year to university.
Sooyaa smiled faintly.
"Just like us… back then.
[Flashback – University, 2017]
The campus buzzed with excitement.
It was the first day at university, and the air was alive with chatter, laughter, and nerves. Students stood in little circles, exchanging introductions and taking selfies under the school's grand arch.
Suddenly, a sleek black luxury car rolled up in front of the main gate, drawing every eye.
The door opened.
Out stepped Kim Tae-hyung—tall, sharp-featured, effortlessly cool—and beside him, his equally charming friend Choi Yeonjun.
Dressed in casual designer wear and with the aura of someone who belonged on magazine covers, they walked in like they owned the place.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Who are they?"
"They look like models…"
"Do you think they're chaebol sons?"
"I heard that one is the heir of a business empire."
The two took their seats in the classroom—Tae-hyung sliding into the last bench by the window, Yeonjun sitting right in front of him.
Meanwhile…
Sooyaa and her best friend Kang Hye-jin were running down the street, hair flying, breathless.
"Hurry up, Hye-jin!" Sooyaa gasped, fumbling to pay the bus fare. "We're gonna be late on our first day!"
They dashed through the university gates and burst into the classroom just as the professor was taking roll.
The room fell silent.
"You're late," the professor said, frowning over his glasses.
"We're really sorry, sir," both girls said in unison, bowing quickly.
"Take your seats," he sighed, motioning toward the back.
Sooyaa glanced around nervously and spotted the only empty bench—right beside Kim Tae-hyung.
Without a word, she slide into the seat next to him, too flustered to notice the eyes on her.
Hye-jin took the bench next to Yeonjun, sitting down with a quiet thump.
Sooyaa sat down beside the silent guy at the last bench, still a little out of breath.
She glanced at him—tall, serious, and totally focused on the front. He looked like someone out of a drama.
Still, she smiled politely and held out her hand.
"Hi, I'm Park Sooyaa."
He didn't even look at her.
Her hand hung awkwardly in the air.
Trying to ease the awkward moment, she gave a light tap on his other hand resting on the desk, turning it into a playful
"Guess I'll just shake this one then," she said softly, half-joking.
He didn't move. No smile. No response.
Sooyaa quickly pulled her hand back, her cheeks warm.
She faced forward, pretending nothing happened.
"Okay… that was smooth," she whispered to herself, dying a little inside.
But what she didn't see…
was Tae-hyung's lips curling ever so slightly into a smile.
Just for a second.
As if he found her cute.
Bzzzzz...
(present )
The sound of her phone buzzing snapped Sooyaa out of the memory.
She blinked, realizing she'd been staring off into space, lost in that very first day ..
The breeze
And for a moment…
she was lost in her very first day.
She picked up the phone.
"Yes, I'm here."
It was one of the team members, asking about a project detail.
In seconds, Sooyaa shifted back into work mode—calm, focused, efficient. She walked toward her desk, eyes on her tablet, fingers moving quickly as she updated files and checked data.
She didn't notice the figure standing quietly near the hallway.
CEO Kim Tae-hyung, just on his way out, paused for a moment. His eyes rested on her.
A small, silent smile appeared on his lips.
His gaze lingered.
"How beautiful…"
he whispered under his breath, almost like a thought slipping out.
"…but ...I still can't pursue her."
* " End of chapter Two"
Next chapter will be publish on Wednesday April 16, 2025
Author's Thought:
"What do you think is stopping the CEO from pursuing Sooyaa?"
Things are slowly heating up, aren't they? Sooyaa is trying her best to stay professional, but fate clearly has other plans. And what's with Tae-hyung's cold act? Is he pretending… or has he truly forgotten her?
I had a lot of fun writing this chapter—especially the tension in the air during their first proper interaction. There's so much unsaid between them, and trust me, we're just scratching the surface.
Let me know your theories—do you think Tae-hyung is hiding something? Or is Sooyaa the
one keeping secrets?
See you in Chapter 3—where a night out might just lead to some unexpected run-ins and awkward moments!
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. :)
*Thank you *