Ch 5
First Day, First Encounter
I passed my interview.
And I got a message last week saying that I should start from today.
Today is a big day for me, and for Ryo too.
I'm going to office again. And the thing is, that today maybe I might Encounter with 'Mr. Kang.'
Screech, taxi stopped.
Thankyou,
As I got out of the taxi, I realized oh I'm again,here.
I entered with full courage.
The building smelled of polished glass and full of coffee.
Every step I took made a sound from my heel on the marble floor, reminding me that I am small in this world.
Tiny. Alone. And responsible for someone who trusted me more than anything -Ryo.
And I go to counter, to take my ID badge
And there...
The receptionist handed me a I'd badge.
Miss Kim, take the elevator to the seventh floor. Mr. Kang will meet you shortly. she said.
My heart skip beat.
Mr. Kang…? The CEO of Kang Industries. The man I had read about in articles, rumored to be strict, cold, and impossible to impress.
I took the badge. That she was giving me.
I swallowed and nodded.
"Thank you."
Ryo hold my hand tightly. I felt his little warmth and Care.
You can do it, Mumma. I'm right here, he seems to say.
The elevator moved silently.
Floor seven.
Doors open.
And then… I saw him.
Sitting at the large big desk, the man was taller than I imagined, his presence was enough to command the room without saying a single word. Dark hair perfectly combed, sharp features, eyes that seemed to see right through me.
My stomach twisted. "Nervous?"
He was… intimidating.
But it wasn't just that.
It was the way his eyes flicked over Ryo, ever so briefly, before focusing back on me.
That pause it lasted only a second, but my gut told me he noticed something. Something familiar.
He look ryo? Why I start to think.
"Miss Kim," he said, his voice strong but firm.
"Welcome to Kang Industries."
I bowed my head slightly, fumbling the papers in my hands.
"Th-thank you, sir. I… I'll do my best."
I said with all my courage.
His gaze lingered on me a moment longer than necessary.
And then he nodded once, sharply, before returning to the documents on his desk.
I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
Ryo tugged gently at my sleeve.
"Is he scary, Mama?"
he asked softly, holding my hand.
I can feel his care for me.
I forced a small smile, standing beside him.
"No… just… very serious."
I kept my eyes on CEO, who now seemed fully focused on his work, but I couldn't shake the way he had looked at Ryo.
The day passed in a blur.
I start working here as a employee. So, I have to submit some documents. Like this
Forms. Introductions. Orientation. Tasks. Small instructions. And throughout it all, I felt his eyes on us.
Sometimes, he take glance up at Ryo, then back at me.
It's Like he was scanning us.
Once, Ryo dropped a pen, and the moment he bent down to pick it up, his fingers brushed Ryo's hair.
He froze, like he had recognized something.
I didn't understand.
I didn't ask.
All I did was smile and thank him.
At lunch, Ryo played quietly by my side, eating the sandwich That I packed for him.
I watched the CEO from across the room, separated by transparent glass
He was speaking with a few employees, but I noticed how he kept glancing toward us.
Or maybe just 'Ryo'.
Why does he keep looking at Ryo like that?
A sudden chill made me shiver slightly.
It wasn't fear more like… unease. Something in his presence felt like a puzzle I couldn't solve.
By the end of the day, my legs were sore, my head spinning, and my confidence shaken.
Telling me to quit.
And yet… I felt a strange pull.
Ryo leaned against me as we walked out of the office.
"Did I do okay, Mama? he asked."
I kissed his forehead, hiding the exhaustion and the unease I couldn't explain.
"You did wonderfully, Ryo. Great I'm proud of you,
You're my little hero."
Thank-you mumma, He said it lovingly, full of excitement, As if he had been waiting for me to praise him.
Outside, the city was golden in the late afternoon sun.
It like a beautiful sunset, I can see it from so far, but feel like it's so near.
I held his hand tightly.
And somewhere back in my mind, I felt it the first spark of something I couldn't name:
A connection.A ties. A danger. A puzzle.
And I knew… this was only the beginning
—To be continued