Taehyung woke up to a flood of work notifications on his phone. He scoffed, dragging his unsteady feet toward the washroom. The air in his penthouse was cool and smooth, flowing gently through the space. Taehyung held a high-ranking position at Euna Enterprise, specifically in the chemical engineering branch in Seoul, a company based in America. He needed to be at work by eight in the morning, even before the dogs on the street woke up.

He brushed his teeth quickly. After closing the glass doors of the washroom, he turned on the tap, letting the water fill the bathtub. Once it was ready, he immersed himself, the hot, steamy water helping him steady his breathing. His hair was soon drenched and covered in soap foam, while the glass doors fogged up with the steam.

After a few minutes, Taehyung stepped out, putting on his slippers and wrapping himself in a white robe. Water droplets fell from his hair as he walked toward his wardrobe, eyeing the neatly hung long coats of various shades—sandy tones, Scandinavian hues, dull oranges, and mostly beige. A grin spread across his face as his eyes settled on his favorite beige coat.

He picked out a white shirt and black trousers, laying them on the bed alongside the beige coat. Before dressing, he checked himself in the mirror, brushing his damp hair to the side, leaving small bangs to cover his forehead.

Once he was fully dressed, he retrieved a wristwatch from a wooden drawer with a golden lock, a small key dangling from it with a soft jingle. After putting on the watch, Taehyung gave himself one last look in the mirror, a smirk creeping onto his face.

"Wow, what a charming, handsome guy," he mused to himself.

He closed the door behind him and headed for the elevator. As it arrived with a soft "ding," he pressed his floor number, watching the red light blink on the steel button. Checking his watch, he sighed. "It's already seven... Ugh!"

When the elevator doors opened to the ground floor, Taehyung lazily walked to the parking lot, his leather bag in hand like a child clinging to a favorite toy. He pressed the button on his red-black key fob, and his Porsche responded with a chirp. After settling into the driver’s seat and placing his bag on the passenger seat, he turned the key and pulled out of the parking lot, his eyes scanning the road ahead.

As usual, his gaze drifted over the bustling city, observing people in their own worlds. When he reached a crosswalk, he braked, watching pedestrians move to the other side as the traffic light blinked green. Taehyung tapped the steering wheel impatiently, waiting for the light to change.

After a long drive through the busy streets, he finally arrived at his office, a modern, wavy glass structure. Taehyung stepped out of his Porsche, twirling the car keys around his finger absentmindedly until they slipped from his grasp, clattering onto the concrete floor. As he bent down to retrieve them, a dark blue Tesla pulled into the parking lot. It wasn’t a car he recognized, which made him raise his eyebrows in curiosity.

Shaking off the thought, Taehyung made his way to the building's revolving glass doors. To his surprise, he didn’t get stuck in them today—a small victory that made him smile. He rushed to catch the staff elevator just before the doors closed. Luckily, a man about his age held the door open for him. Taehyung smiled as he stepped inside, noticing that his floor had already been selected.

The elevator ride was uncomfortably silent, the air thick enough to dry Taehyung's throat. After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached his floor, and Taehyung turned to the man with a grateful smile.

"Thanks for holding the door."

The man flashed a wide smile in return. "My pleasure."

Taehyung watched as the man walked to the opposite end of the office, which was filled with cubicles separated by creamy pastel-colored dividers. Sighing, Taehyung dragged himself to his own cubicle, conveniently located near the CEO's office—a constant reminder that he was always under watch.

"Hey, Taehyung! How was last night?" his coworker, Min Yoongi, greeted him as he plopped into his chair.

Taehyung scoffed. "Ugh, I hate having to wake up early for work."

Yoongi smirked. "Well, Taehyung, you're always too lazy to get out of bed, right?"

"Yah! Min Yoongi, I'll report you to the CEO!" Taehyung threatened with a grin.

"Well, in that case, I have a secret to share," Yoongi said, piquing Taehyung's curiosity.

Taehyung groaned. "Today has been nothing but confusing," he muttered, recalling the unfamiliar blue Tesla.

Yoongi leaned in. "The surprise is... we have a new CEO."

"What?" Taehyung shot up from his chair, just in time to see a tall, slender woman in her twenties walking briskly toward the CEO's office, her expression stern and confident. His eyes widened in disbelief, a mix of emotions swirling in his mind.

"That’s our new CEO," Yoongi whispered. "Better bow, or you’ll get fired."

Taehyung quickly bowed, as did the rest of the employees, but she walked past without acknowledging them. Just as the door to her office slammed shut, an older man rushed in behind her, barely avoiding getting hit by the glass door. Clutching a stack of files, he hurried inside after her.

Taehyung stood there, still processing the morning's whirlwind of events.