TET Ch 1

A tremor, a one-sided pull towards a certain being.

Pinpointing the start of this feeling was difficult. It began without a sound, without a whisper.

As a 24-year-old adult with reason, Yeonha wasn’t unaware of the nature of her feelings.

First love.

A desperate, unrequited love at that.

Unlike the hazy beginning, the moment this ‘one-sided feeling’ entered a new phase was crystal clear. Precisely because it was such an absurd moment.

The moment she was accidentally stuck in his office.

The moment she accidentally overheard his conversation.

That fleeting moment.

Since then, Yeonha often thought, if I hadn’t entered your office that day, if I had just ignored that suit, could we have avoided becoming so tattered and torn?

✿˚.⋆

The office of Seo Kanghyun, Executive Director of the Mobile Communications Division at Taeyang Electronics, was sophisticated and elegant. Its size and grandeur were unmatched by any other executive’s office. Even the president didn’t complain about this because everyone knew: Seo Kanghyun, who had walked only the best paths since birth, would reach the destination of ‘Group Chairman’ in the not-so-distant future.

Yeonha joined Taeyang Electronics’ secretariat immediately after graduating from university and steadily gained recognition for her abilities. Thanks to this, she was able to join the secretariat of ‘Executive Director Seo Kanghyun,’ the power broker of not only Taeyang Electronics but the entire group.

However, even after two years, Yeonha was still the youngest and backup secretary. While the existing secretaries were undeniably exceptional, the real reason lay elsewhere.

It was because Kanghyun consistently ignored her.

Anyway.

Then came that day.

The day a ridiculous incident occurred, marking a turning point in her life.

—There was a stain on the sleeve? That’s strange. There wasn’t anything like that last night when I set up the outfit….

As usual, Yeonha was alone, tidying Kanghyun’s office in his absence. And she discovered an unexpected problem.

“It’s not easily visible under indoor lighting. I only found it when I moved the suit into the shade.”

The clothing store manager, upon receiving Yeonha’s call, worried,

“Really? That’s a big problem.”

Yeonha held her phone to her shoulder and examined the sleeve of the suit draped on the mannequin.

“I think it will show up in photos, especially with all the camera flashes.”

The suit was specially prepared for Executive Director Seo Kanghyun’s new product launch. He was scheduled to wear it that afternoon and be under an immense spotlight.

But now, with only four hours left until the launch, a stain visible only under bright light had been found.

It was an emergency for the secretarial team and the clothing manager.

“I’ll take a picture with a flash and send it to you.”

Yeonha quickly took a picture and sent it. After checking the photo, the clothing brand manager made a difficult request.

—Um, Secretary Ban. I’m so sorry, but we’re all out of town on business trips right now. So, there’s not enough time to get a new suit, deliver it there, and set it up again. Especially since Executive Director Seo Kanghyun hates having clothes fitted directly on him, we need to have it set up beforehand, but…

“Me?”

—Yes. Don’t worry. Just explain the situation well and do as I tell you.

“Oh….”

Yeonha was also troubled.

The suit was worth over 200 million won. It was natural to be afraid of damaging it. However.

“I’ll do my best.”

There was no other way.

And Yeonha was the type to always do her best within her capabilities.

—If you can’t fix it, I’ll take a quick delivery service and bring a new suit myself, so don’t worry.

Yeonha checked that her phone’s recording function was working properly.

Just because she was the type to do her best didn’t mean she only relied on effort.

Yeonha was objectively brilliant, having joined Seo Kanghyun’s secretarial team after only three years of experience. She knew enough to clarify responsibility when handling something worth 200 million won.

Fortunately, the recording was working fine.

—First, heat some water in a coffee pot and make lukewarm water.

Yeonha began to follow the manager’s instructions diligently.

After about 30 minutes, the stain was thankfully removed.

It was possible because Kanghyun was away from his office for a long time due to an executive meeting.

Yeonha felt relieved and proud, looking at the impeccably smooth sleeve. But then.

