PIA 46

Jeong Hee-seo, who had been lost in thought for a while after making Secretary Yoon uncomfortable in his seat, suddenly spoke up.

“Is there any job suitable for a clueless college graduate in their twenties?”

“Is that about Mr. Ji-an? Wow, you’re so harsh.”

“You saw the documents too.”

After his boss got involved with Seo Ji-an at the founding anniversary party, Secretary Yoon was the one who investigated his personal information, so he couldn’t refute it. Seo Ji-an graduated from a decent university, but his grades were a mess, most likely due to a lack of motivation to study. For someone from a decent family, he didn’t have any decent experience studying abroad, and even his English, which is basic these days, was barely average.

“I’m just looking for an excuse to keep him around, Woo-young.”

“Uh… If that’s the case…”

Secretary Yoon was a little flustered to hear his name called for the first time in a long time. Then he started to think quickly.

A young Omega in his twenties who suddenly appeared like a comet. His boss showed an interest in him that he hadn’t shown before.

Secretary Yoon wondered if he should respond in line with his boss’s harsh evaluation, or respond to his boss’s efforts to find a job despite his harsh evaluation.

Making a quick judgment, Secretary Yoon replied with a twinkle in his eye.

“There is a youth intern mentoring project requested by the government. It’s conducted at the group level, and it’s just the right fit for his age group. If the General Manager steps up as a mentor, no one will object, and it seems perfect for him with no distractions.”

“Hasn’t it been a long time since the program started? I thought that program was full?”

“… That’s because when the request first came to our team, the General Manager told them to get lost because you were annoyed.”

“So, is there a spot or not?”

“Just a moment.”

Secretary Yoon’s fingers sped up dramatically as he tapped on his laptop while scanning relevant information on the intranet.

“Even if there’s no spot, I’ll make one.”

“But isn’t that program relatively short? It seemed like they just came in the morning and left.”

“Yes. Usually, it’s just a morning experience and then they leave, but depending on the situation, they can receive more training.”

Secretary Yoon noticed. The time Seo Ji-an stayed was important. Of course, he remembered the bizarre meal contract that Jeong Hee-seo had ordered him to bring.

One meal wasn’t enough. His boss was always someone who couldn’t be satisfied. Of course, Secretary Yoon expected that eating one meal a day would not be enough, but alas. The corrective feedback came back much faster than he expected.

Secretary Yoon frowned slightly.

“All my relationships failed due to excessive work… ”

“What?”

“Oh. Nothing. I’m just talking to myself.”

He accidentally let out his murmuring. Secretary Yoon was startled and consciously straightened his expression. From his angle of view, he noticed that Jeong Hee-seo was looking at him with his eyes narrowed, but he tried to maintain his composure.

“I’ll tell him about the intern TO request, so Secretary Yoon can handle it right away.”

“Yes. Understood.”

His fingers clicking the mouse were professional. Secretary Yoon decided to think positively. How many years has he been struggling as a close associate of Jeong Hee-seo since he was the team leader? During those long years, the man who had been as flawless as a titanium body was showing some soft spots lately.

Wouldn’t Jeong Hee-seo become a bit neglectful of work if he started dating? Then he could actually take some vacations instead of just getting paid for them. Sometimes he could take a half-day off, sometimes he could arrive late, sometimes…

“And from now on, there’s no need to bother me even during off-hours. Just leave a message, and I’ll check it.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Feeling the effects already, Secretary Yoon smiled brightly.

Jeong Hee-seo thought deeply for a moment and then quickly stood up. He definitely liked Secretary Yoon’s idea.

“Wouldn’t it be better to check with the hospital if it’s okay to work during that week?”

“Huh? Yes?”

“I’m talking to myself. Get off work.”

Jeong Hee-seo turned around without hesitation and took out his cell phone. Secretary Yoon pricked up his ears as he carefully packed his laptop. He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, but he couldn’t resist his curiosity.

While he was deliberately mumbling, he heard Jeong Hee-seo calling someone as if the phone had been connected.

“Yeah, Han-seok. I have something I want to ask. About that doctor from last time…”

He wanted to hear more, but Jeong Hee-seo entered the room and closed the door. Secretary Yoon clicked his tongue in disappointment and wondered why he had left work earlier than normal. Secretary Yoon packed his luggage with gratitude and hurriedly exited the suite.

* * *

Ji-an ate a hearty dinner thanks to a handkerchief full of Jeong Hee-seo’s pheromones and a mysterious black liquid that his grandmother had prepared for him.

“Hello, hyung-nim!”

