It was yet another chilly Saturday morning in Canada, and Carrie and Jae-wook were stuck with the oh-so-glamorous task of monthly house shopping. In theory, they were supposed to be picking up necessities. In practice? Their cart looked more like a survival kit for a sugar addict, brimming with chocolate bars, chips, soda, and enough junk food to make a dietitian cry.
Carrie led the way through the shopping mall, dramatically sighing every few minutes as if this were the greatest burden of her life. Jae-wook, meanwhile, was fully engrossed in his phone, probably watching political videos or doomscrolling through social media.
She was just about to march into the chocolate aisle when she froze mid-step. Her hand shot out, gripping Jae-wook's sleeve like a scene straight out of a horror movie.
"Isn't that Ryan?" she whispered, eyes wide.
Jae-wook didn't even bother looking up. "I don't care."
"You should care," she hissed, yanking him closer like a detective about to reveal a crucial piece of evidence.
Jae-wook groaned. "Carrie, I swear, if this is another one of your ridiculous—"
"Oh. My. God," she gasped, cutting him off, her voice rising into a scandalized squeal. "He's gayyyyyyy!"
Jae-wook blinked, finally looking up, and his eyes locked onto the very unexpected sight of Ryan—the golden boy of their university's golf team—kissing another guy.
Jae-wook's jaw practically unhinged. "Wait—Carrie, isn't that your crush? Looks like he finds guys way more interesting than you." His lips twitched in amusement as he tried—and failed—to suppress a laugh.
Carrie scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. I do not have a crush on Ryan."
Jae-wook raised an eyebrow.
"It was just momentarily" she admitted with a dramatic flick of her hair. "But I'm just… shocked. I mean, he doesn't even act gay!"
Jae-wook snorted. "What does that even mean?"
Carrie ignored him, her brain still trying to process this bombshell. "Oh my god. The girls—all the girls—who used to line up around the golf field just to watch him play? They're gonna die when they find out he's been unavailable this whole time."
Jae-wook smirked. "It's a tragic day for the hopeless romantics."
"Honestly," Carrie muttered, shaking her head.
Before they could fully recover from the revelation, a familiar voice called out.
"Oh! Hi, Carrie!"
Carrie nearly choked on air. Crap. He saw me.
She plastered on the fakest, most radiant smile she could muster and gave a little wave. "Ryan! What a surprise!"
Jae-wook, ever the unbothered king, muttered under his breath, "Yeah, totally unexpected. It's not like this is a public mall or anything." he said sacasticaly.
Carrie discreetly elbowed him.
Ryan walked over with a bright smile, and beside him stood a guy Carrie had never seen before—tall, well-dressed, and sporting a smile that could probably get him a free pass in life.
"Carrie, meet Adam, my boyfriend," Ryan said proudly. "And Adam, this is Carrie—my ex-tutor and…" His gaze flicked to Jae-wook. "Jae?"
"Alex" Jae-wook corrected, clearly unimpressed.
"Nice to meet you!" Carrie said cheerfully, shaking Adam's hand. "Wow, you have a very charming smile."
Adam chuckled. "Thank you! And so do you."
Jae-wook rolled his eyes.
Carrie ignored him, still reeling from the earlier shock. "So… how long have you two been together?"
"Today marks our third year," Ryan said with a fond smile.
Carrie blinked. Then blinked again.
"THREE YEARS?!"
Ryan chuckled at her reaction. "Yeah. Why?"
Carrie quickly tried to compose herself. "Oh, nothing! Just… wow! Three years! Happy anniversary!"
Ryan and Adam exchanged a warm glance before Ryan nodded. "Thanks, Carrie. We'd love to chat more, but we have plans for today. Gotta go."
"Oh, of course! Have fun!" Carrie called out, waving as they walked away. The second they were out of earshot, she turned back to Jae-wook.
"He's been gay for three years."
Jae-wook didn't even look at her. "Still none of my business. Just pick what you want—I have somewhere to be soon."
Carrie huffed. "You'd make a terrible gossip buddy."
"Oh, what a loss."
"And for the record, I never asked you to come shopping with me."
Jae-wook smirked. "Yeah, but Ava and Leo would never let me hear the end of it if I ditched. Plus, unlike you, I take my responsibilities seriously."
Carrie narrowed her eyes as he casually strolled off. "Don't you dare turn your back on me, young man!"
Jae-wook didn't even pause. "I never said I was a gentleman."
Carrie groaned, pushing the cart in frustration. "This is so frustrating."
But the day was far from over.
Later that day, Jae-wook sat at the far end of the grand conference table in Mapleseoul's boardroom. The room buzzed with murmured conversations until Mr. Jin signaled for silence.
"So, where do we stand?" Jae-wook asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
Mrs. Kim, his ever-efficient secretary, cleared her throat before responding. "According to our latest reports, we've made significant progress. We've surpassed Glotech on the business index, securing the third position, with Techcom still holding second place."
Mr. Jason, one of the senior executives, nodded in agreement. "Our breakthrough can be largely attributed to the success of the new Breakfast Bot model. Sales have surged dramatically in the past few days."
"Additionally," Mrs. Laurence chimed in, "our strategic collaboration with TechFast has proven to be one of our most advantageous moves. As one of the leading restaurants operated entirely by robotics, TechFast has significantly bolstered our market standing."
Jae-wook listened intently before leaning back slightly in his chair. "Is that all?"
"For now, yes, sir," Ms. Kim replied.
A satisfied smirk tugged at the corner of Jae-wook's lips. "These achievements are commendable. You've all done an excellent job." He allowed a brief moment for the team to bask in their success before his expression grew serious once more. "However, we can't afford to celebrate just yet. Our ultimate goal remains—taking down Techcom. Until that happens, reaching the top will be nearly impossible." He leaned forward, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room. "Stay vigilant. Put in more effort. I'm being meticulous, and I expect the same from each of you. If there's nothing else, this meeting is adjourned."
With that, he rose from his seat, and Mr. Jin promptly escorted him out.
Later, Jae-wook sat in his office, idly flipping a pen between his fingers. His thoughts drifted into the complexities of their corporate battle when Ms. Kim entered with her usual poised demeanor.
"Do you have a moment, sir?" she asked.
"Go ahead," Jae-wook responded, setting the pen down.
She crossed her arms, a subtle smirk playing on her lips. "You've done exceptionally well in elevating Mapleseoul to this level. It's impressive."
Jae-wook exhaled, resting his chin on his hand. "I may be impressive, but I still haven't managed to dethrone that woman. What is she doing that I'm not?"
Ms. Kim's expression turned contemplative. "Perhaps she's engaging in strategies that you wouldn't dare consider." She leaned in slightly. "It's almost unsettling how she keeps winning, how her wealth seems to multiply overnight. There has to be something cunning at play."
Jae-wook scoffed. "Whatever it is, that's her concern. Evil may have its victories, but in the end, the righteous always prevail."
A quiet chuckle escaped Ms. Kim's lips as she straightened. "You speak of righteousness, yet you're hardly a saint. You simply don't cross the line." She turned toward the door. " Your exams are approaching, and this time, the stakes are higher. If you fail to outperform, you won't just lose another fortune—you could lose Mapleseoul itself." With that, she exited, leaving her words hanging in the air like an unshakable omen.
Jae-wook ran a hand through his hair and exhaled heavily. "This is exhausting. I need a break."