* * *
“Hey! Assistant Manager Gil.”
Why is it that you always run into the most awkward people?
Upon spotting Assistant Manager Kim raising his hand and calling out to him, Wookyung let out an inward sigh.
“Did you have a good weekend?”
“You’re seriously asking me that? Who was it that kept pestering me from Saturday to Sunday?”
Even though Wookyung responded sharply, Assistant Manager Kim just grinned and fell into step beside him, his mouth never resting.
“Do you think I did that for no reason? I wouldn’t have gone that far if I didn’t have to. You had nothing to do anyway, so why not just come out instead of playing hard to get?”
Seriously.
If nothing else, Wookyung was thankful they didn’t work in the same office.
Otherwise, he would’ve had to endure Kim’s endless whining and persistent matchmaking attempts all over again today—just like he had all weekend.
“What are you doing for lunch later?”
Perhaps Wookyung had underestimated Assistant Manager Kim’s tenacity.
Why couldn’t he apply this same persistence to his actual work?
Suppressing another sigh, Wookyung gave a curt reply.
“I’m busy.”
And it wasn’t just an excuse.
He really was.
There was a mountain of things to sort out, even if it meant skipping lunch.
The first round of planning had been submitted, and the design process had begun, but that didn’t mean the work was finished.
His list of concerns was only growing.
On top of that, he had back-to-back overseas business trips scheduled.
Even now, he was debating whether to grab a sandwich from the café or pick up a triangle kimbap from the convenience store.
“If you have time, want to grab a cup of coffee with me at the café?”
“I told you, I’m busy.”
If he had arrived just a little earlier, he could have picked up a roll of kimbap from the snack shop downstairs.
Resigned, he stood in front of the elevator.
As he waited, nodding in greeting to colleagues from other departments, Assistant Manager Kim’s chatter continued without pause.
“That’s cold, Assistant Manager Gil. Ever since you joined the TF team, you’ve totally abandoned us, huh?”
Now he was using the team as an excuse to drag him along.
At this point, it was only natural to be suspicious of his ulterior motives.
“Come on, I’m serious. I just want to catch up.”
Wookyung gave him a skeptical look, making Assistant Manager Kim awkwardly avert his gaze.
Maybe he felt guilty.
“All I’ve seen is a photo. I really don’t get why you’re so eager to meet in person.”
“Come on, this is how people meet! Don’t stress about it. Trust me, this guy is really great—I guarantee it.”
Yeah, no. Wookyung had absolutely no trust in him.
Unfortunately, Kim remained blissfully unaware of that fact.
The elevator doors opened. Since he’d be getting off last, Wookyung quickly stepped inside and moved to the farthest corner.
It definitely wasn’t to escape Assistant Manager Kim.
Definitely not.
That’s when he noticed there was already someone inside.
“Just meet him once, okay? It won’t take much of your time. You’re going to eat and have coffee anyway. Or wait, do you prefer plum tea? Should I tell them to order that in advance? Huh?”
Even Kim finally fell silent when he realized there was someone else inside the elevator.
“Good afternoon, Director Choi!”
He practically bent in half, bowing. Wookyung also inclined his head in greeting.
“Hello, sir.”
Director Choi returned the greeting casually, but his gaze lingered on Wookyung.
With an internal sigh, Wookyung stepped closer to him, recognizing the unspoken summons.
The only silver lining here was that this meant he’d finally be free of Kim.
Or so he thought.
“Assistant Manager Gil! Let’s grab that coffee later, okay? Promise!”
Of course.
Assistant Manager Kim’s stubbornness finally wore Wookyung down.
“Fine, fine. Just a quick hello.”
Whatever Assistant Manager Kim’s obsession was with this setup, he’d have to meet the guy to find out.
Normally, Assistant Manager Kim didn’t waste his time on things that didn’t benefit him in some way.
“Assistant Manager Gil, don’t forget! And tell me how it goes afterward!”
Even as he got off, Kim threw in one last remark.
Wookyung waved him off with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
For some reason, his cheekbones and temples felt oddly warm.
He made sure not to turn around.
Even as he walked to his desk, he ignored the person following behind him.
“Good afternoon.”
After greeting those already in the office, he took his seat and subtly observed Director Choi, who was heading toward his own desk.
‘What was that about?’
