Plans And Photographs || Doona Bae And Cho Seung-Woo

1

Cho Seung-Woo strode into the grandiose office building, his mind swirling with the impending conversation. He was about to meet his grandfather, Mr. Cho, the CEO of the company, a man who had raised him since his parents' untimely demise. As he entered the office, he was greeted by Mr. Cho's warm smile.

"Harabeoji," Seung-Woo said, returning the smile.

"Seung-Woo," Mr. Cho replied, motioning for him to sit down.

Seung-Woo took a seat, his curiosity piqued. "What's the matter, Harabeoji?"

Mr. Cho's expression turned serious. "I'm leaving soon."

"Don't say that, Grandfather," Seung-Woo protested, a pang of worry in his voice.

"Let's just face the truth," Mr. Cho insisted gently. Seung-Woo sighed, feeling the weight of the moment.

Mr. Cho continued, "Before I leave, I want you to fulfill a promise I made to the man who saved my life."

Seung-Woo frowned. "What promise could that be?"

"You're at the right age now," Mr. Cho began. "You've finished college and your master's degree in the field you love. You're ready to handle the company, but something is still missing: marriage."

Seung-Woo avoided his grandfather's eyes, feeling a mixture of surprise and reluctance.

Mr. Cho pressed on. "I promised Mr. Bae that if we both had grandchildren, we would let them marry each other."

Seung-Woo's eyes widened slightly at his grandfather's words, but he tried to remain composed. "Mr. Bae has a grand-daughter?"

Meanwhile, in a bustling photography studio, Bae Doona was immersed in her work. She instructed the model, "Pose more to the left, please," as she captured the perfect shot. The phone rang, breaking her concentration. She lowered the camera and told the model to take a break.

Doona stepped outside and answered the call with a sigh. "I don't have money yet; I'll send it when I can."

Her brother, Yong-Jun, spoke from the other end. "I'm not calling about your debt. Why aren't you home yet? We have something important to discuss."

Doona scratched her head in frustration. "I'm busy, Oppa. I'll be home later."

Before Yong-Jun could respond, she ended the call. He sighed, muttering to himself, "How annoying my sister is."

Doona pushed open the door to her family home, her mind still buzzing from the day's work. She walked into the dining room, where her brother Yong-Jun and their mother were seated at the table.

Yong-Jun looked up, irritation clear on his face. "What took you so long?"

Doona sighed heavily, taking a seat beside him. "I had to work overtime to pay off my debt to you."

Turning to her mother, Doona asked, "What's the matter, Eomma?"

Mrs. Bae took a deep breath, her expression serious. "There's something important I need to tell you."

"What is it, Eomma?" Doona asked, her curiosity piqued.

Mrs. Bae began, "When you were young and Harabeoji was still alive, he made a promise to a man named Mr. Cho."

"Who is this Mr. Cho?" Yong-Jun interjected, confusion etched on his face.

Mrs. Bae explained, "As far as I know, Mr. Cho is the man whose life your Harabeoji saved when he was working as a bodyguard."

Doona leaned forward, intrigued. "And what's the promise?"

Mrs. Bae hesitated before continuing, "The promise was that if they had grandchildren, those grandchildren would marry each other."

Both Doona and Yong-Jun exchanged incredulous looks. Doona, trying to lighten the mood, teased, "Congratulations, Yong-Jun."

Yong-Jun shot back, his voice filled with surprise, "What are you talking about, Eomma?"

Mrs. Bae sighed, her gaze steady. "Mr. Cho has a grandson."

The realization dawned on Doona, and she felt a wave of shock wash over her. "Wait, you mean...?"

Mrs. Bae nodded, confirming her fears. "Yes, Doona. Mr. Cho's grandson."

Seung-Woo sat at his desk in his room, surrounded by the hum of his engineering work. However, his attention kept drifting to the file that lay untouched on the table, containing information about his future bride. With a sigh, he reached for it, his curiosity getting the better of him. Slowly, he opened the file and began to read through the papers detailing her background.

As he skimmed through the details, his gaze lingered on her photograph. He couldn't help but feel a mix of apprehension and curiosity about the woman who was destined to be his wife.

Then, his eyes fell on the section detailing her workplace...

In the morning, Seung-Woo stepped out of his personal car, dressed casually, in front of a building. As he opened the door, a woman greeted him warmly. She introduced herself as Bae Doona, the photographer. Seung-Woo returned the greeting politely, stating that he was here for a profile photo.

Doona stepped away from her desk and glanced at Seung-Woo's outfit. "What kind of profile photo do you need?" she asked with a smile.

Seung-Woo, slightly flustered, replied, "Uh, it's for my job."

Understanding dawned on Doona's face. "Ah, an ID picture, you say."

Seung-Woo nodded. "That's it."

Doona escorted him inside the studio and gestured for him to sit at the table in front of the camera and reflector. As she set up the equipment, she politely asked, "So, what's the nature of your work?"

"I'm an engineer," Seung-Woo replied.

Nodding, Doona found a hard hat and handed it to him. "You might need this," she said, encouraging him to wear it. "I'll take a shot with and without it."

Seung-Woo nodded and put on the hard hat. Doona adjusted the camera and instructed him, "Don't look too stiff. Try to smile comfortably."

Seung-Woo followed her instructions, smiling as naturally as he could as Doona clicked the camera. Then she said, "Now, no smile please."

Seung-Woo complied, and Doona commented, "You look handsome when you smile. But it seems like you don't smile that much."

Seung-Woo was taken aback. "What—"

Doona smiled and waved it off. "Nothing..."

The photoshoot concluded, and they moved to the front of the studio. Doona mentioned she would send the edited photos to his company office or his house. Seung-Woo handed her his calling card.

Looking at the card, Doona was surprised to see the company name. "I have a serious problem with this company," she remarked.

Seung-Woo felt a pang of nervousness. "Oh, well..."

Doona glanced up, addressing him as "Mr. Gong," referring to the name on his secretary's card. "I'll be meeting with your higher-ups soon," she said.

Seung-Woo nodded. "You must be very important."

Doona replied, "Well, I am. My mom said that her future relies on them, and their future relies on her."

Seung-Woo smiled at the sentiment, but as he caught Doona's gaze, he quickly composed himself.