Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 71

"All of the CEO’s schedule has been canceled, so he just needs to rest. Don’t worry, the team is handling everything except for matters that require approval."

Honestly, just looking at Yoon Taeo’s current state, it seems like he could get back to work right now. The medical staff is checking his condition, but honestly, there’s no need for any additional tests—he looks perfectly fine.

"Well, this is quite unusual. His rut shouldn’t have ended this quickly..."

Maybe that’s why the medical staff didn’t take long to confirm his condition. Anyone could see there was no need for further examination.

"So, there’s no problem then."

The voice coming from Yoon Taeo’s mouth was the same as usual. It was no different from any other morning. Actually, it seemed like the fatigue from his busy routine had been completely wiped away, and he looked more refreshed than ever. The fragile state that had almost shattered during his rut was nowhere to be seen now.

"There’s something I’d like to ask. Is there anything strange about you?"

The doctor’s question caused Yoon Taeo to freeze for a moment. He then lazily rolled his eyes and stared directly at me.

"Strange?"

"...Me?"

My ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ heart sank in an instant. Could it be... Could Yoon Taeo remember something? Why else would he be asking me that? I couldn’t immediately answer because I couldn’t figure out his intentions.

"What do you mean? Why are you asking about me? I just asked if there’s anything unusual about me. You’ve been by my side the longest, so you should know, Baek."

Ah... I guess I feel guilty for no reason.

"You look... No, you look fine."

"Is that all?"

"Ah, ah...! But I feel like your face is even more radiant today! You’ve always been handsome, but today, it’s like you’re even more captivating!"

"I see."

What a child. Yoon Taeo smirked as he brushed his face with his hand, clearly pleased with the compliment. Why does he love praise so much? Telling him he’s handsome isn’t going to make his face look any better.

Well... it’s true. Thanks to the fatigue disappearing, he did look more handsome than recently. But it could just be my feelings.

"Baek."

The medical staff confirmed that there were no issues with Yoon Taeo’s body and left. Then, I heard his voice, which had strangely dropped in tone.

"We need to have a quick meeting later."

"...A meeting? You don’t have to handle work today."

"It’s not about work. Kang Seokho is coming in with me."

He stood up from the sofa. His posture was so perfect, it was hard to imagine the disheveled state he was in during his rut. He passed by me without a word. Until then, I didn’t fully understand what he was saying. A meeting with me and Kang Seokho? Everything had been canceled, so what kind of meeting was he talking about?

"And."

"...Yes?"

I looked at him, still with his back turned.

"You were in Seoul during the rut, right?"

"Of course. I just came back. But why...?"

"No, I just feel like something strange happened during the rut."

Before I could say anything, Yoon Taeo walked into the room. His last words made my heart race. ...Something went wrong, I think.

Living with a secret is more troublesome than I thought. One wrong word or action could reveal everything. Ideally, I would never have created a secret in the first place, but maintaining the lies once they’ve started is incredibly stressful. And if that secret holds my life in its hands, it only becomes more complicated.

"What now?"

The smoke from the cigarette filled the air, stretching out as it floated upwards. Even in his low voice, the smoke seemed to reflect his frustration. It felt like my heart was just as suffocating. Ah, Kang Seokho was the one smoking.

"Can I have one too?"

"Don’t joke around. You’re going to get hit."

As I asked for a cigarette, half-joking and half-serious, the desire to smoke disappeared in an instant when I met Kang Seokho’s sharp eyes. But my frustration remained.

"Sigh... I don’t know."

With a deep sigh, I covered my face with my hands. I had called Kang Seokho over urgently after hearing Yoon Taeo speak. It was like a strategy meeting. We had to figure out how to handle Yoon Taeo’s questions, and I couldn’t even begin to predict what they might be.

"Do you remember anything?"

"...I don’t think so. If I did, this would have never been so easy to pass."

Kang Seokho and I became accomplices by accident. Or maybe it was inevitable.

