Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 9

“President.”

Before I could fully process what Yoon Taeo said, Security Team 3, who had gone out to deal with Kim Daehyun, returned. Maybe the rest of them were waiting outside, because only Kang Seokho entered the house. The man with tattoos creepy just to look at acted completely different from earlier, now facing Yoon Taeo with a wholly different attitude.

“You’re late. Does it really take that long to deal with a fucker like that?”

“...Apologies. It took some time to get rid of him without leaving a trace...”

“You cleaned it up properly, right.”

“Yes. There won’t be a trace of Kim Daehyun in any kind of record.”

Kang Seokho, without a hint of playfulness, felt like a completely different person. He was literally like the head of a professional assassination squad. The captain of Security Team 3, who wouldn’t tolerate even a hairline mistake.

“Clean up Secretary Team 2, too.”

Even someone like Kang Seokho couldn’t answer right away to that.

“President... That’s Security Team 2.”

“Right, Security Team 2.”

As I gently added in my comment, Secretary Team 2 was swiftly corrected to Security Team 2. Secretary Team 2 almost got wiped out for no reason.

“But didn’t Secretary Team 2 also do a sloppy job?”

“...That’s...”

“If they’d properly booked the restaurant in the first place, none of that would’ve happened.”

“You... have a point, but...”

Then who’s supposed to do all the work, you bastard. Killing someone is easy, but do you know how hard it is to actually find one?

“...I’ll report to the Head Secretary that the Team 2 Leader should be disciplined.”

“Do as you like.”

I’m really working overtime today. If I left it alone, he might have sent Kang Seokho to slit his throat, so I covered for the Team 2 Leader so he’d at least receive a disciplinary action that allows him to stay employed. I mean... if he quits, obviously that work’ll fall to me instead. Just being rational.

“I need to wash up. Being in such a filthy place after so long makes my skin crawl.”

“Yes, President.”

Only when Yoon Taeo went into the bathroom did I feel like I could finally breathe properly.

“Haah... Team Leader Baek, what the hell is wrong with you...”

“What did I do.”

Even Kang Seokho now whined in his usual half-joking tone.

“How could you go in there alone!”

“What was I supposed to do... He could’ve run off. And you said he looked fragile from the background check, right? What part of that guy is fragile? You didn’t see him going nuts with a knife, that’s why.”

“Thanks to you, even I’m... haah...”

Did something happen...? Kang Seokho, who treats slitting a person’s throat like swatting a fly, shook his head rapidly like trying to shake off an unpleasant memory.

“Whatever. Why’d he ask you to bring this?”

“Oh, you brought it. Do you know how much this thing costs? Gotta either fix it or resell it.”

“If the President finds out, we’re dead. I don’t know anything about this.”

He placed the broken, blood-splattered watch into my hand. No matter how fucked the situation is, or how much I hate someone, what did the poor luxury item ever do. And considering Kim Daehyun even shook me down, I might as well hang on to this at least.

“Secretary Kim!”

Then suddenly, a loud yell erupted from inside the bathroom. Both I and Kang Seokho instinctively ran in. I didn’t know what it was, but it had to be something serious. We exchanged glances as Kang Seokho slipped into combat mode and took the lead, and I followed right behind him.

“What the hell is this. Are you protesting at me or something?”

“Th-this is...?”

On top of the natural Italian-imported marble sink... there was something that was clearly made of towels—a goddamn elephant. With a pretty red flower stuck in its ear. Was it a bomb? An intruder? No way something like that should be in this house... Wait a second.

“Oh, President. I made that. Learned it back at a hotel in Thailand. Thought I’d do a fancy little interior piece.”

Kang Seokho spoke in a rather proud tone.

“I even lit a Sweet Dream candle in the bedroom so you could rest well.”

Is this guy... just completely lacking in awareness? Couldn’t he see how Yoon Taeo’s face was contorting in real time? Yet there he was, proudly confessing the mistake he and his subordinates had made.

“Secretary Kim.”

“Yes, President...”

“Ban him from my house. From now on.”

“Understood. Let’s go, Team Leader Kang.”

I dragged Kang Seokho out by the arm, towel-elephant with the flower in hand. I threw the candle, the towel elephant, and Kang Seokho out as a set. This is my sin. My mistake for even briefly entrusting those brutes with housework.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Fucking hell! Bastard...! Goddamn piece of shit...!”

The curses spill out automatically. They have to. Because I’m basically imprisoned right now.

“What kind of probation is this? This is just captivity!”

Yoon Taeo had definitely said I was under ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) probation. Until the wounds healed. But the condition attached afterward was the real kicker. I had to serve my probation at his house, not mine. Fortunately, the wounds weren’t that bad. I could move my arms and legs fine, and though the neck wound might scar, it wasn’t serious.

“Fuck...!”

At first, I thought it was great. I mean, in a huge, nice house like this, I could cook amazing food, binge-watch dramas, and rest—who cares if it’s probation, right? But there was a problem.

“How many goddamn outfits does this crazy bastard wear in a day?”

Secretary Team 1 still consisted of just me. In other words... there was no one else to handle housework but me. At the very least, if he was going to suspend me from work for probation, shouldn’t he assign a replacement? But not a single employee came by the house. According to Secretary Team 2’s leader, there was “no special order.”

