CHAPTER 12

[…Uh?]

[We’ll get along so well!]

[Uh, is that so?]

During the short time it took to arrange the cookie dough on the baking tray, Minhee became friends with Luca. It was an astonishingly continuous stream of conversation from the very first second.

[I order suits and shirts twice a year from Madison Avenue Italian Tailor. It’s time to get fitted for spring and summer suits, but the boss hates doing fittings! He said, ‘I’ve gained more muscle since last year, so why bother with the fitting?’]

[Boss only drinks this brand of protein shake, and it tastes like… ugh, I almost threw up once. I don’t know why he drinks that crap!]

[Do you know that this apartment was designed by Max Monroe? Despite hiring the most popular interior designer in town, the boss just complained, ‘Keep it simple.’ I had to soothe him by saying, ‘It won’t be flashy,’ but we ended up with the concept of ‘Urban Hermit.’]

Curious about Taejun, Minhee responded to Luca’s chit-chat with curiosity.

[‘Urban Hermit’? No wonder the interior is stark, no, minimalistic.]

Thinking of Taejun’s expressionless and solemn face, it seemed like he might have chosen that concept for a reason.

‘But Baek Taejun’s smiling face…’

Just thinking about that made her blush, so she quickly picked up the tray and walked towards the kitchen.

Luca followed her into the kitchen and exchanged greetings with the chef, then chatted comfortably. While the chef was busy preparing dinner, Minhee slid the tray of evenly spaced chocolate chip cookie dough into the preheated oven. She then returned to Luca and sat down on a chair in the dining room. Although they had only met for less than an hour, the two seemed like lifelong friends.

[Minhee! I won’t eat dinner, so can I eat the cookies right after you take them out of the oven?]

[Luca, why aren’t you eating dinner? Are you on a diet? You’re handsome enough without doing that. It would be nice if you had dinner with us. I’ll save some cookies for you separately.]

[Thank you, sweetie! You’re really nice! Honestly, I was really curious.]

[About what?]

[Our boss can watch a beauty queen dancing n*ked in front of him and not even blink an eye. And I’ve been wondering what the hell kind of b*tch got him to rip up his unlimited Amex Black card, but now I know what my boss is into].

[Luca!]

Staring at Luca, who tilted his head and laughed frivolously, Minhee couldn’t resist and ended up laughing too. Laughter is contagious! Even though he was making fun of her, Minhee didn’t dislike Luca.

[You don’t know how popular our boss is with the ladies. Chloe, she’s a bit of a flirt too, but she got fired after a day and a half].

[Oh, my! Chloe got fired? I thought she quit].

[No, she got fired the day you got here. She didn’t even make her hours. She called me and screamed about suing and getting revenge. I didn’t know she was such a disgusting and temperamental person. I mean, we don’t hire unmarried women in their twenties, but it was my mistake to hire her in a hurry just because we needed someone urgently.]

[Huh? I’m also unmarried and still at twenty-five.]

[Oh my! Sweetie, you don’t even look eighteen at face value, but surprisingly, you’re a bit older! It’s okay for you. The boss said, ‘Miss Minnie is an exception.’ Consider being an exception to that rule as an honor.]

[Oh, yeah, I’m flattered, but why won’t you hire unmarried women in their twenties?]

[Sweetie, the company was founded by two people. One is our boss, and the other is June Kim. They’re both tall, sexy, and handsome. Even with just their appearance, it’s enough. But they’re already multi-millionaires in their early thirties. Do you think women would leave them alone?]

Looking at Luca’s excited face, he dramatically lowered his voice.

[Getting drunk and crying about how much she loves him is on the cute side of the spectrum, then there’s even this girl who spreads her legs in a miniskirt with no underwear during a meeting, then a girl who got drunk on a business trip, couldn’t find her room, and went to kiss and harass the boss in the middle of the night! But the best part is this:  a twenty-one-year-old intern once hid n*ked on the couch in the boss’s office during the night shift and was found by the cleaning lady and the police were even called!]

Minhee’s eyes widened and she shook her head. As a specialist in unrequited love, Minhee was both appalled at the women’s willingness to go to such extreme lengths to get what they wanted and envious of their aggressiveness and boldness. Even though she could never do something like hide n*ked in the office.

‘Ugh, I’m embarrassed just thinking about it. Someone like me could never do that, even if I died.’

