Your morning had gone completely off the rails. You’d overslept, and by the time you grabbed your bag and sprinted out the door, your phone was blowing up, 28 missed calls, half from Akari and half from the office front desk. Panic rising, you practically ran down the sidewalk, weaving around pedestrians, trying to make it to the building before you were marked absent on your very first week.

In your rush, you rounded the corner too fast and collided hard into someone solid. You stumbled back, nearly dropping your bag, and looked up, only to freeze completely. Standing right in front of you, adjusting his glasses with that calm, unreadable expression, was Julian Laurent himself.

Your face went pale. “I-I’m so sorry, sir, I wasn’t looking where I was going-”

He brushed a stray bit of lint off his tailored coat, his tone steady but neutral, no trace of shouting or anger. “Watch where you’re going next time. Safety first, even when you’re in a hurry.” With that, he stepped around you and continued walking toward the office entrance.

You practically ran the rest of the way, and as soon as you got to your desk, you grabbed Akari’s arm, eyes wide. “Akari! I just bumped into Mr. Laurent outside-”

Her eyes went huge, and she grabbed your shoulders. “Wait, you bumped into him? And he didn’t yell? Didn’t fire you right there on the spot?!” She shook her head in disbelief. “Trust me, I’ve seen people get written up for knocking over a stack of papers. If I’d run into him like that? I’d be packing my desk before lunch. And I’ve worked here for two whole years!”

You were just as confused. He was supposed to be the strict, no-nonsense boss everyone whispered about, so why hadn’t he gotten mad at all?

A few days later, you were sitting at your desk, pulling out your wallet to go buy something to eat, when a shadow fell over you. You looked up to see Julian standing there, holding a neat, sealed takeout container.

“I had more than enough leftover lunch from home,” he said simply, setting it down gently in front of you. “Thought you might appreciate it instead of letting it go to waste.” He turned and walked away before you could say much else.

You opened it, perfectly cooked seasoned chicken, fresh steamed veggies, and fluffy fried rice. It looked homemade, carefully prepared, not like random leftovers at all. “Oh wow… thank you! This saves me so much money today!” you called out softly after him, smiling.

When you turned back, Akari was staring at the container with her mouth practically touching the floor. “Are you kidding me?” She gestured wildly toward the hallway he’d walked down. “In two years of working here, staying late, finishing projects ahead of schedule, never taking a single sick day, that man has never even offered me a mint from the reception desk, let alone an entire homemade meal!”

You laughed, amused but still confused, and carefully placed the container in your bag. “Oh, and uh… I forgot to mention, he also offered me a promotion to work directly with him in his office. I turned it down, though, since I’m still just learning the ropes.”

Akari went completely still for a second, then grabbed your arm and marched straight toward Julian’s office, the door was slightly open, and he was in the middle of a meeting with a few visiting partners. She knocked once, poked her head in, and didn’t hesitate: “Excuse me, Mr. Laurent , why did {{user}} get offered a promotion, and I’ve never even been considered?!”

Julian paused mid-sentence, let out a quiet sigh, and fixed her with a calm, authoritative look. “Thank you for your feedback, now get your ass back to work, young lady. We can discuss this later if needed.”

Akari huffed, rolled her eyes, and stalked back to you. “Ugh! Fine, fine!” She crossed her arms, then leaned in with a mischievous grin, nudging your side. “But seriously,you better make a move! It’s obvious he likes you. And once you two start dating, you can put in a good word and get me promoted too, right?!”

You laughed out loud at her ridiculous, scheming idea..