By Zephyria 
“Oh my goodness, I’m truly surprised. Congratulations, Kim Hui-won.”
Professor Hong smiled brightly, offering his congratulations.
Is this something to be congratulated for? Kwon Young-je muttered beside him, but Hui-won skillfully pretended not to hear. Hui-won smiled and shook hands with her. With this, he had received confirmation from the top traitology professor in the country.
“Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule, Professor.”
“Fortunately, Hui-won has a deep understanding of sentient beings. Most people who develop it later in life are generally confused. They also have difficulty adapting.”
According to the test results, Kim Hui-won had excellent pheromone control and a considerably high resistance to Alpha pheromones. This meant he was dominant. It meant that he wouldn’t be easily affected by Alpha pheromones.
“That’s a relief.”
“Still, you should prepare yourself mentally. Let’s observe while getting regular check-ups for now. Oh, are you going to move your hospital here? If so, I’ll be your primary doctor.”
“I’d be honored if you would.”
While the two were talking amicably, Kwon Young-je crossed his arms and kept staring into space. Whether it was a snort or something else, a constant, irritated breathing sound could be heard. He definitely seemed to be in a bad mood.
Hui-won left the hospital and took out a white envelope. It was the second time in his life he had submitted a resignation letter.
“Executive Director Kwon. Thank you for everything.”
“…….”
The crisp envelope was ruthlessly crumpled in Kwon Young-je’s hand. He didn’t even open the resignation letter, only glared at Hui-won’s clear face.
“I didn’t know you were such an irresponsible person.”
“Executive Director Kwon knows best that it’s difficult to work together, doesn’t he?”
“Why does it have to be you?”
Kim Hui-won being an Omega… He couldn’t believe the reality that the person he cherished and trusted the most had become an Omega. Even though he knew it wasn’t Kim Hui-won’s fault, he felt an indescribable sense of betrayal.
But that didn’t mean he could keep an Omega as his secretary. In the end, he shoved the crumpled resignation letter into his jacket pocket.
Hui-won smiled at him.
“The remaining employees will do well too. Please trust them and leave it to them.”
“Isn’t it none of my business anymore?”
“If you wish, I can finish the handover before leaving.”
“I don’t need it. Secretary Kim, no, Kim Hui-won, take care of yourself.”
Kwon Young-je said coldly and turned away. His face didn’t show any emotion, but Hui-won could see that he was quite upset.
Executive Director Kwon will live well. He’s a man who will never fail.
Hui-won watched the handsome Alpha get into the sedan before turning around as well. He had enough on his plate. Now, as an Omega, he had to live his second life.
* * *
5:30 AM. Kwon Young-je always wakes up at the same time.
After exercising in the home training room for about an hour and showering, it’s invariably 7 AM. He tends to skip breakfast. He didn’t like the feeling of being full from the morning.
To him, a suit was no different from everyday clothes. He slipped his arms into a crisp, wrinkle-free shirt and tightened his tie, and the image reflected in the full-length mirror looked flawless as always.
After perfectly finishing his preparations for work, he left the house. He stepped down the stone steps and passed through the small garden. A waiting car could be seen in front of the gate. The driver and Secretary Ji, who saw him, bowed deeply in greeting.
Today was the first day he was going to work without Secretary Kim.
The world doesn’t change just because one person is gone. Kwon Young-je scanned the faces looking at him with a dry gaze and moved his feet. Secretary Ji quickly ran over and opened the back door for him.
Secretary Ji closed the door and let out a shaky sigh. Even though he had braced himself, his tense heart wouldn’t calm down.
The duties of the executive secretary were to be divided among the secretarial staff for the time being. Assisting on the morning commute was Secretary Ji’s responsibility. It was only temporary, but he felt a heavy burden. In fact, Secretary Ji Seung-hyun had come out to wait since the crack of dawn today.
Thanks to the meticulous Secretary Kim, who had created a manual in advance, all he had to do was follow it.
Procure the coffee that Executive Director Kwon drinks every day. Adjust the temperature inside the car according to the weather of the day. Give a brief briefing on the day’s schedule while traveling.
It wasn’t difficult, but he was nervous about making a mistake. Secretary Ji steeled his trembling heart and got into the passenger seat.
Meanwhile, Kwon Young-je was picking up his coffee. He felt something was different from the moment he grabbed the paper cup. As soon as his lips touched it, he felt a lukewarm temperature. He must have bought the coffee too early.
Kwon Young-je put down the coffee he had barely swallowed. It was definitely the same coffee shop, the same beans, the same number of shots, but somehow it tasted awful. All thoughts of touching it disappeared.
