TPG 5

Lee Si-woo unconsciously held his breath as he looked at Han Soo-hyeok.

“That’s… why?”

“You’ve been acting strange since yesterday. You tried to hold onto me and said you wanted to see me. Even though you made excuses about wanting to see a wider world.”

Han Soo-hyeok elegantly sipped the fish cake soup from his paper cup.

“I can only think that the reason is because you like me.”

It was Si-woo’s fault that Han Soo-hyeok had come to such a conclusion. If he let it slide, the misunderstanding would remain unresolved. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak.

“As you suspect, I’m not free when it comes to marriage. My father expects it, and I can’t refuse him.”

Han Soo-hyeok showed no reaction, but since Si-woo was revealing a truth that wasn’t exactly a secret, he kept watching the man for any hint of a response.

“Rather than live trapped under my father’s shadow forever, I want to learn whatever I can and live by my own strength. I want to marry someone I choose myself.”

It was quite a grand answer to Han Soo-hyeok’s question about whether he liked him. Perhaps because of that, Han Soo-hyeok simply looked at him in silence for a moment.

“So you have no ulterior motives toward me.”

His earnest explanation seemed to have gotten through.

“I do like you, but only as far as…”

Lee Si-woo paused, searching for the right words.

“An admiration for a mature man, perhaps?”

Han Soo-hyeok let out a big sigh as if he found the whole thing absurd.

“So that’s how you saw me.”

Even though he had cleared up the misunderstanding, Si-woo didn’t feel entirely relieved. His heart felt strangely heavy. Still, he forced a smile in an effort to lighten the mood.

“The secretary position is already decided.”

He subtly made sure that one thing couldn’t be undone.

“But why did you come here? Is this place good for keeping secrets?”

There was no one else around except for the owner, who had gone inside and closed the sliding door behind him.

“Because it’s delicious.”

“That’s true. The cooking is really good.”

Si-woo picked up a piece of kimbap and took a bite. With the soup, it filled his stomach nicely. He could feel Han Soo-hyeok watching him. There was curiosity in his eyes, as if surprised that Si-woo was enjoying the food he wasn’t accustomed to. That gaze, which he hadn’t noticed before, felt strangely warm. Si-woo blushed without meaning to.

It had been an unexpected morning, but it left him with a calm heart.

“What’s your method for breaking off the engagement?”

Han Soo-hyeok’s extremely monotone question was like a stone thrown into still water.

* * *

Lee Si-woo gazed out at the passing scenery while harboring complicated feelings.

Han Soo-hyeok had hit on something he hadn’t thought of at all. The obvious fact that maintaining the engagement would naturally lead to marriage, and the blind spot that in that process, Han Soo-hyeok’s connection with the person he was originally supposed to meet might be completely severed.

Since he didn’t even know if Han Soo-hyeok was currently seeing someone, his words had been even more dangerous.

“By any chance, are you seeing someone?”

He should have asked this first…

When he asked nervously, Han Soo-hyeok shook his head slightly.

“If I were seeing someone, I wouldn’t have gone to the matchmaking meeting. I’m not that kind of trash.”

“Yes…”

His heart was racing, so he unnecessarily rubbed around that area.

Even though Han Soo-hyeok said he wasn’t currently seeing anyone, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the future—but for some reason, Si-woo found himself strangely conscious of it.

This won’t do.

Going back to the original plan, Han Soo-hyeok wouldn’t even be able to reach the person he might someday come to love. In other words, Si-woo realized that unless there was a more definitive reason why this engagement wouldn’t lead to marriage, it would be worse than not doing it at all.

While he was lost in thought about what to do, Han Soo-hyeok spoke.

“Open the glove box.”

Si-woo took out a tablet from where Han Soo-hyeok pointed.

“My schedule should be on there. Carry it around and check it whenever you have time. If possible, don’t leave my side.”

“Yes.”

When he turned on the screen, a calendar with scheduled appointments appeared immediately. He touched it to enter and read the detailed content written there.

It was full of difficult terminology and there was a lot he didn’t understand, but he looked at it for now.

“Keep in mind that the schedule can change at any time.”

“I understand.”

While still examining the calendar with his eyes, he tried not to miss any of Han Soo-hyeok’s words.

“Tell me what today’s schedule looks like.”

At the sudden question, he hurriedly moved the screen to find the date.

“At 9 AM, there’s an executive meeting. The main agenda is reviewing this quarter’s customer satisfaction indicators and discussing improvement measures. There’s also a report on last week’s VOC data analysis.”

He imitated what he remembered from when the secretary briefed his father on his schedule.

“At 11 AM, there’s a meeting with the brand partner company representative. It’s regarding the new product launch promotion, and the marketing team plans to update the materials they discussed in advance separately. And at 2 PM…”

“That’s enough.”

Si-woo looked up from the tablet and turned to Han Soo-hyeok.

“You did well for a first time.”

“I just recited today’s schedule.”

“It was very smooth.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at Han Soo-hyeok’s tone, which seemed meant to praise him.

“That’s what you’ll be doing by my side from now on.”

“Yes.”

Hearing about what he would be doing made his body naturally tense up. Since he had no intention of working carelessly, he became a bit more alert.

“Good look in your eyes.”

