#106

Ah, it finally came out.

I shook my head at Secretary Sung Yoojun’s comment that I was cute. Ever since the day I was sick, he’d been saying that more and more frequently.

Of course, knowing Secretary Sung Yoojun, he probably wasn’t being sarcastic—he genuinely thought I was cute. But still, because of my cold appearance, it was a word I hadn’t heard often, and hearing it so directly and repeatedly now made me feel a little self-conscious.

“It probably only looks that way to you.”

“I’m sure Dr. Kang sees it that way, too.”

“He’s a special case. Probably because he’s been our family’s doctor since I was a kid, so he sees me more like a son. That’s why I seem cute to him.”

“Well…… I must say I disagree with that opinion.”

At Secretary Sung Yoojun’s sly denial, I narrowed my eyes and stared at him intently. He didn’t back down and met my gaze evenly. In the end, the one to surrender in this sudden staring contest was me.

“Fine. Do whatever you want. If you want to say it, say it.”

“Yes. I’ll be sure to say it plenty.”

He just never lets me have the last word. Feeling grumpy, I buried my face in the documents on my desk. Then I heard Sung Yoojun let out a low chuckle in his throat.

I didn’t need to look up to know he was watching me with that affectionate but mischievous gaze of his. But this was precisely the kind of situation where you absolutely shouldn’t look up. If I did, it would only trigger another round of his teasing.

While I put all my hard-earned people skills to good use, diligently reading through the documents, Sung Yoojun suddenly spoke up.

“Ah, look at the time. I should be going now.”

It was only after I heard the regret in Sung Yoojun’s voice that I lifted my head from the documents.

“Where are you off to this time?”

Though he wasn’t as swamped as he’d been during the early album production days, Sung Yoojun was still busy. Yet even so, he found time to drop by the president’s office several times a day to chat with me for a bit. And Manager Ahn Siwon and Tartarus were the same—they’d quietly stop by when they had a free moment to check in on me.

I knew why they did that. They were probably worried I might collapse again like before. That incident must have been quite a shock to everyone.

It hadn’t been because I was unwell; there were simply unavoidable circumstances that day…… But I had a feeling no one would believe me even if I explained. Plus, according to Jung Hosu, the more I insisted I was fine, the more worried everyone became. So I’d decided not to say anything at all about it this time.

In the end, caught between a rock and a hard place, I decided the best option was simply to not turn anyone away until they felt reassured. If they kept seeing me looking healthy, they’d eventually feel at ease, at least, I hoped so.

“We’ve finished the jacket shoot and finalized the design, so I’m planning to visit the factory we’ll be placing the order with.”

“Where was the factory again? Namyangju?”

“Yes.”

At Secretary Sung Yoojun’s calm reply, I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. Lunchtime had long since passed, and it was already well past 3 p.m. It would take a little over an hour to drive from Seoul to Namyangju, so it was certain that Sung Yoojun would be getting home late again today.

“Should I skip eating and wait for you? Want to eat together?”

“No, please eat first. If you wait without eating just for me, I’ll be happy, but at the same time, I’d be too worried, so please don’t.”

“I won’t die from eating a bit late just for one day.”

“I’ll die. From worrying.”

I gave Sung Yoojun a frosty look as he made such nonsense remarks with a completely serious expression. In response, he lifted the corners of his mouth into a mischievous smile.

“That’s why you must eat first.”

“Sure. Even if you tell me to wait, I’ll definitely eat first.”

Annoyed by how he teased me to the very end, I emphasized every single word in my response. Secretary Sung Yoojun looked absolutely delighted. I knew he was truly a good person and someone who cared about me more than anyone else, but that didn’t change the fact that he was unbearably annoying when he teased me—I could almost bite him in frustration.

As I was making a bitter face thinking that, Sung Yoojun suddenly reached out his hand toward my face. I didn’t dodge, and soon enough, his hand touched my cheek.

“Looks like I’ve teased you too much today.”

“It’s too late to say that in a sweet voice now.”

“Have I already hurt your feelings beyond repair?”

His palm firmly cupping my cheek, Sung Yoojun asked.

