I have never been more riveted at a picture of random graphs and plots before, but I feel the credit must go to the speaker. I am not exactly sure why but I was getting this perverse pleasure in pushing him out of his comfort zone to see how he would react. He had definitely dressed more formally for the presentation, except it was slightly worse than what he wore regular days. The jacket he had thrown on was wrinkled and maybe a little stained at the bottom right, like it hadn't met the insides of a dry cleaner in a decade. Then there were the pants that were clearly two sizes too big for him, making his belt work overtime to keep them hanging low over his slender hips. But keeping the shoddy clothes aside, he didn't seem to really have a problem getting up there and talking the crowd.

Sure, there were some basic tell-tale signs of a person not thrilled with so many eyeballs on them. He avoided making any eyes contact, he spoke a little faster than normal, he bounced on the balls of his toes every now and then, but overall, he did a much better job than I had expected. He had soothing voice, a little softer than I preferred but he spoke without stuttering, without hesitation. He clearly knew his stuff and he could put it across to his audience without overwhelming them with unnecessary information. All the man needed was a little grooming and he could easily skyrocket up the corporate ladder. That and some self-confidence. But I have a feeling the second one might be a much harder challenge.

Not two minutes after he had wrapped up did, he once again rush to leave the room and hide behind his chair. He was definitely an interesting character. This would have been precisely the time he should have stuck around to suck up to me, get some commendations on a job well done, but he was apparently adamant to never get noticed by his boss.

Too bad for him, notice him I had and the more I saw, the more intrigued I got. If he truly was the hidden gem drowning in the sea of dullness that I think he is, I will enjoy polishing him and presenting him to the world. But obviously grabbing him by the collar and shoving him in limelight isn't going to work, especially since looking at his pale face it is quite apparent that he isn't a fan of any form of light. Hence, we begin all the way at step one. That is getting to know the man first.

"Everyone, I just wanted to say something quick. I really appreciate all your hard work and extra hours you had to put to meet the new launch deadline. So, lunch is on me today as a way to say thanks. Let's head out around d noon, okay?"

The short announcement was met with a round of cheers and applause, and I smiled at my employees before pointedly turning towards him, where we briefly made eye contact before he quickly averted his eyes and walked away to his desk. As loud as company lunches get, I am sure if I maneuver myself correctly, I can find a way to sit close to him and probe away at a few questions. Except when we showed up at the restaurant I recognized everyone there with a very distinct exception.

"Hey Yunho, is everyone here already?"

"Yup."

"Ummm... someone seems missing."

"No, I think everyone is here."

"I don't see Yeosang anywhere. I wanted to talk to him about his presentation today."

"Oh right. Yeosang doesn't come out to eat. He brings his own lunch."

"He never comes out?"

"Hmmm, don't know for sure, but he hasn't ever joined for lunch whenever I have been there."

"Why not?"

"I think he is allergic to certain foods. So, he prefers to eat his own lunch and not risk restaurants. I don't really know though. He is the super quiet type, so I haven't ever spoken to him too much."

"Oh. Has he been with the company for long?"

"Let's see, it has been over 4 years since I joined. And I think he was already here for a couple of years by then. So maybe 5 to 6 years."

"Woah! How old is the man? He doesn't look a day over 22 or 23. No way he has been here that long."

"I think he joined directly after high school, that's why he is so young. I have always heard really good things about him. Very hard working. He kept getting promoted until he finally made his way to this group, even though he tends to generally stay under the radar."

So, he hasn't gone to college. Is that why he seems so shy around everyone else? Maybe he doesn't feel like an equal cause everyone else in the team has fancy degrees from prestigious universities. But he is clearly very good at his job, that should alleviate at least some of his insecurities.

For the time being I pushed him at the back of my mind and focused of my team around me although I made a quick mental note to pry a little deeper regarding his lack of degree. If that was something that was bringing his confidence down it would be an easier fix than I thought.

All of us eventually made our way back to the office after a boisterous lunch which stretched much longer than it rationally should, especially in the middle of the work week. But the surprising part of it wasn't how thoroughly unproductive my team had been for the past 3 hours; it was how Yeosang hadn't even turned around to greet any of us enter back into the office. And in return no one greeted him. He had continued being hunched behind his chair never once raising his head from his desk while he worked away. This was a little beyond being shy. It was borderline anti-social. There was no way I was letting a man capable of transforming into a Rockstar of the company with the right guidance and mentorship shrivel away sitting alone on his desk. But I have yet to formulate a game plan to address it.

Hence, I was thanking my stroke of luck when that evening as soon as I left work, I spotted him and his shabby bag pack standing silently at the bus stop a few blocks down the road. And I immediately pounced at this perfect opportunity. Nothing like having a conversation outside of the formalities of work. And since lunches and dinners seem to be a no go for him, perhaps a drive home would prove to be more effective. I pulled up right in front of him and lightly pressed the horn a couple times to gain his attention, waving at him with a friendly smile when he finally raised his head to meet my gaze.

"Hey there, Yeosang!"

"Hi."

"We missed you at lunch today."

"I...uh...brought my food."

"Hmmm, too bad, but no worries next time I will give you advance notice so that you can forget your lunch at home that day. What better occasion to try out the most expensive item on the menu right?"

"Uh...yeah"

"You are waiting for the bus?"

"Yeah."

"Heading home?"

"Yeah."

"Hop in, I can give you a ride."

Did he actually take a step backward?

"Thank you for the offer, but it's fine. My bus should be here any minute."

"I'm sure it will be, but this is my awesome car, and I can attest that it is infinitely more comfortable than that bus."

"I live quite far."

"All the more reason for me to drive you home. Don't want you all exhausted before you even get to work tomorrow. C'mon it's the least I can do when I couldn't even buy you lunch. Especially since you saved all our backsides during the product launch."

"You don't need to do anything extra. I was just doing my job."

He had stubbornly held his ground, not moving an inch from his position. Actually, not true, he seemed to be almost moving in the opposite direction of the car. I was about to open my mouth again to persuade him to let me give him a ride when a fancy car zoomed in ahead of me and hit the brakes rather abruptly. And while I was still recovering from the shock from the rash driver, a very swankily dressed woman, in a short black skirt, very high heels, and over an inch of makeup caked on, got out of above-mentioned car to go hug an equally surprised Yeosang.

"Oh, thank god I caught you here. Are you allergic to phone calls or something? Why do you never pick up when I call? I was worried I was going to miss you. Come on. We are going to be late."

And she simply grabbed his arm and dragged him to her car while he glanced behind at me to apologize with a small shrug.

That... was interesting.

There was no way I would have ever guessed this Yeosang to have ever even breathed the same air as that smoking hot siren. But apparently, they were more than acquaintances, since in all these weeks she is the first human I have seen actually touch him. And he didn't particularly seem to mind either. Level of intrigue dial has officially been turned to max.

Somehow, I don't think my passive attempts at breaking his hardened shell are going to be very effective. I believe it's time for a more direct attack.