Chapter 1: A Chaotic First Day
Drizzle fell over Seoul that evening, the city lights glowing softly, painting the streets with a dreamy atmosphere. If this were a movie scene, it would've looked poetic. But for me? It was just another chaotic day.
Clutching my bag over my head, I sprinted down the sidewalk, desperate to shield myself from the rain. Visibility? Zero. Dignity? Also zero. But the real mission? Arriving at the office without looking like a soaked ramen noodle.
And then—
THUMP!
"Ow!"
I crashed into something hard—and somehow, that something… bounced back?
Blinking in confusion, I looked up. A black umbrella. More specifically, a large black umbrella that had been tilted to one side—and thanks to my incredible entrance, it now dramatically flipped backward in slow motion.
And before I could process what was happening—
WHACK!
The umbrella slapped me right in the face.
I froze.
So here I was, a girl trying to protect her face from the rain, only to get a full-on smack from someone else's umbrella. Talk about irony.
Panicking, I yanked the umbrella off my face and looked at its owner. A tall guy in a black hoodie stood before me, staring in shock. His eyes widened for a second, as if he couldn't believe his umbrella had just committed assault.
Then—his expression shifted.
"Uh..." He looked unsure. "Are you okay?"
I tried to answer, but instead, I coughed from the sheer shock of the situation. This wasn't just painful—this was embarrassing.
Great. Just great.
The guy—who I just realized was Park Hyunjin, the most famous trainee in our agency—stood there, watching me struggle to recover my dignity.
I straightened up quickly, forcing a smile. "I-I'm fine! Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going!"
Hyunjin glanced at his poor, now slightly bent umbrella, then back at me. He squinted slightly, like he was assessing something.
And then—damn it. He grinned.
Not just any grin. A mischievous, amused smirk that screamed trouble.
"So, you're the new staff?" he asked casually.
I could only nod.
He slung the umbrella over his shoulder, casually shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. "Alright. Since you almost took me out with that collision, let's call it a debt."
I blinked. "A... debt?"
His smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with playful mischief.
"Buy me coffee tomorrow."
I gaped at him.
Wait—so not only did I get smacked by his umbrella, but now I owed him a coffee too?!
Is this my first day of work or a survival challenge?!
Chapter 2: The Coffee Trap
The next morning, I stood in front of the café near the agency, holding two cups of coffee in my hands. One was mine. The other? A mandatory peace offering for Park Hyunjin.
"How did I end up in this situation?" I mumbled to myself.
Right. Because I, Jung Haneul, had the incredible luck of getting smacked in the face by a trainee's umbrella and somehow owing him a favor in return.
I walked into the agency, balancing the coffee cups like they were fragile treasures. Just as I reached my desk, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"You're late."
I turned around to see Hyunjin leaning against the desk next to mine, arms crossed, looking way too relaxed for someone who wasn't even an employee here.
I scowled. "I'm not late. You just got here first."
"Same thing," he shrugged, extending his hand expectantly. "So, where's my coffee?"
With a dramatic sigh, I handed him the cup. "Here. Your overpriced black Americano."
Hyunjin took a sip and immediately made a face. "Ugh. Why is it so bitter?"
I deadpanned. "Because it's an Americano?"
He stared at the cup like it had personally betrayed him. "I thought it would taste cool. Like in dramas."
I snorted. "Wow. A whole celebrity in training, and you don't even know how coffee works?"
Before Hyunjin could respond with another annoying remark, a new voice interrupted us.
"Is this what you two do at work? Play around with coffee orders?"
I turned to see Lee Sunwoo, my senior and one of the strictest staff members in the agency. Unlike Hyunjin's laid-back attitude, Sunwoo always carried himself like a professional—neat shirt, perfectly styled hair, and a gaze that could intimidate anyone.
Hyunjin smirked. "We call it team bonding."
Sunwoo sighed, rubbing his temple. "If you have time to bond, you have time to work."
I immediately straightened up, my survival instincts kicking in. "Yes, sir! I was just—"
"Spending agency money on a trainee's coffee?" Sunwoo raised an eyebrow.
Hyunjin chuckled, clearly enjoying my suffering. "Don't blame her. It's my reward for surviving an umbrella attack."
Sunwoo shot me a look. "What does that even mean?"
I groaned. "Long story. Let's just say... I lost a battle with physics."
Sunwoo sighed again but didn't press further. "Just make sure your actual work gets done."
As he walked away, I exhaled in relief. Hyunjin, on the other hand, just grinned at me.
"You're fun to mess with," he said, taking another sip of his coffee. "I think I'm gonna like having you around."
I glared at him. "I think I'm gonna regret ever meeting you."
And just like that, my day had officially started—with an annoying trainee, a coffee debt, and a boss who already thought I was a walking disaster.
Chapter 3: Office Chaos and Unwanted Attention
I had barely started working when the whispers began. It was just a few words here and there, murmurs floating around the office like sneaky little ghosts.
"Is that her? The one with Hyunjin?"
"She's new, right? How does she know him already?"
I sighed. I knew working at an entertainment agency meant dealing with gossip, but I didn't expect to be the gossip on my second day.
I tried to ignore it and focus on my screen, but it wasn't easy when my inbox was already full of tasks that weren't mine.
"This isn't my job," I muttered, skimming through the messages.
Just then, Sunwoo passed by, taking a glance at my screen. "You look busy."
I groaned. "More like drowning."
He raised an eyebrow. "Then stop taking extra work."
I blinked. "I didn't take them. They were dumped on me."
Sunwoo sighed. "Guess you really are the new favorite target."
Before I could ask what he meant, Hyunjin strolled into the office—like a prince entering his castle—completely ignoring the tension around him.
"Oh, Haneul! I need a favor."
I looked at him, horrified. Oh no. Not again.