10 rules of a Secretary chapter 21

“Sigh…”

The text I received right after the morning meeting was not a welcome one, to be honest.

[22nd] – Seonyul, please contact me. I have something to say. 09:57

What does the 22nd mean? Intuitively, it meant CEO Han’s 22nd lover.

My phone had numbers 1 to 22 neatly listed, all remnants of CEO Han’s past lovers.

Most had cleanly taken money or other valuables and cut off contact, but there were a few exceptions. Ha Eunjoo, the 22nd lover, was one of those exceptions.

I thought the last yacht party marked the end of their relationship, but he would contact me whenever I was about to forget.

Most of the time, it was about CEO Han.

I felt a throbbing headache coming on and habitually sighed but noticed many people still passing by in the corridor. I headed back to the office.

Throughout the walk, images of headache pills, stomach medicine, and suppressants floated before my eyes. 7 AM, 10 AM, 4 PM, 10 PM.

I had to take suppressants four times a day.

This troublesome routine had persisted daily since I manifested as an Omega three years ago, yet I still find it uncomfortable.

I rubbed my stomach with one hand, feeling a sour sensation, and stared out the window in silence. The weather was annoyingly good.

I felt a vibrating buzz in my hand from the phone and glanced at the screen. It was an alarm reminding me to take my 10 AM medication. Again, I swallowed the pills dry and sent a message to Ha Eunjoo.

Koreans are a nation of iced Americanos. And office workers are slaves to caffeine. Surprisingly, I fulfilled both conditions.

The Americano, with five extra shots, looked so dark that it made me feel sick just looking at it. Still, I ordered a venti size, thinking a bit more water would dilute it.

Holding a company card, I had to order something that seemed expensive without drawing too much attention.

Sipping the straw, I gulped down the healing potion of life. Then I saw Ha Eunjoo’s beaming face across from me.

His inexplicable grin made my stomach churn. I suddenly regretted not using the company card to order a strawberry frappuccino instead.

“How have you been, Yul?”

Wow, Yul. It had been so long since I heard that name, I almost didn’t recognize it.

I slowly released the straw from my mouth. I should have chosen a sweet drink over a bitter one. I blinked slowly at the thought.

“Yes, I’ve been well. How about you, Ha Eunjoo?”

“I’ve missed you, so I haven’t been well. Why don’t you contact me more often? You need to provide regular updates, but I never hear from you. I even stepped in personally when you needed a partner. Isn’t that amazing?”

The subject was missing, but I could guess it referred to Han Doha or Doha himself. I let the part about repaying kindness with ingratitude slide past one ear.

It’s better to let odd stories pass by. I set my coffee on the table and steeled my gaze.

With the mindset of returning something at a department store, I stared straight at Ha Eunjoo.

‘Defeating troublemakers, defeating troublemakers. ‘

Chanting this twice in my head seemed to boost my courage a little.

“After the last yacht party, I understand that CEO Han told you he wanted to break up. He also promised you an apartment in Cheongdam and said you could take any car you wanted.”

“Hmm… I don’t need any of that anyway.”

A face with a bashful smile couldn’t even be spat on. A face with a rosy blush seemed lovable to anyone who saw it.

When he wasn’t smiling, the neat and elegant atmosphere he exuded made him look so gentle that he could have been trusted with a confession just by wearing a black cassock.

When I first met him, I wondered why CEO Han was meeting someone so normal, but that wasn’t the case.

I usually accompanied the CEO to most social events, but if there was a separate partner, I didn’t participate in general social parties.

And the first and last yacht party that CEO Han and Eunjoo attended was exactly that kind of general social party.

Although I had heard rumors, Eunjoo was no ordinary person.

If Jungha was a flower in a greenhouse pretending to be a poisonous plant, Eunjoo was the real poison. It was well-known that he once hit someone he found annoying in the head with a wine glass at a party.

From a general perspective, he might have seemed like a mad dog, but I genuinely applauded him.

