#109
That “someone” Yoon Se-young had been waiting a long time for Jung Hwi-kyung’s return. Of course, she didn’t wait for him because she liked him, but suggested lunch to tell him what happened at the company during his absence.
Otherwise, there would be no reason to decide to eat out at a restaurant near the company with its murderous prices. Se-young checked her face again with a hand mirror. Though she had no romantic interest in Hwi-kyung, she wanted to look presentable to others.
But Gyo-ha, who happened to observe Se-young’s grooming from a close distance, was startled. He mistakenly thought a new rival had appeared so soon after driving Lee Sung-ha away.
[Are you really eating with someone else?]
[(Sad puppy emoticon)]
Despite sending all kinds of flattery through messenger, Hwi-kyung remained silent. Isn’t it good to eat lunch alone since you can have a longer break time? At least that’s what Hwi-kyung thought. Eating quickly and resting during the remaining lunch time was a small happiness for office workers.
[Yes]
[Eat by yourself]
[Enjoy your meal]
Surprisingly, Hwi-kyung’s messages were genuinely well-intentioned. Enjoy your meal! We live together anyway, so there’s no need to eat lunch together too, right?
Just because a person likes someone doesn’t mean they love all aspects of that person’s personality. Gyo-ha was the same. How could I love your indifference, it’s you that I love…
Apart from liking Hwi-kyung, Gyo-ha felt crushed whenever Hwi-kyung acted like this. There were many ways to show one’s inexperience with dating.
If the team leader had been someone other than Lee Gyo-ha, Hwi-kyung would have readily canceled his appointment with Se-young. Prioritizing meals with a superior was within the realm of normal social etiquette.
However, when Lee Gyo-ha became his superior, Hwi-kyung reflexively prioritized Se-young over Gyo-ha. For Hwi-kyung, Gyo-ha was classified as someone outside the company, while Se-young was someone inside the company.
Gyo-ha briefly pondered whether he should be happy about this or not. It was too pitiful to consider it great progress that Hwi-kyung didn’t treat him as a superior even though they were in the same company.
While he was feeling down alone, people started getting up from their seats one by one. Even without a bell announcing lunchtime like in school, the people sitting together in the office ebbed out like a tide.
Se-young and Hwi-kyung were the same. The two had left their seats a few minutes before lunch time to catch the elevator. Gyo-ha was left like a dog that had been chasing chickens because of the two who disappeared in the blink of an eye.
It felt like a past life when the system window would display Jung Hwi-kyung’s emotions because of Yoon Se-young. It was indeed something like a past life, but who would have known the situation would reverse after just a few iterations?
Pay attention to me too… eat lunch with me too…
Gyo-ha, looking quite pathetic, picked up his jacket and got up. He had a general idea where Se-young and Hwi-kyung had gone. Se-young, who strictly controlled her diet, only ate poke or salad even when outside. For a fellow PR team employee, figuring out the destination was a piece of cake.
Gyo-ha immediately checked the location of a poke restaurant near the company. Acting like a clingy ex-boyfriend even while dating was also a talent.
* * *
Hwi-kyung stirred his poke once with a fork, finding it expensive with nothing substantial. Is this what people eat these days? For Hwi-kyung, who was used to rice soaked in soup, poke was an unfamiliar menu.
“Don’t you like poke?”
“No, it’s just my first time eating something like this…”
“Then we should have eaten something else. I came here because you said you didn’t have any preferences.”
Se-young would have headed to a similar restaurant even if Hwi-kyung had preferences. She was the type who seemed to accommodate others but had clear opinions of her own. Negatively speaking, she was a bit selfish.
Hwi-kyung knew this but didn’t bother pointing it out. After all, this meal wasn’t for enjoying a delicious lunch or fostering friendships.
“Hwi-kyung.”
“Yes.”
“I suggested eating together to see if you knew about the rumors going around these days. You were surprised that I suddenly asked you to eat, right?”
“Not at all.”
Pretending not to know while knowing everything is also an advanced skill. Hwi-kyung tensed his head to maintain office worker default expression number 2.
Because Gyo-ha had not come to work for an entire week following Hwi-kyung, Hwi-kyung was branded as Gyo-ha’s lover. If it were a misunderstanding like in the thirteenth iteration, he would feel wronged, but since it was a case of being caught red-handed, he didn’t even think to make excuses.
