“You can ask me again next time, too.”
That was Yoo Seo-ah’s response to Jung Hwa-yoon’s request: “Just this once, please.”
Her face was calm, with no noticeable change in expression.
Normally, a female employee might be offended if asked, “I’d like you to win the client’s favor with your looks,” but she didn’t seem fazed.
Was she just indifferent?
Or simply enduring it because it came from her superior?
“…The meeting is at 2 p.m.”
“Understood.”
Even when she was informed of the meeting time with Daeyoung Bank, she showed no sign of displeasure.
In fact, it was Yoo Seo-ah who brought up a question regarding the meeting.
“Is there a chance I’ll speak directly with the general manager of Daeyoung Bank?”
“I can’t say for sure… but it’s likely he’ll say a word or two.”
“In that case, would it be alright if I bring up the topic of the loan extension? I’d like to help persuade him.”
What exactly was she planning to say?
Jung Hwa-yoon was curious, but couldn’t bring herself to ask more.
Relying too much on Seo-ah, who was just a junior staff member, seemed excessive.
After all, this meeting should be led by Jung Hwa-yoon herself, the Executive Director.
It was a position of responsibility.
A position that had to be proven.
That’s what the title of Executive Director meant.
She couldn’t shift that burden onto Yoo Seo-ah.
“If you feel it’s necessary, you’re free to speak during the meeting.”
“Yes.”
That was the end of the conversation.
No further requests.
No greater expectations.
Just having Seo-ah accompany the meeting was already enough.
After a slight bow, Yoo Seo-ah calmly left the executive office.
Her footsteps, like always, were steady.
As the office door creaked shut, even the sound of her footsteps faded completely.
“…Haa…”
Jung Hwa-yoon let out a small sigh, feeling like she had asked for something inappropriate.
The fact that she couldn’t think of a better solution left a slight bitterness in her mouth.
Meanwhile, Yoo Seo-ah, who had walked down the long hallway and just arrived in front of the elevator, had only one thing in mind: digging up background information on Daeyoung Bank’s general manager.
‘About three hours of free time…’
No matter what, this meeting was a chance to prove her usefulness to Jung Hwa-yoon.
Whatever that “usefulness” might be, it was wise to make sure Jung Hwa-yoon saw her as valuable.
If she could meaningfully assist in the Daeyoung Bank meeting, perhaps their relationship would deepen.
That was why she had brought it up with her manager earlier.
“Hello, Manager.”
“Oh, Seo-ah. I heard the Executive Director called for you.”
“Yes. I actually have something to tell you about that. Do you have a moment?”
What followed was a brief and clear explanation, but for Manager Park, it was not a simple matter.
After all, Manager Park was currently suspecting Yoo Seo-ah might be a member of the royal family of the Yeryeo Group.
“I was instructed by the Executive Director to accompany the Daeyoung Bank meeting this afternoon—”
“It’s fine if you focus on preparing for the meeting and researching relevant materials—”
“As for the VIP guest work—”
No further explanation was needed.
The fact that Executive Director Jung had summoned Yoo Seo-ah directly—without going through Manager Park—to accompany the meeting, was clear proof that Seo-ah wasn’t just an ordinary employee.
So, Park agreed to all of Seo-ah’s requests without objection.
His own way of showing support.
He concluded there was no benefit in getting on her bad side.
“This is all for our hotel, so why not? Don’t worry—go ahead and prepare for the meeting.”
“Thank you very much.”
After a brief bow, Seo-ah returned to her seat.
She immediately began researching the Daeyoung Bank meeting.
Click click.
Clatter clatter.
‘Let’s start with personal info…’
She pulled up the Instagram, Twitter, personal blog, and other social media of Daeyoung Bank General Manager Choi Jin-wook.
‘Thirty-four years old. Young. Probably parachuted into his position…’
She noted down everything—from his latest travels, alma mater, hometown, family relations, even trivial info like his MBTI.
After roughly gathering all publicly available data, she logged into the Yeryeo Hotel intranet to check relevant materials on Daeyoung Bank.
‘Hmm… it’s not like there’s no alternative to Daeyoung Bank. In that case…’
Drawing from past experience, her conclusion wasn’t too negative.
As her thoughts deepened, she leaned back slightly in her chair and muttered briefly.
“Hm.”
