Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 76

"This morning, there’s a meeting with the construction company representatives, followed by a visit from a local congressman."

It’s just another typical morning.

Even while on a business trip, Yoon Taeo, who never neglects his workout routine, wakes up early, runs around the resort, takes a shower, and enjoys his coffee before heading to work. Listening to today’s schedule being read out in front of him, it almost feels as if everything up until yesterday was just a dream.

“Ugh, I wish Secretary Kim had made the coffee.”

But something was off, just not entirely the same. Another person, far away, was staring intently at Yoon Taeo with wide eyes.

“Well...”

“It’s better to drink it a bit lighter in the morning! If you drink coffee on an empty stomach, it’ll upset your stomach, Representative!”

It was Choi Hyunjin, running over to oppose Yoon Taeo’s opinion.

“I said it’s not necessary, so why are you doing this?”

“Well... it’s because... I wanted to see you...”

He couldn’t be more of a clingy nuisance. Although Choi Hyunjin had recently been more open with his feelings, it seemed his persistence had only intensified after the rut scam incident.

“...I wish you’d just do your job without mixing in your emotions.”

Despite that, Yoon Taeo threw the words out in a harsh tone without even giving Hyunjin proper eye contact. He simply put the coffee cup down on the table with a sharp sound, his dissatisfaction clearly visible.

“I’ll make it again.”

“Forget it. Just get ready for work.”

The reason behind it all was unclear. I didn’t know what had transpired between Yoon Taeo and Choi Hyunjin when they were left alone, but Yoon Taeo seemed to be trying to keep his distance, while Hyunjin appeared desperate to close that gap. At least, from what I could see, the distance between them hadn’t shrunk in the slightest.

But since it wasn’t my place to intervene, I didn’t stop Hyunjin’s actions. I just followed Yoon Taeo into the dressing room. I purposefully ignored Hyunjin, who was trailing behind me, awkwardly.

"For the congressman’s visit, they’ll be bringing a press group, so it might be better to dress in something more formal."

"Why would I need to bother with reporters?"

Yoon Taeo was sulking again. It wasn’t even a negative thing for the promotion of his resort. But how was I going to calm him down and make sure he didn’t show a sour face in front of the reporters?

"Well, those kinds of people love to show off, don’t they? And since you’re so attractive, no matter who’s in the photo, it’ll only be you who stands out."

"Is that so?"

"Of course! Your photo shots always turn out amazing..."

“Photo shots?”

“Oh, no! What I meant was... it’s just a shame that photos can’t capture the real thing...”

That almost got me into trouble. If I relaxed for even a second, my honest thoughts would spill out. I really need to keep my composure.

“So how about this tie...”

“How about this one? I think it would suit you well!”

Yoon Taeo’s outfit was a basic white shirt. While there were subtle differences in the fabric, collar, pockets, and buttons, the color didn’t change much. So, the tie had to be the point of focus. Just as I was about to put the burgundy tie I picked out on him, another tie appeared, coming toward us with the same speed.

“What’s this?”

“Isn’t this one prettier?”

Choi Hyunjin awkwardly extended two ties. The one I held was burgundy, and Hyunjin’s was a deep gray. Yoon Taeo’s gaze flickered between the two.

“I thought you liked black...”

He seemed to be more observant than expected. He didn’t like dark colors, but it seemed he chose the darker tie thinking of Yoon Taeo’s taste. However, today, it wasn’t the right choice.

“What’s going on, Secretary Kim?”

“Ah, yes...”

Naturally, Yoon Taeo chose the tie I had selected. If it had been any other day, perhaps he would have chosen differently, but with an important guest visit and reporters tagging along, a little bit of a fashion statement was necessary. Given that the company started from loan sharks, it was important to avoid any negative public perception, even if only in appearance.

“...Today’s schedule is quite important.”

“Oh, I just thought it’d suit you well. I’m sorry...”

I really am hopeless. I should’ve just kept quiet. After explaining the situation, I didn’t care whether Hyunjin was upset or not. It wasn’t my concern.

I didn’t even know where the real Choi Hyunjin ended and where the fake one began. Honestly, I didn’t feel like knowing. I simply helped Yoon Taeo prepare for work without saying anything more.

"Today, you’re working without any soul."

“...Me?”

“Yeah, anyone else?”

As I helped him with his coat and grabbed his bag, Yoon Taeo voiced his dissatisfaction. He had a knack for picking up on these things, even when he wasn’t paying attention to anything around him.

