It's late, the city outside the window buzzing with life, but the restaurant is quiet, the lights are dim.
"This place is nice, food's great too," Namjoon chews, covering his mouth with his hand, while he stirs the pasta on his plate, getting ready his next bite.
"Yeah right? The only place in Seoul that reminds me of New York."
"I was about to say that," He chuckles. "Reminds me of that italian restaurant, it was 5 blocks away from campus, do you know it?"
"Of course I did, I went there every friday." I take my glass, swirling the red liquid slowly. "So, how's your first month going so far, Mr. Kim?"
Namjoon smiles after sipping on his wine. "It's been good. Busy, but I, of course, expected that. The projects here are ambitious. I'm enjoying the challenge."
I lean back in my chair, taking a sip of the wine. "That's what I like to hear. You seem to have fit in pretty quickly."
"Well, it's a great team you have. And I'm learning a lot from you and everyone," he adds, his eyes meeting mine over the rim of his glass.
For a moment, I hold his gaze, but my suspicions lingers. I have a feeling my father had to have sent him for a reason. He's too polished, too perfect. I decide to probe a little, but subtly.
"Your résumé was impressive. My father was quite enthusiastic about bringing you in," I say casually, watching his reaction closely. "You must have made quite an impression." I take a sip while never leaving my eyes off of him.
Namjoon doesn't flinch. He just smiles, taking another sip of wine. "I suppose so."
"How did you two meet?" I take a bite of my ravioli.
"Your father and I met at a conference in New York," He's vague about details. "He wanted me to work for him, but then the new CEO was elected, and so I applied on my own with a recommendation from him. The projects here convinced me. The opportunity to work on something this scale was hard to pass up. Plus, I wanted a reason to bring me back to Seoul."
"Mhm.... That's all?" I ask, my tone light, but I can't help digging deeper. "No secret agenda from my father? No ulterior motives?"
Namjoon laughs softly, shaking his head. "No hidden agendas. I'm just here to do my job. You brought me here thinking I was working undercover for your father?" He chuckles.
"Wouldn't put it past him, he was pretty upset the board selected me as a new CEO."
"Well, I can see why you'd think that." He sets his glass down and leans forward slightly, his expression earnest now. "But I'm here on my own terms. I respect your father, but my loyalty is to B&C, not to him personally."
I pause, studying him again, but this time I feel the edges of my suspicion softening. There's a calm honesty in the way he speaks, and despite my reservations, I start to believe him.
Which, may be good or bad.
"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Mr. Kim. For now." I say, relenting a little.
"Please, Namjoon." He chuckles again, the tension in the room easing as we continue to sip our wine. "And that's all I ask for." He smiles. "Is this something you do normally? Bring your employees for questioning when you doubt of them."
"Only if HR doesn't know about it." I smile. "I'm kidding." We chuckle. "Anyways, you were also away from home for a long time, why did you wanted to come back?"
"New York is great, everyone wants to make it there. But I love Seoul."
"I agree. We're slowly building our own New York here."
"What about you? Why did you come back to Seoul? I'm guessing you had the chance to work for a New York architectural firm."
I take a deep breathe. "Well, I also had my reasons to come back to Seoul. My brother's here, my friends..." That one friend comes to mind. "I was actually going to work as an architect, instead of being CEO."
"Can I ask what happened? How did you become CEO?"
"Oh- you didn't hear, it's everyone's favorite gossip. Well in a nutshell, I'm sure you heard already about my father's substance abuse, so the board selected me as his successor as I was next in line, plus my brother was already managing our other conglomerates, and I took over."
"Must've been hard for you, it is a lot of responsibility."
As the conversation flows, I catch myself glancing at him more than I should, wondering what else is behind those sharp eyes and calm demeanor.
"It is. Managing a company definitely isn't easy and needs constant supervision, but I have advisors, the board of directors, experts who help me in crisis. And actually as CEO I shouldn't even be working with the architects per se, but I just like it so much and so I get involved."
"It's good that you do, I can tell you love B&C."
"I do. My parents built the company, so it is my duty to protect their legacy."
"You know," He takes a sip of his wine. "I wasn't sure what to expect when I came here, but I'm starting to see why B&C is as successful as it is. You've built something impressive."
I realize I'm no longer grilling him for information. Instead, I find myself actually enjoying his company, his wit, and his calm presence. There's something magnetic about him, a quiet confidence that makes him easy to talk to.
I tilt my head, intrigued by the compliment. "It's not just me. There's a whole team behind it."
"True," he agrees, "but it takes strong leadership to make it all work. And from what I've seen, you're doing that."
His words catch me off guard. I've been complimented before, but coming from Namjoon, it feels different. Maybe it's the wine, or maybe it's the way he says it, but there's something genuine in his tone that sparks something in me.
"Well, I didn't had the best guidance before, and I was just thrown to the lions when I first stepped in."
I finish the last sip of my wine, setting the glass down. "But thank you, Mr Kim. That means a lot."
He smiles, and for a moment, the atmosphere between us shifts—less formal, more personal. There's an unspoken understanding, a quiet connection that hangs in the air. "Please, Namjoon."
"Namjoon." I smile. "Well," I break the moment but not the tension, "I should probably go home." I glance at the clock, realizing how late it's gotten.
"Of course, dinner was great, company was better." I smile. I stand up from the chair, and so does he as a sign of respect. "And Ms. Baek? If you ever need anything—or just someone to share a drink with—you know where to find me."
I stretch my hand out for him to shake. "Deal." I nod. "Take care, Namjoon."
"Take care, Ms. Baek."
As he leaves, I can't help but feel a lingering curiosity. Namjoon isn't just another one of my father's pawns. There's more to him, and for the first time, I'm starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe, I've been wrong about him.
