Chapter One: Your Coffee Shop Meetcute (But not really)

"I'll have one Americano, please. Your largest size." The man said, after a few seconds of scanning the coffee menu of Cafe Sonder. The man seems busy as he didn't even bother looking up to hand his credit card from his phone. He was wearing casual clothes but if you look closely at it, you'd see that it was all high-class brands. He had a Rolex watch on, the newest unit of iPhone. It wasn't hard to notice the Bugatti car keys he was holding too.

Yoona bit her lip, trying to fight the urge to say what she wants to say. She accepted the credit card. "You know, sir, you should try Cafe Sonder's vanilla latte. The right taste of creamy and coffee. You won't regret it."

"No, thank you. Just an Americano, please." The man aswered, still typing away on his phone and even glancing at his watch.

She should have stopped there but apparently, she can't help herself. "Judging by your busy schedule, I'm sure you don't have a lot of time to sit around and enjoy the nice things like a sweet dessert or a nice, relaxing nap. I assure you, sir, our signature vanilla latte will feel like coffee and a sweet dessert in one."

The man was surprised by an unasked personality assessment so he finally looked up, looked at Yoona's name tag on her apron and chuckled. "Okay. Okay, Miss Yoona. I'll have a large vanilla latte."

She gave him the brighest smile. "Excellent choice, sir. I'll bring it to your table ASAP."

The man left and settled on a table near the window. Yoona processed his order and relayed it to her friend and coffee shop owner, Amber Liu. 

Amber shook her head at her as she began making the vanilla latte. "Really, Yoong? You really have to fix their coffee order?"

Yoona huffed. "What? I didn't say a single lie! I'm just helping them make the right choice."

"The right choice for coffee?"

"For an optimized, much better day? Yes!" Yoona argued.

Amber just rolled her eyes at her friend. To be perfectly honest, Amber wouldn't be surpised if the man's day turned out to be more pleasant because of his coffee. Yoona has talent for such things. "Business is slow then? But don't you have that woman who hired you a few days ago?"

She nodded sadly. "Yes. Turns out she needs help making her landlord agree to an extension of due payments. I mean I managed to sweet talk the landlord but that isn't exactly what I imagined my clients would be when I opened my own firm. I thought I'd be in company buildings all day telling them what to say, what to do, what not to do. I didn't think I would be extending due payments of old women and meddling with customers' coffee orders."

"A firm that you run on the table at the back of this cafe?"

Yoona threw a dishrug at her. "Ya! Once I get my first retained client, I will rent the office upstairs and get out of your hair."

Amber laughed and gave her a side hug. "I'm kidding. I love having you here. You're an unpaid employee who is just a little bit meddlesome. Here's the vanilla latte."

Yoona accepted the tray from Amber and walked over to the customer.

It's been four months since the company she was previously working for closed down after their CEO had been arrested for insider trading among other things. Yoona was a junior PR consultant there and had a steady flow of clients. She earned bonuses month by month and was able to raise her and her brother's standard of living in just the five years she worked there.

When the company closed down, all the clients opted to sign with the senior consultants even though most of the time, junior consultants like her are the ones who do all the work. She didn't want to start over with a new company so she started her own firm. Besides, she has the skills to work on her own but not the connections needed. But she knew that in time, even just one client with the right connections, her business could sky rocket.

"Large vanilla latte, sir." Yoona said as she gently placed the drink on the table. "Is there anything else I can serve you?"

"No. Thank you."

Yoona nodded with a smile as she turned to leave.

"But I do want a meeting with you, if possible, Ms. Im Yoona."

It stopped her right on her tracks. "What?"

"My name is Lee Seungri. And I want to hire you as our crisis manager."

Maybe today is her lucky day.

A few minutes later, Yoona found herself sitting across the table from Lee Seungri. She already assessed him earlier and if this guy is hiring her, it could be big. He is obviously rich so whatever company he works for could be the client Yoona needed. 

She silently guessed what company that would be. Real estate? Hedge funds? Clothing company? Oooh, maybe a jewelry company? But he looks young and hip.. a tech company, perhaps? Her palms sweat at the thought, Could it be Samsung?

Seungri got his wallet out and pulled out a calling card that he slid on the table to her. 

Lee Seunghyun aka Seungri

YG Entertainment

Talent Management

YG Entertainment? An entertainment agency? For real? And this Seungri guy is a manager there?

"I'd invite you to join as an idol. You have features that would make you stand out on TV, Yoona-ssi." Is he... flirting with her?

Yoona blushed just a little bit and chuckled. "It's not like I haven't thought about it, Seungri-ssi." If she is the kind of woman who would fall for sweet words, she'd be all over him but Im Yoona is different. "Unfortunately for the TV industry, my skills are better suited behind the scenes."

Seungri chuckled. "You keep on surprising me. And I love the vanilla latte, by the way. Thanks for talking me into it. I was actually about to ask for you when I saw your name tag. Your business address is here?"

She blushed again but this time because of embarrassment. Yoona cleared . "Temporarily. So you need my services?"

"Oh yes, we do. We're looking to hire you exclusively for the next.. six to eight months. Would that be possible?"

Exclusively? That would mean that she can't