HIM AND I

The box and chaos

Minhee 

A flashy black metal car arrived at the company. As I stood in front of the lobby, I ensured everything was in order. Saerim emerged from the car, exuding a commanding presence with her attire. She briskly entered, and I followed suit. The employees stood in formation, bowing in unison as she walked in. At the end of the lobby, she turned and declared, "We'll have a team meeting in 15 minutes. I expect all department leaders to assemble promptly." She then turned to me and instructed, "Secretary Park, please coordinate the necessary arrangements. I want a detailed update on our current projects." With that, she headed to her office via the elevator.

Saerim

My office exuded spaciousness, with a vintage chair that reminded me of grandpa Mark. A tap on my shoulder drew my attention to Minhee who was holding a large file. "You were quite impressive out there," Minhee exclaimed in an excited tone. I smiled and made my way to the table, feeling the warmth of the chair as I sat down with a sigh. "Minhee, please go over my schedule for today." "Since it's your first day, you don't have much on your plate," Minhee responded.

(Time skip: At the end of the meeting)

"I want all the reports of our sales this year to be submitted on my table after this meeting. Well, thank you. The meeting has ended now."

Minhee

As I strolled down the corridor, I happen to overhear employees discussing Saerim.

 Person 1 remarked, "President Mark wasn't as strict as her. She really exudes a cold aura. Is she going to work herself to the bone on her first day? She's intimidating." 

Person 2 pondered, "I wonder what she'll be like in the coming days."

 I thought to myself, "That's just how Saerim operates, nothing new."

(Time skip: at night)

As I sifted through the financial reports, a sense of unease settled in. The year-end sales figures didn't match with the revenue projections provided by the department heads. It was clear I needed to delve deeper to uncover the root of the issue.

In the midst of this, my phone broke the silence with Grandpa Mark's familiar, deep voice. "Saerim ah," he greeted. "I heard you're putting in quite the effort on your first day. What's the rush?"

I suspected Minhee might have informed Grandpa . "Have you arrived in Tokyo yet?" I inquired, hoping to divert his attention to avoid nagging."Yes, I've touched down safely and I'm on my way to the condo. Quit trying to change the subject, okay? I know you too well," he responded, a hint of irritation in his tone.

"Alright, Grandpa. Glad to hear you're safe. Goodnight then. Bye," I said, swiftly ending the call. Avoiding a potential cascade of well-meaning advice, I refocused on the task at hand. I continued my scrutiny of the financial data, determined to uncover any discrepancies or irregularities that could account for the disparity between the sales figures and projected revenues.

(Time skip: Next day at the office)

Minhee approached, bearing a steaming cup of coffee. I offered a sheepish smile in thanks, bracing myself for the nag to follow. However, I waved her off determinedly. "I'm really not up for any nagging right now."

Minhee persisted, pointing out, "You've been at it for five straight hours. It's already evening. Aren't you exhausted? I was wiped out after today's meeting. Let's call it a day and head out early. I won't let you overwork today," she urged."And it was past midnight when you left yesterday," she added. I chose to totally ignore her.

 "Saerim!" she snapped, clearly frustrated, before storming out of the office.

"I'll make it up to her tonight," I vowed to myself, resuming my examination of the reports. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept into my office through the open window, sending papers flying across my desk. "I knew I had made a mistake," I rushed myself to close the windows.

Turning around, I found my workspace in disarray, papers strewn across the floor. I painstakingly collected them one by one, determined not to overlook anything. 

Then, a box hidden beneath a shelf caught my eye. It was unfamiliar, and curiosity piqued, I reached to retrieve it.

The box revealed itself to be a dusty black metal container, spacious enough for files. Surprisingly weighty, I turned it over, revealing a six-digit keypad.