“I’m telling you, this place is really a great restaurant. I think this is the first time I’ve seen Hyedam-ssi eat this well. Let’s come here again next time too. I like the food here too. Leo, you don’t follow.”
“I don’t think you’re the one to say that.”
Luna’s voice as she issued an eviction order to Leo as soon as the meal ended was firm, but Leo, who confronted her, wasn’t an easy opponent either.
Rather uninterested in their conversation, Hyedam focused on himself instead. Did I eat too hastily? My appetite, which hadn’t existed until the food came out, suddenly kicked in. Did I really eat all of this? My stomach still seems okay for now. What if I get bloated again?
In any case, while his condition was good, the best plan was to just receive the files Luna prepared and part ways quickly. While coordinating Robert and Leo’s schedule, he’d arranged it so that today after the external appointment, instead of returning to the office, he would go straight home.
If he continued to feel unwell, he’d have to visit a hospital, get a proper diagnosis, and deal with the morning sickness…. Though he still didn’t want to admit it, he had to somehow resolve this phenomenon of his that could only be explained that way.
Rather than a large and famous omega center, it would be most ideal to find a small place that people didn’t visit much. Drinking the lemonade he’d put down and taking out his cell phone, Hyedam stared blankly at the screen.
Search…
“Are you going to take up more of our time? Busy person, just go. We have a lot to do too.”
“Hyedam’s tired. You just need to hand over the files, what else are you trying to do?”
Ignoring the two who were busy bickering with each other, Hyedam, who’d been typing “omeg” in the search bar, suddenly raised his head. What? I think I just heard my name.
“What do you mean? Work, and in the afternoon we’re having tea time. At your hotel.”
“I’ll let them know.”
‘Hyedam? Tea time? Hotel?’
Wondering if only he was flustered at hearing several unfamiliar words in succession, Luna and Leo, who’d been squabbling until just now, stopped their conversation and were each drinking their coffee.
“Tea time?”
Of the three words stuck in his brain, the most innocuous word flowed from Hyedam’s mouth.
“Afternoon tea is nice, isn’t it? Where else is there a situation as healing as admiring beautiful scenery, burying yourself in a fluffy sofa, and having rooibos tea with sweet finger foods? Those who work hard should rest comfortably. Don’t you know? We work so hard for Leo, we should enjoy at least this much benefit. Besides, our boss is generous about these things. Even now he’s saying he’ll contact the hotel in advance.”
Just imagining the situation she described brought a sense of comfort, but facing reality, Hyedam shook his head slightly to shake off the delusion. What she said about working hard for Leo might be true, but looking back at the past month, his current situation was similar to high pay for no work.
Ah, or am I working to my limit since I’m playing with Leo at high intensity until my stamina goes into the negatives?
“I’m fine.”
“Why?”
“Why?”
What Hyedam faced after carefully declining in the softest voice possible so as not to hurt Luna’s feelings were two people’s gazes. Luna aside, Leo, why are you like that?
“Work time….”
“Come, come, let’s get up. Look, Robert-ssi is coming too. Leo, look carefully at the files being sent to Hyedam-ssi. They include things you really need. Hyedam-ssi, shall we go too? It’s work time, so we should work. Of course. We have to work. We should. That way we can play confidently.”
As always when with Luna, a faint smile hung on Hyedam’s lips as he was pushed out of the restaurant by her hand after she quickly cleared the atmosphere.
Luna was probably the only person who could handle Leo as she pleased. She scolded him in a loud voice, and whatever Leo said, if it wasn’t work-related, she cleanly ignored it. And Leo also casually accepted her attitude as if familiar with it.
If I spoke like her, Leo would pry, check, argue, quarrel…. A hollow laugh came out as it was obvious that a dizzying situation would follow just from thinking about it.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because you seem like the only person who can handle Team Leader-nim as you please.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Hyedam-ssi, honestly tell me. You haven’t dated much, have you?”
“No, I’ve really dated a lot.”
“Fool the right person. Not even Hyedam-ssi’s gestures, but with just one look in your eyes Leo rolls on the floor.”
“Of course he should. I manage his schedule. If he makes me angry, making him run around in 5-minute intervals is nothing. If he doesn’t want that to happen to him, he has to treat me well.”
