Requested by Mila.

You had always prided yourself on being professional. As a webtoon producer at Naemo, your job was to ensure that the stories your team worked on not only captivated readers but also reached their full potential. The competition was fierce, but you thrived under pressure, even when it felt overwhelming.

But there was one person who always seemed to disrupt your focus---Park Kyeong-nam.

He was an enigma. Quiet, stoic, and blunt to the point of being rude, he was someone most people tried to avoid. While you didn’t exactly hate him, you couldn’t say you liked him either. His cold demeanor made you uncomfortable, especially when he’d interrupt you with one of his sharp remarks or when his silence filled the room like an invisible wall. You had never seen him smile, and you honestly didn’t think he ever did.

But what you didn’t know was that Kyeong-nam harbored feelings he never spoke of.

It all started with something simple---a smile.

It happened one afternoon when you were in the break room, laughing and chatting with your best friend over some silly conversation. Your eyes sparkled, your cheeks flushed with the joy of the moment. Kyeong-nam had been passing by when he caught a glimpse of you. For the first time, something stirred inside him. He had never noticed how your smile could light up the whole room, how it made you seem softer, more approachable, more... human.

In that instant, his heart fluttered. It was brief, a fleeting feeling, but it lingered.

After that moment, something in him changed. He started watching you more, though he never let on. At first, it was out of curiosity---he had never really paid attention to you before. But now, there was something magnetic about you. Something he couldn’t ignore.

Then came the coincidences.

You both worked on rival webtoons for the same company, each determined to make the work you produced rise to the top of the charts. It wasn’t a secret that you and Kyeong-nam clashed often, arguing over the best strategies, sometimes even competing in meetings. But despite the tension, he admired the way you handled yourself under pressure. He noticed how quickly your ideas flowed, how dedicated you were to your work.

On the other hand, every encounter with him felt like a test of your patience. He would often be blunt with his opinions, even when they were unnecessary or a bit harsh, and it frustrated you. It was as if he was constantly poking at you, deliberately finding ways to make you uncomfortable.

One day, you found yourself in the same elevator as him---another rare occurrence. You stepped in, already feeling exhausted after a long day of meetings. You let out a sigh, not noticing him leaning against the elevator wall, staring straight ahead.

"Long day?" His voice broke the silence.

You looked at him, surprised. "Yeah," You replied curtly, crossing your arms. "But I’m sure you don’t care."

Kyeong-nam blinked, and for a brief moment, his expression softened. "I do care," He muttered, quickly adding, "I mean… it’s not like I want you to collapse from exhaustion."

You raised an eyebrow at him. "Nice of you to say so."

The elevator doors slid open at your floor, and you stepped out, not sparing him another glance. But Kyeong-nam remained where he was, watching you leave, his chest tight.

That moment stayed with him.

As days went by, the coincidences continued. Kyeong-nam began to find excuses to be in the same places as you. He would work overtime, hoping you’d be there too. He’d make sure he was in the elevator when you were, standing just far enough to catch a glimpse of you. He even started bringing you coffee.

"I figured you’d need it," He said one evening, handing you a cup as you worked late into the night. His tone was as indifferent as ever, but you couldn’t ignore the slight nervousness in his eyes.

You looked at him, still not entirely sure how to respond. "Thanks," You muttered. "But you didn’t have to."

"I wanted to," He replied, his voice soft but firm, as if he was speaking the truth for the first time.