So he was able to answer Jeong Hee-seo’s call with confidence.

– Seems like you’ve eaten a lot. Your voice sounds energetic.

“Thanks to you, I ate a lot. My mom made seasoned crab for dinner. Oh, hyungnim, do you like seasoned crab? My mom’s cooking skill is amazing…”

– It’s okay. I’m not shameless enough to take a spoonful of your mom’s hard work.

“If you want to eat it, my mom would have been happy to make it for you.”

After speaking, Ji-an realized he was talking about the image of his mother treating Jeong Han-joo, who was supposed to be her future son-in-law. Jeong Hee-seo wasn’t in that position.

“Has Secretary Yoon left for the day?”

Ji-an quickly changed the topic.

“You shouldn’t have bothered to cook for me when you had so much work to do. If we had just grabbed something quick and parted ways, Secretary Yoon wouldn’t have felt pressured to stay and watch over us…”

-…

“But, hyung-nim, you look really cool when you’re working. When you’re examining samples or whatever it is you do, your eyes are so serious. Even though I don’t know what you’re doing, I can tell you’re really sincere.”

Ji-an couldn’t even think about what Jeong Hee-seo’s reaction would be, so he just rambled on without thinking.

Jeong Hee-seo was silent on the other end of the line. When you were close to someone and could see their face, expressions, complexion, and body gestures, you might get a sense of their emotions, but only hearing their voice over the phone made the distance between them feel vividly real.

Jeong Hee-seo, who had never been treated like this before, was slightly annoyed by it.

– I tried to do something nice out of sincerity, but I didn’t expect to receive a response telling me to work harder.

“No… That… It doesn’t mean I didn’t like what you cooked for me.”

Ji-an had nothing to say so he just laughed. It seemed as if he had no idea what Jeong Hee-seo wanted him to say or react to.

Could it be that the true nature of Jeong Hee-seo’s feelings for him was a plot device? Curiosity? Or perhaps a crush? There were too many risks in trying to uncover the true nature of his feelings.

Ji-an was about to talk again when Jeong Hee-seo called him.

– Ji-an-ah.

“Yes?”

– Are you preparing for employment?

Why was he suddenly attacking him like that? Ji-an had nothing to say, so he hesitated before replying.

“I am, but why do you ask?”

Was this also a test of the responsibility of having a child?

– Come here to work part-time and learn.

“At hyung-nim’s company? What do I learn there?”

– Just the basics. Come observe while you come to work every day.

Jeong Hee-seo said such nonsense so confidently. Ji-an narrowed his eyes and answered. He had to use all his wit to not get upset.

“Hyung-nim, you know you are like a control freak, right? Do you think I won’t notice that you’re doing this because you’re not satisfied with monitoring me for one meal a day?”

– I don’t deny it.

“Sticking around hyung-nim all day, we never know what could happen…”

– Why, what do you think is going to happen?

Jeong Hee-seo instinctively knew that pressing Ji-an would only make him retreat. Even now, it seemed to be the case. Ji-an couldn’t answer as if his mouth was stuck together. Jeong Hee-seo changed his strategy because he thought that continuing to push through the distance barrier of a phone call would only backfire.

– I get anxious when I don’t see you. I can’t concentrate on work because I’m constantly obsessing over what you’re eating.

“I’m sure you can get over that. You’re a businessman, after all.”

When he counterattacked by choosing the right words, Jeong Hee-seo burst into laughter. Ji-an briefly took his ear away from the receiver. His which had been brushed by the laughter, suddenly felt warm.

– I feel more comfortable when you’re sitting next to me. Why bother making an effort? You too. Instead of being at home, tiptoeing around your grandmother, go out. It’s easier for me to provide three meals a day for you.

“I’m fine with not having three meals a day. And I can manage a simple meal with just a handkerchief. Oh, but I understand if borrowing a handkerchief from you is too much trouble.”

– Forget about that, come visit our company. You can observe social life.

“What is there to observe?”

– You can learn by observing. It’s like going on a tour of a big corporation. It could also become experience later on. My office… had a nice atmosphere.

“The office does look nice.”

Did it come over or not? Jeong Hee-seo, who couldn’t figure out why Ji-an was running away, couldn’t easily come up with the next answer.

– If you are scared, I won’t approach… and touch you or anything.

“I’m not scared.”

Ji-an responded reflexively before biting his lips.

“I’ll think about it. Hyung-nim.”

– Think positively.

This time, Ji-an laughed. He found Jeong Hee-seo’s persistent nature amusing at times like this.