Romance is the Last Thing on a Transmigrated Extra’s Mind chapter 56

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“Assistant Manager Gil, I need to talk to you for a moment. Come to the meeting room.”

Just before lunchtime, Saheon’s voice called out to him.

Wookyung looked up to meet his gaze, catching the faintest trace of a smile before Saheon turned and left the office.

“…I’ll head to lunch right after the meeting.”

After pretending to busy himself for about thirty seconds, Wookyung grabbed a notebook and stood up.

No one was really paying attention to him, but the explanation came out on its own.

“Enjoy your samgyetang, Assistant Manager Gil.”

Senior Associate Sun, whom he had coincidentally run into that morning, grinned as she spoke.

She probably didn’t mean anything by it—just recalling their earlier conversation on the train.

‘Still… I feel a little guilty.’

Senior Associate Sun was the only one who knew who he was having lunch with.

She hadn’t mentioned it to anyone else—he knew that.

But he couldn’t help being a little self-conscious.

‘This is why office romances are difficult.’

How had he ended up on this treacherous path?

But strangely enough, not once did he think about stopping.

Even now, as he walked toward the meeting room to see Saheon, his steps felt light.

“You’re here?”

As soon as he opened the door, a warm voice greeted him.

“I told you not to call me unless it’s for work.”

Wookyung grumbled but didn’t step inside right away.

Instead, he quickly glanced around, making sure no one was watching before entering.

Saheon, who had been watching him, quickly averted his gaze when Wookyung turned his head.

The fact that those small, unexpected gestures made him even more endearing…

Wookyung was sure Saheon had no idea.

He had this habit of rolling his eyes without moving his face, and it was oddly cute.

“You said work-related meetings were fine.”

Saheon’s playful response made Wookyung glare at him.

What kind of excuse was that?

But knowing that Saheon wasn’t one to make up random things, Wookyung closed the door, stepped closer, and asked what this was about.

“Not a big deal. Do you remember that company we briefly met the CEO of? The furniture company where your old classmate works?”

“Oh, yeah. I remember. Why?”

“They’re planning to participate in the U.S. expo next year. They reached out to see if we’d be interested in collaborating.”

As he spoke about work, Saheon casually took Wookyung’s hand and guided him to sit beside him.

Their shoulders were practically touching.

Wookyung blinked, momentarily caught off guard by how quickly the situation had changed.

“…Wow. So, you’re not as innocent as you seem.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

His expression was genuinely puzzled, not just feigned ignorance, which only made Wookyung more exasperated.

‘So he’s not even aware of what he’s doing?’

That was the real problem.

Still, despite his complaints, Wookyung made no effort to put distance between them.

“But that company has no reason to collaborate with us.”

“Which is why I turned them down.”

…Wait.

Then why bring this up at all?

Did Saheon just use that as an excuse to call him here?

Wookyung shot him a sharp glare, but Saheon simply smiled.

“What?”

This time, he wasn’t clueless. He knew exactly what he was doing.

“Let’s go eat.”

So that was the real reason he called him here from the start.

Wookyung sighed, knowing he had been caught.

“I knew it,” he muttered, and Saheon’s smile grew even more satisfied.

“Shall we?”

It was a little early, but who cared? Wookyung made up his mind and stood up.

Saheon followed suit.

They held hands until they reached the meeting room door, only letting go naturally as they stepped outside.

The lingering warmth on his skin made Wookyung unconsciously clench and unclench his fists a few times.

“Wookyung?”

Saheon, pressing the elevator button, noticed and asked curiously.

Wookyung quickly shook his head and lowered his hands.

During the short ride down to the parking lot, Wookyung found himself repeatedly glancing at his empty hand and then at Saheon’s, which was close enough to touch.

The two of them headed to the samgyetang restaurant that Senior Associate Sun had recommended.

“Mr. Choi Saheon? Right this way.”

As soon as they stepped inside, the staff recognized his name.

That’s when Wookyung realized—he had made a reservation.

“…When did you do that?”

“The moment you said it was recommended.”

