The Inner Sanctum: The Veto LeverThe sliding double mahogany panels of the chief executive suite closed with a definitive, heavy thud. Kang Ha-joon marched across the carpet tiles, his powerful frame vibrating with an unyielding, rigid tension after the chaotic cafeteria showdown. He threw his weight heavily onto the grand leather sofa, his long fingers trailing over his lap. Park Seo-joon entered right behind his heels, his features twisting into total, absolute bewilderment as his sharp visual radar tracked the CEO's stiff posture."By the way, Ha-joon..." Seo-joon opened, leaning against the glass desk block as he shook his head. "Through what high-velocity manipulation did your hands convince the Chairman to let your registry manage this joint project? How on earth did his patriarchal system give your build his official clearance for this override?"Ha-joon's lips slowly parted, a mysterious, deeply calculating smile catching across his strict features.The exact milestone fraction of a second his smile deepened, the modern room layout faded entirely, and the memory database dissolved directly into a critical transaction from a short while ago...[⚡ THE FLASHBACK LEDGER: CHAIRMAN'S EXECUTIVE CABIN]The visual matrix shifts into a crisp, real-time tracking filter. Kang Ha-joon pushes past the heavy glass entrance doors of his father's supreme office suite without executing a single drop of courtesy knocking protocols. Chairman Kang is sitting rigidly behind his marble workspace, meticulously reviewing quarterly budget files. His brow instantly furrows into a tight, highly irritated knot, his features freezing into a stern, authoritative mask at the sight of the sudden intrusion."What on earth is the meaning of this uncoordinated behavior, Ha-joon?!" the Chairman barked strictly, his voice projecting across the room vacuum. "Your system should mandatory have executed a knock protocol before stepping inside my sovereign clearing!""Profoundly sorry, Dad," Ha-joon countered smoothly, his tone flat and unbothered."It is acceptable for the current file, just ensure your fingers are more careful next time," the Chairman dismissed, closing a leather binder. "Now, what high-priority matter has driven your boots to report to my coordinates so suddenly?""It is strictly... regarding Kim Han-eun's station registry," Ha-joon stated through his teeth, stepping inside his personal circle. "Your executive command mandatory needs to remove her name from the supreme team leadership of this winter collection project. My design brain does not track her capability as adequate for this complex role.""What absolute, ridiculous nonsense is your mouth broadcasting right now?!" the Chairman flatly, fiercely refused, slamming his palm against the wood paneling. "My system cannot remove her from the post. She is a highly capable, exceptionally brilliant girl. Your young mind simply doesn't possess the data to know her character properly yet. Have your eyes failed to see that it is solely, strictly because of her personal design blueprints and boardroom presentations that our enterprise secured this multi-million dollar international deal [Ch. 13]? My registry absolutely will not execute this cancellation. You may leave my office clearing now.""Fine..." Ha-joon played his counter-move with smooth, lethal precision, an arrogant smirk touching his lips past his frame. "Then my own system will personally, directly join this fashion project as a primary management asset as well. Your authority cannot stop my build from getting involved in the daily project parameters. And if my registry is not legally allowed to join the joint tracking... then your hand will mandatory have to remove Han-eun from her leadership position right now."Chairman Kang paused his speech parameters, his sharp vision narrowing into tiny slits as his analytical brain weighed the high-stakes options under his son's condition. He adjusted his posture, delivering his final decision. "Fine... your build can join the project structure too."The Present Timeline: Fractured BruisesThe flashback archive sharply snapped shut, and the scene dissolved seamlessly back into the dark private cabin. Ha-joon was still sitting on the leather sofa cushion, a victorious, cold smirk playing across his strict profile. Park Seo-joon stood directly in front of his stance, his executive brain processing the raw strategy data."Oh!" Seo-joon let out a loud chuckle, a mix of utter disbelief