Maybe he had imagined the weight of that gaze earlier.
Deciding not to dwell on it, Wookyung checked his phone while waiting for his computer to boot up.
Another message from Kim had arrived.
It contained the name and contact info of the person he was supposed to meet later.
Without much thought, Wookyung sent back an emoji to acknowledge it and opened his work programs.
Lunch could wait.
He had too much to do right now.
[Assistant Manager Pyeon: What’s everyone doing for lunch?
Senior Associate Sun: Should we get seafood kalguksu?
Assistant Manager Pyeon: Sounds good. Assistant Manager Lee, how about you?
Assistant Manager Lee: I’m in.
Assistant Manager Oh: I have plans, so I’ll be out.
Me: I have plans too.]
The TF team’s group chat was always busiest right before lunch.
No matter how hectic work got, eating was a duty that office workers couldn’t neglect.
[Associate Choi: Assistant Manager Gil, who are you meeting?]
Apparently, Associate Choi was more interested in his lunch companion than his own meal.
The fact that he asked through a private chat instead of the group chat only made it weirder.
Why ask separately?
Why does he even want to know?
Wookyung glanced at Associate Choi, who had been watching him.
Their eyes met instantly.
His intense gaze practically screamed, ‘Answer me already.’
Maybe he was worried about eating alone.
Recently, Associate Choi’s schedule had been packed, so he often ended up having lunch with Assistant Manager Pyeon and the design team or with Assistant Manager Oh—since Wookyung usually just grabbed something quick.
[Assistant Manager Pyeon: Associate Choi, want to come with us?]
As expected, kind Assistant Manager Pyeon extended an invitation.
But even as this was happening, Associate Choi continued to wait for Wookyung’s reply.
[Me: Just someone I know.]
It wasn’t a colleague.
Definitely not a friend.
Not even an acquaintance.
But there was no reason to explain that it was a blind date setup, so he kept it vague.
Associate Choi hesitated before replying with a simple ‘Got it,’ then turned back to his monitor.
‘What is with him lately?’
Wookyung briefly wondered.
Lately, Associate Choi had been acting oddly.
Did he even realize?
He was strangely competitive with Director Choi and kept making weird comments about how he was different from him.
It almost felt like…
‘Nope. Absolutely not.’
Before his thoughts could stray any further, Wookyung forced himself to refocus on work.
He had to wrap things up by Tuesday to hand things off to Associate Choi before leaving for his trip on Thursday.
Time passed quickly as he got absorbed in his tasks.
Before he knew it, lunchtime had arrived.
[Unknown Number: Hello, I’m Park Hyungwoo, a friend of Kim Hyunsoo.
Unknown Number: I’m waiting at the café. Take your time and come down when you’re ready.]
Right on cue, an unwelcome message appeared.
“…Haah.”
A long sigh finally escaped his lips as the inevitable unfolded before his eyes.
Whether Wookyung showed his complicated emotions or not, Assistant Manager Oh, who had an appointment, was the first to leave the office.
Assistant Manager Pyeon soon followed, taking Senior Associate Sun and Lee, along with Associate Choi, with him.
“Let’s go, come on.”
After confirming that even Director Choi was no longer in his seat, Wookyung slowly stood up.
It was incredibly bothersome to waste time on something unrelated when he was so busy, but since he had agreed to go, there was no choice.
Besides, the person he was meeting had already arrived and was waiting for him.
He figured it would be easier on his mind if he thought of this as simply stopping by the café to grab a sandwich.
Dragging his feet, he pressed the elevator button.
Since there were no other passengers, he didn’t have to wait long before stepping in.
His reluctance was evident in every step he took toward the café after descending to the lobby.
Upon finally reaching his destination, Wookyung immediately spotted a man who, upon seeing him, lit up with delight and rose from his seat.
“Hello!”
Just as Wookyung was about to nod in greeting to the man approaching him, an unwelcome figure caught his eye from the side.
‘Why, of all days, is Director Choi sitting here eating a sandwich?’
There he was, the very Director Choi who had disappeared earlier, sitting elegantly at a café table with his legs crossed, leisurely biting into a sandwich.
What an incredibly unwelcome coincidence.
“Please, have a seat here.”
Thanks to that, Wookyung found himself in an unexpectedly favorable situation—he no longer needed to focus on this awkward blind date.
* * *