—Oh, that fabric shouldn’t be dried in direct sunlight. You are drying it in the shade, right?

“Huh?”

Why are you telling me this now?

Unfortunately, the suit was shimmering under the bright sunlight.

Her relief crumbled.

Yeonha quietly picked up the mannequin, intending to quickly move it to the shade. But in her haste, she dropped the phone she had been holding between her shoulder and ear.

‘No!’

She reached for her phone. At the same time, she realized that the hand reaching out was the same hand holding the mannequin.

The mannequin wobbled like a doll with its strings cut.

The accident unfolded like dominoes.

Perfectly, in the blink of an eye.

The phone, struck by her outstretched arm, bounced further away, and the mannequin was on the verge of crashing to the floor.

Red alerts flashed in her head. Yeonha instinctively threw herself forward.

‘The suit is thousands of times more expensive than my phone!’

She embraced the mannequin with all her might and simultaneously landed on her backside with a thud.

“Ugh.”

The pain that started from her tailbone shot up her spine.

‘Ring ring ring.’

Her lonely, fallen phone announced its heroic death from afar.

‘Ha… But at least…’

Yeonha sighed in relief, checking the suit safely nestled in her arms. The safety of her job naturally took precedence over the pain in her backside.

Then, click, the office door opened and closed.

A familiar voice followed immediately.

“It’s easy for you to talk about someone else’s marriage.”

It was Executive Director Seo Kanghyun’s voice. Yeonha’s eyes widened.

Why is he back so early? Executive meetings usually last more than two hours…

The voice of Ha Jinhyuk, Kanghyun’s friend and the marketing team leader, followed.

“What’s not easy for you? Just get married and have a kid quickly. Then the chairman will give you the vice president position. If it were me, I’d have ten kids.”

“Ten kids. Team Leader Ha, if you have so much energy to spare, why don’t you try making the second half marketing strategy more aggressive?”

There was laughter in Kanghyun’s voice.

Yeonha, who had been about to get up, hesitated and stopped.

It was a tone rarely heard from Kanghyun, who maintained a stiff and dry tone in front of not only his secretaries but all employees.

Perhaps that’s why she found herself holding her breath.

“No, man. You’re not even thinking about dating anyway. You’ll have to get married someday.”

Their footsteps grew closer.

They continued their conversation, unaware of Yeonha’s presence, hidden behind a large panel in the corner of the office.

“So just quickly marry the person your family chooses and have a child.”

After saying that, Jinhyuk suddenly lowered his voice.

“The movements of Chairman Kang of Hwahak are unsettling these days. According to my sources, the chairman has already approved a capital increase for Hwahak’s stock.”

The owner’s instructions regarding company stock were a ‘top secret’ among top secrets.

Yeonha, who had unintentionally overheard a significant secret, froze, still holding the mannequin.

…What should I do?

“Meanwhile, if Chairman Kang’s son, Managing Director Kang Yangjong, has a child before you…”

Jinhyuk’s voice was quite serious. Yeonha panicked.

The Executive Director’s child…

“The chairman didn’t say he’d give the vice president position specifically to you. He said he’d give it to the grandson who gives him his first great-grandchild.”

This was also something a lowly junior secretary like herself shouldn’t hear.

Should I leave now? But what about the capital increase I already overheard?

And the Executive Director having a child…

As she was lost in her thoughts.

“Let’s see, my marriage partner.”

Kanghyun’s dry voice spread.

Yeonha’s mind went blank.

Marriage… partner?

She couldn’t think of anything else after that single phrase.

“The most likely candidate is Park Yewon, the eldest daughter of former Financial Supervisory Service Chairman Park.”

The elegant and innocent face of a violinist she had seen in the newspaper once came to mind.

Yeonha’s chest tightened.

The footsteps were now close.

She heard the sound of Kanghyun sitting in the high-quality aniline leather chair just beyond the panel.

“Will it be okay? If I marry Park Yewon and have a child?”

Yeonha’s eyes wavered.

