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twenty three : the show must go on

As I walk into the office, the familiar buzz of activity greets me, a stark contrast to the quiet of my recovery. I'm greeted by a mix of astonished faces and relieved smiles. The cast on my right hand, freshly wrapped and uncomfortable, is a clear sign of the accident that had sidelined me. Despite the injury, I'm determined to be here, pushing through the pain and inconvenience. I'd rather be here and distract myself with work.

"Ms. Baek?" Lee's voice, laced with concern, catches me at the entrance. She falls into step beside me, her eyes wide with worry. "You're supposed to be resting. The board was considering appointing someone as interim CEO."

"Exactly," I reply, trying to keep my tone light. "I have a job to do, and a firm to manage. I can still work with one arm like this." We reach my office, and I carefully drop my bag on the desk.

"Ms. Baek, are you sure?" Lee's voice drops to a whisper as she closes the door behind us. "I'm not doubting you, it's just that—" She hesitates, glancing at my cast. "—the accident happened just a few days ago."

"Yes, Lee." I remove my coat, draping it over a chair, my cast awkwardly protruding. "I'm ready to return to work. It's just a cast. If I stay home, I'll go crazy. I rather be here, overseeing the progress on our projects. We have so much to do."

Lee looks at me, her expression a mixture of admiration and concern.

"Alright, Ms. Baek. But please, if you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know."

"Thank you, Lee," I say, forcing a reassuring smile. "I will."

As I settle into my chair, a wave of determination washes over me. The office, with its comforting hum of productivity, feels like the right place to be for now.

•

Later that day, I gather the team for a quick update.

"Gyeonghwa Tower," I display the presentation I had prepared. "It is the name of our Gangnam building. Gyeonghwa means splendor or glory."

"I think it's a brilliant name." Mr. Kim Namjoon speaks up. "The name conveys the prestige of the building... and the prestige of B&C," he adds with a smile. I nod, impressed.

"Exactly. Then, we have an official name for our Gangnam project. Can someone coordinate with our marketing department for advertising and publicity?"

"I'll do it," Seohyun offers, typing on her laptop.

"Good. Now, if we turn to the screen, you can see the final details of Gyeonghwa Tower—structure of 1,980 ft, 125 floors. The tower will have a futuristic design and will be the tallest building in the Korean Peninsula, surpassing Lotte Tower. It will also be the third tallest building in the world, surpassing the Abraj Al Bait skyscraper in Saudi Arabia."

I smile, looking at the final blueprint of our design. "Does anyone have any updates on the construction?"

"Yes, construction is set to start next month, on Monday the 8th," Namjoon speaks again. "We visited the construction site, and there were no issues with the demolition. However..." he pauses, glancing around the room.

"However, what?" I ask, sensing the shift in his tone.

"During the geomatics survey, the team discovered signs of underground water channels that weren't on the original plans. If we don't address this immediately, it could affect the foundation's stability."

"Yes, that cannot happen."

"We'll need to do further analysis to determine the extent of the risk." The room falls silent. This isn't the news I wanted to hear, especially not now.

"How soon can we get those additional surveys done?" I ask, my voice steady despite the growing tension.

"We're already working on it. It might take another week to get the full report," Namjoon replies.

"Good. Make sure the team has everything they need. I want this resolved as quickly as possible. Safety is crucial, please take care of that Mr. Kim."

"Absolutely," Namjoon nods, jotting down notes.

Yoonah, my head of finance, chimes in, "We've already leased 100% of the available spaces. Any delays will impact our bottom line, but safety comes first."

"I agree. Send me all the final reports by the end of the week, and we'll present this to the board." She nods. "That's all on my end for today, I will be going to the construction site myself. If anyone has any questions, you know where to find me."

As the meeting ends, I gather my things and make my way out of the room, my mind spinning with the new complication.

•

I yawn for the 20th time in the last half hour. I decided to finish up a few things here at work. Replying emails, checking my itinerary for the next couple months, reviewing project reports and financial analysis.

It's 20 past 7, and my focus is sharp despite the long hours.

I take a sip of my coffee and sit back on my chair. Looking out at the empty office and the city lights behind me, when all of a sudden I hear a low knock on the glass door, I turn around to find the that guy from New York.

Despite his incredible resume, I can't help but feel that my father sent him over to spy.

"Ms. Baek, what a surprise to see you here at this time," He enters my office, he has removed his jacket and tie, he's only with a white dress shirt, rolled up his sleeves.

"Lost track of time." I smile. "Come on in, it's late, I thought I was on my own here." He's holding a few folders. 

"Yes, I was wrapping up and also getting these ready for you, your assistant mentioned I could drop these by at her desk and she'd pass them over to you. But since you're here," He hands me the paperwork. "I went to the construction site and supervised progress, here's a detailed report I made for you. Take a look whenever you have a chance." He looks genuinely invested in the work he's doing.

I glance up, surprised but grateful.

"Thank you Mr. Kim. You don't have to work late for that, next time just send it over in the morning."

"I just wanted to make sure everything was perfect before I called it a night. Plus, I enjoy the quiet of the office at night," he replied, leaning against the edge of my desk.

I smile, appreciating his dedication. "Me too. It's when I get the most work done." I leave the paperwork aside. "So, tell me, how's it been working with us? It's been what? Around two or three weeks? How are you liking it so far?" I need to know more about him and from him to know his real intentions.

"I am liking it very much. Everyone's so welcoming and team oriented." He is polite, and eloquent.

"Good, I'm glad. It's nice to have you."

"You too, Ms. Baek, we all heard about what happened, and I have to say it's great to have you back and see you're doing well." He looks at my cast.

"Oh, yeah, I had to come back, the firm is in the middle of broadening properties, I couldn't afford to just stay home." Stocks could've crashed.

I study his face, searching for any signs of ulterior motives, but all I see is a genuine concern and professionalism. For now... Maybe I'm being too suspicious. But there's only one way to find out.

"How about we finish here for the day?" I suggest, standing up and grabbing my coat from the back of my chair. "I know a place nearby. If you don't have any plans, how about you join me?"

Namjoon looks slightly taken aback but quickly recovers, offering a polite smile. "That sounds nice. Lead the way."

We leave the office together, the city night enveloping us as we step outside.

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Abraj Al Bait : currently the third tallest building in the world.

Geomatics surveyor/survey: measure, map, assess, and collect and interpret information about specific pieces of land. They often work on land due to be redeveloped (built on).