The CEO's Attention

Ji-hoon left the CEO's office with a racing heart.

He still couldn't believe what had happened.

Not only had he argued with the CEO on his very first day, but he had also talked back to him inside his office.

"I'm definitely getting fired."

The thought followed him all the way back to his desk.

"Ji-hoon!"

A cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts.

It was Choi Min-seok, one of the employees from the Marketing Department.

"How was it?" Min-seok asked excitedly.

Ji-hoon blinked.

"How was what?"

"The CEO's office! Nobody gets called there on their first day."

Ji-hoon forced an awkward smile.

"Nothing happened."

"Nothing?"

Min-seok looked unconvinced.

Before Ji-hoon could answer, a notification appeared on his computer.

Meeting Room A. 2:00 PM. Attendance Required.

At exactly 2 PM, Ji-hoon entered the meeting room with several other employees.

A few minutes later, the door opened.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Kim Tae-jun.

Everyone stood up immediately.

Tae-jun walked to the front of the room without saying a word.

His expression was as cold as ever.

Ji-hoon secretly rolled his eyes.

"This guy really enjoys intimidating people."

As if sensing his thoughts, Tae-jun suddenly looked directly at him.

Ji-hoon quickly looked away.

Unfortunately, Min-seok noticed.

"Why is the CEO staring at you?" he whispered.

"I have no idea."

That was a lie.

The meeting lasted almost an hour.

When it finally ended, everyone sighed in relief.

Everyone except Ji-hoon.

Because as people were leaving, Tae-jun suddenly spoke.

"Mr. Jung Ji-hoon."

The room froze.

Ji-hoon's heart nearly stopped.

Slowly, he turned around.

"Yes, sir?"

"Stay behind."

The remaining employees exchanged curious looks before quickly leaving.

The moment the door closed, silence filled the room.

Ji-hoon crossed his arms.

"If this is about the coffee incident again, I already apologized."

To his surprise, Tae-jun laughed softly.

"You really don't know when to stay quiet."

"Maybe."

Tae-jun studied him carefully.

Most employees were nervous around him.

Most avoided eye contact.

Most agreed with everything he said.

But not Ji-hoon.

For some reason, Ji-hoon treated him like a normal person.

And Tae-jun wasn't sure if that annoyed him or amused him.

"Why did you apply to Taejin Group?" Tae-jun suddenly asked.

Ji-hoon frowned.

"What kind of question is that?"

"Answer it."

Ji-hoon sighed.

"Because I needed a job."

Tae-jun raised an eyebrow.

"That's it?"

"What else should I say? That it was my childhood dream?"

For a moment, Tae-jun looked genuinely surprised.

Then he shook his head.

"You're strange."

Ji-hoon smirked.

"Takes one to know one."

Later that evening, most employees had already gone home.

Ji-hoon was still struggling with paperwork.

He stared at his computer screen.

Then stared some more.

Nothing made sense.

"Why is this so complicated?"

He rubbed his forehead.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared beside his desk.

Ji-hoon looked up.

His eyes widened.

"CEO?"

Tae-jun glanced at the screen.

"You've been working on the same report for forty minutes."

Ji-hoon looked embarrassed.

"It's my first day."

Without warning, Tae-jun pulled a chair beside him and sat down.

The entire office seemed to stop breathing.

Employees secretly watched from across the room.

The CEO...

Sitting beside a new employee?

Impossible.

Meanwhile, Ji-hoon felt even more uncomfortable.

"You know people are staring, right?"

"Let them."

Tae-jun leaned closer to the screen.

His shoulder almost brushed against Ji-hoon's.

For a second, Ji-hoon forgot how to breathe.

"You're doing it wrong," Tae-jun said.

Then he started explaining the report.

His voice was calm.

Patient.

Completely different from the cold CEO everyone feared.

Ji-hoon stared at him.

Maybe the rumors weren't entirely true.

Maybe there was more to Kim Tae-jun than people knew.

After several minutes, the report was finally finished.

"There," Tae-jun said.

Ji-hoon smiled.

A real smile.

"Thanks."

For a brief moment, Tae-jun froze.

Something about that smile felt unfamiliar.

Warm.

Comforting.

Dangerous.

Because it made him feel something he hadn't felt in years.

As Ji-hoon packed his bag to leave, he didn't notice Tae-jun watching him from across the office.

The CEO's expression became serious.

He didn't understand why his attention kept returning to the new employee.

And honestly...

That bothered him.

Because Kim Tae-jun had spent years building walls around himself.

Walls nobody had ever managed to cross.

But somehow...

A stubborn new employee named Jung Ji-hoon had already started making small cracks in them.

To Be Continued... 🖤✨

In Bangla

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