His CEO

domino

"Are you sure you're not gonna answer that? Your phone's been ringing the whole morning."

I sighed and shook my head as an answer to Hyekyo. "I need to focus on this campaign," I answered briefly, and I drank my coffee. My days had clouded into a relentless cycle of meetings, photo shoots, and brainstorming sessions. The ad campaign consumed every waking moment, leaving little room for anything else.

"I will wait for you, Jihyo."

I smirked as I remembered his words. "They all say the same cliché lines," I muttered, then continued typing on my laptop. "It's so annoying," I said even further. "There's no way he immediately fell in love with me right away."

"Hmm." I heard Hyekyo react. "Think about it, Kwangsoo is close to him, who happens to be our cousin, and your best friend, Yejin, is also somehow related to him like his own sister. The chances are pretty high for you to see each other once in a while."

"Those are just mere coincidences. I didn't even know he's that 'hyung' Kwangsoo likes to talk about."

"It takes two to tango, remember that. If you don't want to be with him or you just need space, then tell him. One small misunderstanding can lead to a series of problems. If you don't talk to him soon, you might find yourself facing bigger issues down the line."

I furrowed my brows. "Where did you learn all of this?"

"I surprisingly learned from what's happening with my colleagues," she replied. "And from my sister's past relationships."

"Yah!"

"I'm telling the truth!" Hyekyo defended herself. "What happened during the party anyway? Didn't he introduce you to his father already?"

I went back to what happened that night. "His father was surprisingly nice. He even invited me for golf," I started. "Jiah looks so elegant, but I haven't met his mother, though."

"Aish, I remembered her again."

"Who? Jiah?"

"No, Insung-ssi's mother."

"What's the matter with her?"

"Well, it happened a few years ago, during my second year of fellowship. I was doing my rounds when there was a sudden commotion in the ER. It turns out Lee Haesoo, his mother, came in with a minor injury. The nurse on duty tried to prioritize a high emergency case patient, but Haesoo lost her temper and ended up hurting the nurse."

I looked at Hyekyo in disbelief. "She did that?"

"Yes," Hyekyo nodded. "When I arrived, the nurse was already injured. Haesoo was shouting about her status and demanding special treatment. She claimed she had shares in the hospital, even though they were Chairman Jo's. I had to step in and handle the situation."

"I didn't expect that from her," I said. "That must have been awful."

"It was challenging, and Chairman Jo even went to the hospital to settle things privately to not let anyone leak what happened," Hyekyo admitted. "Anyway, I'm off to work. Are you sure you'll be alright here?"

I nodded. "I'll be fine. I'll go to the office again later anyway," I assured her. I've been staying here for the past two weeks. I found it suffocating to stay in my unit, so I chose to come here to have someone to talk to or at least get some fresh air in the morning.