By Zephyria 
A silence lingered for a while. Although permission had been granted, no new employee was bold enough to throw a random question at the Vice President. Naturally, the PR team was the first to take advantage of the open invitation.
An employee raised their right arm high and shouted,
“Can we expect performance bonuses this year?”
The provocative nature of the question sparked laughter from the audience. Kwon Young-je spread his arms wide and gripped the edge of the podium. He spoke with a noticeably softened expression.
“Thanks to the newly released drug, both the stock price and operating profits have hit all-time highs. To answer concisely: yes. You may look forward to them.”
The reaction was nearly a cheer. Riding the wave of the excited atmosphere, questions began to pour in from all directions.
“Vice President! The reaction to the last YouTube promotional video was very hot. Would you be willing to participate in the Apex official channel once more?”
“I am not.”
Kwon Young-je replied without a moment’s hesitation.
“Since when did you become so handsome?”
To the flattery disguised as a question, he merely twitched a straight eyebrow and offered no answer. As the flexible atmosphere persisted, the new employees, who had only been reading the room, slowly began to raise their hands.
“By any chance, are there any privileges for traits?”
The person asking was a Beta. Since the majority of their peers were sentients, they seemed to have significant concerns. After all, wasn’t even the Vice President, the pillar of the company, a Dominant Alpha?
At that, Kwon Young-je straightened his posture. The slight trace of a smile vanished from his face, and a solemn voice was delivered through the microphone.
“Apex is a trait-specialized pharmaceutical company, but we do not discriminate based on whether an employee possesses a trait or not. If you feel you have suffered a disadvantage in relation to this, I recommend visiting the internal labor management team for a consultation.”
Kwon Young-je continued smoothly.
“Furthermore, I guarantee that such a thing will never happen as long as I am leading Apex.”
There was a hint of arrogance added to his final remark. However, no one listening perceived him as haughty. Strangely, Vice President Kwon Young-je looked like a man who would certainly keep the word he had proclaimed.
That was likely due to the authority and unique elegance he possessed. The young entrepreneur leading a conglomerate revealed a noble charm even under the bright lights.
Just then, a man in the audience raised his hand. The new employee, who had reportedly joined the company as the top recruit, asked with a determined face.
“Um… does Apex encourage office romance?”
Giggles could be heard. It was unexpected for a handsome Alpha to throw out such a question. Shy faces exchanged glances one after another. Perhaps because it was a gathering of young professionals, it felt almost like a university auditorium.
“I will leave that to your autonomy. This is society, not a school. As a side note, I also reached marriage through an office romance.”
A collective “Ooh” of admiration erupted at those words. It was a well-known fact, but hearing it directly from Vice President Kwon Young-je’s mouth felt fresh.
“As someone with experience, I advise that it is better to date secretly, avoiding the eyes of others. Secret dating is always more thrilling.”
At that moment, the camera swiftly shifted direction. Hui-won’s face appeared on the main screen. Standing defenseless, Hui-won covered his face with his hands as his image suddenly popped up on the screen. A sigh escaped naturally.
As the venue grew noisy, the PR Team leader skillfully took the microphone. Then, like a proper host, he added an explanation of the situation.
“The new employees might not know, but the person on the screen is General Manager Kim Hui-won, and he is Vice President Kwon Young-je’s spouse. They are the most famous couple at Apex.”
Screams, almost like those of teenage girls, were heard from the audience. “You look so good together!” followed by someone shouting from a hidden spot.
“Yes, Secretary Kim Hui-won seems to be very embarrassed. He’s turned his back completely. We’re all one family anyway, so why not show your face to your colleagues… how cruel.”
The PR Team leader teased Hui-won with full commitment. The man who had turned away with his arms crossed had earlobes dyed red. Even for someone who rarely blinked at most things, this situation seemed utterly embarrassing.
Hui-won looked up at the podium while still turned away.
As if responding, Kwon Young-je looked down and gave a rare smile. The smile was so wonderful that Hui-won couldn’t even get angry. He let out a hollow laugh that bordered on resignation.