“Ah, that thing you just said was really annoying. Don’t you know that me being all stubborn like this and Leo being fine with it is completely different from Leo reacting to Hyedam-ssi’s actions?”
“I don’t really know.”
Since her office wasn’t far from the restaurant, small talk continued while they walked side by side.
“Do you have anywhere you want to go?”
At the words that suddenly completely changed direction from the pointless conversation about whether Leo as a workplace superior was easy or not, Hyedam shrugged his shoulders. Talking bad about Leo and then suddenly where I want to go.
“Well.”
Not having anywhere particular in mind, Hyedam mumbled, and as soon as he entered the office and saw the files piled up on one side, he shook his head. She’s not telling me to take all of that, is she?
“Not those files. Don’t worry. They’re in the conference room, but I need to do a final check. Could you wait a little? In the meantime, think about where you want to go. Oh, we just ate, but would you like a drink or something?”
“No, I’ll pass. If I eat more here, I think I’ll really have to loosen my buckle. Is there anything I can help with?”
“Hyedam-ssi, have you looked at the files?”
Guided to the conference room where the files were, Hyedam silently stared at the dark blue files she brought over. All he did was skim through them roughly once yesterday when he received them. He hadn’t had time to look at them properly. As if certain Hyedam hadn’t looked at them, Luna handed the files to Hyedam and sat in the chair across from him.
“So where do you want to go?”
Sitting across from her and opening the file, Hyedam kept his gaze on the file while looking at her bringing up the earlier topic again.
“Where would I go now?”
“What’s wrong with a person who needs rest going on vacation? Looking at your face today, you look completely exhausted, but you are sleeping well, eating well, and resting well, right?”
“Do working people sleep well, eat well, and rest well?”
“You’re probably the only person I can’t win against in verbal sparring, Hyedam-ssi.”
“No way.”
“Anyway, since I can’t go on a trip right now, go in my place. Eat lots of delicious things, don’t even think about going to work, sleep in all you want, that kind of complete rest vacation. When you’re a dual-income working couple with a child, travel is like a dream. So you have to go a lot now! Once a baby is born, you really can’t move an inch.”
Looking at the file carefully and leaving memos, at Luna’s words casually brought up, Hyedam’s heart sank with a thud.
He could understand showing cute child photos or videos. He enjoyed seeing her cute child too, but both at lunch and now, it seemed like there was a hidden meaning in her casually flowing words.
“Warm, quiet, and with no one around?”
Feeling like she’d persistently ask more if he didn’t answer, Hyedam answered vaguely.
“Should I recommend an uninhabited island? There’s a really good place.”
“Luna-ssi always exceeds imagination. Not a good travel destination recommendation but an uninhabited island. You want me to fish alone on an uninhabited island, light fires, and sleep outdoors? That’s not rest, that’s survival, isn’t it?”
“Why do you think it’s survival? It’s a place with perfectly equipped facilities, where you can fill it up with people, or you can tell everyone to leave so no one remains. So you can fish alone as Hyedam-ssi wants, or lie in a hammock looking at the sky all day. You can sleep outdoors if you want, but why would you sleep outdoors when there are good facilities? Getting bitten by bugs. But if you go, you must see the night sky.”
At Luna’s words as if it was already confirmed that he was going to that uninhabited island, Hyedam shrugged his shoulders.
“So when am I going to that uninhabited island?”
“Today? Tomorrow? What does vacation matter? Even if Hyedam-ssi doesn’t come to work for a year, Leo has nothing to say, so don’t worry about that, and if you want, you can go right now, how about it?”
The one flustered by her proactive actions of immediately pushing aside the file and picking up a tablet was Hyedam.
No, why are you suddenly trying to send me to an uninhabited island? It’s true I’m trying to go somewhere, but not yet. I think I can stay by Leo’s side a little longer. How do I move… Before that, I need to go to the hospital one more time and get a definite answer!
“I’ll tell you when I want to go.”
Before she could get ahead of him any further, Hyedam put a check mark next to the comfortable-looking single-person recliner chair. Because wherever and however he lived, it seemed like he’d definitely need a chair like this.