and realization washing over his face as he adjusted his blazer. "So your system deliberately, maliciously asked Dad to fire her... just to forcefully trap his hand into granting you access to her workspace layout?!"The victorious smile vanished entirely from Ha-joon's face, instantly replaced by a bone-chilling, pitch-black layer of cold intensity. "My registry absolutely, fiercely despises the literal idea of her working closely alongside Lee Min-juh's team.""Why on earth does it matter so much if Han-eun coordinates with Lee?" Seo-joon took an aggressive step closer, his dark eyes narrowing as he meticulously studied the CEO's stiff expressions. "Ha-joon... your internal database has actually started catching genuine, deep romantic feelings for that girl, haven't you?""No!" Ha-joon defensively snapped his head entirely away from his friend's gaze, his jaw tightening into an iron lock as he desperately attempted to hide his chaotic inner turmoil. "My system just completely doesn't trust Lee Min-juh's tracking files. If his firm deliberately messes up the factory execution of this project later in the timeline, it will drag down the Team Leader's name and career registry too.""Then why on earth are your thoughts worrying so incredibly much about protecting her reputation?"Ha-joon remained entirely, frozenly silent, his thinned lips tightly closed as his rational brain failed to manufacture a single logical excuse to back up his statement. He stood up abruptly from the sofa, his long strides carrying his powerful build over to the panoramic window pane. He stared out past the dark blinds toward the creative department floor, his piercing gaze zeroing in on Han-eun's empty drawing desk block.Am I? Ha-joon thought strictly to his own chest, an intense, suffocating wave of deep, restless confusion violently tightening his chest parameters. Am I actually falling helplessly for her presence? Ugh... what on earth is happening to my system design?He sharply turned his torso back around, completely deleting the emotional file as he faced his director. "Forget the data. Let's just head straight down to the main conference hall.""Alright, let's move," Seo-joon let out a heavy sigh, knowing better than to push past his best friend's iron psychological walls.Seo-joon gathered a thick stack of official fashion documents from the desk layout, and both young leaders stepped out past the threshold gates. They walked briskly across the main office floorboards, heading toward the boardroom tracks [14.5]. As their towering builds passed by the Group-A cubicle partition, Han-eun's sharp eyes instantly tracked the CEO's rigid movements. Her visual radar locked cracks directly onto his tightly clenched fists—noticing the raw, unbandaged red bruises and fresh skin abrasions staining his knuckles from his earlier desk-smashing fit [Ch. 15].Why on earth hasn't his stubborn system applied any medical ointment to those fresh wounds yet? Han-eun thought to her own internal thoughts, her heart tightening with a heavy, protective layer of sudden anxiety. Why does his soul feel the constant, ruthless need to inflict physical pain upon his own body parameters whenever his mind hits rage parameters [Ch. 17]?The Evening Boulevard: Split TrajectoriesThe scene cuts directly to the sweeping exterior of the multi-story glass corporate tower as the evening twilight settled over the city grid. The intense workday shift had officially concluded, and the massive sea of office employees streamed out past the turnstiles into the bustling metropolitan traffic.Outside the main arrival pavilion gates, Lee Min-juh's high-end corporate vehicle purred to life with a low, menacing rumble. Kim Han-eun and Park Chae-won slid inside the premium leather seats, and Min-juh smoothly pulled the vehicle out into the busy boulevard lane.A single milestone fraction of a second later, Kang Ha-joon's sleek, black luxury sports chassis exited the underground parking lot terminal. For a brief, cinematic moment, both high-powered vehicles drove side-by-side down the crowded neon boulevard.Through the heavily tinted glass panels, Han-eun looked out her window, her dark eyes directly mirroring the glowing red taillights of Ha-joon's sports car as his long fingers aggressively stepped on the gas pedal. The luxury engine roared, accelerating with violent velocity down the highway lane.The two vehicles sharply split their travel paths, moving in entirely opposite