OCMG chapter 5

Four couples, outside the office.

All kinds of thoughts raced through his mind on the way here.

No matter how hard he tried to rack his brain, he couldn’t remember calling Ki Taeryu last night, nor what they talked about. It was as if everything had evaporated along with the alcohol.

If only he had thought to set up automatic recording.

Junhee had always turned off that feature, thinking it was just a waste of space since it had never caused any problems before.

There was only one way to find out now: he had to reach out to Chief Director Ki Taeryu first.

‘…Maybe I should just quit the company. But what about the rent? The money I send to my younger siblings? How much is my severance pay?’

Lost in these thoughts, he soon found himself standing in front of the company, almost by habit.

“Hello, Assistant Manager Yoo! But what are you doing out here instead of going in?”

Junhee had no choice but to trudge into the office after receiving a greeting from a team member.

Even though he felt like he wanted to drown in a dish of water and die on the spot, there was a mountain of work waiting for him, indifferent to his feelings.

He went through his meetings with clients, sent out matching profiles, and handled inquiries over the phone, just like any other day. Before he knew it, lunchtime was approaching.

“Assistant Manager Yoo! What are your plans for lunch?”

“…I’m feeling a bit unwell, so I’m going to skip it.”

“Now that you mention it, you do look a bit pale. Are you feeling really bad? I was actually planning to treat you to lunch outside today instead of at the cafeteria…”

Jiyeon, who had approached Junhee’s desk, furrowed his eyebrows in concern.

“Let’s do it another time. I’ll treat you.”

“No way, Assistant Manager Yoo! Why would you? I should be the one treating you! Actually, the member you asked me to match with Member No. 4 really liked them! They were so grateful that they sent me a gift certificate, so I wanted to treat you.”

“…I’m fine.”

Junhee wasn’t in any condition to eat anything. His physical state was bad, and his mental state was even worse.

“Then at least let me pick up some medicine for you while I’m out. You look so unwell that I’m really worried. We can do lunch another time.”

Unable to refuse his colleague’s kindness, Junhee reluctantly agreed.

Just then, his phone rang at his desk. It was a familiar extension number.

“…Yes, Director.”

• Yoo, Assistant Manager. Don’t go to lunch and wait at your desk for a bit, alright?

“Yes.”

It had finally come.

Once all the team members had left, Junhee was alone in the empty office. He clutched his throbbing head and anxiously waited for Director Lee.

There was no doubt that Ki Taeryu had contacted Director Lee after receiving that rude call from him.

It might not just end with a formal apology. If it were a recommendation for resignation, at least he could receive unemployment benefits, but if he had to resign voluntarily…

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Not only would it be hard to make ends meet, but he’d also be unable to work in this industry ever again.

‘…I should’ve drunk less.’

He had no idea what nonsense he might have spouted during that over-three-minute call. If only he knew, he could at least try to apologize or salvage the situation, but his mind was a complete blank.

“Assistant Manager Yoo, why aren’t you getting ready to leave?”

“Ah, Director Lee.”

“It’s still chilly outside, so make sure to bring a coat.”

“…Yes.”

Junhee couldn’t bring himself to lift his head and responded with a downcast gaze and a clouded expression.

He wasn’t sure if Director Lee meant for him to leave the company altogether or simply to bring a coat, so he hesitated briefly before grabbing his coat and following Director Lee, who was walking ahead.

The ten seconds of silence in the elevator were suffocatingly unbearable. He stole a glance at his face; not only did he look the same as usual, but he even seemed to have a slight smile.

However, Junhee knew Director Lee well enough to understand that he could smile even while spitting on someone’s face. So, he kept quiet, merely observing the situation.

When they reached the underground parking lot, a foreign car with its engine running was waiting for them.

‘…That’s not the Director’s car.’

Director Lee naturally checked the car’s license plate before getting in. Junhee followed suit.

He stared out the window for about twenty minutes, unable to ask where they were going.

Just as he started to worry they might be heading to a warehouse full of gangsters, they arrived at an unexpected location.

“…Where are we, Director?”

“Well, I didn’t make the reservation, so I don’t know.”

Director Lee shrugged, checked the time, and hurried inside.

A staff member came out, found Director Lee’s name on the list, and led them somewhere. The place was a modernized hanok, remodeled with a tiled roof.

