The Country Life Diary of a Gangster's Secretary-Chapter 112
Lee Hyuk’s mouth dropped open, stunned. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He felt a mix of emotions but struggled to find the right words.
“So... what did you think we were doing all this time?” he asked, trying to understand.
“Oh, well… I was just thinking…” Hyesung stammered, clearly troubled by the question. The more he hesitated, the more Lee Hyuk’s frustration grew. Hadn’t he already told Hyesung at the hospital that he was his lover? Didn’t he deserve to know about his condition?
And what about last night? They had been so close, wrapped up in each other’s arms. They had hugged and kissed in the morning—wasn’t that something only lovers would do?
“Hyesung… are you still confused?” Lee Hyuk asked, his voice tinged with embarrassment. He grabbed Hyesung’s hands, forcing him to look at him directly.
Hyesung shook his head vigorously. “No, I’m not confused.”
That was a relief. Lee Hyuk let out a short sigh.
“But… you never asked me to be your boyfriend.”
“Huh?” Lee Hyuk was taken aback.
“You… you never asked me to go out with you,” Hyesung said, his voice dropping as he spoke. “When you called me your lover at the hospital… that was the first time I heard it.”
Lee Hyuk finally understood. He had been assuming they were already in a relationship since they had confirmed their feelings for each other and were acting like lovers. But Hyesung needed something more concrete—a formal acknowledgment.
Hyesung had been in love with him for six long years, and it seemed that he had become so accustomed to unrequited love that he needed this clear, verbal confirmation. Lee Hyuk realized he had been insensitive.
“I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while, but I could never find the right moment,” Hyesung admitted, his voice full of anxiety.
Lee Hyuk bit his lip, struggling to hold back his emotions. His desire for Hyesung was overwhelming.
“Hyesung,” Lee Hyuk said softly, gently lifting Hyesung’s face. The inside of the car, already warm from being turned off, felt even hotter.
“Would you like to go out with me? I’ll be good to you. I’ll love you so much that you won’t even remember the pain I caused you,” Lee Hyuk whispered, his eyes filled with sincerity.
Hyesung’s large, beautiful eyes trembled with emotion. “Yes, that’s what I want,” he nodded slowly, rubbing his face against Lee Hyuk’s hand. “I’d love that.”
Lee Hyuk couldn’t hold back any longer. He pulled Hyesung close and kissed him deeply. Hyesung’s hands trembled as they wrapped around Lee Hyuk’s neck, pulling him closer.
“Hyesung,” Lee Hyuk murmured as their lips parted, a thin string of saliva connecting them. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks as his desire for Hyesung grew stronger. “Let’s go home.”
“Yes,” Hyesung agreed.
The inside of the car was too stuffy and cramped for what they wanted. Holding each other’s hands, they headed into the house.
The next day, when Lee Hyuk arrived at work, Secretary Yoo asked, “Chief, are you feeling well?”
Lee Hyuk was momentarily flustered, remembering that he had skipped work the previous day, but quickly masked his expression. “Yes, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.”
Even though he felt a little guilty, he couldn’t exactly say that he had skipped work to take care of his sick lover.
“If you’re not feeling well, please let me know. Your health is more important than work,” Secretary Yoo advised, adjusting her glasses. The concern in her voice reminded Lee Hyuk of Hyesung.
“But I’ll need to attend the meeting that I postponed,” Lee Hyuk said, shifting focus.
When he entered the conference room, Sungjin and the other executives stood up to greet him. As soon as Lee Hyuk took his seat, the meeting started smoothly.
Lee Hyuk flipped through the meeting materials, occasionally glancing at his phone under the table. Hyesung still hadn’t responded to the text he had sent that morning. Lee Hyuk figured Hyesung might still be sleeping, exhausted after last night’s intense encounter.
“Sir,” Secretary Yoo whispered, breaking Lee Hyuk’s thoughts. He looked up, realizing that all the executives were watching him. Kang Sungjin frowned, silently asking what was going on.
“Oh, I was just thinking about something else… I’m sorry. Where were we?” Lee Hyuk asked, trying to recover.
The meeting resumed with Secretary Yoo kindly recapping what had been discussed so far.
“Why don’t we use a famous celebrity in this ad? As you can see in the proposal, I’ve listed some candidates—mainly actors and idols who are currently very popular,” Executive Director Choi Sung-chan suggested confidently.
As Choi spoke, the meeting materials showed photos of well-known celebrities.
“Celebrities are used in almost every advertisement these days, so they’re likely to be remembered by people, right?” Choi added.
Several executives nodded in agreement.
“Do we really need to do that?” Lee Hyuk’s voice cut through the room sharply, all traces of distraction gone. The earlier casual atmosphere disappeared.
“As Mr. Choi said, using celebrities in advertisements can certainly generate buzz, but I doubt it will be cost-effective. We’re not a company that sells just anything,” Lee Hyuk asserted.
“Well, that’s true, but these days, social media is all about promotion and advertising. We might fall behind if we don’t keep up,” Choi countered, smiling awkwardly as he tried to defend his point.
“Just because we don’t use celebrities doesn’t mean we can’t attract customers. It’s not that I’m against promotion; I just think it’s foolish to overspend,” Lee Hyuk said firmly.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense. Lee Hyuk wasn’t typically confrontational, but when he pointed out issues, he did so with determination and a keen sense of judgment.
No one dared to disagree with him. The charisma and authority that Lee Hyuk exuded were extraordinary.
This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.
“Secretary Yoo, contact the PR department and ask them to revise the proposal,” Lee Hyuk instructed.
“Yes, sir,” Secretary Yoo replied.
“We’ll discuss this issue again once the PR department has made the necessary adjustments,” Lee Hyuk concluded, slowly standing up. As the CEO left the room, the other executives quickly dispersed, relieved to escape the tense atmosphere.
“Director… aren’t you going?” Choi’s assistant asked, noticing that Choi was still sitting there, looking frustrated.
“Oh, if I want to use it, I’ll use it. Why is he so sensitive about an advertisement?” Choi muttered under his breath, his expression changing dramatically once Lee Hyuk was gone. The plan he had confidently pushed was now worthless, and his face burned with shame and anger.
“Anyway, I got a call from Saebom Entertainment this morning. They asked if I could confirm that we’ll be using their talents…”
“What’s the rush? Tell them to wait! And don’t report this to me again!” Choi snapped, crumpling the proposal in frustration. The ad campaign had been one of his ambitious projects, but Lee Hyuk had shut it down instantly.
“Yes, understood,” Choi’s assistant replied, sensing Choi’s anger and trying to stay out of his way.
Choi sighed in frustration, glaring at the spot where Lee Hyuk had been sitting moments earlier. He muttered bitterly, “That gangster is holding me back, making it difficult to get ahead…”
Just then, Choi’s cell phone rang. He checked the screen, and his expression changed strangely as he answered the call.
