Beauty

Ahn Cho Hyun's nails tapped softly against the glass desk, the soft echo filling the dimly lit office.Outside, the city buzzed, a distant backdrop. The clock on the wall, its hands inching towards 10 p.m., marked the relentless passage of time.

Lost in her task, Ahn Cho Hyun had become oblivious to the world. It was the gentle knock from Min Ji that finally broke through her concentration, the sound shattering the silence that enveloped her.

"Ms. Ahn," Min Ji's voice floated into the room, disrupting Ahn Cho Hyun's thoughts. "It's late. I'm heading out. Just wanted to let you know."

Ahn Cho Hyun glanced up from her computer screen, her eyes momentarily adjusting to the dim lighting of the office. She blinked, registering Min Ji's presence standing in the doorway, a slender silhouette against the muted glow of the hallway light.

Min Ji, her face a mask of concern softened by fatigue, waited for a response. Ahn Cho Hyun's gaze flicked to the clock again, its numbers glowing faintly in the semi-darkness. Ten o'clock. The realization hit her with a pang of surprise. How had the day slipped into night so swiftly?

Straightening in her chair, Ahn Cho Hyun composed herself, her voice calm and collected despite the weariness she felt creeping in. "No, Min Ji. You can go ahead."

Min Ji nodded respectfully, a hint of relief crossing her features. She hesitated for a moment longer, as if contemplating saying something more, but ultimately turned to leave without another word. The soft click of the door closing behind her left Ahn Cho Hyun alone once again, the quiet hum of the city beyond the window filling the void.

As she began to tidy up, closing tabs on her computer and organizing papers into neat stacks, the room gradually filled with the rustle of documents settling into place. The once bustling office now seemed cavernous in its silence.

Finally ready to leave, Ahn Cho Hyun stepped into the hallway, where the flickering lights cast eerie shadows on the walls. The elevator awaited at the end, its doors half-open as if beckoning her to depart from the solitude of her office sanctuary.

To her surprise, Min Ji stood inside the elevator, her posture slouched with weariness, yet her expression brightened briefly upon seeing Ahn Cho Hyun's approach.

'Why is she still here?' Ahn Cho Hyun wondered silently, a faint furrow knitting her brow.

Min Ji's own surprise mirrored Ahn Cho Hyun's as their eyes met in the lit elevator cabin. An uncomfortable silence settled between them, words unspoken with heavy atmosphere.

Ahn Cho Hyun stepped into the elevator, the doors sliding shut behind her with a soft hiss. She pressed the button for the ground floor, the descent accompanied by the familiar hum of the elevator's machinery. The silence stretched on, punctuated only by the quiet ambient sounds of the building settling into its nightly rhythms.

Min Ji, perhaps seeking to break the tension that hung between them like a fragile web, spoke tentatively. "You did a great job today, Ms. Ahn," she offered, her voice slightly hesitant.

Ahn Cho Hyun turned to look at her, surprised by the unexpected compliment. "Thank you," she replied curtly, her tone neutral yet appreciative.

Encouraged by the acknowledgment, Min Ji shifted slightly, her nervousness evident as she continued, "T-the presentation went well, d-don't you think??"

She shut her eyes as she listen to her own words. 'Dang myself for stuttering! Now I looked like a stupid person—a fool! Wait they are the same—argh! So embarrassing'

Ahn Cho Hyun considered her response carefully, "It served its purpose," she replied matter-of-factly, her voice betraying none of the fatigue that pulsed beneath her calm demeanor.

Another pause settled between them, the elevator's descent continuing. Min Ji, fumbling with the notepad she clutched in one hand, tried again to bridge the gap that had grown between them during the long hours of the day. "Your insights on the budget analysis were quite amazing," she ventured, her voice soft yet earnest.

Ahn Cho Hyun met her gaze briefly, her expression unreadable in the light of the elevator cabin. "It's part of my job," she replied simply, her words carrying a hint of detachment that seemed to distance her from the moment.

Undeterred by the short response, Min Ji persisted, her determination to reach out to Ahn Cho Hyun palpable in the quiet confines of the elevator. "If you have any suggestions for improvement, I would appreciate it," she said finally, her voice tinged with a note of hopeful expectation.

Ahn Cho Hyun sighed softly, her indifference palpable despite Min Ji's efforts to engage her in conversation. "There's nothing more to add," she stated flatly, her gaze drifting away from Min Ji's earnest expression to focus instead on the glowing numbers above the elevator door.

