Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 34

“Are you seriously using that as an excuse? Just because someone’s not here doesn’t mean you can pin everything on them.”

I couldn’t keep the irritation out of my voice. The old secretaries, who were well past their prime and could be considered relics by now, pressed their lips together and couldn’t come up with a proper response.

“No matter how close the 3rd Secretary Team is to the President, isn’t it absurd that they were the ones in charge of his rut cycle in the first place?”

The news that Yoon Taeo’s rut cycle was approaching had forced us to convene an emergency meeting. Up until now, his rut cycle had been handled by the 3rd Secretary Team. They, along with the 3rd Security Team, usually dealt with the company’s more unsavory tasks. In other words, they handled things that weren’t exactly legal. If it was for the sake of Yoon Taeo’s personal safety or the company’s interests, they would resort to any means necessary.

“Well, at least we haven’t completely lost control of the situation. We can still start preparing now.”

“Oh, sure. Just give him some drugs and toss a few pretty Betas his way, right?”

“...That’s what we’ve always done....”

This old man is hopeless. He seems to know even less about Yoon Taeo than I do.

“When has the President ever spent his rut cycle with just anyone?”

At my sharp remark, the secretaries — except for those who were off managing Yoon Taeo’s residence — clamped their mouths shut.

“In the past, he only spent his rut with Betas he was personally interested in. I don’t know how the other party felt about it, but at least there was some fixation on his part. But now, there’s no such Beta around. So, what’s the plan this time?”

Yoon Taeo, surprisingly, wasn’t the type to be loose with his partners. He was actually a character with a strange sense of loyalty. Of course, the problem was that his fixation was always one-sided. Still, he wouldn’t sleep with someone unless he was obsessively attached to them, and that rule applied during his rut cycles as well.

“From now on, the 3rd Secretary Team is off this. I’ll be handling the President’s rut cycle myself.”

“Team Leader Baek...!”

In terms of age and seniority, these secretaries had been around much longer than I had. But thanks to the rapid turnover of Secretaries in Team 1, I managed to get promoted to Team Leader faster than them. Unfortunately for them, in this company, rank is everything.

“If you can’t even manage a tablet well enough to record a simple date correctly, maybe it’s time to start considering retirement.”

Not bothering to look at the red-faced 3rd Team members any longer, I left the conference room first.

As soon as I sat down at my desk, Yoon Taeo’s call button lit up red.

“Yes, President?”

— “Did you go to grow the coffee beans yourself?”

“Oh... I-I’ll be right there. I was just grinding the beans myself, so... President? Hello...?”

This bastard. Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more pissed off, he hung up right after he finished talking. But since it was true that I’d forgotten, I quickly made the coffee and headed to his office. After hearing the shocking news about the rut ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) cycle and rushing around to make the coffee, the samgyetang that had been sitting heavy in my stomach felt like it had already digested.

“President.”

“I thought you’d gone to cultivate the beans yourself.”

“...I just brewed it fresh so you could enjoy it.”

I handed the coffee to Yoon Taeo and studied his face closely. Now that the rut was approaching, he was probably the one feeling it most keenly. That was the difference between dominant genes and non-dominant ones. Dominant Alphas and Omegas could predict the onset of their cycle with relative accuracy, unlike the average ones who were at the mercy of their own bodies.

“How are you feeling today?”

“What kind of question is that? Does anyone feel good at work?”

Ah... So even the President doesn’t feel good at work. Good to know.

“...Have you been watching TV lately, President?”

“No.”

Of course. The guy who only listens to the news when I read it to him wouldn’t be watching TV. Besides, he doesn’t even have a television in his office. This is going to be tough. I need to find a Beta he’s interested in, but lately, he hasn’t shown interest in anyone. In the original story, he was so loose that he once stopped his car just because he caught a glimpse of a Beta he found attractive.

“So... um... is there any Beta you’re interested in these days...?”

Maybe I said something wrong. I hesitated several times before asking, but Yoon Taeo slammed his coffee cup down onto the table, his expression slightly irritated.

“What the hell are you thinking?”

Yeah, this isn’t going well. I’d better just apologize first.

“I’m sorry, I just meant about the rut—!”

“Just because I filleted some chicken for you....”

You know those scenes in movies where time suddenly freezes? Birds mid-flight, leaves suspended in midair, people standing still like statues. Right now... I was living through one of those moments.

Technically, our voices overlapped. My apology and Yoon Taeo’s irritated mumbling. But... what the hell did he just say?

“...I was just asking because of the upcoming cycle...?”

I managed to stammer out the rest of my sentence after what felt like an eternity, but Yoon Taeo kept staring at me, longer than usual. Then, he picked up his coffee cup and took a slow sip. When he looked back at me, his expression was completely different.

“Get out.”

His face was stone cold. No — it felt like the middle of a blizzard. I need to get out of here. Now.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Team Leader, should I get you another coffee?”

