TSG 31

Since Shin Tae-oh had hurriedly left, Se-hyun couldn’t correct anything.

“If you don’t come, I’ll go first.”

The boss was holding the elevator, waiting for him, and he was right: there was no time to think.

“I’m sorry.”

Se-hyun immediately got on the elevator and entered on the side that wouldn’t disturb Shin Tae-oh. Pressing the close button, he turned his head, feeling something odd.

“Why…”

Are you standing next to me?

Whenever they got on the elevator, Se-hyun would position himself diagonally in front or behind Shin Tae-oh. It was to make it easier for Shin Tae-oh to move around, while Se-hyun pressed buttons or held the door. But standing next to him felt awkward.

He stared at Shin Tae-oh, wondering what he was thinking.

‘It’s the same face I see every day.’

It wasn’t like the person had changed, and it was natural to see the same face, so why was he pondering so seriously? But there was a reason.

‘The atmosphere is different.’

His eyes did not waver, with a clear goal in mind and there was no mischievous smile.

Why did he look at him like this? And how did he want him to react?

As Se-hyun was thinking about how to avoid the situation naturally, a mechanical sound rang.

“We’ve arrived on the first floor.”

A suitable excuse arose. Se-hyun went out first and waited while pressing the open button, and Shin Tae-oh got off very leisurely with his long legs.

“What shall we do?”

Se-hyun decided not to interpret his words, which continued to be filled with questions.

“Let’s go first.”

The moment Shin Tae-oh showed his back, Se-hyun let out a long breath.

‘What’s gotten into him?’

It was strange at first, but now it was a whole new level.

“Why are butter flowing from my eyes?”

It felt strange, really strange.

Se-hyun shuddered once and then climbed into the passenger seat. It seemed like today was going to be tough.

⍣⍣⍣

Se-hyun sat down and cleaned the desk. After wandering around for a few days, dust had already accumulated. He opened the window and took out a duster from the drawer, dusting every nook and cranny, when someone stood in front of him.

It was Lee Jin-ho, the chief secretary.

“How does it feel to be sitting down after a long time?”

“It feels refreshing.”

When someone heard it, it seemed like it had been a few months, but it was only three days. As a personal secretary, he tended to move around a lot more than sit at his desk.

“Take it easy. And here…”

Lee Jin-ho held out a paper bag. Se-hyun reached out to take it and then looked up at Lee Jin-ho.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a restaurant voucher. It was given by a junior from school. Se-hyun-ssi, go and enjoy it.”

“Can I accept this?”

It felt strange to hesitate after receiving it.

“I’ve been there a few times already, so go ahead and enjoy.”

As if pretending not to hear, others who were eavesdropping on their conversation expressed their resentful murmurs.

“It’s for the person who has suffered the most.”

At the mention of whether anyone would still dare to ask for more, the room fell silent as if a mouse had died.

Did I just get recognized?

“Look at this. Do you think I would give it if it wasn’t appropriate? So, go and enjoy.”

Chief Secretary Lee Jin-ho turned around as if he had finished what he wanted to say, then glanced back at Se-hyun as if he had something else to say.

“With your lover.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a place with a nice atmosphere, and it’s better to go with someone than to go alone.”

This time, Chief Secretary Lee Jin-ho seemed satisfied that he had said everything he needed to, and he walked away with a content expression.

Feeling somewhat obliged to accept the gift, Se-hyun turned towards his desk. Placing the voucher on the now-clean desk, he also put down the tumbler he received in the morning.

After looking at the two gifts he received, Se-hyun placed his hand on the meal ticket. Upon seeing the name of the restaurant embossed on the envelope, he realized it was a place where one meal would come at a hefty price. As for the tumbler, it contained porridge, making it difficult to discern who had given it just by looking at the surface.

“I’m confused.”

If he hadn’t been by Sin Tae-oh’s side all this time, and if he hadn’t witnessed Sin Tae-oh repeatedly rejected gifts sent to Yoo Jin-ha, he wouldn’t have hesitated.

He picked up the tumbler.

“This isn’t expensive.”

So, there’s no need to increase Sin Tae-oh’s refusal count. Sipping on the grain powder, his gaze lingered on the voucher.

⍣⍣⍣

Shin Tae-oh crossed his arms and expressed his displeasure.

“Why is there no reaction?”

“Not even ten minutes have passed yet.”

As Lee Jin-ho looked at his watch and spoke, Shin Tae-oh took out his cell phone. He tapped the screen twice with a heavy sigh.

“Look at this. There is no contact.”

“It’s been eleven minutes.”

“Exactly, it’s already been eleven minutes.”

Shin Tae-oh looked up at Lee Jin-ho as if asking what had happened. Unable to withstand his gaze, Jin-ho blurted out.

“Then why don’t you go and ask directly? Like, ask who you’re going to the restaurant with.”

