* * *
“I’m busy, so I’ll have to end this call, Director.”
Ki Taeryu stared at the phone screen where the call had abruptly ended, holding the device in his hand for a long moment.
Then, he let out a disbelieving breath.
“When you treat them like they’re cute, they start to get cheeky.”
In front of him, Junhee acted like he was accommodating, but deep down, his pride was fierce.
He couldn’t even bring himself to say things outright, yet he was quick to apologize.
Taeryu found it amusing how Junhee’s face would betray his emotions, no matter how rational he tried to appear.
In moments like these, when Junhee attempted to get even, Taeryu had the urge to shove the incriminating recording right in his face.
— Hey, psycho. Why are you talking to me like that?
“…Assistant Yoo Junhee?”
— Do you know what I hate most in the world? Alphas like you. Especially superior Alphas. I can’t stand them. What makes you so special? Do you enjoy messing with people?
“Did you drink too much?”
— Yeah, I drank. What of it? So, what are you gonna do? You know what you’re called when you can’t even tell the difference between what’s okay to say to someone’s face and what’s not?
“What? Go on, say it.”
— Lack of social skills! You’re a real sociopath, you know that?
“This is hilarious.”
— What? You think it’s funny? Come and hit me if you’re so tough. I’m at XX-gu, XX-dong 52-1, Naru Villa, Unit 402. Come on.
The ridiculousness of the situation had left Taeryu wondering if this was even the same Yoo Junhee he knew.
The one who usually remained as unyielding as a rock, maintaining his professional demeanor no matter how much he was provoked.
Yet, here he was, drunkenly ranting over the phone just hours later.
What’s more, his enunciation was perfect—almost as if he wasn’t drunk at all.
Taeryu couldn’t help but wonder if Junhee was faking it.
Even now, he suspected that Junhee’s latest outburst was simply another form of defiance, a tantrum over something as trivial as the card Taeryu had given him.
He had to attend a meeting at Hyunwol tomorrow evening.
The thought of dealing with the same tiresome people gave him a headache, but he had no choice due to his obligations with Kang Heesung.
‘Yoo Junhee, no matter what you do, you’re still in the palm of my hand.’
Junhee didn’t seem to realize that with a single phone call, Taeryu could cancel his trip.
He was the only one oblivious to how tightly he was controlled.
Taeryu had two choices: go after him directly or make Junhee come to him.
As he pondered, tapping his fingers on the desk, his phone buzzed.
[Web Notification]
Card approved 11:34
8,300 KRW (one-time payment)
B-Money Taxi
He stared at the notification, confused, and soon another message followed.
[Web Notification]
Card approved 11:36
23,700 KRW (one-time payment)
Korea Railroad Corporation
A twisted smile spread across Taeryu’s lips as he looked at his phone.
As expected, Junhee was amusing.
He never failed to entertain.
As Junhee stepped out of the station, someone stood in his way.
“Nice to meet you, Deputy Yoo Junhee, right? I’m Cha Junwoo, the Head of Operations for the Daejeon branch.”
Junhee, looking slightly flustered, stared down at the hand extended to him before shaking it a beat too late.
“Yes… Hello, Team Leader Cha Junwoo. I’m Yoo Junhee.”
All he had done was tell them what time his train would arrive when asked, yet Cha Junwoo had come all the way to the station to greet him personally.
The gesture felt overwhelmingly generous—almost to the point of embarrassment.
Cha Junwoo smiled warmly, shaking Junhee’s hand firmly.
As the Head of Operations, he must have been responsible for overseeing a dozen or so teams, yet he seemed surprisingly young.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Deputy Yoo. Thank you for making the trip. Our team is really looking forward to the seminar.”
Though Junhee knew it was just pleasantries, something else piqued his curiosity, and he opened his mouth to inquire.
“How did you know it was me? Have we met before?”
Junhee was certain he had never seen Cha Junwoo before. He had never even been to Daejeon in his life.
Had they crossed paths, he would have remembered in some way.
‘…Alpha pheromones.’
The scent wasn’t as overwhelming as Siwon’s, but it was stronger than Taeryu’s.
It lingered, a subtle but clear trace of a superior Alpha.
‘Better keep my distance.’
Just the fact that Cha Junwoo was an Alpha was enough to raise Junhee’s guard.
