Of course, a sudden matchmaking could be burdensome, and talk of marriage might not be realistic. They could refuse because they weren’t right for each other. But going to that meeting openly in drag and ruining it was an act of deceiving each other’s parents and grandparents. If Ilkyung’s mother found out about that? She wouldn’t let it slide.
“Answer me, Assistant Manager Woo Ilkyung. Or should I call you Woo Minkyung-ssi?”
Ilkyung clenched his fists tightly. Why is everything in life in this state! Ilkyung had lived a fairly smooth life until now. But suddenly things get twisted like this? Did samsae start? But that shaman bastard didn’t know? What? Things will go smoothly? Where! Where is it going smoothly!
“Spacing out again.”
Woo Ilkyung really had no sense of crisis. Trembling with anger, then drooping his shoulders, repeating that, and now spacing out again. In fact, to Daehoon, only Woo Ilkyung’s face was his type. Nothing else matched. Especially that annoying personality.
But Daehoon needed Woo Ilkyung right now. As someone to play the role of a gay lover and break up cleanly after a month, he was perfect.
“Fine! What do you want me to do?”
When Daehoon dialed Ilkyung’s mother’s phone number exactly and showed the screen to Ilkyung, Ilkyung shouted urgently.
He’d get beaten to death! If his mother found out, he’d definitely get beaten to death. In that instant, Ilkyung recalled the past when he forged his grades and lied as a child. The memory of being beaten by his mother so badly that he couldn’t sit properly for a while was still vivid. He really thought he was going to die that day.
Hearing Ilkyung’s desperate cry, Daehoon smiled brightly and put his phone far away.
“Alright, let’s do this. One month. For one month, Assistant Manager Woo will faithfully play the role of my lover.”
“I’m not gay, but if rumors spread that I am…!”
“My family doesn’t want rumors spreading that I’m gay either. So there’s no need to openly show that we’re lovers; we just need to show ourselves dating or going in and out of each other’s homes when the watcher my grandfather assigned is watching.”
“…That’s all, right? And you definitely said one month, right?”
Ilkyung asked as if checking again.
“Of course, exactly one month. Why? Should we extend it to two months?”
“No! One month, one month! After that, don’t extend it even one more day.”
“Alright.”
Ha Daehoon grinned.
“After that, I’ll inevitably see you for work, but personally, we’ll absolutely never meet!”
Ilkyung emphasized repeatedly. Ilkyung had absolutely no intention of quitting the Center because of Director Ha Daehoon. Nor did he have any intention of transferring to another branch.
Daehoon nodded and said:
“How about we even pinky swear?”
At those words, Ilkyung looked at him with extremely disgusted eyes.
**3. At This Point, We’re Enemies**
**Director Ha Daehoon**
Ilkyung frowned looking at the sender’s name displayed on his phone screen.
*Let’s meet at the parking lot after work.*
*Let’s go have dinner.*
“I wish I had overtime work.”
Ilkyung muttered. Usually, Ilkyung was an employee who left work like clockwork at 6 o’clock sharp. Center work meant you never knew when or how an incident or accident would break out and you’d be called back in, so you had to go home when you could. Just a few days ago, wasn’t he called out while resting at home?
*Yes, I understand.*
Even as Ilkyung answered, he prayed, ‘Please let there be overtime today!’
“It’s quiet today.”
With about 10 minutes left until 6 o’clock, Ilkyung spoke to Section Chief Kang sitting next to him. Section Chief Kang was in charge of checking the matching rate between Espers and Guides, so unlike Ilkyung who moved starting when incidents occurred, he had work all day long.
“It’s good when Espers don’t have to deploy. What’s the problem?”
“I’d rather it be noisy during work hours. Better than going home after work and being called back.”
“That’s true. By the way, it’s been quiet all day today, so Assistant Manager Woo didn’t have any fights with Director Ha.”
The moment Director Ha was mentioned, Ilkyung’s eyes widened in surprise before he quickly composed his expression. Because I have to meet that Director Ha I don’t want to clash with unavoidably for dinner. But he couldn’t tell anyone about that.