The car began to move smoothly, and a soft classical performance flowed inside. Kwon Young-je sat upright and took in the scenery outside the window. As he did, a strange smell that subtly stimulated his sense of smell made him frown.
The source of the smell seemed to be Secretary Ji, who was sitting in the passenger seat. The scent, whether it was perfume or something else, wasn’t that strong, but it kept bothering Kwon Young-je because it wasn’t to his taste.
Kwon Young-je silently lowered the window a little. As the strong wind blew in, the unfamiliar smell was somewhat diluted.
Secretary Ji glanced at that figure in the mirror. He had no idea that Kwon Young-je wasn’t touching his coffee and was getting some fresh air because of him, so he just thought, ‘Is he hot?’ and requested that the car temperature be lowered a little instead.
“Executive Director, may I begin the briefing?”
“Go ahead.”
Secretary Ji grabbed his tablet and began to recite the day’s schedule. His voice was as gentle as an in-flight announcement, but Kwon Young-je couldn’t hear it well. Perhaps it was because his ears had become accustomed to someone else’s voice.
At the company, every day was like walking on thin ice. The secretaries were on edge, trying to minimize mistakes as much as possible. But since they were also human, there were times when they slipped up.
Whenever that happened, Kwon Young-je would engrave the word “patience” in his mind and move on. He thought of it as an inevitable business gap.
But the tense atmosphere was not easily resolved. As the executive secretary’s absence exceeded three weeks, the secretarial staff’s faces showed clear signs of exhaustion.
A collective outcry began at the weekly meeting. Secretary Ji, who assists with the morning commute every day, swept his parched face and opened his mouth first.
“I’m so nervous every morning that I feel like I’m going to die. I don’t think I’ll live to my full potential at this rate…”
“Who here isn’t like that? Look at the youngest, his face is yellow.”
“Secretary Kim’s resignation hasn’t been processed yet, right?”
“Yeah, they said the executive director hasn’t approved it yet?”
“Isn’t that a good sign?”
Slightly expectant glances were exchanged. Secretary Lee, the most senior of them, shook his head firmly.
“Have you ever seen a secretary who has the Omega trait? It’s absolutely impossible.”
Moreover, it was a well-known story that Executive Director Kwon hated Omega pheromones. There was no way such a person would use an Omega as his executive secretary.
“I thought… the executive director still had feelings left.”
“Right. I don’t understand it. Why isn’t he hiring an executive secretary?”
“Secretary Lee, please make a suggestion.”
Please, even the quiet Secretary Song clasped his hands together and begged.
As time passed, they were deeply aware of Kim Hui-won’s absence. The problem wasn’t just that the work was overwhelming, but that no one could grasp Executive Director Kwon’s mood. When they faced his cold eyes, their guts shriveled up, and they felt like they had done something terribly wrong.
At that moment, the door to the office burst open. The secretaries, who were huddled together in one place, reflexively stood up. Executive Director Kwon, who was holding the doorknob, said with his eyes fixed on the documents.
“Secretary Kim, there seems to be something wrong with this meeting record data. Bring your laptop and come in to review it together.”
“…….”
There was no Secretary Kim among them. Calling him Secretary Kim was one of Executive Director Kwon’s uncorrected habits. Executive Director Kwon, seemingly unaware of what he had just called him, closed the door and went inside the office.
“Jung-woo, go in quickly. He’s looking for you.”
“Me…? I think he just called for Secretary Kim.”
“Why are you being like this, like an amateur? Jung-woo is in charge of the meeting records.”
Everyone patted the youngest’s shoulder. Choi Jung-woo, a newbie, took his laptop with a tearful face, unsure whether they were cheering him on or pushing him away.
Like this, the secretarial office without Secretary Kim was flowing precariously today as well.
The secretaries were suffering in their own way, and Kwon Young-je looked fine on the outside, but he was suffering from serious aftereffects.
On the way back from a late-night meeting, Kwon Young-je was so drunk from the alcohol he had deliberately drunk on Friday that he could barely control his body.
The driver managed to escort him to his house. Kwon Young-je, who said he was okay and entered the house on his own, roughly took off his shoes and staggered into the living room.
He plopped down on the long sofa. He leaned back as if half-lying down and pulled at his stuffy tie first. Hoo, his vision shook every time he exhaled, and his head tilted from side to side.
Was there a schedule tomorrow?
Even in his drunken state, he couldn’t shake off thoughts of work. His hand naturally rummaged through his jacket pocket and took out his phone, pressing a saved speed dial number.
As always, the other person answered the phone before the call ringed twice.
Kwon Young-je leaned back on the sofa and swept back his disheveled bangs.
“Secretary Kim, what’s our schedule for tomorrow?”