Jin-ho’s voice was filled with frustration. It was inevitable. He had done as his superior instructed, but now he was being criticized for not getting the desired response.

“No, wouldn’t it be better if the CEO himself had given it directly from the start? You asked me to do it for no reason, and now you were waiting for Se-hyun to ask you out on a date…”

“A date?”

Shin Tae-oh muttered the word incredulously.

“You see this as a date?”

“Isn’t that so?”

Lee Jin-ho muttered bitterly.

“You asked for a date through me.”

Shin Tae-oh subtly smiled as if he was relieved. The feeling of unease at the mention of a date had suddenly flipped.

Shin Tae-oh, who had regained his composure, looked at Lee Jin-ho and lifted his index finger.

“Would you go and find out then?”

“No, thank you.”

“That’s why you can’t be a good secretary.”

“What do you mean?”

Shin Tae-oh clicked his tongue.

“Secretary Ahn took care of it without saying a word…”

“Then I guess you can just ask Secretary Ahn to do it. Go and give Ahn Se-hyun this meal ticket. Pretend you gave it. Make sure to mention going with a lover.”

Lee Jin-ho returned exactly what he had been instructed to do by Shin Tae-oh.

“How can he ask himself to do that?”

“So if you ordered it, please don’t say anything. Otherwise, I’ll put someone else in charge instead of me.”

“Despicable.”

Lee Jin-ho clicked his tongue.

“I don’t know who is more despicable. Maybe Se-hyun knows. Or maybe not. He wouldn’t know that the porridge he had in the morning was made by me.”

“I’ll take it to my grave.”

Shin Tae-oh would never let Se-hyun find out.

“Ah, of course. That’s how it should be. You can never tell him that you called me early in the morning because you said your burnt porridge was not edible. Even if it’s because the three hours I spent working for a very insignificant gift that he couldn’t refuse was a waste.”

Lee Jin-ho shot an arrow of sarcasm toward Shin Tae-oh with a smile. It was a complaint about the trouble caused since the early morning.

Shin Tae-oh sublimated such complaints into laughter.

“I’ll reimburse you generously.”

“I will work hard.”

Lee Jin-ho immediately changed his attitude. This was what it was like working for this company.

“How long has it been?”

Thinking they had conversed for quite a while, Tae-oh prompted again, and Jin-ho graciously answered.

“It’s been fifteen minutes.”

“When is he going to come?”

Knock, knock.

At the sound of a knock, Shin Tae-oh and Lee Jin-ho made eye contact and moved hurriedly for a moment. It was as if they had completely forgotten the conversation they just had.

“CEO.”

Confirming that it was Se-hyun who entered, Tae-oh leaned back in his chair with a calm expression. At first glance, everything seemed normal, but Jin-ho noticed it clearly. Shin Tae-oh’s eyebrows were twitching.

“What is it?”

“I received a call from Seongha, the company we had a meeting scheduled with this week.”

Shin Tae-oh and Lee Jin-ho’s reactions to Se-hyun’s words were different. It wasn’t the answer they wanted, but Shin Tae-oh was disappointed and Lee Jin-ho was amused.

“What’s the matter?”

“They’re asking to postpone the meeting.”

“Alright. If they want to postpone it, then let them.”

Shin Tae-oh replied with a sigh and turned his chair around to face the window. His expression, as he looked out the window, revealed everything to Jin-ho. He was probably trying to hide his expression from Se-hyun, but Jin-ho enjoyed the spectacle.

Se-hyun looked puzzled as she observed them before speaking again.

“Shall we reschedule for the nearest possible date?”

“You look like you can’t even eat right now, what’s the point of rescheduling with Seongha…”

“Pardon?”

Seeing Tae-oh waving his hand as if it were useless, Jin-ho intervened.

“Seongha is currently in high demand among all construction companies. I wonder why they postponed the meeting?”

Lee Jin-ho spoke on behalf of Shin Tae-oh with regret, and Se-hyun shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear the reason.”

“If Secretary Ahn didn’t ask, it’s unlikely she didn’t answer…”

Shin Tae-oh stood up from his seat as Lee Jin-ho muttered.

“You can just ask directly.”

“No way… Are you saying you’re going?”

Lee Jin-ho asked Shin Tae-oh if he was serious about going there himself.

“She won’t keep her mouth shut even when she sees my face. Where is it located?”

As Tae-oh took the lead, Se-hyun followed behind. Then, Jin-ho’s eyes widened as he was about to answer Tae-oh’s question about where Seongha was located not far from that restaurant.

Shin Tae-oh said with a calm face.

“I’ll be back by lunch, so you don’t have to worry about my meal.”

Shin Tae-oh, who had spoken up to that point, left and Se-hyun followed, leaving Lee Jin-ho alone in the office.

“That’s fishy, very fishy.”

The truth was, that he would eat his meal with the voucher he gave Se-hyun.