Shall We? | NCT Lee Jeno ff

Chapter 1 - Hyun Nam

Choi Hyun Nam woke up abruptly with three things bothering her that morning. She had woken up before the maids came in for morning calls. She had a presentation for today. Han Yang University was not the most generous university for deadlines. Finally, she didn't hear her sisters bickering outside on their morning stroll around the house's premises. 2 minutes later, the maid came in.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were still asleep; it looks like you're not. Good morning, breakfast is ready downstairs," the maid greeted and burst open the curtains, revealing Hyun Nam's view of the gardens.

"I'll leave you to your morning routine," the maid closed the door shut, Hyun Nam heard her walk away.

Before the birds started chirping, Hyun Nam was already in her robes, heading downstairs to the dining room. It was odd; nobody was there. Usually, around this time, the table would have Mother reminding Eun Kyung to take her vitamins and bring her lunch to work. Hyun Nam cautiously sat down.

"Excuse me, where is everyone?" she asked the butler passing by.

"Hello, Ms. Hyun Nam. Mr. Dong Min had a meeting at the office which the details were sent to your tablet. Mrs. Mi Young left earlier to the restaurant as there will be," the butler paused, recalling the schedule for today. He continued, "a mass delivery for a catering order at a wedding. Ms. Ji Hyeon and Ms. Eun Kyung decided to take their morning stroll elsewhere".

The butler bowed and left Hyun Nam alone, wondering why she didn't know about any of this the night before. Hyun Nam clicked open the tablet placed by the butler a few minutes ago. Tablets were given to every family member to monitor the family's schedule since they are swamped. Secretly, Father wanted to know where his family is at all times and why they're there; he didn't like loose ends. Every morning, the schedule for that day was sent to the tablet; the whole day would be planned out the day before. "Every minute and second you rest, someone's working harder to beat you and take what is yours," Father would say, so he expects all his daughters to work hard all the time, no matter the circumstances.

"The car is ready, Ms. Hyun Nam," the butler from breakfast led Hyun Nam to the car prepared in front of the house. The chauffeur opened the door, and she sat down on the back seat. Han Yang University was not far from her home, approximately 20 minutes by car; she would sometimes go there by subway even though her dad doesn't allow her. "It's unsafe and not by our family's standards," Father reminded Hyun Nam often, but she would make deals with her chauffeur to drop her at the subway station anyway; it was usually by bribing him with a delicious meal. She would feel slightly embarrassed because she was driven everywhere by the family's chauffeur, even though she could drive perfectly on her own.

Her embarrassment would peak when she arrived at Han Yang every morning; almost every student there either biked, walked, or drove their own cars. Yet, Hyun Nam's classmates would remind her that she should take pride in having a chauffeur taking her everywhere. Her sisters would say the same. It wasn't like Hyun Nam wasn't thankful for the level of comfort she has gotten; she just thinks that she can do things independently rather than rely on her parents so much.

Hyun Nam went back to her seat after the presentation went incredibly well; she knew it would; all those hours in her room paid off. "You did great on today's presentation, Hyun Nam," Han Kang Dae congratulated Hyun Nam as he approached her and sat on the seat beside her. "Here," he smiled sweetly, giving Hyun Nam's pen to her as an act to help her tidy up. Hyun Nam put on a small smile, and a 'thank you' not louder than a whisper. Kang Dae sat there until Hyun Nam finished tidying up and was about to leave.

"Do you want to go get coffee at the school's cafe? We're done with the semester after all," he invited.

Hyun Nam intended to say 'no,' but she hesitated. She saw her professor waiting for her decision to Kang Dae's invitation from the corner of Hyun Nam's eye. Another issue she had to go through every day at her university are her professors. Three of them were Father's spies; she chuckled at the thought Father didn't know that she realized her own father had people spying on her.

Her response to Kang Dae's invitation is definitely something to be reported to her father. She had been banned from dating anyone for as long as she lived, but Kang Dae was an exception. Her father admired Kang Dae; he loved how the HY Group's founder's son was in the same class as his daughter. "You know Han Kang Dae? He's in your class this semester. I hope you'll grow to be a close friend to him," Father said to Hyun Nam at the beginning of the semester, and Hyun Nam knew the meaning behind "close friend."

"Let's go, I guess," Hyun Nam accepted.

They walked to the cafe together. Kang Dae's smile was wider than ever as he walked side by side with the girl he's been pursuing the whole year.

It was not all smiles and laughter; however, in the cafe, the only one was Kang Dae. Hyun Nam simply just nodded and agreed to whatever Kang Dae said; she did find him attractive, as did all the other girls in the department (some guys, too), but she would never date him. Kang Dae was the university's "it boy." He's smart, he plays for the university's soccer team, he's a gentleman, and he's the son of HY Group's founder. Apart from all his good qualities, you can't really think of anything against him, a reason why a lot of the boys in the department love and hate him.

"Hyun Nam? What do you think?"

She panicked.

"Uh... I think that's good."

Kang Dae gave her a funny look, raising his eyebrows. Had she said the wrong thing? She didn't even listen to what he was saying. "You think it's a good thing my dad's company's stocks plummeted?" Kang Dae, obviously uncomfortable, shifted in his seat. "No, No. I am so sorry. That was not what I meant. I think it's good because it allows your company to rebuild itself and," she thought of an explanation, "to grow. Because I think you can grow more when you lose first, you know".

To her relief, Kang Dae believed what she was saying, and they parted ways in the next 20 minutes. "Home?" the chauffeur asked, and Hyun Nam nodded. The maids greeted her and brought her to the dining table where her family was already waiting. "Welcome home," Mother smiled and hugged her daughter tightly before she took a seat beside her older sister. "How was the last day today? Did you do anything?" Father asked. Hyun Nam could definitely see he wanted a specific answer, and she knew it would please her father if she brought up her "coffee date" with Kang Dae.

"It was good. I had coffee with Kang Dae."

Her father let out a satisfied sigh, and the dinner went on.

"You know, dear, you don't have to go out with Kang Dae for your father's satisfaction," Hyun Nam's mother reassured her daughter as she stood in Hyun Nam's doorway.

"It's okay, mom. Isn't that what a future president of a company should do? Anything for the sake of their company."

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