Byul-yi hated being late. She valued being on time and she expected others to be the same. Which is why she was especially annoyed that out of all the days, today had to be one of the few rare times that she was likely going to be late for an appointment. It was no ordinary meeting, but one that her professional fate rested on.

She had allowed plenty of time to get dressed in her best outfit and make the trip downtown for her 10 a.m. appointment. The appointment that she had to fight so hard to get. Unfortunately, obstacles kept creeping up, from her elderly neighbour catching her at the front door and needing her help with the groceries (she could not refuse) to the bus breaking down along the way.

By the time Byul-yi got off the broken-down bus, she had only twelve minutes left to navigate the rest of the journey to her destination. Deciding against waiting for the next bus to come along, she chose to walk instead. Five minutes into the half-jog in the sweltering summer heat, Byul-yi questioned her lack of good sense. Dust streaked her trousers, her nicest blouse was crumpled, and she was sure the lipstick she applied was long gone from the nervous gnawing at her lips. Suddenly, the extra weight that she had put on since halmoni’s death no longer seemed like such a big problem.

09:58. Byul-yi felt on the verge of a panic attack; she could feel perspiration beading across her forehead. She broke out into a run.

By the time she made the turn on the corner into a six-storey building with a shiny facade, Byul-yi was panting and she was sure she looked a mess. 10:06. “No need to panic,” Byul-yi thought, “I’m sure she would understand it wasn’t my fault I’m late.”

Or not.

As Byul-yi pushed the glass doors open, she was hit by a blast of air-conditioning and she almost sighed with relief. She tried to recall her good friend’s reassuring words.

“Don’t let her intimidate you,” Seulgi had told her over the phone last night. “She may come across very scary but she’s a reasonable woman.”

Easy for Seulgi to say. Despite still being a trainee, she was close friends with some of the top artistes under the company’s portfolio.

As Byul-yi approached the reception desk, she caught sight of herself in the mirrored wall behind the desk and had to hold in a hiss of dismay. She looked a mess; her hair was sticking out and her wrinkled shirt looked bunched up in all the wrong places. Horrified, she tried to repair the damage but did not have much time before she reached the front of reception.

10:08.

The glass wall above was imprinted with big silver letters, Instinct Entertainment. The reception area held comfy-looking leather couches and matching chairs, various trophies and plaques, and a big-screen TV muted on a music show. The receptionist had short hair styled in a fashionable bob. She took in Byul-yi’s disheveled appearance over the top of red metal framed glasses.

"May I help you?"

"Hello, I am Moon Byul-yi. I have a 10 o'clock appointment with um, CEO Kim."

"I'm afraid you're too late, Miss Moon."

"Only by ten minutes."

"It's a pity. Ten minutes was all the time our CEO had available in her packed schedule to see you."

Byul-yi’s suspicions were confirmed. The CEO, Kim Solar, had only agreed to see her because Seulgi’s friends had insisted, and she didn't want to upset her artistes. Byul-yi glanced in desperation at the wall clock. "I'm really only eight minutes late. I still have two minutes left."

"Sorry, can’t help you." The receptionist turned back to her computer and began tapping away.

"Two minutes," Byul-yi pleaded. "That's all I ask."

"There's nothing I can do."

Byul-yi needed this meeting, and she needed it bad. Spotting the open elevator doors to the left of the reception area, she pivoted on her heels and ran for them.

"Miss Moon!"

Pressing the button for the top floor and smashing the elevator’s Close buttons as quickly as she could, she leaned back in relief when the doors closed before the receptionist could catch up. When the doors opened, Byul-yi stepped out hesitantly for a second before straightening her back. She strode towards the imposing walnut doors at the end of the hallway. The nameplate on the door confirmed her hunches; this was the office she was looking for. Taking a deep breath, Byul-yi knocked twice and turned the knob.

The office was intimidating, to say the least. A sweeping wall of full-height windows greeted her as the door opened, presenting a great view of the park in the distance. Sunlight streamed in and fell across a desk with a surprisingly petite lady seated behind it. Byul-yi took a few seconds to regain her bearings. She was beautiful and looked extremely well put-together, as expected. What did a woman like this need a matchmaker for?

She did not look up from her comp