#124

After finishing the call, I spoke while looking at Secretary Jung Minjae, who had returned with a stiff face. He slightly shook Lee Gaon’s smartphone in his hand and began speaking.

“Gaon-ssi. I’m sorry, but could I borrow this for a bit longer? I’ve told the company to bring a new smartphone, but since it’s quite far, it’ll probably take about 30 minutes.”

“Of course. Feel free to use it.”

“Thank you very much.”

Secretary Jung Minjae, bowing deeply in gratitude for Lee Gaon’s kindness, then started walking toward the front door. It seemed like he was planning to go out into the quiet outside. However, I couldn’t let someone who had been in an accident go out into the cold, so I stopped him.

“Secretary Jung, just use my room.”

“Huh? But……”

“It’s fine, just use it comfortably.”

I spoke with a tone that clearly conveyed I wouldn’t change my mind, and after hesitating for a moment, Jung Minjae finally headed to my room. Once I confirmed he had entered the room, I let out a soft sigh and gestured to Cheon, who was standing next to me.

“Sit down, Cheon.”

“And you?”

“I’ll sit too.”

I answered Cheon in a voice tinged with fatigue, then gently patted Lee Daon’s shoulder, who was still clinging to me. When Lee Daon sensed what I wanted, he slowly detached himself from me. I quietly smiled at his pouty face and gently patted his head.

“Daon-ssi, sit down. Everyone else, too.”

At my calm suggestion, Tartarus started heading toward the sofa one by one. After confirming that Lee Daon had sat down as well, I turned to look at Cheon, who was still standing next to me. She briefly glanced at Tartarus sitting together on the sofa, then immediately headed toward the single-seat sofa that had always been my designated seat.

“Huh? That’s the president’s seat……”

Before Yoo Euiseo could finish his surprised words, the sound of someone sitting down echoed. Cheon, in a very comfortable posture, crossed her legs and threw me a glance.

Her eyes seemed to ask, ‘Is it not okay to sit here?’ so I gently shook my head.

“Just sit down. My seat is your seat.”

Given Cheon’s shy nature, I imagined that sitting on the same sofa as Tartarus, whom she had just met today, might have felt uncomfortable for her. I lightly guessed why Cheon had acted that way, then walked toward the multi-seat sofa where Jung Hosu and Nam Yisol were sitting.

Once I sat down on the sofa, a quiet silence fell over the living room.

There was no reason for Cheon to speak, of course, and neither was there anything more for me to say. Tartarus, who was cautiously observing the situation, also kept silent.

As I glanced around at the uncomfortable atmosphere between the people in the room, I eventually noticed Cheon’s hand, which was quietly resting on her thighs, entwined together. I then opened my mouth quietly.

“Are you still cold?”

“A little.”

Although we had been inside the warm room for quite a while, Cheon’s fingers were still pale. As I looked at her fingers with concern, she replied with a neutral affirmation.

“Would you like some warm tea?”

After a brief moment of hesitation, Cheon slowly nodded.

“What kind of tea?”

“Coffee.”

Coffee? At this time? I checked the clock on the wall in the living room and gently lifted the corners of my mouth.

“So, our Cheon wants cocoa? Okay, I got it. I’ll make you some delicious cocoa.”

“No, when did I say that? I asked for coffee, not cocoa.”

“What do you mean, coffee at this hour? It will disturb your sleep. Have some cocoa instead.”

At my firm refusal, Cheon furrowed her eyebrows in dissatisfaction. I ignored her intense gaze as she glared at me and stood up from the sofa.

“Ah, would anyone else like some?”

I asked, glancing around at the people sitting on the sofa. Everyone responded affirmatively. Since everyone wanted some, including Secretary Jung Minjae and me, that makes 8 cups. I calculated the number of cocoa cups I needed to make in my head as I walked toward the kitchen, but I soon noticed someone following me.

I turned around to see Lee Gaon trailing behind me, though I hadn’t noticed when he had gotten up from his seat.

“Gaon-ssi?”

