Daehoon turned around cleanly and strode into the Center with his long legs.
“Haa.”
He was sure they said his luck would be good this year, so how did it come to this?
“That quack shaman bastard!”
Ilkyung spat out a curse.
In January, their mother went to a fortune-telling place that was supposed to be good and got their new year’s fortune told. At that time, their mother said that among the siblings, Ilkyung’s fortune was the best jackpot this year, and that both work and romance would go smoothly. Their mother grabbed Ilkyung and recited from “verse 1 to verse 100” about “how good your fortune is this year…” At that time, even though Ilkyung curtly told their mother not to believe in such things, he was secretly pleased that his fortune was good.
“What smooth! What a scammer!”
Ilkyung thought that when he got home today, he absolutely had to grab his mother and earnestly plead with her that that shaman was a quack and to never go to that fortune-telling place again. And even then, Ilkyung stamped one foot in frustration.
“Damn it! What jackpot when my fortune is in this state!”
Ilkyung muttered even after getting on the elevator. Then with drooping shoulders, he entered the office.
“Good morning.”
When he greeted in a voice that seemed to crawl in, Section Chief Kang who had arrived at the office first looked surprised.
“Oh, Assistant Manager Woo! Is something wrong? Why do you look so gloomy?”
When the always cheerful Ilkyung came to work with a gloomy face, Section Chief Kang sitting next to him couldn’t help but be surprised. Before Ilkyung could even answer, Team Leader Park came rushing in and their eyes met directly with Ilkyung’s.
“Woo Ilkyung!”
“Yes?”
Ilkyung was very startled by the team leader’s exclamation. Unless it was something really serious, Team Leader Park always respected even the much younger Ilkyung by properly using his title, but now suddenly his name!
“Are you okay?”
“Yes?”
“What’s going on that you’re being summoned this early in the morning? Did something happen?”
Team Leader Park approached and examined Ilkyung. As Ilkyung was about to shake his head, seeing those caring eyes made him look tearful.
“Team Leadeeer.”
Ilkyung, whose hobby and specialty was stretching his legs depending on where he could lie down, immediately stretched out his words and drooped his eyes.
“What do you mean you just got to work? Why is he calling for you from the crack of dawn?”
Team Leader Park felt like she’d been struck by lightning out of a clear sky. She’d arrived at work refreshed, but as soon as she entered the building, Director Ha Daehoon appeared as if he’d been watching her and said emotionlessly:
“Team Leader Park. As soon as you go up, please send Assistant Manager Woo Ilkyung to my office.”
“What? What did Assistant Manager Woo do again… No, we haven’t even started matching work today.”
“It’s not about matching. It’s for a different matter, but I’m telling you in advance in case Team Leader is puzzled when Assistant Manager Woo isn’t at his desk after coming to work.”
“Ah… Yes, I understand.”
She answered like that for now, but she couldn’t help worrying about Woo Ilkyung. What on earth had Assistant Manager Woo done now that Director Ha Daehoon was calling him to the director’s office this morning? From what she could tell, Ilkyung didn’t seem like he would say what happened, and she couldn’t oppose Director Ha Daehoon by saying she couldn’t send Ilkyung.
“I don’t know what happened, but if Assistant Manager Woo did something wrong, apologize, okay? Don’t get all worked up and throw a tantrum. Got it?”
Team Leader Park patted Ilkyung’s back with a motherly heart. Ilkyung nodded with his eyes drooping like a puppy that got scolded and became dejected.
The path to Director Ha’s room was far too short, but his steps were unbearably heavy. As if sandbags were tied to both ankles, his feet wouldn’t move. If only some incident would conveniently break out, Director Ha would be dispatched to the field for guiding work… Though since he was doing the guiding distribution work himself, Ilkyung couldn’t avoid Director Ha anyway.
“Ugh, alcohol is the enemy.”
Ilkyung stood in front of the director’s office door, which was shut tight like an iron fortress, and let out a deep sigh. I wish the ground would swallow up my sigh. So I’d fall down there with it.
Even after that, Ilkyung couldn’t go in and glared at the door for a while before finally knocking. When he entered, Director Ha’s secretaries were sitting there.