No matter how tense the personal relationship between Jung Hwa-yoon and Choi Jin-wook was, alienating Yeryeo Hotel—and by extension, Yeryeo Group—would be a major risk. Choi likely knew that, too.
After all, Yeryeo Hotel wasn’t just a debtor to Daeyoung Bank—it was a key client.
They wouldn’t want the relationship ruined over personal feelings.
‘Above all, he’s a parachute.’
If Choi Jin-wook, who rose to general manager at a young age, damaged relations with a key client, it could be fatal to his career.
Had the relationship between Jung and Choi been amicable, negotiating an extension would’ve been easy.
But humans aren’t always rational—they often let emotions cloud judgment.
So, why not use those personal emotions in a way that benefits Yeryeo Hotel?
‘Just a little nudge might work.’
As always, she reached her conclusion swiftly.
The key factor was having prior knowledge that Choi Jin-wook had a weakness for beautiful women.
…It felt a bit odd to call herself beautiful, but that was clearly how Jung Hwa-yoon saw her.
The main goal was for Seo-ah to soften the personal tension between Choi and Jung.
As a first-time acquaintance, Choi was likely to react favorably.
If that tendency could be leveraged properly, the negotiation had a good chance of success.
So, she accompanied Jung Hwa-yoon to Daeyoung Bank.
And when she finally met Choi Jin-wook—
More precisely, when their eyes met and his gaze flickered for a moment—
Slide.
Catching the subtle change in his expression, she reached out her hand for a handshake.
Knowing he was weak to attractive women, she figured light contact like a handshake could start to soften him.
“Hello. I’m Yoo Seo-ah from Yeryeo Hotel’s Planning Team 1.”
“Ah… Hello. I’m General Manager Choi Jin-wook.”
As expected, the moment their hands met, Choi’s expression stiffened briefly.
Even after the meeting officially started, his eyes kept drifting toward Seo-ah.
He was an easy type to read—in many ways.
Of course, he didn’t instantly turn into a yes-man.
If he were that easily swayed, he wouldn’t be a general manager.
Even parachutes need some baseline competence to land in key roles.
“…Please, oppa.”
“Well, Hwa-yoon, you know how strict the bank’s review criteria are these days…”
Generic reasoning.
In other words—excuses.
He was clearly stating that if nothing was offered from their side, he had nothing to give in return.
But was it really true that nothing had been offered?
Sometimes, maintaining the status quo is a gift in itself.
That was a point he was overlooking—or perhaps knowingly ignoring in hopes of squeezing more out of them.
So, locking eyes again with Choi, who was still glancing at her—Seo-ah smoothly opened her mouth during a brief lull in the tense conversation.
It was finally time for Yoo Seo-ah to step in.
“…I fully understand your difficulties, Director. We sincerely appreciate that you’ve considered your relationship with Yeryo Hotel even in this challenging situation.”
Her voice was calm and steady.
With a respectful gaze, she gently looked across the table and continued speaking.
“However, from Yeryo Hotel’s perspective, our cash flow situation is extremely tight, down to the second. So, if an extension with Daeyoung Bank proves difficult… unfortunately, we may have no choice but to seek alternative solutions.”
After subtly expressing a hint of regret, she gave a slight smile—one with a trace of composure.
She subtly shifted Yeryo Hotel, which would typically be the subordinate party, into a more dominant position.
“Of course, Daeyoung Bank remains our top partner. Especially someone like you, Director, who’s recognized for your competence at such a young age—we truly hope to continue this relationship.”
She subtly applied pressure while also satisfying Choi Jinwook’s desire for recognition.
The affectionate gaze from the beautiful woman before him was like poison to a man like him.
His eyes flickered ever so slightly again.
She continued.
“We sincerely hope this matter is resolved well and that we can continue building a stronger partnership.”
Her calm words carried a rationale of their own.
For example, the market presence of Yeryo Hotel among Korean hotel brands, the trust that comes with the “Yeryo” name, its stable repayment capacity—these made Choi Jinwook believe that supporting Yeryo Hotel was the wise decision.
Even as she spoke, she could feel his gaze drifting over her figure—but, well.
It didn’t particularly bother her.
And there was no real reason to let it show if it did.
Thus, the negotiation succeeded.
Choi Jinwook, having agreed to extend the loan term, turned to Jung Hwayoon.
