8.
The office was chaotic on Monday. Team members complaining of Monday blues whined as they moved around with coffee attached to them like IV drips. Everyone seemed busy making phone calls while writing reports, probably dealing with emails that had piled up over the weekend. The new employees who didn’t have any substantial work yet pretended to be busy while reading the room.
But Shin Saebyeok, the experienced new hire, was actually working.
“Saebyeok-nim, could you do this for me? It’s urgent. Sorry about that.”
Unlike Gong Pyeonghwa who knew a total of one language—Korean and English—Saebyeok was skilled in three languages: Korean, English, and French. With his industry knowledge and familiarity with terminology, this experienced hire was definitely more useful than the average intern.
Of course, since he hadn’t received separate training, he lacked knowledge about company policies and product attributes, making it somewhat difficult to assign him practical tasks immediately. But he could handle miscellaneous and support tasks perfectly.
Working hard from the morning made the day so busy that at lunch, everyone ordered hamburgers and ate while continuing to work.
It wasn’t until about two hours before the end of the workday that things finally slowed down. They had almost ended up working overtime for real.
Office workers who finally had some breathing room exchanged morning greetings about how their weekends went, with exhausted smiles on their faces.
Team Manager Dok, who was stretching, looked at Saebyeok with satisfaction and said, “I thought you were a parachute hire, but you’re a blessing.”
Parachute hire, indeed.
“Go get yourself something nice to eat.”
Team Manager Dok, who lived in a world of her own, still had no idea that Saebyeok was a parachute hire placed by top management, and simply handed over her card, thinking he was commendable.
“You can buy yourself some expensive snacks.”
She was even treating him like a child.
“…Ah, yes.”
If it were my Pyeonghwa, he would have jumped up excitedly and bought everything he wanted to eat. The receipt would have been endless.
Whether it was because he was excited about meeting Gong Pyeonghwa after work today, or if this was just a typical trait of someone in love, everything in his mind led back to Gong Pyeonghwa.
“Wow! Team Manager’s card! Saebyeok-nim, go charge about 3 million won on it!”
“What?”
“That’s my dream. Charging about 3 million won on the Team Manager’s card.”
What kind of dream is that? Saebyeok mentally objected to Assistant Manager Kang’s dream.
“Charge whatever you want if you can eat it all.”
If it were my Pyeonghwa, he would have fulfilled Assistant Manager Kang’s dream. Team Manager, you don’t know how lucky you are.
Saebyeok went to a nearby café with the manager’s card.
He bought lots of desserts—the kind Gong Pyeonghwa would have bought—and shared them with the team members along with the coffees they had requested.
Today he had a rare date with Gong Pyeonghwa, so he needed to conserve his energy. …Would they really just kiss and stop there? Saebyeok didn’t think so—or rather, he hoped not—which is why he also bought a drink with high caffeine content.
“I thought you’d be more considerate, but I guess not.”
“…?”
While Saebyeok’s character analysis was accurate, Team Manager Dok, who wasn’t aware of Saebyeok’s spending habits, looked at the receipt for 128,000 won and sank into despair.
She had said he could buy expensive snacks, but it seems he had taken it quite literally.
“Everyone, get your caffeine boost and let’s work hard until the end of the day.”
The team members who had squeezed Team Manager Dok’s purse dry tapped away at their keyboards while drinking their colorful beverages.
With five minutes left until the end of the workday, the messenger app’s notification light blinked.
[Managing Director-Gong Jeong: Haha today is marked as overtime haha]
Managing Director Gong, who usually urged everyone to leave on time, today arranged for overtime pay even though there was no real work to be done.
[Managing Director-Gong Jeong: Haha you’re lucky that Chairman has completely let his guard down because of the image you’ve built haha]
[Managing Director-Gong Jeong: Hahaha saying you’re working overtime but actually going on a date eeeee ã…‹ eeeee ã…‹]
How childish.
[Me: Thank you, Hyung.]
Even elementary school students these days wouldn’t tease like that. Saebyeok thought of someone else and chuckled.
[Me: ^///^)>]
[Managing Director-Gong Jeong: ã…‹ so cute?ã…‹]
The Overseas Sales Team 1, which aimed to minimize overtime and prioritize leaving work on time, saw everyone except Team Manager Dok and Saebyeok leave as soon as it was time to go.
Team Manager Dok, a well-known workaholic in the company, always left late.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
Saebyeok wanted to do something productive anyway, since his time was floating until he received a message from Gong Pyeonghwa.
“Aren’t you going home?”
“Um…, I wanted to learn more about the job too.”
“‘Too’?”
“Yes.”
He had no money and nowhere to go to kill time.
He wanted to pass some time at the company before leaving, and it seemed rude to play around in front of someone who was working, so he offered to help. Why was she trying to make him leave? She was truly a model boss of this era.
“Should I buy you dinner?”
He was hungry, but he would probably eat something when he met Pyeonghwa anyway…
“That’s okay.”
“This is confusing.”
“Pardon?”
Didn’t I say anything? Saebyeok tilted his head and asked back, and Team Manager Dok just smiled as if it was nothing.
