Whether in the observation room or standing before her, his manner and relaxed attitude were the same, yet why did it feel so different? In there, he had seemed like a quiet tyrant, but now he was the image of a kind superior with no rough edges. How ironic that her insides, which had been boiling because of Sa Kangjun, were now strangely calmed by his presence.
“President… Are you alright?”
“Of course.”
Kangjun answered without a hint of hesitation.
“Ah. The weather is nice.”
Kangjun remarked, hands in his pockets, gazing at the distant scenery. Seoyoung was still standing in the shadow of the building while he stood one step ahead in the bright sunshine.
Instead of following his gaze, Seoyoung quietly observed him. When the contrast between light and shadow is stark on either side of a window, sometimes the brighter world feels more surreal. Moments when it’s so dazzling it doesn’t seem real, but like some distant world. That’s exactly how he appeared now. His figure standing in the light was too vivid, and equally unreal. Was that why? Rather than thinking he was beautiful, an inexplicable fear seeped in. Was Jung Yongjin’s death an accident, or…
“Nice weather makes for a good mood.”
“…”
“When I’m in a good mood, I want to have sex.”
“W-What?”
Seoyoung’s eyes widened. The smile lingering at the corner of her mouth froze, and her mind stopped turning.
Did I hear wrong? Even when she quickly replayed it, his words remained clear in her mind.
Joke or truth? How could he say something like that? Disgust quickly flashed through her. Yet strangely, she was more curious about Sa Kangjun’s intention behind those words, hidden like the tip of an iceberg. Because there was no way those words were genuine.
“Why are you so surprised? It’s not like I asked Secretary Yoo to have sex with me.”
Kangjun’s expression suggested that Seoyoung was the strange one. Seeing his innocently sparkling dark blue eyes, Seoyoung momentarily felt as if she were the one being inappropriate.
“I misunderstood. I apologize.”
She apologized, but didn’t forget to embed a subtle critique of Kangjun’s rudeness.
“Hmm. Since I can’t have sex with Secretary Yoo, let’s go have lunch instead.”
“Lunch?”
“There’s a place with delicious ice cream desserts.”
Kangjun’s words were light and cheerful. As if everything that happened today, and the words he just uttered, had no meaning at all. Seoyoung felt she understood a little bit about Kangjun’s personality.
***
The final main course of the set menu was served. When Seoyoung cut into the meat, the undercooked red flesh was revealed. With little appetite, she picked at her food and stole a glance at Kangjun. He was sitting upright, slowly cutting his meat.
“You’ll get indigestion if you keep watching me like that.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Could he feel her gaze even though she was looking down? Seoyoung quickly picked up her fork and carefully poked the truffle egg. The yolk, trapped inside the soft white, burst and slowly flowed onto the plate.
“Be careful. The meat is so tender that it flows easily with just a slight poke.”
Kangjun smiled as he put a piece of meat in his mouth. He closed his lips and chewed the meat silently, smiling only with his eyes.
Seoyoung cautiously put the fork in her mouth. There’s nothing strange about having a meal with your boss after a major incident, but being with Sa Kangjun created a strangely uncomfortable atmosphere. She could have just returned to the company by herself.
Kangjun picked up his water glass and said to Seoyoung.
“You’ve seen quite a spectacle on your first day.”
“I understand completely. When you’re in such a position, various things can happen.”
“You understand, huh…”
Kangjun repeated her words as he drank his water. After placing the glass down, he leaned back in his chair as if he had something to say.
“Secretary Yoo, you know roughly what this is about, right? What do you think?”
“I… naturally believe in you, President. I think this incident was an unavoidable accident.”
“It wasn’t an accident, though.”
“Pardon?”
“I killed him.”
“…!”
Sa Kangjun’s detached statement struck like a dagger. Seoyoung’s lips parted involuntarily. The weight carried by those brief words approached as an unbearable terror. When she heard their conversation in the observation room, she hadn’t ruled out this possibility, but still thought, “surely not.” Even though he might be connected to her mother’s death.
“Well, I didn’t kill him myself, but a mistake happened, so it’s as good as if I did.”
