​Mr. Kim (Kim Ji-woon) liked his life exactly how he liked his morning Americano: dark, predictable, and completely undisturbed. As the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer of Visionary Corp, he had a reputation to uphold. He was sharp, impeccably dressed, and possessed a facial expression that could freeze boiling water.

​Then came Lee Su-ho.

​Su-ho was a chaotic whirlwind of talent, bright smiles, and absolute clumsiness. He was the lead creative designer, a man who lived in a world of vibrant colors and zero spatial awareness.

​Their first official meeting didn’t happen in the boardroom. It happened at exactly 8:45 AM in the crowded office elevator.

​Su-ho, juggling three folders, a tablet, and a dangerously full extra-large iced vanilla latte, tripped over his own shoelaces just as the elevator jolted to a halt. With a dramatic gasp, the entire contents of his cup flew through the air, landing precisely across the pristine, tailored chest of Mr. Kim’s charcoal suit.

​The elevator went dead silent. Everyone held their breath.

​"Oh my god! I am so, so sorry!" Su-ho panicked, immediately grabbing a handful of rough paper napkins from his pocket and aggressively dabbing at Kim’s chest. "I didn't mean to—you just stepped right where my foot was going to go, and the gravity—"

​"Stop," Ji-woon said, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave. He looked down at the pale brown puddle soaking into his thousand-dollar shirt, and then up at Su-ho’s wide, terrified, yet inexplicably handsome eyes.

​"I'm just trying to help!" Su-ho whimpered, still rubbing the napkin against Ji-woon's chest, entirely unaware of how close their faces actually were.

​Ji-woon caught Su-ho’s wrist, stopping him instantly. The sudden proximity sent a weird, electric jolt through the air. "If you 'help' any further, Mr. Lee, I won't have a shirt left at all. My office. Ten minutes...

​The thrilling part of working at Visionary Corp wasn't just the corporate ladder; it was the cutthroat competition for the upcoming global launch project. Rumors were swirling that rival companies were trying to leak their designs.

​When Ji-woon and Su-ho were forced to work together to secure the project's security and presentation, sparks flew—and not just the romantic kind.

​"We have a mole," Ji-woon whispered, pulling Su-ho into the empty server room later that week. The room was dark, illuminated only by blinking blue and green LED lights.

​"A mole? Like the animal?" Su-ho asked, genuinely confused, his face inches from Ji-woon's in the cramped space.

​"An industrial spy, Su-ho," Ji-woon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Someone is trying to steal your design drafts. We need to stay lock-step until midnight to finalize the encryption."

​Su-ho’s heart did a strange little flip. Hearing his name drop the formal "Mr. Lee" sounded far too intimate in the quiet room. "Well... as long as you're protecting me, Chief, I feel entirely safe." Su-ho flashed a playful, teasing smirk, leaning back against the server rack.

​Ji-woon trapped him against the rack, placing a hand on either side of Su-ho's shoulders. The cold exterior cracked, just for a second, revealing a fierce intensity. "Don't joke around. I take my work—and the people under my responsibility—very seriously."

​The comedy evaporated into pure romantic tension. Su-ho’s breath hitched. For a second, the ticking clock and the threat of corporate espionage didn't matter at all...."

The thrilling chase reached its peak at 11:30 PM. A shadow crossed the hallway outside the creative suite.

​"They're here," Su-ho whispered, grabbing Ji-woon’s sleeve.

​Ji-woon nodded, pulling Su-ho behind a large partition wall. As the suspicious figure crept into the room toward the main computer, Ji-woon prepared to intercept. But Su-ho, trying to be a hero, stepped out too quickly, tripped over a trash can, and sent a stack of plastic bins crashing down with a deafening rattle.

​"Hey! Freeze!" Su-ho yelled anyway, trying to look menacing while tangled in a recycling bin.

​The spy panicked and bolted for the fire exit. Ji-woon didn't hesitate. He dashed past the mess, tackled the intruder right at the doorway, and held him down until building security arrived.

​With the threat neutralized and the designs safe, the office fell completely quiet once more.

​Su-ho was sitting on the floor, dusting off his jeans, looking utterly defeated by his own clumsiness. "I ruined the stealth approach, didn't I?"

​Ji-woon walked back over, his tie slightly undone, breathing a bit heavily from the sprint. He stood over Su-ho for a moment before offering a hand.

​Su-ho took it, expecting to be pulled up, but instead, Ji-woon tugged him forward into a sudden, firm embrace.

​"You're a disaster, Lee Su-ho," Ji-woon murmured against his hair, his arms tightening around him. "But you're my creative director. Don't do something that dangerous again."

​Su-ho blinked, his face turning bright crimson as he wrapped his arms around the stoic Chief's waist. "Does this mean you're buying me a replacement latte tomorrow?"

​Ji-woon laughed quietly—a rare, beautiful sound. "Only if you promise to drink it sitting down."..

The aftermath of the spy incident left Visionary Corp in a state of high alert. To ensure the launch data was absolutely impenetrable, the security team initiated an automated, sector-by-sector lockdown of the executive floor at precisely 9:00 PM.

​Naturally, Ji-woon and Su-ho were still inside.

​"The doors are magnetized," Ji-woon said, his voice echoing in the empty, dimly lit corridor. He pulled at the heavy glass door of the main office suite, but it didn't budge an inch. "We're stuck here until the morning shift overrides the system at 6:00 AM."

​Su-ho slid down against the nearest wall, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Locked in? With no cafeteria access? Ji-woon, this is a tragedy. I have half a bag of sour gummy worms in my desk, and that’s our entire survival ration."

