The Stranger Who Became My Boss

Chapter 6 : Coincidence

Three months had passed since Mister X arrived at the company.

Lastri had been right.

He was a perfectionist.

Every day he pushed us beyond what we thought we were capable of. The workload increased, the standards became stricter, and mistakes were no longer tolerated. Exhausting as it was, the results spoke for themselves. In just three months, the company's revenue had climbed by ten percent.

The Marketing Department even held a celebration after exceeding their quarterly target. Mr. Rian invited me, but I politely declined. I wasn't part of Marketing, so attending their party felt inappropriate.

Rumor had it Mister X had also been invited.

He never showed up.

Only the company's corporate credit card made an appearance.

As for me...

My routine never changed.

Every morning I prepared his coffee before bringing it to his office. At first, I hated doing it because I thought people looked down on me for acting like a secretary. Strangely, I had grown to enjoy it.

Not because of the coffee.

Because every morning he would slide his untouched breakfast toward me.

Sometimes it was meat-filled risoles.

Sometimes toast from an expensive café.

My favorite, though, was the assorted chocolate croissant that somehow always had one piece left on the plate.

Just like today.

"Here, Nam," he said, pushing the plate toward me. "I'm full."

"Thank you, Sir."

I smiled as I picked it up.

One croissant from that bakery probably cost as much as three of my meals combined.

It really didn't take much to make this useless HR administrator happy.

Tomorrow, however, I planned to take leave.

My younger brother, Doni, was graduating from college and had begged me to attend.

Honestly, graduation ceremonies weren't my thing.

I hated dressing up.

I hated formal clothes.

I especially hated paying extra because the invitation only covered our parents. Any additional guest had to buy another seat.

Still...

Doni kept insisting.

According to him, he had graduated because of me.

After all, I had paid for his education.

That was why I saved every penny.

He was twenty-five years old...

Yet somehow still acted like a spoiled little brother.

"Mr. Gio."

I remained standing, holding his empty breakfast plate.

"I submitted my leave request three days ago, but Lastri said it hasn't been approved yet. I was planning to take tomorrow off. May I still use my leave?"

"No."

The answer came instantly.

I lowered my head.

I rarely used my annual leave anyway. Was it really worth arguing over a graduation ceremony? Besides, Doni was being dramatic. It wasn't as though he was a child who needed his sister to escort him to school.

"Understood, Sir."

I turned toward the door.

"Nam."

I stopped with one hand on the doorknob.

"Your brother's graduation starts at seven in the evening, right?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Come with me to a meeting first."

I looked back.

"The meeting venue is about an hour from the graduation hall. I'll make sure we leave two hours before the ceremony."

I frowned.

"But isn't Ms. Ida usually the one who accompanies you?"

"She's busy interviewing candidates for Marketing tomorrow. Lastri will assist her."

He folded his hands on the desk.

"I don't have an assistant available."

"Besides, tomorrow's meeting concerns an agreement. That's HR's responsibility. I'm only helping your department."

That was true.

The agreement technically belonged to HR.

"Alright, Sir."

"What time should we leave?"

"I'll pick you up at your boarding house around two in the afternoon."

He spoke as though every minute had already been calculated.

"We'll arrive around three."

"The meeting shouldn't take longer than two hours."

"We'll leave at five and reach the graduation venue before six."

Everything...

Had already been planned.

Perfectionist.

"Then I don't need to come to the office tomorrow morning?"

"No."

"Prepare the meeting materials today and take them home."

He glanced at the formal blazer hanging behind my chair.

"And don't forget you'll be attending two different events. Dress accordingly."

"Understood. Thank you, Sir."

I left his office carrying both the empty plate...

And my chocolate croissant.

Lastri immediately spotted it.

"Share."

"No way."

I laughed and hurried away before she could steal it.

"Come back here!"

"Buy your own!"

She chased me halfway across the office while I escaped with my precious croissant.

***

The next afternoon, I waited outside my boarding house.

