* * *
Wookyung wanted to get out of this place right now!
He couldn’t even tell if this was an interview or a private meeting.
Unfortunately, Director Choi hadn’t told him to leave yet, so he kept sneaking glances at the door.
‘The conversation’s over now. So can we just part ways… No, I mean, can I leave now?’
He wiggled his toes inside his shoes and fervently chanted the words in his head.
But Director Choi sat there with his lips tightly sealed, staring straight at him as if he had glued them shut.
“But, Wookyung.”
Why did he keep dropping his last name and calling him just by his first name?
Sure, he added “Assistant Manager” afterward, but it sounded more like an afterthought, as if he was substituting it for a polite ‘Mr.’
‘This is exactly why this feels less like an interview and more like a forced matchmaking meeting.’
No, no. That’s not it.
Thinking that way was making it feel even weirder.
This was just work.
This was just an interview with the temporary project team leader, even if he didn’t want to be part of it.
Of course, that didn’t change the fact that the team leader was acting suspiciously.
“Have we met before?”
His thoughts, which had been wandering off in an absurd direction, came to an abrupt halt.
His gaze, which had been fixated on the door, snapped back to Director Choi.
What?
“…Excuse me?”
Was he seriously telling him that he didn’t remember the disgraceful incident on the subway this morning?
How dare he?!
He remembered exactly what he did to him!
His eyes narrowed in fury, but then a thought occurred to him—what if this was his way of extending an olive branch?
‘Oh, is this a sign that we’re pretending we’ve never met before?’
Now that he thought about it, he did seem like… a slightly better person?
Right, someone with such an outstanding face and exceptional skills wouldn’t be petty enough to bring up a past incident.
Besides, they’d have to work closely together moving forward, so it was probably best to leave any awkwardness behind.
“No, we haven’t.”
If that’s what he wanted, he had no objections. In fact, he welcomed it.
He said it sincerely, even if he didn’t smile, but why—
‘Why does he look so dissatisfied?’
He seriously couldn’t keep up with this man’s emotions.
The worst kind of boss to deal with was one whose mood swings were as unpredictable as spring weather.
He’d rather have a superior who’s cold and strict all the time or one who just dumped work on him like a ticking time bomb!
But someone who was endlessly sweet when they were in a good mood, only to turn ice-cold and nitpick everything when they weren’t?
That was unbearable.
Thankfully, there was no such boss in Planning Team 1.
Manager Shin was always considerate and easygoing, and Director Min hardly paid attention to their department.
‘Though, since he openly favors one person, his relationship with the other planning teams is a little rocky…’
Not being micromanaged was nice, but Director Min could be a real pain.
He popped up out of nowhere, disrupting the peace with his presence alone.
“Do you really not remember?”
Director Choi reeled in his drifting thoughts once again.
But why did his eyes seem even more intense than before?
“Well… um… that is…”
Wait.
Weren’t they supposed to let this go and pretend nothing happened?
Did he really have to bring it up?
Why?
Couldn’t they just say it was a misunderstanding and move on?
It seemed like he was using his new position as his superior to demand an apology for what happened.
“I apologize for this morning.”
What else could he do?
It was the tragic fate of a corporate worker—you followed orders, no matter how unfair they were.
He didn’t have student loans or a mortgage to pay off, but he did owe a small debt of conscience.
So he might as well apologize now and be done with it.
As soon as he bowed his head, he heard a sigh from above, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
He cautiously lifted his gaze to check his expression.
“Well, sure. I suppose that’s understandable.”
He brushed his hand over his sharp jawline and flawless, sun-kissed skin.
What, was he trying to emphasize how good-looking he was now?
‘This is why Alphas are just…’
After living in a world divided into Alphas, Omegas, and the leftover Betas for 15 years, Wookyung had naturally developed a habit of categorizing people by their secondary genders.
It was inevitable.
Most Alphas he had encountered carried themselves with an air of superiority, fully aware of their so-called ‘dominance.’