Was it the lunch with Won Gyuil that had loosened him up? The chick, who’d been cowering quietly before, approached and struck up a conversation. I shook my head while crunching on ice.

“Why are you smiling?”

Then, the chick standing next to my desk suddenly burst into laughter.

“Oh, no. It’s nothing, really.”

Clearly, there was a reason. Won Gyuil wasn’t even trying to hide his grin. Does he think I’m too stupid to notice?

“Spit it out. I get scary when I’m mad.”

Even after putting on my best serious tone, it didn’t work. The chick bit his lip to suppress his smile, then leaned in like he was about to tell me a secret.

“...You just look cute eating ice like that.”

“C-Cute?”

Did I hear that right? In this grim office, in a place where heads could roll at any moment, someone just called me cute? I was so taken aback I couldn’t even come up with a proper response.

Meanwhile, Won Gyuil scurried off as soon as his senior called for him.

“Did they spike the samgyetang with something...?”

I’m hearing all kinds of weird things today. As if my mind wasn’t already scrambled enough trying to figure out why Yoon Taeo was so pissed off earlier, now I had the chick’s nonsense on top of it.

“Team Leader Baek, what are you doing?”

Yeah, today is definitely a bad day.

“Don’t you have any work to do, Team Leader?”

“If I had work to do, it would mean someone’s disappeared. You’re surprisingly ruthless, Team Leader Baek.”

This time, it was Kang Seokho. Given his line of work, the entire secretary’s office fell dead silent the moment he stepped in. The sound of paper being printed from someone’s printer was now the loudest noise in the room.

“Let’s go get some coffee.”

“I just had some.”

“I’m asking nicely. Come on.”

This bastard wasn’t even trying to ask nicely. His massive hand clamped down on my shoulder, and he flashed a smile that stretched across his tattooed face. If I refused him one more time here... he might just pop my shoulder out of its socket, right?

“You’re right, three cups of coffee a day keeps the stress away. Let’s go.”

Following Kang Seokho, who was leading the way to the coffee shop like a damn drill sergeant, I bought another cup of coffee and headed up to the middle rooftop.

“Ugh... It’s freezing. Aren’t you cold, Team Leader?”

The middle rooftop was pretty high up, so the wind was sharp and biting. I had my coat pulled tight around me, but Kang Seokho was just wearing a thin jacket that looked more like a summer suit, completely unfazed.

“I’m an Alpha, so I’m fine. This kind of cold is nothing to me.”

“You’ve got snot dripping down your nose, though.”

Yup, he really did. Seriously, why not just wear something warmer? What was he trying to prove by wearing such thin clothes in this weather?

“...Wanna go to the break room instead? Now that I think about it, you look like you’re freezing, Team Leader Baek.”

“Your voice is trembling, Team Leader Kang. Are you sure your jaw’s not going to shatter?”

This guy... He’s a bit of a clown sometimes. Or maybe he’s just a little dumb. Alphas are supposed to be sharper than average people, but clearly, that’s not always the case. If he’d been born a Beta, life would’ve been a lot harder for him.

Anyway, I decided to follow him to the break room. Might as well keep the guy alive.

“What’s going on?”

“3rd Team Leader’s been a little... too quiet lately.”

“Well, of course, he’s being disciplined right now, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, but that old snake wouldn’t just take his punishment quietly. That’s what I’m saying.”

“...Weren’t you two close?”

That’s odd. I always assumed Kang Seokho and the 3rd Team Leader were tight, but the way he’s talking now, it doesn’t sound like it.

“Are you crazy? That old geezer’s as shady as they come.”

True. In the original story, he was exactly that — a conniving, backstabbing old man who only cared about climbing the corporate ladder.

“Anyway, just be careful. I doubt he’s got any good feelings toward you.”

“...Got it. Thanks for the warning.”

Not that I needed to be told twice. It’s not like Kang Seokho would warn me for no reason. But why is he even telling me this?

“Oh, by the way, did you hear? The President’s rut is coming up.”

“Already?”

“Yeah. His cycle is about once every three months, right?”

“Yeah... Ugh, being a dominant Alpha isn’t always a good thing. It’s going to be brutal.”

No kidding. Dominant Alphas have longer, more intense cycles. It’s not just a one or two-day ordeal.

“And this time, there’s no Beta around to help. No way he’ll be able to manage it with just the medication.”

“True. It is kinda weird. Since when has he gone this long without a partner?”

Not that long, really. There was Kim Daehyun not too long ago. And Han Yejun, too. But it is unusual for Yoon Taeo to be so... emotionally vacant.

“Oh, wait. There is someone.”

“...What?”

Kang Seokho’s expression suddenly changed like he’d just remembered something important.

“Given how the President’s been acting lately... I think he might have someone in mind to spend the rut with.”

Who the hell is he thinking of? He kept nodding to himself as if he was piecing things together in his head. Someone I haven’t considered...?

“Who...?”

“You.”