J.M.

I knew things weren't well in Korea long before they officially informed me. Staying in one company for years, had advantages, like extra ears and eyes. I was quite happy living away from home, and the move definitely didn't excite me. However, I prioritized my work life more than my personal one.

I was willing to deal with things. Only the circumstances compelled me to do that sooner rather than later. The day they unofficially told me I was to take a new leadership position, I'd somewhat been expectantly ready in a corner of my mind.

With one week's notice, I upended my life from the States to start a new one again in Korea. The silver lining was that I was getting promoted to my dream job. The CEO. I only expected the circumstances to have been better. Nonetheless, I wasn't going to sway from my responsibilities because my personal life was being fucked.

The day I got my letter of transfer and the details of the team I was going to manage, I went home and started doing my homework.

Fifteen people were going to report to me. Some senior directors and some directors. I wasn't worried that they would belittle me. My position as CEO granted me that respect, even if one thought I was an egoistic asshole behind my back. I was more worried about understanding them and getting the work done.

Since half of the team was relatively new, I knew it would be a challenge. They had no clue that their boss was already fired and their reporting had been changed to reflect under my name. Firing the Korea CEO was a big one, even though I agreed, but it had to be done.

I went through everyone's profile one by one, reading their experience and their responsibilities in the company while making a plan of who would help me with what and when. Then I came across an Associate Director. It wasn't usual for a CEO to get a reporting of someone below the director level, so I gave extra thought to Jeon Jungkook's profile.

His prior work experience had been impressive, but it was all in the beverage and food industry. Given some skills were transferable, he needed to know about make-up and skincare at least a little bit. When I scrolled back up again to see his picture, I could tell he was young from what poor pixels could offer on the black-and-white PDF document.

I didn't want to wait until the weekend, so I asked my PA to schedule a call with the team. I remained stoic until everybody joined, the last one being Jungkook.

When I watched him on the small screen of my laptop, it wasn't anything that I had expected about him, and the disparity gnawed at me. I told myself this was serious and I needed to focus, so I disclosed in as simple a way as I could that I was their new boss.

Then I got busy relocating my life to another continent.

Cut to the present, on a Tuesday evening, I wasn't in control of my actions after years, but I had a good reason behind why I was doing what I was doing. There was a specific moment of impact which led me here. No matter how much I debated myself to let it go for four days, that 'moment' trumped all common sense.

I sat straight, unbuttoning my blazer as I caught Jungkook entering the coffee shop. He peered around, brows slightly raised which gave him a rugged edge. When his eyes met mine after his scrutiny, he blanched, frown turning deeper. I raised my hand and gave him a circumspective wave.

As though his body kicked into motion after a long conversation with himself, he took off his tie while strolling towards me, breathless and disbelieving. "Good evening, Mr. Park," Thankfully, he sat down. "Do you come here often?"

"Not really a coffee person, so no," I tilted my head a fraction, letting him have a chance to get it on his own.

"Oh," he looked around, silent. 

One moment passed and then many seconds followed in quick succession. 

"Are you expecting someone?" I eventually asked in an even and deliberate tone.

"Yeah," his gaze met mine again in a collision and I felt air whoosed in but got stuck somewhere. He was too beautiful, well-defined jawline, thick raven hair, mature muscle under those goddamn suits, and a rare mole under his bottom lip I'd never seen on anyone before. Dead or alive. Friend or celebrity. He smelled like ambition, Jasmine, and testosterone all wrapped into one.

Very slowly as the realization dawned on him, his eyes trailed over my face as though memorizing my features. Confident. Cute. Embarrassed? His scrutiny made me smile.

"Was that your car?" He finally asked, his tone informal and perplexed. Then he mumbled a curse under his breath before switching his tone again. "Mr. Park, I am so incredibly sorry. I had no clue it was yours."

"Relax, Jungkook," my eyes brightened further in amusement. I wanted to reach out and hold him again, but that would be the worst idea in the history of ideas. I shouldn't have touched him in the office, but when I saw how fast his pulse point was fluttering, I felt the need to care for him. I shouldn't touch him now. "No harm done. My insurance will cover it. I wanted to tell you that."

When I invited him here, I had an ulterior motive. I needed answers. I wanted to find out what was it about him that made me lose the grip of my tight-knit control. Aside from that 'moment', there were things about me that resonated with me in a way I couldn't ignore. Believe me, I tried.

In him was a hunger to prove himself I knew too well. Over the last few years, I have been told I was too detached, but I knew I wasn't unfeeling. Little Jungkook here was not far from it. I've watched him. Noticed him speaking only when it was necessary, and that too with respect and boundary. I had my reasons for the way I was, which made me endlessly curious about him. I wanted to know his reasons.

