The office is quiet. Not the natural kind of quiet, but the kind that demands attention, the kind that makes every movement feel heavier than it should.
Yoon-ah stands across from Kim Tan, holding the report he just gave her. His desk is immaculate, save for the single Montblanc pen he twirls between his fingers. His gaze is unreadable, dark eyes locked onto her with an intensity that makes her want to shift on her feet.
"You have until noon," he says, his voice cool, detached.
Yoon-ah nods, gripping the folder tighter. "Understood, sir."
She turns to leave, but then—
"Wait."
His voice stops her mid-step. She glances back, puzzled, but he's already pushing back his chair, rising to his full height.
He moves toward her.
Slow. Deliberate.
Yoon-ah doesn't step back, but she feels it again—the strange sense that he is watching her too closely, that he knows something she doesn't, she couldn't read him, he was unreadable.
Kim Tan stops just close enough for her to catch the faintest scent of expensive cologne, something sharp yet understated. His hand reaches out—not toward her, but past her, toward the bookshelf behind.
Or at least, that's what she thinks.
Because for a moment—just a split second—his fingers graze the edge of her sleeve.
Not an accident. Not really.
The fabric shifts slightly under his touch, a whisper of contact that makes her breath catch. She doesn't move. Neither does he.
A beat passes. Then another.
Finally, he speaks, but his voice is lower now, quieter.
"You're always in a rush, Secretary Seol."
It's not a question. It's an observation. One she doesn't understand.
Yoon-ah lifts her chin, masking the unease twisting in her stomach. "I believe efficiency is part of my job description, sir."
His lips curve—but it isn't a smile. It's something else, something she can't read. "Is that so?"
She doesn't reply. She can't.
Not when Kim Tan is still watching her like that. Like he's searching for something in her face, something that he's convinced is there but she herself doesn't know.
Then, just as suddenly, he steps back. The moment is gone, as if it never happened.
"That will be all," he says smoothly, turning away.
Yoon-ah nods once and leaves, but she can still feel the ghost of his touch, the weight of his stare.
She doesn't understand this man.
But somehow… she feels like he understands her.
And that unsettles her more than anything.
Yoon-ah walks out of the CEO's office, but the tension clings to her like an invisible thread, tugging at the edges of her thoughts. Her heartbeat is steady—too steady, like her body refuses to acknowledge what just happened.
She strides down the hallway, her heels clicking against the polished marble floors, her grip tightening around the report folder.
"What was that?"
She doesn't say it out loud, but the question echoes in her mind. The brief touch, the way he looked at her—not with the cold indifference she expected, but something else, something unreadable.
She turns a corner and nearly collides with Daniel. The tall blond secretary steps back smoothly, raising a brow.
"In a hurry?" he asks, amused.
Yoon-ah exhales, composing herself. "No."
"Really?" He crosses his arms, eyes sharp despite his easy-going demeanor. "Because you look like you just ran out of a lion's den."
Yoon-ah stiffens. She schools her expression into something neutral. "Just got my an assignment. I should get started."
Daniel doesn't move. He just watches her, like he knows something she doesn't. "Right," he says slowly. "Well, good luck, Secretary Seol."
She nods and walks past him.
But just as she does, he murmurs—softly, just loud enough for her to hear—
"He's paying attention to you."
Yoon-ah freezes for half a second.
It's so slight it's almost imperceptible, but Daniel catches it.
She doesn't turn around. Doesn't ask what he means. Instead, she keeps walking, each step precise, controlled.
Yet inside her mind, the words loop over and over.
He's paying attention to you.
She doesn't know why.
But she needs to find out.
Yoon-ah settles into her desk, determined to push aside the nagging feeling left behind by Daniel's words. The sleek office hums with quiet efficiency, but her mind refuses to fall into step with the routine.
She flips open the file Kim Tan assigned her, scanning the details with sharp focus. Yet, despite her best efforts, her thoughts drift—to the moment his fingers had barely grazed hers when he handed over the report, to the way his gaze had lingered just a second too long.
He's paying attention to you.
Ugh! It seems what Daniel said is going to torment my brain for a while..
A movement from the glass partition catches her eye.
Kim Tan stands near his desk, flipping through papers with the same measured ease he does everything. But then—
He glances up.
