#65

I was momentarily lost in deep thought when Sung Yoojun’s question suddenly pulled me back to reality. Seeing my dazed reaction, he seemed to assume that I hadn’t heard him, so he repeated the same question once more.

“What kind of stories did you write, sir?”

What kind of stories……? How was I supposed to explain this? I rubbed my chin lightly with my index finger, pondering for a moment before slowly opening my mouth.

“Just…… stories about people living their lives.”

“Stories about people living their lives?”

“Yes. Other than that, I don’t really know how to describe it.” 

Saying that, I scratched my cheek awkwardly. Talking about my own writing directly felt somewhat embarrassing.

“I would love to read it. Is there no copy of it here?”

“Of course not. This isn’t the place I used to live. There’s no way a book I wrote back there would exist here.”

“That’s quite a shame. They say that you can understand a writer’s inner self through their writing, but unfortunately, I’ve lost that opportunity.”

Hearing the genuine regret in Sung Yoojun’s voice, I glanced sideways before cautiously speaking.

“……But you already know me well enough, Secretary Sung, don’t you?”

He could already tell what I was thinking just by looking at my face. That alone meant he knew me pretty well, didn’t it? Besides, in this world, he was the only person who knew about my secret.

“Other than my younger sister, you might just be the person who knows me best in the whole world.” 

Though I wasn’t entirely sure, I said it with as much certainty as I could.

At that, Sung Yoojun looked at me with surprised eyes before breaking into a smile—one that was incredibly soft and full of joy. I had seen him smile plenty of times before, but never like this. For a moment, I could only stare at his expression, momentarily dazed.

“Really?”

“Huh? Ah…… Yes. Of course. I mean it.”

Startled by the voice filled with unrestrained joy, I quickly pulled myself together and nodded. Sung Yoojun, still unable to wipe the smile off his face, spoke with an excited air.

“Thank you for saying that. It truly makes me happy.”

“It’s nothing, really……”

Seeing him act as if he had been given the whole world over just a few words, I let out a small cough and shifted my gaze elsewhere. What was this? Why did I feel so strange? Trying to clear my oddly muddled thoughts, my eyes wandered around until they landed on the neatly placed madeleines on the table.

“Oh, right. Yisol-ssi brought some madeleines earlier. Would you like to try some? They’re from a place known for their delicious pastries.”

“That sounds good. I’ll prepare some tea to go with them.”

I figured there was nothing better than food to shift the mood, and thankfully, Sung Yoojun followed along with my suggestion without hesitation.

He stepped out of the office to prepare the tea. Only after the door closed behind him and his presence completely disappeared did I finally let out a deep, quiet breath. As the strange queasiness in my stomach persisted since seeing his smile, I pressed a cautious hand against my abdomen in confusion.

“……Did I get indigestion?”

But I didn’t think I’d eaten anything bad today. I retraced everything I had eaten throughout the day while rubbing slow circles over my stomach. With my shirt, vest, and jacket all layered on, I couldn’t really feel my body heat, but somehow, the motion itself seemed to help settle my unease.

Since I wasn’t sure whether I was actually experiencing indigestion, taking medicine felt unnecessary…… After a brief moment of contemplation, I decided to simply continue rubbing my stomach in slow circles until Sung Yoojun returned with the tea.

***

“Are you really okay?”

“I’m really fine. I told you, it wasn’t that bad.”

How many times had I heard this question already? It must have been more than ten times by now. I answered with a weary expression, but Sung Yoojun completely ignored my look and spoke again.

“If you’re not feeling well, you can cancel your appointment at any time and go home.”

“I’m not so shameless as to cancel an appointment five minutes before the scheduled time without any prior notice.”

I let out a deep sigh as I spoke in a tired voice. We had arrived at the traditional Korean restaurant for my dinner appointment with Rep. Oh Hahyun more than 10 minutes ago, yet I was still stuck in the car, caught up in this back-and-forth with Sung Yoojun.

The cause of this frustrating situation had started hours earlier when Sung Yoojun had walked into my office with tea, only to find me pressing my stomach with a serious expression.