From a distance, Mr. Gio's car pulled over in front of me.

Without thinking, I opened the front passenger door and got in.

Only after fastening my seat belt did I realize...

He was driving.

"Sir?"

"I thought Mr. Iman was driving today."

He glanced at me before starting the engine.

"So you confidently sat in the front because you thought I was my own driver?"

His tone was unexpectedly teasing.

"N-No."

"I just always sit in front."

As he reversed the car, he turned to check behind him. One hand rested across the back of my seat, his body leaning close enough for his cologne to surround me.

Oh no.

That scent again.

I quickly looked away and pulled out my phone before my imagination wandered somewhere it shouldn't.

Perfect timing.

Doni was calling.

I answered immediately.

"Hey, Don."

"You'd better come," he warned. "If you don't, I'll never forgive you."

"I'll be there. I promised, didn't I? I'll arrive at least an hour before the ceremony."

"And dress nicely."

He lowered his voice dramatically.

"I'm introducing you to my friends."

I rolled my eyes.

"How old are your friends?"

"Twenty-five."

"And how old am I?"

"So what?"

"I don't date younger men."

"These aren't ordinary younger guys," he protested. "Some are entrepreneurs. One's about to become a director at a public company."

I laughed.

"I've been dressed up since this afternoon—for you, not your friends. Even if one of them were richer than a prince, I still wouldn't date someone younger than me. Stop worrying about my love life and find yourself a girlfriend first."

Mr. Gio kept his eyes on the road, though I noticed the corner of his mouth twitch slightly.

"Just don't be late," Doni continued.

"I won't."

I hung up before he could say anything else.

"Sorry, Sir."

"My brother can be... a little strange."

I tapped my forehead, making a small circle with my finger.

Mr. Gio chuckled softly.

"How old is he?"

"Twenty-five."

"So..."

He glanced at me.

"You're thirty?"

I sighed inwardly.

Why did men always ask a woman's age so casually?

"Yes, Sir."

He was quiet for a moment.

"Your brother's right."

"It might be time for you to get married."

I smiled.

"That depends on where you live. In my mother's hometown, a woman is considered an old maid at twenty. In Korea or Japan, getting married at forty isn't unusual."

"Then why haven't you married?"

The question caught me off guard.

"We're not close enough for this..."

I muttered under my breath before answering.

"I simply haven't met the right person."

"And when you do?"

"I'll get married."

"Just like that?"

"Why make it complicated?" I laughed. "If we're compatible, we marry. If not, we move on."

He looked at me for several seconds before asking quietly,

"What about me?"

I blinked.

"What?"

"I mean..."

He corrected himself.

"Am I married?"

I smiled.

"I was actually going to ask that."

He looked back at the road.

"I'm waiting."

Waiting...

For someone?

For the right time?

For the right woman?

For some reason, that answer disappointed me.

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

Exactly one hour later—as he had predicted—we arrived at the hotel.

The meeting was held in one of its private lounges. While Mr. Gio negotiated with the client, I focused on taking minutes.

It was a major advertising agreement, the kind handled directly by senior management rather than the Marketing Department. Once both companies finalized the terms, they would sign a memorandum of understanding before launching a long-term campaign.

The discussion went surprisingly smoothly.

Every difficult question from the client received a calm, convincing answer.

Watching Mr. Gio work...

I understood why the company trusted him.

By the time the meeting ended, it was already half past five.

I hurried into the ladies' room to change from my business suit into the formal dress I'd brought for Doni's graduation.

"Nam."

When I stepped outside, Mr. Gio was waiting near the entrance.

"I thought you'd already left."

"I'll take you."

"No need, Sir."

"I've already booked a taxi."

"It'll take at least ten minutes just to reach the hotel entrance."

He checked his watch.

"You'll be late."

Without waiting for my answer, he headed toward the parking lot.

I sighed before following him.

He wasn't the type to lose an argument.

