The office buzzed with a tense energy, the usual hum of work overshadowed by the pressure of a looming deadline. The latest project had hit a critical stage, and every department was stretched thin.
Yue sat at her desk, her focus entirely on the reports in front of her. Despite the whirlwind of meetings and tasks, her mind kept drifting back to Elliot. Ever since their coffee shop talk, something felt different. He still offered easy smiles and led meetings, but she could see the weight on him now. The way his fingers sometimes tightened around his pen. The slight pause before he answered a question. Small signs, but they were there.
Across the room, Elliot stood in front of the project board, walking the team through the latest updates. He sounded confident, but Yue could tell he was pushing himself too hard. Too many late nights, too much pressure to make sure everything was perfect.
Jaekyeom leaned against the conference table, arms crossed, his sharp eyes moving between Elliot and the screen. He didn’t say much, but Yue could tell he was watching, calculating everything.
Hazel was scribbling notes quickly. The crisis management plan had to be perfect, and she was focused on making sure they had backup plans ready.
But despite all the careful planning, things fell apart faster than anyone expected.
The mistake—Elliot’s mistake—was found late in the afternoon. A wrong number in one of the market reports had thrown off their entire forecast, putting key decisions in jeopardy. It wasn’t a small error; it was the kind that could wreck the whole project.
The room went completely silent as everyone realized what had happened. Elliot froze, the color draining from his face as he stared at the numbers in disbelief. A cold dread washed over him, the kind that made his stomach drop. He had been trying so hard to hold everything together, and now it was crumbling because of him.
Yue felt a sharp ache in her chest watching him.
Jaekyeom was the first to speak, his voice cutting through the quiet. "We need to fix this. Now."
Hazel took a sharp breath, pressing her lips together before nodding. "We can rework the approach, but we don’t have much time. We have to tell leadership before they find out on their own."
Elliot’s voice was quieter than usual when he finally spoke. "I’ll take responsibility. I should have caught this sooner."
Yue clenched her fists. This wasn’t just about blame. It was about how much he had been trying to carry alone.
"Let’s focus on solving it first," she said firmly. "We’ll figure the rest out after."
Elliot met her gaze for a brief moment. There was something unreadable in his eyes—gratitude, maybe, or just pure exhaustion. Then, he nodded.
Jaekyeom was already moving. He pulled up the data, his fingers moving quickly over his laptop as he recalculated everything. For a second, his eyes flicked to Elliot’s pale, shaken face. The failure looked genuine, not lazy. "I can adjust the numbers and redo the report. We’ll need a new way to present it, but it’s fixable."
Elliot watched him, a conflict stirring in his chest. Gratitude, yes, but also something heavier—a feeling of being small. He had built his whole identity around being the one who fixed things. Now, when it mattered most, someone else was doing it for him.
Jaekyeom didn’t look at Elliot as he worked, but his voice was steady. "We don’t have time to hesitate. Just follow my lead."
And Elliot did.
Hours later, the crisis was contained. The new plan had been sent out, the team had pulled things back on track—just barely. You could feel the relief in the room, but the tiredness was even stronger.
Elliot stayed at his desk, staring blankly at his screen. He knew he should go home and rest, but the weight of the day was still heavy on him.
Jaekyeom walked by his desk and paused for a second. Their eyes met, and for once, there was no anger in Jaekyeom's look. Just something knowing. "Try not to mess up again."
Elliot let out a breath, something like a dry laugh escaping him. "Thanks. For earlier."
Jaekyeom tilted his head slightly but didn’t say anything else before walking away.
Yue was packing up her things when Jaekyeom found her.
"You thought it was Elliot, didn’t you?" His voice was even, but there was an edge underneath.
She blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
He let out a short breath, shaking his head. "The coffee. The sandwich. You thought it was from him."
The realization hit her instantly, and her stomach twisted. "It was you?"
Jaekyeom scoffed, looking away for a moment before crossing his arms. "Figures you wouldn’t think it was me."
A pang of guilt settled in Yue’s chest. She had just assumed…
He ran a hand through his hair, the tension in his shoulders clear. Then, after a pause, he muttered, "I was trying to make up for what I said before."
Yue studied him, looking for any hint that he wasn’t being real, but she found none. Still, she couldn’t help saying, "Never took you for someone who apologizes first."
Jaekyeom let out a dry laugh. "Neither did I."
A quiet moment passed before she sighed. "I should apologize too. I wasn’t exactly fair to you either."
He looked at her then, something softer in his expression. "Maybe not. But you weren’t wrong."
She frowned a little. "About what?"
Jaekyeom leaned against the desk, his usual confidence faded into something more vulnerable. "What you said that day. About me always being second choice."
Yue’s breath caught slightly, but she stayed quiet, letting him go on.
"I’ve had other relationships before. Tried to make them work. But it never did. I could never give them all of me, not really." His voice was quieter now, almost bitter. "One of them even cheated on me. Found someone else while I was just… there."
Yue felt her fingers tighten around her bag strap. "Did you ever confront her?"
Jaekyeom shook his head. "No point. Maybe I deserved it. Maybe she knew I was never fully there either."
Yue swallowed, taking in his words. She had never seen this side of him before—the Jaekyeom who wasn’t untouchable, who had his own wounds just like everyone else.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, softly, Yue said, "That’s a pretty lonely way to live."
Jaekyeom let out a quiet laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah. It is."
She hesitated, then nudged his arm lightly. "Come on. Let’s go get something to eat."
Jaekyeom raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me on a date, Yue?"
She rolled her eyes. "It’s called being decent. Don’t ruin it."
A smirk touched his lips, but he pushed himself off the desk. "Alright. But I’m choosing the place."
And just like that, the space between them felt a little smaller.