DFLT 10

“Sunbae, can I ask why?”

“Why what?”

“Why you suddenly left Korea back then.”

When Dojin, who had been so close, vanished overnight, Yeonoh had been worried and asked around. No one knew the situation clearly, which only deepened his concern. Time passed, and the pressures of academics grew. Eventually, waiting for Dojin’s contact took a backseat to finishing reports or dedicating time to assignments. And so, Yeonoh naturally forgot about Dojin.

That’s why seeing Dojin’s face again brought back the question that had lingered all this time. But the moment he saw Dojin’s slightly bitter expression, Yeonoh regretted it. Everyone has their own circumstances, and he had been too focused on his own thoughts. It wasn’t a mature way to act.

“Oh, no. I shouldn’t have asked… I’m sorry, sunbae.”

“It’s fine. It’s only natural to be curious when someone disappears like smoke one day.”

Yeonoh’s eyebrows drooped, genuinely apologetic.

“I’ll tell you when the time’s right.”

“Okay, please do.”

Just as the atmosphere was turning awkward, Dojin reached out and pinched Yeonoh’s cheek.

“Oh, where did those soft, tofu-like cheeks go?”

“Hey, sunbae, that hurts!”

“It’s because you’ve lost so much weight. Is it the company? Is your boss giving you a hard time?”

Well, as a boss, Seo Heonyoung wasn’t perfect, but Yeonoh could give him a pretty high score. Seo Heonyoung, who despised complacency and laziness, was always forging new paths. The work was tough, but the results were proportional. The raw, unfiltered personality of Seo Heonyoung and his harsh critiques could be taken as feedback. Thanks to that, hadn’t Yeonoh learned how to survive under him?

The problem was Ji Yeonoh himself. Somehow, he had ended up with an unrequited love for his boss.

“You said you live here, right? What floor? What’s it like? So I can cancel the floor if we meet in the elevator.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What else? Payback for giving our Yeonoh-tofu a hard time.”

Yeonoh couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Dojin’s silly joke.

“How’s Seowon doing? Last I heard, he was under observation, right?”

“Thankfully, he got a clean bill of health and is doing well.”

“That’s great. He must be in college now.”

“He’s working part-time at a café while attending school. He makes great sandwiches. I’ll treat you to one next time.”

“I’m touched. Eating a sandwich made by Seowon and paid for by our Yeonoh.”

When Dojin pretended to sniffle again, Yeonoh couldn’t hold back and let out a big laugh. His playful demeanor hadn’t changed a bit.

Staring at the computer monitor, Yeonoh let out a small sigh.

[TG Electronics and JM Medio Form Technical Partnership… Aim to Launch Smartwatch with ‘Cycle Tracking Function’ by Trait]

With this, the rumors about Heonyoung and Sehyeon’s connection had surfaced. The article didn’t mention the two of them even once, but everyone in the know understood that the partnership between the two groups wasn’t just technical.

He’d steel himself, then waver, tell himself to stay cold, and then get shaken by a single line in an article. It was always like this. Always saying he’d give up on this unrequited love, only to falter. Yeonoh was seriously wondering if he had a compulsive lying problem when his phone vibrated on the desk, snapping him back to reality. It was from Dojin.

[Dojin sunbae: Yo, Yeonoh, what’s up lol]

He started typing that he was working when another message came through.

[Dojin sunbae: Oh, you’re at work? My bad, I’m so out of it]

Lately, Dojin had been messaging him like clockwork when he woke up, saying he didn’t have many friends in Korea who knew he was back and asking for understanding. Since Heonyoung was in a meeting with executives, Yeonoh had a moment to reply.

[It’s fine! I’m free right now haha]

[Dojin sunbae: Guess I called at the perfect time]

[Have you eaten? It’s way past lunchtime]

[Dojin sunbae: I was heading to the gym, but the smell of delivery chicken in the elevator is driving me crazy]

Chicken’s irresistible. Yep, no doubt about it. Imagining Dojin’s grumbling tone in his head, Yeonoh couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Having fun?”

