* * *
[Director Saheon: We go to work around the same time anyway. Let’s just go together.]
[Me: What if someone sees us?]
[Director Saheon: They’ll just think we’re carpooling.]
What kind of nonsense is that? Who carpools with their boss? Even if we are heading in the same direction!
Though Wookyung grumbled internally, his mind was occupied with another thought.
‘Maybe I should just start going to work earlier than Saheon. That way, I’d be ahead of him, and we wouldn’t run into each other…’
In the past, he would have rejected the idea outright.
But now, he found himself wanting to match Saheon’s schedule whenever possible.
They weren’t even dating yet, but his feelings were already wavering.
[Director Saheon: I’ve also been concerned about you having to take the subway every day, constantly dealing with crowds.]
And with that, Saheon delivered the final blow.
‘Like he’s ever ridden the subway with me before.’
But as soon as he thought that, a memory surfaced.
That one time they had crossed paths.
It had been an unfortunate incident, sure, but in the end, that was what led to their current relationship.
‘I thought we were just bad luck for each other.’
Wookyung lifted his head and looked around.
As always, the subway car was packed with commuters.
Luckily, today he had managed to find a seat.
Thanks to that, he had the leisure to exchange messages with Saheon like this.
That’s right.
From the moment he woke up until now, on his way to work, he had been in constant contact with Saheon.
[Me: I’ll think about it a bit more.]
[Director Saheon: Got it. Then, what should we have for lunch today?]
Since Saheon didn’t push the matter further, Wookyung felt both relieved and slightly guilty.
To make up for it, he put some real thought into choosing a meal.
He had completely forgotten that he was the one who initially suggested they eat separately.
[Director Saheon: I’m fine with anything, so just pick something you like.]
When Wookyung didn’t reply right away, Saheon must have assumed he was hesitating and kindly added that reassurance.
And with that, a certain dish popped into Wookyung’s mind.
[Me: How about samgyetang? Have you ever had it before?]
[Director Saheon: Sure.]
That wasn’t really an answer.
If he had eaten it before, wouldn’t he have said so?
His lack of response probably meant he hadn’t tried it yet.
“Do they not sell samgyetang in the U.S.?”
“They do.”
Startled by the unexpected voice, Wookyung quickly looked up.
“Oh, Senior Associate Sun? What are you doing on this line?”
Standing before him was the ever-smiling Senior Associate Sun.
It was surprising, since Wookyung knew she usually took Line 5 to work.
One of the good things about HK Furniture was that it was located at an intersection of Lines 3, 5, and 6.
Of course, that also meant the transfer area was always packed with people.
“I had to come from a different place this morning.”
“Ahh….”
Her vague tone gave him a rough idea of what happened.
Considering they had a company dinner last night, she probably spent the night at a close friend’s, her partner’s, or a family member’s place.
“But why were you talking about samgyetang in the U.S.? Who wants to eat it? A friend? A boyfriend? Family?”
Senior Associate Sun’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as she asked.
“Director Saheon asked me to have lunch with him today. He asked what I wanted to eat, and I just blurted out samgyetang….”
As he said it out loud, Wookyung wondered if he had just given away too much information too easily.
But then, he remembered that anyone could see them eating together anyway.
If he acted too cautious, it would only make things seem more suspicious.
‘I’m a beta, so no one would suspect anything between me and Saheon anyway.’
If he were an alpha or omega, people might start speculating.
But as a beta?
No one would bat an eye.
“With Director Saheon? Wow, Assistant Manager Gil, you’ve been hanging out with him a lot lately.”
“Hanging out…?”
The way she put it made it sound like he was some class president taking care of a lonely classmate.
“Well, it’s true, isn’t it? You two may be around the same age, but in terms of rank and atmosphere, he always seemed like someone far removed from the rest of us.”
Senior Associate Sun lowered her voice as if to be discreet.
“That’s not entirely wrong.”
Wookyung nodded slightly in agreement.
“Right? And then there was also that whole thing at our dinner last time….”
“Ah….”