Only when his next words fell did Seoyoung finally relax her stiffened shoulders. An uneasy feeling remained, but at least those words seemed like a plausible excuse. Kangjun, who had been watching her sharply, smiled strangely and said:
“So I’ll give Secretary Yoo a chance.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll often have an uncouth mouth like earlier, and dangerous situations like this will occur from time to time.”
His light words landed heavily.
“What I’m saying is that my surroundings can’t always be clean. So if you can’t handle my work and me, get up from this seat right now and go home. I’ll make sure you get a fair severance fee.”
Has this person ever raised his voice? Would he have this same expression when threatening someone, or when choking the life out of someone, or when his emotions rise and fall? It was the same at the beach that time.
Strangely, despite knowing it was a warning directed at her, that’s what Seoyoung thought first. Several thoughts crossed her mind. The times she had desperately rushed to meet him and the firm resolutions she’d made. But sometimes she also wanted to give up this treacherous path and live ordinarily. After all these twists and turns, the man she finally met seemed like such a towering mountain that she instinctively shrank back. In this state, could she really approach the truth about her mother’s death?
Should she turn back now, as he suggested?
No. Seoyoung knew herself well. He was dangerous, and she was reckless, but that precariousness made her stagnant heart beat again. Whether it was the dark clouds Sa Kangjun cast or the quagmire he dug, the feeling that fear diminished with the perpetrator nearby was addictive. Above all, if she backed down now, she wouldn’t know how to live afterward.
“I understand what you’re saying. Before I give you my answer, there’s something I need to report, President.”
Seoyoung calmly gazed at him as she spoke. Sa Kangjun narrowed his eyes at her sudden change in demeanor.
“The prosecutors showed me the video of your interrogation.”
“Really? I don’t think I look good on camera.”
“They asked for my help.”
“They used their brains. And?”
“I refused.”
She hadn’t originally planned to bring this up. She hadn’t sunk so low as to sell out those pursuing justice. What changed her mind was her desire to gain his trust. She had resolved to stay by his side until her objective was complete.
“The reason I’m telling you this is to let you know that I can handle what you mentioned. And I won’t mind your, well, startling comments.”
“Really?”
“You said it yourself, President. That you’ve never hit on a secretary before. So I’ll just consider it as your mischievous way of speaking.”
Seoyoung articulated her position to him clearly. Though he occasionally interjected with a hollow laugh, Kangjun listened to her without interruption.
When Seoyoung finished speaking, a moment of silence descended. His exploratory gaze was uncharacteristically heavy. As she tensed, waiting for his response, the corner of Kangjun’s mouth slowly rose. Then, as if amused, he began to laugh out loud. After laughing for a while, leaving Seoyoung bewildered, he abruptly stopped.
“I’ve gotten quite a foxy secretary, haven’t I?”
Though traces of amusement remained, his eyes were sharp. Seoyoung felt a chill at this cold side of him she’d never seen before. Ah, so this is the real Sa Kangjun.
“If you want to stay by my side, there’s one thing you must keep.”
“Please tell me.”
“Don’t betray me. As long as you keep that, I’ll protect you too.”
A gentle yet eerie warning flew at her. The nature of the smile lingering on his lips had changed as well. The moment she accepted, rules would be established within his world and hers. If she failed to follow them, it would become dangerous. Perhaps she could even end up dead, like her mother or Jung Yongjin.
“Of course, President. That won’t happen.”
Yet Seoyoung answered without hesitation.
“Good girl. My secretary.”
Pleased with her response, Kangjun smiled brightly again.
“Oh, right.”
Picking up his knife again, he furrowed his brow as if remembering something.
“I said I’ve never hit on a secretary before, but I never said I wouldn’t, did I?”
“What?”
“Why are you getting so nervous? It’s embarrassing.”
Mischief gathered at the corner of his upturned mouth. This time, Seoyoung wasn’t as startled as before. She had somewhat figured him out—his unrestrained nature—and realized that most of what he said lacked sincerity.
A staff member who had arrived placed ice cream in front of her. Seoyoung silently picked up her spoon. As Kangjun had said, the ice cream was quite delicious.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