On the way back to the office after finishing the orientation, the two walked quickly down the hallway. Matching their pace, Hui-won asked tentatively,
“Why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Do I really have to say it out loud?”
“Are you unhappy that I proclaimed my own thing as my person?”
Faced with such a brazen answer, the will to argue withered away. Hui-won stroked his cheeks, which still held a lingering heat.
“I saw earlier that some of the employees seemed to be filming videos. If a notice isn’t put out, it might circulate on the internet.”
“That’s actually better. The rumors of discord will quiet down too.”
Suddenly, Hui-won stopped walking. His widened eyes turned toward Kwon Young-je.
“…Did you see the comments?”
Kwon Young-je, stopping along with him, responded with a nonchalant gaze.
“It’s more surprising that you thought I wouldn’t know.”
“I thought the Vice President wasn’t interested in gossip.”
“People need to know how much I love you.”
How could he make such a confession so indifferently? Hui-won gave a thin smile and continued walking. He stepped ahead first and caught the executive elevator. It happened to be empty.
“So, you’re saying it was more enjoyable when you were dating in secret? What a shame. Now that it’s been proclaimed to the whole world, your enjoyment must have vanished, Vice President.”
“It’s not that different now.”
Taking advantage of the emptiness, Kwon Young-je took his hand. Fingers slid in subtly, filling the gaps between Hui-won’s fingers.
“What I mean is, skinship done in secret is more thrilling.”
The elevator doors slowly narrowed. Through the gap of about a palm’s width, interlocking lips were glimpsed for a moment. Even that soon disappeared as the doors closed.
2. The Art of Supporting a Spouse
Kim Hui-won was a person who knew how to draw a clear line between the roles of an executive secretary and a spouse. At the company, he was Secretary Kim; at home, he was the spouse, Kim Hui-won. He tended to keep public and private matters strictly separate.
However, situations inevitably arise where the two roles overlap. This was exactly such a case.
He was attending a sponsorship event as usual, and occasionally, he encountered others attending as couples. After greeting Kwon Young-je warmly, the couples, as if following a set procedure, shifted their gaze over Kwon Young-je’s shoulder.
A secretary should naturally keep a step’s distance from the person they serve and keep a close eye on the situation. When the superior meets people, the secretary should only give a light nod and must not join the conversation. It meant that the only person Secretary Kim should be watching was Kwon Young-je. It was the proper conduct for a professional attendant.
But when a look that said, ‘Why are you standing over there?’ flew his way, he had no choice but to stand side-by-side with Kwon Young-je. Hui-won subtly closed the distance and gave a polite greeting to the other party.
“Hello, Mayor Heo Tae-soo. Mrs. Kim Hyun-young.”
“Oh, it’s a pleasure. Is this the rumored Vice President’s wife?”
“Now, now, dear. Not wife, but spouse. He’s clearly a man, so you shouldn’t use that title.”
“It is fine. You may call me whatever is comfortable for you.”
Since this wasn’t the first or second time it had happened, Hui-won simply smiled. Betas often make slips of the tongue when speaking to sentients. Since it deviated slightly from social norms, this level of mistake was common.
“My goodness, you look so good together. But… why do you two walk so far apart?”
There it was, the cruel question of a ‘muggle.’ This was nothing short of a disaster born from the wife’s ignorance. Looking at her expression, her genuine bewilderment was evident.
At this, Mayor Heo clicked his tongue and began to scold his spouse. “Why on earth would you ask such a thing!” Forgetting that it was an official event, his voice grew slightly loud, naturally drawing attention.
“Oh my. If I don’t know, I can ask. Why are you treating me like a caught rat? I mean, is it normal for a couple to be so distant?”
“Enough. Just stop. Vice President Kwon, my apologies. Let’s meet separately later to talk.”
Mayor Heo quickly turned away, taking his wife with him. The receding couple was whispering to each other. Mayor Heo was likely explaining their relationship to his wife.
“…….”
Left behind, Hui-won scratched his cheek with a troubled face. When he glanced sideways, Kwon Young-je was looking down at him with a crooked smirk.
“Now you’re completely backed into a corner, aren’t you? What are you going to do, Secretary Kim?”