The ball was in the air.
Three seconds.
Two seconds.
Ball in the basket.
Buzzzzz!
The referee's whistle echoed through the court just as the ball swished through the net. A perfect shot.
Kim Tae-hyung had scored.
The crowd exploded.
Students jumped from their seats, screaming and clapping.
"WOOOHHH!"
echoed from every corner of the court. Even the male students, usually reserved, were howling with excitement, swept up by the adrenaline of the breathtaking finish.
Choi Yeonjun sprinted across the court toward Tae-hyung, arms wide, ready to throw him into a congratulatory hug.
But Tae-hyung, cool as ever, raised one hand to stop him, a cheeky smirk on his face.
Yeonjun froze mid-step, blinking—then burst into laughter.
"That's my bro..!" he shouted, pointing at him with pride said to taehyung
The crowd roared louder, completely electrified by the unforgettable play.
ZzzZzzZzz...
Back in the present, Sooyaa had slept off on her bed, a soft smile playing on her lips as she curled into the blanket. The memories of their university days—his shot, his smirk—still lingering like a warm dream.
That morning, Sooyaa had just woken up, only to find every news channel on the television buzzing with the same headline—the highly anticipated press conference of the new CEO of Starx Corporation.
The words "Starx CEO Press Conference – Live at 1:00 PM" flashed across every screen in bold letters.
In the living room, her family watched with curiosity and surprise.
"Whoa..." Minjae, her younger brother, exclaimed, eyes glued to the screen. "Today's the big reveal of the new CEO!"
Her mother, puzzled, looked between the TV and her son. "Is that company really that important? All the channels are showing only this press conference today."
Minjae nodded confidently. "Mom, it's not just any company—it's a massive multinational corporation. Starx contributes nearly 5% to South Korea's GDP! Minjae exclaimed, "Can you all imagine? Five percent! That's mind-blowing—one company alone holds that much of the country's economy!"
Their mother's eyes widened. She turned to Sooyaa, skeptical. "Is he telling the truth?"
Sooyaa gave a small nod. "Yes, Mom. He's right."
Minjae pouted. "Why don't you ever believe me?"
Their father chuckled, finally joining the conversation. "With that kind of money, I wonder how they even keep track of it all."
Their mother shook her head in disbelief. "They must be super rich…"
Then Minjae said, "Today, the whole country will be waiting just for this press conference to start."
Then Sooyaa whispered in her mind,
"Today… is the press conference."
"Let me make a call," Sooyaa muttered, reaching for her phone with a determined look.
Ring. Ring
The shrill ringtone blared through the silence of Kang Hye-jin's apartment, making her groan and shift under the covers.
Still in yesterday's clothes, makeup smudged, hair in chaos, Hye-jin blindly reached for her phone, squinting at the screen.
She answered with a raspy voice, "Who is this?"
A familiar voice replied calmly, "It's me. Sooyaa."
Hye-jin rubbed her temples, trying to sit up. "Ohhh… Sooyaa. What happened? Why are you calling this early?"
Sooyaa's voice dropped into that half-annoyed, half-teasing tone. " Wait Did you drink last night?"
Hye-jin frowned. "Nooo, I didn't drink drink... I just had a few."
Sooyaa sighed. "You know we always make trouble for ourselves whenever we drink."
" No I didn't make any trouble yesterday," Hye-jin said confidently, still clutching her pounding head.
Sooyaa let out a sharp breath. "Hye-jin. Wake up. Today's the press conference of our CEO—Kim Tae-hyung."
Hye-jin froze. "The press conference… is today?!"
"Yes. In a few hours," Sooyaa confirmed. "So get up. Let's meet at the office."
"Okay, okay! Sure!" Hye-jin mumbled in panic, ending the call.
She sat there for a second, the words press conference ringing in her ears.
Then she stood up—wobbling—and groaned. Her body ached. Her mascara had left dark traces under her eyes. Her blazer was wrinkled and her shoes were still on.
And then she noticed it.
On her feet… was a slipper.
Not hers.
She stared at it.
"Wait… whose is this?"
As she lifted her head slowly, flashbacks of the night before rushed back like a tidal wave.
— The bar.
— The drinks.
— Yeonjun laughing.
— Her accidentally vomiting on his T-shirt.
Hye-jin slapped a hand to her forehead.
"Oh my god… I'm screwed."
She paced the room in shame, talking to herself.
"What an embarrassing moment. How do I even face him? Oh god... I'll never drink again. No, never—absolutely not."
She grabbed a bottle of water, took a dramatic sip, and then paused.
"…Well… maybe not never sometimes I can drink."
Then she shook her head, yelling,
"NO... No! NEVER! I will not drink again!"
"Let me make a call," Hye jin muttered, then picked up her phone and dialed.
He answered, "Sooyaa?"
"Yes, Hye-jin," Sooyaa replied.
"I'm in trouble…" Hye-jin groaned.
Sooyaa sighed, "Okay, that's nothing new just tell me what happened."
Hye-jin confessed everything in a rush.
Then sooyaa says "You vomited on Yeonjun? Are you serious? But hey—that's kind of awesome. He even gave you his own sleeper?" Sooyaa said, half-shocked, half-laughing.
"I already told you not to drink like that, but you said, Nooo, I didn't made any trouble."
Hye-jin whined, "Now what do I do? Please, Sooyaa, help me."
Sooyaa paused, thinking. "Hmm… let me think. Let's meet at the office."
"Okay," Hye-jin agreed quickly.
Then decline the call.
She sighed, dragged herself to the bathroom, and mumbled, "Let's just survive today first."
END OF CHAPTER