‘There are plenty of guys like Min Kyowon out there.’
Just look at the protagonist of that story—he spent the entire time harassing Shin Jaehyun without realizing his own feelings.
Then, when he finally did, he confessed, got rejected, and just kept making a fool of himself.
Something about his mother, blah blah?
Honestly, he regretted pairing Shin Jaehyun with an Alpha in the first place.
Min Kyowon had always been an unreliable mess beneath that polished exterior.
‘He was always a bit selfish and immature, but…’
He thought he’d mature after getting together with Shin Jaehyun, but nope.
People didn’t change so easily.
‘I mean, he’s the main character, at least…’
Shouldn’t he have grown up a little by now, especially after getting his happy ending?
‘Maybe I misjudged them because I never read the epilogue.’
That was possible.
The original story ended just as they entered adulthood and realized their love for each other.
‘Still, just because it ended happily doesn’t mean they have to stay together forever.’
Honestly, Wookyung kind of wished Shin Jaehyun would dump Min Kyowon.
But he had no intention of getting involved.
As long as it didn’t interfere with his work… whatever happened, happened.
“Wookyung.”
Ah, damn.
He let his mind wander again, even in front of his superior.
Director Choi brought his drifting consciousness back to reality.
His face had returned to a calm expression—but somehow, that made him seem even more suspicious.
Or maybe he just didn’t want to know.
“Alright. We’ll discuss future matters at a later time. You may go now.”
Why did he feel like he was dropping some kind of ominous hint?
He had a bad feeling about this.
This was just an interview, right?
There was still a chance they could pick someone else, right?
“There’s no need to worry. Honestly, everyone knows you’re the most suitable candidate among the Planning Department teams 1 through 3.”
“Wait, no…”
Excuse me?
That’s not what he meant.
They had a pretty awkward history—shouldn’t they avoid getting entangled even further?
It seemed Director Choi was… severely, massively, unbelievably dense.
After finishing the interview, Wookyung trudged back to the office, his steps feeling impossibly heavy.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to focus on work, so instead of pressing the down button, he canceled it and hit the rooftop floor.
The company building had 25 floors, with an outdoor garden on the rooftop—perfect for catching some fresh air and clearing his head.
Of course, since everyone else had the same idea, there was always a risk of running into an annoying superior or coworker.
‘He’d just stay in the corner. Yeah, the corner.’
First, he needed to clear his head.
Stepping out of the elevator, he took a deep breath.
Before heading outside, he grabbed a cup of instant coffee.
The rooftop garden, gently warmed by the late afternoon sun, felt cool and refreshing—and completely empty.
“Haaah…”
The moment he realized he was alone, a sigh escaped his lips.
Still, just in case someone might come, he found a seat in the corner.
Behind the water tank, on a shaded bench—an unpopular spot in this still-chilly season, when even the spring sunlight felt cold.
Which meant it was the perfect place for him right now.
No matter how much he tried not to, his thoughts naturally drifted back to his conversation with Director Choi Saheon.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, he just couldn’t figure out why he was acting that way.
“Is he messing with me on purpose?”
Was he always this petty?
Sure, thanks to his acquaintance with Manager Shin Jaehyun, a fair and reasonable senior, he’d always been a bit of an outsider.
But he had never been outright bullied at work before.
Was this the moment his own workplace ordeal finally began?
As he took a sip of his instant coffee—sweet at first, but bitter at the end—
“Why the hell did you come back to Korea?”
Huh? That voice just now—
“What does it matter to you?”
Wait, why was this person here too?
“Of course it matters. You left the country like you were never coming back, and now you just show up out of nowhere without a word? On top of that, joining this company? That’s suspicious.”
What was going on?
Who were these two?
“Relax. I’m not here to take your position.”
Peeking out slightly, he saw the two people arguing.
It wasn’t his imagination.
The two standing off against each other were—
* * *
