“Congratulations and welcome to the company. I’ll have the C.O.O. take you around so you can familiarize yourself with the place.”

“It’s a pleasure, Miss Park. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Momo. I believe you’ll do well here.”

******

“I can’t believe I got the internship.” Momo whispered to herself in bewilderment. The HR executive was a welcoming lady, motherly in nature, even. This made Momo feel secure, having high hopes for the coming weeks.

Thirty-Seven MS Industries was of one the most prestigious conglomerates that ran a majority of Seoul’s industry: healthcare, electronics, cosmetics, and insurance.

The students from Momo’s university – chaebol kids inside and out – all vied for working experience there, but all for good standing on paper. Momo had always believed that her family’s money could or should get her everything she wanted, much to the dismay of her peers. She worked hard in classes that most of her classmates would just drop and pay teachers off with, but despite their underhanded transactions, Momo still ended up with honest, top marks.

Her Business Management professor wrote her a recommendation letter for the internship application, and she listened well under her tutelage to prepare. Three weeks later, Momo had received a phone call from Thirty-Seven MS’s HR Secretary.

“Hi, you must be Momo. I’m Minatozaki Sana. Chief Operating Officer of Thirty-Seven MSI.”

Momo’s thoughts were interrupted by a ginger-haired girl with a contagious smile, and lithe limbs who was extending a handshake to her. She was dressed in a cream-colored pantsuit and white pumps.

“Hi, yes. Sana? You’re Japanese as well?” Momo shook the girl’s outstretched hand.

Sana nodded as she shook Momo’s hand. “Yes. But I was born and raised here in Seoul. Anyway, Miss Park notified me I’d be giving you the grand tour. You ready?”

“Yes I am.”

Sana led Momo out of the HR office and into the main hallway on the 54th floor of Red Tower – one of the many skyscrapers owned by Thirty-Seven MS Industries.

“Oh my god, we’re so high up.” Momo peered down from the paneled glass windows.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. It’s actually pretty nice up here.” Sana said reassuringly.

“Okay, so here on the left side of the floor is the marketing department. They’re divided into what we call “hives” so there’s about twenty people in a hive. Four hives are equal to the four sectors the conglomerate runs: we have healthcare, insurance, electronics, and cosmetics. These people work really hard for our Customer Satisfaction ratings.” Sana threw a look at Momo while emphasizing the last three words, as if the company’s existence hinged on 5-star reviews.

Momo nodded, observing the cubicles of busy people, and it sounded like a hive would: endless buzzing and chatter, phones ringing, keyboards typing, and files printing. She couldn't help but gawk at the efficiency of it all. 

“Moving on to the opposite wing – oh, the center space when you stepped out of the elevator? That’s our reception area and café, which is open to staff, even interns. So don’t hesitate to get your coffee fix – anyway, opposite wing is where the associates and assistants-to-executives work at, and--"

"Sorry, free coffee? Like, anytime?" it was as if Momo could just leave her jaw slacking if all these amenities were to unfold themselves on the duration of the tour.

Sana nodded with a smile, "Yeah. Once every two weeks there's a special treat that comes with the coffee, like cake, or bread." 

The mention of food perks Momo's attention, but she shakes her head to get back into Sana's narration: "Anyway, sometimes you’ll be called over to sit in some meetings and take notes, or do whatever clerical work they ask you to. Don’t worry, none of them actually bite. The boss doesn’t allow any snooty, elitist to work for this company. Everyone here is ready to help out, so don’t feel intimidated.”

Momo lightly winces, her stomach getting butterflies. No wonder everyone wanted to work here, it was corporate heaven. Unlimited coffee? Friendly business people? Momo wanted to intern here forever. 

“55th floor is where the board members and the boss work. There are four conference rooms, and conference room B is the boss’s favorite. It’s kind of a customized space, and it’s really cozy. Come on, I’ll show you.”

*****

“Are you sure this is where people have meetings?” Momo’s jaw dropped. Conference room B looked more like a VIP lounge than a meeting space.

Black, full-sized bean bags littered the ash-blue carpet floor, and there was a beverage fridge and snack bar both fully stocked in one corner. A drop-down canvas screen was in the middle of the room against the wall for the projector. Instead of a long conference table, there was a coffee table for every four bean bags.

Sana stifled a laugh. “Actually, this is more of a thinking space where the boss loves to brainstorm with interns.”

“Interns?”

“Yeah. She frequently meets with the new blood more than her board members. It’s a way to keep the company fresh and full of new ideas.” Sana draws air quotes with her fingers at “fresh” and “new ideas.” She sighs in admiration. “It’s a great move honestly, and none of the board members feel offended. They get their chance to use this conference room too, but for the most part they just fall asleep.”

“Well, yeah. It looks really cozy.” Momo eyes one of the lush reclining spaces with much gusto.

“Go ahead, sit.” Sana pointed to one of the bean bags near the window, offering a breathtaking, panoramic view of the city. She sat on one and Momo followed suit, albeit carefully.

“What if the boss catches us here?”

“What if the boss what?”

Momo and Sana both stood up, startled at the voice that came from the doorway behind them. There was light laughter as the source stepped into the room.

“Is she a new intern, Sana?”

“Yes ma’am. This is Momo.” Sana’s surprised demeanor relaxed into a calm as her shoulders dropped. “Do you have a brainstorm session today?”

“No, no. I just wanted to walk around and stretch. Hello. My name is Mina Myoui.”

Momo bowed respectfully, still unable to speak.

“Oh gosh, no. That’s too much. Please, a handshake will do. Heck, even a hi-five. We’re all casual here, don’t feel intimidated, please. That’s bad for our brand.” Mina laughed, and Sana nodded in agreement.

