Chapter 19: Chapter 19

With everything on the upswing in both her personal and professional life, Lisa decided that the best way to handle the stress was to bring back her old sense of humor—the one she had relied on when things were tough. After all, if she was going to navigate expansion milestones and keep her relationship with Jennie on track, a little humor wouldn’t hurt.

It started the next day in the office, during a team meeting. Her staff was deep into project updates, looking serious and exhausted, and Lisa could feel the tension rising in the room. She knew she had to lighten the mood before they all crumbled under the pressure.

As one of her team members was outlining a complex logistical issue with a key partner, Lisa suddenly leaned forward, tapping the table with a mischievous grin.

“So, you're telling me that the entire launch could be delayed because one guy forgot to fill out a shipping form?”

she asked, her tone dead serious, before quickly adding, “I swear, if this was a rom-com, this is where I'd dramatically fly to his country and convince him to do his job—by confessing my love for logistics.”

The room went silent for a second, before her team burst into laughter. Even the project manager who’d been on edge all week cracked a smile.

Lisa leaned back in her chair, throwing her hands up.

“I’m just saying, if someone needs to seduce a spreadsheet, I’m your girl.”

The laughter spread through the room, and Lisa could feel the tension dissipating. The team’s shoulders relaxed, and even the most stressed-out staff member began to contribute more freely. It was the power of humor—something Lisa had always known how to wield when things got tough.

---

Later that afternoon, Lisa ran into Jennie in the hallway. Jennie was deep in conversation with a few department heads, her signature intense expression in full force. Lisa smirked, deciding that now was the perfect time to have some fun.

As she approached, she called out in a loud, mock-serious tone, “Ms. Kim! I’ve just been informed that we have a serious crisis on our hands.”

Jennie stopped mid-sentence, raising an eyebrow.

“What is it, Ms. Manoban?” she replied coolly, though Lisa could see the faintest hint of amusement flicker in her eyes.

Lisa crossed her arms, feigning deep concern.

“We’re out of coffee in the break room. This is a disaster of epic proportions. I propose we cancel all meetings for the rest of the day and focus on solving this emergency. It’s going to take a team effort.”

The department heads standing around Jennie looked startled for a moment, unsure how to react, but Jennie smirked, playing along. “A serious crisis, indeed,” she said, her tone deadpan. “Should I call an emergency board meeting?”

Lisa nodded solemnly. “Absolutely. It’s a matter of life and productivity.”

Jennie shook her head, clearly amused. “Noted. I’ll see to it personally.”

Lisa gave a dramatic salute and walked off, satisfied with the chuckles she heard behind her as she went. As stressful as their work could get, these little moments of levity were what kept her going—and she liked seeing Jennie smile, even in the midst of chaos.

---

That evening, Jennie invited Lisa over to her apartment for dinner—this time, with the promise that she wouldn’t make Lisa do any of the cooking. When Lisa arrived, Jennie was already preparing a meal, her hair tied back in a loose bun, her kitchen filled with the smell of something delicious. Lisa could hardly believe how domestic Jennie could be when she wasn’t in full CEO mode.

“Smells amazing,” Lisa said, leaning against the counter. “I mean, I’m not saying I came here just for the food, but if you ever wanted to start bribing me with pasta, I wouldn’t complain.”

Jennie shot her a look, amused. “I thought you were here for my company.”

Lisa grinned. “Oh, I am. But your cooking is a solid bonus.”

Jennie rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

As they sat down to eat, Lisa couldn’t resist turning the conversation playful. “You know, you should really start a second career as a chef. You could call the restaurant ‘Strictly Business,’ but every meal is full of surprising twists—like spreadsheets with a side of marinara.”

Jennie smirked. “I’m not sure people want a restaurant where I force them to follow exacting guidelines while eating their pasta.”

Lisa chuckled. “Nah, they’ll love it. You can judge people on how they twirl their spaghetti—whether they meet the Kim Industries standard.”

Jennie laughed, her usual composed demeanor slipping away as she leaned back in her chair. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

Lisa grinned, leaning forward. “It’s one of my best qualities.”

---

After dinner, they moved to the couch, relaxing in comfortable silence. As they sat there, Lisa couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment that was rare for her. Sure, work was chaotic and the demands of the expansion were weighing heavily on both of them, but in these moments, when it was just her and Jennie, everything felt easier.

Jennie glanced over at her, her expression softening. “You know, you’ve really kept me sane these last few weeks.”

Lisa smirked, nudging her playfully. “Well, someone has to make sure you don’t turn into a full-time robot.”

Jennie rolled her eyes but smiled. “I mean it, though. You’ve been... grounding.”

Lisa’s heart skipped a beat at Jennie’s words. It wasn’t often that Jennie opened up like this, and hearing her admit that Lisa had made a difference meant more than she could say.

“I’m just trying to lighten the mood,” Lisa said softly. “I know how serious everything gets, but we can’t be all work and no fun, right?”

Jennie nodded, her gaze lingering on Lisa’s for a moment. “Right.”

There was a long pause, the kind that felt heavy with unspoken words, but instead of filling the silence with more jokes, Lisa leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Jennie’s lips.

When they pulled away, Jennie’s eyes were soft, her usual intense expression replaced with something much more vulnerable. “You’re good for me, Lisa.”

Lisa smiled, feeling her heart swell with affection. “I try.”

---

The next morning, Lisa was back in the office, ready to face another full day of meetings and negotiations. As she walked into the boardroom, she was greeted by Jennie, who looked as composed and professional as ever—but there was a slight gleam in her eyes that told Lisa she was still thinking about last night.

“Ms. Manoban,” Jennie greeted her, her tone formal but with the hint of a smirk.

“Ms. Kim,” Lisa replied, matching her tone. “Are we ready to revolutionize the logistics industry today?”

Jennie chuckled under her breath. “Always.”

As the team filed into the boardroom, Lisa knew the day ahead would be intense, but she was ready. She had learned that balancing the seriousness of work with the lightness of humor was the key to keeping everything from feeling overwhelming. And with Jennie by her side—both at work and outside of it—she felt like she could handle anything.

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