Soon we were back on the road.

He drove noticeably faster than usual.

Perhaps he felt responsible for keeping me longer than planned.

The moment we arrived, I jumped out of the car and ran toward the graduation hall.

"Doni!"

"Sorry! The meeting ran late!"

I greeted my parents before turning to my brother.

Only then did I hear him ask,

"Who's that?"

I looked behind me.

Mr. Gio was jogging toward us, slightly out of breath.

For a second...

I had no idea how to explain this.

"This is..."

I pointed awkwardly at him.

Before I could finish, Doni grinned.

"So that's why you don't like younger guys."

"Don't start."

I shot him a warning look.

Mr. Gio stepped forward and shook hands with my parents.

"I'm Gio."

"I work with Namira."

"We came straight from a meeting. Sorry we're late."

"Come on, Brother Gio!"

Doni immediately grabbed his arm.

"The ceremony's about to begin."

"Doni."

I pulled him back.

"There's only one etra seat."

He laughed.

"I paid for a couple's seat."

"I thought she'd bring her boyfriend."

I stared at him.

"I was the one who paid for that ticket."

"Oh..."

He scratched his head sheepishly.

"Right."

I turned to Mr. Gio.

"You really don't have to come in if you'd rather leave."

"It's alright."

He smiled faintly.

"I don't have anywhere else to be."

"And we can go home together afterward."

I smiled back.

"Thank you, Sir."

We walked inside together.

Somehow...

After waiting ten years to meet him again...

I had never imagined we'd end up sitting side by side like this.

The auditorium was packed and unbearably noisy.

"Nam," Mr. Gio called, raising his voice over the crowd. "Do you have earphones?"

"I do."

I took them from my bag and handed them to him.

He put them on without plugging them into anything.

I couldn't help laughing.

He was simply trying to block out the noise.

"If it's too loud," I said, "we can wait outside. We only came so Doni knows I showed up."

He looked toward the stage before nodding.

"Let's go."

We settled into a café inside the building instead. Since I'd been making his coffee every morning for the past three months, I didn't even need to ask what he liked. I ordered his usual coffee and favorite pastry before he reached the counter.

"You already ordered?"

"Of course."

"You know my order by heart?"

"Three months is a long time, Sir."

He smiled faintly.

"Don't call me 'Boss' anymore."

I blinked.

"I only said that once."

"I don't like it."

He stirred his coffee absentmindedly.

"'Sir' keeps things respectful. 'Boss' creates distance. I don't like unnecessary distance."

I stared at him for a moment.

Tonight...

He felt different from the man I knew at the office.

"Your brother is a lot like you."

"Oh?"

"Both of you are impulsive."

I pouted.

"What a compliment."

"I'm serious."

"You should tell him clearly if you don't want him introducing you to younger men."

"He does it all the time."

"And you reject every one of them?"

"Almost."

"So you've dated before?"

I laughed.

"No."

"I've never dated a younger man. Usually we meet once or twice, then that's it."

"What about Rian?"

So he'd heard the office gossip.

"Mr. Rian is a good man."

I looked down at my cup.

"I'm the one who stepped back."

"Why?"

"His family is wealthy."

"My family isn't."

"I don't want the people I love to be looked down on because of me."

He watched me quietly.

"So... you liked him?"

I slowly shook my head.

"I liked someone."

"Once."

"A long time ago."

"But that story ended years ago."

Since then...

I hadn't loved anyone else.

Perhaps every feeling I was capable of loving had already been given to the man sitting across from me.

"Who was he?"

I looked straight into his eyes.

You.

The answer formed silently on my lips.

But what came out was only, "Someone."

Before he could ask another question, my phone rang.

Doni.

The ceremony had ended.

We met my family near the exit before following Doni to a restaurant where his classmates had reserved a buffet dinner for everyone's families.

Mr. Gio stayed beside me the entire time.

Since I'd invited him, I naturally kept him company, bringing him food and making sure he wasn't left alone.