As Han Soo-hyeok unbuckled his seatbelt and got out first, Si-woo hurriedly followed suit.

When they entered the department store, it was still a familiar space he knew, but gradually they went to unfamiliar places. After passing through a certain point, like a scene from a movie, employees in suits were busily coming and going. Employees who had arrived before him were gathered in a crowd.

“The CEO is coming.”

Oh, my goodness.

Seeing the employees lined up in a row, Si-woo realized once again whose secretary he was.

“Come to think of it…”

As if something had occurred to him, Han Soo-hyeok stopped in place and turned to look at Lee Si-woo. Wondering why, Si-woo looked up at him, and Han Soo-hyeok’s gaze slowly swept down from his face. Just as he was about to say something, someone else interrupted.

“CEO, Executive Director Han is waiting inside.”

When a woman with neat bobbed hair approached to speak, Han Soo-hyeok’s head turned.

“I’ll go in, so have General Manager Yoo take care of this secretary.”

He had called him this secretary. Si-woo couldn’t move at the unfamiliar title, so the woman spoke to him.

“I heard about you from the CEO in advance. I’m Yoo Hee-jin. Please call me General Manager Yoo.”

General Manager Yoo extended her hand for a handshake. Han Soo-hyeok didn’t leave immediately but just stood there watching. Wondering if he still had something to say, Si-woo took Yoo Hee-jin’s hand.

“Yes, General Manager Yoo. Please take care of me.”

“I’ll introduce you to our secretarial staff. Follow me.”

“Yes.”

“Would you like some coffee?”

“If you offer it, I’ll gladly drink it.”

While listening carefully to General Manager Yoo’s words, Si-woo was still distracted by Han Soo-hyeok, who was still standing there.

What was he going to say?

Han Soo-hyeok watched Lee Si-woo greeting the secretarial staff.

With innocent eyes and a clumsy appearance, he was the only son of Taesung Group and a precious omega. He couldn’t be hired as a sales employee, and it was awkward to position him as a new employee either.

So he had hired him as a secretary.

It wasn’t that he expected anything in terms of ability. He simply thought it would be easiest to keep him nearby and handle everything else himself. Then he belatedly worried whether he would get along well with other employees…

“Please take care of me, seniors. Is this my seat? Wow, I’m so excited.”

Surprisingly, he was greeting everyone warmly.

“You hired a new secretary.”

Han Soo-hyeok, who had entered the CEO’s office, found a man looking at Lee Si-woo through the blinds.

“Why a secretary all of a sudden? If you needed a secretary, I know plenty of good people. You should have asked.”

While saying this, the man tilted his head this way and that, observing Lee Si-woo.

“But his face looks familiar.”

The man, Han Jeong-hyeon, narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself. Han Soo-hyeok passed by Han Jeong-hyeon and sat at his desk.

“What do you want to say?”

“So cold…”

Han Jeong-hyeon took his hand off the blinds and went to sit on the sofa. Naturally taking the head seat, he acted as if the CEO’s office were his own room.

“Soo-hyeok.”

Han Jeong-hyeon looked at Han Soo-hyeok with the same playful eyes.

“I’ve been seeing a nice guy, you know? He’s quick-witted and fun to be with, but it turns out he’s a brand president.”

Han Soo-hyeok’s brow furrowed slightly.

“He said he wants to open a store in our department store, so I told him I’d think about it.”

Han Jeong-hyeon leaned back his head to look at his half-brother.

“Everyone knows who I am, so I can’t just say no. I am the eldest son of the group and your older brother, after all.”

“Submit a store proposal. The review committee will examine it and let you know.”

When Han Soo-hyeok spoke emotionlessly without taking his eyes off the approval documents, Han Jeong-hyeon shook his head.

“Of course, that would be good. But what’s the point of having good connections? He keeps calling me ‘hyung, hyung’ and sweetly clinging to me, so how can I tell him to submit a proposal?”

“The era of doing business through connections is over.”

In a situation where Han Soo-hyeok could clearly picture how and where they had met, asking him to let someone open a store in the department store was something he considered mercilessly worthless.

Han Jeong-hyeon scratched his forehead.

“I already promised.”

It seemed he hadn’t just said he’d think about it, but had given some degree of assurance. However, Han Soo-hyeok remained unmoved.

“From now on, refuse all such requests.”

“Requests? It’s just a favor exchanged between close brothers. Don’t you have cases like that?”

Han Soo-hyeok’s eyes twitched slightly, but they quickly returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

“Well, how would you know? You’ve probably never experienced such things.”

Han Jeong-hyeon approached Han Soo-hyeok. When Han Jeong-hyeon placed his hand on his shoulder and leaned forward, his face was reflected on the monitor.

“We really look alike. That’s why people immediately know we’re brothers when they see us.”

Han Jeong-hyeon brought up something irrefutable with a smiling face.

“Soo-hyeok, you know you asked me for a lot of favors when you were young, right? I granted them all.”

Han Jeong-hyeon patted Han Soo-hyeok’s shoulder, subtly pressuring him before leaving. Han Jeong-hyeon, visible through the blinds, was showing a good-natured smile to the people around him. Han Soo-hyeok’s eyes darkened as he looked at that face that would naturally draw favor from anyone who saw it.