#52

As I spoke in a calm voice, I lowered my gaze. Immediately, I saw a pair of tailored suit pants made of what was undoubtedly a luxurious fabric. Slowly, I reached out and brushed my fingers over the fabric. A soft texture met my fingertips.

“But you know, Secretary Sung, even if others think that way, I believe it’s not so bad to have at least one person like me in someone’s life.”

“……Excuse me?”

“Think about it. When someone is so exhausted and in so much pain that they start wondering if it’d be better to just give up on everything—what if, as if by magic, someone appeared at that moment? Someone who understands their struggles, tends to their wounds, and helps them navigate through difficult times…… Wouldn’t it be nice to have at least one person like that? When I was struggling, I wished I had someone like that.”

Sung Yoojun’s expression was one of puzzlement, as if he couldn’t quite grasp what I was saying. Seeing his reaction, I playfully curled my eyes into a smile.

“……Are you saying that, for Tartarus, you are that person?”

“Who knows…… I just think it would be nice if that were the case. If I had to define it, I’d say it’s simply my personal wish.”

“You gain absolutely nothing from this. No—if anything, you’re taking a loss.”

“If you expect something in return when you show kindness, then it’s not really kindness anymore, is it?”

At my softly delivered question, Sung Yoojun pressed his lips together as if sealing them with a zipper. Winning an argument against him wasn’t easy, but I had just managed to do it. I allowed myself a fleeting, trivial thought about that as I continued speaking.

“And it’s not a loss. How could contributing to someone’s happiness be considered a loss? Just seeing those kids grow beyond my protection, stand on their own, and walk forward with their own strength—that alone is more than enough of a reward. In fact, it’s an overwhelming return for what little I’ve done.”

Sung Yoojun remained silent. He simply gazed at me with quiet eyes, scrutinizing me as if searching for something within them. Watching him examine me so intently, I gave a light shrug. At that, he let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“I really can’t tell whether you’re just incredibly kind, unwavering in your beliefs, or simply a fool.”

“If I get to choose, please say I’m unwavering in my beliefs. That one feels the best to hear.”

“You even crack jokes in a situation like this.”

“Why not? There’s no reason not to.”

As I continued to respond to every single one of his remarks, Sung Yoojun’s eyebrow twitched. He looked at me with an expression that screamed, ‘You are absolutely insufferable’, before shaking his head in exasperation.

“I think I should take back something I said earlier.”

“What was that?”

“I told you that if you ever wanted, I’d give you the dictionary definition of ‘self-centered’. But I see now that you already know it all too well. There’s no need for me to explain it.”

Was it just my imagination, or did Sung Yoojun seem rather sulky? Seeing his subtly irritated expression, I burst into laughter.

“Didn’t I tell you? I live exactly the way I want to.”

“You’re so lenient with Tartarus that I thought you wouldn’t be like this.”

“Haha, I do that because I want to. If I don’t want to do something, I won’t listen to anyone, no matter what they say. I’m quite stubborn that way.”

“That just proves you are who you are, sir. You and him are exactly alike.”

Sung Yoojun made his remark in a blunt tone, but I couldn’t help but chuckle. Normally, I didn’t particularly like being told I resembled Goo Won from the game, but for some reason, it didn’t bother me this time.

Sung Yoojun observed my amusement with a reluctant expression before sighing once more. Then, in a tone noticeably softer than before, he spoke.

“……Well, fine. If this is truly what you want to do, then any more of my so-called worries would only be nagging. I’ll respect your personal choices.”

His voice was low and subdued, and he looked quite exhausted. Concerned, I asked.

“Secretary Sung, you look really tired. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s just that the person sitting in front of me is much kinder than I expected, yet unexpectedly stubborn and incredibly firm in their convictions, and that’s causing some cognitive dissonance.”

“Oh dear. That person in front of you has really done something terrible. Giving you cognitive dissonance like that.”

Though I was fully aware he was referring to me, I playfully pretended otherwise. Sung Yoojun narrowed his eyes and shot me a look mixed with both grievance and exasperation. In response, I raised both hands to my chest in a mock surrender.

At my overly nonchalant display of surrender, Sung Yoojun’s sharp gaze softened. Leaning back into the sofa, he let his body relax against the cushions—something rarely seen from him. Strangely, even though I had been the one to surrender first, I felt like he was the one who had lost this time.

……Or maybe that wasn’t just a feeling but the truth.

“I used to worry a lot that you were too soft on Tartarus, that they might take advantage of you. But after hearing you speak just now, I see there’s no need to worry about that. There’s no need for them to take advantage of you because you’ve already given them everything. Now, I just can’t decide whether I should feel relieved or even more concerned.”

Was it just my imagination, or was there a subtle bite to his words? No, I must be imagining things. Yeah, definitely. It has to be my imagination—because I’d rather not deal with the alternative.

I glanced at Sung Yoojun as he pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. Sensing my gaze, he lowered his hand and met my eyes.

Our gazes locked midair. With an attempt to lighten the mood, I lifted the corners of my lips and spoke in the warmest tone I could muster.

“You look really tired, so how about we have meat for dinner? What do you feel like eating? Beef, perhaps?”

Thinking that nothing beats a good meal when in a bad mood, I made the suggestion. Sung Yoojun’s lips twitched. He seemed to realize my intention to lift his spirits, and after watching me with an unreadable expression for a moment, he let out a quiet sigh and nodded.

“……Alright, beef. But make it the most expensive kind, and just the two of us.”

Just the two of us? His unexpected condition made me tilt my head slightly, but I agreed without hesitation. It wasn’t a big deal. If it would lift his spirits, I’d gladly have a meal or even drinks with him.

“Alright then, I’ll make a reservation.”

“Yes. Please do.”

At my response, Sung Yoojun nodded and rose from the sofa. I gave him a puzzled look, and he explained with a soft expression.

“We seem to be done talking, so I’ll take my leave now. I should check on how the meeting is going.”

Ah…… the meeting.

Hearing that word from him reminded me of my earlier conversation with Manager Ahn Siwon.

“Secretary Sung, I don’t know if Manager Ahn told you, but I won’t be attending meetings from now on.”

“Ah, did you hear the employees’ explanations from Manager Ahn?”

“……Yes.”

I slowly rose from the sofa and answered softly. Sung Yoojun chuckled briefly. His amusement made me sigh deeply.

That whole thing about a test was ridiculous no matter how many times I thought about it. How did such a rumor even spread?

“Understood. I’ll handle everything from here on out.”

“Just keep me updated frequently.”

“Of course. Don’t worry. I’ll report at least once a day, and more if anything significant comes up.”

Satisfied with his answer, I nodded. If I stopped showing up so often, those absurd rumors would eventually die down. Hoping for that outcome, I saw Sung Yoojun out of the president’s office.

***

That evening, by the time Sung Yoojun and I returned home from dinner, it was quite late. The restaurant he had chosen was excellent, and we had gotten caught up talking about work and daily life, losing track of time.

After parking, he stayed behind to check on something with the car, telling me to go ahead. When I reached the living room and opened the door, I was greeted by a calm voice.

“Welcome back.”

The voice belonged to Jung Hosu, who had been absent all day due to his personal schedule.

“I’m back. You’re still up, Hosu-ssi. Is everyone else asleep?”

As I took off my coat and asked, Jung Hosu, who had been sitting on the living room sofa, stood up and walked toward me.

“Yes, they’re all asleep. I just couldn’t fall asleep yet.”

“You must be tired from filming the commercial today.”

“I’m fine. I don’t feel very tired.”

In his characteristic monotone, he replied and extended something toward me.