Unexpected Encounter

For 14 days, Soohyun had to adjust to being the leader of the field team. Ever since he took the position as the CEO of Kim Corp, he's just the one giving directions and what he wants while his employees do the rest according to what he wants. Now he is both the planner and doer of in the team. To top it all off is the fact that he has to compete with 4 different teams in the same floor to win the chief marketer for the new release of the company's brand. The company will release a brand new clothing line and the shop for the said brand was already set since late last year. In a few months, the store's opening will depend on how fast they can put into motion their plan for the clothing line. K Inc is a multi-company that focuses on clothing lines, beverages, snacks, and entertainment. This company is doing an amazing job at such categories that it's not a wonder K Inc is the number one company in the world.

Soohyun noticed a lot of things different in JiU's company that he does not find in his company. JiU's relationship with her employees is very good and very close. His team sung praises about her for the entire week he spent working with them. They told him about how she would always greet her employees in the morning and that when she gets coffee, she will always get dozens more for her employees. How much they respect her almost made Soohyun jealous because he didn't see or ever hear his employees every being like that about him before. And JiU would always come to visit the 15th floor and greet all the teams working on this new project, but for some reason, Soohyun was never around when she comes as if fate doesn't allow it so. This frustrates Soohyun all the more. He also noticed a few things even weirder. He' didn't bone any girl at all from these past two weeks even Hyosung. Too immersed in this project and to get back what he had lost with JiU 2 weeks ago.

One of the things that kept him occupied being in this role was the fact that his team is mostly new and young employees. They lack experience, even though they are not that far off in age with him, but as CEO of the 2nd biggest company in the world, Soohyun outweighs his team in terms of experience. In so doing, Soohyun uses his experience to help his team improve. There were times his team got on his nerves when his instructions are not done as instructed. But he can't do anything about it because he is not the boss of the company that can fire anyone he wants if they don't meet his criteria. Soohyun leads his company with an iron first despite being the playboy as he is. He dislikes and simply will not tolerate insubordination with his employees. Though his ways are too harsh, he still leads at the top and his employees are more or less in fear of him instead of being respectful of the way JiU's employees are to her. And somewhere under his prideful skin, he feels a slight tinge of jealousy towards JiU due to her way of leading her company and it became one of the strongest roles in the strength of her company. On the other hand, there is growing respect for JiU from the 2 weeks he spent working for her as Byung Joon.

"Hyung, we're all set," Taecyeon, one of Soohyun's subordinates in his team, "Yonghwa is driving the van for today."

"Neh, I'll be right out," Soohyun responded with a nod as he prepares his things to leave for the Town Square mall in Seoul. Sin they are are going to set up shop there for the new clothing line brand, Soohyun opted that he Taecyeon, Yonghwa, Yoona and himself should check out the surrounding of the shop so he could determine what they can do to gain customers and what they can do to stand out amid competitors.

These three shows most promise compared to the rest of his team. Everyone in the team still learns but the one that stood out the most are these three. So, he chooses it to fit that he takes the three of them to survey the site of their new shop. For the last two weeks, Soohyun had to under grow a lot of anger management and a lot more to tone down his pride to immerse himself in the role of Byung Joon. In just two weeks and behaving as the well mannered Byung Joon, he had gained himself quite a good friendship with these co-workers. It was not an easy one to pull such an act when all his life, he's been the top of the top and everything always works the way he wants. Other than that, he has to humble himself when running into seniors or even when he needs to bring coffee for them if they ask him to do so. There are, of course, nice and kind seniors who would help Soohyun with the ropes in leading his team. In other words, Soohyun is gaining way lot more than he bargained for when he went into this plan. However, Soohyun chooses to not get attached too much with whatever he got from the company whether it be a connection with people or with anyone else other than his mission.

"We're here Hyung," Yonghwa opened the automatic doors of the company's car as Soohyun and the rest steps out.

"You know what to do right?" Soohyun addressed his team then turned to Yoona, "Especially you, Yoona, you can window shop some other time, got it?"

Yoona pouted as she looked down before finally nodding in response, "Neh... Boss-nim.." Seeing her made him remember his four girl cousins who are now in different parts of the world. One is in Thailand, Two in New Zealand while the last one is actually from Busan but now she's studying abroad in the States. Yoona made him remember and miss them since he was quite close with them and watched grow when they were all based in Korea since elementary. Now, he only sees them on major holidays.

As they entered the mall, it is as crowded as imagined. People from big families to just some single hopefuls waiting for a chance to maybe their future significant other by going back and forth floors in the mall. It is not a wrong thing to do, just maybe there are better places to find your future soulmate. Soohyun took a moment to scan the crowd, to know, what kind of people he'll be dealing with. Like a hawk, Soohyun scanned the grounds even when going up the escalator to the shop's floor.

