TSG 66

“Here are the weekend overtime pay approval documents.”

Lee Jin-ho opened the file and signaled for an immediate signature. It was a silent threat implying he would leave right now if not signed. Shin Tae-oh smiled and picked up his fountain pen.

As Shin Tae-oh was signing the documents, Lee Jin-ho pointed at the fountain pen.

“It’s the same as the one Secretary Ahn used.”

Shin Tae-oh glanced at his fountain pen once.

“I heard he got it as a gift. Did you too, sir?”

Despite Lee Jin-ho’s persistent questions, Shin Tae-oh handed out the documents without answering.

“Anything else?”

“No.”

Why would a fountain pen matter when overtime pay was being approved? It was just idle chatter. Lee Jin-ho, file tucked under his arm, responded with utmost loyalty.

“Very well.”

Having wrapped up his tasks, Shin Tae-oh turned his refreshed gaze to the person who had been quietly sitting in the corner.

“Shall we begin now?”

At Shin Tae-oh’s words about clearing the air, driver Moon Ha-jun sitting across from him lowered his head.

“Don’t even think about denying anything.”

Circumstantial evidence showed the anonymous post on the forum traced back to his IP address, and CCTV footage showed him spying on Shin Tae-oh and Se-hyun. Now it was time for Moon Ha-jun to explain.

This was the special reason Shin Tae-oh had come to the office over the weekend.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, but circumstances…”

Moon Ha-jun seemed to have been waiting and brought up the mistake he made. His shrinking posture and fading voice suggested he didn’t want to provoke Shin Tae-oh’s ire.

“Since I didn’t reveal it was the CEO, I thought it would be okay…”

“You thought the relationship between me and Secretary Ahn Se-hyun was real, so you posted it with less guilt?”

Perhaps because he was frustrated with the stuttering, Shin Tae-oh summarized the situation himself.

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

Moon Ha-jun nodded quickly. Lee Jin-ho, who was watching, shook his head as Moon Ha-jun was emphasizing that he did not really do it with bad intentions.

“He really doesn’t get it.”

Unfortunately, Lee Jin-ho’s murmured words didn’t reach Moon Ha-jun.

“You just thought it was a scandal.”

Moon Ha-jun shook his head awkwardly at Shin Tae-oh’s amused tone.

“Not necessarily, but…”

“Then Driver Moon can take full responsibility for what happens next.”

“Yes? What do you…?”

Moon Ha-jun looked up in confusion, startled by Shin Tae-oh’s now cold, unsmiling gaze. This was not the usual easygoing, smiling superior.

“What Driver Moon did was just the beginning. Who knows? It could escalate to something close to a crime.”

“But, I don’t know anything about that. I just…”

“Can you be sure?”

Shin Tae-oh looked at Moon Ha-jun’s flustered expression and asked. Though asked in his typical calm manner, Moon Ha-jun clutched his trembling hands under Shin Tae-oh’s cold gaze. Anxiety gripped his pounding heart, sensing this wouldn’t end with just a simple resignation recommendation.

“D-Director Ha Jin-seong told me to do it. I…”

“I already know that.”

“Huh?”

As Moon Ha-jun failed to comprehend, Shin Tae-oh rose from his seat and approached him. The intimidating look in his eyes made Moon Ha-jun shrink back.

“If you don’t want to take the fall for everything, you’d better act.”

“Act?”

“You acted under someone else’s orders, so now you should follow mine.”

All previous conversations seemed meaningless now. It felt as though Moon Ha-jun’s next response would determine his fate.

⍣⍣⍣

“Welcome.”

A gentle smile appeared on Yoo Jin-hyun’s face as he greeted Se-hyun.

“I’m sorry for contacting you suddenly.”

“No need to apologize. I really appreciate you for considerately reaching out.”

Yoo Jin-hyun bit his lip as he almost added how there were too many people acting willfully these days, before smiling again.

“Come this way.”

Gesturing to the opposite side, Yoo Jin-hyun stood up from his seat.

“Would you like coffee, tea, or something else?”

“It’s alright, I brought some.”

Se-hyun took out two bottles from his bag.

“I heard you don’t drink coffee, so I brought some beverages.”

He also set down the bottled coffee he had bought for himself. Briefly speechless at Se-hyun’s thoroughness, Yoo Jin-hyun then picked up one of the bottles.

“Thank you.”

“It’s no big deal.”

Se-hyun said nonchalantly as he opened his own coffee. After just one sip, he set it down, as if he had only opened it to start their conversation.

“So what did you want to ask me?”

“If it’s not rude, may I inquire about the CEO?”

“Tae-oh?”

“Yes.”

Yoo Jin-hyun mentioned Shin Tae-oh to confirm but then closed his mouth, seemingly unable to find the right words to reply.

“It’s not difficult to tell, but I’m wondering what to say.”

“Anything is fine. Please tell me about the CEO you’ve known since childhood.”

“Hmm… ”

Yoo Jin-hyun pondered briefly with a small hum. Since childhood…

“Tae-oh was quite something. Great family, good looks, excellent grades. Plus, he has a great personality, so he’s the perfect kid.”

Se-hyun nodded at the mention of Shin Tae-oh also being popular because he wasn’t the type to judge people based on their background and was a playful kid. Shin Tae-oh was impressive in every aspect even now.

