“You don’t look like you’re in a good mood.”
When he maintained his silence, Leo leaned back comfortably in his chair and spoke. It was as if he was breathing life into the space that had been swelling to the point of bursting with tension just moments ago. Should I say that the coffee scent that had felt aggressive toward him until just now had softened? He felt pathetic for being aware of the feelings he got from the coffee scent in this situation.
For a very brief moment, he tried to think that he wasn’t the Ondal he knew, but his appearance and voice weren’t things that could be changed or hidden. And when he saw the heavy watch visible beneath his slightly raised left sleeve, his mouth tasted bitter. Because he had something similar.
“I know there are many more capable secretaries in other secretarial teams than me.”
Hyedam spoke indirectly and placed his gaze on the scenery created by the clear sky and tall buildings beyond his shoulder, not on him. The sky of late autumn and early winter was high and blue, and the occasionally visible clouds and tall buildings were mixed both inharmoniously and harmoniously. The conversation didn’t continue quickly, and though he felt someone’s presence, Hyedam deliberately didn’t move his gaze from beyond the window.
“Are you ready to speak comfortably now?”
After the sound of the door opening and closing, at the words he brought up, Hyedam’s lips pressed tightly shut once again.
He couldn’t read the other person at all. Could he be someone who just looks insanely similar? There was suspicion that he was Ondal, but there was no physical evidence. And even if he was Ondal, what right did he have to say anything to him? They were just a connection that briefly passed by.
Isn’t there a saying not to expect compensation when helping someone? But why was his chest so stuffy? Why was he hurt? He couldn’t understand why he was irritated.
It wasn’t something from a few months ago but from several years ago, and at that time, he had a head injury. When even what he had for dinner a week ago was hazy, could he say anything if the other person forgot about past events?
It was such a big deal to Hyedam that it was engraved in his head and heart, but it might not be to the other person. What stopped the delusions from growing wildly in his tangled emotions and complicated mind was Leo.
“I understand quite a few radical proposals were included.”
Even though he kept trying to separate the person before his eyes from Ondal, the voice, build, and face were exactly that bastard’s. If it was right, this bastard was three years younger than him.
From the moment they first met, he kept speaking informally to me. Now, maybe because of the situation, informal and formal speech were mixed, but it seemed inevitable that informal speech was the base. Still, that’s fortunate. That you weren’t an omega back then. Drinking together and rolling around isn’t a crime.
“I expressed my intention to resign, so I haven’t heard the details yet.”
“Management recommended someone who intends to resign? That’s absurd.”
“I was on vacation for the past two weeks, and I reported to the team leader today, so it seems management proceeded without knowing about my intention to resign.”
“Why?”
As if the conversation had never been slow or stopped, their conversation continued rapidly like exchanging ping-pong balls.
“Pardon?”
“The reason for resignation.”
“It’s personal.”
“What kind.”
“It’s a personal matter……”
“I’m curious about that personal matter.”
Fuck. This bastard. What the hell are you trying to do with me right now?
Suddenly appearing and acting clingy when you don’t even recognize me.
At the feeling that surged up, Hyedam clenched both fists and stood up abruptly from his seat, but fortunately didn’t spit out the curses filling his mouth.
He just hadn’t spit them out yet—if he’d lost just a bit more self-control, he would have yelled angrily, and he would have nearly faced a truly awkward situation.
He didn’t know he was such an emotional person. With just the fact that the person in front of him was Ondal, Hyedam found it difficult to control his rampaging emotions. He, who had been grinning as if the conversation with him until just now was fun, looked carefully at his face and then burst into loud laughter.
“Sit down. Hyedam-ssi. I didn’t mean to make you angry.”
What’s so funny that you’re laughing alone and using formal speech, you bastard. It’s even more infuriating.
“That’s not it.”
Looking at Leo who covered his lower face with one hand as if barely holding back laughter and gestured with his other hand to sit down, Hyedam stood in a respectful posture with the meaning that he wanted to leave.
“If I upset you, I’ll apologize. If there are conditions you want, tell me. I’ll accommodate as much as possible.”
“There aren’t any.”
“100% salary increase.”
“……”
“Personal vehicle provided. Of course, we’ll prepare the car you want, Hyedam-ssi.”
“……”
“Double vacation days.”
