# Side Story 3
The first round was a beef dinner—not pork but beef. It was a gathering that included even the team manager.
Normally, “Intern Seol” should have been sitting at the end of the table, but he was seated between the team manager and the deputy manager in the place of honor.
Meanwhile, Yeomin was grilling beef as far away from them as possible.
He’d been feeling Jiho’s gaze on him for a while, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.
“Yeomin-ssi, cook it well done. I won’t steal it from you.”
The assistant manager teased Yeomin.
“Beef is supposed to be eaten medium rare.”
“Why not just eat it as raw beef tartare then?”
“That would be good too.”
“Haha! I like how cool Yeomin-ssi is. Are you like this in front of your partner too?”
‘…It would have been better if you hadn’t said that.’
Yeomin glanced quickly at Jiho’s table.
With his abnormally good physical abilities, Jiho was staring at Yeomin with an expression that suggested he wanted to flip the table and leave right away.
‘This is unbearably uncomfortable.’
Unaware of this, the assistant managers sitting at Yeomin’s table were chatting excitedly.
“Does Yeomin-ssi have a partner?”
“Of course he does! He always refuses when we ask him to have dinner together.”
“That’s… because I stayed late to work overtime.”
“The quiet cat climbs up the stove, huh~”
Such annoying people. They all have girlfriends too, so what’s so amazing about a junior colleague dating someone?
Yeomin ignored them and flipped the meat. Ah, the beef almost burned!
“Jina from the Support Team would be sad to hear this. Jina really likes you, Yeomin-ssi.”
Please stop already. Yeomin wanted to forcefully stuff meat into these people’s mouths.
“What nonsense…”
“She’s really cold to us, but she does everything you ask.”
I wish both of you would just shut up.
Yeomin deliberately shifted his attention to the meat. Fortunately, Jiho was busy listening to boring stories while sandwiched between older bosses.
It’s kind of amazing that he’s enduring a place that doesn’t even match his temperament.
‘Turns out Seol Jiho might be totally suited for corporate life?’
By the time he had grilled about three plates of meat, Yeomin, slightly tipsy, left the room.
As he wandered down the corridor on his way to the bathroom, his arm was suddenly grabbed, and he was dragged somewhere.
“Seol Ji…!”
“Shhh.”
Jiho placed a finger on Yeomin’s lips.
Come to think of it, it wouldn’t be good if team members saw them like this. Yeomin quietly followed where Jiho led.
As soon as they exited the restaurant, Yeomin’s face was cupped by Jiho. As their lips were about to meet, Yeomin hurriedly turned his head away.
This was a busy street. Employees who had come out to smoke might see them. Even if not, there were quite a few passersby.
“No.”
“I’m annoyed. I want to go home. This isn’t fun.”
“Who goes to company dinners because they’re fun?”
“Hmm. You seemed to be having fun. No, I mean, Senior.”
The look in his eyes as he gazed at Yeomin was incredibly dangerous. His expression seemed to have turned about 45 degrees, if not a full 180.
“Why? Do you miss Jina not being at the dinner?”
…So he heard it all. Yeomin felt extremely tired. He could see a future where he’d suffer from this for at least a week.
Office romance is truly exhausting. He hated it even before experiencing it, and now that he’s vaguely experienced it, he hates it even more.
“You seem to have a lot of fun at the company without me. If I’d known, I should have joined earlier.”
“You would have quit within a month.”
“Me?”
“No, me.”
How could I breathe with this suffocation?
Jiho didn’t seem pleased with Yeomin’s cold response. He lifted Yeomin’s hand that he had been holding and buried his lips on the inside of his wrist.
As if feeling his pulse. And his eyes never left Yeomin for a moment, showing his persistence.
Yeomin often got confused about what kind of desire Jiho felt for him. Whether it was sexual desire, appetite, possessiveness, or a combination of all of these.
Yeomin had now stopped analyzing it.
“Seol Jiho. I can’t handle an office romance with you. It feels like my heart’s going to burst.”
As if to prove that this wasn’t a lie, Yeomin’s voice trembled slightly. But soon, even that voice was swallowed into Jiho’s mouth.
Between them, who had been sitting at separate tables during the dinner until just now, breaths mixed urgently.
Truly, if he were to continue working at the company with Seol Jiho for even one more week… his life expectancy would be severely shortened.
‘This feeling of walking on a tightrope anymore…’
Yeomin pushed against Jiho’s chest. Jiho stepped back as if giving in, then said mischievously,
“I wish Ian Group would go bankrupt.”
Yeomin couldn’t help but laugh at that ridiculous statement.
It’s funny, isn’t it? For him to say he wants it to go bankrupt when he probably owns a considerable amount of Ian Group shares.
“Could you say that in front of Director Ahn?”
“I’ve probably already said it over a hundred times.”
Even during this short conversation, Yeomin’s eyes continuously glanced behind Jiho.
Jiho kept redirecting Yeomin’s gaze back to himself. As if saying, look only at me, care only about me.
What a jealous young master.
“Let’s go home. Together.”
“If you leave, the team manager and department head will probably go home too.”
“What about you?”
“I have to go to the second round.”
Because I need to pay with the team’s corporate card. And the second round is raw fish… I was looking forward to eating that so much.
“You like raw fish more than me?”
