Hwi-gang moved even closer, and Seol-ah, thinking he was about to kiss her again, gently closed her eyes and lifted her chin. Instead, Hwi-gang reached over and grabbed one of the printed documents she had prepared.

“I wanted to take a look at the presentation materials before the meeting. But why did you close your eyes?”

“!”

Seol-ah’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What? Were you hoping for a kiss?”

Hwi-gang asked, grinning.

“What? No! Absolutely Not!”

Seol-ah quickly protested.

“Really?”

“Of course! I was just… thinking about something.”

She replied, her eyes wide open as she tried to appear nonchalant.

Hwi-gang laughed and nodded.

“I’ll believe you.”

“I’m serious!”

“I said I believe you.”

“I wasn’t expecting a kiss or anything!”

“Who said you were? But the more you deny it, the more it sounds like you were hoping for one,” Hwi-gang replied, still smiling.

Seol-ah quickly shut her mouth, her cheeks turning as red as cherries. Still smiling, Hwi-gang turned away, leaving her flustered. Embarrassed, Seol-ah lightly slapped her lips, which she had unknowingly puckered earlier, frustrated with herself.

In truth, Seol-ah had been having a naughty thought, and it seemed she wasn’t as good at hiding it as she’d hoped—Hwi-gang had seen right through her. A fleeting image, like something out of an erotic movie, flashed through her mind: two n*ked bodies intertwined on the meeting room table. Her face flushed even redder, and she raised her hand to cool her heated cheeks.

Just then, Inha came, looking much more relaxed, as if she’d just had a refreshing bathroom break.

“Huh? Team Leader Jin, what’s with your face? Are you nervous?”

“Oh, no, it’s not that—”

Seol-ah tried to answer, but in her flustered state, she swallowed wrong, and her throat caught.

She coughed, drawing even more attention, and to make matters worse, her cough quickly turned into a bout of hiccups, adding to her embarrassment.

“Oh dear, oh dear, this is a problem! How can you, who’s supposed to be doing the presentation, have such hiccups? Were you that nervous? You didn’t seem nervous before, so what’s going on? Here, try drinking some water,” Inha said as she opened a bottle of water.

Just as she was about to hand it over, Jung-jae walked in.

“Here’s the orange juice.”

“Oh, thank you! How did you know we needed a drink? You have such good intuition—”

Inha began, but when she saw Jung-jae, her expression changed instantly. Without warning, she grabbed him by the collar.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“You little punk!”

Inha growled, tightening her grip on Jung-jae’s collar. She had seen him several times before—he had once waited outside the office building for Seol-ah after work, and Seol-ah had shown her pictures of him multiple times. As the saying goes, when you’re unlucky, even when you fall backward, you end up breaking your nose. Inha had prayed she’d never have to work with him, but here they were, face-to-face.

“Calm down, please.”

Seol-ah interjected, having just managed to stop her hiccups. She stepped in to pull Inha back, trying to defuse the situation.

At last, Inha regained her composure, though her expression still showed how much she despised seeing Jung-jae.

“I’ll only stop because Seol-ah asks me to, but don’t go on living like this. One day you’ll get stabbed in the back,” In-ha warned, still glaring at Jung-jae.

“Please, let it go. You’ve already made your point,” Seol-ah pleaded, her eyes full of concern.

Inha finally suppressed her anger and sat down. Jung-jae, though shaken by the sudden confrontation, held back his frustration, knowing that Hwi-gang was still watching him intently. He returned to his seat, silently fuming.

“Alright, now that everyone’s here, let’s begin the meeting.”

Seol-ah said, trying to shift the focus back to work.

“Today’s meeting is about the new product developed by LJ Electronics…”

As the meeting progressed, Jung-jae found himself continuously criticized by his senior colleagues. The root of the issue was Hwi-gang, who scrutinized everything Jung-jae did. His pointed comments were interpreted by the seniors as indirect criticism of their department, so they began placing all the blame squarely on Jung-jae.

Meanwhile, Seol-ah was excelling in her presentation, performing even better than she had during practice. Her voice was steady and calm, showing no signs of nervousness. Her eyes radiated confidence as she clearly and precisely explained the concept and purpose behind the advertising proposal. Every detail was spot on, leaving no room for criticism.

“…Therefore, Vision Advertising Agency aims to highlight LJ Electronics’ past, present, and future in this campaign, emphasizing how the company grows alongside the people of our nation, making it more approachable to consumers…”

Seol-ah confidently delivered her presentation to LJ Electronics’ senior executives, who were major figures in South Korea’s electronics industry. She showed no signs of intimidation, flawlessly delivering the proposal without a single mistake. Watching her handle the situation so well filled Hwi-gang with a sense of pride, deepening his admiration for her.

In a hospital room, Chairman Kang watched the meeting on video, his lips curling into a satisfied smile. At the end of Seol-ah’s presentation, the executives burst into applause, some even standing to show their appreciation.

When Hwi-gang raised his hand, the bustling meeting room fell silent almost instantly. All eyes turned to him as he stepped up to the podium.

“Team Leader Jin Seol-ah, thank you for your hard work,” Hwi-gang said, his voice calm yet authoritative.

Seol-ah responded with a quiet nod, acknowledging his words respectfully.

Shifting his gaze from Seol-ah to the gathered executives, Hwi-gang addressed them with a calm yet commanding presence.

“This project is a monumental opportunity for LJ Electronics to take another leap forward. Given how crucial this project is, there is no room for error. Both Vision Advertising and LJ Electronics must work together in unity to ensure its success. With that in mind, I have a proposal.”

“Proposal?”

The room collectively held its breath, intrigued by what Hwi-gang might suggest.

Seol-ah’s eyes widened in surprise. Inha, representing Vision Advertising, and the other executives turned their curious gazes to Hwi-gang.

“My proposal,” Hwi-gang continued, “is that representatives from Vision Advertising be sent to LJ Electronics to form a task force with our marketing team. I will personally lead the team. If any executives have any objections, please raise your hand and share your concerns.”

He calmly scanned the room, waiting for a response.

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” one executive commented.

“I agree as well. For such a critical project, working separately only leads to inefficiencies. Exchanging ideas through phone calls or messages, or scheduling meetings, wastes both time and energy. Everyone should collaborate directly,” another added.

The room collectively nodded in agreement, appreciating the practicality of Hwi-gang’s proposal.

As two executives raised both hands in enthusiastic support, the rest of the board quickly followed, nodding in agreement with Hwi-gang’s plan.

“Since everyone agrees, I will personally report this decision to the chairman,” Hwi-gang continued. “Furthermore, LJ Electronics will cover all expenses associated with the secondment. Additionally, while Vision Advertising staff are working here, they will receive a special allowance on top of their regular salary.”