* * *
Wookyung folded his arms as he stepped into the elevator.
He didn’t want to think about it, but the conversation he had with Director Choi resurfaced in his mind.
“Do you remember me?”
A voice so soft and low that it sent chills down his spine.
“Ugh… No, but seriously, who is he?”
Someone with that kind of appearance and such extraordinary abilities would have been highly noticeable even back in their student days.
Moreover, HK Group was a well-established company on the verge of celebrating its hundredth anniversary.
There was no way he wouldn’t have known someone from such a family, even if he had never been particularly interested in others.
“But he said he grew up in the U.S.?”
Then there was even less chance of them having crossed paths.
“Unless…”
Had he known him before he became possessed?
“That would be a problem…”
He had told his family and acquaintances that he had lost his memories due to post-awakening aftereffects.
The way everyone had reacted back then—acting as if he had contracted some terminal illness—had been so dramatic that he decided not to bring it up to anyone else again.
‘I don’t even know what kind of connection we had in the past.’
It wasn’t like he could just say, “Oh, by the way, I had a severe fever when I was fifteen and lost my past memories. Hope you understand.”
“Ugh… This feels unsettling.”
But there was no immediate way to figure out who Director Choi really was.
In the meantime, the elevator steadily descended and finally came to a stop.
The doors opened, and just as Wookyung absentmindedly stepped into the hallway, he heard—
“I told you I was sorry!”
“You think ‘sorry’ is enough?! How many times has this happened now?!”
“I really am sorry. I made it clear… but you know how stubborn my mom is.”
“That’s exactly why we should end this!”
“Jaehyun!”
Damn it. Just my luck.
Of all times, why now?
Right in front of him, Manager Shin and Director Min were having a full-blown melodramatic lovers’ quarrel.
Wookyung instinctively took a step back. He had to slip away before they noticed him.
“Lower your voice! We’re right outside the office. Don’t disturb the employees!”
If he was so concerned about that, he should’ve taken the fight outside—or at least into Director Min’s office.
“Do you think that’s what matters right now?”
“Hah? So it’s not important? Do I seem like a joke to you?”
“That’s not what I meant—”
Flustered, Director Min reached out to grab Manager Shin’s arm.
Smack.
But Shin coldly slapped his hand away.
Harder than he had intended, judging by the startled look on his own face.
Their eyes wavered.
Their faces filled with shock.
And then—
Direct eye contact.
With him.
“Assistant Manager Gil!”
As expected, Manager Shin immediately called out his name and started walking toward him.
‘No. No, no, no. Don’t do this. Don’t drag me into this.’
Just like that, Director Min’s furious, exasperated gaze shifted onto Wookyung.
Why. Why do you people always pull me into your mess?
‘This is all that damn Director Choi’s fault!’
If Wookyung hadn’t received that call earlier, he wouldn’t have been caught in this disaster.
If he had sensed the tension in the air, he could have done what the other employees were doing—pretend he hadn’t heard anything, focus on his monitor, and act busy.
“You just came back from meeting Director Choi, right? Perfect timing. Come with me. We need to talk,” his colleague said.
Hadn’t they already finished talking earlier?
This wasn’t about talking—it was just an excuse to escape while leaving Wookyung behind with an absolutely livid Director Min.
Wouldn’t it make more sense for him to leave and for them to resolve their issues instead?
“Let’s go, Assistant Manager Gil.”
Manager Shin grabbed his arm and started striding forward.
It seemed like he was heading toward a small meeting room.
But would Director Min let him go that easily?
“Jaehyun, wait!”
Director Min called out, grabbing—no, yanking—Wookyung’s other arm instead.
In the blink of an eye, he found himself caught between his two superiors.
Now they were arguing again—while still holding onto him.
“You can’t just walk away like this.”
“I have nothing else to say.”
“If you leave like this while you’re still upset, you’re just going to ignore me for who knows how long!”
Seriously, who was this childish Alpha?
A grown man, supposedly mature, still acting like an impulsive teenager.
Wookyung almost shot him a glare, but he stopped himself.
If their eyes met, things could get worse. He might even give him one of those help me looks.
And everyone knows—you never get involved in a couple’s fight.
More importantly—could they please just let go of his arms?
