Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 19

"Mr. Yejun, did you get home safe today? Something urgent came up at work, so I couldn’t make it to lunch..."

“Fuck, why the hell am I doing this?”

The one who did wrong is someone else, but I’m the one trying to smooth things over with a Beta who might be sulking. Even as I type out an apology I don’t mean, my fingers are tapping through emoji menus to pick something that looks pitiful. Not long after I send the message, a reply comes back.

“I’m totally fine...?”

He’s pissed, he’s totally pissed.

Han Yejun, who usually fills his messages with emojis and laughter, sent this one with a period at the end. It feels like getting a reply in Gothic font. Definitely not a sign that he’s actually fine.

“Should we go shopping tomorrow? I think I’ll have some time during the day. We can grab something tasty too. What do you think?”

As if I actually have time. But I can’t disobey Yoon Taeo’s order to set up a meeting with Han Yejun. And rather than forcing Han Yejun to sit in front of Yoon Taeo, it’s much better to nudge him into doing it on his own. If Han Yejun sits there looking like he just chewed shit, Taeo’s going to get in a bad mood, and then the fallout’s going to land on me. It’s a fucking chain of misery.

Thankfully, Han Yejun didn’t say no. Maybe he’s not completely disinterested in Yoon Taeo after all. Maybe—just maybe—I could actually get the two of them together.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Mr. Yejun!”

“Hyung... you’re early...?”

Yeah. I had to drag my soul out to finish work early and get here. I had to reshuffle the secretaries, attend the morning briefing, shove Yoon Taeo into a meeting and barely escape myself.

“You look pretty—no, handsome today.”

“...Hyung’s pretty too.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Han Yejun muttered something weird as he climbed into the passenger seat. Pretty...? Me? Is he still sulking and just being petty? Objectively, I guess my face isn’t one to be ashamed of, but if we’re talking about delicate features, Yejun wins. He’s... ethereal. For a Beta, I mean.

“Where should we go?”

“I don’t know... I haven’t really done this kind of thing before... wherever’s convenient for you, Sieon-hyung.”

“This kind of thing?”

We’re just getting food and going shopping. Did he live so rough that even that was out of reach? I pressed the accelerator without saying more. I’ll just take him somewhere random.

“Is the person who cooks for you okay? I tried to find someone decent.”

“Ah, yes. They come for about two hours a day and make enough for three meals.”

“That’s good. I think you should try to eat a bit more.”

He’s probably one of the smallest people Yoon Taeo’s ever interacted with. So delicate, it feels like he’d snap if you touch him wrong. Based on average data, he’d need to put on some weight to match Taeo’s type.

“Okay... I’ll try, hyung.”

...Why’s he being so obedient? With this kind of personality, I probably don’t even need to step in. Taeo just needs to glare a little and he’ll fall in line.

That thought stayed with me the whole time we were together. Even when I asked if brunch was okay during the awkward late-morning hour, he just nodded. He sat across from me and cleaned his plate. He answered my questions well, even started a few conversations himself. Then, since the weather was getting colder, I bought him a coat and helped him pick shoes to match.

“...Aren’t you spending too much money...?”

“It’s fine. As long as you like it, Mr. Yejun.”

So this is why Yoon Taeo gets off on spending money. The way Yejun’s eyes went wide with worry was kind of adorable.

“Give me your bags. I’ll carry them.”

I treated him like a sacred relic. It was my way of apologizing on behalf of Taeo for skipping the lunch meeting yesterday. Still, Yejun didn’t seem to hold a grudge—he acted like nothing even happened.

“Mr. Yejun, what are you doing for dinner tonight?”

“Dinner... I quit work, so I don’t have anything planned.”

“Then how about dinner? With our CEO. He said he was sorry for missing the meeting yesterday.”

“Ah...”

But he didn’t answer {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} right away—guess he wasn’t completely over it.

“He’s not as scary as you might think. He felt really bad about yesterday.”

God, I’m a fucking natural-born liar. Trying to cover for Yoon Taeo, who doesn’t even have the capacity to feel guilt, is pathetic, but whatever. Getting Yejun to smile in front of Taeo is part of my job now.

“Ah, dinner... sure, okay...”

“Thanks. I’ll make a reservation somewhere nice. I’ll send a car in the evening—just hop in when it arrives.”

“What about you, hyung...?”

“I’ll probably be there too, unless something comes up.”