It was amusing how confidently he asked if I was hurt, all the while fully certain that there was no way I could be. In the end, I couldn’t help but ease my sulky expression and let out a short laugh.

“I’m not upset, so go on now. Drive safely.”

“Understood. I’ll go and come back as carefully and quickly as I can.”

With that, Secretary Sung Yoojun gently withdrew the hand that had been on my cheek. Then he bent down and gave me a slight bow before walking out of the president’s office.

I stared at the door he had disappeared through, then slowly raised a hand and brought it to my cheek. It still felt like his warmth lingered there. As his hand had pulled away earlier, his fingers had lightly brushed against my skin, and that sensation left a strange feeling behind.

What is this? I pondered for a moment, trying to figure out the nature of this undefinable emotion. Then I shook my head, brushing the thought away. It somehow felt like thinking any deeper would be a mistake. That if I realized the reason behind it, something would change irreversibly.

……Back to work. Reaching a half-escapist conclusion, I lowered my hand from my cheek and began thoroughly reading through the corruption documents on Rep. Oh Hahyun. Work really was the best when you wanted to avoid thinking. Before long, I was completely focused on the documents, having neatly forgotten the thoughts I had just been wrestling with.

***

Since Secretary Sung Yoojun wasn’t around, it was naturally up to the other secretary, Jung Minjae, to drive me home. After he dropped me off at the gate, I told him to return safely, then leisurely made my way toward the house.

I opened the front gate, walked across the spacious garden, and arrived at the front door. Just as I opened the door, I paused for a moment, sensing the presence of someone inside the house.

Strange. Sung Yoojun was supposed to be late today, and both Tartarus and Manager Ahn Siwon had said they’d be late due to the music video shoot. And the housekeeper usually heads over to the staff quarters once her work is done, rather than staying in the main building.

Still standing in the entryway with my shoes on, I wondered who could be inside. Then I heard someone coming down the stairs from the second floor.

“President? You’re home?”

At the familiar voice, I stopped thinking and turned toward the staircase. There stood Nam Yisol, approaching me with a bright smile on his face.

“Yisol-ssi? Why are you here? What about the music video shoot?”

Earlier in the day, Manager Ahn Siwon had texted that there were some issues and filming might run late. But here Nam Yisol was, already home, contrary to that message. I asked, puzzled, and Nam Yisol hesitated a bit before answering.

“There was a bit of a problem at the shoot. The remaining scenes will be filmed tomorrow instead.”

“A problem?”

“Well……”

For some reason, Nam Yisol fumbled, unable to answer my question directly.

There must be something going on. I thought as much as I took off my shoes and stepped into the living room. Then Nam Yisol quickly followed after me and held out his hands.

“Here, let me take your coat.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I can do it myself.”

“I want to. Please, give it to me.”

At Nam Yisol’s words, I looked at him with a mildly troubled expression for a moment before letting out a small sigh and taking off my coat and jacket. I handed them over to him.

“I’ll put these away right away!”

Humming a little tune, Nam Yisol made his way to the clothing care machine in one corner of the living room. I quietly watched his back as he walked away, then awkwardly scratched the back of my neck with my palm. Letting someone else take care of my clothes still felt strange to me.

“President! You’re back.”

“Manager Ahn.”

At the voice coming from the stairs, I lowered my hand from my neck and looked toward the sound. There, just descending the stairs, was Manager Ahn Siwon.

“What about Secretary Sung?”

“He went to the factory in Namyangju. He’ll probably be back late.”

“Busy again today, huh, Secretary Sung.”

I nodded in agreement at Manager Ahn Siwon’s comment. Then I asked him about the issue at the filming site that Nam Yisol had briefly mentioned earlier.

“Now that I think about it, I heard there was some issue at the shoot today.”

“Ah……”

At the casually asked question, Manager Ahn Siwon rolled his eyes with an awkward expression.

What’s that? That subtle reaction? I stared at him intently, silently urging him to spill everything. Even though I didn’t say a word, just quietly looked at him, Ahn Siwon was already breaking into a cold sweat.