Chapter 10

The moment Chae-eun saw the man enter the meeting room, her body went rigid like stone.

A crisp shirt, unhurried steps. His signature cold gaze brushed over her face for a brief second before sliding away.

He answered her greeting with a slight bow of his head, then took the seat of honor.

The other attendees hurried to sit down as well. Chae-eun sat in a daze, barely managing to rein in the panic spreading across her face.

“The executive originally in charge of this advertising project was Executive Director Cha Gye-oh, but due to his injury, it was decided he couldn’t handle a long term schedule. I’ll be taking his place. Starting today, I’ll be overseeing the collaboration project with VOUME Planning for the next two months. I’m Executive Director Cha Jae-oh.”

Applause broke out at Jae-oh’s opening remarks. Chae-eun clapped along like she was possessed. Seeing the slight curve of his lips, a creeping sense of unease bloomed.

* * *

She was clearly flustered, even though she was trying hard not to show it. Kang Chae-eun fiddled uselessly with her laptop, pretending to focus on something else.

He’d lost his mind when Kang Chae-eun had thrown herself at him, blurting out that he’d go ahead with the contract without properly checking her skills or portfolio.

Sure, he’d probably said a few convincing things here and there, but honestly, the urge to get tangled up with her had been stronger than any rational reason.

Alcohol, a beautiful woman. There was no way he’d been in his right mind that night.

Even as he signed the contract and handed it over, he’d been angry at himself. If he’d been thinking clearly, he would’ve reviewed Kang Chae-eun far more thoroughly, considering she’d be handling such an important collaboration.

Instead of finalizing the deal on the spot, he should’ve compared her proposal with others.

Still, backing out of a verbal agreement wasn’t an option. He couldn’t risk rumors spreading that Executive Director Cha Jae-oh of J Electronics had a one night stand with a mid level advertising executive.

He only looked through her proposal and portfolio after the deal was signed.

It was a fatal mistake.

On top of that, Kang Chae-eun had even gone on a blind date with the brother of the man she’d slept with.

Thanks to that, Jae-oh was in a foul mood.

He slowly looked her over, thinking all he needed was one opening.

Even her outfit left him speechless. A clean white tee with an oversized blazer thrown on casually.

She’d really come prepared for that first meeting.

“As VOUME Planning has likely already identified, J Electronics has been receiving feedback that its overall image feels outdated compared to our competitor Pineapple. This isn’t just domestically, but overseas as well.”

He knew it was unrealistic to target all age groups while also chasing trendiness.

But a bold advertising campaign could definitely help break away from that image.

That campaign would be Chae-eun’s responsibility.

As the meeting began, her eyes sharpened as if nothing had happened. She didn’t even avoid Jae-oh’s gaze.

“Starting with the Gelion series model, depending on performance, we’re also considering expanding the contract to cover all products.”

Gelion was a premium smartphone line with deep history and tradition, dating back to when J Electronics first developed smartphones.

At that bold proposal, Chae-eun’s eyes sparkled. Without realizing it, his gaze drifted to her fingers typing on the laptop.

He’d come like a damn dog all over those hands. Had she washed them properly. The pointless thought caught him off guard.

The soft sounds she’d made every time he touched her, the way her slim waist had flinched whenever he rubbed against her with his cock, kept flashing through his mind.

The more he looked at her, the prettier she seemed.

She looked prettier today than on the blind date, and prettier on the blind date than that night.

Her thick hair flowed all the way down to her waist, a few strands slipping toward her face. When her pale fingers brushed through it, he forgot where he was and felt himself stiffen.

“Executive Director Kang Chae-eun will be overseeing the advertising portion and will be holding weekly meetings with me.”

For the first time, he was already looking forward to next week. Just imagining being alone with Chae-eun in his office made his blood boil.

He regretted the unfinished sex now. If he’d had a condom, he could’ve explored that beautiful body inch by inch.

“Here’s the new product design.”

Pulling himself together, Jae-oh introduced the smartphone displayed on the screen.

