Cha Hayeon woke up with a start, her heart beating faster than usual. Today wasn't just any day—it was her first official day as a junior employee at the Seoul headquarters of HMM Corporation, her family's company. But the thrill that made her heart flutter had nothing to do with spreadsheets or reports.
It was him.
Her prince charming? Maybe that was too cliché… Perhaps he was simply the one person she was most eager to see today—Nam Jihoon.
She stood in front of her wardrobe for nearly an hour, pulling out outfit after outfit, only to reject each one. This one was too flashy. That one, too strong. No… she had to look sweet today. Gentle. Like someone innocent, harmless, even a little naive. The exact opposite of what she truly was.
She finally settled on a white ruffled blouse paired with a black pencil skirt and elegant heels. The look was perfectly calculated—a bubbly junior employee, the kind Jihoon might not be suspicious of, and the kind he might even… like.
After one last glance in the mirror—lips lightly tinted, eyes wide, and her smile warm but rehearsed—she left.
---
The company lobby was bustling as usual, but her entrance didn't go unnoticed. She walked in, escorted by Mr. Kim, a senior manager and a trusted associate of her father. He'd known her since childhood and was one of the few who understood exactly what she was pretending to be today.
With a smile, Mr. Kim introduced her to various team members as the new junior employee. Everyone greeted her warmly, some a little dazzled by her looks, others by her sweetness. And then came the moment she was waiting for.
"Cha Hayeon, you'll be working under Team Leader Nam Jihoon's guidance," Mr. Kim said.
Her heart skipped a beat. Perfect.
Mr. Kim led her to a quiet team area where Jihoon sat, focused on his screen. He looked up as they approached, and when their eyes met, her breath caught. That smile—soft, pure, polite—was exactly how she remembered it. Yet something was missing in his gaze.
"Team Leader Nam, this is Cha Hayeon," Mr. Kim said. "She's starting today. She'll be reporting to you."
Jihoon smiled warmly, extending a hand. "Welcome to the team."
"Th-thank you," Hayeon replied, her voice uncharacteristically small. She bowed slightly, her face flushed just enough to appear endearing. Her performance was flawless, but a small, sharp pang echoed in her chest. He doesn't remember me.
For a brief moment, she stood there, frozen. Her mind scrambled to adjust to the fact that the man she'd spent an entire day with—a day that had meant so much to her—didn't even recognize her.
"Cha Hayeon," Mr. Kim coughed gently, raising an eyebrow. "Snap out of it."
She blinked rapidly, forcing herself to look away. "Sorry!"
---
Jihoon began assigning her simple tasks—basic reports, document formatting, a bit of scheduling. She threw herself into the work with an energy that wasn't entirely fake. After all, he was the reason she was here. She wanted to impress him. To make him notice her. To be someone he could trust and smile at again.
And he did.
After submitting her first completed file, she watched his eyes scan the pages. Then, he looked up, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.
"You did a really good job, Cha Hayeon," he said kindly.
That was it. That one sentence.
Fireworks. Butterflies. Heaven. She couldn't explain it, but it felt like her world had just been lifted.
---
Days passed, and she became a familiar face in the office—bubbly, kind, always smiling. Everyone adored her. Her reports were neat, her attitude sunny, and her beauty didn't go unnoticed either. People complimented her, invited her to lunch, even asked for help.
But none of them knew who she really was.
Her true self remained hidden, masked by the perfect performance she'd perfected. The only truth she held close to her heart was her growing feelings for Jihoon.
---
One afternoon, she brought Jihoon his daily report. It was then that she noticed it—bruises.
They were faint, but unmistakable. Visible just below his shirt cuff, and a chilling realization gripped her heart. Her smile faltered, her eyes darkening. The air around her seemed to grow colder.
Her expression—usually so sweet and warm—transformed into something sharper, more dangerous. A quiet storm was brewing beneath the surface.
But she said nothing. She simply nodded and handed over the papers before leaving.
Once out of his sight, she stepped into a quiet corridor and pulled out her phone.
"Find out who did that to Jihoon," she ordered, her voice steely. "Right now. Report to me within the hour."
---
Exactly one hour later, her phone buzzed.
"Yes?" Her voice remained calm, but her eyes burned with a quiet fury.
On the other end, her man replied, "It's Kang Doyeon, one of the senior staff. He's been giving Jihoon a hard time for months now—jealousy, mostly. The real trigger was a recent project. Both submitted proposals, but only Jihoon's got approved by the top management. Doyun's was rejected, and he hasn't taken it well."
Silence.
Then, in a voice cold and composed:
"Kang Doyeon… hurting someone just because they outshined him?"
Her expression expression darkened.
"That was his first and last mistake."
She hung up with finality. Without another word, she turned, walking back into the office with fire in her veins and a plan already beginning to form.