“Let’s go home!”
At exactly 6 o’clock, Team Leader Park Eunji stood up first and shouted. On other days, Ilkyung would already have his bag slung over his shoulder, but today his movements were sluggish, so Section Chief Kang looked at him questioningly.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“Huh?”
“No, usually you should have your bag on by now, but today you seem to be dawdling.”
Unable to respond to Section Chief Kang’s accurate observation, Ilkyung laughed awkwardly. If I go out now, I can’t even go home and have to go eat with Director Ha Daehoon… This was no different from a cow being dragged to a slaughterhouse.
Until now, the two of them had never even had coffee together, let alone a meal. But now they had to eat together, and just the thought of it already felt like it would give him indigestion.
“Haha, I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow!”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow!”
“Good work, Assistant Manager Woo!”
Ilkyung hurriedly left the office, feeling like if he stayed longer, he’d grab Section Chief Kang and pour out his grievances. The path taking the elevator down to the parking lot was no different than usual, but his steps felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.
“Huh? But what about my car?”
Only then did Ilkyung remember his car. If I leave my car here, how do I get to work tomorrow? Ilkyung stared blankly at the sports car he’d taken from his noona.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah? You’re here?”
“I’ve been standing here for a while, but you didn’t notice. Is something sad? Why are you looking at your car so sadly?”
“When did I look sadly… No. I was just wondering how I’d get to work tomorrow.”
Seeing Ilkyung pout his lips and speak sullenly, Ha Daehoon chuckled.
“Do you usually buy trouble for yourself? Then let’s move in Assistant Manager Woo’s car.”
“You want me to drive?”
“If you don’t want to, I’ll do it.”
Then he gestured toward the passenger seat. Ilkyung just wanted to go home. He was already too tired. But with his weakness caught, he had no choice. Letting out a deep sigh, Ilkyung opened the car door and looked at Ha Daehoon with suspicious eyes. But Daehoon ignored such looks and sat in the driver’s seat.
“Don’t worry. I won’t crash it anywhere. I’ve never had an accident.”
“I learned that having blind faith in your own driving skills isn’t good.”
“Oh, did you? You learned very well indeed.”
Somehow Daehoon’s tone seemed like he was treating a child, so Ilkyung felt strangely unpleasant. When Ilkyung narrowed his brow and made a sulky face, Daehoon gently shifted gears and said.
“I’ll buy you something delicious. Smooth out your face. Who goes on a date with their lover making a face like a young animal being dragged to a slaughterhouse?”
“What? Lover?”
At the word ‘lover,’ Ilkyung frowned. He’d simply thought they’d just pretend to meet for one month, but it seemed he’d made too easy a decision. One month with Director Ha, who’s gay! Just thinking about it made everything go dark and he wanted to back out right now, but Director Ha drove the point home.
“Let’s not forget. That we’re lovers for one month. We don’t know when or where we’ll be photographed or how reports will go in.”
“Photographs?”
At the unexpected words, Ilkyung’s expression stiffened even more.
“I said it back then. That it’s for showing my grandfather.”
“Th-then even when I’m alone, will I be photographed and reported on and all that?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. The person Grandfather planted is watching me, not Ilkyung-ssi—ah, outside it would be better to call you Ilkyung-ssi rather than Assistant Manager Woo. Would that be okay?”
Ilkyung nodded roughly.
Director Ha acted cold and stiff at the Center, but it seemed he wasn’t like that outside. Like suggesting they travel in Ilkyung’s car for Ilkyung who was worried about how to get to work, and asking for Ilkyung’s opinion first before calling him by his name.
“Anyway, what Grandfather wants is whether or not I’m meeting someone, so the kind of thing you’d see in dramas won’t happen. So don’t worry. There won’t be any calling you to a hotel one day to break up with my grandson while splashing water or handing over bundles of money.”
He hadn’t even thought that far… For a moment, Ilkyung thought if they handed over bundles of money, should he just take it?
“I’m telling you again, I’m really not interested in men. I’m too busy right now, but later I plan to get a pretty girlfriend too.”
“Sure, do that.”
