LC Prologue

The sliding door of the Korean restaurant opened, and the first face to pop into view was Director Lee Jun-ha from OI Telecom. You could tell he was a stickler for rules; his tie knot was pulled all the way up, and he hadn’t even taken off his suit jacket. He had this dignified air about him, mixed with a stubbornness that came with his years.59d78c0b7b5b341e

“Good evening, Director. My meeting with the British broadcasting company ran late, so I’m a bit behind schedule.”894e85e6e865d147

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“Oh, Team Leader Hwang! No, no. Come on in, have a seat.”e73b8c3c73f88272

Team Leader Hwang Na-yoon, walking gracefully into the VIP dining room, was also rocking a perfectly tailored office suit. She was the youngest ever to be promoted to team leader, a real star in OI Telecom’s Product Planning division. She was totally on the executive fast track, taking short-term MBA classes on weekends and practically living at the office during the week, never letting go of her work for a second.8321175960907f7d

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“Looks like the new team leader isn’t here yet.”762d40dbd74b2ab8

Na-yoon sat diagonally 3e4d0e8a2d across from Director e95cd570e2 Lee Jun-ha, smiling 916f205bf3 softly. This dinner today was specially 9f1173bc31 set up to introduce the c9b6db66f9 new team leader joining the 0463972666 Product Planning division.4ef44bdd678a229c

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“Oh, I wanted to chat with Team Leader Hwang first. I told that person to come about 20 minutes later… but since your meeting ran late, they’ll probably burst in any minute now, huh?”4d7163621bb42397

Director Lee gave a friendly 3f216b7d0f smile. But even though 6527b8831a he looked like 681c52a4d9 a nice guy 47fd2f20b3 on the surface, 56c604d59a Director Lee was e47fb0e277 actually a pro 90f0c6f69c at pitting team 373c7dafb6 leaders against each 70f9cf484b other, like a e0bea57ff6 dog fighter.0571751ed88f14cf

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“My bad. I should’ve just ditched the British broadcasting company director and everything, and come straight to see you, Director.”3e49d3b03b914e7b

Director Lee burst out laughing, “Wahahaha!”1543632e955a1287

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“That’s a big deal, though, can Team Leader Hwang really just ditch it? But it’s sweet to hear you say that… So, speaking of which…”8b2b4afa017074dc

Ah, here comes the 7ba7ba6361 main point.968d97fb34b0aa59

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“About this new team leader… they’re apparently a bit difficult. Could you, Team Leader Hwang, handle them well? Huh?”7110b54a2295132f

“Handle” the new team leader? That sounded a bit off. It didn’t make sense to “handle” a team leader from another team who was coming in at the same level. Na-yoon sharply sensed that the vibe was getting weird.61289b6c0a94bac6

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“Is there a work-related reason why I should ‘handle’ a team leader from another team?”8cec047e390b3e00

Director Lee started talking 15eb77545b with an expression like 59b3e787b2 a principal at an f7100b7576 orientation ceremony.ecd0586572d278b9

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“Hmm. So, the new team leader is actually the developer of Thunder Warning.”6a00e0b6cd3320d9

“Thunder Warning? I heard nobody knows who the real developer of that app is.”23d87a6eb4c88e03

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Thunder Warning was a call-assist 3a75f1abb6 app that filtered out voice d92de12422 phishing numbers. If you installed d590907c42 Thunder Warning, it 913de4e244 could even catch db7ddae4d3 complex phishing schemes 8700709f5f where foreign numbers afbb1c9bac were changed to 287fa1ab93 domestic mobile numbers d224c95665 via portable base e6adb99a43 stations. Several reports had ab09e47cc3 been published, stating 069f6c17a6 that thanks to 711d289d53 Thunder Warning, the 82972948b5 number of voice 782903ca65 phishing cases in e82371b60b Korea had significantly 35af63958c decreased. Thunder Warning had also played 134624b19a a big role in catching 1dfede2cd8 voice phishing crime rings by 27918906e2 relentlessly tracking the routes of 9077c46a19 portable base stations.1ffd9b2bc4d04c15