“……”
Chaos. Just what the hell is going on—Hyedam, whose proper thinking had stopped, just stood there with his mouth tightly shut.
“Vacation expense support?”
When he didn’t answer, what he proposed gradually grew larger.
“Team Leader-nim, I don’t understand your intentions.”
When he didn’t answer, what he proposed gradually grew larger, and since he couldn’t continue to refuse to answer, only after filtering the curses filling his head dozens of times could Hyedam produce an answer that felt somewhat normal.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
If his ears weren’t mistaken, the other person was currently enjoying himself. He still had a smile on his face, and his voice also seemed slightly excited. As he, who had been sitting until just now, stood up, Hyedam’s head naturally moved to follow him.
The concentration of the coffee scent that appeared with his entrance in a space without coffee also seemed to run wild on its own. Sometimes it seemed strong enough to fill his lungs, but at certain moments, it couldn’t be felt at all.
“It feels different from general salary negotiations or proposals.”
Looking at Leo approaching him around the wide, long table that had been separating them, Hyedam stuck out his tongue to wet his parched lips.
“Because I don’t want to lose a capable secretary recommended by the company.”
To see the face of him who stopped two or three steps away, Hyedam had to tilt his head back.
Looking up at him from below, Hyedam’s eyes caught sight of a small scar between his chin and neck. Injuries near the neck that could be life-threatening weren’t very common.
A small sigh flowed from Hyedam’s mouth as he overlapped Leo with Ondal, tried to separate them, identified them as the same, and ultimately wanted to believe they were different people.
In the end, you’re right. The same bastard.
He was originally a strange bastard. A prettily crazy bastard.
But it seems the intensity of that craziness has gotten worse in the meantime. Should I say from a prettily crazy bastard to a properly crazy bastard.
It’s bitter, but still, he’s the person who was by his side when he was having the hardest time. Even though he left like that, on cold and empty nights, there were times when he missed the warmth felt from behind his back.
There were many moments when he recalled the feeling of being completely submerged in coffee that he loved from head to toe. Walking down the street, his steps would be bound by the coffee scent and he’d stand there for a long while.
Ridiculously, he couldn’t drink coffee that he used to love so much now. Strangely, he couldn’t drink it.
Because it wasn’t that scent, because it wasn’t that taste. Buying coffee this morning was quite an impulsive act.
He’d also put various frames on him in his imagination—whether he was a child of darkness, really a rich family’s heir, or a noble who had warped to another world.
But now such frames weren’t necessary. Because he now knew that he really was a prince from a fairy tale. He could never again grill pork belly with him on a drum can or share soju at a small table.
It’s better to leave fantasies and dreams as they are.
The price of waking from dreams and fantasies was more painful and bitter than he thought. Slowly lowering his head to place his gaze on the tips of their dress shoes, Hyedam bowed his upper body a little more.
As soon as he left the conference room, he should call a real estate agent and put the house up for sale. Just what was he thinking keeping that house without selling it? Two or three times a year, he’d go down to look around for traces of someone having been there and clean up.
“Have we met before?”
At the words he heard while searching for an appropriate, tactful sentence of refusal that wouldn’t upset him, his breath was cut off.
He knew from before he could even see him, from when the corridor was filled with the coffee scent. He’d thought “surely not” at the cold green eyes that analyzed him, but he gave the exact answer.
Even though they were facing each other and talking like this, his eyes weren’t the eyes he knew.
You don’t know. You really don’t know.
The fact that we met for a short time.
Hyedam, who had been standing looking at the floor, slowly stepped back to create distance between them.
Standing crookedly with his arms even crossed, he was looking straight at him. The smile that had been continuously blooming faintly had also disappeared.
“Have you lived in England or America?”
Life was so tough that the only place he’d been to by plane was Jeju Island. He’d never even made a passport.
“No.”
“Even for travel.”
“None of that either. The environment and circumstances Team Leader-nim and I have lived in are completely different, aren’t they? It seems there isn’t even a point of contact where we’d pass by each other.”
Seeing the businesslike expression and eyes that showed no emotion, Hyedam spoke with his head lowered, avoiding his gaze.
“Lee Hyedam-ssi. Let’s work together.”
“Pardon?”
As the absurd situation continued and he was worn out from the continued emotional consumption, Hyedam slowly ran his hand through his hair.
