By Zephyria 
In an instant, Hui-won sprang up from his lazy sprawl. He crawled over on his knees and snatched the ring from Kwon Young-je’s hand. The carefree demeanor he had maintained vanished, and now he moved like lightning. Without even taking a breath, he opened the window and flung the ring outside.
Meanwhile, Kwon Young-je had unearthed another piece of Hui-won’s old, embarrassing past. He had somehow managed to find the diary buried at the bottom. As soon as Hui-won saw it, he covered his face.
He knew what that was. The exchange diary he used with an ex-lover. From around when he was twenty, maybe. Honestly, it was so long ago he couldn’t even remember when he wrote it. The only clear fact was that it contained things that absolutely could not be shown to anyone else.
“Studying, dating… You must have been really busy in college.”
Kwon Young-je calmly turned the pages. The diary was filled with sticker photos here and there and cringe-worthy written exchanges.
The initials written here are different from the ones earlier? Why are drama lines written down? Was this how people expressed affection back then? When he asked, genuinely curious, Hui-won, his face flushed red, approached and took the diary away.
Throwing the diary out the window would only guarantee it being found again, so he shoved it under the bed. He would definitely dispose of it later.
When he sneakily raised his head, his eyes met Kwon Young-je’s, who was looking down at him with an elegant smile at the corner of his mouth. Kwon Young-je slowly leaned his upper body back. One hand stretched back to brace against the deeply sunken mattress, and he crossed his legs leisurely.
“As expected, the pretty child who entered the pageant was popular.”
“Don’t tease me.”
“How many people did you date, exactly?”
“…….”
“I seem to recall promising to tell me everything I was curious about.”
Hui-won pressed his lips tightly together and climbed onto the bed. He mustn’t be fooled by that relaxed demeanor. He might be smiling now, but if Hui-won told him the truth, it was obvious Kwon Young-je would be fiercely jealous. Hui-won didn’t have the confidence to handle the aftermath.
He pulled Kwon Young-je into an embrace and lay down on the bed together. Hui-won tightly bound Kwon Young-je with his own limbs. Clinging tightly, he earnestly stated his conviction.
“Sometimes, there are pasts that are more beneficial to leave buried.”
A low laugh tickled his ear. A warm breath also reached his forehead. Instead of probing further, Kwon Young-je hugged Hui-won tightly. The past was already over. Since the time they would spend together in the future was much longer, it wouldn’t be a problem.
With two adults lying down, the small single bed was full. As if they would fall if they let go, they held each other close and enjoyed the rare afternoon leisure. Inside the cramped room, pheromones were already surging. With their bodies pressed together, it was only natural for desire to bloom.
Hui-won gazed with hazy eyes at the face drawing near. It had been too long since they had sex. Was that why? Ever since earlier, only Kwon Young-je’s smooth lips had entered his field of vision.
“The door is locked… Wouldn’t it be okay to at least kiss?”
“Don’t tempt me. My self-control isn’t that high.”
Instead of drawing a firm line, he pulled Hui-won even more tightly into his embrace. The hand stroking the back of his head even conveyed an affectionate emotion.
“As Secretary Kim said, I have no talent for romance.”
“Huh?”
“Instead, I can promise, staking my everything, that I will become a more dependable presence than anyone else for as long as we live together.”
“…….”
“Exchange diaries or sticker photos might be difficult, but I’ll buy you a better ring.”
Hearing the indifferent words, Hui-won finally burst into laughter. Kwon Young-je’s way of expressing himself had already reached a masterful level. Perhaps because of that, even without verbose words, his affection naturally flowed in.
Hui-won also tightened his arms around him. The broad back felt more solid than ever. No matter what happened, he felt certain they could live leaning on each other like this.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
\*
A few days later, they also paid their respects to Chairman Kwon.
Of course, he was greatly pleased by the news of marriage and pregnancy, and he also hinted that Kwon Young-je would be promoted to Vice President in the upcoming personnel reshuffle. It was literally a double celebration.
News of Kwon Young-je’s promotion spread quietly. Thanks to that, the number of people requesting meetings increased, and external schedules noticeably multiplied. The ones suffering the burden of having a successful superior were the people in the secretarial office.
Hui-won returned to work. Perhaps because he had found peace of mind, his condition had also improved remarkably. However, Kwon Young-je strictly excluded his accompanying secretary from external schedules. Lately, the only tasks Secretary Kim handled were assisting Executive Director Kwon’s commute and managing his schedule.
“I think… I can’t accept this reality right now.”
Secretary Lee, who had been saddled with all the external schedule duties, rubbed her face with both hands. The skin pulled upward made her eyes look eerily sharp.
With no way to vent her frustration, she was holding onto Hui-won and letting off steam. Hui-won wasn’t unaware of Secretary Lee’s troubles. However, he could do nothing about it either, so Hui-won could only force a bitter smile.