Now that she mentioned it, wasn’t it just Assistant Manager Oh who saw them?
Wookyung recalled returning to their table with Saheon, but he hadn’t noticed anyone else there.
“Assistant Manager Pyeon quickly rounded up the rest of us and got us out of there when Manager Shin and Director Min showed up.”
“Ohh….”
“And we couldn’t just leave Assistant Manager Oh behind, right? So Assistant Manager Pyeon, being the responsible alpha he is, told him to stay put and handle things.”
Convincing a proud alpha like assistant Manager Oh to stay back was truly a professional move on Assistant Manager Pyeon’s part.
Considering how well Assistant Manager Park managed Assistant Manager Kim from the planning team, they probably made a great duo.
Not that Wookyung had any particular interest in bringing them together.
“Anyway, after that, Assistant Manager Oh sent so many messages. Complaining about being abandoned, giving a live report of the ‘tragic love triangle’ between Director Min, Manager Shin, and a random alpha, and even updating us on your and Director Saheon’s departure. He must have sent at least 300 messages by himself.”
Seon chuckled, then suddenly narrowed her eyes.
“But you haven’t checked the group chat, have you?”
“No, not yet….”
He had been too busy talking to Saheon all morning.
“Good call. It was just him whining endlessly. At first, I humored him, but I got tired and pretended to fall asleep.”
“Well, Assistant Manager Oh was in a tough spot that night.”
Wookyung remembered how relieved Assistant Manager Oh had looked when they showed up, as if they were his saviors.
ormally, he acted like he didn’t care about the beta-alpha divide, but moments like that made it obvious.
“That’s true. But honestly, I think he enjoyed the drama more than he let on.”
Now that she mentioned it, when did Assistant Manager Oh even leave?
Wookyung had been preoccupied dealing with Manager Shin at the time.
“Did Manager Oh stay with them until they left?”
“Yeah. They sent Director Min off first, and then Director Saheon went somewhere else afterward.”
“Ahh.”
That was unexpected.
But given how often Assistant Manager Oh socialized, he probably handled the situation just fine.
“Anyway, where were we? Oh, right, samgyetang! There’s a good place called ‘H’ Samgyetang near the company. It’s about five minutes by taxi or a 20-minute walk. It’s really good.”
“Thanks for the recommendation.”
“No problem. But honestly, seeing you and Director Saheon eating together after your Shanghai trip makes me feel relieved.”
Her words sounded a lot like what she had said earlier.
By now, Wookyung was certain she had some ulterior motive.
“The Director and Assistant Manager Gil both have clear boundaries. But since you two are often together, I figured that’s actually not too bad. No other meaning behind it.”
Senior Associate Sun had a tendency to casually drop straightforward remarks that could sometimes be a little startling.
But if that was how she chose to misunderstand things, Wookyung wasn’t about to complain.
“Did that bother you?”
“No. I just never thought of it that way before.”
“It’s fine. Assistant Manager Gil and the Director Choi both have such outstanding looks that people just naturally assume things.”
“…Me?”
What part of him, exactly?
Saheon, sure—his striking features and well-proportioned figure were undeniable.
But him?
“Oh my, Assistant Manager Gil, do you really not know? Or are you just being humble? If the Director is the kind of strikingly handsome man who looks like a movie star, then you have a more refined and elegant beauty.”
Senior Associate Sun chuckled as she spoke, but Wookyung was more bewildered than anything.
‘Where? What part of me?’
If he were that good-looking, he wouldn’t have been so brutally rejected by his crush.
‘No, wait. Manager Shin had to end up with the main character, Director Min. That was just the way it was meant to be.’
Of course.
He was nothing more than an extra whose role had already ended.
Just a tool to bring those two together.
And now that his role was over…
“Have some confidence, Assistant Manager Gil! Even if you stand next to the Director, sure, there’s an innate difference, but your face holds its own just fine.”
“Thank you.”
Well, it wasn’t quite love, but there was someone he was slowly growing closer to.
That was enough.
Wookyung smiled slightly.
* * *