The person who got hit by Eunjoo was CEO Han. In fact, Eunjoo was nothing short of my benefactor.

That’s probably why I couldn’t cut off contact with his and acted unusually indecisive.

“Are you still taking your medication?”

“While I appreciate your concern, that’s personal. Eunjoo.”

“I like it when you call my name. Take your medication appropriately. You seem like someone who’s about to die.”

Who’s dying?

I plan to live a very long life, pay off all my debts, and spend my days in a cozy house. That is, if I manage to buy a house.

I had paid off a significant portion of my debts, and now only the house remained. Feeling the gloomy thoughts creeping in, I shook my head and deliberately changed the topic.

“It seems like you have a reason for calling me out today. Please, go ahead.”

“Well… to put it simply, why don’t you contact me more often? I’m not the one who needs this, it’s you, Doha.”

Grumbling, Eunjoo handed me a thick stack of documents. I hesitated before accepting it, deciding to confirm with CEO Han before delivering it.

“CEO Han is a busy person. I will sort out the items and deliver them myself.”

“You don’t have to deliver them. You can review and dispose of them if necessary. It’s almost finalized, so you might actually like it.”

What nonsense was this? Why did everyone associated with CEO Han act like they were missing a screw? I sighed unconsciously.

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll take my leave. Next time, please specify what you want beforehand, and I’ll relay it to CEO Han. I’m sure you’ll be able to get what you want, Eunjoo.”

“Ah, then there is one thing I’d like.”

Today, the conversation was progressing smoothly. Usually, meetings with Eunjoo would end up being filled with unnecessary talk, but it seemed like there was an end in sight for this drawn-out relationship. Or maybe he just had a lot of questions.

When they were dating, he’d ask about his favorite movies, music tastes, even down to his choice in watches.

I didn’t answer, of course. Then he started asking about my preferences. That was less of an issue, so I told him but that was a mistake.

Though not as affluent as CEO Han, Eunjoo also came from a wealthy family and was notoriously stubborn. One day, without warning, he began giving me gifts intended for CEO Han based on my tastes. Naturally, CEO Han didn’t accept them, and they ended up in my hands.

Once, he gave me a watch, supposedly for all the trouble I went through because of CEO Han. I sold it immediately.

What good is a fancy watch to a secretary?

Rather than being pearls on a pig, the watch would surely appreciate becoming a pleasant balance in my bank account.

I sold all the other gifts as well. It was quite satisfying to see my balance grow, though most of it went to partitioning debts owed to loan sharks.

“If you tell me now, can you provide it?”

“If it’s something I can prepare, I will. Please, tell me.”

I was preparing to relay the message to CEO Han when I paused at Eunjoo’s words.

“I like fun things. I also enjoy seeing someone get pissed off.”

“I see.”

“So, Seonyul, give yourself to me.”

Was he referring to me as the one to piss off? I looked at his proper face and barely stopped myself from twisting my mouth.

“I don’t engage in human trafficking.”

“Ah, you’re no fun.”

Eunjoo, adding that it was a joke, gave a faint smile and sipped his vanilla latte. His white fingertips, peeking out from under his thin cardigan, were tinged red. I watched them for a moment before putting my phone back in my jacket pocket.

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going. I need to return to work.”

“Then, Seonyul, if I tell you something intriguing, will you take an interest?”

It seemed things were not going smoothly but rather getting tangled.

Hearing nonsense from CEO Han’s ex-lovers wasn’t new, but it always left a bad taste in my mouth.

Still, Eunjoo was relatively mild. At least he hadn’t thrown a glass at me.

Or rather, I should be thankful he didn’t hit me with one.

Most of CEO Han’s ex-lovers misunderstood our close association, often resulting in teacups being thrown.

At least Eunjoo, as an intellectual, tried to resolve things with words. Despite his history of breaking someone’s head with a wine glass, he was quite kind.