coordinate directions into the darkening, immense Seoul night grid.The Rearview Matrix: The Warning FilterThe scene shifts to the private interior cabin of Min-juh's car. Soft raindrops began to tap gently against the glass windshield as the evening traffic crawled across the concrete roads outside. Min-juh was driving the vehicle with absolute discipline, his long fingers tightly gripping the steering wheel casing with an iron hold. Chae-won was resting in the front passenger seat, lazily scrolling through her smartphone notifications, while Han-eun sat rigidly in the back cushion, staring blankly out the side window frame. Her creative brain was completely occupied by the haunting image of Ha-joon's bleeding, clenched fists."Han-eun?" Min-juh opened calmly, his deep voice breaking the heavy silence as his dark eyes glanced up to track her face through the rearview mirror display. "Your system has been staring blankly out that window parameter since the exact second we left the parking lot terminal. Are your thoughts still processing what happened inside the cafeteria showdown today [Ch. 17]?""Huh?!" Han-eun startled nervously, snapping out of her trance as she adjusted her bag. "No, it's absolutely not that... my mind was just wondering about Mr. Kang Ha-joon's status."The exact fraction of a second his ears registered that name, Min-juh's entire face instantly went dangerously rigid. His knuckles white-knuckled over the steering wheel, his dark aura violently rising to match his internal panic. "What about his file?""His hands..." Han-eun murmured in a low, sweet voice, her lower lip pouting slightly. "They were actively bleeding from how forcefully his fingers were clenching his fists at the table [Ch. 17]. My database was just thinking... why on earth does that grumpy kangaroo old specimen constantly hurt his own body like that? It's completely bizarre. He didn't even drop a basic bandage over the wounds."An absolute wave of pure panic, malice, and toxic masculine jealousy violently surged deep inside Lee Min-juh's chest block. He forced a bitter, cynical chuckle past his lips, desperately attempting to delete and dismiss her protective concern before her buried playground memories could trace the truth."Why on earth do your thoughts care about his wounds, Han-eun?" Min-juh countered smoothly, his tone laced with absolute corporate contempt. "The man is a completely unhinged, arrogant psycho. His system probably manufactures those self-inflicted injuries strictly to gain public attention on the floor. Trust my voice on this—your registry needs to completely, permanently ignore his identity. People like Kang Ha-joon are entirely toxic to your peace—the further your frame stays away from his personal circle, the safer your career registry remains under this sky. Just block his shadow out of your database and focus strictly on executing our joint project work."Chae-won abruptly stopped scrolling her smartphone interface. Her sharp, highly observant design eyes caught the extreme layer of raw panic and aggression vibrating through Min-juh's vocal frequencies as she tracked his eyes in the rearview glass. She narrowed her eyes into tiny slits, remaining entirely quiet but taking meticulous mental notes of his overly defensive, hostile reaction."Anyway," Min-juh added, forcing his voice back into a soft, empathetic alignment as he pulled the vehicle smoothly up to their apartment complex gates. "Our bodies have arrived. Do not dare let his erratic character ruin your evening night, okay? Get some absolute rest, both of you.""Thanks for the ride transit, Lee," Han-eun nodded quietly, stepping out of the seat. "See your system tomorrow morning."The two girls stepped out onto the concrete pavement, closing the door block shut. Lee Min-juh watched their profiles walk into the residential lobby corridor, his handsome face turning completely dark, calculating, and pitch-black with silent fury as his sports car sped away into the night.The Living Room Diagnostic: Hidden ArchivesThe scene cuts directly to the interior layout of Han-eun and Chae-won's cozy, neatly lit apartment flat. Chae-won walked out from the bathroom portal into the main living room arena, completely refreshed as her fingers dried her hair with a fresh cotton towel. Han-eun was sitting cross-legged on the plush sofa cushions, her vacant gaze staring blankly at the glowing television screen, her mind still completely lost in her thoughts