Four crisp syllables dropped onto Yeonoh’s head. Startled, he looked up to see Heonyoung staring down at him, hands in his pockets. The executives were already gone. Heonyoung looked noticeably displeased. When had he come out? Yeonoh would’ve noticed if he’d heard anything. Feeling guilty for looking like he was slacking, Yeonoh put down his phone and quickly stood up.

“Is the meeting over, sir?”

“Come in.”

“…Yes, sir.”

Heart pounding, he followed Heonyoung into the office. With a click, the door closed, and Heonyoung, sitting on the sofa, gestured for Yeonoh to take the seat across from him. Sitting cautiously, Yeonoh noticed meeting documents scattered on the coffee table—related to JM Medio, which he’d seen in the online article earlier.

“We’re moving forward with the JM collaboration, so you’ll be busy preparing the MOU. Contact the PR team and tell them to manage the media tightly, especially regarding information leaks.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, that’s not why I called you. There’s another reason things will get busy.”

As Yeonoh jotted down Heonyoung’s instructions in his notebook, Heonyoung spoke again.

“I’m entrusting you with full authority over the wedding arrangements.”

Yeonoh’s pen, scribbling furiously on the notebook, stopped dead.

“…Pardon?”

“What flowers to use at the venue, what color suit to wear—I don’t need to pick every detail myself. Nor do I want to. I’ll talk to Sehyeon, so handle it. There’ll be a professional planner anyway.”

“…….”

“All I need to do is walk into the venue.”

It felt like a lead weight had settled in his heart. Forgetting Seo Heonyoung was already overwhelming enough, and now he had to pick out the flowers for his wedding?

“Can you handle it?”

Can you handle it?

That question seemed to stretch time like taffy, echoing distantly in his ears. Seo Heonyoung asked it so casually, as if it were nothing. In his world, it probably wasn’t a big deal.

But I don’t want to…

That was his first thought. Who would want to plan the wedding of someone they had an unrequited love for? It was obvious this wouldn’t help him move on.

“Think of it as a rehearsal.”

Was that supposed to be a real comment? Calling it a rehearsal without knowing how he felt?

“Oh, I get it. You don’t want new tasks.”

“…….”

“Fine. I’ll make sure the bonus is generous. Three hundred should be a decent deal for you.”

There was a problem with Seo Heonyoung’s mindset that money could solve everything. Last time, he’d stood Yeonoh up and thrown a massive amount as overtime pay. Heonyoung glanced at Yeonoh, who was silently avoiding his gaze with pursed lips, and curled up one corner of his mouth.

“You’re thinking about it.”

Thinking? He was just deeply contemplating how to politely refuse.

“There’s a saying: if money can’t solve it, maybe you just don’t have enough.”

As expected. Seo Heonyoung thought of him as just another money-grubber—

“Five hundred.”

…Maybe that wasn’t so bad? Five million won could cover a semester of Seowon’s tuition. If he was going to pine over an impossible unrequited love, maybe seeing it with his own eyes would make it easier to let go. So, Ji Yeonoh claimed a mental victory with five million won.

No need to answer. Heonyoung, sensing Yeonoh’s softened defenses, took it as agreement. As if he’d expected it, he raised one corner of his mouth.

“All you need to do is confirm what the planner and Sehyeon choose on my behalf.”

“…Shouldn’t I at least get a sense of your preferences, sir?”

“Preferences?”

Seo Heonyoung burst out laughing.

“If I cared about preferences, this marriage would’ve been doomed from the start.”

Yeonoh didn’t understand what he meant, but it was clear he didn’t need to consider Heonyoung’s tastes.

“Understood. I’ll coordinate with Director Do and make sure it goes smoothly.”

“Good. You can go.”

Yeonoh’s heart felt heavy, having unexpectedly taken on the task of managing Heonyoung’s wedding.