“I wish you’d put more effort into your work, Secretary Kim.”

Before I could open the door, he grabbed the doorknob and turned his body slightly to face me. Surprised by his sudden movement, I looked up, and he gestured for me to go ahead with his chin.

“...Thank you.”

Although I was annoyed by Hyunjin, this was the main reason I wasn’t as concerned about him. Even after Yoon Taeo found out that Hyunjin had entered his rut place, nothing changed. He never even mentioned it, and his behavior remained the same. In fact, I think it’s more accurate to say that Yoon Taeo is trying to distance himself. So, I wasn’t particularly bothered by Hyunjin’s ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) increasingly overt emotions.

“What’s the schedule for tonight?”

“You can take a break from six.”

“We’ll have to go back to Seoul soon.”

“Yeah. It’ll be difficult to handle everything here in Jeju, so we’ll have to leave.”

On our way to the temporary office, Yoon Taeo asked a lot of questions, ones that were hard to understand the intention behind, but I answered them without showing any sign of confusion.

“Then, let’s have a company dinner. Even though the work’s been terrible, we’ve still worked hard.”

What? When did we start having company dinners? I was taken aback by this unfamiliar request for a moment.

“You guys did a lot during the rut, so it’ll just be the secretarial team and security team.”

“...It’s not a ‘processing,’ it’s a dinner, right?”

“Wow, you’re blunt. If you prefer, we can just do it that way.”

“No, no! A dinner! I like the idea of a dinner...”

Is he planning to get us all drunk and quietly throw us into the sea? Well, whatever, a company dinner, huh?

“Are you telling me to go in there now, Secretary Kim?”

“Uh, well... I’m sorry...”

Yoon Taeo’s voice was sharp. His tone had dropped to a coldness colder than a winter chill, and I felt an overwhelming urge to kneel. Yet, I didn’t think it was excessive. The old, crumbling exterior of the building, the creaky sliding glass door, and the shabby interior beyond it all seemed to set the stage perfectly.

"Ha, the shell?"

“Pig skin... it’s actually surprisingly tasty, though...”

“Your mouth.”

“Sorry.”

I quickly bit my lip. The pig skin might have been delicious, but the situation was quite awkward. The company wasn’t known for having any friendly or cozy gatherings, so a company dinner wasn’t exactly something I was familiar with. As I was thinking about how to arrange the venue, Kang Seokho appeared. The guy who had been confident about how often we had company dinners now claimed he would handle the venue arrangement.

And here I am, stuck in this situation. Seems like Kang Seokho is trying to make things difficult for me.

“Should we move to a different place?”

“Now? Just go in. It’s not like we’ll die.”

...It’s not that bad, right? Sure, it’s a bit old, but I’ve never heard of anyone dying from pig skin. Opening the door, which was so old it barely worked, I entered, and the eyes of the secretarial team and the security team employees, who were gathered inside, turned toward Yoon Taeo. The atmosphere was more like a funeral than a company dinner.

“Representative, we’ve prepared pig skin, which is a classic for company dinners. Oh, and if you can’t eat that, there’s samgyeopsal too. I came by the other day, and it tastes...”

“Did he say that?”

Yoon Taeo turned to look at me with a questioning expression.

“...Yes...”

I had intended to just let it slide as my mistake. But as Kang Seokho stood up, his over-the-top enthusiasm had blown the cover, revealing that he was the one who had arranged the venue. I should thank him for confessing.

“From now on, don’t let the head of Security Team 3 do anything. Just... nothing.”

Yet, it seemed like a good day because Yoon Taeo was merciful. Come to think of it, he had softened a lot lately. I could barely even remember the last employee who lost their life because of him. But Kang Seokho... well, I’ll make sure to get my revenge later. Pig skin, huh.

“Representative, please sit here.”

At a table far away, I could see faces I didn’t want to see. The chief secretary and what seemed to be his lackeys, and then Choi Hyunjin. Judging by the empty seat, it seemed to be Yoon Taeo’s spot.

“You sit here.”

Kang Seokho dragged me to his table. I didn’t know who had invited the chief secretary’s group, but bringing Choi Hyunjin along seemed a bit over the top. Just as I was about to sit in the empty seat, a familiar man filled the spot beside me.

“Representative... that’s my seat.” 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“So what?”

Yoon Taeo responded nonchalantly. He didn’t sit at the table with Choi Hyunjin but rather chose to sit beside me instead.