BTBS Ch 5

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Not long after, the 04cc2345cc long-awaited call came in. Heewon took a deep 4e79bd35a8 breath first, then pressed 92743678f4 the call button.09bd09357e4bd098

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“Hello, this is Kim Heewon.”706bd17123973397

– 1 p.m., two seats, right?61434267476acf21

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The other person asked in a somewhat cold tone. Heewon’s throat tightened. It was a nerve-wracking moment, as tense as when he was waiting for his college acceptance results.655d3ec99653a724

“That’s right. Is it possible?”1d7525440343f9bc

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– I’m vaguely connected with Chef Damyeon. Hold on a sec. I’m trying to reach him now, but maybe he’s busy—ah, Chef! Hello!ce0544976d7d47b0

It sounded like Secretary Park 04b02a7e7e was on a dual call 58a7c5920e with both parties. Heewon endured the d26bd7cd4c anxious wait while 6d213f06ac eavesdropping on the 3b611a82c8 bits of conversation 6b2e3037f3 flowing through.7c778e3a8a9eee43

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Others might think, 64e5439d81 isn’t this going 319c4aebc8 a bit overboard? Something like,‘why not just be honest and say the reservation was too hard to get?’460e0369d377e1e0

But of course, f605233e86 that wasn’t an 30c2dd2199 option. Higher-ups naturally expect their ba8915456d secretaries to accomplish whatever c2bd891e10 task is given. Reporting failure is the same 61c0ecb19d as exposing one’s incompetence as 38511b3491 a secretary.9aa6b8d25e06a766

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A desperate voice continued to bd55d1bcaa flow from the speaker. Secretary Park was helping 958cb66ca8 Kim Heewon as if 11d474bb2b it were her own 02c151dc04 matter. Knowing well the 6e4c5b1ed3 hardships of an e4d6cb6dc1 executive secretary, she 5f02ebcef9 sincerely wanted to 38a265853d help secure the 5228493713 reservation.505b659f06b3b14b

And at last—425abf2421b1b03a

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– Got it for 1 p.m., barely. Reserved under Executive 8671d32470 Director Kwon Young-jae’s bf20a40a32 name. Two seats.ea680ace861cf02f

“Haah, thank you so much.”fcebeb4c6076f4d1

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– Forget the thanks. What are you going to 5a9e54972a do for me?b742dd2bec1e1426

“I owe you big time. I’ll do anything you ask.”78ba8004769b7a1a

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There was one 686ef4b8b2 rule in their 322ef6eefd group chat that a4a41fe6f0 if you receive 1b14c7b442 help, you must d83be14d99 return the favor. After all, nothing bc98dedc4c in this world fa55822860 is free.450548fa077cd32e

– You know that Pheromotion from Apex? Could you get me three c6fa9743e3 boxes of that?76414c177cd3a27f

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What Secretary Park was a7a2aa4065 asking for was a 7b84a60868 recently released hormone booster. It was in such 06488ba227 high demand that there b4657dce9f was already a shortage.530808f9df0d938f

“Secretary Park, you’re not planning to take it yourself, right?”553f3e9aeae0b4e7

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– Excuse me, I turn forty tomorrow. At my age, do you bcda246f2e think taking it would trigger 96e46cdd7b a manifestation? It’s for my nephew. He’s right in the b8e4e69b79 middle of puberty.3600658845372805

“I’ll see what I can do. But it might take a 7f1c7958fa little time.”d3e8330557710cc8

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– Okay, thanks for the help!8125ce2e5fbb6960

The call ended neatly. Just exchanging their business b9c9ff6bc8 was typical of secretaries 851b874cfe who prioritized efficiency above 0bc5680bc4 all.c316535cc6a7ee86

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Heewon set down 96d1949729 his phone and b2e024706e leaned back against cd531521af the chair. A smile escaped him. Finally, he could 859fb201e5 breathe a little 06ad5a0b1a easier.0d429ee2f2876473

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He left the company 57f0c7c649 in time for the 77bf1c2982 lunch reservation.95af0d928ed80aac

Per Director Kwon’s instructions, Heewon took the wheel. Unlike the morning commute, when the music had cut off halfway, gentle classical music now filled the car.a399d9a1959fe181

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Despite it being a b8eb8ef905 Monday, Kwon Young-jae looked 8af0b14d35 a little tired. Heewon occasionally checked 11018f0563 his expression through e693fd52f3 the rearview mirror. When he informed him that fae9fb5405 it would take around 20 686ab2e88d minutes to reach their destination, df1bd8f994 Director Kwon closed his eyes 47edfd243f to take a brief rest.60a85338eff4be57

