3- Accepted Into Disaster

The next morning, Ruru woke up to the sound of rain hitting the apartment window again.

For three full seconds, she forgot about the interview.

Then reality punched her directly in the face.

“The results!”

She nearly fell off the bed while searching for her phone.

Three missed calls.

Seven messages.

All from Cara.

Ruru immediately sat upright.

“What happened?!”

She opened the messages quickly.

CARA:

YOU’RE ALIVE???

CARA:

CHECK YOUR EMAIL RIGHT NOW

CARA:

IF YOU GOT REJECTED WE ARE BUYING ICE CREAM AND CRYING TOGETHER

CARA:

IF YOU GOT ACCEPTED I’M STILL BUYING ICE CREAM

Ruru’s hands trembled slightly while opening her inbox.

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe.

Then she saw it.

K GROUP HOLDINGS

Subject:

FINAL SELECTION RESULT

Her heartbeat became painfully loud.

Slowly, she opened the mail.

Congratulations, Miss Ruru Sen.

You have been selected for the Executive Assistant Training Program…

Ruru froze.

Read it again.

Then again.

And again.

“…Ma?”

Jane looked up from the kitchen area sleepily. “Hm?”

Ruru stared at the screen silently before whispering:

“I got the job.”

The spoon slipped from Jane’s hand.

For one second, neither of them moved.

Then Jane rushed toward her daughter so quickly she almost cried first.

“You got it?!”

Ruru laughed shakily while nodding.

The next thing she knew, her mother hugged her tightly.

And suddenly—

everything became real.

The bills.

The fear.

The sleepless nights.

For the first time in months, hope entered their tiny apartment.

Jane touched Ruru’s face carefully like she still couldn’t believe it.

“I’m proud of you.”

That sentence alone nearly broke Ruru emotionally.

Because her mother always sounded proud.

Even during the hardest moments.

Ruru smiled brightly despite tears forming in her eyes.

“No more worrying,” she whispered. “I’ll take care of everything now.”

Jane smiled sadly at those words.

Because no twenty-three-year-old should carry the weight of saving an entire life alone.

But Ruru did.

And she never complained.

Two hours later—

Ruru stood outside K Group Holdings once again.

Except this time…

she officially worked there.

The thought felt unreal.

The massive building no longer looked merely intimidating.

Now it looked dangerous.

Especially because one particular man existed inside it.

Cara suddenly appeared beside her carrying iced coffee dramatically.

“My fellow survivor!” she announced proudly.

Ruru blinked. “You got accepted too?”

Cara flipped her hair proudly.

“Talent recognizes talent.”

“You bribed someone, didn’t you?”

“Emotionally, yes.”

Ruru laughed.

The nervousness in her chest eased slightly.

At least she wasn’t entering this corporate battlefield alone.

Together, they entered the building.

This time employees greeted them professionally.

Ruru still felt awkward walking across the polished marble floors in affordable shoes while everyone else looked like luxury magazine models.

Cara leaned closer and whispered, “I swear everyone here looks expensive even while breathing.”

True.

Painfully true.

The new trainees were guided toward a conference hall where orientation would begin.

About twenty people sat inside already.

Most looked excited.

Some terrified.

One guy confidently adjusted his tie every thirty seconds like he expected cameras to appear.

Ruru sat near the middle while observing quietly.

Then suddenly—

the lights flickered.

Only once.

But enough to make several trainees glance upward.

Ruru frowned slightly.

For some reason, the room temperature suddenly dropped.

A strange chill brushed across her skin.

Then it disappeared.

Weird.

A tall woman wearing a navy suit entered moments later.

“Good morning everyone,” she greeted calmly. “I’m Elena Park, head of operations.”

Every trainee straightened instantly.

Elena looked elegant, sharp, and terrifying in a completely different way from David.

“Welcome to K Group Holdings,” she continued. “Half of you will quit within three months.”

The room went silent.

Cara whispered, “Comforting start.”

Elena ignored the reactions.

“This company rewards excellence. Weakness, laziness, and carelessness are not tolerated.”

Her gaze swept across the room carefully.

Then stopped briefly on Ruru.

Oddly enough, Elena’s expression changed for a split second.

Like recognition.

Or surprise.

But it vanished immediately.

“Your schedules and department assignments will be distributed shortly.”

An assistant handed folders to each trainee.

Ruru opened hers carefully.

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT DIVISION

Supervisor: David Kim

Ruru stopped breathing.

“No.”

Cara peeked into the folder.

Then screamed quietly.

“YOU’RE DEAD.”

Several trainees looked over.

Ruru covered Cara’s mouth instantly.

“This is not funny.”

“It’s a little funny.”

Ruru stared hopelessly at the folder.

Out of every department in the building…

why him?

Did the universe personally hate her?

Meanwhile, thirty floors above—

David stood inside his office while reviewing trainee profiles.

His assistant looked nervous beside him.

“Sir… are you sure about assigning Miss Sen directly under executive management?”

David signed a document calmly.

“Yes.”

“She has no corporate experience.”

“She has reflexes, honesty, and enough courage to argue with me publicly.”

The assistant remained silent.

Fair point.

David finally looked toward the massive city view outside the windows.

Rain covered Seoul in silver fog.

But his thoughts remained strangely occupied by one loud, stubborn girl.

Annoying.

Yet impossible to ignore.

His phone vibrated again.

This time his expression darkened immediately.

Father.

David answered coldly.

“What.”

A deep voice echoed through the speaker.

“You’re attending the chairman dinner tonight.”

“I’m busy.”

“That wasn’t a request.”

David’s jaw tightened slightly.

“I said I’ll handle the company.”

“And I said stop disappointing me.”

The call ended.

Silence filled the office afterward.

David slowly lowered the phone.

His reflection stared back from the glass windows.

Perfect suit.

Perfect reputation.

Perfect prison.

Sometimes he wondered if anyone around him actually saw him as human anymore.

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

“Enter.”

Elena stepped inside calmly.

“The trainees have arrived.”

David nodded once.

Then after a pause:

“How did she react?”

Elena almost smiled.

“Like someone sentenced to death.”

For the first time that morning—

David looked amused again.

Downstairs, Ruru was absolutely suffering.

Cara continued laughing beside her while orientation ended.

“This is destiny.”

“This is harassment.”

“You spilled coffee on the man during your first meeting. Of course fate became interested.”

Ruru dropped her forehead onto the table dramatically.

“I need another job.”

Too late.

The conference hall doors opened again.

Instant silence filled the room.

David entered.

Every trainee stood immediately.

Ruru stood half a second slower because her soul had already left her body.

David’s sharp gaze scanned the room calmly.

Then stopped directly on her.

Of course it did.

“Welcome,” he said coolly. “If you’re here expecting kindness, resign now.”

Several trainees visibly panicked.

Cara whispered, “I kind of respect him.”

Ruru whispered back, “I kind of want to throw another coffee.”

Unfortunately—

David heard that too.

His eyes shifted toward her slowly.

Dangerously slowly.

The room temperature somehow dropped again.

And this time—

the lights flickered twice.

A faint silver glow appeared briefly around David’s wrist beneath his sleeve.

Gone within seconds.

Ruru blinked.

Did she imagine that?

David continued speaking normally like nothing happened.

But for some reason—

Ruru suddenly felt something strange.

A faint pressure in the air.

Like invisible energy moving silently beneath the room.

Modern fantasy had entered quietly.

And neither of them knew yet…

that their meeting was never an accident.

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