The moment he saw me, his face was filled with concern as he quickly approached and asked if I was in pain. I had simply said that I felt a bit dizzy and nauseous, yet he immediately started treating me as if I were a seriously ill patient.

When he insisted that we go to the hospital, I refused, saying it wasn’t necessary. In response, he stationed himself in my office, made me lie down on the sofa, and handled my work in my place. Whenever I so much as tried to sit up, he would rush over to support me.

And despite having said earlier in the day that I would be working late and that Secretary Jung Minjae would be the one driving me home, it was Sung Yoojun who was sitting in the driver’s seat when I left the office.

The entire ride to the restaurant—and even after we had arrived—he continued trying to convince me to go home instead.

Seeing that he still didn’t believe me even though I repeatedly told him I was fine, I shook my head and stepped out of the car. Any more delay, and I’d be late. Rep. Oh Hahyun was an uncomfortable person for me to deal with, but that didn’t mean I was going to be rude by arriving late. If anything, it was even more important to be careful not to give such a person any leverage against me.

As I stepped out of the car, it seemed that Sung Yoojun finally gave up on sending me home, as he got out and followed right behind me. Without a word, he stuck close to me as I walked into the restaurant.

Even though he was silent, I could tell from his stiff expression—colder than usual—that he was still very unhappy about the situation. But there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn’t just cancel an appointment on a whim without a valid reason.

“Don’t make that face. I’m really fine.”

“But you said you were feeling unwell. This is the first time you’ve ever directly said that you’re not in good condition.”

……Had I? As I tried to recall if that was true, Sung Yoojun continued in a firm voice.

“Someone who always insists they’re fine suddenly says they’re not feeling well—how could I not be worried?”

Hearing him say that, I started to feel like he had a point. I pressed my lips into a thin line, unsure of how to respond.

“……But I really am okay. It wasn’t that bad, and it passed quickly. Besides, thanks to you, I was able to rest the whole time.”

I couldn’t help but speak in a soothing tone, feeling both grateful and guilty that he was paying such close attention to my condition. The moment the words left my mouth, I inwardly winced, but fortunately, Sung Yoojun didn’t seem to pay much attention to my tone. He simply continued to wear a sullen expression, as if still displeased that he hadn’t been able to make me rest.

It seemed like it would take a while for his mood to improve…… Would he feel a little better by the time I finished my dinner with Rep. Oh Hahyun? That was all I could hope for at this point.

Just as I was thinking that, I pushed open the restaurant door—only to spot a familiar face inside.

“……Gaon-ssi? Daon-ssi?”

Hearing my surprised call, Lee Gaon and Lee Daon turned toward me. Their eyes widened in shock upon seeing me and Sung Yoojun standing at the entrance.

“President……? And Secretary Sung……?”

Hearing Lee Gaon mutter in a daze, I quickly strode toward them.

What are these kids doing here? Of course, Lee Gaon and Lee Daon were free to go wherever they pleased, but at this moment, their presence here was extremely inconvenient. Because soon……

“Oh my, my sons are here?”

……Their mother, Rep. Oh Hahyun, was about to arrive.

At the eerily well-timed voice, I slowly turned around. Sure enough, standing at the restaurant entrance was a middle-aged woman who bore a resemblance to Lee Gaon and Lee Daon, though with a gentler impression.

I didn’t even need to ask—this had to be Rep. Oh Hahyun. I had hoped Lee Gaon and Lee Daon wouldn’t find out that I was meeting her, but it seemed that plan had just gone up in smoke.

Suppressing an exasperated sigh, I watched as Rep. Oh Hahyun approached with a bright expression.

“You’re here as well, Chairman.”

“……Yes. It’s been a while, Rep. Oh.”

“It has, hasn’t it? About two years?”

“I believe so.”

As I exchanged formal pleasantries with the ever-smiling Rep. Oh Hahyun, I suddenly felt a piercing gaze from the side. It was coming from the direction where Lee Gaon and Lee Daon stood.

Seizing the opportunity while Rep. Oh greeted Sung Yoojun, I discreetly shifted my gaze to the side.

And that’s when I saw Lee Daon staring at me with eyes filled with betrayal and resentment as if I had just committed the ultimate treachery. The look in his eyes startled me more than I expected.