Youjung bid goodbye to her friends once leaving the lecture hall. It was a new unit where she was going to be taught to weigh the odds and to analyze the best way to have a successful company. There was only one exam that was at the very end of the course, which was very uncommon for units in university. Each student was to come up with a concept explaining why it would ensure a company’s success and climb to the top. Her lecturer, a kind and wise mid-fifties man, had handed out a book telling them to read it and that whoever reads it would have a bigger advantage than those who doesn’t read it.

Most of her unit classmates had tossed it to the bottom of their bags, probably not remembering to read it till the last few days before the exam happened. Whereas, Youjung had also downloaded the PDF version of the book so that if she didn’t have the physical copy, she would still be able to read it, seeing as how her laptop hardly left her side. She was diverted from her thoughts when she hears whispers around her. Looking up to see Donghyuk, leaning against his flashy imported car and sunglasses shielding his eyes with his arms crossed whilst staring at the ground.

She walks towards him and waits till he lifts his head up. Once he did, he immediately smiles. “Sometimes I wonder are you trying to let the whole world know that you are rich when you are already nationally known as one of the richest young successful businessman,” she says sarcastically and he remains smiling.

“Well I have flaunt my wealth don’t I?” he retorts playfully, taking off the sunglasses and she rolls her eyes. “Anyways, get in. I know you don’t have any other lectures. You told me about your time table when I asked last week before you accuse me for stalking you or sending someone to check your life.”

“That better be the case, Kim Donghyuk,” she warns as she gets into the car at the same time as him.

“Trust me. It is,” he replies and starts the car before driving away.

Youjung fiddled with the folders and book in her hand when Donghyuk stops at a traffic light. She picks up the book handed out by her lecturer and analyzed it. An A5 book with a white book cover, ‘Outliers’ written across it. “What’s that?” the CEO asks when he looks over briefly.

“The story about success,” she reads the tagline before putting down the book back on her lap as the light turns green.

“Success?” Donghyuk says unconvinced. “Aren’t you majoring business? How is it linked to a book dealing with success?”

“If you don’t see it but the company under your care is classified as successful in many influential websites,” she retorts and he chuckles. “Plus this unit is about weighing the odds and to analyze the best way to have a successful company. I have to come up with something like a concept for my exam at the end of the unit that is really weird. Considering that most units has several tests before leading up to the final assessment.”

“Well this unit probably is trying to test how much a university student is willing to put in the effort to try and pass the only paper,” he replies as he turns into the company building’s parking lot. “Knowing you, you’ll probably ace it.”

“I don’t think I’ll get good results this time if I were to be honest,” she replies, sighing softly.

“You worry too much,” he states as he parks his car. “We’re here.”

“Your company building? Am I supposed to feel happy and excited? Because that is something you won’t be getting,” she replies dryly, taking off her seatbelt.

“Take it as research, Miss Min,” he replies with a soft laugh. “This is a chance that everyone would die for! To see the behind-the-scenes work of a successful company like mine. Also, I still have to show you my world.”

“Whatever you say oh so great CEO Kim,” she plays along before getting out of the car with a teasing smile. “Lead the way.”

Donghyuk smiles before looking forward, face completely changed, the atmosphere around him changed to solemn. The moment he stepped through the doors, everyone who saw them would stop in their job to bow at him before eyeing curiously at the lady he brought. He simply ignored those who were looking as he pulled Youjung forward and wrapped an arm around her waist. Sometimes she forgot that she was his supposedly fiancé.

Once at the elevator lobby, everyone parts for their boss to take the lift by himself and his fiancé. There were rumours and seeing Youjung next to their CEO confirms his taken status. The doors close to the employees bowing at the both of them. Even though Youjung felt uncomfortable, she doesn’t mention it and keeps a blank face. There shouldn’t be rumours of the young CEO’s wife not knowing to act in front of the employees.

“It looks like you have fun being at the top,” she comments and he looks at her with a sideways glance.

“That is true,” he replies, a playful grin on his face but when the doors opened, his face went stoic and led her out of the elevator.

The lady at the counter immediately stood up and she guessed it was his secretary. “Good morning Mr Kim,” she says, bowing and without any reply, they entered the office before closing the door.

“Are you always like this?” Youjung wonders as he sits on his grand office chair.

“Like what?” he asks, confused with a raised eyebrow.

“Looking like someone took away your everything other than this company,” she answers.

His eyebrow was still raised, indicating that he didn’t get her reply. She sighs, forgetting that he wasn’t as good in language as normal people her age. “Mr CEO, maybe you should learn more terms,” she says and he frowns. “What I meant was, must your face look like you are going to murder someone?”

“I’m going to correct you there, princess,” he starts as he waves a hand for her to sit and she does. “The look on my face shows my superiority. It gives off a mysterious and cool vibe, hence female workers swoon over me.”

“Do you come to the company to work or to attract females,” she says with an eye-roll.

Donghyuk doesn’t reply, just looks at her with an amused grin. “I can’t out-talk you, Miss Min,” he states.

“You shouldn’t,” she states with a fake-smile, making eye contact as a knock resounds in the room.

“Come in,” he states, eyes not breaking eye contact.

“Mr Kim, here’s the reports from the different departments in the company,” the lady from outside says professionally as she puts down a stack of papers, respectively stapled before putting down a taller stack of papers. “These are the proposals given in by companies, mostly potential clients or distributor.”

Youjung casually grabbed the first report on the stack before flipping through it, earning a surprised look from the secretary. “Youjung here will be helping me with the company after she graduates from university. Please run through decisions by the both of us,” Donghyuk says and the lady nods. “You’re dismissed.”

