That bright, sunny and warm summer day in Seoul for some people was not that joyful at all. Inside one of the high-rise, remotely built and modern skyscrapers, people were feverishly working, desperately trying to do their job and keep up with the sudden situation, that was so unwelcome in this line of work.
Secretaries with short pencil skirts barely managed to make coffee for their bosses and the frocky faces almost became a dress code. One young secretary in particular thoroughly picked up wired phone buttons, trying to find the owner of all this mess.
Meanwhile, a blue eyed brunette bought a cup of cheap coffee from a nearby coffee machine, noticing the reception secretary. He fixed his crisp white button-up and approached the said girl.
"Good morning, Areum. Did you hear from Daechul?", he asked hopefully. Areum turned from the phone to face the man and sighed, it felt like, for a hundredth time that morning.
"No, sir Kang, we are still trying to find him. I tried to reach him through the phone countless times, but still nothing", she shook her head apologetically. Mr Kang sighed.
"Well, when he finally appears, please make sure to tell him that we are waiting for him in his meeting room. If he does not ask what's going on, do not say anything," he said, gulping down his drink. That liquid was a poor excuse of coffee for sure. He shook his head and threw a paper cup in the rubbish bin, before turning towards the elevator.
Areum pursed her lips and straightened her formal black dress.
"Good morning, Areum," heard the secretary and turned her dark haired head towards the voice. She recognised a raven haired man with dark bags under his brown eyes. Mr. Moon.
"Good morning, Mr. Moon."
"I'm Ilsung", said the lanky man and Areum smiled. "Has Daechul already arrived?"
Areum's smile faded. She shook her head slowly.
"Not yet, Ilsung. He does not pick up his phone."
Ilsung only shrugged his shoulders.
"Well then. What about Jinwoo?"
"A few minutes earlier he bought coffee from that coffee maker over there".
Ilsung smiled.
"The only good news I heard all this morning. Are they already preparing for the meeting?", asked the guy.
"Yes, you are already late, actually", replied Areum.
"Well, I will still be there before Jungkook," winked Ilsung, and it made Areum's eyes sparkle. Even if he looked deadly tired, Ilsung never forgot to smile. The observant girl knew it was because of Jinwoo. However, they both were completely oblivious to each other's feelings.
"What is going on in there?! Ilsung!" a manly voice did not seem to dissolve any fear. If anything, most workers, including Ilsung and Areum, sighed with clear relief.
"Daechul, finally. Where were you?", curiously asked the raven head.
"You know what my mother is like. All the way to the office I was forced to listen to her constant pleads over the same question. She needs something I can not give" Daechul's disappointed speech looked like a great opportunity to turn the topic into a more beneficial way for Ilsung.
"Did she try to persuade you to marry some rich girl again?"
The CEO sighed.
"Yes, she is - wait. You're doing it again, Ilsung".
The said man licked his lips.
"We are late to the meeting."
"I did not invite any meeting."
Well, here it is.
"I know. The Finance Department has called for it," cautiously announced the pale man.
Daechul's expression gradually got furious. Ilsung gulped. This won't end well.
"How much?", he asked way too calmly.
"Daechul-"
"For fucks sake, Ilsung, tell me the amount now, or I'll figure it out myself!" roared a dark eyed man.
Areum started fearing for all of their lives.
Ilsung put both of his hands on each shoulders of the man to calm him down.
"I'll tell you, but only if you relax a little. You can not afford to rage in front of all your workers."
"Hell, Ilsung-"
"Daechul, please."
Daechul released a slow sigh.
"I'm calm."
Ilsung looked at his friend and told the amount, knowing that it would certainly hit another wave of rage.
Daechul has never known how to deal with anger properly, and this has become a big problem in situations like this. While he was still a little boy, Daechul never experienced such anger, but it began with the death of his father. He was fifteen then.
Hyun Sungwoon was a mafia boss, who had climbed his way up from a scrawny drug delivery boy, to a powerful boss that was feared in almost all of Korea. But ultimately, one evening Hyun Sungwoon did not come back home. His body was found the next day. He was killed in his own office, a stab wound in his neck.
Daechul was convinced that these dirty money killed him, and in order to find the murderer, the guy got into his father's drug business. With an excuse, that, just a year after her husband died, his mother brought home another man.
Daechul hated Siwon for changing his father's place so easily, and, after celebrating his eighteenth birthday, he moved out of the family house and successfully started his own business. At first he refused to acknowledge his mother even a slightest bit, but over time, Daechul realized that he did not want to lose the rest of the family and rebuilt their relationship.
As Daechul started to earn money from drugs, he bought a campaign for a tourist agency and a large house as a cover. Then he met Ilsung, Kangmin and Jinwoo. They worked at the agency whose share he bought and quickly got together with their new boss.
Daechul's life was going so smoothly (not mentioning his mother's pleas to marry and conceive grandkids), when everything was suddenly damaged by the theft ...
"15 million. Forgive me, Daechul," said Ilsung, and turned to Areum.
"Tell them we are coming, okay?"
The girl hurried to do the task, while Ilsung took Daechul away from the eyes of the staff.
"I can't believe it," murmured Daechul as they went towards the lifts. How did this happen?
Daechul was calm only for a while, and Ilsung knew that.
"Our security cameras didn't notice the criminals, so it became clear that the thieves broke into our office system," said the pale man, and pressed the lift button.
Daechul was filled with anger and frustration to the brim, but the man remained calm.
"Have you interviewed employees?"
When the elevator's door finally opened, both friends climbed in and clicked the button 50. Ilsung turned to Daechul.
"A few of them haven't yet arrived, so you'll have to wait a bit and hold another meeting during the lunch break, and then we can start with the investigation."
Daechul will always be grateful to Ilsung for the fact that even in such a situation, he was able to think coldly.
"That's nice, Sung."
Ilsung grinned, and when the door opened, led both of them to the meeting room, where people were already discussing the matter.
"... think, Winston. That way we will only scare them," pointed out Kangmin.
Winston rolled his eyes.
"Have a better idea, Han?"
"What is happening here?"
Daechul intervened, stepping towards his leather black chair.
"Good morning, Daechul. Forgive me for starting a meeting without you. Ilsung must have informed you what is going on. I think it is necessary to find a solution to this situation as soon as possible", Kangmin has taken it his place to briefly enlighten his boss.
Daechul nodded.
"A huge amount of money was stolen. Is there a person here who can explain to me how people in this office could be involved with this crime?"
Daechul leaned back into his chair trying to calm his nerves. A long day was waiting for him.
"We believe that the offender should have been a person who has a high position here, because even with the knowledge of the office's electronic site password, only the CEO, his deputy or security inspectors can transfer money," explained Jinwoo. Daechul wondered, had my closest people been able to do this?
"All employees will be thoroughly inspected. I do not care if you did not commit the theft. I want to make sure everyone is clean," decided Daechul.
The people sitting in the meeting room only sighed. Nobody wanted to lose their jobs while fighting with the young boss.
The silence was disrupted by Daechul's phone. When he saw who was calling, the boy stood up.
"We will continue this later. You can go now," and he left the room.
Convinced that he was alone in his cabinet, he picked up the ringing phone.
"Kimoon".
"Go straight to Busan, Daechul. I have news for you, and we have to discuss it there", Kimoon was straight forward.
Daechul let out an exasperated breath. He couldn't leave the company unattended, but things in Busan also seemed to be important.
"I'm going to Busan as soon as I can".