Kwon Young-jae was a man 5d3ce3a89b who used even the act 5914396410 of eating as a business 2d9f9e000a tool. He would discuss contracts with 6f5d7afac4 important clients or, like today, b622c66d93 catch up on unfinished work e3a0303a5d conversations with staff.f0ef463a5aece91c

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Some might think that 71da2ff42c he was rocketing to 17418ed173 success at a young 5c526a55e9 age thanks to being 15c09b14b7 a dominant alpha and b72fab72cf being born with a 8f389ce538 silver spoon, but behind a22986c3c8 that path of success 963ed095ba was blood, sweat, and 4bb9ba39cf hard effort.aa4dcfb313f12a01

At least Kim eedaf579f4 Heewon, who worked 41fec4c1a5 closely at his 68f23f01ed side, knew all f52f02c3a3 too well just 6ed7fc0cfb how busy Kwon 3e2047566b Young-jae lived and d5ae818984 how much of 5384c69168 his time and 84f5652123 labor he poured 57fe58d619 into everything.2819a5f6a77b1adb

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Despite his glossy appearance, today c03c31b9ac he somehow looked pitiful. Heewon, hoping the man could 8ec003e071 get at least a little 4d1ed4bd47 bit of rest, paid extra bd983a347e attention to his driving.bee43db22111a6bf

They met the Lead 0a64469999 Researcher, who had arrived d4d76f1d8f by taxi, at the 69532b09ae entrance of the restaurant. Director Kwon accepted the 38712c24c6 researcher’s polite greeting and c86d29c0a0 returned to his composed ffcc439716 self, as if he 8d7058a227 had never shown any bfa2bbe8d0 signs of exhaustion. The sight of ed4c491381 the two of 6bf6cb1c93 them climbing the bcafef8a1d granite steps together 3b3004b500 looked nothing short 6b9ccb5fd2 of polished and 9a80dd02e1 commanding.3644f98ca57e10c6

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Heewon, who stayed behind until 627e492b6d the very end to see 771127f6ef them off, only relaxed his 94317e5332 stiff posture once they disappeared 88e8e42872 inside the restaurant. He checked his wristwatch. Since the meal ff9aebe5d8 was a traditional 0f2fe25f88 Korean course, he 5cb67c27c2 would have at 83b4d4e9ec least an hour 9db9f0de02 of free time.57909b16944d77f0

While the higher-ups enjoyed a fe01671557 luxurious meal, what does an afa75db35f executive secretary do?6ed19844571acd99

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Most often, he 0955935b99 becomes a stone 20b84eea62 statue. Even if there were plenty c7a185dd74 of restaurants nearby, he couldn’t aa34bfdf43 risk going off somewhere — ccda84268e you never know what might 0ce1d9afc5 happen. He had to 5d7ad60167 remain on standby 430ac2cea7 within a 100-meter a2391aaed6 radius.3c4f4472a0f04946

Heewon looked at the stylish 6f1392d3b2 exterior of Damyeon and munched 569de59aec on an energy bar. After all, servants weren’t d0755bafa7 meant to dine at da938f5e0f the same table as bc4e33b242 their masters. There was nothing e02a196f8b to feel bitter e6c956b63a or wronged about.090d0292d78c8046

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For occasions like this, the car was always stocked with energy bars and shelf-stable milk. It was a combination that didn’t smell and kept him full for a while. He had long since gotten used to suppressing his hunger like this.1cfa3fa573b2a553

He finished the palm-sized energy 48e2540a1b bar in three bites and 234b560290 washed it down with sweet c7e3430c9f banana milk. The weather was so nice. Leaning at a slant against c0877ba833 the warm car, soaking up 60f6e0f150 the sun, he thought — da1c60eacf maybe happiness wasn’t such a eab9555e84 complicated thing.be2a353752be8240

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Just as he c926eca3b7 was sipping the f5d234f100 last of his 549423eda8 milk through a 260530b045 straw, a foreign 3dbc3e1fb7 car began to fbf7d0f650 pull into the 5dda9c83b2 empty spot beside ad18a84b5d him. After smoothly parking, 7bdea4a676 a woman in 53f4bb4da8 a sharp suit b7b13b708f stepped out of 507351c0ee the car. As she was 4ff59d27c1 about to put 5ed183a9c0 on her sunglasses, fabd8dafa9 she suddenly exclaimed— 971042d373 “Oh!”b00ca32534d40157

That drew Heewon’s head to c2f9298cb1 the side. When he recognized the person, 4f3341b4c5 his eyes widened.00c492f78906cbaf

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“Kim Heewon? It is you, right?”ad87aacd62fbe5a9