She then scurries out, closing the door behind her. “So how’s the report?” he asks, leaning back on his chair with pride but it changes once seeing the frown. “What’s wrong?”

“The data is a bit off from what I researched about your company,” she says on the graph showcasing his financial report.

Her finger lands on the first point, which was five years back before the current year before following the rest of the points. “The data between these ten years are correct but…” she says trailing off, drawing towards the end of the line, “these years aren’t accurate. It’s about a hundred thousand lower than what should be predicted.”

“Also, the current profit that the company is receiving shouldn’t be this low. From what I had researched, you should be earning at least fifty hundred thousand more,” she muses over what went wrong.

“Yes Mr Kim?” his secretary asks, entering the room with the door opened.

“Find out who did this financial report and fire that person,” he states and she did a curt nod before leaving the room.

“You’re not going to find out what went wrong?” Youjung asks surprised.

“I’ve told you before,” he says, cold tone disappearing. “Whoever slacks off, gets fired.”

“You’re being too harsh,” she says, frowning. “You should at least find out what is wrong. Sometimes, it isn’t the fault of the person who did the report.”

“The reports are done by the head of each department,” he states with a cold look. “I have the right to fire the head if they aren’t at or better the standard that I have set for them. I mentioned before that being harsh is part of why this company is so successful.”

“Don’t give me that look, Kim Donghyuk,” she says with the same cold tone and look. “I am not your subordinate. Even if I was, I wouldn’t let you treat me this way.”

Before he could retort, the secretary returns with a folder in her hand. “Mr Kim, you have a meeting starting in five minutes,” she says and he nods before standing up.

Youjung closed the report in her hand before putting it back on the stack and stands up. “You ready?” Donghyuk asks and she nods.

They both walked out of the office with the secretary behind them and entered the ready elevator. The secretary presses the button and it starts to move. “Mr Kim, this meeting is with the shareholders and the head of each department will be there too to answer questions posed,” she starts to explain and opens the folder. “The biggest shareholder will be here too.”

“Yunhyeong?” the CEO asks with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes. Mr Song is attending this meeting,” she replies as the doors opened.

Song Yunhyeong… Youjung frowns, trying to remember where she had heard the name as they exited the elevator. The secretary bows before leaving the duo. “Something on your mind princess?” he asks and she scowls at him. “Aw. Don’t be mean. I’m just worried about my fiancé. Also, stop giving me that look, you look horrendous.”

“How nice of you to say that about your future wife,” she retorts with an eye roll before poking her tongue out childishly at him and he returns it with an amused look.

“When was childish listed as one of your traits?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

“When you decided to comment on your future wife’s looks,” she replies dryly and enters the empty meeting room. “Hm. I thought you would be fashionably late.”

She felt arms circling her waist, shocking her but she pretends it doesn’t affect her with a poker face. “Princess, I’m the company’s CEO after all. I have to be early for meetings,” he whispers against her ear and she rolls her eyes.

“It’s nice to see that you’re happy with your fiancé and that you guys are lovey-dovey in the company,” an unfamiliar voice was heard and Donghyuk turns around, arms still around the female as a grin appears on his face.

“Hyung!” he exclaims and then turns around properly, making Youjung do the same. “Meet Min Youjung, my future wife and bearer of Donghyuk Juniors!”

Youjung immediately smacks him for the unnecessary comment. “I’m pretty sure with your around, Donghyuk, at least ten percent of the women’s population in Korea has already became a bearer of your child. Also it should be Donghyuk and Youjung juniors, stop discriminating genders even before your kids are born,” the handsome young man replies before taking out a Nivea lip balm and applies it on his lips. “Nice to meet you Youjung, I’m Yunhyeong.”

“Just how many girls have you been with,” she asks, remembering back to when she first met him.

“Unable to count,” he replies with a smile, “but I always use protection and most of the times, I use them for a one-time social date.”

“Amazing,” she mutters and wiggles out of his arms. “You’re disgusting. How did I end up with you?”

“You got time to back out princess,” he says, winking and she rolls her eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t. You love me too much.”

“Excuse me. You demanded that I became your date to that boring function after I scared away your lay,” she retorts and Yunhyeong looks at her with an amused look, “and you also mentioned that I was way better compared to the other girls you had seen. Who compliments a stranger they just met this way? It’s rude.”

“You didn’t seem to have any complaints back then,” he says, grin still on his face as she rolls her eyes once again.

“Did you give me a chance to complain?” she retorts. “Also, you were too busy being a jerk to Dani.”

“Dani?” Yunhyeong says with a surprised tone. “What did you do to her?”

“Being my rude typical self according to her,” the other male says, pointing at his fiancé.

“Well you are,” the other male agrees with a grin.

Before Donghyuk could reply, people started streaming in so his face changed to stoic and he took a seat at the head of the long table. Youjung naturally follows him to sit next to him but there wasn’t any seat available. Noticing it, he harshly commands a chair to be provided for her to sit. Even though she felt that he didn’t need to do so, she kept quiet and controlled her emotions for they were at a meeting with the company department heads and shareholders. If she was his fiancé, she should act like one and even though, she never experienced Donghyuk’s world, she knew some basic rules to it from movies and right now, it was too cliché to even wrap her head around it.

“You got yourself a catch, Mr Kim,” a shareholder comments and the CEO nodded his head while the lady bows slightly as a sign of gratefulness. “She’s respectful… That’s good.”

Youjung smiles politely.