By Zephyria His surprise was fleeting. Hui-won bowed deeply toward Assemblyman Myung Jin-seok with a composed expression.
“I apologize for interrupting your conversation. I just had something to deliver.”
Assemblyman Myung chuckled and applauded.
“So, the rumored secretary has arrived. I wanted to see you anyway. Good thing. Sit down, sit down. Baby, give him your seat.”
Hui-won’s plan to simply deliver the documents and leave was thwarted by Assemblyman Myung’s invitation. The girl who had been sitting next to Executive Director Kwon Young-je had already shifted her hips toward Assemblyman Myung.
He couldn’t dare ruin the mood when she had even vacated her seat for him to sit. Hui-won, at a loss, turned his gaze toward Kwon Young-je. The man, who had been calmly watching Hui-won, nodded as if giving permission.
He cautiously slipped into the empty seat, having discreetly handed the documents to Executive Director Kwon. Unable to overcome his nervousness, Hui-won took a deep breath, straightened his back, and tried to compose his stiff expression.
“Since we’re all here together, have a drink.”
“Thank you, Assemblyman.”
As Assemblyman Myung Jin-seok tilted the bottle of liquor, Hui-won rose from his seat to receive the drink. How could he refuse? Driving or anything else, this wasn’t the time to argue.
He turned his head and emptied the straight shot in one go. The high-proof liquor set his mouth ablaze, but he didn’t even wince.
As soon as he set down the glass, Hui-won quickly scanned the table.
The rustic dishes, out of place in the luxurious bar, were sourced from Assemblyman Myung’s favorite haunt. Five cartons of his preferred cigarettes, the hard-to-find Imperial Noir, were lined up in a row. All pre-arranged settings. Madam Yoon had certainly done her job.
The ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts, and the liquor was already running low. Three empty bottles of whiskey already. Hui-won had heard that Assemblyman Myung didn’t have a high tolerance. Rather, he enjoyed watching others get drunk while he remained sober.
Then who had drunk all of that? There was only one person he suspected, but in the current situation, it was impossible to check Executive Director Kwon’s condition. All he could do was keep receiving the drinks that Assemblyman Myung repeatedly poured and stare straight ahead.
“I’ve heard,” Assemblyman Myung said casually.
“That fucking an Omega is out of this world. They say the wetness is amazing, and the way they grip you from behind is no joke?”
The room fell silent in an instant. Hui-won froze with the glass to his lips, barely managing to swallow the liquor that wouldn’t go down. His head was buzzing.
As the atmosphere cooled as if cold water had been splashed on it, a quick-witted hostess clung to Assemblyman Myung and whined.
“Aww, Oppa. I’m better than any Omega.”
“Oh, really? Shall we find out later?”
Hui-won watched the blatant flirtation with dead eyes. Skinship was commonplace at these kinds of gatherings. It was common for people to be rolling around in the room, so this was relatively tame.
“What do you think, Executive Director Kwon? Is the rumor true?”
The crude joke changed direction and headed toward Kwon Young-je. Meeting his curious gaze, Kwon Young-je replied with his signature elegant smile.
“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never fucked one.”
“With such a delicious treat next to you, what have you been doing? You must have a picky palate.”
Hui-won very discreetly turned his gaze to the side. Executive Director Kwon, not a hair out of place, sat comfortably with his long legs crossed. As if he were having a casual drink with a close friend, not attending an important reception.
His nature of not easily bowing his head to others was evident even in this setting. Ironically, that was what made him feel relieved, because it felt like Kwon Young-je.
Hui-won, after glancing at the face that didn’t give him a single glance, immediately turned his head back. Before he knew it, Assemblyman Myung was about to tilt the bottle again. He quickly held out his glass.
“You’re different because you’re young, it’s good to see you drink so well without holding back.”
What a truly eccentric personality. Forcing alcohol on only one person was no different from a form of punishment.
Hui-won struggled to empty his second glass. No sooner had he set down the glass than he saw glass cups being set out in the center of the table.
Assemblyman Myung filled the three clear glasses with whiskey. He gestured slightly at the overflowing glasses with a mischievous smile.