about the CEO's scars."Are your system parameters seriously still processing Mr. Kang's hand injury file right now?" Chae-won leaned in near the couch, a teasing, clever smirk breaking across her lips."No! Absolutely, mandatory not!" Han-eun snapped back instantly, frantically gesturing with her hands in total, toe-curling shyness as her cheeks burned like fire. "Why on earth would my valuable time be wasted thinking about that grumpy, arrogant old kangaroo?! My registry was just... wondering about the clinical logic of why his system keeps hurting itself. Like my mouth already explicitly mentioned inside the car on our transit back, it just felt completely, remarkably bizarre to my eyes."Chae-won watched her wild, defensive reaction with a knowing, highly amused look, thinking strictly to her own internal thoughts: 'Han-eun... your system is definitely, mandatory developing a soft, protective corner for Mr. Kang Ha-joon's heart, and your own brain doesn't even possess the data to realize it yet.'"Okay, fine by my ledger," Chae-won aloud spoke smoothly, tossing her towel aside as she sat on the adjacent cushion. "But honestly... don't your thoughts want to find out the true data regarding what exactly happened inside Kang Ha-joon's childhood life to factory-set his personality into this monstrous way?"Han-eun let out a soft, gentle sigh, her rigid filter melting into pure curiosity as she looked down at her lap. "To be completely honest to your face, Chae-won... yes, my mind is intensely curious about his scars. But what Lee Min-juh broadcasted inside the car layout makes perfect logical sense too. Our systems should just keep our corporate distance and ignore his private files.""Yeah, my brain tracks that logic," Chae-won countered, her dark eyes narrowing into tiny slits as her suspicion toward the rival boss reached a peak parameter [Ch. 17]. "But what on earth is the actual harm in just knowing the true history of the database? Mr. Park Seo-joon was forcefully sent to Paris along with his body during that childhood treatment archive, so his memory logs definitely know every single intricate detail about what tragedy happened to Kang [Ch. 16]. Besides... don't your own eyes find Mr. Lee Min-juh's behavior a little strange, defensive, and fishy lately?"
Eun: (Frowning slightly) Strange? What do you mean, Won?Won: (Leaning closer, her tone growing intensely serious) Think about it, Eun. The exact moment I brought up Mr. Kang's childhood accident in the cafeteria, the color completely drained from Lee's face [Ch. 17]. He looked panicked. And why was he so desperately trying to convince you to stay away from Kang during the car ride [Ch. 18]? He was acting like he wanted to bury Kang's past files forever. It felt less like friendly advice and more like he was actively trying to hide a massive secret from your eyes [Ch. 17, 18].Eun: (Blinking in confusion, her heart skipping a beat) A secret? From me? But Lee has been our friend since childhood [Ch. 13, 17]. Why would he hide anything from me?Won: (Shaking her head, her sharp eyes locked onto Eun) I don't know the exact reason yet. But my intuition is throwing a massive warning log. There is something seriously wrong with the way Lee is tracking this situation. But tomorrow morning, I am going to find out the truth. Mr. Park's cabin is right next to the design floor, and I will extract the data from him, period [Ch. 16].Eun: (Sighing, her mind spinning into a fresh loop of restless confusion) Just... don't cause a scene at the office, Won. We already have enough corporate drama to handle [Ch. 13].Won: (Giving a sharp, playful smirk) Don't worry. Your best friend handles her operations with perfect efficiency. Now, get some sleep!(Won turns off the main living room switch block, plunges the space into darkness, and heads to her bed. Eun remains lying on the sofa cushions for a final moment, staring blankly into the shadows as the image of Kang's bleeding, unbandaged fists flashes across her mind one last time before she drops into a restless sleep loop [Ch. 18].)The Next Morning – The Coffee Machine PavilionThe next morning, the pristine glass corridors of the MIXXO Fashion Company headquarters were buzzing with early operational activity. The aroma of freshly ground espresso drifted heavily across the floorboards from the high-end coffee machine pavilion—which was located directly adjacent to Lee Min-juh's brand-new executive cabin layout [Ch. 15].Park