From across the office, his eyes find her, deliberate and unwavering.
Yoon-ah's fingers still on the page.
It's only a second. A fraction of a moment. But in that moment, the world seems to slow.
His gaze isn't cold or detached. It's something else. Something weighted.
She holds it—long enough to confirm she's not imagining it.
Then, just as smoothly, he looks away.
Yoon-ah exhales, pressing her lips together.
This is nothing. It has to be.
But as she forces her attention back to her work, her pulse betrays her.
Steady. Too steady.
Like it's waiting for something.
Like it already knows—this isn't the end of it.
---
As the lunch hour approached, Seol Yoon-ah was in the middle of organizing her notes when a soft knock on her desk drew her attention.
"Yoon-ah, you're coming with us today, right?"
She looked up to find Lee Jihye, a woman in her late twenties with soft brown hair tied into a neat low ponytail. She had warm eyes and a bright, friendly expression that made her naturally approachable. She was the type who made sure no one in the office felt left out, which explained why she had been persistently inviting Yoon-ah to lunch.
Yoon-ah smiled apologetically. "I brought my own lunch—"
"Oh, no you don't." Park Jeongmin, a tall, broad-shouldered man with an easygoing demeanor, crossed his arms. His glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, giving him the look of a dependable older brother. "You've been saying that every day. That excuse expires today. Come eat with us at least once."
Oh Minhyuk, a sleek-looking man with neatly styled black hair and sharp yet not unkind features, smirked. "Unless you're avoiding us?" His voice held playful amusement rather than accusation.
Yoon-ah let out a small laugh. "Of course not."
"Well, then," Yoo Minseo, the last of the group, chimed in with a soft smile. She was petite and elegant, with shoulder-length hair tucked behind her ears, her fashion effortlessly classy. "Let's go before all the good seats are taken."
Realizing she had no more excuses, Yoon-ah gave in. "Alright, alright. Lead the way."
---
The employee cafeteria was bustling with activity, a low hum of conversation filling the space. They settled into a corner table near the windows, where sunlight poured in pleasantly.
As they started eating, Jihye grinned. "So, how's was your first month? Have you adjusted to the rhythm here?"
Yoon-ah took a moment to consider. "It's been… interesting." Yoon-ah chose her words carefully. "Everyone has been nice, and the work is manageable."
"Oh? Good interesting or bad interesting?" Park Jeongmin smiled slightly. "but..Nice is one way to put it. What about our CEO?"
"A bit of both." Yoon-ah's grip on her chopsticks tightened for a second before she forced herself to relax. " he's been Professional."
Jihye let out a dramatic sigh. "I think he's terrifying. But I also think he'd look great on a magazine cover. That kind of man, you know?"
Minhyuk snorted. "You just like staring at him.
Minhyuk chuckled. "I get it. It takes time to get used to things here. Galaxy Corporation runs at a different pace compared to other companies."
Minseo nodded. "And considering your boss is Kim Tan, I bet it's even more intense."
At the mention of Kim Tan, Yoon-ah paused briefly, but she quickly covered it up with a small sip of her drink. "He does have high standards."
"That's an understatement," Jihye said dramatically. "I swear, that man has never made a single mistake in his life."
"More like, he doesn't tolerate mistakes," Jeongmin added.
Minhyuk smirked. "Come on, he's strict, but at least he's not the yelling type. I'd take that over a micromanaging boss any day."
Yoon-ah listened as they exchanged thoughts about Kim Tan, noting how they all respected him but also kept their distance.
"You're lucky, though," Minseo said. "Most new hires don't get to interact with him directly."
Yoon-ah simply smiled, not sure how to respond. Lucky? She wasn't so sure about that.
"One thing about the boss is that, he doesn't waste words or time. If you're competent, he respects that." Minseo added.
Jeongmin sighed dramatically. " It's unfair that someone that competent is also ridiculously good looking. Where's the balance in that?"
Yoon-ah didn't comment, but she found herself thinking about it. Kim Tan was, indeed, intimidatingly competent. His every move was precise, his words measured, and his focus unshakable. She had never met anyone who carried such effortless authority. Even when he was silent, his presence dominated the room.But as Yoon-ah listened, she found her thoughts lingering on Kim Tan's sharp, calculating gaze—the way he seemed to understand things before they were even spoken.