“You know this is a place where Executive Director Kwon Young-je needs to impress me, right? Show me your loyalty as a secretary. If you drink them all, I’ll consider it positively.”
Not shot glasses, but glass cups. Taken aback, saliva involuntarily welled up in his mouth.
Hui-won hid his discomfort and slowly reached out his hand. Just as his trembling fingertips were about to touch the first glass, a large hand reached out and snatched the glass away first.
“What is it, you?”
Assemblyman Myung’s brow twitched.
“Isn’t it a waste of good liquor for a mere secretary to drink?”
Kwon Young-je replied nonchalantly and emptied the full glass in an instant. Assemblyman Myung clapped and laughed heartily, and Hui-won looked at him with surprised eyes.
Kwon Young-je drank the liquor with a nonchalant expression. All three glasses without stopping. It was a binge that made even the onlookers uncomfortable.
The woman who was there with them looked like her stomach was burning, she quickly filled an empty glass with ice and cranberry juice and handed it to him. But Kwon Young-je ignored the kindness and only wiped his wet lips with his thumb.
“Executive Director Kwon, you’re a really interesting person, I like you.”
Assemblyman Myung laughed heartily and leaned in. As he snapped his fingers, the woman who was attending to them brought a new bottle of whiskey.
The sound of the whiskey pouring was enough to make a person sick of it. This time, as if he was thinking of drinking together, Assemblyman Myung added liquor to his own glass and clinked the heavy glasses together.
“You’re stronger than I thought, Kwon Young-ho, when I saw him last time, he even brought a drinking partner with him.”
“It’s an honor to drink the liquor that the Assemblyman pours for me.”
One glass goes, two glasses come back. Kwon Young-je emptied his glass without missing a single one. It was amazing how he didn’t slur a single word in the process.
As if reminding them that this was not just a simple drinking session, he led the conversation related to work in a clear tone.
Hui-won took the opportunity to find water and snacks and placed them in front of Kwon Young-je. He watched him drink water from time to time, carefully examining his complexion. The problem was that he couldn’t gauge his current state from his pale face.
The brutal drinking session ended after three in the morning. By the time they were breaking up, Assemblyman Myung was also quite drunk.
“Phew, Executive Director Kwon, I had a great time today. Hehe, next time… huh? Let’s set a proper date and talk.”
Assemblyman Myung got into the car with a slender woman. Kwon Young-je bowed politely to him. As the large sedan slowly picked up speed and disappeared from view, his long body finally swayed.
“Executive Director!”
Hui-won reflexively supported him. A strong smell of alcohol emanated from Kwon Young-je, whom he was struggling to hold.
“Are you okay? Just a moment, ugh, try to come to your senses.”
“……”
How could a person collapse in an instant as if a power button had been pressed? Kwon Young-je, who had been standing perfectly fine until just now, had completely lost his mind as if he had finished all his work. His limp body was heavy as lead.
Sturdy men approached to help, but Hui-won shook his head and refused their help. He knew that the man hated being touched by others, so it was better for him to endure it alone.
He barely managed to support him into the car and called a designated driver. He said it would take about five minutes to arrive, so he should be able to catch his breath for a moment.
“Executive Director, Executive Director?”
Hui-won patted his cheek and told him to open his eyes for a moment, but the man, whose drunkenness was rapidly rising, only shook his head from side to side. He tried to get him to drink a sip of water, but Kwon Young-je couldn’t even control his body, let alone come to his senses.
Thud, his head tilted to the side and touched Hui-won’s shoulder. Along with the somewhat heavy weight, a thick pheromone flowed out from his relaxed body.
Hui-won inhaled deeply without realizing it when he smelled the scent. The Omega’s body was thrown into turmoil without warning by the scent that permeated deep inside his lungs.
Was it because of the alcohol?
No matter how much he pressed his cheeks with the back of his hand to cool the heat, it was no use. Hui-won bit his innocent lip and turned his head in the opposite direction. The colorful lights that filled the night streets seemed more chaotic than usual today. It was just like the inside of his head today.