Chapter 11: Under His Protection
It was time for the next assignment — one that seemed deceptively simple but was anything but. Seo-Ah had been tasked with overseeing an important site inspection for a new property acquisition. It was one of the major projects Min-Jun was personally overseeing.
And as luck would have it, she found herself driving toward the property with none other than Lee Min-Jun at her side.
"I'll handle this," Min-Jun said curtly as he slipped into the passenger seat of the car, his cold eyes flicking to her momentarily before they turned toward the window.
Seo-Ah tried to steady her breath. "Of course, sir," she replied, forcing the professional tone that she had carefully crafted since their first encounter.
It was just business.
Yet, being so close to him, his icy demeanor a mere few feet away, stirred something inside of her.
The drive was silent, but the tension was thick enough to cut through with a knife. Seo-Ah could feel her heart thumping loudly in her chest, the sound deafening in the quiet of the car.
When they finally arrived at the property, a large, modern complex in a fast-developing area of Seoul, Seo-Ah couldn't help but notice how different Min-Jun seemed. Out of the office, he looked less like a CEO and more like a man with a purpose — sharp and focused, taking in every detail of the site with a keen, almost analytical gaze.
As they made their way through the property, Seo-Ah stayed a few paces behind, taking notes, checking her clipboard.
Yet, despite his distant air, Min-Jun seemed to be aware of her every move. Every time she shifted slightly, he glanced back at her, his gaze sharp and assessing.
It was unsettling.
She tried to focus on the task, taking in the property's potential, but the knot in her stomach tightened every time their paths crossed. Her mind wandered, briefly wondering how someone like him could make something as mundane as an inspection feel so charged.
"Do you need anything?" Min-Jun asked suddenly, his deep voice breaking the silence, his eyes still locked on the site but his attention unmistakably on her.
Seo-Ah blinked, caught off guard. "I'm fine," she replied quickly, trying to keep her voice steady. "Just making sure everything is in order."
Min-Jun gave a curt nod, still studying the area around them. The brief moment of conversation didn't feel like an attempt at connection — no, it was just a businessman checking in on his employee. But the intensity behind his gaze made her wonder.
For a moment, Seo-Ah could have sworn she felt something different in the air. A flicker of warmth behind his cool exterior. Perhaps it was just her imagination.
The inspection concluded with more notes and a few suggestions for adjustments, but Seo-Ah barely registered the details. All she could focus on was how Min-Jun's presence lingered even when he wasn't speaking, the weight of his gaze felt even after they parted ways for the day.
---
The evening was quiet as Seo-Ah sat at her desk, sorting through reports for the next day's meeting. She glanced out the window, the city lights twinkling below. Her thoughts were a mess, tangled around the man who was both an enigma and a source of quiet longing.
Her phone buzzed suddenly, snapping her out of her reverie. She checked the message.
It was from Min-Jun.
"Check the revised floor plan and get back to me by tomorrow morning."
No greeting. No pleasantries. Just the task at hand.
Seo-Ah let out a small sigh, shaking her head. The man was impossible to read.
But as she stared at the text, her heart thudded once more. Was she really falling for him?
---
Later that night, when the office had quieted down and the hustle of the workday had faded, Seo-Ah found herself standing by the window, looking out at the skyline. The city was alive, but the space around her felt eerily quiet.
And then, a thought hit her.
She had to stop.
Stop thinking about him. Stop feeling this stupid pull.
She wasn't some girl who could be swept away by a cold CEO. She had to focus. She had to be professional.
But before she could talk herself down, her phone buzzed again.
This time, it was a call.
Min-Jun.
She hesitated, but only for a second before she answered.
"Seo-Ah," his voice came through, cool but not unkind. "The plans. Are they ready?"
"Almost," she said quickly. "I'm just going over the final details."
There was a brief pause on the other end, and then he said, "Get them to me by midnight."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Don't disappoint me."
And just like that, the call ended. The words lingered in the air, leaving behind something she couldn't quite place. Was it satisfaction? Or was it an underlying sense of care, one that he would never admit?
She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts aside.
She had to stop imagining things.
It was just work.
And yet... even as she told herself that, Seo-Ah couldn't shake the feeling that Min-Jun's words were more than just commands.
They felt like... a strange form of reassurance.
---
The next day, as she arrived at work, Seo-Ah found herself once again crossing paths with Min-Jun. He was standing in the lobby, speaking to a few investors, his usual air of aloofness cloaking him.
But when his eyes flicked toward her, she saw something different.
A glimmer of something—compassion, maybe? Or just a passing curiosity.
Her breath caught in her chest.
Maybe she was reading too much into it.
But deep down, Seo-Ah couldn't shake the growing feeling that Min-Jun was beginning to notice her in ways he hadn't before.
And that, just maybe, it wouldn't be long before he realized how hard he was falling.
But for now, she would continue to stay out of his way, focusing on her job.
At least that was the plan.
The meeting finally ended just before sunset, the long table now littered with half-empty coffee cups, marked-up reports, and the fading echoes of financial warfare.
Seo-Ah's hand ached from note-taking, but she kept her expression composed as the executives filed out in small groups. The tension was still thick in the air, but the worst had passed.
Only a few people remained: two directors from HJ Group arguing in hushed Korean, a junior aide packing documents, and—
Lee Min-Jun.
He hadn't moved.
Seo-Ah stood, gathering her files, hoping to leave unnoticed.
"You missed one," his voice said quietly.
She froze. Turned.
He was still seated, his gaze fixed on a single page of her notes — which she hadn't even realized he had taken.
Min-Jun slid the paper toward her with one finger. "Your summary on their equity restructuring — you wrote 'under-evaluated assets.' It should be 'undervalued.'"
Seo-Ah blinked. "I—yes. Sorry, sir."
He didn't respond right away.
Instead, he studied her.
Not like a boss evaluating an employee.
More like someone trying to understand a contradiction.
Finally, he spoke again. "You kept up better than some of my board members."
Seo-Ah's lips parted slightly, surprised. "Thank you… sir."
"That wasn't a compliment," he added, but there was the faintest hint of irony in his tone.
She smiled anyway — just barely.
He noticed.
For a second, something in his gaze softened. Not warmth, not affection. But something quieter. Gentler.
It vanished just as quickly.
"You're dismissed," he said, already turning back to his files.
Seo-Ah hesitated. "Yes, sir."
As she walked toward the door, she felt his gaze again — not watching her like a CEO watches an employee, but like a man who couldn't quite help himself.
---
Later That Night
Seo-Ah sat curled up on her apartment floor, her laptop open beside a half-eaten bowl of noodles, the glow of her desk lamp casting soft shadows.
She replayed every moment in that conference room.
The way he corrected her note, but didn't belittle her.
The way his eyes held just a little too long.
Her heart was moving in dangerous directions.
Don't do this, she warned herself.
Don't fall for a man who won't even admit you exist outside of a boardroom.
But it was already