it's almost comical to jinah that she would be sitting in the middle of a jeon owned property the next morning after her father said that the negotiations had gone through. and that was it. she tried to suppress a bitter laugh at the realization that she would be a jeon property too, more or less. maybe her brother was right, she shouldn't have slaved away in university and graduate schoolㅡ those things could have been bought by money. but jinah was stubborn. maybe if she worked hard, she wouldn't be doing things she didn't want to. at least the interior of the jeon office didn't look as clinical as she expected them to be. the political parties had been a mess for as long as she could remember but after the economic decline a few decades ago, a unification had been called for.

at the seat of power is the jeon, with the ims a few seats behind. jinah was raised in a life of privilege, perhaps sheltered, but the 6 years of freedom she had (or was it a delusion?) was something she couldn't let go. in front of her was a file with everything about her. was her accomplishments in research listed there? or only the part about her brief affair with the barista at the university café that was sensationalized by her father's enemies through the media?

either way, she couldn't read jeon jihyun's face. the wine glasses between them did nothing to make her lose the tension on her shoulders and jinah had been itching to take a long swig of her own too. but perhaps it would send the wrong message. "i take it you're not into astrological signs? i wouldn't start there." she spares the folder another glance and she sighs. "jihyun-ssi, this... this feels like the inevitable at this point. if you wish to get to know me, perhaps interviewing me like a person lined up for promotion is something i won't recommend. if you have free time, or if the security permits, perhaps i could show you around my campus? it's where i work."