#62

“Secretary Jung, about Rep. Oh Hahyun……”

“Hey! Lee Daon! Where are you going?”

“I’m not doing it! I said I’m not doing it!! I’m absolutely not doing it, so just know that!”

Since getting it over with is better when something is inevitable, I thought it would be best to face it sooner rather than later. I was about to ask to set up a dinner appointment with Rep. Oh Hahyun for this evening when I suddenly heard the sound of the door opening behind me, followed by Lee Daon’s voice.

“Please schedule the dinner appointment for tonight. Right now.”

“Understood.”

With that, I gestured to Secretary Jung Minjae to step aside. Understanding my cue, Secretary Jung Minjae bowed politely and quickly left the room. As I watched him disappear into the distance, I turned around to check if Lee Daon had overheard Oh Hahyun’s name.

“Just this once! Just try it once! Huh? Our Daon is such a good kid!”

“Don’t try to coax me like I’m a puppy!”

……Hmm, even without looking closely, it’s clear he didn’t hear anything. I sighed quietly in relief as I saw Lee Daon storming out, dragging Ahn Juhwan behind him. His face was filled with frustration, and there was no sign anywhere that he had heard his mother’s name.

“Why do you keep refusing? You really have talent, you know? Just give it a try, and if you really don’t like it, we don’t have to use it.”

“I have schedules to attend, I need to practice for recording sessions, I have to prepare before my comeback, and I’m really busy, okay? I don’t want to waste time choreographing something when I can’t even be sure it’ll be used.”

“Then just use it! How about that? If you’re sure it’ll be used, it’s worth trying, right?”

“Ugh, seriously! You just don’t listen!”

Wait, maybe I was too quick to relax……? I pressed my fingers to my temple as I watched Lee Daon hasten his pace to escape Ahn Juhwan, who was stuck to him like glue, persistently trying to convince him to work together.

I’m sure I gave a warning to be careful not to turn persuasion into coercion, so where did that warning go? As I let out a long sigh filled with exhaustion, I suddenly met eyes with Lee Daon as he glanced around the area.

The moment he spotted me standing a bit away from the meeting room, his face lit up with a subtle expression of relief, and he started striding toward me.

“President……!”

Has he ever called out to me so eagerly before? I blinked blankly, caught off guard by the unfamiliar tone, but before I could process it, Lee Daon rushed up to me and quickly hid behind my back.

Since we were of similar build and height, it was impossible for him to hide completely no matter how hard he tried, yet he was doing his utmost to do just that.

Watching his desperate attempts, a sense of duty suddenly surged deep within me—I had to help this kid.

“Team Leader Ahn Juhwan.”

In the end, I gave in to that sense of duty and quietly called Ahn Juhwan’s name, ready to shield Lee Daon. Immediately, Ahn Juhwan, who had been eyeing Lee Daon like a predator stalking its prey, shifted his sharp gaze toward me.

“Unless you want a private consultation with the company president, I suggest you calm down.”

If there were a ranking for phrases that employees hated hearing, this one would definitely be at the top. As soon as I said it, Ahn Juhwan’s expression softened in an instant.

“Yes. I’ve calmed down.”

“Do you remember what I told you before I left the meeting room?”

“……You said persuasion should remain at the level of persuasion and not cross the line into coercion.”

Oh, so he does remember? I honestly thought he had completely forgotten, judging by how little he seemed to care. Watching him, I lifted the corners of my lips slightly, and in response, he started sweating nervously before quickly speaking up.

“I will restrain myself.”

“A wise decision. I hope you stick to it. Otherwise, we might really have to have a deep one-on-one discussion.”

“That…… is something I would very much like to avoid……”

Of course, I figured as much. If a one-on-one meeting is daunting even from a superior’s perspective, how much worse must it be for an employee? I understood why Ahn Juhwan seemed so eager to escape this situation.

Since it looked like he was desperate to leave, I was about to tell him he could go when someone suddenly interrupted.

“Daon! There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. We need to get going for your schedule soon…… Oh, President, Team Leader Ahn Juhwan, you’re here too.”