So my daily routine hadn’t changed at all. I still did the laundry, cleaned, cooked. Maintaining this huge house still fell on me. He could call it probation all he wanted, but if I don’t get paid properly, we’re meeting at the labor board, you bastard.

While I was deep in my usual solo session of cursing out Yoon Taeo, a long buzz vibrated from my pocket. I checked the caller... and got a bad feeling. Secretary Team 3’s leader. The senior secretary who oversees all the teams—a seasoned old man. One of Yoon Taeo’s closest aides.

“Yes, Team Leader.”

—Baek, we’ve got a big problem.

Ah, so the predictable mess is happening now.

“Uh... I’m under probation, sir...”

—I know. But we don’t have time for that right now.

“What is it...?”

If it’s something serious enough to ignore even Yoon Taeo’s orders, then I really don’t want to know.

—The leader of Secretary Team 2 ran away.

Why is everyone like this... Why does someone have to run away every goddamn day...? I’m the one who wants to run.

❖ ❖ ❖

“The President’s in a senior staff meeting, so we don’t have much time.”

A large conference room. All the remaining secretaries were gathered. Normally, there should’ve been almost twenty-five of us, but now only fourteen remained. Secretary Team 1 was totally wrecked—I was the only one left—and Secretary Team 2 lost a member yesterday over the incident. I didn’t care whether he was dead or alive.

“Why did Team Leader 2 run away?”

“He says he resigned, but...”

The voice of the Team 3 Leader, seated at the head of the table, came out steeped in a deep sigh.

“As you all know, we don’t have a ‘resignation’ policy.”

His next words brought a heavy silence to the meeting room.

“We offer treatment befitting the position, and it’s also a matter of confidentiality. That’s why, until now, our MK Capital secretary teams have had a 0% resignation rate.”

Right, because they all fucking die before they can quit. He was explaining it in a nice tone, but Team 3 Leader’s words were clear as a threat. Don’t get any dumb ideas.

“He seems to be trying to flee overseas, but Security Team will probably catch him soon.”

“Then... doesn’t that mean there’s no problem?”

“Do you think the President would keep someone who’s already betrayed him close, Team Leader Baek?”

...If Yoon Taeo already knows, then the Team 2 Leader’s fate is pathetically easy to predict.

“So we’ll need to reassign tasks. Team 1’s been wiped out as well.”

“Thank you, Team Leader.”

Finally, I was getting out of managing that massive house all alone with no team members. Just earlier, I’d been at my wit’s end over Team 2 Leader’s disappearance, but now that I looked at it, this was a good thing for me. It finally triggered the staff support I’d been begging the company for.

“Team Leader Baek Si-eon.”

“Yes, I think about five assistants should be enough...”

“Continue handling Secretary Team 1’s work alone.”

“...Excuse me?”

I’d assumed it would be about staffing, so I couldn’t comprehend what just came out of the Chief Secretary’s mouth.

“Did anything happen a few days ago at the President’s house?”

“...Something happen...?”

“The President was quite upset. Said from now on, no other secretaries are to be allowed into his house—only ‘Secretary Kim.’”

Ah! Kang Seokho...! It was the goddamn elephant. And probably the sickly-sweet scent of that candle filling Taeo’s room didn’t help either. That evening, Yoon Taeo ended up sleeping in a different room, and I spent the night running an air purifier trying to get the smell out.

“...Haa, understood...”

What else could I do. I had to follow orders. And it was a direct order from Yoon Taeo—what was I supposed to say? Besides, I’d already been handling things alone for weeks now. It was just a return to the status quo.

“And from now on, you’ll commute with the President.”

“...Sorry? Me? With him?”

“Or should I handle Team 2 Leader’s responsibilities as well, Team Leader Baek Si-eon?”

Team 3 Leader was said to have served Yoon Taeo for a long time. One of the trusted few who’d been with him since the beginning of the company... Of course, I knew full well that he was a black-hearted old bastard, but this wasn’t the time to show it. If anything, it was time to avoid landing on his bad side.

“Still... I heard Team 2 had quite a few members.”

“If I was going to just assign any random team member, why would I put you in that spot, Team Leader Baek Si-eon?”

This is why being too good at your job is a problem. I had to work way harder than anyone else just to obsessively hide the fact that I’m an Omega. I basically poured my soul into the work. Well... that was the old Baek Si-eon. Why the hell did he work so hard, anyway...

“...Understood.”

“In return, I’ll make sure your salary’s bumped up. So from now on, escort the President at work too.”

“Then... what about going home...?”

“Rest well during vacation.”

Bullshit. I’ve never seen a single secretary in this team actually use their vacation days.

“I don’t think I’ll even have time to sleep...”

“Team Leader Baek.”

“...Yes?”

Team 3 Leader looked me straight in the eyes, as if making sure I really understood him, and smiled gently.

“You can sleep when you’re dead. Who knows how long you’ll even live, anyway.”

You know the saying—birds of a feather. Yoon Taeo, Kang Seokho, and this old man. Seriously... what a perfectly fucked-up trio. It’s terrifying how fast you go bad around here.

“R-right... Of course...”

Somehow, I’d ended up second-in-command of the secretary teams, but I didn’t feel even a shred of happiness about it.

And just like that, I became bound to Yoon Taeo twenty-four hours a day. At work, and at home.

Where is my house, again...? Wait—did I even have one...?