STRICTLY BUSINESS.『 kjm × bjh 』

03 | of limits and stand-offs

MOST PEOPLE KNOW WHEN IT'S time to stretch out their arms, yawn, and call it a day after a hard day's work.—Junmyeon wasn't part of that said majority, unfortunately. It was unfortunate for both him and his assistant, Joohyun, who had only started working for him less than a month ago with an eager mindset but now is desperately trying to finish all the work that's been given to her by her one and only boss who she is simultaneously trying not to throw an ultimatum on every chance she gets. Junmyeon tends to work more than the usual ten hours every office employee abides by daily to just get their day done with. Bae Joohyun—that poor girl—didn't know how much of a real workaholic the president of the KJH Group really was... Or more specifically, how much of a genuine pain in the ass he really was.

The tensions that brewed between the two were always high. They've made it clear to one another, ever since their little moment in that convenience store on the first day they met, that a budding friendship between them was never likely to happen anytime soon. They haven't been working together long enough to really figure out whether they can actually create a normal relationship but with their efforts so far, the chances are excruciatingly slim.

She thinks he's trying to overwork her on purpose to get her to crack and quit but in reality, he's just trying to get things done in his own way and that snarky little attitude of his is something he's had ever since God knows when. Whereas he thinks she's being obedient and upbeat all the time just to rub it in his face that she isn't bothered or scared of any of the bullshit he throws at her when she's just being her professional and magnanimous self.

Their personalities just oppose to each other so much. Junmyeon is the type of person who likes to be alone a lot; is usually quiet and reserved, spending most of his time solving problems with intricate strategies and very specific ways on how to go about it while Joohyun is the type of person who likes to talk her way out of things; is very spontaneous and energetically quick-witted, ready to take on any challenge as she goes.

That being said, it really does stir confusion in people's heads, especially Junmyeon's, when they see how oddly great they are when working together.

You'd associate their personalities with water and oil, but when you think of their work ethics, you won't be able to think of a more perfect combination. His determination, smarts, and charisma with her diligence, resourcefulness, and sharpness seems like the formula for success in a corporate environment; a formula both of them fail to see and so blindly execute each day.

While they do their best to steer clear of misunderstandings and drama between them, it's unavoidable given that they practically challenged each other within the first 6 hours of crossing paths. The petty indirects and subtle remarks can only go so far until one of them reaches their limit. To them, it's become more a competition to see who can get the other one to yield first.

Joohyun shares the sentiments of everyone else who's had the pleasure of meeting President Kim. He comes across as arrogant, rude, and suffers a mean superiority complex. What's different with Joohyun though, is that unlike the majority of the people who opt to "know" their place and surrender to Junmyeon's might, she doesn't keep her feelings to herself. Maybe that's why Junmyeon has taken this as a real challenge to test both him and Joohyun. He wasn't able to set the grounds he wanted to set and that irritated him more than it concerned him.

Junmyeon's past assistants had those victim mentalities and time bomb tempers, but not Joohyun. She was actually tolerating every single bit of whatever Junmyeon tells her to do. As much as it relieved him to finally find a non-whiner assistant, it seriously bothered him too. Joohyun had an attitude that he didn't expect her to have as evident as it was on the first 24 hours of working with one another. She was passive aggressive and she was stubborn but it was at a moderation that Junmyeon could accept. He really wondered how long can she really last? It drove him nuts on some nights. The great KJH Group heir tends to overthink too. Maybe this was what she meant by asking how long could he tolerate her in that convenience store...