"I'm here for the orientation," Chanyeol told the receptionist behind the counter and she nodded. "Kindly, wait. I'm just going to check for your appointment."

The girl typed in her PC for a while so Chanyeol and Hana grabbed this opportunity to study the huge place they're in. 

The pair are currently at the main lobby where the entrance is blocked by glass barricades that open up after swiping some kind of an ID (he assumed) onto the machine on top of the marble pillar. 

Across the entrance is the information desk where two receptionist works hand in hand to answer queries and appointments, the stop equipped with high class computers  and telephones. Two hallways were at either side of the desk, one leading to several elevators and the other houses the huge staircase and another way going outside of the building but still the premises of the company. 

Few trees and shrubs lines the interior of the building and the glass walls were adorned with water sliding down from it. 

"Ah yes. You are to meet at 11 o' clock. Mr. Do asks you to proceed to the 11th floor, inside the auditorium and wait for him there." Chanyeol was quick to look back at the receptionist upon hearing her. 

He bowed politely after saying his thanks and bidding farewell. The receptionist kindly smiled at him.

He started walking towards the elevator, leaving Hana behind. He didn't mean to though, he was just in deep thoughts ever since he received that letter of invitation.  Good thing that the girl was fast to catch on his steps or she will be lost in the huge building.

"Wow, you must have impressed them so much for them to hire you personally, even after losing." He heard her mumble from behind him but his brain refused to process her words. At an ordinary scenario, he would be very insulted with how she put up her words. 

The girl just thought that he was ignoring her again, and she let him be. 

But nope. Park Chanyeol was in very deep thought, even after pressing the floor on the elevator button and the elevator doors closed, lifting them nearer to the 11th floor. 

Arriving at his destination, he glared at the model who was obviously stricken at what she saw and he followed her line of vision to see a guy staring straight at her too.

That guy sitting beside the other judges looked quite stricken to see her there too. He was looking at her with an expression that is a mixture of surprise, and somewhat relief. 

Surely, he was related to the girl behind him. 

The elevator sounded with a 'ding' notifying them of their arrival and Chanyeol was the first one to go out, the shorter tailing behind him. 

She burned holes at the back of his head, but still the guy did not dare spare her a glance. She pouted, he's ignoring her again. 

Soon, the two stopped at a huge oak doors and this time, finally, the guy turned his attention towards her. "We're here," he mused and she backed away a little so she could gawk at the huge double doors. 

"Should I..." She trailed off but frowned when she saw him already pushing the huge doors open. 

And he did it like a pro. Must be used to doing that at his old work. 

She shrugged. She was supposed to ask him if she should go too. 

In the end, the girl opted to wait for him outside and sit at the row of seats beside the doors. 

--

The moment Park Chanyeol pushed the oak doors open, all heads turned to him. He immediately recognized them as the designers he met every once in a while in a fashion show before. He smirked. 

One particular guy remembered him and was fast to turn his chair towards the intruder. "Great. Someone from the rival company. What can we do for you, hmm?" He asked, his voice laced with mockery. 

All heads turned to the guy before fixing their gazes at Chanyeol who simply smirked as a response. "Nice to meet you too." He shrugged. 

The guy clapped before laughing sarcastically. "You really are something, aren't you? Are you perhaps here to start an issue with the company, Park Chanyeol-ssi?" 

"Let's stop this Jongdae hyung—" 

Another guy said but was cut off by the older by raising one of his hand, obviously stopping the younger. This time, the newcomer had sent the guy named Jongdae a pointed look, before speaking. "The CEO's son called for me here." He arched one brow at him. "So I guess he was the one who wants to drag the company into a scandal," he smirked. 

"Why you—" Kim Jongdae stood up from his seat, ready to charge towards the trespasser near the door if not only for the pair of guys who entered the auditorium. 

He halted mid air as the guy's smirk grew wider, before all of them turned towards the newcomer to politely bow their heads. 

Both responded with the same gesture before one of the guys, who is shorter asked Park Chanyeol to take a seat beside Kim Jongdae. 

The guy named Jongdae followed Chanyeol's every movement with his eyes, from the moment he bowed timidly at the CEO's son after being instructed to take a seat until he has finally settled at the place on his right. 

"I'm keeping an eye on you," he mumbled and the taller just smirked at him before shaking his head. 

Do Kyungsoo stood behind the position positioned at the center of the auditorium, ready to discuss the crisis the company was facing. Beside him, stood the guy who was giving Park Chanyeol suspicious looks.

--

Hana noticed two guys on suit approaching minutes after her companion has left her to go inside the room and she decided to take a seat at the row of chairs beside the huge oak doors. 

Sensing that they must be in a higher position in the company, the girl stood up from her seat to greet the two with a bow but she froze upon seeing them up close. 

She remembered his name was Do Kyungsoo. The guy that she met on a cafe weeks ago. The reason why she fainted that day. 

"N-noona?" The tall guy beside Kyungsoo blinked numerous times, before looking at Kyungsoo mortified.  "I-isnt she..." He trailed off. 

He knew it. Something was definitely off with him. Come to think of it, it must be the reason why the older was so distracted these past few days. Every time he asks, he would always brush him off and tell him that one model fainted at the runway. 

Kyungsoo ignored Jongin's remarks and proceeded to bow politely at the frozen girl beside the door. He offered her a kind smile in hopes of keeping her at ease. "Good morning. Are you perhaps waiting for someone?" 

