By Zephyria 
“Executive Director Kwon, I’m driving right now, so I put it on speakerphone.”
Hui-won looked out the front window as he answered. He had boldly answered the phone, but with ears listening from behind, he couldn’t help but feel nervous.
-How was the dinner?
“It just ended. I’m on my way to take Secretary Song and Secretary Lee home.”
Hui-won quickly reported that he had passengers. It was a warning in advance, before Executive Director Kwon Young-je said something harsh.
-…….
A moment of silence fell. Everyone in the car was on edge when Executive Director Kwon Young-je took a deep breath and said.
-How long will it take?
Hui-won’s gaze briefly touched the navigation system and then fell away. He had to go to Sangam-dong and then stop by Yeouido. He estimated the route and time in his head and answered.
“It’ll probably take about an hour and a half, give or take.”
-Stop by my place for a bit when you’re done.
Executive Director Kwon Young-je’s tone was calm. It was the usual Executive Director Kwon that no one could misunderstand. Hui-won was finally able to ease his tense mind. He unconsciously stretched out his sweaty hand and then gripped the steering wheel again.
“Yes, I’ll contact you again before I leave.”
He answered smoothly and was about to end the call when Secretary Song suddenly stuck her face between the driver’s seat and the passenger seat.
“Why! What are you going to do calling him home again!”
Hui-won paused for a moment at her sudden action, and Secretary Lee covered his face in shock.
“Oh my! What’s wrong with her! Is she crazy!”
“Are you two going to kiss again!”
Secretary Song pointed at the phone and shouted at the top of her lungs. It was too shocking to laugh it off as drunken rambling.
At this point, Hui-won’s eyes also began to shake violently. At the end of his subtly lowered gaze, he could see the screen still on the phone call. The person who usually hung up first when the business was over was holding on to the phone for some reason.
He quickly spammed the end call button. Even though the call was disconnected, his heart continued to pound. Hui-won swallowed hard and squeezed out a calm voice.
“Secretary Song is very drunk.”
Secretary Lee took over and took care of Secretary Song. She forcibly sat down Secretary Song, who was wiggling her butt and trying to escape, as if she had so much to say, and straightened her head.
“Secretary Song! Yumi-ssi! Wake up! Do you even know what nonsense you’re talking about right now?”
Secretary Song’s hair was disheveled after a brief commotion. She squinted her eyes and muttered.
“Secretary Lee doesn’t know anything… I saw it, I saw it all… the two of you were slurping…. You kiss a lot.”
Secretary Song put her two hands together, pursed like a beak. The appearance was cute, but the hand gestures that shaped the kiss were quite vulgar.
“General manager. I’m against it. Don’t meet Executive Director Kwon… Haa, how can you handle that… It’s scary. Doesn’t your heart explode?”
The words she was mumbling filled the quiet car. Secretary Lee was half out of his mind, and Hui-won stared out the front window and bit his lip tightly.
At that moment, Secretary Song’s phone vibrated for a long time. She fumbled around and found the phone she had put in her bag.
Executive Director Kwon Young-je
Seeing the name clearly engraved on the screen, Secretary Song gasped and breathed as if she had a seizure.
She trembled with the hand holding the phone. She knew Executive Director Kwon was scary, even when she was drunk.
“Heeu, what should I do. I can’t answer this… Secretary Lee, please answer the phone for me.”
When the phone with Kwon Young-je’s name on it came over, Secretary Lee flinched and backed away.
“Ah, no! I can’t do it!”
“Please answer it for me…. Please save me just this once.”
“I’m scared too! Secretary Song, answer it! It’s Secretary Song’s phone!”
The two screamed, “Kyaak, kyak!” as they passed the phone to each other. As if the phone was a bomb. Even in the midst of all this, the call was not disconnected. It was an atmosphere that would continue until someone answered.
Hui-won couldn’t stand it anymore and reached his right hand back.
“Give it to me.”
The ringing phone was finally in his hand. Hui-won pulled the car over to the side of the road and answered the phone.
“Yes, Executive Director Kwon. No, that’s… Secretary Song is very drunk. I’m sorry. I’ll take responsibility….”
He repeatedly bowed his head in apology, even though he couldn’t see it. At moments like this, he just wanted to let go of everything and run away. How am I supposed to fix this…? He pressed around his eyelids, soaked in a sense of despair.