The tension that had settled between them grew almost suffocating for Min Ji, who struggled to find the right words to say. She managed a weak smile, her attempt at easing the atmosphere falling flat in the face of Ahn Cho Hyun's stoic demeanor. "Well, if there's anything else you need help with, feel free to ask," she offered tentatively, her voice trailing off uncertainly.

Ahn Cho Hyun's reply was swift, her tone devoid of the warmth that Min Ji had hoped to elicit from her. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary," she said dismissively, her attention already turning towards the prospect of escaping the confines of the elevator.

The elevator signaled their arrival at the ground floor, its doors sliding open to reveal the lobby bathed in the soft glow of overhead lights. Ahn Cho Hyun exited without another word, her footsteps echoing faintly on the polished marble floor as she made her way towards the building's exit.

Behind her, Min Ji lingered in the wake of their awkward exchange, her mind racing with unanswered questions and unspoken thoughts that had been left hanging in the air between them. She watched silently as Ahn Cho Hyun disappeared from view, a solitary figure retreating into the darkness of the winter evening beyond the building's glass doors.

Outside, the winter evening greeted Ahn Cho Hyun with a crisp chill that cut through the layers of her carefully tailored attire. Despite the festive decorations that adorned the city streets, a sense of unease lingered within her thoughts like a shadow cast by the waning light of day.

Her dream from earlier in the morning still haunted her, a vision that had left an impression upon her subconscious mind. She recalled the vivid details with a clarity that surprised her—the sense of impending doom that had seized hold of her heart, the unsettling certainty that something was amiss within the carefully constructed framework of her professional life.

Walking through the snowy streets, Ahn Cho Hyun found herself drawn towards a small park nestled amidst the towering skyscrapers that defined Seoul's skyline. Beneath the sheltering boughs of a cherry tree leaves danced in the wind, gently cascading like confetti from the tree. It's delicate blossoms that shimmered like pearls in the pale light of the moon,

Her senses heightened, Ahn Cho Hyun couldn't escape the festive ambiance surrounding her. Christmas carols played softly in the distance, laughter echoed through the air. She tsked as she realized something.

'I can't believe I dreamt of dying on Christmas Eve,' she thought, a shiver running down her spine. 'Is this karma? A consequence for being a hard and strict CEO?'

Amidst the enchanting scene, her gaze wandered, and she saw someone—a figure that defied the ordinary, sitting on a bench under the cherry tree. A breathtakingly handsome young man, his beauty rivaling the stars. Ahn Cho Hyun, caught off guard by this unexpected sight, couldn't help but wonder about him.

He sat alone on a weathered wooden bench, his gaze fixed upon the falling snowflakes with cherryblossom that drifted lazily down. His presence seemed out of place amidst the bustling energy of the city—a solitary figure among a sea of faceless strangers who hurried past without a second glance.

Approaching cautiously, Ahn Cho Hyun felt a strange mix of hesitation and curiosity that she couldn't quite explain. She hesitated for a moment, her footsteps faltering as she stood on the edge of an encounter that promised to defy the boundaries of her carefully ordered life.

The young man's eyes reflected a tired soul, gazing at the wintry sky. Sensing the weight of his emotions, can't help but to reach out. They are strangers yet she understands his pain like it's her's.

She sigh.

"Life's twists can be cruel," she began, her voice soft yet imbued with a rare warmth that had lain dormant within her for far too long. "But within hardship hides your strength. Your challenges may be an obstacle, but they don't define your worth."

The young man looked up at her sudden appearance, surprise flickering momentarily across his features before he schooled his expression into one of guarded neutrality. His eyes, dark and unreadable beneath the sweeping strands of his tousled hair, regarded her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion that mirrored her own uncertain emotions.

"Fear can paralyze," Ahn Cho Hyun continued, her gaze meeting his with an intensity that belied the cool detachment of her usual demeanor, "yet within it lies an opportunity for courage."

The young man's silence stretched between them like a fragile thread that threatened to unravel beneath the weight of unspoken words and unfulfilled expectations. He remained seated on the bench, his hands clasped tightly together in his lap as if to anchor himself against the stormy currents of doubt and uncertainty that threatened to engulf him.

Their conversation unfolded amidst the hushed stillness of the winter night, interrupted only by the soft murmur of the wind as it whispered through the cherry blossoms overhead. Ahn Cho Hyun spoke of resilience and persistence, her words a quiet reassurance.

"You remind me of my old self."