“You’ve likely already reviewed the product, so I’d like to pick up the pace. I’d like to hear Director Kang Chae-eun’s feedback.”

He’d thrown the question out to catch her off guard. He wanted to find a flaw in her answer. If she blindly praised the design or pointed out something ridiculous, he planned to call it out openly.

But Chae-eun didn’t falter at all. Instead, she replied in an even steadier voice.

“I’ll start with the color. Consumer reactions have been negative enough that they’ve earned nicknames like delivery truck blue and brick red. These colors go beyond simple tackiness. They directly clash with the brand identity to the point they’re being consumed as memes.”

Tension rippled through the room at her blunt evaluation.

“The protruding camera showcases technical prowess, but at the same time it destroys aesthetics. Consumers don’t remember the brand. They mock the failure. I think the first task should be a full overhaul of the design team.”

Cold, but valid. Sharp, but without anything to object to. He set down the pen he’d been holding, wondering if she really was someone who’d won a contract with her body, and took a deep breath.

Kang Chae-eun gave no opening, delivering an answer that balanced logic and emotion.

“However, the product has already launched, so from here on, we need to win through marketing. That’s why I was dispatched.”

After asking for permission, Chae-eun connected her tablet to the screen.

A proposal filled with concrete concepts and roughly sketched storyboards appeared large on the display.

“I plan to design an ad targeting people in their twenties and thirties. J Electronics sets its core audience broadly, but to leverage the reach of social media, targeting younger consumers for viral impact is the most effective approach. I’ll present the first concept draft at next week’s meeting.”

It felt hollow.

Kang Chae-eun was a far more solid, competent planner than he’d expected. If anything, he’d been so trapped in the afterimage of that night that he hadn’t properly assessed her abilities.

The brief meeting came to an end.

The gazes directed at Kang Chae-eun all carried different meanings.

Jae-oh, in particular, scanned the looks in the male employees’ eyes and subtly furrowed his brow.

She was this perfectly beautiful even to him. There was no way those other bastards saw her any differently.

“Good work, everyone. We’ll wrap up the meeting here.”

The meeting ended after just an hour. He’d planned to drag it out and pick at every detail, but it had been clean and concise.

Relief and disappointment hit him at the same time.

The lingering scent of that night kept brushing his nose. Jae-oh slowly stood up. The employees followed suit.

Chae-eun did as well.

After giving a slight bow, Jae-oh left the meeting room.

On the way back to his office, her face stayed on his mind. He wanted to keep looking at her flushed cheeks, the way she couldn’t even meet his eyes again once the meeting ended, but he held back.

He’d have to retract that comment about her lobbying with her body. If that night hadn’t happened, he might’ve nearly lost a solid planner right in front of him.

* * *

Friday arrived. That meant the chaotic week had finally come to an end.

“Director Chae-eun, are you all wrapped up?”

“Yeah. I was just about to head out. I finally shut down that awful computer.”

“I worked overtime three times just this week. I’m planning to kill three bottles of soju tonight.”

The advertising planning team was heading out for a long awaited company dinner. About twenty team members left right after clocking out and headed to a reserved charcoal grilled Korean beef restaurant, their senses overwhelmed by the heavy scent of meat.

“It’s been a while since Friday felt this welcome.”

“Same. Fridays are always good, but this week almost killed me.”

“I’m sorry. I asked for too much, didn’t I?”

Song Jihyun, sitting across from Chae-eun, shook her head.

“Director Chae-eun worked the hardest. It must’ve been uncomfortable adjusting to a new environment too.”

“Thank you for saying that. In that case, have a drink.”

“Do you like drinking?”

Song quickly held out her soju glass. Chae-eun filled it, then poured her own with a meaningful smile.

“Oh! I was going to pour for you.”

“I’m really thirsty right now. Just this once. Assistant Manager, you too. Manager as well.”

The employees at the neighboring table stood and extended their glasses toward Chae-eun. The team praised her top tier social skills as she effortlessly led the dinner atmosphere.