I ran into Kang Seokho when I was leaving the place where Yoon Taeo had been during his rut. At dawn, just as the sun was about to rise, I was about to sneak out when Kang Seokho saw me leaving. He didn’t say anything, but I opened my mouth, and he just said, “Later,” before sending me to Seoul, away from prying eyes.

"Yeah. You couldn’t have been fully conscious during the rut."

Kang Seokho, being an Alpha, didn’t doubt that. Especially after seeing Yoon Taeo’s condition before losing consciousness, it made no sense to assume he was fully aware.

"So, I was in Seoul... right?"

I asked Kang Seokho the most important question. I couldn’t ask directly, though. It was too awkward, too frightening.

Thwack!

"Ah! Why—why did you hit me?"

Before I could get an answer, a sharp flick hit my forehead. The dizzying thoughts in my head were instantly cleared, and the sting was sharp.

"Why would you get scared and do something you can’t take responsibility for? You deserve to get hit again."

Even though his voice was filled with anger, Kang Seokho was confirming his commitment to keeping the secret. That was enough for me. Even though another secret, the Omega secret, had added to the burden, at least I had an ally this time. But then...

"Team Leader! My neck! Please...!"

The headlock on my neck tightened, so forcefully I thought Kang Seokho might actually be trying to kill me and erase the secret forever.

"Yeah. Let’s just die today. Why does everything go wrong whenever I’m involved with you?"

I felt my consciousness slipping away. Damn... bastard.

"Doesn’t it feel strange to you?"

At Yoon Taeo’s words, Kang Seokho and I remained silent, just as we had agreed. Whatever he said, we had promised to deny it. If it was an ambiguous question, we’d stay quiet.

"CEO, I’m glad the rut’s over... I really worried so much, you can see how my face looks all puffy from not sleeping..."

...What’s with him? Why is Kang Seokho suddenly talking? His voice trembled, and it was obvious he was nervous and anxious. It sounded like he was confessing, "I’m lying."

"I, I don’t know anything, really."

Then, he added a final comment to seal it. It felt like I hadn’t found an ally to share my secret with but had instead found a companion to cross over to the other side with.

"Sit down, both of you."

Did Yoon Taeo not notice the poor acting? He gestured for us to sit on the sofa. At his words, I sat down first. My legs felt weak from the tension, and even standing on two feet felt like a struggle.

"So, neither of you noticed anything strange?"

"...I’m not sure what you’re referring to."

Before Kang Seokho could babble, I answered quickly. It seemed better for me to speak rather than letting him mess it up. But the rising tension made my toes curl inside my slippers.

"This is the first time I’ve had a rut like this. To lose consciousness in just one day..."

"...It’s not completely unheard of. It happens quite often in intense ruts."

That’s the life of someone with a dominant trait. Due to pheromones, there are countless unpredictable variables. For example, even a renowned doctor couldn’t predict Yoon Taeo’s exact cycle. It was easy to feign ignorance when pheromones were involved. That’s probably why Yoon Taeo didn’t press me further.

"Right. But how do you explain the rut ending in just two days?"

Why is he asking me? He should ask the doctor.

"Well..."

"Yeah. With so many variables, I guess it could happen."

Yoon Taeo spoke up before I could explain anything, and I didn’t need to elaborate further. It was almost like he was helping me out, considering how bad the questions could have been.

"Yeah, that’s right."

...Can’t he just stay quiet for once? Kang Seokho seemed to share my sentiment and gathered the courage to speak, though his voice was still drenched in tension.

"But you know..."

Yoon Taeo, sitting comfortably on the sofa, crossed his legs. One arm rested on the back of the sofa, while the other hand rested on his thigh. After a brief pause, his fingers began tapping rhythmically on his thigh. His gaze shifted, focusing on his fingers, deep in thought.

"Didn’t someone come in here that night?"

With those words, the tapping stopped.

"No, let me change the question. Why did you come in, Secretary Kim?"

He asked me, his voice and gaze unyielding.