* * *
I desperately hoped he wouldn’t point that out as I barely managed to tug at my trembling lips.
“Where do you plan to go on this vacation?”
―I’ll let you know the location later. Isn’t this a wish you can grant? What, is it unfair? Do you think I’m taking away Secretary Sun’s vacation?
It’s totally unfair. Extremely unfair. This is at the level of a human rights violation. Damn it, that’s not a vacation, it’s a business trip, CEO! But the only thing I could say was already determined.
“I’ll assume the CEO is covering the expenses.”
―Don’t worry about trivial things. I’ll use the budget generously within a reasonable range. Organize the materials and send them as soon as possible. I’ll see them in the morning.
The call lasted barely three minutes. In those three minutes, I endured an unbearable amount of suffering.
My five-day summer vacation was a precious rest period that even past secretaries hadn’t enjoyed. It was a hard-earned five days, obtained through a well-prepared PPT presentation, with blood, sweat, and tears. There was even a bit of sympathy involved.
Originally, I wasn’t assigned as a secretary but belonged to the marketing team 2. The sudden position change earned me some sympathy, and that’s how I received this vacation.
Of course, I liked this job. I ended up here by chance, but sometimes, when I saw my colleagues working overtime, it felt better to have guaranteed working hours. Well, very occasionally.
“But losing the vacation is just too much! Damn it!”
I threw the wireless mouse and roamed around the small room, shouting incoherently. The sight of my bed, a small wardrobe, a desk from IKEA with the company-issued laptop, kept catching my spinning vision.
Even the white wallpaper seemed unusually prominent today. I used to wonder why the house on the hill was white, but it seemed to be a color that drove people crazy. I let out a short scream and stomped my feet.
“Aargh!”
“Hey! Quiet down!”
The person who barged in was my roommate and landlord, Cha Chiyeon, who had chosen today’s notable underwear. I grabbed the collar of the unwelcome intruder and continued my scream.
“You should at least tolerate this much after making me wear those rags!”
“Are you insane? Do you think you wore that for free? Was it free?”
The condition of waived rent and a plus alpha swirled before my eyes. I slumped down, crying like a turtle that had lost its shell. This was really too harsh.
“Hey… My summer vacation got canceled.”
“What? Really?”
“I feel like I’m going crazy. What should I do?”
It was a crucial issue. I couldn’t live without a vacation. Working 360 out of 365 days, those five days of rest were vital. This year, it looked like I’d be working all 365 days straight.
This was a matter of my dignity as a worker. Why stay at a company that doesn’t even grant five days off in a year, despite working weekends and being wholly dedicated?
Seriously contemplating resignation, I started rubbing my face on the floor. The cool sensation of the wooden floor urged me to get up, but I had no strength.
“I need money…”
No matter how I thought about it, quitting was impossible. I needed the money, and finding a job like this wasn’t easy. Isn’t it said that there’s a job crisis? I had no confidence to dive back into the job market.
“Chiyeon… What should I do…”
Even if I put aside the issue of work, there was another problem. I was an omega, and to hide my omega-specific pheromones, I took suppressants daily.
No matter how stable the medication was, it wasn’t something I could take all year round. In other words, the five-day summer vacation was also my medication break.
Nothing special happened during the break. Just a slight fever?
But that didn’t mean I could ignore it. If I didn’t follow the break period stated in the instructions after taking the medication like water, who knew when my body might get sick.
I was healthy except for some gastritis, but no one could guarantee the future.
My body was the most precious thing to me. Truly. So, the CEO’s words were like a nuclear bomb to me.
Gloomily looking down, I spoke with lips quivering and a voice full of despair.
“What should I do…”
Cha Chiyeon, who had been looking at me with pity, crouched down beside me and patted my shoulder.
“Since it’s come to this… why don’t you tell the CEO the truth? Maybe he’ll even forgive your debt if you do well.”
“A lawsuit will come instead of debt forgiveness. Unfortunately, our CEO only hires betas as secretaries. If he finds out I’ve been hiding that I’m an omega and working as a secretary, he might actually sue me. I was lucky that my late manifestation wasn’t registered…”
It wasn’t a joke but the truth. I imagined the CEO throwing a lawsuit at my face with a stern look and suddenly raised my head. Looking into Cha Chiyeon’s black eyes, I muttered.