“But you need to send the additional documents we discussed earlier as soon as possible. I need something to show the higher-ups.”
“…Got it.”
One moment of eye contact.
One handshake.
And with that, the meeting concerning Yeryo Hotel’s loan concluded.
The objective had been achieved.
Now, what remained was to plant a wedge—just in case.
“If you ever have a chance to visit our hotel, we’ll make sure everything is meticulously prepared for you to experience the best service. Please feel free to drop by.”
With a bright smile and the promise of a personal “reward” for Choi Jinwook, Yoo Seoa handed him her business card.
For a brief moment, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
Then, handing over his own card, Choi Jinwook looked at her a bit longer.
There was no need to question what that lingering gaze meant—whether professionally or personally, Yoo Seoa had won his favor.
For someone like Yoo Seoa, who had spent a previous life devoted to winning people over, it was a familiar sensation.
She gave a short nod and exited Daeyoung Bank’s building with Jung Hwayoon.
The car, which had been waiting in advance, came into view just as the meeting ended.
Once they were both in the black sedan, silence lingered for a moment.
Then, in a low voice, Jung Hwayoon spoke.
“…Seoa.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t good enough…”
As a fellow woman, Jung Hwayoon knew today’s meeting couldn’t have been very pleasant.
Though the negotiation succeeded thanks to Yoo Seoa’s excellent support, that very fact made Jung Hwayoon feel worse.
It felt like she had relied on a subordinate’s appearance due to her own lack of competence.
She couldn’t look Yoo Seoa in the eye.
Her gaze turned toward the window, heavy with guilt.
As the silence dragged on, Yoo Seoa looked quietly at her.
Hmm.
What to do?
She really didn’t mind at all.
Still as vulnerable behind her strong front as she’d been in childhood.
“Executive Director, may I ask something?”
Thinking it was time to divert her attention, Seoa carefully opened her mouth.
And the question that followed was more than enough to fluster Jung Hwayoon.
“How many points do you think I earned today?”
“…What?”
“How many points did I score? That’s the most important thing to me. I’d really like you to tell me.”
Was she seriously asking?
…Actually, there was no need to wonder.
From what she’d seen of Yoo Seoa so far, she was scarily consistent in matters like this.
So yes, she was definitely serious.
Maybe that’s why.
Or maybe it was because the absurdity of the question dulled her self-blame.
— Pfft.
“You never told me what the full score was, though.”
A chuckle slipped out before she realized it.
Then she glanced at Seoa and made eye contact—there was only the usual calmness in her eyes.
Is she really okay?
Or just pretending to be?
“Usually, a full score is 100. Let’s go with that.”
“Then… I’d say 90. Today’s Seoa scored 90.”
“Hmm. What about the other 10 points?”
Instead of answering the ever-bold woman, she leaned slightly forward.
She adjusted a small wrinkle in Seoa’s outfit.
“That was the missing 10 points.”
“…I’ll be more careful next time.”
Seoa accepted the implied deduction in the form of an action, not words, with quiet ease.
And then silence returned.
But this time, it was different.
A more comfortable silence.
Even Seoa could feel it.
But was that a good thing…?
…Yes.
It must be a good thing.
Eventually, the car stopped in front of Yeryo Hotel headquarters.
Seoa and Hwayoon got out.
Just before heading back to their respective offices, Hwayoon called out once more.
“Seoa.”
“Yes?”
“Today… you really did a great job. And…”
Thank you.
Truly.
The faint smile on Jung Hwayoon’s face made Seoa flinch a little.
An unexpected blow.
She always had a way of catching people off guard.
…Was that why she was always on Seoa’s mind?
***
Online Chat Segment:
“Everyone.”
???
Yes, nuna?
“If I thought I was the only one pulling on the line, and suddenly the other person comes charging in… what should I do?”
What are you talking about?
Are you playing tug-of-war?
Is this about the Baeohrae line?
Sounds like you’re ready to dive if they come close
If it’s a pulled line and they approach, it means heaven’s come near—stay under the tower!
But you don’t even lane properly LOL
Ding
[₩1,000 donation!] – “Hey Heo, cut the chatter and queue up.”
[“Get out if you’re trolling” donated ₩1,000!]
“You’d climb to Master faster as a mage than twisting around as an archer. Want to switch to mage?”
“…I told you, I like archers. Or, how about a 1v1? Archer vs. Mage?”