When Kangjun exited the traditional Korean restaurant with Lee Dohyun, Shin Jihoon, who had been waiting at one corner of the entrance, hurriedly approached them. He bowed his head and then raised it, but the moment he saw Lee Dohyun, his eyes widened as if he’d seen a celebrity. Kangjun’s brow furrowed.
“What are you doing?”
“Pardon?”
“Haven’t you called the car?”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
At Kangjun’s rebuke, Jihoon fumbled backward and took out his phone. Lee Dohyun glanced at him belatedly arranging for the car and let out a laugh as if finding it absurd.
“I heard your Office Director is leaving. Is he the replacement?”
“How does he seem to you?”
“Well, the kid looks nice enough.”
Lee Dohyun shrugged and answered indifferently.
“Commissioner, I thought you had eagle eyes, but you can’t read people well.”
“What?”
Lee Dohyun frowned and glared at him. But Kangjun just maintained a playful expression and didn’t continue. Seemingly deflated by this attitude, Lee Dohyun added with a sigh:
“Be careful when hiring secretaries. If confidential information leaks, it’ll be trouble for the Ministry of Defense too.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Kangjun answered, slightly lowering his gaze. Lee Dohyun left with a dissatisfied expression, and as Kangjun watched him walk away, Jihoon approached.
“CEO, the car is in the parking lot—”
“He says we should prioritize national interests.”
Kangjun muttered quietly.
Jihoon tilted his head, not understanding what he meant, when Kangjun let out a small laugh and said:
“What a load of bullshit.”
With a curl of his lip, Kangjun put his hands in his pockets and took the lead.
A flustered Jihoon hurriedly followed behind him.
***
The office was quiet with dimmed lights. Seoyoung finally finished her work around 10 o’clock. While printing the revised speech, she also printed out the list of key attendees for the demonstration. She wanted to memorize their faces and backgrounds just in case. As she was organizing the documents into a file, she heard the elevator door open in the distance. Startled, she turned to see Sa Kangjun standing alone. Why is he here at this hour? Seeing him approaching with large strides, Seoyoung instinctively rose from her seat.
“CEO.”
“I left something behind. But you haven’t gone home yet?”
“I had some work left. I just finished.”
“What work?”
Kangjun asked with the same expression So Yujung had worn earlier.
“I was revising the speech…”
“Ah. That.”
Kangjun muttered briefly. His gaze naturally lowered to the binder placed on the desk. Seeing the neatly arranged item, he clicked his tongue with a “Huh!” He apparently hadn’t expected her to stay this late for that task. After standing there for a moment, seemingly thinking about something, Kangjun opened his phone and made a call.
“Driver, please wait ten more minutes.”
After hanging up, he glanced at Seoyoung and said:
“Bring it in.”
“Ah, yes.”
Seoyoung, belatedly understanding, hurriedly picked up the binder. He could look at it tomorrow. That would be less burdensome for both him and her. But since her boss wanted to see it now, she had no choice. She saw him place his fingerprint on the handle sensor of his office. He opened the door and waited. Seoyoung quickly walked toward him.
“Come closer.”
“Pardon?”
“I won’t eat you, so come closer.”
Kangjun frowned and gestured toward the chair beside him. Ah, Seoyoung belatedly understood and went around the desk to stand beside him.
“This part changed?”
He pointed to one section with his finger. Even without the original to compare, he knew exactly what had been changed.
“Yes. In the draft, I removed our company name since it might give the impression that we’re pushing too far ahead. I thought the Ministry of Defense or other companies might find it uncomfortable.”
“Isn’t that too submissive?”
“Instead, I listed conditions that would inevitably make people think of Bantech.”
“This part?”
At her explanation, he pointed to another section.
“Precise signal integration technology can be advantageously applied to EMP demonstration environments.”
Since everyone in the field knows that Bantech is the best in signal integration technology, they would think of Bantech the moment they heard this. Seoyoung had incorporated such sentences throughout the speech.
“This part changed too.”
Kangjun sharply identified yet another section. It was the core system explanation part that he had emphasized earlier in the day. Somewhat surprised by his keen insight, Seoyoung answered:
“Since it’s a keynote speech, I thought everyone might get bored if we break it down too much. So I divided it into three main categories—tactical drones, autonomous mobile self-propelled artillery, and humanoid robot platforms—and then connected Bantech’s technology to each.”
Seoyoung calmly continued her explanation. As Kangjun had said, while not putting Bantech at the forefront, her approach clearly demonstrated their presence. Though nervous at first, seeing Kangjun listen seriously made her naturally regain her composure. It felt somewhat satisfying.
After reviewing for quite some time, Kangjun closed the binder. Then he leaned back in his chair and looked up at her. His gently curved eyes and lips seemed quite affectionate. Judging by his expression, she hadn’t made a mistake, but she couldn’t be too relieved. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d troubled someone while wearing such a smile.
“Cleaning up appropriately and laying good groundwork.”
Kangjun said, tapping the desk with his finger.
“Well done. You’re good at cleaning up other people’s shit.”
“Pardon?”
“Go home.”
Kangjun answered as if finished with his business and pulled out a USB stick plugged into his computer. That must have been what he came to get. Seoyoung didn’t ask further, just bowed her head and turned away. Perhaps because she’d only seen him as difficult until now, his first compliment touched her deeply. Yes, if she gradually gains his trust like this, she’ll have a chance to glimpse into the past. Seoyoung wore a barely perceptible smile.
Even after packing her bag, Seoyoung didn’t leave. From what she’d seen earlier, Kangjun seemed about to leave as well, so it seemed better to wait for him to go first. The last bus to Seoul had already stopped running anyway. Just as she changed into her flat commuter shoes, Kangjun emerged from his office. Seoyoung stood up from her seat.
“Good night.”
“Let’s go.”
Kangjun cut off her words and walked out. She thought it was a farewell, but his tone implied companionship. Momentarily confused, Seoyoung picked up her bag and followed him.
Kangjun, who had entered the elevator first, looked at Seoyoung. It was a leisurely gaze, as if enjoying the space until she entered. That gaze rather hastened her steps. She quickly stood beside him, hiding her unnecessary tension. Kangjun pressed the B1 button with a casual movement, and Seoyoung carefully pressed the L floor button. Perhaps because of her previous mistake, she checked the button again with a sideways glance.
At that moment, with a soft chuckle—
“The light’s on.”
Kangjun’s voice carried a subtle playfulness.
Seoyoung reflexively looked at him. His face clearly showed that he was recalling the previous incident. The fact that without saying a word, he remembered, was conscious of it, and was revealing all of that made her heart tighten.
The elevator began to descend quietly.
“You got shorter?”
A soft voice fell from above her head. In the reflection on the door, she could see him lowering his gaze toward her feet.
“I’m wearing lower heels.”
Seoyoung answered, still looking ahead.
“Now that you’re shorter, I can see you better.”
“…”
What does that mean? Seoyoung absently touched the back of her head. It felt strangely uncomfortable to have her crown defenseless in someone’s line of sight. The moment her raised hand covered her crown, Kangjun let out another brief laugh.
Seoyoung quickly lowered her hand from her crown. Only now did her unconscious brief action feel awkward. Seoyoung focused her gaze only on her reflection in the door. Kangjun didn’t speak further. In the tense silence, as the elevator passed the third floor, she prepared to get off with relief. But he reached out and pressed the L floor button. The button light went out, and the elevator began to descend straight past the L floor.
“CEO!”
When Seoyoung called out urgently, he turned his head.
“I’ll give you a ride.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
