Executive Director, shall I book a room ?? - Chapter 4

Sujin coolly brushed off the encounter and returned to her office, settling into her chair with a cup of coffee. She replied to some emails and tidied up her cluttered desk—time to spare. Digging through a drawer, she pulled out a small pouch and fished out a lipstick and mirror.

“Of course, it’s already worn off.”

Buying a new product without checking reviews had been a mistake.

The staying power was terrible, and she’d been caught off guard more than once. But she couldn’t bring herself to throw it away—she loved the shade too much. Still, holding onto it wouldn’t change anything.

“But did he really have to act like that?”

Junseong was always surrounded by people, drawing attention wherever he went. Logically, he should have been annoyed, but he never once showed it. He knew exactly how his demeanor affected others—a man who had been raised with impeccable manners, every word and gesture oozing refinement.

So even someone like him can make such a cold face.

Then again, years had passed. People change. No matter how gentlemanly and kind he was, expecting him to greet every single employee warmly was unrealistic.

“I don’t remember all my old friends either.”

The bitter reality left a sour taste in her mouth.

Right. I was that insignificant, huh?

‘I guess I was thinking about the past too… Don’t you agree, Kim Sujin?’

What had that even meant?

“If he said that, maybe he does remember me…”

If nothing else, he might recall the taste of the coffee she’d given him that day. There had been a time when he drank the coffee she brewed every morning. Even the beans stocked in the office pantry now were a recreation of the blend he used to like.

“But what does that matter now?”

She’d been nervous that he might pretend to know her in front of others, yet here she was, the one feeling hurt. How pathetic.

“Alright, back to work.”

Before she could dwell on it further, the afternoon workload began.

—

She hurried through the hotel lobby, checking her phone. 2:40 PM—thankfully, she wasn’t late. A well-dressed man in the distance raised his hand in greeting.

“Sorry, I think I’m a little late.”

“Not at all. I arrived early.”

“Oh, really? Nice to meet you. I believe we exchanged greetings last time—I’m Kim Sujin. Let me show you around.”

A practiced, polished smile curved her lips—the kind she’d perfected in her three years in hotel sales. First impressions were crucial in this line of work, so maintaining a flawless appearance and demeanor was non-negotiable.

Frequent external meetings, constant phone calls, and endless paperwork made the days fly by. And when VIPs visited, she had to be ready at the airport or hotel entrance at a moment’s notice.

On top of that, Manager Shin’s relentless meetings meant she was constantly shuttling between the office and appointments, conducting market research, studying client companies, and even spying on competitors. She needed three bodies to keep up.

This afternoon alone, she had three meetings. The man she was meeting now was a representative from a foreign company she’d previously pitched to. He’d suddenly informed her that executives from their Hong Kong headquarters were visiting Korea.

“Your hotel’s reputation is excellent, but what really caught my eye was this list of must-try restaurants. I’ll have to check them out.”

“Right? I personally visited all of them within the last two weeks, so you can trust my recommendations. At least none of them have gone out of business yet!”

“Hahaha, you’re funny.”

Over an hour had already passed in the lobby café. She’d meticulously introduced the guest rooms, restaurants, fitness facilities, and nearby attractions, even presenting a carefully curated gift and her secret restaurant list.

“Wow, do you visit all these places alone? Doesn’t it feel awkward?”

“Not at all. I even eat samgyeopsal by myself. These days, solo diners are common, so restaurants are very accommodating.”

“Samgyeopsal alone? Hah! That’s impressive.”

Her job required her to sweet-talk clients into signing contracts, but today was particularly exhausting. She’d done everything she could, yet the man showed no signs of wrapping up.

She must have glanced at her phone unconsciously.

“You seem busy.”

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I’ve got work piling up.”

“Ah, of course. My bad for keeping you. Thanks for your time today.”

“Not at all. It’s my job. I’m just grateful you remembered me.”

“How could I forget someone as beautiful as you?”

His gaze flickered down to her collarbone. Despite his gentlemanly demeanor, the crack in his facade was obvious. She knew exactly what that look meant.

The curves even her slightly loose blouse couldn’t hide. The way his eyes lingered without hesitation.

Unfortunately, most men she’d met reacted the same way.

Still, she was grateful this conversation had stayed relatively professional. In sales, she’d faced everything from subtle advances to outright harassment, but by now, she’d learned to let most of it slide.