"You're Doni's sister, right?"

A young man approached while Mr. Gio was away.

"Yes."

"I'm Arifin. We studied together."

I smiled politely and shook his hand.

Before we could continue talking, another hand reached between us.

"Hello."

Mr. Gio.

"I'm Gio."

"Doni calls me Brother Gio."

"You can do the same."

Arifin immediately straightened his posture.

Mr. Gio reached into his wallet and handed him a business card.

"If you or your friends are looking for work after graduation, give me a call."

"I'm the General Manager of a publishing company."

"I also own several cafés."

Arifin accepted the card with both hands.

His confidence disappeared instantly.

Mr. Gio glanced at the siomai on my plate.

"Nam."

"Is it good?"

I nodded.

Without another word, he leaned slightly closer and opened his mouth.

I laughed before feeding him a piece with my fork.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arifin freeze.

A second later...

He excused himself.

The moment he disappeared into the crowd, Mr. Gio and I burst into laughter.

"Thank you."

"You saved me."

He took a sip of his drink.

"I thought you were mature."

"But you're just as reckless as those college students."

I frowned.

"There you go again."

Before I could argue further, Doni walked over.

"Time to go."

"Mom's exhausted."

I reached for my phone.

"I'll order a taxi."

"I'll drive you."

Mr. Gio answered before I could finish.

"It's a long detour, Sir."

"I don't mind."

He looked toward my parents.

"They're tired."

There was no polite way to refuse.

On the drive to my parents' house, everyone remained quiet.

Suddenly—

A truck swerved into our lane.

Mr. Gio jerked the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes.

His left arm shot across my shoulders, shielding me from the impact even though I was wearing my seat belt.

His forehead struck the steering wheel.

"Sir!"

He blinked, dazed.

Only then did he check me first.

"Nam..."

"Are you alright?"

Instead of answering, I grabbed his face.

"You're the one who's hurt."

Outside, Doni climbed out to speak with the truck driver.

I searched the first-aid kit but found nothing useful.

"Move."

I unfastened Mr. Gio's seat belt.

"I'm driving."

He protested weakly, but I ignored him and helped him into the passenger seat.

A few minutes later Doni returned.

"The driver apologized."

"He said he fell asleep."

"He asked if we wanted compensation."

"No."

Mr. Gio answered first.

"Let it go."

I reached for the door handle.

"I'm going to give him a piece of my mind."

Mr. Gio caught my wrist.

"They've already admitted their mistake."

"If you go out there now, this could turn into something worse."

"What if they hurt someone else next time?"

He looked at me calmly.

"Everyone makes mistakes."

"Forgive them."

I still tried to get out.

"Namira."

His voice became firm.

"Stay in the car."

Embarrassed, I slowly sat back down.

"Sorry..."

I muttered.

"...Boss."

He sighed.

I knew he hated that word.

When we finally reached my parents' house, I walked them to the front door.

Before I returned to the car, my father stopped me.

"Find a man who can protect you."

"Gio is a good man."

"He stopped you because he was protecting you."

I smiled bitterly.

"Even if he is..."

"He's not my boyfriend."

When I returned to the car, Mr. Gio had fallen asleep.

His forehead was beginning to bruise.

Carefully, I reached over and touched it.

His eyes opened.

For several seconds...

Neither of us spoke.

Then his hand gently cupped my cheek.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"I couldn't protect you if you ran into danger."

"So next time..."

"Stay close to me."

"Don't be reckless."

I nodded.

Only after he closed his eyes again did I start the engine.

The road back felt strangely short.

Every now and then, I glanced at the man I'd waited ten years to see again.

Maybe...

No one would ever be able to replace him.

Then, in his sleep, he murmured one name.

"Rose..."

My hands tightened around the steering wheel.

Rose.

So...

The woman wearing the ring that matched his really did exist.

Perhaps...

Everything I'd been hoping for was nothing more than wishful thinking.