Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 38

“Team Leader, I contacted Kang Haewoon....”

“What? Did he refuse?”

Kang Haewoon — the one person most likely to catch Yoon Taeo’s interest. He was a rising actor who had recently gained a lot of popularity after appearing in an MK Capital commercial. In other words, he was a Beta who didn’t really need to accept our offer.

“No, he said he’d do it. And the fee is even lower than we expected! But....”

“Does he want a commercial deal?”

“...Yes, that’s the condition.”

“Hah, fine. Go to the legal team and get a non-disclosure agreement signed immediately.”

A sly bastard. Then again, who am I to judge when we’re the ones making a dirty offer? With that, the preparations for Yoon Taeo’s rut cycle were complete. The final piece was securing a Beta that Yoon Taeo would be willing to accept.

“He’ll be moving to the villa in three days. Double-check everything to make sure there are no issues. Get rid of the mindset that ‘this should be fine’ or ‘this probably won’t be a problem.’ Under normal circumstances, I’d overlook a mistake or two, but during the CEO’s rut cycle? I won’t be covering for anyone.”

Maybe it was the atmosphere I’d set lately, but the secretaries’ voices were tense, like soldiers preparing for war. But I wasn’t overreacting. During the rut, Yoon Taeo would spend three to seven days alone ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ with a Beta. The medical team would be on standby nearby, but having a Beta instead of an Omega was already a risky combination. It would be difficult to keep him calm, especially given how volatile he’d become.

“I’m heading to the villa to inspect it today. Tomorrow, I’m taking a day off.”

“...A day off?”

“Correction — a sick day.”

Technically, I had to go to the hospital to get a pheromone check and pick up some more suppressants, but I left out the specifics.

“The CEO will probably call for you....”

That’s how it’s been lately. Yoon Taeo would hit any extension and call for “Secretary Baek” or “Secretary Kim.” At this point, “Secretary Kim” had become a secondary name for me.

“He already approved it.”

Within minutes of submitting the leave request through the system, Yoon Taeo had approved it. He didn’t even ask why. As if it didn’t matter to him whether I was here or not. Well... in a way, it was what I had always wanted — for him to not care.

“For tomorrow, the Team 2 Leader will handle the CEO’s schedule. Review the work program thoroughly so there are no mistakes.”

The new Team 2 Leader’s face turned ashen. Clearly, he didn’t want the job, but I pretended not to notice. Honestly, who would want it? I’d been doing it alone for months. I just wanted a single day to breathe.

“Meeting adjourned.”

What a mess. The entire secretary team looked like they’d developed separation anxiety. All I said was that I was taking a single day off, and everyone’s faces were shadowed with worry.

Since I’d been acting as interim Chief Secretary, the number of secretaries hauled off by Security Team 3 had been reduced to less than three. Sure, we’d had a few farewells, but compared to before, the number was remarkably low.

“Baek Team Leader, is something going on lately?”

“What would be going on?”

“Come on, you look like a corpse every day.”

I let Kang Seokho’s nonsense go in one ear and out the other as I headed to the elevator.

“Just a little tired.”

“...You’re not...!”

As I waited for the elevator, Kang Seokho grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. His eyes glowed with intensity. He was an Alpha, so his sharp emotions were intimidating, but they were nothing compared to Yoon Taeo’s.

“...What is it?”

“You’re not planning to run away, are you...?”

“Are you crazy? I’m not that suicidal.”

“Hah... but from the way you look right now, it’s like you’re ready to make a run for it.”

I wish I could. But I know exactly how that would end. There’s no way in hell I’d make that choice.

“The CEO’s been a nightmare lately. It’s like a graveyard around here.”

“...That’s because his rut cycle is coming up. You’d know that better than anyone, right, Team Leader Kang?”

“Well, yeah, but....”

“Anyway, just make sure to keep him in check tomorrow. Don’t make a stupid mistake and end up getting your neck snapped.”

I gave him a half-hearted farewell as I stepped into the elevator. Given how unstable Yoon Taeo had been lately, not even Seokho was safe. The way he’s been acting, he really does seem like a lunatic. Every word that comes out of his mouth is laced with venom, and everyone around him is struggling just to breathe in his presence.

Before heading home, I stopped by Yoon Taeo’s house to pick up a few things. Tonight, for the first time, I planned to go back to my own apartment. If I recall correctly from Baek Sieon’s fragmented memories, he did have a place to go back to. I just can’t bring myself to stay in Yoon Taeo’s place on my day off.

Besides, the way he’s been acting lately is driving me crazy. It’s like I’m not even a person to him anymore — he doesn’t even bother with the usual formalities. And that was exactly what I had wanted... but somehow, it doesn’t feel as satisfying as I thought it would.

Before heading home, I stopped by the villa to inspect it again. Everything seemed to be in order. The food supplies and medications were enough to last a week. The bedding and toiletries were fully stocked. Even if no one came in or out, Yoon Taeo should be able to endure his rut cycle without issue.

“The villa... looks just like Yoon Taeo.”