When the sliding door was opened, a private space was revealed. And the moment their eyes met…

“Oh, Chief Director, you’re already here? I’m sorry, I should have arrived earlier, but it seems there was a bit of traffic on the way…”

“It’s fine.”

Junhee blinked a couple of times.

Ki Taeryu? No, why was he here…?

His brain froze for a moment, but Director Lee, noticing Junhee standing there dumbly, tugged at his sleeve.

“Assistant Manager Yoo, what are you doing?”

“Hello… Chief Director.”

He might have preferred a warehouse full of gangsters a million times over.

Ki Taeryu, whose gaze had locked onto Junhee’s, twisted his lips into a smirk.

It felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Throughout the meal, while the two engaged in conversation, Junhee swallowed his silence instead of food.

Just when it seemed like they were deep in business talk, the topic suddenly shifted.

“I knew it! Our Assistant Manager Yoo and the Chief Director would get along great. Yoo may be a man of few words, but he’s solid, has a good character, and, most importantly, he’s got a deep, thoughtful nature. He’s really an excellent guy. I’m not just saying this because he’s my employee, but honestly, Chief Director.”

Junhee wanted nothing more than to bolt out of there. The way Ki Taeryu’s dark eyes swept over him sent a cold shiver down his spine and beads of sweat trickled down his back.

“Is that so.”

Facing Ki Taeryu’s composed nod and calm expression, Junhee felt like he was sitting on a ticking time bomb, unsure when it would explode.

Even as he downed cup after cup of tea, trying to quench the parched, burning feeling inside, his thirst remained unrelieved.

“Of course, the Chief Director has a good eye, so he probably knows this already, but Assistant Manager Yoo is really a decent person. Every time we have a company gathering, he stays until the end to look after everyone, calls the designated driver, and makes sure people get into cabs. He never drinks beyond his limit…”

Cough, cough! Before Director Lee could finish his sentence, Junhee started coughing uncontrollably, choking on the tea.

“Oh my, Assistant Manager Yoo, what’s the matter? Are you okay?”

Fortunately, he managed to cover his mouth just in time, avoiding a disaster, but there was nothing he could do about the tea running down his chin.

As he frantically looked around for something to wipe it with…

“Here, use this, Assistant Manager Yoo.”

“……”

Ki Taeryu offered his handkerchief. Feeling the pressure of Director Lee’s expectant gaze, Junhee had no choice but to accept it.

The familiar scent of pheromones from the handkerchief hit him hard. Just as his stomach had begun to settle, it started churning again.

At that moment, a phone rang. Junhee desperately hoped it was his, but the world wasn’t so kind.

When the CEO asked if it was okay to step out and take a call, Ki Taeryu, as if he’d been waiting for this, said, “It’s fine,” and sent him outside.

With the CEO gone, only the two of them were left in the room.

It felt like something was choking him, and he couldn’t tell if it was psychological or if it was due to Ki Taeryu’s pheromones.

He knew he should say something, but his tongue was so stiff it refused to move.

“I deliberately ordered the dried pollack soup. Aren’t you going to eat?”

“……”

Junhee was at a complete loss for words. There was no need to ask why he personally ordered that particular dish.

“So, according to the CEO, you didn’t drink as much as you could have yesterday.”

“I’m sorry, Director. Yesterday, I truly…”

Junhee bit his lower lip lightly before continuing.

“I’m truly sorry to say this, but I don’t remember making that late-night call to you or what I said during it…”

“You don’t remember at all, is that what you’re saying?”

“……”

Junhee was telling the truth, but whether he was believed or not was entirely up to Ki Taeryu. As the anxiety surged, he realized something strange, and the answer was in Ki Taeryu’s tone.

From the first meeting, Ki Taeryu had always spoken to him in a way that cut off the end of his sentences.

Back then, it had just felt annoying, but now, he almost wished Ki Taeryu would just speak informally.

“Do you think 3 minutes and 18 seconds is a short time?”

“…It’s long.”

To Junhee, it was an undeniably long time—so long that even if he begged Ki Taeryu for 30 years, it wouldn’t be enough.

He couldn’t understand why Ki Taeryu had arranged this lunch with the CEO or why he hadn’t mentioned Junhee’s mistake to the CEO but instead was tightening the noose around his neck.

The only thing he was certain of was that Ki Taeryu was an unpredictable lunatic.

Junhee, with his eyes downcast, waited for Ki Taeryu to unleash his anger on him in some way.

But what came from Ki Taeryu wasn’t a fist… but…