〔1〕

「 𝐘/𝐧'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 」

I was in a rush as today is the biggest day of my life. Argh! I groaned as I was already very stressed about the upcoming meeting. I'm unsure how I will handle the situation. I knocked at the Cabin door only to hear "Come in" from the other side. Twisting the door knob I entered inside the cabin only to find my Father focusing on the Monitor.

"Appa," I called him softly, not wanting to disturb him. He turned towards me and smiled.

"All done?" he asked, and without replying, I passed him the black file which I had been holding for so long. He flipped through the pages, checking each detail of the file.

"Good Job, Y/n. Are you ready?" He asked, and my face turned pale as if I were not ready to face what was going to come my way. "I guess," I replied hesitantly.

"Don't be nervous, dear. You have put all your hard work into this. You'll do great. Just trust yourself," He said, trying to reassure me, but my heart won't trust his words.

"Appa, do you think I can do this?" I asked, biting my lower lip as I tried not to stammer and maintain my composure. "Of Course. You're going to handle the first project for our company. Don't worry, my child. Remember, I am here with you.

I smiled at his words. He is the only man who gives me a lot of strength during my toughest times. He is so proud of me. I can't let him down at any cost. I need to do well no matter what. It's not like it's my first time working on a project, but yeah, this is my first time taking charge of a project. A single mistake can cause a drastic loss to the company. This project is going to be the biggest in YxJ Fashion's History, and Appa trusted me so much that he handed this project to me. Tsk. Am I even worthy of this?

Entering the meeting room, I found my teammates waiting for me. After the final discussion of a few things, Mr. Cha, aka our soon-to-be business partner and also one of the biggest businessmen of South Korea, entered the meeting hall.

After all the welcoming formalities, he took his seat. Switching on my laptop, I connected it to the Digital Board. I could already feel my palms getting sweaty. Taking a deep breath, I shrugged off all other thoughts that were roaming inside my mind and started the presentation.

──── 〔❆〕────

Soon, the meeting came to an end. Everyone rose to their feet as Mr. Cha stood up.

"Mr. Cha, please share your views regarding this project," Appa asked Mr. Cha, to which he replied, "The idea is good. But, Mr. Choi, many other companies in South Korea would be highly beneficial for me to invest in. Although I liked the idea, I can't promise that I will invest in this project."

"That's completely fine, Mr. Cha, please take your time and let us know," Appa said softly, and with this, Mr. Cha left.

I hurried to my office and grabbed my inhaler. After taking two puffs, I felt my heart rate begin to slow down. I have mild asthma, and whenever I feel stressed or am exposed to pollution, I experience shortness of breath.

Keeping aside the inhaler, I sat on the chair trying to compose my thoughts. What if he reje- No, he won't... my idea isn't that bad.

I heard a knock on the door and found Appa coming in. "I know you are worried about the project, but don't worry, he will accept our deal. I am sure"

"Appa, what if he refuses to work with us?"

"Then we will find some other Businessmen. He is not the only businessman we can have to invest in our project. There are many others who want to work with us."

I smiled at his words. How can he always stay so positive?

"Let's go now. It's getting late," I nodded and took my office bag, and followed him to the parking lot.

──── 〔❆〕────

I was sitting in the living room of my house. God, I can't stop thinking about this project. My Younger sister Lia looked at me and said

"Come on, Unnie. Stop thinking about the project.... Let's watch something. How about a movie?"

"Sounds good." She switched on her laptop and sat beside me. Plugging in our earphones, we played a movie. Thankfully, this was helping me to distract myself a little.

As we both were peacefully enjoying the movie, we heard the doorbell.

Argh! Who is it now? I went to open the main door and saw none other than my father's best friend, Mr. Kim, along with his daughter, Somi.

"Annyeonghaseyo, Uncle! Please come inside," with a small smile, he stepped inside and followed me to the living room. I made them comfortable and called Appa and Eomma.

Soon, Appa joined us in the living room along with Eomma. The elders started discussing their usual thing, which they loved to talk about - politics, business, family, and whatnot.

"Girls, why don't you all have some time together?" Appa said as he had already examined mine as well as Lia's expressions, showing nothing but boredom.

"Yeah! That's better. Unnie, Somi, let's go." Lia rose to her feet and went to the garden, whereas both of us followed her.

Somi is a good friend of mine, although she is two years younger than I am. We have known each other since childhood, which has helped us develop a strong bond. Somi has a brother named Taehyung, but I haven't heard from him in a long time. The last time I saw him was about five years ago when Uncle Kim hosted a party; after that, I haven't seen him again.

"Woah! These tulips look so pretty," Somi exclaimed, to which I chuckled.

"Aren't Tulips always pretty?" Lia said with a grin.

"So Somi, what are you doing these days?" I asked, and Somi huffed.

"You know I love designing so much. So that's what I am doing at Kim Jewellers as a Content Strategist. Designing and taking care of the advertising department." I made an 'o' face, whereas Lia exclaimed, "Guys! It's been a long time since we did something fun."

"Exactly. How about a small trip?"

"Uh... No... I am sorry, guys, but I am not up for it."

