Third person pov:
______________
Today is Monday a hectic day for kim Enterprises as it is the day where they are getting a newproject.
All the employees are busy in arranging the files for the meeting which is going to be held in an hour.
"Did you check those files?" An employee Jay in kim enterprises asks his transfered colleague who sat there without any care leaning on the chair.
"Yeah", his collegue repiles nonchalantly before placing his head on his arms leaning on the table.
"Are u sure?" Jay asks again by rechecking his work once again,eventhough he
checked it for the nineth time,letting his colleague to think why Jay is exaggerating this much about a normal meeting.
"You know,what happened to Tenrick,right?" Jay emphasis indirectly indicating that this is not a normal meeting of collegues as he think,His CEO is going to be present which the other might forgot.
After registering the name Ceo,his collegue's body becomes tense, his hands starts to shake,and a cold sweat forms on his before related forehead while remembering the things that happened to that tenrick,which he heard indirectly.
His body starts moving on its own,with rushed steps he gets up from his chair.
He don't want to do the same mistake.He don't want to face his boss by doing some mistake.He knows his boss hate mistakes and he don't want to do any mistake like his ex-colleague,because it costs his precious job that he got after working hard for 5 years.
So with a rush,he Immediately rechecks the files and arranges it neatly infront of CEO's chair while releasing the breath he didn't know he kept for long.
After a long wait of 50 minutes, the atmosphere in the conference room grows tense. Then, finally, the one everyone had been anticipating walks in...Their CEO. A man in his mid-20s, yet his presence alone commands the respect of veterans.
Each cell in his body screams perfection. His sharply tailored suit molds effortlessly to his lean yet intimidating frame. His chocolate brown eyes are fierce, predatory,like a tiger locked onto its prey,causing those in the room to instinctively lower their heads, fearing they'd be devoured by that intense gaze.
He moves with quiet confidence, each step echoing off the marble floor as he approaches the CEO chair.
With a practiced hand, he gently sweeps his dense black hair off his forehead,a simple gesture that somehow triples his handsomeness. A dark, magnetic aura surrounds him,suffocating the room in silence. No one dares to speak.
"Let's start the meeting!" His deep voice booms through the room, snapping everyone to attention. All thirty attendees stiffen, a chill running down their spines at the coldness in his tone.
"But a main shareholder hasn't arrived yet, sir," his assistant Junki murmurs, eyes downcast, internally cursing the absent shareholder. He knows what's coming.
"Let's cancel the deal."
Taemin's face remains unreadable as he turns to leave the conference hall. The weight of his words sends a wave of shock over the employees,until he halts, mid-step.
A rare smirk tugs at his lips.
Someone dared to stop him.
"But sir, this is a billion-dollar contract," a bold, unaware intern blurts out, oblivious to the danger of interrupting.
A collective gasp echoes through the hall as every employee turns toward the source of the voice,horrified.
A deadly chuckle slips from Taemin's lips. He turns back with an eerie calm, walking toward the intern with slow, purposeful steps. Sitting directly in front of him, he locks eyes with the trembling newcomer.
With a chilling intensity, "Do you know who I am?" he asks, voice low but razor-sharp, causing the intern to stiffen.
"S-Sir, y-you a-are…" the intern stammers, visibly shaking, struggling to maintain composure.
"Don't stutter. Answer..who am I?"
Taemin's voice slices through the silence like a blade.
Regret flashes across the intern's face. Why had he spoken in the first place?
Gulping, he manages, "S-Sir, you are the CEO."
A low huff escapes Taemin. "Glad you at least know," he scoffs. "Now tell me,who has the right to make decisions for this company?"
Head bowed, the intern whispers, "You, sir."
"I appointed all of you to listen to me. Is that correct?" Taemin continues, voice growing colder, his eyes narrowing like daggers.
"Y-yes, sir," the intern stammers, unsure if the tremble in his body is from fear or the frost in Taemin's tone.
"Then don't give me advice unless I ask for it. Do you understand?" he thunders, making the intern visibly flinch.
"Aye-Aye, sir!" the intern blurts, instinctively straightening like a soldier.
Mr.choi,another senior employee, sighs quietly, seeing how green the intern still is.
"That's okay, even if you don't understand, Mr. Dong," Taemin says, his tone now laced with amusement. The intern begins to relax, thinking the storm has passed...until the next words hit him like a slap.
"Because… you're fired."
Gasps ripple across the room. Taemin's gaze doesn't waver as he watches panic flood the intern's face.
"Junki, I want his resignation on my desk in ten minutes."
And just like that, without a second glance, Taemin walks out of the hall. Silence falls again,heavy and suffocating. The thirty employees stand frozen, heads bowed, shadows of fear flickering in their eyes.
Some where in seoul
____________________
In the dimly lit kitchen of Snowball Restaurant, the owner, Hyun, stands in front of a bubbling pot, stirring the soup with gentle, precise movements.
His slender fingers move with the kind of grace that only someone passionate about their craft can possess.The aromatic fragrance fills the room, dancing with the steam rising from the pot, a blend of ingredients meticulously arranged just moments ago.