Lately, it felt as though more Alphas were crossing into his life.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but either way, he disliked Alphas—more now than ever.
Siwon was an exception, but with Taeryu and that power-tripping Kang Heesung, Junhee had plenty of reasons to loathe Alphas.
For these mixed reasons, Junhee shot a wary glance at Cha Junwoo before subtly pulling his hand away.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to be forward. Director Lee speaks so highly of you that I felt a sense of familiarity. I recognized you right away from the photo on the company website.”
“Photo?”
“Yes, from when you were awarded the Employee of the Year title.”
“…Ah.”
Only then did Junhee ease up a bit.
He hadn’t realized that the photos he had taken for show ended up displayed on the company’s website.
“I must’ve been a little too sensitive. It’s nice to meet you, Team Leader Cha Junwoo.”
Apologizing for his earlier wariness, Junhee offered a faint smile, to which Cha Junwoo responded with a bright grin.
“Oh, let’s not stand around here. Why don’t we chat in the car while we head out?”
Junhee nodded and followed Cha Junwoo toward the parking lot.
When they got into the car parked above ground, Junhee’s eyes caught a sign through the window on the opposite side of the station.
“Garak-guksu.” Junwoo, sitting in the driver’s seat, noticed Junhee staring at the unfamiliar word and spoke up.
“It’s really famous, Garak-guksu. This whole area used to be lined with food stalls selling it. Have you tried it before?”
“Huh? No, I was just curious about what it is.”
“It’s similar to udon, I guess. Thick noodles in a hot broth, like banquet noodles. After bakeries, it’s the most famous thing here in Daejeon. You must be from Seoul, right?”
“…No, it’s not where I was born, but I ended up there somehow.”
Junhee felt uncomfortable in a way he couldn’t explain with this Alpha who was trying to strike up conversation.
He couldn’t help but wonder why Junwoo seemed so interested in where he was from, even digging into his past.
In truth, Junhee felt uneasy when anyone showed him affection first.
Perhaps noticing the discomfort, Junwoo quickly changed the topic.
“Oh, did you have lunch already? It seems like you got on the train at an odd time. If you haven’t eaten, we still have some time before the seminar…”
“No, I ate something quick on the train. I’d rather head straight to the branch and set things up early.”
“You ate, then. Got it.”
Junwoo drove toward the branch without further questions.
Though a part of Junhee felt a bit guilty for drawing such a hard line right off the bat, it was better than letting someone cross boundaries and take control of him.
“Like someone once did.”
The first time he met Ki Taeryu, calling him while drunk was a mistake—something Junhee himself couldn’t understand.
He had always lived suppressing his emotions, so why had he been unable to hold back that night?
“Now that I think about it, it’s strange he’s been so quiet.”
Junhee had expected Taeryu to make some kind of move by now, either by calling relentlessly or showing up at his workplace.
But the silence was more unsettling than anything else.
“We’ve arrived, Assistant Yoo Junhee. Oh, since you declined lunch, at least don’t refuse coffee.”
Junhee answered that he wouldn’t and stepped out of the car.
“We don’t have an in-house coffee shop like at headquarters, but there are plenty of good places nearby.”
This branch office occupied the 3rd to 6th floors of the building.
Though it couldn’t compare to the main headquarters, Junhee had heard from the CEO that it was one of the better-performing branches and had moved to larger offices several times already.
The CEO had mentioned something about a team leader here—was that team leader possibly Cha Junwoo?
“The Einspänner here is especially famous. What would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have whatever you recommend.”
Just as Junwoo ordered two Einspänners, his phone rang.
Apologizing, he rushed outside to take the urgent call.
Watching him leave, Junhee suddenly handed his card to the server.
“Use this card instead.”
“Sorry? Oh, sure!”
Junhee felt a little bad for refusing the meal so abruptly earlier, so he decided to pay.
After all, both were corporate cards, so it didn’t really matter.
Both Junwoo’s card and his own were black.
“Black cards seem to be trendy these days.”
The image of the black card slipping through Taeryu’s fingers flashed in Junhee’s mind, sending a chill down his spine.
Whatever Taeryu’s motives were behind his arrogance, Junhee could only perceive them as malicious.
Junhee pocketed the card and receipt, then sat by the window, staring at his silent phone.
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*
Locked TT