Chapter 6
It was fortunate that the chilly air was cooling the heat that had been building inside her.
It was Wednesday, the midpoint of the week, and her first day reporting to work at the chairman’s office.
Until the very last moment, Jaekyung had been debating whether she should run away from the chairman’s office.
‘My son doesn’t want this. We’re ending this contract here. Keep the secret. No matter what.’
She might not remember her husband’s face, but she vividly remembered the face and voice of Executive Director Jin Heeyeon on the last day she had left that house.
‘I just need to clear up the misunderstanding about the penalty fee or whatever… But what if Executive Director Jin finds out? Can I hide for three months without getting caught?’
After yesterday’s meeting, she had impulsively signed the documents in a fit of anger. Now, regretting her decision, Jaekyung leaned her head against the wall.
“It’s good that you came early to wait. But when are you planning to open the door?”
At the chilly voice from behind her, Jaekyung froze.
When she turned around, Yugam was staring calmly at her.
“When did you… get here?”
“I’ve been following you since the school gate, so about twenty minutes ago?”
Then did that mean he had watched her wandering around the school grounds, agonizing over whether to go in?
Embarrassed, Jaekyung was passed by Yugam as he used his fingerprint to unlock the door.
“Come in. If you keep standing outside the door, you’ll be late.”
“I already logged into the work account, so technically I’m not late.”
She had used the work network credentials she’d received yesterday to familiarize herself with her duties from the jjimjilbang early that morning.
“Are you going to keep refusing the car I sent?”
“I’ll commute on my own.”
“How long are you planning to sleep there? If word gets around that the chairman’s secretary is sleeping at a jjimjilbang, I’m thinking of charging you a penalty for violating the standards of conduct.”
“Are you going to threaten me with a penalty fee every time?”
She hadn’t felt comfortable refusing the car that had come to pick her up at the jjimjilbang.
In the end, it had been a threat.
“And the rumors about me…”
“Rumors?”
“Ah, never mind.”
There was no point telling him that photos of the two of them were circulating among the teachers. It would only put her at a disadvantage.
The chairman’s office was larger and more luxurious than Jaekyung had expected.
A large bookshelf occupied one wall, while the morning sunlight streamed through enormous windows, brightly illuminating the room.
“Over there.”
Yugam, who had not taken his eyes off Jaekyung’s face, pointed with his chin toward the seat across from the desk bearing the plaque that read Chairman.
But the seat was far too close.
There were two desks facing each other, close enough that they could touch if they simply reached out their hands.
“Isn’t this a little too close?”
“If I’m going to keep an eye on you, it’s only natural that you sit close.”
Jaekyung sighed involuntarily.
What kind of secretary sat this close to her superior?
“Could I move the desk?”
“Why? Do you want to sit beside me?”
“There’s plenty of space, so I’d like to move closer to the entrance.”
“Why would my secretary sit far away from me?”
“It’s just… suffocating and uncomfortable.”
Yugam tilted his head and looked at her.
“Being with me makes it hard for you to breathe?”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll take that in a positive way.”
“In what way is that positive?”
“We shared the same blanket for ten months, so it’s understandable that you’d feel suffocated. I’ll take it to mean I’m still getting under your skin.”
Yugam met her eyes from directly in front of her without even smiling.
His expression was so calm that Jaekyung couldn’t tell whether he was joking or serious.
Her face reddened with embarrassment.
“What are you talking about? I asked you not to talk about personal matters. And our marriage clearly…”
“This conversation looks like it’s going to get long, so let’s stop here. You must have a lot you’re curious about regarding me. Try to be patient and let’s spend some time together after work.”
Jaekyung shook her head at Yugam, who simply refused to understand her.
They had barely had a proper conversation during their ten months of marriage, so she hadn’t known it before, but the man was practically a human fortress.
“I’m not curious about anything.”
Ignoring Jaekyung’s reaction, Yugam opened the work laptop and handed it to her.
“Let’s start with work. Check the schedules that were handed over to you.”
The moment he leaned toward Jaekyung, their shoulders bumped.
“Sorry…”
Yugam moved even closer.
“You don’t even know that this is the basic requirement of being a secretary? Close-proximity assistance is essential. I’ll handle the distance myself.”
Yugam suddenly grabbed the hand Jaekyung had wrapped around the mouse.
Their hands overlapped.
It lasted only a moment, but her fingertips tingled as though she’d been shocked by electricity.