“Since everyone wanted to be friends with a kid like that, I approached him first too.”

Even now, many meeting requests come through his studio to meet Shin Tae-oh.

“That’s how we became friends and hung out a lot. Ah, Ha Jin-seong got along with him well back then too.”

Se-hyun held his breath subtly at the name Yoo Jin-hyun mentioned. Ha Jin-seong had told him to seek out Yoo Jin-hyun if he wanted to learn more about Shin Tae-oh. Se-hyun was slightly agitated when Ha Jin-seong’s name came out spontaneously, even without mentioning it.

“We hung out and got along great. Everything was good. Ah, that’s right.”

As Yoo Jin-hyun’s voice changed, Se-hyun focused on him as he spoke.

“Even while hanging out, I sometimes felt a sense of disconnect.”

“Disconnect?”

Se-hyun asked for confirmation and Yoo Jin-hyun nodded.

“Yes. We’d hang out normally, but if I suggested meeting up, something would come up or he had other matters and couldn’t meet.”

Yoo Jin-hyun spoke as if finding it strange, but Se-hyun couldn’t immediately understand.

“So while Tae-oh and I got along, I never quite felt we were extremely close friends. At first, I thought it was just me, but Jin-seong often said he couldn’t stay around Tae-oh for long.”

While Yoo Jin-hyun spoke in a grumbling manner, Se-hyun recalled the conversation between Shin Tae-oh and Ha Jin-seong. He hurt Shin Tae-oh with harsh words, telling him that Se-hyun would not stay by his side for long. Shin Tae-oh also had not simply brushed it off as playful banter and acted as if the thorn was stuck in his throat.

So Ha Jin-seong’s words may not have just been a baseless thought.

“So are you the closest person to the CEO?”

“I just keep in touch with him to some extent. Tae-oh doesn’t really form any special relationships.”
Yoo Jin-hyun shook his head as if it wasn’t about him.

“I’ve never seen him have a deep relationship with anyone. He doesn’t even have a partner he sees regularly… I probably shouldn’t be saying this.”

Yoo Jin-hyun awkwardly added, realizing that Shin Tae-oh had been alone all this time because Yoo Jin-ha hadn’t accepted him.

What’s more, the person Tae-oh had just started gaining interest in was Se-hyun.

As Yoo Jin-hyun hesitated, Se-hyun started to get a clearer picture.

Shin Tae-oh, Yoo Jin-hyun, Ha Jin-seong… And even Ha Min-hyuk and Yoo Jin-ha.

He recalled not the Shin Tae-oh from the original work he knew, but the multi-faceted Shin Tae-oh living and breathing in this world.

It wasn’t Shin Tae-oh’s purpose to be naturally rejected by Yoo Jin-ha and to happily congratulate Ha Min-hyuk and Yoo Jin-ha’s love. If what Ha Jin-seong said was true, Shin Tae-oh might have been living like this since childhood, or even his entire life…

“Can you care only for me? As if I’m the main character of this world?”

Se-hyun now understood why Shin Tae-oh had made such a request.

The feeling that the world doesn’t revolve around him was something he understood without even trying because that’s the life Se-hyun lived.

Why didn’t he realize it sooner?

The confession Shin Tae-oh tossed at him so casually. That confession was filled with his genuine feelings.

Yet because it came so lightly, he only thought of how to refuse Shin Tae-oh without hurting him. As if that were possible.

Everyone gets hurt when rejected. It wouldn’t be any less painful for Shin Tae-oh, even if he tried to smile it off. Especially since Shin Tae-oh had never been someone special to anyone..

‘I shouldn’t have come.’

He shouldn’t have asked Yoo Jin-hyun about Shin Tae-oh.

“Are you okay, Se-hyun-ssi? You look pale.”

Se-hyun couldn’t muster even a polite lie that he was okay in response to Yoo Jin-hyun’s concern. Realizing the weight of Shin Tae-oh’s confession had his insides all tangled up.

⍣⍣⍣

Se-hyun stood up from his desk when he saw Shin Tae-oh approaching and greeted him before following him for the schedule briefing.

“…That concludes today’s schedule briefing.”

Se-hyun took a deep breath and put down the tablet. He treated Shin Tae-oh in a businesslike manner as if the time he spent with him on the weekend was all a dream.

This was the only way to deal with Shin Tae-oh now.

Se-hyun couldn’t be more personal because he realized how heavy Shin Tae-oh’s confession was and how much of an impact what he had to say to him would have.

He thought it would be better to gather his thoughts first, and then respond to his confession after that.

“Anything else?”

“Could I get your signature on one pending document?”

Certain documents required approval. The planning team had urged him to get it signed quickly.

When he mentioned it, Shin Tae-oh readily nodded.

As he handed over the document, he noticed something while watching Shin Tae-oh review the contents before signing.

The fountain pen Shin Tae-oh took out to sign with.

It wasn’t hard for him to recognize since he had the same one.

“It’s the gift from Mr. Yoo Jin-ha.”

So, without realizing it, Se-hyun ended up mentioning a personal matter to Shin Tae-oh. He absolutely should not have done that, he realized when he saw the corners of Shin Tae-oh’s mouth turn up.