Yu jin's POV
I was officially an employee at X conglomerate even though not under good circumstances but at least… anyway I woke up before sunrise like I was being chased. The alarm hadn't even gone off yet, but I was already sitting up, with my heart hammering.
Today was my first full day at Park pharmaceutical . First day reporting directly to the man who ruined my life five years ago and didn't even recognize me yesterday.
Fun, right?
I showered in five minutes, ironed the same shirt three times, burned my toast, then ran out the door with my tie still hanging loose. The bus broke down halfway to the office because of course it did, so I sprinted the rest of the way like an unpaid intern in a bad drama.
When I finally reached the lobby, I looked at the time, seven fifty-nine. Not late. Technically.
The security guard looked at me like I'd crawled out of a sewer. I didn't even care. My lungs were doing that tight thing they do when I run too much, but I kept walking. If I looked nervous, people would smell blood.
And then the elevator doors opened.
Park Min was inside. Alone. Coffee in one hand, phone in the other.
"Are you coming in or waiting for a miracle?" he said without looking up.
Right. Professional. Just an employee.
I stepped in.
Everyone else waiting backed away like the elevator was cursed. I swear, they literally refused to move.
I looked around. "Why is no one else getting in?"
A girl whispered, "He doesn't like people breathing near him in the morning."
"Ah. A morning vampire," I muttered. Loud enough for him to hear.
His eyes flicked up from his phone, slow . "Excuse me?"
"Nothing, sir." I gave him my best innocent smile.
The doors closed, and the air turned heavy. You could hear the hum of the elevator, the buzz of his phone, and my pulse trying to escape my throat.
We went up five floors in silence before the lights flickered.
Then everything went black.
There was a small clunk sound, and the elevator stopped moving.
Perfect. Just what I needed, trapped in a box with the man I hated most.
For a moment I said nothing. Then I heard his breathing change.
It wasn't the normal annoyed sigh kind of breathing. It was sharp, shallow, like painful.
"Sir?" I said. "You good?"
No answer.
I could barely see, just a faint red emergency light on the control panel, but I heard him step back, hit the wall. The sound of his coffee cup dropping, then his phone. His breathing got faster.
Oh. Oh no. The mighty CEO was scared of the dark?
He was gripping the wall, chest heaving. I moved closer, hands raised like I was approaching a wild animal. "Hey, it's fine. The power'll come back. Breathe, yeah?"
He didn't respond. Just kept gasping, hand clutching his shirt.
I reached out, hesitated for half a second, then put my hand on his chest. I could feel his heartbeat hammering like it wanted out, so I just slowly rubbed it.
"Slow down," I said quietly. "You're okay. Just breathe."
He flinched but didn't push me away.
I started rubbing small circles on his chest, my palm moving with each breath. "In. Out. Don't fight it."
My other hand found his ear, almost without thinking. I rubbed the edge of it gently, like I do when my son freaks out during blackouts. Same pattern, same pressure.
The memory hit hard. My kid, shaking under the blanket, whispering, "Appa, it's dark." Me doing this exact thing until he calmed down.
And now, Park Min the source of all that was standing here reacting the same way. So upon all his traits he could pass to my son he chose this too and he looked so much like baby boy, I mean typically Rin looked more like him.
His body started to relax, breathing slowing down.
He whispered, "How did you…"
"Lucky guess," I said fast. My throat felt tight. "You're fine. Just breathe."
The lights blinked back on.
He blinked too, like waking from a bad dream, eyes finding mine. His face was pale, sweat beading near his temple, and for once he didn't look like a CEO. Just a man trying not to fall apart. Then he pushed me. Rude ass.
I stepped back so fast I hit the opposite wall.
He straightened his tie. "If you tell anyone.."
"Who'd believe me?" I said. "The mighty President Park Min, scared of the dark? Please. My imagination's not that good."
The elevator started moving again. Neither of us spoke until it opened on the executive floor. He walked out first, acting like nothing happened.
I followed, trying not to think about how his heartbeat had felt under my palm.
The board meeting started at nine. I sat at the side table, typing notes and trying to stay invisible. Park Min was back to his usual self ; cold, sharp, every word a knife. You'd never guess he'd almost had a panic attack thirty minutes ago.
Halfway through, a couple of senior directors were whispering near the back. Their voices were low, but I caught pieces of it: something about a delayed report, missing funds, "if this leaks, the press will bury him."
My fingers froze on the keyboard.
So that was the rumor Park Min had apparently moved a huge amount of money from one of the branch accounts. If the board proved it, he'd lose his position.
I should've smiled. Revenge, right? Let him burn.
But what about my son? He'd get absolutely nothing and this revenge won't be worth it, So instead, I raised my hand like a moron.
"Sir, about the branch report.."
Every head turned. Park Min frowned. "What about it?"
"I noticed the numbers didn't add up," I said. "But I checked the shared drive earlier and found the corrected files under an older timestamp. Looks like the branch head duplicated the sheet by mistake. The audit line should cover it."
The directors looked at each other. One of them coughed.
"That would explain the missing amount," someone said.
Park Min looked at me for a long second. He knew exactly what I'd just done saved his career in front of people who wanted blood.
"Good catch," he said finally, voice even. "Continue with the report."
That was it. No thank you. No expression. Just that cold, smooth voice.
After the meeting, he called me to his office. I went in, half-expecting to be thanked for saving his ass.
He sat behind his desk, staring at the city through the glass wall. "You didn't have to speak."
"I know."
"So why did you?"
"Guess I like my boss employed," I said.
He turned around. "You think I've been here for this long because I'm stupid, I knew exactly what I was doing. Don't ever try it again."
I shrugged. "I apologize sir.'
His jaw tightened. "You're bold."
"Slightly efficient." I said back
We just stared at each other for a second too long.
Then his phone rang. He ignored it. Still staring while slightly closing his left eye.
For a second, I thought he was about to say something real.
Then he said, "Close the door on your way out."
So I did.