Jaekyung’s tense body froze completely, while Yugam moved close behind her, almost as though he were embracing her.
“I’ll only explain it once, so pay attention.”
The screen came to life, and the mouse moved rapidly.
Jaekyung held her breath as Yugam’s breath brushed against her ear.
Even the air in the room seemed to fall silent.
“This is the plan for reviewing the financial management of the Uitae Foundation. Your job is to inspect everything from the beginning again. Thoroughly, from A to Z. Investigate everything and report it to me. It’s not difficult.”
“Yes.”
“Starting today, for three months. Let’s sort things out one at a time, whether it’s work or our marriage.”
At the touch of Yugam’s hand wrapped around hers, heat spread throughout Jaekyung’s body.
If he got any closer, she felt as though he might even hear her heartbeat.
“I… I’ll get some coffee. Would you like some too, Chairman?”
“Sure. If you want to repay your debt, try doing various things and see what you’re good at.”
Did he really have to say everything in such a sarcastic way?
Avoiding Yugam’s gaze, Jaekyung went into the pantry outside the office.
Even while making coffee, her heart wouldn’t stop pounding because of Yugam’s cold, nerve-racking presence.
“Oh! Namsan rooftop. You’re the new secretary, right?”
Jaekyung was taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, when she turned toward the cheerful voice.
“Hello. I’m Seo Jaekyung.”
“I’m Kwon Woobin. Just call me Chief Kwon. How was your date with your boyfriend on Monday night?”
Chief Kwon whispered to Jaekyung as though he were sharing a great secret.
She found it suspicious that he knew about her personal schedule.
“Ah… yes. Would you like some coffee?”
“I’d appreciate that. It was incredibly awkward, wasn’t it? I told the chairman not to go and interrupt your date, but he just barged out anyway. I was the one who dug up your information, Ms. Seo.”
At Chief Kwon’s words, the sudden events from three days ago slowly began falling into place like pieces of a puzzle.
If Yugam wasn’t going to become obsessed with her and stalk her years later like in the news, perhaps she didn’t need to worry as much.
“The coffee tastes great. You could open a café.”
“I’m glad you like it. I worked part-time at a café for a long time.”
“You were even a barista? But were you and the chairman already acquainted?”
“No.”
Chief Kwon took a sip of his coffee.
Rather than paying any attention to Jaekyung’s firm denial, he closed his eyes and savored the aroma, clearly impressed.
“The acidity is just right. It’s excellent. Now I understand why he recruited you. This coffee machine was imported from Europe, you know. Matching the chairman’s taste in coffee is no ordinary task. I got so tired of getting yelled at that I even took a barista course. Now that Ms. Seo is here, I can finally breathe.”
“I’ll go back to the chairman now.”
After quickly cleaning up the pantry, Jaekyung picked up two cups of brewed coffee and prepared to leave.
Chief Kwon nodded with a relieved expression.
“From now on, can I leave the chairman’s coffee to you?”
“Ah… yes. I’ll make yours too, Chief Kwon.”
“Wow. You’ve got both good instincts and diligence. I like people who are good at their jobs. If you ever have a hard time with anything, call me anytime.”
Thanks to his natural friendliness, they even exchanged phone numbers before Jaekyung was about to leave.
“What are you two doing huddled together?”
Yugam was standing at the entrance, glaring coldly at the two secretaries with their heads together, whispering.
“The chief was showing me how to use the pantry.”
Jaekyung was about to make an excuse, not wanting to irritate Yugam, whose sharp eyes had narrowed and whose brow was furrowed.
“Our chairman, why do you look so fierce first thing in the morning? You’re practically the Lion King of the savanna.”
Chief Kwon was clearly not an ordinary person.
He treated the icy Yugam like an older brother, soothing and teasing him with affectionate gestures.
For the entire morning, Jaekyung sorted through several years’ worth of financial documents, but she couldn’t see any real progress.
Yugam, who had been sitting at his desk with his head lowered and hadn’t shown his face even once, eventually called Jaekyung outside.
As if working across from him in the same office wasn’t enough, she now had to follow him around during on-site inspections, leaving her no time to rest.
Jaekyung followed Yugam as he inspected each of the elementary, middle, and high school buildings, taking notes on the important points.
That was when—
“Oh my. Teacher Seo. Are you all right?”
Kim Juyoung, who had sent Jaekyung a text that morning, approached her with a startled expression.
