The night was silent, the world outside wrapped in darkness, the clock on the wall quietly ticking past 3:00 a.m.
Sooyaa lay curled up on her bed, hugging the blanket like a shield against the cold. Her breathing was soft and steady—completely lost in sleep—until her phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand.
Buzzzzz… Buzzzzz…
She groaned, eyes still shut, and blindly reached for the phone. Without checking the screen, she accepted the call.
"Who is it at this hour...?" she mumbled in a sleepy, half-conscious voice.
A voice replied on the other end, low and calm.
"It's me."
She frowned."What me? I don't know what me means," she slurred, still half-asleep.
There was a pause. Then the voice clarified:
"Kim Tae-hyung."
Sooyaa blinked slowly. "Ohh… Kim Tae-hyung…"
Then her brain clicked.
"WHAT—Kim Tae-hyung?!"
She sat up straight, suddenly wide awake. She yanked the phone away from her ear and stared at the screen. The name on the caller ID was saved as:
'ICE MAN'
Sooyaa blinked again in disbelief. "Ohh no...no ice man .."
Clearing her throat, she quickly brought the phone back to her ear, her voice suddenly polite and professional. "Y-yes, sir?"
All traces of sleep were gone.
There was silence again—then his calm, slightly amused voice.
"Were you sleeping?"
Sooyaa blinked. "...Yes, I was."
"Okay then… sleep. Hmm."
And just like that, the call ended.
She stared at the phone in utter confusion.
"What… was that?" she muttered to herself. "He's mad… totally mad… CRAZYYY!"
Grumbling, she tossed the phone aside and sank back into her bed.
"Ohhh, where have I been stuck…" she sighed. "Who even call someone at a time like this?"
Still fuming and muttering under her breath, she pulled the blanket over her head, trying to shut out both the cold and the memory of that strange midnight call.
The next morning, Sooyaa stepped into the office building with heavy eyes and a deep yawn escaping her lips. She hadn't slept well—thanks to someone's midnight madness—and now, the weight of exhaustion clung to her like a second skin.
She trudged toward the elevator, hoping to survive the day on caffeine and sheer willpower.
Just then, the sleek black CEO car pulled up in front of the main doors.
Within seconds, the atmosphere changed. The security team straightened up, receptionists lowered their voices, and all the board of directors, dressed in sharp suits, lined up at the front to welcome him.
Kim Tae-hyung stepped out, calm and confident, walking with slow, deliberate steps. His presence was impossible to ignore. Behind him followed his loyal secretary, Choi Yeon-jun, along with the board members.
Sooyaa stood near the elevator, completely unaware—until a sudden chill ran down her spine.
She shivered slightly and rubbed her arms.
"Huh? Why is there a sudden drop in temperature?"
she mumbled, glancing around. Then she muttered under her breath with narrowed eyes,
"Did the air-conditioning just turn into Antarctica mode or…?"
She turned—and her eyes landed on him.
Kim Tae-hyung.
"Ohh…" Sooyaa blinked. "That's why I was thinking why it suddenly felt cold. Ice Man just entered the building…"
For a second, their eyes met, and then—
Tae-hyung turned to Yeon-jun and muttered, "Today, we'll take the stairs."
Yeon-jun gave him a puzzled look. "Stairs? We can just take the elevator, sir."
Tae-hyung avoided his eyes. "No. We'll take the stairs. It's... good for health."
Yeon-jun squinted suspiciously. "Then you go ahead. I'll take the elevator."
"No. You'll come with me."
"Why do you always drag me into your personal matters, huh?" yeunjun in frustrated way
Tae-hyung's tone turned firm. "It's an order."
Yeon-jun groaned. "Okay, sir..."
The group changed direction toward the stairwell while Sooyaa stood there, eyebrows raised in confusion.
"Why on earth is he taking the stairs all of a sudden?" she thought.
"He usually acts like elevators were built just for him…"
She kept staring at the stairwell door as it slowly closed behind the Ice Man and his poor, dragged-along secretary.
Later that morning, the department heads gathered in the company's main meeting lounge—a sleek, open space where monthly reviews and project updates were shared. The atmosphere was less stiff than a formal boardroom, but still filled with quiet pressure.
The chairs were arranged in a long row along each side of the table.
Sooyaa walked in, slightly rushed from handling a last-minute report. Thankfully, she had made it before the CEO. She quickly moved to her seat—at the very end of the table, right beside where Kim Tae-hyung always sat.
Just as she sat down and placed her file on the table, the room fell silent.
Kim Tae-hyung entered with his usual slow, graceful steps, Secretary Yeon-jun following closely behind. His gaze didn't wander. He walked straight to the head of the table—right beside Sooyaa—and took his seat.
"Let's proceed with the meeting," he said with a calm, authoritative tone.
Sooyaa tried to focus. She turned a page of her file—then paused.
Achoo.
Her nose itched. Her eyes began to water.
Achoo!
She quickly covered her face, shoulders shaking as the sneezes kept coming.
Tae-hyung glanced sideways.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed the small decorative vase placed on the table—a bouquet of fresh lilies and baby's breath. Right in front of Sooyaa.
He looked at her again—watery eyes, soft sniffles, struggling to stay composed.
"She still has that allergy."
Without a word, Tae-hyung stood up, picked up the flower vase, and walked across the room to place it gently on a side cabinet.
Then, quietly, he returned to his seat.
Everyone at the table paused, confused—wondering what the CEO was doing so.
Sooyaa sat frozen, eyes wide but his thought were not stoping.
"He noticed…"
"He remembered…"
She blinked, unsure why her chest felt so tight all of a sudden.
She looked down, brushing her hair behind her ear to hide the faint warmth on her cheeks.
And for the first time…
Sitting beside the Ice Man didn't feel cold at all.
End of chapter
Author's Thought:
Sometimes, love doesn't speak in grand confessions—but in the smallest, quietest gestures.
Tae-hyung didn't say a word, but his actions whispered a memory Sooyaa thought he had forgotten.
What does it mean when
someone still remembers the things that make you sneeze?
Thank you for reading!
Things are just starting to stir between them… Stay tuned .....
— SKK