“Should I really quit?”
“With the money I give you, you won’t be able to carry out your plans. Besides, you’ve just started paying off the principal. If you quit, you’ll lose your home and be in debt.”
My plan to buy a house. It was a plan set for 20 years of my life and could only be achieved with my current earnings.
If there’s no income even for a month, it’s all over. The savings in the bank, the interest, and a few small stocks I had quickly flashed through my mind.
Well, most of it was money I had to repay, but…
Since I was a child, I had only dreamt of one house. A cozy two-story house with red bricks and a spacious yard, perfect for raising a dog. Just thinking about it made me smile.
My life goal was to retire in such a house, delivering newspapers for a living. That’s why I was working day and night like this.
Living in a rented room, doing back-view-only underwear modeling to save on rent, and quitting a well-paying secretary job meant I’d have to worry about what to eat tomorrow, let alone achieve my goal. Before that, it would be a relief if loan sharks didn’t cause trouble.
“Why is it so hard to achieve my modest goal of buying a house…”
“Seonyul, you know that’s the most unreasonable goal, right? It’s insulting to those whose lifelong goal is to buy a house. Modest? It’s a big deal.”
Even though there were hundreds or thousands of houses in Seoul, there was no house for me among them. With a heavy heart, I agreed with Cha Chiyeon’s words and slumped to the floor.
“You’re lucky. You’re a landlord.”
“Is this my house? It’s my parents’ house.”
“That’s the same…”
After briefly reflecting on her being a landlord, I grabbed both her hands and lifted my head.
“Should we get married?”
“You crazy bastard. I’m a beta and a woman, remember? And you’re not my type!”
Hesitating, I finally mumbled the truth.
“You’re not my type either…”
I managed to hand over the documents, but I had to stay up all night with my eyes wide open.
I searched for straightforward topics on my laptop all night: ‘how to skip cycles,’ ‘Seoul house prices,’ ‘suppressant cycles,’ and ‘omega heat issues.’
The answers didn’t come easily.
For the past three years, I had been enduring with suppressants and cycle regulators, spraying deodorant like perfume.
I wondered if there was another way, but most internet answers were obvious.
They all advised maintaining the cycle as much as possible. Even a passing elementary student could give such an answer, and people were writing these as answers and gaining points.
It was frustrating.
But I couldn’t go to the hospital either. If I went, I’d be registered immediately, and the CEO would find out in no time.
I was at a critical crossroads. The dilemma I faced yesterday, having to wear ridiculous underwear, wasn’t a critical decision. That was only a second… no, fifth priority dilemma.
“I don’t see a solution.”
With bloodshot eyes, I showered and changed into clean clothes. I applied the ointment prescribed by the doctor the previous day and put on a patch on my swollen cheeks.
A secretary was the face of the boss, but my face looked like someone who had been beaten 16 to 1 on the streets after doing somersaults. Still, I couldn’t skip work, so I packed my things and headed out.
Stomach medicine, deodorant and suppressants, two pills of Soothillin, USB, phone, tablet, and finally two cans of Coco Palm.
Perfect.
I smiled at the fantastic weather as I opened the door vigorously.
“The weather is nice.”
It was raining heavily. As if to prove it was summer, the rain was falling romantically. Standing in front of the entrance for a while, smelling the concrete mixed with rain, I opened my three-section umbrella.
It was a cherry blossom umbrella I bought for 5,000 won from a store that had everything.
I didn’t have the hobby of keeping things long, but this one was strangely sturdy, and I’d been using it for almost three years. After one last check of my shoes and outfit, I stepped into the rain.
The company was a 30-minute drive by taxi or car, but it took 50 minutes by bus. As an ordinary citizen without a car, I always left with plenty of time. Even so, I arrived too early today.
The company lobby was quiet at 6 a.m. Only a few employees worn out from night shifts were wandering around like zombies, injecting bitter iced Americanos into their veins.
Looking just as pale, I scanned my ID card and headed toward the elevator.
* * *
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Vacation is going to be fun
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Poor mc
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A lot has happened! Can’t wait
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