But the problem was, customers using Thunder Warning weren’t using the telecom companies’ call-assist apps. Because of this, each telecom company had been desperate to absorb Thunder Warning and recruit its developer.a0af1bfd908e40d6

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“They must be an incredible person.”ee53b0e353490531

As if pleased with Na-yoon’s answer, Director Lee let out another hearty laugh.b425680b24daf970

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“So, about that… the new team leader chose Team Leader Hwang as their deputy team leader.”7ac3426875bb477c

Her head felt numb, like she’d been smacked in the back of the head.0ae4c961974b537d

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“Director, what are you talking about?”0a7bab025854c5ff

“One of the conditions for them to hand over Thunder Warning to OI Telecom and join our company is that they want Team Leader Hwang as their team’s deputy team leader… You don’t like it?”396925bd035faef7

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Of course not! Going from a team leader to a deputy team leader? No way she’d like that.daab4f9a3e8d37ed

“Shouldn’t you offer me satisfactory conditions then? This is a change of position, from team leader to deputy team leader. Did I cause trouble for the company? Or is this a situation where I should be resigning, and I’m just cluelessly not getting it?”77fe568882ef2cf4

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As Na-yoon’s questions poured out, Director Lee took a sip of warm buckwheat tea and smiled.352dd0851e97a2e1

“A new project will start in a dedicated space set up in Gangwon Province. You’ll have executive-level car support while using the project space. If needed, a driver can also be provided. Once this project is over, you can go to a country of your choice as a group expatriate and then return as an executive. Your annual salary will be 1.5 times what it is now. And naturally, you’ll get performance bonuses if the project succeeds.”754ba33b48a9a9e6

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The conditions were pretty sweet. She’d always thought that her lack of international experience might be a hurdle to executive promotion. To overcome that, she’d either have to go for a master’s degree abroad or become an expatriate. But studying abroad wasn’t an option because she’d have to stop working, and it wasn’t easy to become a group expatriate from a department that mainly dealt with the domestic market. She’d been telling herself to just get a short-term MBA first and then think about it, bleeding her nose every weekend while wandering around Gwanak Mountain.2078a2cc288c5d89

“Thank you, Director. It sounds like it’s just ‘deputy team leader’ in name only.”db311ff1d3d1f807

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Na-yoon gave a knowing smile 9b439c3b54 and playfully crinkled her nose.322bcdd56713d31b

“I was almost getting upset earlier because Team Leader Hwang was grilling me so hard. Did you really think I wouldn’t have thought of something like this?”ca058536baf2fef9

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They were both smiling at 4faea57b9c each other, their intentions clearly e673e0daa9 visible, when someone knocked softly 9510401c26 on the door.8218c5ee66ba4074

“Yes.”d6914f555e54bd37

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At Director Lee’s reply, the sliding door gently opened.7cf697c73eb315cd

Who could this amazing team leader be, the developer of Thunder Warning, who was about to give her a 1.5x salary bump and put her on the executive fast track? Na-yoon smiled sweetly and looked at the face revealed through the door. Then, upon recognizing the person, the smile on Na-yoon’s lips froze.e458d657c2159bd1

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‘Do Seol-woo?’36c21bf804612c21

As he was 7b29deb180 about to step c66fb66782 into the dining 7a79a3c025 room, he spotted 96836ce25f Na-yoon and the 888633d588 corner of his d20146be17 mouth twitched slightly.747c4a90876511e8

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Is he trying to die?bf8180d1d28d4caf

But wait, this ex-boyfriend, the one she wanted to kill, is the amazing team leader? Na-yoon’s mind went blank, unable to process the unbelievable situation. It was the moment her only love, the one she’d had a passionate relationship and a devastating breakup with, reappeared as her direct superior. He was her only love, and the man she had hoped to never encounter again in her life.236782be02ed1264

