They whispered quietly, most of them worrying about Doh Yihyun.
Meanwhile, Doh Yihyun calmly waved his hand through the air, dispersing the lingering scent of coffee.
So he finally gave up.
Seo Jeongun had not left behind his usual “See you tomorrow.” Another ending had come a step closer.
It had taken unusually long, but there was nothing particularly special about it. People always formed expectations on their own, got disappointed on their own, and left on their own.
Doh Yihyun glanced toward the now empty office entrance.
Just as he expected, Seo Jeongun did not show up at lunchtime after that day.
Busy with work, a whole week passed in the blink of an eye. In the meantime, Doh Yihyun developed a strange habit of frequently scanning the office entrance. It felt as though Seo Jeongun might suddenly appear at any moment and disrupt his work.
The leech like presence had finally fallen away, so he should have felt relieved.
But instead, something still felt off.
That was how persistent and unpredictable Seo Jeongun had been.
My concentration is getting worse.
Doh Yihyun slowly swallowed the lukewarm water from his tumbler. Even something as simple as drinking water felt unpleasant because of the faint, stale taste.
Just a week ago, he had managed to finish an entire fruit container, but his condition had worsened rapidly in such a short time. Yesterday, the doctor had even seriously suggested taking a leave of absence.
That is not possible right now.
The company would not collapse just because Doh Yihyun was absent, but it would create several complications. The child was important, but he did not want to abandon his responsibilities so carelessly.
Taking a deep breath, Doh Yihyun forced himself to focus on his work.
"Did you see Executive Director Seo today?"
But the moment he heard the words “Executive Director Seo,” the concentration he had painstakingly gathered shattered instantly.
What is wrong with me.
Doh Yihyun frowned deeply. He could not understand why Seo Jeongun, of all people, kept bothering him so much.
"He looked amazing today. They should really shoot a company ad with him as the model. What is the marketing team even doing?"
"Really? Where did you see him?"
The team members chatted excitedly about how handsome Seo Jeongun was, like fans talking about an idol.
As always, Doh Yihyun wanted to ignore their voices.
"...But it is the first time I have seen Team Lead react like that."
"It seemed like Executive Director Seo wanted to get close to him."
The topic of gossip shifted to the last day Seo Jeongun had come.
Even though Seo Jeongun, an Alpha, had hovered around Doh Yihyun, an Omega, no one thought he had any romantic or sexual interest in him.
Everyone assumed it was just a kind of rivalry between Alphas.
Still, out of loyalty, the team members took Doh Yihyun’s side.
Some of them were practically blinded with bias.
Scrape.
Doh Yihyun touched his lips and stood up.
"Team Lead, where are you going?"
Kim Yumin stretched his neck out like a meerkat, openly showing his curiosity.
"I am going to get some air."
"Y yes, please go ahead!"
At his flat reply, Kim Yumin quickly ducked back behind the partition.
It was rare for Doh Yihyun to leave his desk during work hours. Usually, it only happened when something serious had occurred or someone had made a critical mistake.
Having overheard the exchange, the team members quickly fell silent, careful not to irritate him further.
Doh Yihyun headed toward the outdoor garden located around the middle of the building. He would have preferred the rooftop with its open view, but since it was a smoking area, he found it unpleasant to go there.
The official name of the garden was Fire Garden.
Not a flower garden, but a fire garden.
It was a name personally given by the founder of Taewoon Group.
According to rumors, the founder had originally wanted to name the company with the meaning “to burn away everything that stands in the way,” but due to strong opposition from his family and executives, it was changed to mean “great fortune.”
Doh Yihyun sat on a bench by the railing and quietly basked in the sunlight. Even though it was late autumn, the weather was unusually warm for the morning. The tension in his nerves eased, if only a little.
...Maybe I will rest for five more minutes.
Leaning back against the bench, he gently closed his eyes. Lately, he had not been sleeping well, and a wave of drowsiness began to wash over him.
"Wow, Executive Director Seo, are you about to walk a runway or something? Why not just change your job to being a model?"
Just as he had barely regained his composure, Seo Jeongun disrupted it again.
At this point, it truly felt like a cursed connection.
"I have an important shoot today." Get faster updates on g.com.
"...Is that not scheduled for the evening? Is that not uncomfortable?"
At the softly amused voice, Doh Yihyun frowned and looked around.
His gaze was soon captured by a tall man dressed impeccably in a burgundy three piece suit.
It was a bold color that few could pull off, yet it suited him as if it had been made specifically for him.
"Well, I am taking the chance while I can."
The man, Seo Jeongun, shrugged playfully.
Perhaps it was his characteristic languid and relaxed tone.
Even without seeing his face clearly, Doh Yihyun recognized him by his voice alone.
If Kim Yumin knew, he would make a huge fuss out of jealousy.
He feels like a different person.
Doh Yihyun narrowed his eyes slightly, examining him over and over. Hearing a familiar voice from an unfamiliar appearance felt strangely disorienting. He had always dressed casually before, so what had gotten into him now?
"Honestly, is it not enough that the entire company already looks at you?"
Some employee crossed their arms and shook their head.
"Haha, I wish that were the case."
Seo Jeongun slowly turned his head.
His clear gaze landed directly on Doh Yihyun, as if he had known all along that he was there.
His pale gray brown eyes caught the sunlight and shimmered silver.
For a brief moment, Doh Yihyun was completely captivated.
Ah, I should greet him...
Coming back to his senses belatedly, Doh Yihyun stood up and was about to bow his head.
But Seo Jeongun casually averted his gaze, as if he had seen a complete stranger.
Doh Yihyun froze in place.
It had always been him who drew the line first and pushed the other away.
The moment that dynamic reversed, everything about Seo Jeongun, not just his appearance, felt unfamiliar.
"So it is true. Good looking people really do go too far. That is just unfair."