It was located by the river. If you stepped out of the living room, you’d be greeted by a wide lawn and a serene, flowing river. There were no nearby houses, no artificial sounds. Just the stark, modern villa sitting alone in the forest. The minimalist, almost clinical design mirrored Yoon Taeo’s cold personality.

I stood there for a while, staring blankly at the river that seemed to stand still as it flowed. Then, I closed the door and left the villa.

❖ ❖ ❖

In the original plot of “The Lunatic,” Baek Sieon dies because his identity as an Omega is revealed. But in the novel, Baek Sieon actually deserved to die. He played a pivotal role in embezzling secret funds, crossing a line he couldn’t come back from. It was a crime perfectly suited to get him ripped apart by Yoon Taeo, who was already in a foul mood. ƒreewebɳovel.com

Usually, when a secret Omega is exposed in these stories, they’re trying to seduce the Alpha protagonist or they’re blinded by jealousy, tormenting the Beta protagonist. But Baek Sieon wasn’t like that. He was just a pawn moved by money and coercion, and he was disposed of as soon as he outlived his usefulness.

“...Hah.”

My home — or rather, Baek Sieon’s home — made me let out a deep sigh as soon as I saw it. Looking around the place, it was easy to understand why he ended up making such choices.

After over a month of neglect, the apartment was thick with dust. But that wasn’t the real issue. Calling this place a “home” felt like a stretch.

Even though it was supposedly a semi-expensive rental worth several tens of millions of won, it was still barely habitable. The place was falling apart. It was on the second floor of a decrepit villa, and if you opened the window, the neighboring building was so close that you could practically reach out and touch it. The room itself was so small it felt like a cramped single-room apartment in a shantytown.

“Maybe I should’ve just stayed at Yoon Taeo’s place....”

Well, it made sense that Baek Sieon would live in a place like this.

It was never mentioned in the original plot, but Baek Sieon was an orphan with no parents or siblings. He studied like a man possessed, graduated from university on a full scholarship, and got a job at MK Capital. He saved every penny without spending a dime, and this run-down, barely-holding-together apartment was what he managed to afford.

Since I had to stay here for the next two days, I opened the window and started cleaning. The fridge was nearly empty, so there wasn’t even much to throw away. On the upside, the place was so tiny that cleaning it was way faster than cleaning Yoon Taeo’s place.

Buzzzzz —

Just as I finished cleaning and sat down, my phone vibrated loudly on the tiny two-seater table.

At some point, just hearing that sound started to make my heart race.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a call from him.

“Gyuil, are you okay...?”

It was the first contact from him in three days. I’d marked his unapproved absence as a sick day.

Team Leader....

It was to be expected, but the casino permit had been approved immediately after the day Yoon Taeo lost it. And based on what I heard that day, I figured out a secret that wasn’t revealed in the original storyline.

In the novel, Gyuil supposedly asked his father to approve the casino permit out of sympathy for the Beta protagonist, who had been so kind to him. But that wasn’t the truth. In reality, there was already a shady connection between Yoon Taeo and the Vice Minister of Culture. And Yoon Taeo had been accommodating the minister’s demands for some time, but three days ago, he finally snapped earlier than he did in the original.

“...Nothing happened, right?”

I’m so ashamed. For showing you that side of me....

Simply put, Yoon Taeo had a way to secure the casino permit from the beginning. I don’t know why he left it to me to handle, but ultimately, he would’ve gotten it one way or another — through threats or bribery. He already had plenty of leverage against the Vice Minister. For example, Gyuil’s fraudulent employment was one such weakness.

“Anyone would react that way in front of the CEO.”

I didn’t feel like criticizing Gyuil. After all, he might not have known about his father’s dealings with Yoon Taeo. And it wasn’t like I’d been showing Gyuil pure, altruistic kindness either.

“It’s time to come back to work. Like I said, we don’t do resignations here.”

Can I really come back...?

Well. I couldn’t give him a clear answer. Considering how unhinged Yoon Taeo had been last time, he might very well snap Gyuil’s neck the next time he saw him.

“Well, the work got done, so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about....”

Now that the casino permit was secured, Yoon Taeo probably wouldn’t care about some new hire anymore.

“If you don’t want to stay in the secretary team, I can talk to HR and get you transferred to another team. I’ll do my best.”

No matter what else, the poor chick still needed to make a living. He sounded like he genuinely wanted to come back to work, so this was the best I could offer. If he transferred, he’d have far fewer chances of running into Yoon Taeo.

We kept talking for a while until I was about to hang up.

Bang!

A loud crash echoed from outside the front door. The place was so small that the sound felt even louder. Startled, I ended the call and moved toward the door.

Before I could even register what was happening, another deafening crash rang through the room. This time, the doorknob clattered to the floor.

What the hell...? What’s going on...?

Before I could fully process the situation, the rusty hinges creaked, and the door slowly swung open. Standing in the doorway was—

“You’re not on the boat yet, huh.”

A madman holding a hammer as thick as my forearm.

Panting heavily, eyes dark and wild, it was none other than Yoon Taeo.