“I know it’s hard for you, Secretary Lee.”
“Why… Why would he send me when the General Manager is right there, holding his position…? No matter how much I think about it, I don’t get it? What do you think the reason is?”
“…….”
“You know something, right?”
Her sharply raised eyes glared fiercely at Hui-won. Hui-won silently moistened his lips. Wasn’t it time to tell her now?
He had even subtly broached the topic with Kwon Young-je on the way to work this morning. After a moment of deep thought, Hui-won first got up and left his seat.
He went straight into the executive office and came out a few minutes later with a relieved expression.
“Let’s all have lunch together.”
“Lunch…? It’s only eleven o’clock?”
“Yeah. The Executive Director gave permission too. Today, we’ll combine it with a company dinner and all leave early.”
At the unscheduled early leave, all the other secretaries were already delighted. Only Secretary Lee was alone, kneading her face as if making dough. My worries! No, I’m telling you to save me!
They say the company meal most preferred by office workers is the lunch company meal.
Having a nice meal at a restaurant famous for being difficult to book, it seemed all the stress accumulated from work was melting away. Perhaps Secretary Lee also found the rare leisure simply pleasant, as her expression was much more relaxed than before.
“So, when are you going to answer my question? I need to know something to be convinced.”
Secretary Lee elegantly cut her steak while sharply throwing out the question. Just because it was quiet didn’t mean she had forgotten. She was surprisingly tenacious.
“Hmm.”
Hui-won carefully put down his fork and knife. Before speaking, he first moistened his mouth with water. The gazes focused on him were all sticky.
Although they didn’t show it, the other secretaries also seemed inwardly curious. There was no one who didn’t sense that Executive Director Kwon’s attitude had changed somehow.
Moreover, Secretary Kim, who would have normally worked himself to the bone, lately only guarding his desk, was very suspicious. Of course, he only avoided external duties; the workload intensity was similar, and Secretary Kim’s work style hadn’t changed. They were just curious why a talent so adept at supporting Executive Director Kwon was being left to rot.
“Well.”
As he opened his mouth with difficulty, everyone stopped eating and looked at one person. Why was he so nervous? Hui-won let out a short sigh.
“I’m getting married soon.”
Clang! Secretary Lee dropped the knife she was holding. On her pale face, a sense of betrayal began to surge.
“I knew it!”
When she slammed the table with a clenched fist, Secretary Song and the new hire sitting next to her flinched simultaneously. Equally surprised by the sudden marriage news, neither dared to stop Secretary Lee.
“Are you quitting the company again?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“You’re training me for this now, aren’t you! I’m telling you I won’t be the accompanying secretary! This is ridiculous! Where are you running off to!”
“I’m not running away. I’m not quitting the company. Even if I get married, I’ll keep working.”
The atmosphere was such that she might charge at him, so Hui-won repeatedly reassured Secretary Lee. Her temper was so fiery that sweat beaded on his forehead.
Only after hearing the definite answer that he would absolutely not quit did Secretary Lee slightly calm her excited feelings. Gulping wine like water, she finally caught her breath.
“But getting married… It is congratulatory news, but isn’t it too sudden?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Pfft! Secretary Ji, sitting beside him, sprayed wine like a fountain. Hui-won gently brushed off the wine that had splashed onto his own sleeve, then handed a napkin to Secretary Ji as well.
“It’s okay, it’s understandable to be surprised.”
“Pregnant… Pregnant…”
While Secretary Ji was wiping her mouth, dumbfounded, Secretary Lee requested a new knife and resumed her meal.
“Ah, if that’s the case, okay. You should have said so earlier. You scared me for no reason.”
Surprisingly, Secretary Lee calmly accepted the pregnancy fact. For her, only whether Hui-won was quitting the company mattered; the rest was merely personal affairs.
“I’ll follow up as much as possible until you give birth.”
“…Thanks. But isn’t it too easy for you to accept?”
“What’s there not to accept? Pregnancy isn’t a crime. We should have that much loyalty between us. More importantly, after you give birth, who will look after the baby? Baby-sitter costs aren’t easy these days either. Will your parents look after it?”
The barrage of questions were all mind-boggling. Hui-won pressed his temples and let out a hollow laugh.
“General Manager… Who is the baby’s father?”
Secretary Ji threw out a pointed question. Gazes gathered again. This time too, their eyes were filled with unbearable curiosity.
“Well…”
He had to spill the most important secret, but his mouth wouldn’t open easily. Hui-won scanned the plate in front of him. They had just started eating, and a juicy steak still remained on the plate. If they heard it, it was clear they wouldn’t be able to swallow the meat or anything else.
“Let’s eat first. I’ll tell you after we finish eating.”