He spoke with an awkward expression at my questioning tone.

“I thought I might help since there’s a lot to make.”

Seeing Lee Gaon glance at me as if checking whether it was okay, I chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle his neatly styled hair. I moved my hand a couple of times, making it a bit messy.

“Thank you. Then I’ll leave it to you.”

He was such a kind kid. I decided to accept his offer of help gratefully and continued walking toward the kitchen.

With both of us working together, making the cocoa was completed quickly. We divided the finished cocoa into four cups each and carried them back on a tray to distribute to Cheon and Tartarus, who were sitting in the living room.

“I’ll bring this to Secretary Jung Minjae.”

“Okay, thank you.”

After seeing Lee Gaon head toward my room with the last remaining cup, I sat back down on the sofa. I began blowing on the hot cocoa to cool it down, but suddenly a loud noise came from the entrance.

“President!”

A voice, frantic and desperate, one I had never heard before.

The moment I heard that voice, I nearly threw the cocoa I was holding onto the table and immediately stood up. The front door swung open, and Secretary Sung Yoojun, looking completely disheveled, rushed into the house. It was a stark contrast to his usual neat appearance.

“Secretary Sung.”

Seeing him in that state, all I could manage was that one phrase. Secretary Sung Yoojun’s gaze immediately locked onto mine. He was breathing heavily, showing how urgently he had arrived. I lowered my eyebrows in concern and quickly walked toward him.

“Secretary Sung.”

With only two steps remaining, I stopped in front of Sung Yoojun and called him once more. At that moment, Sung Yoojun, who had been staring at me silently with his lips tightly sealed, moved.

In the blink of an eye, my wrist was caught, and before I knew it, I was already in his arms. Despite the chilly weather, Sung Yoojun’s body was radiating intense warmth, and I wrapped my arms around him, tightening my grip.

As I squeezed the arm holding me, Secretary Sung Yoojun responded by tightening his hold on me as well. For a brief moment, we embraced, sharing our body heat, before we slowly pulled apart with a small sigh.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Of course.”

With a voice softer than usual, I answered firmly to reassure him. However, Sung Yoojun, as if needing to see for himself to feel at ease, held onto both my arms and began inspecting me with serious eyes.

“……”

After thoroughly checking me from head to toe, Sung Yoojun finally spotted a small scratch I hadn’t even noticed. His gaze lingered on it as if it were a grave injury, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction.

“I’m really fine.”

At my lightly amused words, Secretary Sung Yoojun rolled his eyes and looked at my face. He fell silent for a moment, as if evaluating the truth of my statement, before exhaling softly and speaking.

“I’m relieved. I’m glad you’re safe, sir.”

Seeing the genuine relief on his face, I softly curved my eyes into a smile.

“As for what happened…… It’s probably better to leave that for later. I’ll help with sorting out the situation first. Where is Secretary Jung?”

“He’s in my room.”

At my casual response, Sung Yoojun raised an eyebrow in displeasure. I couldn’t understand why he had that expression, so I tilted my head in confusion.

“Secretary Sung?”

“……Understood. Then, I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”

When I called him with a puzzled tone, Secretary Sung Yoojun, already having composed himself, was back to his usual neutral expression. I watched him walk toward my room and then noticed Cheon sitting on the sofa, looking toward us. I flinched, trembling my fingers.

Suddenly, the conversation I had shared with Secretary Sung Yoojun in the hospital came to mind.

He was one of the few who knew that I came from another world, and he had witnessed my pain over Cheon’s death.

“Good evening, Director.”

However, now he seemed completely unfazed by Cheon’s being alive and here. My fists clenched as I watched Secretary Sung walk into my room.

……It felt strange. No, to be honest, it felt disgusting. It was as if someone was squeezing the life out of me. I slowly raised my hand and touched my neck. The stiff shirt collar and the slightly cool skin touched by my fingertips.

There was nothing there, so why did it feel like I couldn’t breathe? As I consciously took a deep breath, a clear voice suddenly rang out.

“Oppa.”

It was Cheon’s voice.