Heart Strings | Jungkook ff

Chap 1• The Deadline

There's a certain feeling you get when you know you're about to walk into the lion's den. That's exactly how I felt as I stood outside my boss's office, waiting for the inevitable doom. Except, instead of a lion, it was Ms. Kang-head of HBC News Center and, honestly, the queen of mixed signals.

Next to me, Cha Eun-woo stood calmly, scrolling through his phone like he didn't have a care in the world. Of course, he didn't. Ms. Kang loved him. I, on the other hand, had no such luck.

"Why are you so calm?" I muttered, casting him a side-eye. "Aren't you even a little nervous?"

Eun-woo gave me a lazy grin, shoving his phone into his pocket. "Nervous? Why? It's not like I'm the one hanging on to my job by a thread."

I glared at him. "Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence."

Before I could add a sarcastic remark, Ms. Kang's door swung open. There she was, looking as unbothered as ever, sipping her iced Americano like it was the key to eternal life.

"Seo-jin, Eun-woo, come in," she said, not bothering to look up from her computer.

I exchanged a look with Eun-woo, who gave me a little shrug as if to say, *Relax, you're not being fed to sharks-yet.*

We stepped into her office, and as soon as we did, I felt it-the difference in the way she treated us. She gestured to the plush leather chair for Eun-woo, the one that looked like it was meant for royalty, while I was left standing awkwardly beside him.

"Sit down, Seo-jin," she finally said, pointing to a much smaller, much less comfortable chair across from Eun-woo's. It squeaked as I sat down, just to complete the moment.

"Let's get to the point," Ms. Kang began, leaning back in her chair as if she was about to deliver some earth-shattering news. "Eun-woo, your last report was stellar. The coverage on the political scandal? Brilliant."

Eun-woo beamed, leaning back in his throne-like chair. I tried not to roll my eyes.

"And you, Seo-jin," Ms. Kang continued, her tone shifting slightly. I braced myself. "You're... doing okay."

*Okay.* Ouch.

I forced a smile, trying not to let my discomfort show. "Thank you, Ms. Kang."

"Here's the thing," she said, her eyes darting between the two of us. "HBC needs a big story. A *jackpot* story, something that'll blow every other network out of the water. Eun-woo's been on fire lately, so I'm not worried about him."

I shot Eun-woo a look. He smirked.

"But you, Seo-jin," Ms. Kang continued, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You're slipping. You haven't delivered anything major in months. And that's a problem."

I felt the familiar knot tightening in my stomach. This was it. She was going to fire me. Right here. Right now.

"So, I'm giving you two months."

I blinked. "Two months?"

"Yes. Two months to find a groundbreaking story. A headline-worthy, sensational piece. If you don't, well... we'll have to reconsider your place here."

I swallowed hard. "Got it. Two months."

"And just to make it clear," she added, "I don't want any run-of-the-mill stories. I want *fireworks*. Drama. Scandal. Something that makes people sit up and pay attention."

Great. No pressure.

Ms. Kang glanced at Eun-woo, her face softening again. "Eun-woo, feel free to give her a hand if she needs it."

Eun-woo winked at me. "Of course, Ms. Kang. Always happy to help."

I shot him a look that said *I'm going to kill you* as soon as we were out of the office. He only smiled wider.

Ms. Kang stood up, signaling that the meeting was over. "Alright, you two. Get back to work."

I stood up, my chair giving one last squeak of protest as I did. "Thank you, Ms. Kang," I muttered, already feeling the weight of the deadline hanging over me.

Eun-woo followed me out, his hands casually stuffed into his pockets like this was just another walk in the park.

As soon as the door closed behind us, I turned to him. "Can you believe that? *Two months!*"

Eun-woo chuckled. "Relax, Seo-jin. You've got this."

I groaned, pressing my palms to my temples. "I'm going to get fired."

"Not if I'm around to save you," he teased, ruffling my hair.

I swatted his hand away. "I don't need saving. I just need a story."

He paused, looking thoughtful for a second. "Then maybe... you should check out this text."

I raised an eyebrow as he pulled out his phone and handed it to me. My eyes widened as I read the message.

*Something big is happening at the Jeon Marine Group. Meeting room at the Jeon San Building. Tomorrow. You didn't hear it from me.*

My heart raced. Jeon Marine Group? What was going on there? This could be it. My big break.

"Where did you get this?" I asked, my mind already racing with possibilities.

Eun-woo shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "A little birdie."

"Well, whatever bird it is," I muttered, "I think it's about to save my job."

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