“Wow. You’re really something.”

Half admiration, half muttered to himself, but Saheon’s grin widened, looking strangely pleased. Wookyung smirked at that.

As Senior Associate Sun had promised, the samgyetang was rich but not overly heavy, with generous portions.

Even Saheon, who Wookyung had worried might not enjoy it, ate every last bite.

‘How does he still manage to look good doing that?’

Really, though.

It should be messy.

“What?”

“Nothing. Does it suit your taste?”

“Haha… Wookyung, I’m not a foreigner. I lived in Korea until I was fifteen.”

He knew that.

It’s just… picturing Saheon gnawing on a chicken leg had been impossible before now.

Instead of explaining, Wookyung just smiled and kept eating.

“That was great.”

“I agree. Seeing you eat well makes me feel accomplished.”

“…I’m the one who got the recommendation.”

Rolling his eyes at Saheon’s unnecessary sense of pride, Wookyung sipped the plum tea that was served at the end of the meal.

“Mmm, this is nice too. Everything here is really good.”

“Agreed. Now, shall we go grab a cup of coffee?”

At those words, he quickly checked the time on his phone.

Since their meal had ended earlier than expected, there was enough time to stop by somewhere else before heading off.

“Alright.”

Saheon smiled again as he called for the staff and settled the bill.

The whole process was so smooth and natural that Wookyung completely missed the chance to offer his share.

“I’m paying for the tea.”

Fastening his seatbelt in the passenger seat, he declared firmly.

He figured he had to stake his claim in advance if he wanted to stop Saheon from pulling out his card again.

“Isn’t it a little too soon to be discussing who pays for our household expenses?”

Was that supposed to be a joke?

Wookyung shot a cold, unimpressed glare at him.

“Well… I guess so.”

Saheon, perhaps realizing how awkward it sounded, let out a sheepish laugh and trailed off.

Seriously?

Just because he’s an executive doesn’t mean he has to crack dad jokes.

Shaking his head, Wookyung entered the café’s name into the navigation system.

Saheon checked the updated address and started driving without comment.

“Did Senior Associate Sun recommend this place too?”

They arrived at a traditional hanok café with a spacious garden.

As they walked over the thin, gray stones paving the ground, Saheon asked the question.

“No, I just searched for a nice café nearby.”

Taking a step forward alongside him, Wookyung answered while glancing around.

Though it was still daytime, red lanterns were lit, and stone structures were thoughtfully placed on the grass, giving the place a nostalgic yet elegant atmosphere.

To be honest, when he searched for it, it did come up as a popular dating spot.

“It’s nice.”

He just hadn’t expected it to have this kind of vibe, which caught him off guard.

“Mm… I take back what I said about you. This place might not exactly suit people our age either.”

Not to mention, two men dressed in dark colors showing up together?

It felt a little out of place.

Wookyung’s shoulders sagged slightly.

“Why? It looks like a nice place to take a stroll.”

“Even so.”

“Let’s go in. It might be different inside.”

Well, at this point, they didn’t really have time to go elsewhere.

“Alright.”

Suppressing any lingering hesitation, he was just about to step inside when he sensed movement beside him.

He glanced down and saw long, straight fingers lingering close—just near enough to touch.

The sight of them, hesitating yet inviting, made Wookyung’s lips curl up slightly.

Without looking away from the entrance, he hooked his pinky around the wavering fingers, as if saying, this much is fine for now.

A soft chuckle came from beside him, but he didn’t turn to look.

He didn’t need to—he could already picture the same expression on Saheon’s face.

And fortunately, the interior of the café was even better than what Wookyung had expected.

The refined yet old-fashioned decor was tasteful, and the pastel-colored fabric draping between tables created a sense of cozy privacy.

The tea was light yet flavorful, and the delicate desserts were not overly sweet.

But more than anything else, the best part was the man sitting across from him—drinking the same tea, smiling in a way that felt completely at ease.

“This place is nice.”

Saheon’s smile was relaxed and satisfied.

“Yeah.”

Wookyung found himself unable to look away.

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