By Zephyria 
1. Marital Bliss
[Photo] Apex “Clinical Trials and Patent Completed for Next-Generation Pheromone Booster ‘Pherogenic’… Commercialization Planned for First Half of the Year.”
Medi Daily
Vice President Kwon Young-je of Apex is giving a presentation on a new drug at the ‘Korea Medical Pharmaceutical Forum’ held on the afternoon of the 2nd at the Royal Peak Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. / Photo [Medi Daily]
Apex announced the pheromone booster Pherogenic at the Korea Medical Pharmaceutical Forum. This is the first new drug released by Apex, a pharmaceutical company specializing in traits, in one year and six months.
Vice President Kwon Young-je stated, “This new drug transcends the limitations of existing boosters and will provide a new alternative for trait individuals experiencing pheromone adverse reactions.”
Following the news of the new drug announcement, Apex’s stock price rose by 13.2% compared to the previous day, with the trading volume recorded at 14,352,934 shares and the transaction value at 87.207 billion won.
Comments (634)
└ Yeah, he’s been married for a long time.
└ I think he married his secretary, maybe?
└└ Crazy, why didn’t he have an arranged marriage??
└└└ He probably did it because he liked them. Is there a law saying all rich people have to have arranged marriages??
└ Tsk, they’ll be divorced soon. I give it a year.
└ Maybe they’re already divorced. Or it’s a show-window marriage.
└ This is why you need to be in the same league; how long can love last?
└└ Why do you know so much? Isn’t this just your headcanon?
└ Even if they divorce, it won’t affect the stock price, right?
“This is ridiculous! Who do they think they are… I feel like suing every single one of them!”
Secretary Ji shouted at the comments. Hui-won, who happened to be entering the pantry, let out a small chuckle at the sight. As he passed by, he gave Secretary Ji’s shoulder a firm squeeze.
“I appreciate you getting angry on my behalf, but we’re at work. Watch your mouth.”
“These are practically malicious comments! Chief Secretary, doesn’t this bother you at all?”
“Not particularly. There aren’t any malicious comments about the Vice President. That’s enough for me.”
Unlike Kwon Young-je, who frequently appeared in public, photos of Hui-won were almost nonexistent under the pretext of ‘protecting his privacy.’ The fact that the kiss cam video taken at a Boston baseball stadium was dealt with and taken down immediately spoke volumes.
Perhaps because he kept such a low profile, rumors frequently circulated in stock market newsletters that Kwon Young-je’s married life was far from smooth. Of course, they were absurd rumors.
Hui-won stood beside Secretary Ji, holding his freshly brewed coffee. While pretending to be indifferent, he blew on the steam of the hot coffee and stole a subtle glance. He could see the article Secretary Ji was reading.
“That photo actually came out really well, didn’t it? I might ask the reporter for the original.”
Comments didn’t matter to Hui-won. Only the photo of Kwon Young-je caught his eye.
Dressed in a black suit with a deep navy tie, Kwon Young-je exuded a sophisticated charm even in a press photo. It was only natural that people were enthusiastic about him. In fact, Hui-won had screenshotted the photo as soon as he saw the article.
Given his profession, he had already checked the content of the article and the comments. Fortunately, everyone’s praise for Kwon Young-je was unanimous.
Since Hui-won’s return, Kwon Young-je had continued to thrive. Every major project he led produced excellent results, and the stock price rose daily. The prevailing expectation was that the upcoming new drug would be a massive hit.
An exceptionally young age of thirty-two for an executive, a Dominant Alpha, and a face so handsome it made one’s head spin. Living with a man of such specifications naturally meant enduring some criticism. Hui-won was well aware of the weight of the crown he had to bear.
“Still, calling it a show-window marriage is too much. I think I’ll report the comments.”
“It’s fine.”
“But still…”
“I already did.”
Of course, that didn’t mean he was a pushover. Hui-won curled his lips into a smile toward Secretary Ji, who was staring at him blankly.
“…Somehow, your smiling face is starting to look more and more like the Vice President’s.”
“Couples tend to resemble each other.”
Secretary Ji clicked his tongue at Hui-won’s brazenness. Just as Secretary Ji shook his head and put his phone away…
“Secretary Ji, are you busy later?”
“I don’t have anything urgent.”
“Then come with me to the conference hall.”
Hui-won lightly leaned his shoulder against Secretary Ji.
A new employee orientation was scheduled for today in the conference hall. It was the first meeting for the young talents who had joined Apex after piercing through fierce competition. Having been with the company for nine years, and not even being in the HR team, it was not a place Hui-won was supposed to attend.
Nevertheless, there was only one reason he was interested in the orientation: Kwon Young-je’s welcoming speech was scheduled. There were only a handful of times when Kwon Young-je gave a speech in front of employees, so he had to see it.
“I’d love to! That sounds fun.”
Secretary Ji’s lips already curled up at the thought of seeing the new recruits. Hui-won smiled and finished sipping his coffee. He, too, was looking forward to the welcoming speech.
The conference hall was in the midst of preparations for the new employee orientation. As soon as he entered, he saw the PR team employees moving busily.
“Wow, it’s something flashy this year.”
Secretary Ji couldn’t hide his admiration. Until last year, they had simply hung a welcome banner in the grand auditorium, but this time, not only was the venue upgraded, but large screens and cameras were also set up.