I was shocked to hear Somi's response. She never says no to something like this; she is the complete opposite.

"Somi, all good?" I asked because I was concerned about her. She has a sweet and jolly nature, but today she doesn't look well.

She let out a sigh before saying, "Yeah, all good, just... a little worried Oppa."

"You mean Taehyung Oppa? I haven't seen him for the last 5 years. Where is he?" Lia asked.

"Umm, actually, he isn't doing well these days. He is a lot stressed about work and also prefers working till late at night."

"Don't worry, dear. He'll be fine. Sometimes the workload is too much to handle. Just make sure he doesn't fall sick." I said, trying to reassure her. I've seen how much Somi loves her brother, and I understand how difficult it must be for her to see him in such a condition.

Somi smiled, which made me feel at ease. To distract her, Lia started blabbering some random stuff, and we continued to have a good time for the evening.

──── 〔❆〕────

「 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 」

Mr. Kim and Mr. Choi were busy talking about their businesses. Mr. Kim and Mr. Choi were classmates in their high schools, and to date, their bond is unbreakable.

As they continued with the conversation, Mr Choi asked, "Your company has gained a huge amount of profit in these years. What's the reason?"

Mr. Kim smiled proudly before answering, "My Son... Taehyung. He has worked day and night to achieve our goals and take Kim Jewelers to new heights."

Mr. Choi gave him a small smile, but soon his smile turned into a curiosity as he asked, "But where is Taehyung? I haven't seen him for years." Mr. Kim's expression turned to one of seriousness as he answered, "He is going through a lot". Mr. Choi furrowed his brows as he asked, "What do you mean? Is he all right?"

Mr. Kim shook his head as he continued, "He isn't. Taehyung once used to be cheerful and used to live happily, but his life took a 180-degree turn. Taehyung had a girlfriend named 'Ha-ri' who cheated on him. That girl was just behind him for his money, but when Taehyung came to know about all this, he was shattered into pieces. What is Taehyung's fault? Why is he suffering cause of that girl?" Mr. Kim takes a deep breath before continuing, "Because of his break-up, Taehyung has changed a lot. He doesn't like socializing, and on top of that, his anger issues are getting out of control. He is indulging himself more and more in alcohol. And the best way he finds to distract himself is by overworking. He works until his body gives up. I am proud of him for taking our company to new heights, but at the same time, I am worried about his health condition. I don't want him to suffer anymore."

Mr. Choi listened to each one of them carefully, and he felt sorry for Taehyung. He then asked, "So what have you decided? How are you going to bring him on his trackback?"

Mr. Kim took a deep breath before speaking further, "I have decided something. I want Taehyung to marry someone cause I believe that only a partner can change him, heal his broken heart."

"You are right, but have you seen someone?" Mr. Kim glanced at Mr. Choi cause he knew that his next words could change many things, and their bond might not be the same. "Yeah.... Y/n"

Mr. Choi's eyes widened upon hearing his daughter's name, but before Mr. Choi could oppose, Mr. Kim said, "I know this is tough for you, and bringing up this proposal so suddenly might be a bit surprising. But in my opinion, Y/n is the perfect girl I am looking for, the one and only who can melt that ice in Taehyung's heart."

Mr. Choi was still trying to process the situation, "But.... Did you ask Taehyung?"

"Not yet, I wanted to ask you about it first. Are you ready to give your daughter's hand in marriage to my son? Taehyung is cold, but he is caring."

"I understand that, but... I need to ask Y/n... I can't make this decision."

Mr. Kim smiled softly. "Of course... I don't want to force any of them into this marriage."

"Yeah, but I need you to promise me something," Mr. Choi said, and Mr. Kim gestured for him to continue.

"Even if Y/n or Taehyung say no, promise me that nothing will change between both families. Our bond will still be the same."

Mr. Kim smiled before saying, "Is this something you need to ask? Rest assured, even if either of them declines the proposal, nothing will change between us."

Mr. Choi smiled and said, "Alright then, let's have a conversation with both of them."

Mr. Kim smiled warmly and gave a small hug to Mr. Choi before leaving the Choi's Mansion.

──── 〔❆〕────

It was evening, and as soon as Mr. Kim left, Mr. Choi discussed the matter with his wife. Mrs. Choi agreed, but both of them were still unsure if their daughter would agree to this proposal or not.

Mr. and Mrs. Choi were sitting in the living room, having their evening tea, when Y/n came downstairs and headed towards the kitchen for some water.

"This is the right time. We should talk to her," Mrs Choi interrupted, to which Mr. Choi nodded. As Y/n was about to go back to her room, Mr. Choi stopped her and called her out. He gestured for her to sit in front of him. Y/n took a seat and waited for Mr. Choi to start the conversation.

"Won't you ask why your uncle Kim came?"

Y/n raised her brows and said, "Why will I? Is there something related to me?"

Mr. Choi glanced at his wife, who was already looking at him. She gestured for him to speak further. Mr. Choi took a deep breath before continuing, "Your uncle wants you to marry his son Taehyung."

Y/n's eyes widened with shock, she wasn't expecting a sudden proposal for her. She couldn't help but exclaim with astonishment, "WHAT!?"

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