After the call ended, he looked back at the back seat and saw that Secretary Song had fallen asleep in the meantime, and Secretary Lee was sending him a blank look. Hui-won hid his bitter feelings and handed over the phone.
“You know it’s not true, right?”
“Of course. Who would believe the nonsense of a drunk person.”
There’s no way it’s real, Executive Director and General manager? I’ll fry my hand. Secretary Lee burst out laughing, finding it absurd the more he thought about it. Hui-won also smiled faintly and turned his upper body straight.
I can’t live like this. His conscience was tattered.
Time flows without regard for each person’s circumstances. After the weekend, Monday came without fail, and Executive Director Kwon Young-je’s office was as busy as ever.
Even after spending the weekend, the faces of the office workers are only haggard. Hui-won stood in the corner and looked around the busy office.
Fortunately, Secretary Lee didn’t seem to care about the past incident at all. On the other hand, Secretary Song’s eyes were sunken.
He had briefly talked to her on the phone over the weekend. He soothed her, who was flustered and said she must have been crazy and was really sorry. Hui-won was just as sorry. How could a person who was carrying a secret alone feel comfortable? Secretary Song must have been secretly suffering all this time.
The problem was that Hui-won had become increasingly aware of the secretaries’ eyes since that day. He was worried about what would happen if his relationship with Executive Director Kwon Young-je was discovered.
He was careful about every action when he was with Kwon Young-je, for fear of arousing suspicion.
When he told Executive Director that he should be careful in front of the secretaries, Kwon Young-je replied.
‘You take care of yourself.’
It was a callous answer typical of Kwon Young-je.
“Anyone have anything to report to Executive Director? I’m about to go into his office now.”
Even now, he reveals every detail of his actions, unlike usual. When did he ever ask before going in? He does it dozens of times a day, but he’s so self-conscious that he’s in this state. Fortunately, none of the secretaries paid attention. Everyone was busy with their own work.
Among them, only Secretary Song peeked her head over the partition. She raised her hand with a very subdued face.
“I have this….”
“Just need to deliver it?”
“Yes.”
The file folder wrapped in a leather cover was passed into Hui-won’s hand. Secretary Song repeatedly glanced at the office and couldn’t hide her nervous expression.
Judging by her condition, she still seemed scared. She yelled at Kwon Young-je after drinking…. It would have been nice if she had blacked out, but unfortunately, Secretary Song remembered all her mistakes.
Hui-won pretended not to notice and took the documents into the office. Kwon Young-je was sitting upright and working in the space where the morning sun was shining. He is focused on his work without giving Hui-won a single glance.
He carefully approached his side and lined up the file folders he had brought. Hui-won’s gaze is also busy. He had to look at the desk, be aware of the secretaries beyond the glass window, and his eyes moved up and down without a break.
As a result, it was inevitable that his hand would collide with Kwon Young-je’s as he tried to take the file folder. His hand only touched his hand slightly, but Hui-won flinched as if he had been electrocuted.
Kwon Young-je slowly twisted his upper body and casually scanned the secretary who was creaking beside him.
“Did you commit a sin?”
“No… it’s just that our hands touched.”
“So what if our hands touch, who would think there’s something suspicious between Secretary Kim and me if they saw that?”
“Executive Director, please watch your words….”
Hui-won was surprised and reached out his hand towards Kwon Young-je’s mouth. The words he casually spat out made people gasp.
But his hand was caught before it could block Kwon Young-je’s mouth. When a strong pressure pressed down on his wrist, Hui-won’s palm was stuck to the desk. Kwon Young-je pressed Hui-won’s hand tightly on the desk and sent him a blank stare.
“Don’t you dare touch someone else’s face.”
“…….”
“Are you doing this because you want to be punished?”
Unlike his cold tone, his face was full of smiles. Kwon Young-je has been unknowingly generous with his smiles these days. He doesn’t know how suspicious that looks. Hui-won had to close and open his eyes tightly to hide his trembling heart.
“I hope you will refrain from doing so. What are you going to do if someone sees you? You’re bound to be misunderstood.”
“I think Secretary Kim is worrying unnecessarily.”
“…….”
“Take care of your facial expressions. Don’t make that face that’s always thinking about something lewd.”
Who? Me?