Why was he stuck between this nuisance of a couple?
“Do you think your feelings are the priority right now?”
“Of course they are! You’re always my top priority.”
A classic possessive top line.
He had to give him credit for that.
But the real question was—did the other party feel the same way?
“Did you not hear what the CEO said earlier? She told me not to get emotional over this and that it wasn’t my place to interfere.”
“Stop listening to your mom!”
How long was he going to keep calling her mom?
No wonder he was still stuck under her thumb.
He was a mid-thirties deputy director of a major company, for god’s sake!
‘Fine, I get it. Now just let me go. Settle this between yourselves. I want to go back to my office!’
Wookyung pleaded.
Internally.
But for some reason, these two just tightened their grips on his arms instead.
“And what if I don’t? What can you do about it?”
“I’ll take care of it. I promise—”
“You should’ve done that from the start.”
Manager Shin must have truly reached his limit.
His eyes gleamed coldly, his voice dripping with biting sarcasm.
To be fair, he had put up with a lot.
All the nonsense from CEO Choi and Director Min’s indecisiveness had finally piled up.
“Jaehyun…”
“Let go of my arm.”
Manager Shin’s sharp gaze fell to where Director Min was holding Wookyung’s arm.
As if he had any right to say that—when he was also holding onto him.
Couldn’t they both just let go at the same time on the count of three?
“Trust me. This time, I’ll make sure everything is sorted out. My mom won’t bother you anymore.”
“Yeah, right.”
For a second, Wookyung thought he had blurted that out and flinched.
But when he glanced sideways, he saw that Manager Shin looked just as surprised.
‘Wait, it wasn’t either of us?’
Then who—?
“What the hell are you two doing in the office hallway?”
“If you want to have a lovers’ quarrel, take it somewhere private. Don’t drag innocent people into it.”
Following the voice, Wookyung turned his head.
At some point, Director Choi had appeared.
“Ah, Director Choi. I’m sorry.”
Manager Shin quickly let go of Wookyung’s arm and bowed his head.
Director Min, on the other hand, looked deeply displeased as he glared at Director Choi.
“Director Choi Saheon, what are you doing here?”
“As you know, I have some matters to discuss with Planning Team 1.”
Since he was here for work, Director Min had no excuse for making a scene.
‘Serves him right.’
For once, the almighty Director Min—who had always been treated almost like a CEO—was put in his place.
But the satisfaction didn’t last long.
“Well then, I’ll be taking Assistant Manager Gil with me.”
Why?
Didn’t he literally say earlier that they should never meet again?
“Wait, why me—?” Wookyung blurted out.
“Didn’t you say you were going to buy coffee? I thought you went to a café, but I didn’t see you there, so I came here instead. But it looks like I arrived just in time,” Director Choi responded smoothly.
Had some ghost haunted him for not buying coffee or what? Why bring that up? And why now, of all times?
That picturesque smile might have been handsome, but to someone like Wookyung, who had no interest in getting close to him, it was just burdensome.
He desperately wished they could part ways here, but of course, nothing ever went his way.
“Oh, is that so? Then, Director Choi, why don’t you come down with me? I’ll treat you,” Assistant Manager Shin interjected, seizing the opportunity to escape from Director Min.
Well, that actually worked out just fine. Wouldn’t it be better if Shin and Director Choi went off together and had a nice, intimate coffee time?
“Then I’ll go too. Now that I think about it, I haven’t properly greeted you since you arrived, Chief. This is a good opportunity to do so,” Director Min chimed in, clearly unwilling to give up on Shin.
Wookyung felt his patience thinning. None of this mattered—just not now. Couldn’t they talk later? Did Choi really want to drag this whole troublesome group along?
He had never intended to go to a café alone with Director Choi in the first place.
Shooting him a sharp look, Wookyung silently urged him to say something definitive.
“What about you, Assistant Manager Wookyung? Do you want to go with just me, or would you rather go with these two as well?” Choi asked, as if he were offering a choice that mattered.
Was returning to the office not an option?
“Pick whichever you prefer. I’ll follow your lead.”
Apparently not. Damn it, he really just wanted to go back.
Back to the comfort of his desk.
* * *
this really remind me of beta off not dating except the transmigration