[Minhee, you have to see those two standing together. The aura…! There’s nothing like it. Our boss, how should I say, is like a cruel and sexy mafia, and June Kim is like a beautiful psycho gangster. Do you know what I mean? They look so good together that there were rumors that they were a couple].

[Really? I want to see them standing together!]

[Who knows! If those two were gay, they would have been the couple of the century marked by the heavens, but unfortunately, both are long and thick, damn straight. Such a waste, really!]

Minhee giggled as she brushed off the erotic image that was forming in her head.

[How do you know if they’re long and thick, not short and thin?]

[Sweetie, I know it when I see it, I’ve been scanning men for over twenty years].

Luca said, putting one hand on his chest with a dreamy expression.

[Even their chemistry is amazing. Our boss is an analytical genius who can create a quantitative investment program, and June Kim has a knack for finding well-established ventures just before going public. Do you understand what I’m saying? They complement each other as partners. With the synergy between them, the company was able to grow tremendously in a short time.]

‘Quantitative investment program, I don’t know what it is, but he’s a genius….’

[Good-looking, young, filthy rich—yet it seems like they have no one to meet. After exchanging a few words, they throw around a few million here and a few million there. When they sleep, the money multiplies several times, and they don’t even care about it. Totally cool, right? Earning money for them is just like a thrill ride. It’s like they don’t care even if they lose it all! They’ll just make it again. How can anyone, whether a woman or a man, not fall for such men?]

[……Hmm. So, Luca, have you fallen for them too?]

[Oh, Minhee! There’s a sharp edge to you that doesn’t show on the surface, huh?]

[Yeah. It’s because I look like this but I’m quick-witted.]

[I had a crush for a while too].

With a wistful expression, Luca leaned on the kitchen island, resting his chin on his elbow.

‘Ah, Luca, I know that feeling too.’

[Who? Mr. Baek or June Kim?]

[Both. First, our boss, then June Kim. Anyone who hasn’t washed their underwear every time they appear in a dream knows this feeling. Later, the two of them appeared together—]

[Kya! You’re crazy, Luca! Shut up, TMI!]

[Why are you reacting like a virgin?]

Luca, who playfully narrowed his eyes and twitched his eyebrows, now widened his eyes.

[No way…?]

Minhee’s cheeks flushed as she bit her lip in embarrassment.

[Oh my. No way, Sweetie, I’ve never met a twenty-five-year-old virgin before. Seriously, it’s an honor!]

Luca’s eyebrows on both sides curved and his eyes poured out as if they were about to explode.

[Shut up!]

[Oh my! Really? Seriously, you’re twenty-five and still a virgin? Why would a girl as cute and adorable as you still be a virgin?]

[……Haha. Thank you for saying that. I have a long story that I can’t tell without crying. So, please shut up about me being a virgin. I’ll tell you my pathetic and failed love stories when we have a drink later.]

[Oh, wow! I have the most fun in the world listening to other people’s crappy, failed relationships. Tell me later, Sweetie].

[Yeah. You know my number, right? Call me.]

Luca claps his hands together, loudly.

[Okay! Those cookies smell amazing, by the way. I’m hungry.]

[I think it’s almost done. Luca, how about having dinner with us before you leave?]

[I’ve never eaten with the boss before. Do you think the food will go down my throat properly?]

Luca shudders at the thought of having dinner with his boss.

[Don’t worry, everything the chef makes is delicious, so anything goes].

[You’re a lot tougher than I think. In the company, there are hardly any people who talk to the boss, let alone have dinner with him. You have to be like June Kim to talk to the boss. Everyone is afraid of him.]

[I was so scared at first, too. I felt like running away every time I saw him.]

Minhee vigorously agreed, nodding her head.

[Exactly! When he speaks up during meetings, he’s got this charisma thing going on! His voice resonates in the room, and all those snotty bankers, who are known for their self-importance and arrogance, are so intimidated that they can’t even make a sound. Since he remembers everything he sees and hears, he can’t just fill it with vague talk. He’s a bit reserved but has the charm of a sexy Marvel hero, right? He’s well-built, has a rough appearance, a hobby in martial arts, and a sexy scar on his face!]

Luca held up his palm like a sword, making an X in the air.

‘Uh-huh. You’re right, the eyebrow scar makes him look even sexier.’

While Minhee silently agreed in her mind, Luca continued to chatter incessantly.

[Did you know that he’s a veteran who fought the Taliban?]

[Mr. Baek is a military veteran? No wonder he seems so disciplined no matter what he does.]

[……You really don’t know anything about the boss, do you?]