A soft sheen of sweat starts to form on his porcelain-like face, the tiny droplets catching the dim light as they trickle down his smooth skin. His deep ocean blue eyes sparkle with excitement,he's always been like this when creating a new dish,fully immersed in the process.
As the soup takes on a beautiful golden hue, his lips curl into a small smile. His dish has finally transformed into the color of his favorite a yellow that reminds him of a memory long past.
With satisfaction, he stretches his lean form, placing his hands on his back to loosen the knot of his apron,which fits snugly around his slim waist.
His gaze drifts towards the restaurant's name, Snowball Restaurant, and a quiet nostalgia settles in his chest. The memories flood back to the early days when he and his best friend, Jangwon, had nothing but dreams and a rented duplex.
They'd used the downstairs as their restaurant and the upstairs as their living quarters, working tirelessly, pouring every ounce of effort into their shared vision. And now, after years of struggle and sweat, they finally owned it.
"Jangwon!" Hyun calls, his voice laced with urgency as he glances at the clock. The time has come for him to get the restaurant ready for opening, to ensure everything is in place before the first customer walks in.
The silence from upstairs is deafening.
"Woon… woon… Jangwoon!" Hyun calls again, his patience wearing thin. "What is he even doing?" he mutters, frustration building in his chest. He's been calling for five minutes, but there's still no answer.
"Mr. Choi Jangwoon, are you going to come down, or should I come up to you?" Hyun's voice rises, but there's still no response.
His annoyance takes over, and with an exasperated sigh, he storms up the stairs, gripping the apron in his hands, its fabric now wrinkled under the pressure of his growing irritation.
When he reaches Jangwoon's room, he throws the door open with a loud thud. And there, sitting in the midst of it all, is Jangwon, lost in the melodies of his guitar, eyes closed, completely oblivious to the world outside his music.
"Yah! Did you realize what time it is?" Hyun demands, his voice filled with both anger and disbelief. "I've been calling you for ten minutes! And you're just sitting here, playing your guitar? We need to open the restaurant!" His words tumble out, but Jangwoon remains unfazed, his carefree smile only adding to Hyun's frustration.
"I know, Hyunaa," Jangwoon responds with an innocent grin, his voice calm. "I just got carried away. I'll go help with the kitchen arrangements. You go freshen up, okay?" He flashes his trademark puppy eyes, the kind of look that always seems to diffuse Hyun's anger...though not this time.
Hyun takes a deep breath, his anger simmering but never fully boiling over. "Alright. Handle it before 9," he says, rolling his eyes before heading to his room to get ready.woon watches him until he's out of sight, then he lets out a quiet sigh, stretching his limbs before quickly rushing toward the kitchen.
As Jangwoon steps into the kitchen, he tastes the soup Hyun made,but as soon as the soup touches his tongue, a wave of coldness runs through his body. He feels like he could gag, but instead, he forces himself to swallow.
"Cough… why is so weird from yesterday?" woon mutters under his breath. The soup looks perfect on the surface, but the taste is unbearable.
Panic sets in as he realizes how little time they have before customers start arriving.
What if they taste this?
He scrambles, quickly adding sauces and spices, placing everything back on the stove. "Aish! What did he put in here?",woon curses himself as he works furiously, finally making the dish somewhat edible after what feels like an eternity.
With a frustrated chuckle, he shakes his head. "I can't believe this. We're the most popular restaurant owners in Seoul, and this is how it goes. Hyun makes it inedible, and I'm the one who makes it edible."
Just as he finishes his frantic adjustments, Hyun appears, freshened up and ready for the day. He walks down the stairs with his usual confident stride, looking over the kitchen.
"Did you do all the arrangements?" Hyun asks, his gaze scanning the room with approval.woon nods, though the sigh of relief he lets out is enough to let Hyun know how much work it took.
"Finally... I did,"woon replies, though his tone isn't as triumphant as one might expect. Hyun stands in front of him, arms folded, giving him a skeptical look.
"Yah, why are you sighing like you cooked the whole meal?" Hyun asks, eyebrows raised. Jangwoon rolls his eyes, but can't suppress a grin at his friend's dramatic nature.
Hyun, ever curious about the food's taste, asks, "Did you taste it, Woon? How is it?"
"It's delicious, Hyun-a," Jangwon says, a proud smile spreading across his face as he looks at his best friend.
"By the way, what did you add to make it so...bitte—delicious?" Jangwon's words catch in his throat, cursing himself for almost letting the truth slip out. Hyun's grin widens.
"Well, I had an idea while frying the meat," Hyun says confidently, not picking up on Jangwon's discomfort.
"They say you only need to fry it for ten minutes for a slight cook, but I decided to go for twenty to make it fully cooked," he adds, completely unaware of how his overcooked meat contributed to the bitterness.
Jangwoon's eyes widen in disbelief.
Now it all makes sense.
"Hyun… you are unbelievable,"Jangwoon says, half in awe, half in exasperation. Hyun beams, thinking he's done a great job, but only woon understands the true story behind the dish.