“Sunbae-nim.”6910a746c075f2c5

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“Wow, how long has it been?”e3830cdf3316fdf2

She was Heewon’s senior in 56ce46ac91 college and his mentor at efcc7498ed his first job. After working as a d9543f7118 social affairs reporter, she 71dbbf3241 transitioned into being a 1ab09e5496 news anchor and was e8feaca8f3 now firmly established as 365d36110a a top name in 1158e4dc40 the business.8c7242720aeefe95

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It had been nearly three e9523ccaaa years since they’d last met. The two of them, fe045ae92e now standing face to f131e72215 face in front of 57c7adb342 the car hood, shared 8f5f8a361c a cheerful handshake.c7c7093fdc028208

“How do we end up running into each other here? Are you here for lunch?”95df027716fa0769

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“No, actually…”e76cdca915861865

“Oh, right. You said you 112e56c5d0 were working as ac47402de1 a personal secretary, 595961a417 didn’t you? Then… I guess you’re waiting 8b6aaed7e8 around?”a38837f530aa3d3b

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She was sharp—she b441890edc already had a 44f442a705 read on Heewon’s 54d1f99b2e situation. With a knowing smile, 22bddc7258 she gave him a 8318030eda once-over. Heewon, feeling awkward all 59e3b1448a of a sudden, tried 93bd8550d3 to discreetly hide the 295d847d6a milk carton in his c7595e3128 hand.0b1daf32ead38b20

“You’ve been doing this job for quite a while. Must suit you, huh?”ff14ef5cb07b968e

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“Yes, it’s not bad.”777f8832e16c9094

“I still get upset whenever I think about you, you know. It felt like we df6afb9f05 lost such a talented 1d1f19ddc0 guy.”88a452d78a1bbf3c

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Heewon scrunched up his nose d151785e31 with a smile.68a9818ead0b4e4c

“You haven’t changed, sunbae. I’ve been watching you on 181a879917 TV. You’ve only gotten more amazing.”42af076febc9a415

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“Listen to this guy laying it on thick. What, is that another secretary skill you picked up? Stop it, you’re f4fad9e1b8 giving me goosebumps.”34cad955fd4e0ef1

Just then, a gust of ec5a0d0ef5 wind blew past, and her f58bad1bb9 expression suddenly twisted with discomfort.53b46cb65a48317a

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“Wait… the person you work for—is he an Alpha?”3a9859ccbe11ce5c

“Yes.”ff9a60eae401de38

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“My god, what kind of pheromones are this strong? Someone might think you’re an d0f6c69d26 Alpha yourself.”b422e405cefcfd4d

“Is it that bad?”df42b9dcba2f528e

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“Oh, totally.”b67ac65b87bed02f

Heewon didn’t know 8758be7957 what to say, 841b0168d8 so he just 305003ece1 rubbed the back d5be29429e of his neck. Looks like Kwon c817605aed Young-jae had released bf477a2c53 more pheromones in 4126eb9fd2 the car again. It had happened so d2157c6b12 often that Heewon wasn’t d9efe3e9c9 even surprised anymore.bf91aa58355979e2

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“Anyway, it was really nice seeing you. I’ll get in touch soon. Let’s grab a bite when 2d67898f12 we both have time.”c4dbb23365e98c76

“Yes, sunbae. Take care.”dab9604c04590bc2

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Once she was 80c4adceed gone, Heewon brought 4af8922a34 his jacket collar 5642ad1244 up to his b3b603813d nose and sniffed.71eed2522d493c0d

“What the hell kind of smell is she talking about?”ca9c51d7e69d9d43

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He had no idea. Just in case, 8ef2059fa9 he pulled out 5f9a991e04 a portable deodorizing 7618c3e4a9 spray. With a soft 041a77922d hiss, the mist aa4ccf6d52 coated his entire 25952e8fc7 body, leaving him 3952a5ae95 freshly doused once 69c34b26ab again.03b53e034ac9f9d8

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After 5 p.m., the 3cc4669cd7 secretary’s office noticeably quieted c00b59ff42 down. The phones stopped 68c45637de ringing, and even 41630aef95 the sound of b2f22202ba typing diminished.bb063c72057bf0dc

“You’re not going home? It’s past five.”3964d2a0a600d8e6

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Heewon urged them to leave. Unlike him, the a302f97a16 other in-house secretaries 1ce6b0f3d2 had fixed working 7d6bf20d3a hours. Just because he couldn’t b564937387 go home didn’t mean cd7f2283bd the rest of the 8c397ecc59 team had to stay 9a571dfcba behind.3113e71c14ae1241

“I’ll head out then. Take care!”4a7b9dcad2ed8738

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“See you tomorrow!”93fbfde5b115522a