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Do Seol-woo looked between Director f8af3c0a4e Lee and Na-yoon, then casually 6a501d6406 greeted them.d259bb19bf61d100

“Am I late? It seems you two have already started talking.”624fd429f86fd0af

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“No, no! I called Team Leader Hwang earlier because I had something to discuss with our Deputy Team Leader Hwang. Have a seat, have a seat.”6be5f79ad7050a8f

The words “deputy team leader” pierced her heart like an arrow. Do Seol-woo, as if strolling through her wounded heart, sat down in the chair next to Na-yoon, emanating a deep, woody scent.fb1ba65740db50e7

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“Now that I think about it, you two went to the same university and the same department. Do you two happen to know each other?”33f127b0bd922a70

At Director Lee’s question, Na-yoon smiled brightly and answered first.cfd27b7ba02da17e

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“Our department had so many students, you know. This is my first time meeting him today. What year are you?”15c4218a7c01605c

At Na-yoon’s sly question, Do Seol-woo chuckled.6c375382875d6a11

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“I remember Deputy Team Leader Hwang. We were in the same class.”79532471a68d9984

Na-yoon suddenly feared she 8505852abd might end up in c513a91a28 jail before getting on 6ca819f902 the executive fast track. A strong urge c4c8d09f93 to strangle the 4c13d08b65 shameless Do Seol-woo 2e40fc3177 was rising within 9a860513e1 her.f46526a0a01d679e

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“Why wouldn’t Deputy Team Leader Hwang remember such a handsome Team Leader Do?”def03a6c732a4a2c

As Director Lee said, Do Seol-woo’s good looks were still outstanding. In college, his hair was always casually messy, but the sleek, combed-back pompadour style now accentuated his smooth face even more. She’d been entangled with Do Seol-woo from the end of her freshman year until just before graduation, but this was the first time she’d seen him in such a perfectly tailored suit.12aefc56377acdc5

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Are you getting butterflies? Are you crazy, Hwang Na-yoon?239dc7e8c899f578

Dating rule number one: Never 9b985ea99a date someone from the same 6a936250cf company! Na-yoon chewed over the rule 8e58dd495b she had deeply ingrained in 13582ad676 her heart.169f72b5a6743f34

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“Oh, just a moment. You two chat for a bit.”13f4bcd2612c66d6

Director Lee left, as if 6e738d24d2 he had an urgent call 03e19bff16 to take. Before silence could even settle, eeed0fcad4 Do Seol-woo opened his mischievous 54770de5c5 mouth.5d168ad3593f9593

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“Long time no see.”98d5003de67963aa

Na-yoon was so dumbfounded that she childishly wanted to ask, “Do I know you?”3af8743b3f148136

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“This is our first meeting as team leader and deputy team leader, and suddenly being so informal is really not cool.”a5bf9260df6bc0c0

She attacked calmly, then c50a206803 took a sip of 7e5a7a1b8f buckwheat tea.658b4902e0f50005

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“We’re not exactly in a situation where we need to be so formal, are we?”d166c3f5c0360959

Is this guy… Does he have partial amnesia or something? Na-yoon stared at Do Seol-woo with a completely emotionless face.134570788f321454

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“After being dumped so brutally, it’s not like I can smile and greet you again, is it?”b752d4c6773c6038

At her blunt question, Do 607987cce1 Seol-woo tilted his head slightly 8273a6dcce and leaned in. It was an angle similar 727ec7ecd1 to when they used to 2672679481 kiss a long time ago.10d164bad80e1b07

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“What are we going to do, Deputy Team Leader Hwang Na-yoon? You’ll have to work with me and smile now.”b5d2c3c0d8c79a06

Her heart pounded wildly. If she had her way, she’d slap Do Seol-woo’s cheek. But somehow, Na-yoon’s fragile heart was instead revisiting memories of Do Seol-woo, her only romantic partner in life.1e1ec4b4975ec48a

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