Momo straightened up and smiled her brightest.

Mina caught her breath at the sight of the smile. She cleared , and after looking at Momo from head to toe, she said “So, which department are you assigned to?”

Sana rolled her eyes and turned away so Momo couldn’t see, but Mina had picked up on the COO’s mischief.

“Sana, get us coffees, please? Get one for yourself too and then come back – but take your time.” She spoke, eyes still glued on Momo’s smile.

The ginger-haired girl rolled her eyes a second time and strode out of the room, knowing that it was code for something else: Mina Myoui wanted to be alone with the new intern.

Mina walked over to where Momo and Sana were sitting before she came in. She sat down and Momo sat down beside her.

“So, talk to me. How’d you end up here?” Mina asked candidly, basking in the cityscape bathed in an orange afternoon glow.

Momo pondered if she should mention the cliché reason, the one all the spoiled kids used. She decided against it.

“It’s the most holistically-challenging workplace I’ve heard about.” Momo slapped herself mentally. That is a dupe answer.

“Really? What university are you from?” Mina leaned back into the bean bag and closed her eyes.

Momo felt a lump in . Oh god, she’s going to find out. “SK National.”

Mina nodded. SK National was the biggest chaebol university to date. Children of the most prominent public figures were enrolled there: from politicians to celebrities, old money families, heirs and heiresses, chaebol kids all the same.

“You don’t seem like the type though to just show off?” Mina knew enough about SKN’s reputation when it came to internships.

“No, I came here fully honest and without a smidge in my integrity. I would never use my parents’ money to get what I wanted.” Momo felt her voice waver but she was telling the truth.

“That’s a pretty textbook answer, Momo. Don’t think too much about impressing me, but we’ll find out in the next few weeks.”

Momo felt offended and embarrassed at how Mina thought of her answer as a pageantry. Her face flushed red as she kept quiet.

Mina opened an eye to peek at Momo’s prolonged silence. “Oh, hey, I didn’t mean it that way. Have you been assigned to a department yet? Because if not, I’d like for you to work directly under my supervision. Is that cool?”

Momo opened to answer when Sana walked in with a coffee tray, and the scent of the coffee filled the room.

Mina automatically reached out a hand and Sana carefully handed her a steaming cup.

“Your pretentious latte.” Sana teased. “I honestly don’t understand why you have to show off about drinking coffee when this is 90% milk.”

Momo observed the casual banter between the boss and the COO, but she realized the dynamic must be the same as those millennial startups where the setup was more of a collective rather than a company.

“Shut up, don’t embarrass me in front of the intern.” Mina sipped her drink and waved Sana off.

“Here you go, Momo. I put cream and sugar in yours, is that good?”

Momo nodded and took the cup. “Yeah, thanks.”

“So?” Sana eased herself into the beanbag across Momo and took a sip of her drink. “What happened while I was gone?”

“Someone’s greedy. You already have coffee, and now you want tea?” Mina raised an eyebrow at Sana.

“Alright fine, don’t tell me. I’ll find out anyway.” Sana observed Momo for a moment. “Let me guess. She gave you small talk, and now you’re going to report directly to the boss because she told you to work for her.”

Momo was puzzled. How did she know all of that?

Sana seemed to read Momo’s mind. “Oh, honey, I’ve been working with her for as long as I can remember. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what Mina’s trying to do. Some advice while you’re here: always read between the lines when she talks to you.” She paused for a bit. “Anyway, I just remembered I have to file some requests, so I’ll leave you two alone.”

Sana’s voiced dripped with so much cryptic undertones that Momo had a difficult time trying to make sense of it. The COO stood up and winked at Momo and shot a glare at Mina before striding out of the room gracefully.

Mina whispered to Momo as she waved off at Sana. “Don’t listen to her, she’s lost her mind from all the work.”

Momo laughed. There was something about Mina that gave off a bright aura. No wonder the workplace is really chill.

“Okay, so let’s have you start tomorrow, and I’ll brief you on what to do. Give me your email, and I’ll send a few work details.”

“Isn’t that what the HR department is going to do?” Momo asked.

“I know, but I’m a little more meticulous with my work, so I want be more hands-on with it.”

Momo thought it was just her imagination, but she thought she saw Mina’s eyes dart towards her when the latter mentioned “hands-on.” Momo shook it off. Then again, Sana did just say to read “between the lines” when it came to Mina.

*****

Momo’s first two weeks at Thirty-Seven MSI were dreary and nothing out of the ordinary: even though everyone was chipper, they all took their work seriously. Working alongside Mina had its perks work-wise: learning about the company and the gears that run it; how Mina literally meant she was hands-on with their dealings. It was the kind of ownership Momo expected to see in Mina, but was awestruck nonetheless when she saw it firsthand.

For the next two months, Momo spent hours typing out project proposals that Mina personally prepared, and she also got to sit in at board meetings, where she witnessed Mina defend her company expenses under the scrutiny of the more reserved members of the panel, propose partnerships and affiliations, and persuade the board with overseas expansion. Here, Momo saw the way Mina defended her ideas with such passion, although many times there were ego-bruising comments that made sense, which Mina didn’t take too well. Momo had to stop Mina from overdrinking one night after a rejected proposal that took weeks to plan.

On her fifth month, Mina asked Momo to accompany her on an out-of-town conference, along with a few other executives, including Sana. Momo reluctantly agreed because she wanted to get ahead on a few subjects at university, but Mina was persistent and persuasive.

“Come on, I know you’re not the one to gloat about it, but when your colleagues hear about this back at the university, they’ll be dying to take your place. This is an annual conference we’re going to, and it’s a congregation of the biggest and most successful business people on this side of the planet. I w