Yes, I do. Of course, running away while holding Jiho’s hand doesn’t sound bad either…
But I’ll save the opportunity to escape for a more dramatic situation.
Yeomin adjusted Jiho’s clothes and taught him in a dignified and stern tone. Like a proper senior.
“This is also part of social life, Intern Seol. So endure it well.”
“…Hmm.”
“Seol Jiho, how old are you?”
This harsh and strict society won’t easily give in just because you make a pitiful face and go “hmm.”
‘Do you think society is such an easy place?’
Society was indeed that easy. At least for Jiho, it was very, extremely easy.
After holding hands outside for a long time, the two returned to the dinner table as if nothing had happened. Immediately, Jiho smilingly announced he was going home.
To the department head’s protest, “But this is Jiho-ssi’s welcome party, Jiho-ssi should stay~,” Jiho responded coolly.
‘My partner is waiting for me at home.’
That partner is currently mixing soju and beer right in front of you. Yeomin was dumbfounded.
Of course, what’s most dumbfounding is that people bought it.
“Then of course you should go home~ Making your partner wait isn’t right!”
‘Is this the same manager who drags me to the third round of every company dinner? Isn’t everyone being too obviously nice to him because he’s a parachute hire?’
Yeomin was on the verge of feeling resentful.
At Jiho’s words, everyone decided to skip the second round and wrap up the dinner. Jiho looked at Yeomin with an ‘I told you so’ expression.
The problem is that this world is too lenient towards Seol Jiho. No wonder he thinks the whole world belongs to him.
As they were leaving the dinner venue, team members showed interest.
“By the way, what kind of person is Jiho-ssi’s partner?”
As expected, it was Manager Kim with his Pacific-sized nosiness.
There was actually very little known about Jiho within the company. Information about Seol Jiho… Business major, president’s son. End!
His private life was even more shrouded in mystery.
“Have you been dating for a long time?”
“Yes. We’ve been together since university.”
Yeomin silently listened to those words and felt strange. He and Jiho had been together for a long time…
It was newly surprising.
“You must have been popular, but you’re the type to devote yourself to one person? That’s so cool~”
It was amazing that Jiho was still by his side.
To be honest… Yeomin hadn’t expected his relationship with Jiho to last this long.
Love is typically fragile, and people’s hearts change easily. He had prepared himself not to be too regretful whenever it ended.
Even if feelings remained, there might be unavoidable circumstances forcing them to break up…
But Jiho was still by his side.
To the amazed reactions of people, Jiho added,
“I’m the one desperately hanging on, so I have to treat them well. Otherwise, I don’t know when I’ll get dumped.”
“Jiho-ssi getting dumped? That’s impossible~”
“My partner is really, really scary.”
“…”
Is he saying this for me to hear? He’s staring at me while saying it. The scheming Seol Jiho was still so fox-like and lovable.
Yeomin, who had been reluctant to miss the second round until just now, now wanted to go home quickly.
But the dinner being over doesn’t mean everything is done.
He had to call cabs for drunk superiors and help them get in, and just like that, 20 minutes quickly passed on the street.
When all the seniors had gone home, only Yeomin and Jiho remained. Jiho embraced Yeomin from behind. Yeomin looked around and nagged:
“…What if someone’s still watching?”
“They’ve all left.”
That’s true…
Yeomin also enjoyed Jiho’s warm embrace. As he nestled silently, Jiho blew warm breath on his nape.
“Ah, that tickles.”
As Yeomin squirmed, Jiho whispered sweetly,
“I think I’ve worked hard enough at this social life thing. Let’s clock out now.”
Really… as if he’s done so much.
Though Yeomin found it amusing, he held Jiho’s hand tightly.
You did work hard at social life, our young master.
* * *
The two had been living together for two years. Thanks to that, they had moved out of the apartment near the university, and Jiho had sold his officetel near Yeomin’s former place.
Currently, they were living together in an apartment at a suitable distance from the company.
They grew cherry tomatoes on the balcony, and in the mini aquarium in the living room, there were two goldfish they had recently bought and named <Seol-kkomi> and <Joo-kkomi>.
“Haah…”
As soon as Yeomin took off his shoes in the entryway, Jiho removed his jacket. He thought Jiho was being helpful, but before he knew it, his tie was being undone too.
“Hey, wait a minute… I need to shower first,”
“I don’t want to do company dinners ever again.”
“Okay. You don’t have to.”
Live as you want. If I were you, I’d live the same way. As Yeomin reached enlightenment, his tie slipped to the floor.
Now Jiho could undress Yeomin in just 10 seconds.
“Intern Seol. You should listen.”
“Are you still going to act like a senior even after work?”
“When have I not been your senior?”
I was your senior at university, I’m your senior at the company, I’ve always been your senior. Yeomin’s inner boomer traits emerged.
Yeomin pushed away Jiho’s hands as they caressed his body over his shirt. He didn’t want to roll around with Jiho while reeking of meat and cigarette smoke.
If he had wanted that, they would have gone to a motel near the dinner venue.
“I’m going to shower first. You feed the kids. I forgot to feed them this morning.”
Here, ‘kids’ refers to the pair of goldfish, <Seol-kkomi> and <Joo-kkomi>.
“When you say ‘feed them,’ it really sounds like we have children.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Yeomin gave Jiho a quick kiss on the lips, then headed to the bathroom without hesitation.