However, he couldn’t just say “Yes, I am the team leader’s lover” in front of others. That would not only make his position in the company awkward, but everyone would start being cautious around him.
Hwi-kyung had no intention of walking comfortably around the company with Gyo-ha as his backing. Having someone who could watch your back was good, but when others knew about it, it was a double-edged sword. Whether he did well or poorly, he would be criticized either way, so he shouldn’t officially acknowledge his relationship with Gyo-ha.
But Se-young calmly stated what she wanted to say as if she knew everything even if he pretended otherwise.
“I can’t help but know that you and the team leader have that kind of relationship. You took a whole week off together.”
“…”
“Everyone’s taking it as a given. I think it’s probably true too.”
Se-young stabbed some lettuce and smoked salmon with her fork. Hwi-kyung felt like the smoked salmon pierced by her fork. Though he had guessed she would bring up this topic, he hadn’t expected her to speak so directly without beating around the bush.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m suddenly saying this. Since you’re perceptive.”
“…It is a bit sudden.”
“Actually, our team atmosphere is a bit, you know?”
“What do you mean by ‘a bit’?”
“Everyone talks a lot and enjoys gossiping about others. Maybe it’s because we’re the PR team, but they’re particularly zealous about spreading rumors.”
Not all PR teams were like that. From Hwi-kyung’s experience working at various companies, BK Entertainment was particularly bad.
Whether it was characteristic of the entertainment industry, or they had miraculously gathered such people… Hwi-kyung thought that half the company rumors would disappear without Deputy Lee and Manager Kim. After observing for a few months, he realized the rumor creators and spreaders were all in cahoots.
“I’ll help you quiet things down.”
“…”
“It must be hard adapting to company life with talkative team members. In return, please help me too.”
The smoked salmon on Se-young’s fork elegantly disappeared into her mouth. Hwi-kyung maintained silence, not knowing how to react.
It was obvious that Se-young wouldn’t even pretend to listen if he claimed ignorance. Yet he couldn’t suddenly agree either. He had no idea how she planned to help.
“What… how do you intend to help…”
In the end, Hwi-kyung chose the latter between “What are you talking about?” and “How do you plan to help?” If he wasn’t going to coolly quit BK Entertainment, Hwi-kyung needed to establish himself there to some extent. That would make it easier to follow Gyo-ha when he transferred to the American branch.
Having at least a deputy or assistant manager position rather than being a mere employee would give him options for branch transfers. Although Gyo-ha could specifically bring Hwi-kyung along if there were personnel issues, that was a separate matter from Hwi-kyung’s pride.
“I can get rid of the talkative deputy and manager for you.”
“How?”
“There are many ways. Department transfers, driving a wedge between them, taking one of them out to separate them…”
A string of dubious terms followed. Se-young added nonchalantly that driving a wedge between them would be the easiest.
“Ah, don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I’m good at such things.”
Anyone could see that Yoon Se-young would likely be the best at such things. Hwi-kyung stared stupidly at Se-young who had finished her meal. Her mouth was impeccably clean, making it hard to believe they had just eaten together.
“Manager Kim is particularly susceptible to such things.”
“Manager Kim…”
“It won’t take long. About three weeks? That should be enough to make Deputy Lee walk around separately. If they fight among themselves, there will be less gossip too.”
“What do you want in return for going to such lengths?”
“Nothing much. Just make one request to the team leader on my behalf.”
“A request?”
“Yes. There’s someone I’d like to be introduced to.”
Hwi-kyung, who had been half dazed by the unfamiliar conversation pattern, finally came to his senses when Se-young mentioned “Gyo-ha” and “request.”
It was suspicious that someone with such spirit would ask him for anything. Moreover, an introduction? If she wanted to be introduced to one of Gyo-ha’s acquaintances rather than Hwi-kyung’s, it wasn’t something Hwi-kyung could help with.
However, Se-young cut in faster than Hwi-kyung could utter words of refusal.
“You know, the second son of BK. The team leader’s brother.”
“You mean Lee Sung-ha?”
“Yes.”
“Why him…”
“I’d like to be introduced through the team leader.”
“What?”
“I saw him once from a distance and he was really my type. Rich, rude, not in his right mind…”
“What?”
The last “What?” came from another table. Hwi-kyung turned his head toward the voice that had suddenly intruded on his conversation with Se-young. Somehow, Gyo-ha was sitting two tables away.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