Maybe she was starting to admire that.
She didn't realize she had fallen into thought until Minhyuk nudged her. "You alright? You looked lost for a second there."
She blinked. "Yeah, just thinking."
Jihye smirked knowingly. "Thinking about the CEO?"
"Absolutely not," Yoon-ah said smoothly, taking a deliberate bite of her food.
The group letting the subject drop as the conversation drifted to another topic.
"So, what about you?" Jihye asked, changing the subject. "Where did you work before this?"
Yoon-ah gave the answer she had prepared. "I was in London before coming here."
"Whoa, London?" Minseo's eyes lit up. "That sounds amazing."
Jeongmin nodded. "Yeah, no wonder you have that refined air about you."
Minhyuk smirked. "And the expensive taste."
Yoon-ah tilted her head slightly. "Expensive taste?"
"Come on," Jihye laughed. "Your outfits? You look like you walked straight out of a luxury magazine."
Yoon-ah just smiled, used to those kinds of remarks. "It's just habit at this point."
Their conversation continued with lighthearted questions about her experiences abroad, her thoughts on Korea now that she was back, and her general first impressions of the company. Yoon-ah found herself enjoying their company. They were easy to talk to, friendly without being overbearing, and despite their curiosity, they never pushed too hard.
For the first time since she started at Galaxy Corporation, she felt like she was settling in.
---
As they exited the cafeteria, the group fell into an easy rhythm, walking together through the glass-lined hallway that led back to their department.
Yoo Minseo, the petite woman with a sharp bob and a bright smile, nudged Yoon-ah playfully. "See? Eating with us wasn't so bad, right?"
Yoon-ah let out a small laugh. "I'll admit, it was better than eating alone."
Oh Minhyuk, with a naturally easygoing presence, stretched his arms behind his head. "Now that you've finally joined us, you can't go back to your solo lunches. It's a rule."
Yoon-ah arched a brow. "A rule?"
Lee Jihye, who had meticulous way of speaking, nodded sagely. "An unspoken one. If you reject us next time, we'll take it personally."
Park Jeongmin adjusted his glasses with a smirk. "Translation: You're stuck with us now."
Yoon-ah shook her head, amused. "I see how it is."
The conversation shifted to light office gossip—nothing malicious, just the usual speculations about company events and the mystery of how some people managed to survive in the corporate world without doing actual work.
Then, as they turned a corner, the atmosphere subtly changed.
Kim Tan was walking toward them, his presence effortlessly commanding as always. He was dressed impeccably, his charcoal suit perfectly fitted, his expression unreadable.
Yoon-ah had learned by now that people naturally moved out of his way, their postures unconsciously straightening when he passed. Her colleagues were no exception.
"Oh, speak of the devil," Minhyuk murmured under his breath, lowering his arm.
Jihye whispered, "I always feel like I should be doing something productive whenever he's around."
Minseo let out a soft sigh. "Does he ever look ruffled? Even a little?"
Jeongmin adjusted his tie, smirking. "Some people are just built different."
Yoon-ah remained quiet, her gaze flicking to Kim Tan instinctively. He wasn't looking at them—at least, not obviously. But as they drew closer, his eyes met hers for the briefest second.
There it was again. That quiet, unshaken focus.
It was unnerving in a way she couldn't explain.
And then, as if the moment had never happened, he simply walked past.
The group collectively released a breath once he was gone.
"I swear, I forget how to breathe around him," Minseo muttered.
Yoon-ah huffed a laugh, but her mind was elsewhere.
She didn't know when it had started—this habit of noticing him. Not just in the way everyone did, as the powerful CEO of Galaxy Corporation, but in ways that were much quieter. The way his sleeves were always perfectly buttoned, never a crease out of place. The way his sharp eyes always seemed to miss nothing.
The way his presence lingered even after he was gone.
She exhaled, shaking off the thought as they reached their floor.
Jihye gave her a knowing look. "You know, Yoon-ah, you're one of the few people who doesn't look terrified when he's around."
Yoon-ah tilted her head slightly. "Should I be?"
Jeongmin chuckled. "Probably. But hey, maybe that's why you're interesting."
Yoon-ah rolled her eyes, pushing open the door.
Don't think too much about it.