The sun peeked through the curtains of Queen's apartment, casting a warm glow on the organized chaos of her workspace. She had fallen asleep at her desk, her head resting against the open laptop. A soft knock on the door jolted her awake.
"Mey, not now. I still need more time," Queen mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
But the door opened, and instead of Mey or Fika, Jihoon stood there, holding two steaming cups of coffee.
"You look like you've been hit by a truck," he said flatly, placing one cup on her desk.
Queen groaned, brushing her hair back. "What are you doing here? It's barely morning."
"It's 10 a.m., and I'm here to check on your progress," Jihoon replied, taking a seat without waiting for an invitation.
Queen glared at him, annoyed by his calm demeanor. "It's not like I asked you to come. Besides, I made a lot of progress last night. Want to see?"
Jihoon raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to continue. Queen spun the laptop around, showing him her updated report.
Jihoon leaned forward, scanning the screen with a critical eye. After a few minutes, he nodded slightly. "It's… better. But you still need to refine the financial projections. They're too optimistic. Real-world results won't align with these numbers."
Queen sighed, slumping back in her chair. "Do you ever say anything nice?"
Jihoon smirked. "I said it's better. That's as nice as it gets from me."
Despite herself, Queen chuckled. "Fine. I'll work on it. But you could at least thank me for pulling an all-nighter."
Jihoon took a sip of his coffee, studying her for a moment. "Thank you for not giving up. That's a start."
Later That Day
Mey and Fika were lounging in the living room, sharing a plate of snacks when Queen finally emerged from her workspace.
"You're alive!" Mey exclaimed, clapping her hands dramatically.
"Don't jinx it," Queen muttered, flopping onto the couch.
Fika handed her a glass of water. "Jihoon was here earlier, wasn't he? Did he scold you again?"
Queen shook her head. "Surprisingly, no. He actually gave me some useful feedback."
Mey and Fika exchanged shocked looks. "Is this the same Jihoon we're talking about?" Mey asked, feigning disbelief.
Queen rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes. He can be helpful when he's not being insufferable."
Fika smirked. "Sounds like someone's starting to warm up to him."
"Don't push it," Queen warned, though her cheeks betrayed the faintest hint of pink.
Meanwhile, in Jihoon's Apartment
Jihoon sat at his desk, reviewing his own workload when his phone buzzed with a notification. It was an email from Mr. Airlangga, reminding him about an upcoming business meeting.
He frowned, realizing he had forgotten to inform Queen. Grabbing his phone, he quickly typed out a message:
Jihoon: There's a meeting with Mr. Airlangga tomorrow at 2 p.m. Don't forget to bring the updated report.
Seconds later, a reply popped up:
Queen: I'm not ready for that!
Jihoon chuckled to himself.
Jihoon: You'll manage. You always do.
The Next Day
Queen paced nervously outside the meeting room, clutching her laptop and folders. Jihoon stood nearby, calm and composed as usual.
"How are you not freaking out right now?" Queen hissed, glancing at him.
"Because I've done this a hundred times," Jihoon replied. "And because I trust that you've done the work."
Queen blinked, caught off guard by his unexpected words of encouragement. "You… trust me?"
Jihoon gave her a small nod. "I wouldn't have pushed you so hard if I didn't think you could handle it."
Before Queen could respond, the door opened, and Mr. Airlangga's assistant ushered them inside.
The meeting was a blur of questions, projections, and detailed explanations. To her surprise, Queen held her ground, presenting her report confidently. Jihoon only chimed in when absolutely necessary, letting her take the lead.
When the meeting concluded, Mr. Airlangga smiled approvingly. "Impressive work, Ms. Queen. I look forward to seeing how this develops."
As they left the building, Queen exhaled deeply, a mix of relief and pride washing over her.
"You did well," Jihoon said, falling into step beside her.
Queen looked up at him, a genuine smile breaking across her face. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without your constant nagging."
Jihoon smirked. "You're welcome. But don't get used to it."
As they walked back to the car, Queen realized that while their relationship was far from perfect, they had found a strange but effective balance—an unspoken alliance that drove them both to be better.