Chapter 1.1

*Warning: The following material may contain strong language, unusual humor, violence, and sexual contents that readers may find offensive. Please use your own discretion.*

“What the hell is going on?! How many times has it been so far?!” CEO Hyun yelled angrily.

Papers fluttered around Heju as they fell down on the floor. There was no doubt CEO Hyun was furious, and he had a perfect reason to feel this way. It was because Gunwoo had been behaving irresponsibly. The office phone had been ringing non stop everyday for the last few days with angry calls.

Gunwoo, the hottest star in the country, had been canceling everything on his schedule lately. He had admitted himself to a hospital, claiming he was “sick”.

CEO Hyun screamed again, “Is this the best you can do, Seo Heju? You are the chief manager of this agency, yet this is the extent of the infamous Heju’s talent?!”

Gunwoo’s advertisement contracts with various companies fell around Heju’s high heels.

CEO Hyun continued, “Go and drag him back here right now. If you can’t even control your own client, do you really think you have the right to be working in this company? The fine for breaking his contract will be 2.5 million dollars. You think that’s a joke? You think you can handle that?”

“…I apologize, Sir,” Heju replied quietly.

“Go get that bastard right now and fix this. I was able to rebook that ad shoot for tomorrow, so if he doesn’t show up to that, we’re really gonna lose this contract. This is our last change,” CEO Hyun warned.

“Of course, Sir.” Heju bowed deeply and left the CEO’s office.

“Haa…,” sighed Heju as she pushed back her hair. Gunwoo has been acting like a child having a tantrum for the last month now.

“Are you alright, Chief?” her assistant Junga asked worriedly.

“Where is my car key?” asked Heju, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible.

“Please wait here!” Junga turned around and dashed to her office. Within a few seconds, she returned with Heju’s purse. Heju grabbed it roughly and confirmed, “Lee Gunwoo is still at that same hospital, right?”

“I think so.”

Without answering her assistant, Heju began walking. The sound of her stiletto echoed throughout the empty hallway. After pushing the elevator button angrily, she grabbed her phone and made a call.

It was to that jerk Lee Gunwoo.

–The customer you’re calling is unable to answer your call at the moment. After the beep, please…

“I’m going to lose my mind,” Heju murmured in annoyance. Everything that had been happening during the last month… It all had to be because of what happened that day. Thinking over that fateful night, Heju headed towards the parking lot.

She got into her car and entered the hospital address where Gunwoo was staying on her GPS. Grabbing the handle tightly, Heju stepped on the accelerator hard.

***

Two months ago.

“Chief Seo,” Gunwoo called her name.

“Yes?” Heju replied without turning towards him. She was busy going over Gunwoo’s schedule on the screen at the moment. The tight H-line skirt and silky striped blouse suited her very well. Heju always looked perfect. She took care to dress well at all times, and both casual and business outfits looked great on her. It was partly because of her good looks. Many people wondered why she didn’t become an actress herself.

Gunwoo asked, “Did you eat dinner yet?”

“Not yet,” Hesu answered, still staring at the tablet. They have known each other for about eight years now. Gunwoo first saw Heju when he became a child actor in middle school. This agency became his home ever since, and it was then when he was assigned to Heju.

It was love at first sight on Gunwoo’s part. He still remembered the very first moment when he spotted her. He could almost see a halo glowing around her, making her look like an angel.

“Then let’s have dinner together. I haven’t eaten yet either,“ Gunwoo offered.

“Sungchan didn’t get you dinner yet?” Heju asked with a frown. Gunwoo was a valued star of this agency, so his manager Sungchan needed to do a better job taking care of their client.

Meanwhile, Gunwoo was  busy staring at Heju’s frown on her forehead. He realized that he had finally lost his mind because even those unhappy wrinkles on her forehead looked sexy to him.

His lips curling up, Gunwoo adeed, “No, I’ve been waiting so I can eat with you, Noona1.”

It has been a long time since Heju heard Gunwoo call her “Noona”. She finally looked up at him, who smiled innocently. She looked around to make sure they were alone before whispering, “I told you not to call me that when we’re in the office.”

When she bit her lower lip, Gunwoo gazed at her red lips quietly.

His biggest wish in the world was to kiss her even if it’s just once. His eyes then moved lower to spot her voluptuous cleavage.

Gulp.

Gunwoo’s neck moved up and down as he swallowed audibly.

He insisted, “Let’s eat together. I’m so hungry…”

“You know you have that advertisement shoot at 3 A.M. tomorrow…,” when Heju reminded him of his upcoming schedule, Gunwoo replied, “I know, I know. Stop with that already. You told me a hundred times.”

Gunwoo hated people repeating the same things over and over again. This was a problem because Heju had a habit of checking and confirming things several times before she felt satisfied. She had already reminded him of the upcoming shoot several times today, so when Gunwoo’s eyes crinkled, she nodded.

He tilted his head and said to her, “I haven’t forgotten it, so don’t worry. Let’s just go get some dinner.”

“What about Sungchan?” Heju asked.

“Who cares? It’ll  be just the two of us,” Gunwoo answered while twirling his car key. In the end, Heju turned off her tablet and followed him.

***

1.Noona is a term used by a younger brother or a younger man to address his older sister or an older woman. It’s sometimes used to show familiarity and affection.