She had never imagined any personal relationship with him. Even so, the feelings she had nurtured alone for so long would flutter and get hurt on their own accord.

So again, she could do nothing.

But strangely, it seemed that Yeonha wasn’t the only one hurt by Kanghyun’s words. Jinhyuk suddenly fell silent.

Kanghyun chuckled softly, as if he had intentionally provoked him.

“Shouldn’t you first reconsider whether you can be composed if Park Yewon marries someone other than you? Especially if that someone is me, your friend and direct superior?”

Yeonha gasped involuntarily. This…

“So? Are you saying you’ll postpone your marriage with Park Yewon for my sake and give Chairman Kang’s line a chance to step on you?”

Jinhyuk’s voice was agitated. It was a voice unimaginable coming from the usually easygoing Jinhyuk.

“You’ll marry the woman the chairman chooses anyway. What does it matter if it’s Park Yewon? If you’re going to do it, just do it quickly. Rather than another man, yes, maybe even more than other guys, you…”

His raised voice gradually lowered. His words trailed off weakly. Kanghyun laughed leisurely at Jinhyuk’s lovesickness.

“Forget it. Let’s stop talking about this.”

Jinhyuk ruffled his hair in frustration.

“Anyway, think about it again. Chairman Kang’s fidgeting is really annoying. Take the vice president position quickly when you have the chance. I don’t want to end up like a dog chasing chickens, huh?”

“Then bring me a woman who’ll bear my child.”

Kanghyun scoffed. Jinhyuk slammed his hand on Kanghyun’s desk.

“Who can I bring to a guy who rejects even Park Yewon? You’re not seriously thinking of not getting married at all, are you?”

“Well.”

Kanghyun, who had been responding dryly, spoke in a slightly mischievous tone, as if a thought had occurred to him.

“If there’s a woman who doesn’t whine, I’ll consider it.”

“What?”

“A woman who’ll be satisfied with just money. Come to think of it, it would be even better if she could quickly bear a child, too.”

“Hey, man. Don’t say things like that, even as a joke. You sound like a devil.”

“Do I? So what.”

A low laugh echoed, as light and frivolous as the view of relationships he had just expressed.

Jinhyuk clicked his tongue openly, and Kanghyun remained relaxed.

And their conversation moved on to other topics.

Yeonha, who had been holding her breath until then, suddenly realized that something like a drumbeat was resonating in her chest.

Why is this happening?

She felt pathetic for her heart.

Is it hoping for something?

A ridiculous hope that maybe, just maybe, with those conditions, a woman like her could become his marriage partner?

She bit her lip to suppress a self-deprecating sigh.

After a while, she heard Jinhyuk leaving the office.

Yeonha finally returned to reality and started to worry about how she could safely get out of there.

She had overheard too many things she shouldn’t have. Now, she had to make sure her current state remained undiscovered.

Yeonha quietly adjusted her grip on the mannequin and calculated the timing for a safe escape.

While running various simulations in her head, her thoughts abruptly stopped. Or rather, they couldn’t function anymore.

It was because Kanghyun, after seeing Jinhyuk out, walked casually behind the panel.

One shoulder of his large silhouette leaned against the panel. And he looked down at Yeonha.

“Did you enjoy yourself, Secretary Ban?”

Yeonha met Kanghyun’s gaze with dazed eyes.

“…Yes?”

This situation hadn’t been in any of her many simulated scenarios.

“What…?”

“There. My suit, the feel and the smell, did you like it?”

Following his gaze, she saw the mannequin cradled in her arms.

Yeonha flinched and hurriedly explained.

“Oh, Executive Director. This is… there was a slight problem with the suit you’re going to wear for the new product launch this afternoon—”

A low, calm voice cut her off.

“I didn’t know you had this kind of taste…”

Yeonha asked back with a dumbfounded expression.

“Taste?”

“Secretly coveting your superior’s clothes? And laying it down, too?”

Yeonha almost dropped the mannequin.