The conference hall, with its marble floors and brass railings, created a grand atmosphere on its own. The rows of seats were tiered, making them perfect for looking down at the stage.
“Distribute the coffee first. I’ll go say a few words.”
Hui-won grabbed a few coffees and walked over. In the center of the stage, a man in a suit was having a serious conversation with a technician. As he approached, the man recognized Hui-won and beamed.
“Oh, look who it is!”
“You’re working hard, Seonbae.”
Hui-won bowed politely to him. He then offered coffee to the man and those around him. Since everyone’s throats were dry, their faces lit up.
“Kim Hui-won’s sense is as sharp as ever. You need this kind of intuition to become the Chief Secretary, huh?”
“I’m still far from catching up to you, Seonbae. Congratulations on your promotion to Team Leader.”
The man was Hui-won’s senior by two years and had been his direct mentor during his time in the PR team. Time flew so fast that he was now a seasoned 11-year veteran, holding the heavy responsibility of leading the PR team.
“Kim Hui-won has grown a lot. Even making his senior do work. Don’t think you can settle this with just coffee. You definitely have to buy me a meal later.”
The man glared at him playfully. Kim Hui-won bore a great deal of responsibility for this year’s orientation being so grand. He intended to collect on this debt properly.
Traditionally, the PR team managed the new employee orientation. They intended to proceed as usual this year, but an offer came from Vice President Kwon Young-je’s office. Since it was the first internal event the Vice President would attend, they asked to elevate the formality—even allocating their own budget for it.
Thanks to that, the event, which used to be a mere formality, had grown in scale. They moved the venue and paid close attention to the equipment setup. The PR team had set aside all other work for the past few days to focus entirely on the orientation, even producing new welcome kits. To match Vice President Kwon Young-je’s perfectionist nature, there had to be not a single flaw.
“Of course, I’ll treat you to something expensive.”
“I like that.”
The man laughed, acting haughty in a playful manner. Then, the two moved to a quieter spot. Since it had been a while, a stream of personal conversation followed.
“Do you remember? When we were both nobodies, we struggled just to prepare one presentation. Ha, it feels like it was just yesterday, and now I’m already a Team Leader. Time really flies.”
The man tapped the employee ID hanging around his neck. Being at a place to welcome new recruits brought back old memories. There were times when he stuttered while leading a small meeting, but now he was commanding such a grand event.
At that, Hui-won gave a small smile.
“You should climb even higher. All the way to an executive position.”
“Maybe I should try riding Vice President Kwon Young-je’s coattails this time.”
“Seonbae, you used to hate corporate politics.”
“Isn’t the Vice President the same? He’s famous for not keeping flatterers around him. What I mean is, I’ll just work my ass off.”
Hui-won nodded in agreement. Kwon Young-je was a famous stickler for the rules. He was the type who only valued performance, so those around him were all workaholics. If you just did your job well, you naturally ended up in Kwon Young-je’s circle.
“If it’s you, Seonbae, it’s entirely possible.”
“Oh. Did I just get certified by the Chief Secretary?”
The man laughed mischievously and tapped Hui-won’s shoulder. Perhaps because they had gone through the struggles of being inexperienced together, their speech and behavior remained casual even after several years.
“But why are you stuck at the office lately? Isn’t the Vice President on an external schedule right now? Aren’t you following him?”
“Ah… when there are business meetings, another secretary accompanies him.”
Hui-won answered honestly. He was already aware that people around him had been questioning his movements lately. Since Vice President Kwon Young-je and Secretary Kim, who always stuck together like needle and thread, were now keeping their distance as if they were estranged, all sorts of rumors flew—that they were on bad terms, or that they were already a broken show-window couple.
“When he’s with external parties, they tend to find me burdensome. It’s uncomfortable for me too.”
“So you’re saying they see you as a spouse, not a secretary.”
The man nodded, saying it made sense. Indeed, since it was obvious they were a married couple, it was impossible to treat Hui-won solely as a secretary. It was an uncomfortable situation in many ways.
“People really have a great imagination for the worst. The moment something is slightly different from usual, they start making up stories… No wonder that colleague of yours, the labor attorney, was going around explaining everything.”
Im Tae-gyu, right? Hui-won smiled faintly at the mention. Not everyone in the world looked at him through colored glasses. There was someone who actively defended him as if it were his own business.
“Yes, I hope you’ll add your voice to that, Seonbae.”
“I can’t do that for free… Since you’re here, help me with some work.”
The man took a sip of his iced coffee and led Hui-won below the stage. At that moment, a PR team employee was diligently organizing something alone. The wide-open boxes were filled with welcome kits and guidance documents.
“The new employees will come pouring in in 15 minutes. Distribute these to every seat and help welcome the kids.”
“I feel like… I should get an allowance for this.”
“Think of it as utilizing high-level manpower for once.”
The man chuckled. Hui-won responded with a smile. Well, it didn’t matter. Kwon Young-je was scheduled to arrive at the conference hall in 30 minutes anyway. Helping out here and then greeting him would time out perfectly.
“It’s nice to remember the old days.”
Hui-won took off his jacket and began preparing for work in earnest. The thought of returning to be the PR team’s youngest member doing odd jobs instead of his title as Chief Secretary brought a natural smile to his face.