“Oh, calling me beautiful? I’m flattered. Let me buy you coffee as thanks.”

She smoothly deflected, gathering her things to leave. The man followed awkwardly, clearly wanting to say more. Even after settling the bill, he hesitated in the lobby.

“Um, about earlier—”

“Thanks again for today. I’ll bring the contract to your office tomorrow.”

“Ah, right. Of course. But, uh—”

“Mommy!”

Something small slammed into her waist from behind. Startled, she turned to find a boy around four or five staring up at her.

“Oh! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

She crouched down, scanning the area—no guardian in sight.

“Where’s your mom?”

[“That’s mine. Mommy gave it to me.”]

“Huh?”

Before she could process the Mandarin, realization hit.

Oh. So the pristine ivory blouse I’ve only worn twice is now smeared with the melting chocolate ice cream cone in your hand. That’s why my waist feels so cold.

[“Are you here alone? Where’s your mom?”]

[“Don’t know. This is mine, but it got smaller. Mommy said don’t spill.”]

[“Okay, got it. Let’s find your mom first, then you can have more ice cream.”]

She soothed the boy, taking his hand as she stood. The man gaped at her.

“I had no idea you spoke Mandarin so fluently. That’s amazing.”

“Not at all. Sorry, but I should probably go now.”

“Your clothes are pretty stained—”

“It’s fine, really. I’ll see you later.”

Right now, she was just grateful for an excuse to leave. The man, with no further reason to linger, reluctantly turned away.

She led the still-protesting child to the concierge desk, where Manager Yoon Jihye—a colleague from her front desk days—greeted her warmly.

“Oh, Sujin! Who’s this?”

“Found him wandering near the lobby. He’s lost. Speaks Mandarin.”

“Mandarin? Wait, the group that checked in yesterday—Huh? What happened to your clothes?”

“This? Just a minor sacrifice.”

“Huh?”

Sujin laughed at her bewildered expression.

Luckily, the boy was reunited with his mother before his new ice cream melted. The clever four-year-old had somehow managed to open his hotel room door and take the elevator alone. His mother, tearful and bowing repeatedly, thanked Sujin profusely.

“Now, what to do about this?”

Pride aside, her ruined outfit was a problem. She still had meetings—she couldn’t go like this. Even her blazer wouldn’t cover the mess.

Sighing, she dabbed at the stains before heading to the restroom, but Manager Yoon stopped her.

“Sujin, wait.”

“Yeah?”

“Go take a shower upstairs. You can’t go on like this.”

She pressed a key into Sujin’s hand—a temporary room for staff breaks.

“Oh, thank you! I was just thinking how sticky this feels.”

“Need a change of clothes? I can check for you.”

“No, you’re busy enough. This is more than enough help. I’ll handle the rest.”

She hurriedly accepted the key and headed to the elevators.

“I need something to change into…”

As soon as the doors closed, she pulled out her phone and texted Suhyeok:

[Sorry, but I need a suit ASAP. Within an hour. Please.]

—

The break room wasn’t empty. Knowing other staff might be using it, she wasn’t surprised to see a figure on the bed.

“Asleep?”

Quietly, she set down her blazer and belongings, then slipped into the bathroom.

By the time she finished showering, a phone was vibrating loudly. She rushed to the table, grabbing hers just as Suhyeok’s call came through.

“Hey, Suhyeok.”

—You send a text and just hope I’m not asleep? Why not call?

“Sorry, did I wake you?”

—Tch, since when are we so formal? What’s going on? Did some nightmare guest dump water on you?

“No. A cute little boy decided to hit on me by smashing ice cream into my waist.”

She chuckled, and he laughed softly before asking:

—Not too late? How’s the timing?

“I just showered. Sorry, but hurry if you can. I don’t want to run into anyone like this. Oh, the location is—”

As she ended the call, a rustling sound came from behind.

The person on the bed stirred, sitting up.

“Ah, sorry. Was I too loud—”

She turned casually—then froze.

Golden afternoon light streamed through the blinds, illuminating the figure.

Why.

Why is there a man here?!

“MOMMYYYY!”

And not just any man—Song Junseong!

Terrified, Sujin bolted for the door.

Or tried to. A hand shot past her, slamming it shut before she could escape.

BANG!

The heavy thud of the door coincided with her scream.

“KYAAAAH!”

“Are you out of your mind?”

His low voice turned her to stone.

This is a dream.

There’s no way this is real!