Roommates and Secrets

Part 2

The usual hum of the office was quieter than usual as the morning sun filtered through the tall windows of Namjoon’s sleek, modern office. He sat behind his massive desk, the weight of his responsibilities heavy on his shoulders as he rifled through the papers piled in front of him. His eyes skimmed over the pages, picking up on a few irregularities that seemed minor at first glance but made him pause.

A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts.

“Come in,” Namjoon called, his voice commanding.

His manager, Mr. Kang, entered, holding a file with a concerned expression. “Sir, we have a problem with this contract,” Mr. Kang said, placing the file in front of Namjoon.

Namjoon leaned forward, brows furrowing as he flipped through the pages. As he read the document, his frown deepened, and his usual calm demeanour began to crack. The error wasn’t small, it was significant. A misplaced figure, a miscalculation, something so crucial it could jeopardize an entire deal they had spent months securing.

“Who prepared this?” Namjoon’s voice was cold, sharp like a blade. He rarely let his emotions show, but today, the pressure of his role as CEO was starting to wear on him.

“Your secretary, Jeon Yn, sir,” Mr. Kang replied, standing stiffly. He knew how much this deal meant to the company.

Namjoon’s jaw tightened at the mention of Yn’s name. Yn, his childhood best friend and roommate, had always been meticulous with her work. She was his secretary, but she was also his equal in many ways — at least outside of work. At home, they bickered, with her usually getting the last word. But here, in the office, things were different. He couldn’t afford to let personal feelings interfere with business.

“Call her in,” Namjoon ordered, his tone hardening.

The manager left swiftly, and Namjoon leaned back in his chair, exhaling a deep breath. His thoughts ran wild. How could Yn have made such a mistake? She was usually so careful. The tension in his chest built as he waited for her to enter, his fingers tapping impatiently on the desk.

Moments later, the door opened, and Yn stepped in, her expression calm yet curious, unaware of the storm she was about to face.

“Sir, you called for me?” Yn’s voice was steady, but Namjoon could see the flicker of nervousness in her eyes as she noticed the atmosphere in the room. His cold expression, combined with the presence of the manager, immediately put her on edge.

Namjoon pushed the file toward her, his eyes dark with frustration. “Yn, explain this,” he demanded, not giving her a chance to sit.

She glanced at the file and immediately recognized it. It was the contract she had prepared. Her stomach dropped. Namjoon was never this tense unless something was seriously wrong.

“I prepared that file, sir,” she said, her voice quiet but firm.

Namjoon’s gaze didn’t soften. If anything, it grew more intense. “There’s an error in it. A very big error. This mistake could cost us the contract we’ve been working on for months.” His voice was low but harsh, and Yn flinched internally. She didn’t need to look at the file to know what he was talking about.

Her heart pounded in her chest, but she couldn’t show it. “I’ll fix it immediately,” she said, keeping her tone professional.

“You’ll fix it before lunch,” Namjoon snapped, leaning forward, his voice rising. “We cannot afford this kind of carelessness, Yn. I expect better from you.” His words felt like ice, and she could feel the cold sting of his disapproval cutting through her.

Yn’s face flushed with embarrassment, especially with the manager standing there, witnessing the scolding. She had never seen Namjoon like this before — not toward her, at least. At home, he was her goofy, caring best friend, the one who knew all her secrets. But here, in the cold light of the office, he was her boss, and right now, he was furious.

She swallowed hard and nodded, trying to hide the sting of his words. “Understood, Mr. Kim. I’ll have it ready before lunch.”

“Good,” he said curtly, dismissing her without so much as a glance.

Yn quickly left his cabin, her heart pounding in her chest. As soon as the door closed behind her, she exhaled sharply, her hands trembling slightly. She had never felt this kind of pressure from Namjoon before. He was strict, yes, but never this cold. The weight of his words hung over her like a storm cloud as she returned to her desk.

She knew the error wasn’t something she could fix within just a couple of hours, but she had no choice. Namjoon’s orders were absolute, and she would never let her personal relationship with him interfere with her professional duties. No one in the company knew about their living arrangement, and they both kept it that way to maintain professionalism.

With a determined sigh, Yn set to work, ignoring her rumbling stomach as lunchtime came and went. She was too focused, too anxious to eat. She worked tirelessly, her eyes scanning the document over and over, ensuring every detail was perfect this time.

By the time she finally submitted the corrected file, it was late in the afternoon. She hadn’t eaten, hadn’t taken a break, but she didn’t care. She just wanted the day to be over.