The office at Pledis Corporation was a war zone and not because of numbers, sales, or competition.
No, the real battlefield was the break room, at exactly 9:07 a.m., when Joshua Hong's perfectly crafted cold brew Custom beans, oat milk, one singular ice cube would mysteriously vanish from the communal fridge.
And the culprit?
"Morning, Princess!" chirped Seokmin, department head of Marketing and human Sunshine, as he waltzed past Joshua's desk with Joshua's coffee in hand. Again.
Joshua looked up slowly, his black-rimmed glasses slipping down his nose just enough to make him look like he'd personally banish you with a spreadsheet. He didn't say a word. Just narrowed his eyes and let out a cold, sharp inhale.
"You look... murdery," Seokmin grinned, taking a loud, obnoxious sip of the coffee. "Is that Dior cologne or just the smell of vengeance?"
"Touch my coffee again, and I will report you for harassment," Joshua said flatly, though his tone was dry like a martini.
"You'd have to admit you cared first," Seokmin winked, walking off with the same swagger he used in team meetings to sell disastrous pitch ideas that somehow always worked.
Joshua turned back to his screen, clenching his jaw.
By week four, the entire floor had caught on.
Their coworkers began placing bets Would Joshua finally snap? Would Seokmin flirt his way out of another warning? Would they kill each other or make out in the conference room?
"I heard Joshua threw a stapler at Seokmin last Thursday," whispered Mingyu in the break room. "He dodged it. Smiling."
"I wish that were true," Jeonghan muttered.
But it wasn't all hate. Well, it was at least, it looked like it.
What no one knew was that Seokmin had a growing habit of leaning too close during meetings, his hand resting behind Joshua's chair. What no one saw was the time Joshua had accidentally brushed against Seokmin's hip in the hallway and neither of them moved away. And what no one heard were the moments in the conference room where the silence got a little too heavy.
It finally happened on a rainy Wednesday.
Joshua walked in, coat drenched from the rain, heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. He was late, and the office buzzed with the usual morning energy. Like every morning, he expected the familiar comfort of his coffee waiting for him carefully brewed, the perfect temperature, and placed neatly on his desk by one of the considerate office assistants.
But, the desk was empty
His eyes snapped to Seokmin's desk. The man was leaned back in his chair, sipping.
Joshua stormed over, snatched the cup from his hand, and dumped it in the trash.
"What the hell, Joshua?" Seokmin asked, blinking.
"You think everything's a joke, don't you?" Joshua hissed. "My coffee. My time. My patience. You act like the world will revolve around your smile if you just beam wide enough."
Seokmin stood, voice calm but gaze sharp. "And you walk around like you're untouchable. Like no one deserves to be near you unless they meet some invisible checklist you've written in designer ink."
The air snapped between them.
"You really hate me that much?" Seokmin asked.
Joshua stepped forward. "I wish I hated you."