He relaxed and blinked. "Did you know it was me?" His question was out of curiosity, but it came out accusatory which he realized quickly.

"Don't be silly," I signaled the waiter to bring our drinks now. "Why would I have come all the way here instead of just talking to you in my office?" 

He seemed to think but didn't comment.

There were many admirable qualities in him. One of them was how observant he was, smart as a whip. Of course, I had intentionally called him here. I'd had to battle the urge to follow him home and learn everything I could about him only on my first day.

I kept battling for four days, but I failed today. I'd been waiting for him to wind up when I had texted him.

He consistently stayed late in the office. I had a direct view of his desk from my desk. He sat with his back towards me, but I watched him every day as he got ready to leave. I debated one more time whether I wanted to do this, but as I watched him walking away this evening, something in me snapped, wanting to stop him. My personal number wasn't public information, so I hit send on the already drafted message.

The waiter placed a decaf for me and his strawberry shake on the small table separating us. It was so small that our knees were touching, almost. "Didn't know if you drank coffee either. I would've hated it if you couldn't sleep because of caffeine." I explained my choice for his drink.

"Strawberry's fine, thank you," he picked it up tentatively, body alert. There he went again avoiding the question. Would it have been so horrible to know if he drank coffee? 

There was no way that this curiosity wasn't mutual. I saw the resemblance. He had to either. I was sure of what I saw when I announced my engagement. He'd been awestruck for a moment, not blinking. His eyes had been flashed with something akin to disappointment, or could I've been wrong in reading him?

He slurped the drink slowly, looking like he'd rather be in a saturated club with the smell of sweat than here. It gave me a challenge, and I was nothing if not up for it. "Now that we are here, you might as well get comfortable. Unless," I paused intentionally. I came here for answers and I wasn't going back unless I had them. "You have special plans for the evening."

"I don't," he denied softly.

The anticipation was a never-ending electrical current running through my veins. I considered asking him to go to a more private place, but that would've been inappropriate and maybe a tad too cringe.

"Did you settle well?" I sipped my coffee as he examined our surroundings one more time.

"Still work in progress," he finally met my eyes, confidence seeping back into them. "I am just too disoriented right now. I didn't expect to see you here."

"You don't have to burden yourself with that, Jungkook..." I took another sip of my hot drink. "It's a good opportunity to get to know you now that you are here. My style of working is getting to know people. I'd have done this face-to-face interaction in the office, but since we are here, why don't we freely talk?"

"So this is work?" His lips turned up slightly.

"Half and half. Why don't you start with your family."

"Only child. Like I told you. My mother is a business-woman and my father is a Director in an entertainment company. I wanted to be like my mother in terms of career path, but ended up like my father."

I sensed that there was a reason behind it. Jungkook wasn't a person to let anything slip through his hands if he set his mind to it, but I didn't prod him for more. "What about you?" He asked, making me smirk behind my cup.

I took a sip and then put the cup down. Joining my hands, I leaned back into the chair to be comfortable. "I have one younger brother. My mother used to work in my father's company, but then she became depressed and things weren't suitable. My father made her quit. Now she bankrolls her lifestyle at home and makes us look good in social circles," If he was surprised by my upfront revelation, he didn't show it. "My father and I are cut from the same cloth. We aren't close anymore, but we are rooted to the same values."

"My father and I don't see eye to eye," he offered a bit and I accepted it with everything. I needed more. "I admire that you've something between you and your father that binds you together. For me, that's not the case."

"You can always change something if you want to," I offered, breaking eye contact to grab my cup again. I didn't know what demons he fought, but if I were in charge, I'd like to see them. I had demons of my own, but I was more interested in his. What was it that made me resonate with him?

"I don't want to," he took the straw out and put it on the napkin to connect his lips with the glass and take a small sip.

He was the one who was hung up and didn't want to make amends. Interesting. "Do you find everything at the office up to your expectations?"

"No complaints there," he cleared his throat. "Except the ones I wrote down for you."

Bravo, Mr. Jeon. Bravo!

"Now that you've put them on my table, think of them as non-existent." My eyes hooded ever so slightly.

"Yeah?" He looked up through his lashes and something dangerous was festering inside his gaze that gave me a whiplash. "I'd believe it when I see it."

I put my head back and laughter tumbled out of me. Free and fond. "You are challenging me, Mr. Jeon?" I asked, unable to hide a rare wolfish grin on my face.

He smiled, putting his glass on the table before looking at me. "I know I am in very capable hands, Mr. Park."

Touche.

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༻19 Jan 2025༺