“Hello.”
When Ilkyung greeted them, Secretary Min approached and lightly patted Ilkyung’s back. It was like a pitying touch that said, “Why did you do such crazy shit and get caught by Director Ha?”
“The Director is waiting inside. Please go in.”
“Yes.”
Ilkyung answered in a completely deflated voice. Secretary Min looked at his drooping shoulders pitifully, knowing how much Assistant Manager Woo Ilkyung usually spoke his mind so boldly to Director Ha.
When Ilkyung knocked and went inside, Daehoon’s gaze, which had been on the monitor, moved to Ilkyung.
“Why are you so late? Want some coffee?”
“I’m fine.”
“Ah, whatever. Sit there.”
Daehoon chuckled, seeing Ilkyung with his head slightly lowered and a completely sour expression.
“I’d appreciate it if you could say what you have to say quickly. I also need to go work.”
“Hmm… Then shall we get to the point? You said you wanted to know why I break pairs, right? What was it? A player? Impotent?”
“Th-that was because I was drunk…”
Ilkyung’s pale face turned bright red. Ilkyung tried to stammer out an excuse. Then his eyes met Daehoon’s directly. The smile that had been hanging on Director Ha’s lips had completely disappeared. Seeing that, Ilkyung felt his spine go cold and cold sweat seemed to flow.
“You want to know the reason?”
“No, I don’t want to know. From now on, I absolutely, absolutely won’t talk about the Director. I’m sorry.”
Ilkyung knew better than anyone that nothing good came from getting involved with Ha Daehoon. He was the one who beautifully ruined the talk of a strategic marriage between families. Even though it wasn’t even his own marriage but his noona’s, he took the fall. Getting caught by the family elders for this would do him no good at all.
“If I let this slide, what will Assistant Manager Woo do for me?”
“What? You can just let it slide, why would you need… anything?”
Ilkyung tried to snap back with his usual temper but trailed off and fidgeted with his hands clasped behind his back. Alcohol really is the enemy. If I drink again, I’m a dog! Ilkyung was thinking this when—
Suddenly Daehoon stood up and strode toward him.
“Wh-whoa!”
Overwhelmed by the momentum, Ilkyung unconsciously stepped back, his leg hit the conference table, and he was about to fall backward. At that moment, Daehoon wrapped his arm around Ilkyung’s waist and pulled him close. Then he whispered in his ear.
“Will you do me one favor?”
His low voice was sweet.
“Wh-what is it?”
Ilkyung, who had almost been swayed by that voice, came to his senses and asked.
“I need someone these days. More precisely, someone I’m dating.”
What he casually spat out was like that. Ilkyung doubted his ears, thinking he’d heard wrong. Ilkyung blinked his big eyes and asked Daehoon.
“Did I hear wrong? Someone you’re… dating?”
“You heard correctly. We call that a lover.”
“Wh-why should I do that?”
“Don’t want to, Assistant Manager Woo Ilkyung?”
What’s with that shameless face? What is he saying right now? Ilkyung was about to tell him to cut the crazy talk, but Ha Daehoon was faster.
“Or should I say Woo Minkyung-ssi?”
Ilkyung was so shocked he couldn’t say anything and just looked at Daehoon. His embraced body flinched without him realizing it.
“Why? Are you surprised? I didn’t mean to surprise you.”
Daehoon smiled brightly. It was a smile that looked kind to anyone, but the content of their conversation so far was absolutely not.
Ha Daehoon put strength in the arm wrapped around Ilkyung’s waist and pulled him. Ilkyung, who had almost been laid out on the table, could finally stand properly. But Daehoon’s arm was still wrapped around his waist, so they were too close.
“Th-this hand…!”
The pressure made it hard to speak. He’d been chattering away just fine until now, but why wouldn’t any words come out at times like this—it was maddening even to himself. He should say what nonsense is this, that he’s not Woo Minkyung…
“Assistant Manager Woo, it would be better not to think about denying it.”
Ha Daehoon spoke as if reading his mind. Ilkyung clamped his lips shut. He forced himself to swallow a deep sigh. If he sighed openly, it would really be like admitting it.
“Then shall we sit down and talk things through?”