“Then let me just review this before I go.”
***
Oh my god. Pyeonghwa. Pyeonghwa. Pyeonghwa. Pyeonghwa!
After finishing his voluntary overtime and rushing out, Saebyeok’s heart felt like it would melt at the sight of his husband’s sturdy build, which he hadn’t seen in a while.
He was so happy to see him, had missed him so much! And! Anyway, it was just so good. It seemed that when things were too good, language abilities deteriorated.
“Saebyeok! My Saebyeok! Honey! Darling!”
“Pyeonghwa!”
Meeting after just a week, the two were busy embracing each other even before they could see each other’s faces. It was truly the reunion of the century.
“Whoa!”
He could feel the thick chest within his arms and smelled the familiar scent of skin. The familiar temperature, familiar smell, familiar touch—nothing could be more welcome.
“I missed you so much. So. Much. Waah. I love you. I love you!”
“Me too! Me too!”
Others might think they were being dramatic over just a week apart, but Saebyeok was sincere.
They had separated suddenly, and without being able to contact each other, they couldn’t know the situation. What good was it being under the same Seoul sky?
“Have you eaten? Where should we go? Where should we go? Hm?”
Gong Pyeonghwa continued to hold Saebyeok like a child. Saebyeok slapped Gong Pyeonghwa’s arm repeatedly as passersby glanced at them.
“Ah, why? I really don’t want to let you go.”
“I feel the same, but we’re still near the office.”
Smack, smack, he lightly kissed his cheeks and lips as if to appease him. Gong Pyeonghwa’s cheekbones rose up high.
“Okay. I’ll protect the social status of Intern Shin. Even though you’re a married man. Even though you’re married to me. Even though you’re mine. Hmph.”
“Look who’s being coy.”
He’s so cute I want to scream. Saebyeok restrained his scream with tremendous patience.
The two entered a relatively private café where each seat was separated by walls.
Seeing each other after a week, strangely, he felt like crying.
Gong Pyeonghwa had a similar expression. Happy, glad, with so much to say, but no words coming out, just lips trembling with emotion.
Anyone seeing them would think they had returned from the dead in a war, a sight worthy of reproach.
But well, wasn’t that kind of true? His proud husband who had returned alone from the battlefield of his in-laws’ house.
How affectionate.
“In a week, your face hasn’t… become half of what it was, I see.”
But didn’t you eat well? Your face is glowing!
“Yeah. Your mother took good care of me. The food at your house is delicious. Delicious but detoxifying.”
“Right? My mom’s a good cook, isn’t she?”
Saebyeok was proud.
“Yes. I almost cried after eating on the first day. I suddenly realized how much you love me. Receiving my makeshift meals without a single complaint after eating amazing twelve-dish meals… If that’s not love, what is? I was completely moved.”
Saebyeok wasn’t particularly picky about food. It was actually Gong Pyeonghwa who was picky.
The meals Gong Pyeonghwa prepared were delicious to Saebyeok. Of course, even if they weren’t delicious, Saebyeok would have eaten them gratefully. Someone had made it for him, after all.
“When we start living together again, I’ll cook deliciously for you. I may not match your mother’s taste, but I’ve memorized the recipes perfectly.”
Gong Pyeonghwa pinched Saebyeok’s cheek gently and giggled.
He smiled proudly at the thought of preparing twelve-dish meals every day and watching Saebyeok’s cheeks fill out plumply.
“Now we have to meet secretly like this for about three months. It’s disappointing, and disappointing… Wait, what? I guess it’s just disappointing.”
“Aww. Saebyeok is so cute.”
Saebyeok’s self-questioning and bafflement were so adorable that Pyeonghwa had the urge to bite his cheeks.
Instead of biting his cheeks, Gong Pyeonghwa intertwined their fingers. He rested his chin on his hand while stroking the smooth skin, admiring Saebyeok’s face that he was seeing after a while.
“What, what are you looking at like that?”
“Just because. I’m looking because I missed you. Why are you embarrassed? It reminds me of when we were dating. You used to blush and tell me to stop looking at you and study instead.”
How adorable his face was, heating up and turning red despite his cynical tone.
“Why are you bringing up stories from so long ago? Ridiculous.”
And it was still the same now.
“Why are humans social animals?”
What’s with the sudden… What is he trying to say? Their intertwined hands suddenly felt sticky.
“Why give alphas and omegas the instinct of heat periods, but then put on the disguise of humanity so they can’t act as they please…”
“Oh, seriously.”
“Okay, okay. Shh. Zip.”
Gong Pyeonghwa pretended to zip his lips, signaling he wouldn’t say any more.
“Hehehe.”
He says just making eye contact is enough to make him happy.
Feeling the same, Saebyeok giggled with a deflating sound.
“How’s Iseul?”
“Don’t even ask. My mother-in-law and Noeul are stuck to her like glue. Iseul has a knack for recognizing people who like her. She’s become completely attached to my mother-in-law and Noeul.”
Iseul was adorable to anyone who saw her, and since his mother and Noeul were weak for small and cute things, he had expected as much. What worried Saebyeok was someone else.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
