• SEVENTEEN •

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IN THE sleek, dimly lit boardroom, the ambient light caresses the polished mahogany table where the acting CEO, President Kim Taehyung, and key executives were gathered for a presentation.

As the boardroom lights gracefully dim, a collective hush descends, blanketing the room in an anticipatory stillness. The team, dressed in sharp business attire, steps into the spotlight, their faces a study in confidence.

Amidst this, the acting CEO shot a subtle side-eye toward Taehyung, as the president's phone vibrated conspicuously on the expansive table. Swiftly, with practiced finesse, Taehyung retrieved his phone. Maintaining a composed authority, he glanced at the caller ID. Recognizing it as Choi Woo-shik, he deftly slid his thumb across the screen to send a brief, generic message in response.

After a few seconds, Taehyung received a message from Woo-shik.

Choi Wooshik-ssi

Call me right away after your
meeting 😙

A perplexed furrow etched across Taehyung's brow as he glanced at his phone, 'What's with the kissing emoji?'

He slid the device back onto the table, the surface cool beneath his fingertips. The atmosphere in the boardroom, however, took an inexplicable turn toward the intolerable.

As Taehyung delved into the presentation, the room seemed to thicken with tension. His inquiries cut through the air, each question bearing a weight of scrutiny. The gestures accompanying his queries were punctuated by precise movements - a pointed finger, a raised eyebrow, a subtle tap on the table. The presenters, caught in the crossfire, took in the barrage of criticism with forced composure.

Even as the collective efforts of the team was visible in their slides, Taehyung's discerning eyes found flaws. The air crackled with discomfort as he dissected their ideas, pinpointing weaknesses, and expressing dissatisfaction.

With a final, cutting critique, Taehyung rose from his chair. The door swung open, a cool draft briefly unsettling the room, and he exited without a backward glance. The absence of acknowledgment for the team's arduous efforts lingered in the air, a stark contrast to the vibrant energy that had initially filled the boardroom. The disappointment and frustration from the presenters hung like an invisible cloud, their hard work met with a silence more deafening than any words Taehyung could have spoken.

Entering his office sanctuary, Taehyung exhaled a heavy sigh. In a swift, almost ritualistic motion, he loosened the silk tie that had clung to his neck like a constricting emblem of corporate rigor. The loosened tie now hung askew on his neck.

Seating himself in the high-backed leather chair, Taehyung's fingers drummed against the smooth surface of the polished mahogany desk. The panoramic view of the city outside his window, usually a source of inspiration, now seemed to blur into a backdrop of contemplation.

As the current president of the company, Taehyung bore the weight of strategic leadership, the responsibility of deciding which innovation to work on, and many more.

His gaze went to his vibrating phone, Taehyung's fingers danced over his screen realizing it was Choi Woo-shik. He forgot to call him, good thing he called.

Finally, the older man's voice crackled through the line, breaking the silence that had enveloped Taehyung's office for quite a while.

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