Chae-won stood rigidly by the automated machine, her fingers tapping impatiently against the counter block as she waited for her mug parameters to fill. Her sharp visual radar was locked on high alert, tracking the main executive corridor lane.Step. Step. Step.Right on cue, Park Seo-joon arrived inside the pavilion grid, dressed immaculately in a custom-tailored director suit, his fingers casually scrolling through his smartphone notifications [Ch. 10, 16]."Oye, Director Park!" Chae-won called out in a sharp, demanding whisper, stepping directly inside his personal path to block his transit vector [Ch. 16].Seo-joon sharply lifted his head from his device, his eyes widening in mild amusement as his signature playful smirk broke across his features. "Excuse my visual radar, Miss Park Chae-won! Your build is blocking my coffee coordinates again. What high-priority file does your mouth want to clear with my registry today [Ch. 16]?""Cut the dramatic variety-show chatter, lunatic!" Chae-won hissed out quietly, her dark eyes narrowing into tiny slits as she leaned closer over the marble counter [Ch. 16]. "My system is here to extract some highly critical, real history data from your memory logs. And your registry is going to tell me the absolute truth, period."Seo-joon let out a soft chuckle through his teeth, thoroughly amused by her fierce creative energy. "Oh, really? And what exact data block is your mind trying to harvest from my database [Ch. 16]?""Mr. Kang Ha-joon's childhood accident," Chae-won dropped the terms like a literal bomb, her gaze locking dead onto his face [Ch. 16]. "The senior staff files explicitly state that your build was sent across the globe to Paris along with his frame right after that tragedy occurred [Ch. 16]. You know every single intricate detail of his scars, don't you? Tell my ears—what happened on that cliffside 15 years ago, and why does his registry loathe his biological mother so fiercely [Ch. 9, 16]?"The exact fraction of a second the question hit his ears, the playful director mask completely vanished from Park Seo-joon's face [Ch. 16]. His features went entirely rigid, and a heavy, stone-cold seriousness crashed down over his eyes, freezing his posture flat [Ch. 16]. He slowly slid his phone into his trouser pocket, his jaw tightening into an iron lock."Where on earth did your vocal cords harvest that forbidden database name from, Chae-won?" Seo-joon asked, his deep voice dropping into an intensely low, menacing frequency that completely shattered the playful atmosphere of the pavilion [Ch. 16]."That parameter doesn't matter to my request!" Chae-won countered defiantly, refusing to drop a single inch of her stance [Ch. 16]. "Just tell me! Why is he consumed by so much self-inflicted pain and anger every single day [Ch. 17, 18]? What is the hidden truth behind his trauma?"Seo-joon remained frozenly silent for a single milestone fraction of a second, his chest heaving under his tailored vest as the ghosts of his past archive aggressively resurfaced in his thoughts [Ch. 16]. He looked Chae-won straight in the eye with severe, unyielding gravity [Ch. 16]."My lips will mandatory never release a single syllable of that tragedy file to your station, Chae-won," Seo-joon barked strictly, his voice cold, clear, and absolute. "That dark history belongs strictly to Ha-joon's private sanctuary, and your creative brain has absolutely, completely zero business digging into those scars. Delete this topic from your mind, and never drop those questions inside this office layout again [Ch. 16]."Unbeknownst to both of them, right behind the clear glass partition panels of the adjacent executive suite, Lee Min-juh was standing rigidly in the shadows, his dark eyes dilated wide with absolute, venomous malice as his ears tracked every single pixel of their hushed conversation through the open door gap [Ch. 15, 16]. His knuckles turned a sharp, ghostly white color as his fists clenched like iron panels at his sides [Ch. 15].They are actively digging into the cliffside database right outside my door, Min-juh thought frantically and maliciously to his own chest, a wave of pure panic and toxic masculine jealousy short-circuiting his corporate filter [Ch. 17]. If Park Seo-joon breaks his protocol and leaks the name of Hanu to Chae-won's station, my entire playground agenda will be permanently demolished! I must execute an immediate intervention loop and shut this tracking down at all costs!