The owner of the sudden voice was Jung Jaewan, one of the road managers in charge of Tartarus. He tilted his head slightly as he looked at Lee Daon, who was hiding behind me, and Ahn Juhwan, whose face practically screamed that he wanted to escape. Then, without much hesitation, he approached with light steps.

“If we don’t leave now, Daon will be late for his schedule. Can I take him with me?”

It was impressive how he showed no reaction despite the obvious peculiarity of the situation. I quietly nodded at Manager Jung Jaewan, who was waiting for my permission with a peaceful expression.

“Of course. Go ahead.”

As soon as I gave my permission, Lee Daon, who had been stuck behind me, darted toward Manager Jung Jaewan in a flash. It was like watching a squirrel fleeing from a predator. I almost laughed at the sight, but I bit the inside of my cheek to keep it in. Laughing here would only make things harder for me later.

“Then, we’ll be off. Have a great day, sir. Team Leader.”

“You too, Manager Jung Jaewan, and Daon-ssi. Make sure to dress warmly—it’s cold out.”

I returned the greeting with a gentle smile, and Manager Jung Jaewan walked away with a pleased expression. Lee Daon followed closely behind him, trailing along like a little duckling. I silently watched their retreating figures when, all of a sudden, Lee Daon halted and glanced back at me.

What is it? Does he have something to say?

I blinked slowly, waiting to see what he would do next. He hesitated, rolling his eyes around nervously, then muttered in a barely audible voice,

“……President, you should…… dress warmly too. It’s cold……”

It was so quiet that I might not have caught it if I hadn’t been paying attention. But after whispering that, Lee Daon quickly dashed off to catch up with Manager Jung Jaewan, who had already gotten some distance away.

I was left standing there, completely dumbfounded.

“Oh wow, the great Lee Daon showing concern? This feels like taming a wild animal. How did you do it? Teach me your ways.”

A voice, closer than expected, pulled me out of my daze. I turned to my side, only to see Ahn Juhwan standing next to me, staring intently at Lee Daon’s disappearing figure.

“……There’s no special trick to it.”

“Really? That’s a shame. If there was a trick, I would’ve learned it and used it to gently lure him into working with me.”

The sheer sincerity in Ahn Juhwan’s statement made me give him a skeptical look. Seriously? The guy couldn’t take a hint. At some point, he should realize that Lee Daon simply didn’t want to do it. It wasn’t even something Lee Daon was required to do.

“Team Leader Ahn Juhwan.”

“Persuasion should remain at the level of persuasion. I haven’t forgotten.”

The moment I called his name with a firm tone, he immediately responded. He stole a quick glance at me, sighed softly, and added,

“I’ll make sure to keep it at that level.”

“Is giving up entirely not an option?”

“I can’t do that. His talent is too valuable to waste. If it’s not for this title track, I’ll make sure we work together on another one.”

He was seriously determined. Seeing that he wasn’t someone who could be swayed with just a few words, I shook my head. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before I’d have to sit down for a one-on-one conversation with him.

“Well, now that Daon’s gone, I’ll head back to my meeting.”

“Alright. Good luck, Team Leader Ahn Juhwan.”

“You too, sir.”

With that, I watched as Ahn Juhwan walked away as if his business here was done. Once he was out of sight, I made my way toward my office. Since I only needed to go up two floors, I took the stairs. When I reached the president’s office, Secretary Jung Minjae was already waiting for me outside.

“Secretary Jung. How did the dinner appointment go?”

“She agreed. As for the time and place, she said she’d take care of the reservation if you were okay with that.”

“Then tell her to go ahead. No need to refuse when she’s offering to handle it.”

I responded in an indifferent tone as I pushed open the door and strode inside, settling into my chair. Looking up, I saw that Secretary Jung Minjae had taken position in front of my desk, standing with perfect posture.

“By the way, what about ‘that’?”

“If you’re referring to the villa, the lease contract was finalized yesterday. The tenant is scheduled to move in next week.”

“And what about the people who were gathered outside?”

“That’s the strange part…… The moment the lease contract was finalized, they all disappeared. We were thorough in keeping the information from leaking, so I have no idea how they found out.”