"Uh..." Hana started nervously and she can't help but remember their past rendezvous. 

Yejeong-ah!"

"Don't you remember me?"

"You're the only heir to Song Group of Companies!"

"You're born with a-i dare say-gold spoon in your mouth."

"Here's my calling card, if ever you changed your mind. Or you simply want to get some answers, call me. I'll be more than willing to help you."

"I'll help you."

She shook her head harshly, trying her best to stop the trembling of her hands. Witnessing this, the guy's heart clench knowing that he was the cause of her stress. She used to be so excited talking to him, so seeing her very much scared to converse with him made him feel very disappointed.  Instead he opted for the better scenario. 

"We'll be going on ahead. As we have a meeting to attend to. Miss..." He purposely trailed off and he was more than glad to see her raising her brows slightly, finally another reaction aside from being scared. 

"Hana." She finished for him. He smiled, albeit a little bitter but that would do for now. 

Baby steps, Kyungsoo. Baby steps. He told himself. 

He bowed again, bidding her farewell and Hana gladly copied his movements. Jonging too, who happened to back away from shock earlier bowed politely at the girl who responded with the same gesture before going inside the auditorium for the meeting. 

--

"Our profit dropped from 7.89% to just 2.39% the past six months." Kyungsoo announced, looking behind him at the projected information on the white board. "Were falling behind our competitors. And almost all had good records, specially White Swan. They were topping the charts for the last three months."

Kim Jongdae who was eating beside Chanyeol him a look, studying any change from his expression but found none. He looked in front again at the speaker. 

"But here's one great thing," the CEO's son finally fixed his eyes at the newly hired fashion designer. "Just last month, White Swan's sales dropped by a lot." Seeing the guy looking at him made Chanyeol smirk finally. "This isn't just an orientation, isn't it?" He asked and all heads turned to him, again. "What's your deal?" He asked again, crossing his arms. 

It would be very impossible for them to not know about him, White Swan and the issue. They might not recognise him as the Secret Weapon of the company but surely these guys here know that he was an ex employee to the rival company. 

Do Kyungsoo too, smirked at the guy. "Well, easy." He tapped his fingers on the podium, thinking. "I want to climb up the charts again. If ever,  want to defeat White Swan's secret weapon."

This made the taller smirk even wider. His assumptions are right. "You wouldn't defeat their secret weapon," he mocked. He got the younger frowning this time. "You wouldn't have any secret weapon to defeat." He added.

"Are you telling us their's no secret weapon at all?" Jongdae turned his chair to face him, arching one brow. 

Chanyeol shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But here's the thing, for as long as the design's stupid, you'll be no match for WS's secret weapon." 

Jongdae scoffed at his confidence. "Yeah, why? Can do defeat the secret weapon yourself?" He challenged. "Wanna bet?" He smirked, ignoring other people's presence inside the hall. 

"Give me the project for next month's release. If this company top the charts, you'll stop pestering me with this nonsense. Let's face it, you guys are just using me because I'm from the rivaling company, right?" This time, he shot Kyungsoo a pointed look, challenging him as well. 

Nope, I'm not. Kyungsoo mused inside his head. But since he brought the topic up himself, he'll make sure to use the benefit. 

"Call." Do Kyungsoo smirked. 

--

"Just what are you up to? You're making my head hurt, big time." Jongin complained as he pulled the car door closed, sitting beside Do Kyungsoo. He didn't heard any response from the older even after he had finished buckling his seatbelt so looked up to ask him again.

"Hey, you listen—"

His words are cut short upon seeing the shorter looking out of his car door, the back of his head facing him instead. Tilting his head a little, the younger followed his line of vision only to have his shoulders slumping. 

Somehow, he could understand how this guy beside him feels. He felt that too, earlier. 

"You okay?" 

"H-huh?" Kyungsoo finally asked, looking at his friend, seeing him giving him a worried look. He nodded after smiling bitterly before looking at the company entrance again. 

Song Yejeong was with Park Chanyeol as they climb down the stairs beside each other. He felt sick at the pit of his stomach upon witnessing how she was talking to the taller comically while the guy only had his hands inside his pockets, walking silently.

Just one look and he knew that Park Chanyeol was just using her. 

He can't do anything about it now. But soon, he'll make sure that Song Yejeong will definitely retrieve back what was rightfully hers.

He'll give her back her life. 

~end of chapter 18~

A/N: ahhhhhh the lockdown in my country just got extended until May 15 (T.T). I've got no more savingsssss!!!!!

I dont have a choice though, if extending the lockdown will help eradicate this COVID-19, then I have no choice but to follow. :( 

(Nevertheless, I'm still neutral to this issue. :| )

finally things are falling into place finally. The story's running based on how I want ittonow he he. And also, I (kind of) elaborated Kyungsoo and Chanyeol's characters in here. And their profile as well!

I do hope that somehow I've cleared some of the cloudy thoughts from the earlier chapters. If I still failed into making things clear, please do comment down below, I might add it in the next chapters (provided what you're commenting isn't an explosives or I will die haha jk).

Anyways, again, I want to tell you guys that I'm reading each and every comments, however I can't reply as I'm using phone in updating. (Please enlighten me about the cause juseyooo). I also can't upload any covers huhhhhh. The reason why my stories never once had a covers. But I do edit covers huhu. Whyyuuu

p.s.  did not proof read. Again XD