​Ji-woon loosened his collar, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he sat down right next to Su-ho on the carpeted floor. The usual corporate distance between them felt completely irrelevant now. "I think we'll survive the night, Su-ho. Though I'm more worried about what you'll accidentally break while we're trapped."

​"Hey! I've been on my best behavior for the last three hours," Su-ho protested, nudging Ji-woon’s shoulder with his own.

​The playful bickering faded into a quiet, comfortable silence. The city lights flickered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the room. Ji-woon looked over at Su-ho, noticing the faint dark circles under his eyes from days of frantic drafting. Without thinking, Ji-woon reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair away from Su-ho’s forehead.

​Su-ho froze, his breath catching in his throat. The warmth of Ji-woon's fingers lingered against his skin.

​"You worked hard," Ji-woon said softly, his gaze locked onto Su-ho’s. "The designs are safe because of you."

​"I had good backup," Su-ho whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs. The intense, protective look in Ji-woon's eyes was making it incredibly hard to breathe. Driven by a sudden burst of courage, Su-ho leaned in closer, closing the distance between them until their shoulders were pressed tightly together. "You know... being locked in isn't so bad."

​Ji-woon didn't pull away. Instead, he shifted his hand down to catch Su-ho’s, intertwining their fingers. "No," Ji-woon agreed, a genuine, soft smile breaking across his face. "It isn't bad at all..

The soft glow of the morning sun began to filter through the blinds of the Visionary Corp executive floor, officially ending the overnight lockdown.

​At exactly 6:00 AM, a loud click echoed through the corridor as the automated security system disengaged.

​Su-ho blinked his eyes open, groggily shifting his head. It took him a few seconds to realize he wasn't tracking an art deadline—and he wasn't using a standard pillow. He was completely curled up against Ji-woon’s side, his head resting comfortably on the Chief's broad shoulder. Ji-woon’s arm was draped loosely around Su-ho's waist, holding him close even in sleep.

​Su-ho’s face instantly flushed a brilliant shade of crimson. He tried to slide away carefully without waking the beast, but his notorious clumsiness struck again. His foot caught the edge of a nearby recycling bin, sending a stray empty soda can clattering loudly across the linoleum floor.

​Ji-woon stirred, his eyes fluttering open. Instead of the usual sharp, intimidating glare, his expression was soft and slightly dazed from sleep. He looked down at a panicked Su-ho, a slow smirk spreading across his face.

​"Good morning," Ji-woon murmured, his voice raspy and deep. He didn't let go of Su-ho's waist just yet. "Are you trying to escape, or is the recycling bin attacking you again?"

​"I was trying to be stealthy!" Su-ho squeaked, his heart doing backflips at the sound of Ji-woon’s morning voice. "The system is unlocked. People are going to start arriving for the early shift in twenty minutes."

​Ji-woon finally let his arm drop, sitting up and stretching. He looked remarkably handsome for someone who had just slept on an office floor. "Let them come. We saved the launch project, didn't we?"

​"Yes, but if the design team sees us like this, I'll never hear the end of it," Su-ho said, scrambling to his feet and attempting to smooth down his wildly messy hair.

​The clock on the wall of the creative department felt like it was moving in slow motion.

​4:45 PM. Su-ho stared blankly at his monitor, clicking his mouse rapidly without actually doing any work. His team members were buzzing around him, discussing the final edits for the global launch, but Su-ho could only think about the deal he had made that morning.

​4:58 PM.

​He peeked over his partition wall toward the glass doors of the executive wing. There was no sign of the Chief. Su-ho tapped his foot anxiously, wondering if Ji-woon had forgotten, or worse, if a last-minute emergency meeting had pulled him away.

​5:00 PM.

​The digital clock shifted. Right on cue, the heavy glass doors opened, and Ji-woon walked out. He had his coat draped over his arm, his briefcase in hand, and his eyes were locked straight onto Su-ho’s desk. The entire department went dead quiet as the notoriously strict CMO approached the creative corner.

​"Mr. Lee," Ji-woon said, his voice carrying its usual professional weight.

​"Yes, Chief?" Su-ho stood up so fast his knee banged against the underside of his desk, making his pen holder rattle. He winced, immediately flushing.

​"The final review for the launch strategy requires an off-site evaluation," Ji-woon said smoothly, though the slight curve at the corner of his lips gave him away. "Pack your things. We're leaving now."

​"Right away!" Su-ho scrambled to grab his bag, missing the curious and knowing looks being exchanged by his co-workers behind his back.

​It wasn't until they were safely inside the privacy of the elevator that Ji-woon let out a soft chuckle. He reached over, taking Su-ho’s heavy laptop bag from his hand to carry it for him. "You looked like you were about to jump out of your skin, Su-ho."

​"You timed that way too perfectly," Su-ho complained, though a bright smile broke across his face. "Everyone was staring! They probably think I’m getting fired."

​"Let them think what they want," Ji-woon said as the elevator reached the lobby. He adjusted his grip on Su-ho's bag, his fingers brushing against Su-ho’s hand intentionally. "As long as you know you're exactly where you're supposed to be."

​Ji-woon stood up next to him, effortlessly fixing his own collar. He stepped closer to Su-ho, reaching out to gently fix a stray collar point on Su-ho's shirt that was turned inside out. The sudden proximity made Su-ho hold his breath.

​"Let's make a deal," Ji-woon said softly, his eyes locking onto Su-ho's with an undeniable warmth. "We behave like perfect professionals until 5:00 PM."

​"And after 5:00 PM?" Su-ho asked, a playful, hopeful smile breaking through his nervousness.

​Ji-woon leaned in just close enough for his breath to brush Su-ho's ear. "After 5:00 PM, I’m taking you out for a proper dinner. No office, no spies, and definitely no coffee spills...