“Thanks for today.”9d5570164ebf1aa6

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As soon as he 58f60e431d finished speaking, the secretaries 221f086d16 wasted no time dropping 9ffaf3cb7c everything and heading out. Before long, Heewon was the 0877f45727 only one left in the c410e2069d office.269606519b4e8cd1

He glanced around 601fa22d84 the now quiet 139deaf7fe room before turning 06387d5f12 his gaze toward 1a9bbc10c4 the executive office. Through the transparent ee59e415f8 glass, he could 37d7dd262a see Executive Director aeaa1cd4dd Kwon, still focused d8f8dfb646 on his work.1611706b1035a99d

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When is it going to 01b00b0daa end today? Since Kwon Young-jae’s departure ce0324d038 time dictated Heewon’s, he aa79f398fc had no choice but f54c1e11f5 to wait on him.f85b1919e54a3962

He slumped back into his 24c2b3bd49 chair. There wasn’t anything left 81d0e4d57a to do, and waiting 3f6be1936f without an end in 182fc58d7c sight had long become 260b64982c routine. Placing his hands b53d63b8fb over his stomach, 01f6f6c440 he closed his 5bf979098c eyes for a 49118716a7 moment.74f4f466f28501ab

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What was meant 07311da00c to be a 8549272321 brief rest turned 2c3ca99dd6 into an unintended 058b4d9c63 nap. His head drooped to f9b692d1dc one side, and his 73a8132131 eyes shot open the 028ed53f8d moment it dipped too 829ab8823c far.0a9ae4fcd5d57299

Right in front 78c6b719dc of him were c2ffee1cb4 neatly rolled-up shirt 28c9af04fd sleeves and a 4a09321353 firm forearm. Executive Director Kwon bf87ba04be was at his ed55c33437 desk, rummaging through b0606a20bd the documents.6615d7e6d139d691

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“Executive Director!”bde6cc0179a9a2bc

Heewon jolted upright. As he sprang 0ac510de26 to attention, the 9639b21c31 chair’s backrest bounced 42501bd96c forward like a c6452894cd coiled spring.c3cf6b81c8b32bdc

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“Are you looking for something?”5de432d5a27c44bc

“I need the guest list for tomorrow’s breakfast meeting. Ah, here it is.”f949f4b6ff3c5727

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Kwon fished the list f18a8837f6 out from among a a69fbee4b1 pile of papers. He seemed rather 51a32747ce used to going a864f20b61 through someone else’s 79fd13d460 desk.41f272d43fb3a98c

Heewon, who had only been 939860a9a0 half-seated on the edge of a1900cf41e his chair, now awkwardly planted 9e45ab97b9 himself all the way down. It felt a little d1a3e33264 late to try helping c7596fee03 now.eb221209ceba2238

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“You could’ve woken me.”acc7a36d8d2149ab

“I did. Twice.”f2d4b8c26b5b376a

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His tone was 6892dd1693 dry and indifferent.64e45dc6be5b7cc1

Heewon, now even more embarrassed, 1e419bdbb7 could only rub at his f27dbe8d58 face in silence.8072130df68ea511

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Still standing by, Kwon 57abd32731 began reading through the 6260967ba8 list. Even someone as perfect as ea3a4a9b4e him showed little signs of e0d87b4f3c wear by the late afternoon. A few stray f8e41b03d4 hairs had fallen 530c11da63 over his broad 0ab53efceb forehead, and wrinkles 5bcb165b72 had formed on 266e6d1d4d his shirt from 9810766f3f frequent movement.c29121da9a5eb5d1

And yet, his 57afdd4175 tie remained perfectly 4f0dc91ae1 pinned in place. Even when leaning forward, he 3a9758c3ab managed to look impeccably put fb8b09a4ad together. A faint fatigue lingered in 99c43c5708 his expression, but somehow, even 2f0d971746 that added to his effortlessly 6a3f685a3f refined charm.7627fbd43f475e34

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There wasn’t anything wrong bc7a743ca9 with the list. But after he ba33592583 finished reviewing it, e7e13b31bb Kwon didn’t leave. Instead, he sat 77f621c501 on the edge 036525a634 of the desk, a4a9dd9bfc his long legs ed50c43348 crossing loosely over e17c84b655 the floor.bddf3d174c5e8127

With his arms 52cf7bbb1e folded, he looked 4a0f557030 down at Heewon. The weight of that 54ddaec6ef steady gaze dried out 244a1239ad Heewon’s mouth. Trying his best to appear 5f907edc92 unfazed, he straightened his hunched 6a829d6966 shoulders and met Kwon’s eyes 446080571b head-on.9546ef86cf8f312b

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