The CEO Wants a Second Date

The scent of fresh fabric and the steady hum of sewing machines filled the bustling design floor of EON Fashions. Beneath the glow of hanging lamps and between rolls of imported textiles, Yuna Kang weaved through the chaos, clutching her sketchpad and a cup of half-finished coffee.

She wasn’t supposed to be here this early. But after last night’s disastrous “date,” sleep hadn’t come easy.

“I pretended to be my best friend, walked out on the guy… and he turned out to be my CEO,” she muttered under her breath.

“Morning, Yuna!” Taeyang, the ever-cheerful intern, popped up beside her like a jack-in-the-box.

She flinched. “Jeez, Taeyang. Do you have to hover?”

He grinned. “You're unusually early. Trouble sleeping, or… man trouble?”

Yuna gave him a flat look. “Neither. Just... motivated.”

“Sure, sure,” he said with a knowing smile, walking backward. “You’re glowing. Must be the caffeine—or love!”

She groaned and made her way toward the workspace, where Areum and Sena were already knee-deep in fabric swatches.

“Don’t even ask,” Yuna said before either could speak.

Sena raised an eyebrow. “We didn’t say anything.”

“Yet.”

Areum giggled softly. “You do look… flustered. Good date?”

Yuna shot her a glare as she dropped into her chair. “Let’s just say I’ll be avoiding all rooftop restaurants from now on.”

Before either of them could dig further, the intercom chimed across the floor: “All department leads and junior designers, please gather in Conference Room B for an impromptu creative review with the CEO.”

Yuna froze mid-sip. “No. No, no, no. Not today.”

“Guess he’s back,” Sena said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Areum blinked. “Wait, didn’t the CEO go on a blind date last night? Someone said he walked out early.”

Yuna didn’t respond. Her hands were already trembling as she fumbled to close her sketchpad.

—

Inside the sleek, glass-walled conference room, Kang Minjae stood tall in his signature black suit, his expression unreadable as always. He nodded curtly as each employee entered.

But when Yuna slipped inside, something flickered in his gaze—recognition, amusement, maybe even curiosity.

He said nothing.

Instead, he addressed the room in his usual clipped, efficient tone. “I asked to see a sample of your latest design submissions. One concept from each team. Quick feedback. Let’s go.”

As the meeting progressed, Minjae’s eyes occasionally drifted back to Yuna—who did her best not to meet them. She kept her head down, flipping to her sketches only when prompted, speaking minimally.

When it was her turn, she placed her design in front of him—structured, bold silhouettes with soft textures, a quiet contradiction.

Minjae stared at it, then at her. “This is yours?”

“Yes, sir.”

His lips curved slightly. “It’s unexpected. In a good way.”

Yuna blinked. “Thank you.”

“Do you usually sketch alone?”

“I prefer it.”

He looked like he was about to say more, but then turned to the next employee, shifting focus like nothing happened.

Yuna exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

—

After the meeting, Seo Hyunwoo followed his boss into the executive office, tablet in hand. The glass door slid shut behind them with a hush.

“About last night’s date,” Hyunwoo began, adjusting his glasses.

“I’m not interested,” Minjae said simply.

Hyunwoo raised a brow. “Then why did you ask me to look into her this morning?”

Minjae didn’t answer right away. He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest.

“She’s not Jiwoo Lee,” he finally said.

“No, sir,” Hyunwoo replied, already knowing.

“But she claimed she was,” Minjae mused. “And walked out halfway through.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “She’s a junior designer here. Kang Yuna. Good reputation. Never caused trouble.”

Minjae smirked faintly. “She’s awkward. Rambled about wine. Barely looked me in the eye. And then left without finishing dinner.”

“You’re saying all this like it’s a bad thing.”

“It is,” Minjae replied. “Yet… I want to see her again.”

Hyunwoo looked up from his tablet, mildly surprised. “Another date?”

“No. Not a date,” Minjae said quickly. “Just… schedule something casual. Coffee. A follow-up.”

Hyunwoo tilted his head. “Casual coffee with an employee who lied to your face and then ditched you mid-dinner.”

Minjae looked out the window, at the skyline he usually found boring but now seemed full of possibility.

“She’s interesting.”

—

Downstairs, Yuna was trying to steady her nerves by hiding behind a mountain of fabric rolls.

“He didn’t say anything. He didn’t mention the date,” she whispered, heart still thundering. “Maybe he doesn’t recognize me. Maybe he has blind date amnesia.”

“Yuna,” Sena called, walking past. “You okay?”

“Fine!” she squeaked. “Totally fine.”

Her phone buzzed. A new message.

Unknown Number: Coffee, 5 PM. Rooftop Café. Don’t worry—I won’t bring wine this time. - KM

Yuna’s mouth fell open.

“Oh no,” she muttered. “He definitely remembers.”

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