I’d rather not, honestly, but I doubt Taeo’s going to let me skip it. And anyway, the goal is to pair up Yoon Taeo and Han Yejun—me tagging along on every date would just be weird.

Wait. If it’s dinner and drinks tonight... should I be preparing for whatever might come after? I don’t know. I’ll just set the scene—they can handle the rest.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Looked like you were out somewhere today.”

“...I had some outside errands to take care of.”

“Errands?”

“Yes.”

Yoon Taeo ran a more legitimate business than you'd expect. Despite the fact that he usually solves problems by dragging in some thug-looking types, the company itself had a pretty solid structure. So there were a lot of meetings, and today’s dragged on well past lunch.

“Didn’t I tell you not to leave any holes in your route? Why don’t you ever listen.”

Is this bastard for real? I can’t even join the meetings, and I always have someone ready to jump in in case he calls. The now-deceased Secretary Team 2 leader didn’t even stay glued to him 24/7.

“...I went to hand off the household management tasks.”

No way in hell I could say I went to soothe Han Yejun’s mood. I have to make both of them see each other in a better light. And technically, I did stop by the house afterward to make sure things were being done right. I don’t want to lose any more secretaries.

“You’re working hard. I didn’t think you’d aim for the General Secretary position. Unexpected.”

That’s sarcasm, right? Like, “You? Busy? What a joke”? I clenched my hands behind my back to keep from snapping. He was leaning on his desk, but now he started walking toward me. Five steps. Three. One. With both hands in his pockets, he kept closing the distance.

“Wh-what...! I didn’t mean to keep it from you, it’s just—you were in a meeting and—outside lunch hours there didn’t seem to be any open time—Director, sir...!”

I couldn’t push him away or bolt, so I stiffened and spat out whatever came to mind. But he leaned in so close, I thought he was about to bite my throat. His face was right there, hovering by my neck.

“Ah, I’ll... I’ll at least leave a text next time—hic!”

I heard a deep inhale, like he was drinking in my scent. And then, hot breath hit my skin like a burn. It felt like I’d become prey to some predator. My body kept hiccuping in fear, like he might open his jaws and devour me whole.

“So, Secretary Kim.”

“Y-yes...?”

Yoon Taeo inhaled again, then exhaled. I had the sudden urge to wrap my hands around my neck where his breath had touched. At first it was just heat, but now it felt cold—like a chill running over my skin. Maybe my own body was heating up in response.

“You meeting your lover during work hours now?”

I was okay... right up until he said that. Maybe he backed off just to look me in the eye when he dropped that line. Or maybe the sheer absurdity of it just evaporated all the heat in my body.

“...What?”

What the hell kind of serious tone is that for such bullshit?

His words were garbage, but his face was completely earnest.

“Well. As long as you’re doing your job, I don’t care if you’re dating or fucking someone.”

Whatever his reasoning was, he seemed to reach a conclusion on his own and walked back to his seat. As I stood there dumbfounded, just about to say That’s not it. I don’t know what you’re talking about, he cut in again.

“Did you call him?”

He’d already decided I was the kind of secretary who screws around during business hours—and now he was switching topics.

“...Dinner’s reserved at The L Hotel. I’ve also booked the upstairs lounge...”

I felt like I was being wildly mistreated, but I had to answer him anyway. Taeo had already slipped back into his calm, blank usual self like nothing had happened.

“The room?”

“...Excuse me?”

“At the hotel. A room.”

Ah. So that’s how today’s gonna go.

He was demanding things I hadn’t even thought to prepare.

“...I’ll get one at the same hotel.”

This was a first. Ever since I got isekai’d into this body, this was the first time Yoon Taeo had told me to prep a room for sex. As he stared at his laptop like the conversation was over, I turned toward the door. But before I could open it, I turned back.

If I didn’t clear this up now, I’d be too pissed to sleep.

“...Um, Director...”

“What.”

He still didn’t look at me.

“...I’m not the kind of person who’s so out of it I’d go have sex during work hours. And I’m not seeing anyone.”

God, he’s scary. I threw all the courage I had into saying that and ran out like a coward. It’s so unfair and fucking humiliating. He’s the one going off to fuck, so why the hell am I being treated like I did?

Still, the door slammed louder than I expected behind me.

...He’s not gonna kill me over a loud door, right? I don’t even wanna know. He’s the one who started scratching at my nerves first, anyway.