Upon arriving at the floor, Soohyun ran into one of his competition within the company, Yoo Jae Suk. This man is quite competitive and he is quite full of himself at times that it takes all of Soohyun's will power not to sucker punch the guy in the face whenever he goes onto his such show-off banters. However, this man has the intelligence and work ethics to back up his big talks.

"Well, hello," Jae Suk turned to meet the gaze of his competitor, "Savoring your last look at the shop before losing?" the man chuckled rather annoyingly that Soohyun had to clench his fist.

"Anything can happen on the D-day Yoo Jae Suk-ssi," Soohyun confidently stepped up, "You can expect a fight you won't forget," Soohyun just smiled and strolled away from the man.

"Mwoh???" Jae Suk scoffed at Soohyun's words, "What did you say?"

"I don't think I stuttered, Yoo Jae Suk-ssi," and just like that Soohyun left Yoo Jae Suk and his team to go into the shop with his. The place is still pretty empty and covered with a COMING SOON Billboard. With the key given, they were able to enter the premise and survey the place. Once inside, he and his three team members discussed everything that needed discussing since they entered the mall. Soohyun is impressed with how much his team observed and learned. Deep inside he felt an urge of pride seeing them improve after just two weeks working with them.

After finishing their discussion, the group exited the shop. All is well until Soohyun turned to his right, and his eyes widened in shock. His first reaction was running behind a pillar nearby and hiding behind it. His three team members looked the way he looked earlier and they were just as shocked. Soohyun noticed two things immediately after seeing them once. Hyosung is out in a mall with one of the guys in the Red list of JiU's company. Soohyun, from behind the pillar, peeked to see the two individuals. Hyosung seemed very close with that man by the way he's got his arm over her shoulder and her arms around his waist. They seem to be laughing at something. The male's face was a little too familiar that Soohyun can't help but tweak his mind to dig up any memory as to why this guy seemed so familiar to his eyes. But nothing seemed to be coming up even when Soohyun tried so hard. One thing bothered him most, how did Hyosung know him, and by the looks of their skinship, it is more than just being friends. Soohyun felt a slight tinge of jealousy inside but immediately brushed it off since they have nothing between them other than just being physical for the last two years.

"Why am I hiding?" Soohyun facepalmed himself as he emerged from his hiding to just stand casually as the two unlikely companions passed him without a moment to spare. However, as they passed, Soohyun noticed Hyosung's tone of voice sounded a little different until he realized that the tone he heard was the usual tone she uses before they start their sexual escapades at her place or anywhere that seemed decent enough. After they are far enough, he turned to his team, who are nowhere to be found.

Soohyun looked around the area for them but he can't seem to find them until the shop's door open to reveal the three members inside. Taecyeon, slipped his head, before going out to address their superior, "Are they gone Hyung?"

"Yeah... they are," something is a little odd for Soohyun, "Why did you three hide?"

"Oh... we are just following you, boss," Yonghwa chimed in a little too quickly, "Since if you hide, it means it could be something serious so the only logical thing that we did was just follow along with you boss."

"Okay?" Soohyun is not convinced but chooses not to press on the matter since he is more curious about the relationship between Hyosung and the man he's sure he had seen before today.

The ride back to the company was quiet. Soohyun chooses not to talk further about their report regarding today because he was still trying to remember who that man was. This man carries an eerie and scary aura that made even Soohyun feeling uncomfortable. Then something sparked in his mind as he looks at his team, "Did you three know who that man is?" Soohyun finally addressed the weight in the car, "There must be a reason why you three hid, and I am very sure that it wasn't caused by me."

The two men who are upfront exchanged looks at each other. Yoona finally started, "That man is Ju Ji Hoon, boss," the moment she mentioned his name, Soohyun's memory jogged to remember who that man is. Kim Corp almost stroke a partnership with Ju Ji Hoon's company a few years back but Soohyun's father, the current CEO of that time, deemed it unwise. Everyone, within the company, was all shocked by that decision since this partnership seemed promising. Soohyun was about to issue a protest until it was revealed that Ju Ji Hoon's company was trying to frame and trick Kim Corp into bankruptcy. Soohyun's father was able to see through it and ended it immediately to avoid their biggest loss.

"The CEO from Ju Architect, right?" Soohyun pointed out before Yoona could go any further into details.

"So, Boss knows him?" Taecyeon looks back towards Soohyun for confirmation.

"Yeah, I do," Soohyun's expression turned slightly grim at the thought of the man, "He is not a good business partner to have."

"How do you know that?" Yonghwa, who was driving asked.

"Well.. umm.. word travels fast in this type of business right?" Soohyun dodged a bullet there are his subordinates nodded in understanding to his way of explaining even though it wasn't that convincing. Hearing the name, gave Soohyun quite an emotional build-up.