He was said to be 188 centimeters tall, but to Doh Yihyun he looked at least 190.
‘192? 193?’
Unwillingly, Doh Yihyun learned one more new fact about Seo Jeongun. Of course, the moment he stepped out of the executive office, it would be wiped clean from his mind.
Without making it obvious, Doh Yihyun swept his gaze over Seo Jeongun from head to toe. Before manifesting as an Omega, he had practiced judo for quite a long time, so when he encountered someone with a large build, he would occasionally take a faint interest.
Perhaps Seo Jeongun had exercised when he was younger as well. Even for an Alpha, his physique was impressive. His broad shoulders and solid chest stood out. Compared to that, his waist was relatively narrow, giving him a rather sleek silhouette.
Despite always smiling lightly, people could not treat Seo Jeongun casually. The subtle pressure that came from his superior physical presence played a part.
‘He won’t go down easily.’
After a brief assessment, Doh Yihyun clicked his tongue silently. Although Seo Jeongun’s legs were long, his overall balance seemed good. He did not look like someone who would lose his center of gravity easily.
“If you called me here to joke around, I will take my leave.”
“A joke?”
As Doh Yihyun turned to leave without hesitation, Seo Jeongun stepped in front of him and blocked the way. The distance was close enough that a pleasant fragrance brushed the tip of his nose. It was a clear scent that naturally brought to mind fully bloomed flowers, lush green grass, and transparent dew.
‘Perfume?’
It was glamorous yet fresh, a scent that suited Seo Jeongun and at the same time did not.
For some reason, it felt familiar, as though he had smelled it somewhere before. Yet despite that sharp sense of déjà vu, Doh Yihyun quickly lost interest.
“Ha.”
An irritated sigh slipped out before he realized it. His patience was nearing its limit.
Setting aside the fact that his nerves were on edge due to pregnancy, the end of the year was approaching and his schedule was far from relaxed. And an executive, of all people, was not helping but interfering.
‘As expected, rumors can’t be trusted.’
People had praised Seo Jeongun for being efficient and thorough at work. It was clearly exaggerated.
“You and I are not in the sort of relationship to stand around chatting, are we?”
With a faint crease between his brows, Doh Yihyun drew a line in a stiff tone. It might have come off as rude, but he did not care.
No matter that Seo Jeongun was an executive and a member of the owner’s family, he could not overlook behavior that went too far.
“...Then what kind of relationship do we have?”
“What more is there besides superior and subordinate?”
The question was so obvious that Doh Yihyun responded without emotion.
“What?”
At that utterly ordinary answer, a subtle crack appeared in Seo Jeongun’s radiant smile. He looked as though he had been betrayed by someone he had firmly trusted.
In contrast, Doh Yihyun’s expression was cold.
“I said we have no relationship.”
Though he knew Seo Jeongun had not asked because he truly failed to hear, Doh Yihyun answered plainly.
There might be some reason why Seo Jeongun was behaving in a way he never had before. But Doh Yihyun was not particularly curious. He only wanted to shake off this troublesome superior and return to his office as soon as possible.
Seo Jeongun stared at him as though trying to read his true intentions.
“Ha ha, ha, ha ha!”
Then, as if he had never shown that wounded expression, he suddenly burst into laughter. The clear, broken bursts of laughter struck Doh Yihyun’s ears.
“Wow, Yihyun. To treat me like this… ha ha, this is a first. Truly.”
Seo Jeongun bent at the waist as he continued laughing.
“But what should I do? Now I feel competitive.”
When he lifted his head again, a crooked smile hung on his formerly straight lips.
‘…Did I fail to recognize him and make some kind of mistake?’
Only then did doubt arise in Doh Yihyun’s mind.
But Seo Jeongun had just returned to the company after a month long business trip. He could not even remember who he had passed in the corridor that morning, let alone something from a month ago.
“If you have nothing further to say, I will be going.”
Doh Yihyun gave a light bow. He did not wish to waste any more time.
Fortunately, this time Seo Jeongun did not block his path.
Seo Jeongun simply watched the retreating figure of Doh Yihyun walking away without hesitation. Even long after the door had firmly closed.
Knock, knock.
The next day, as he was intently staring at the rectangular screen as usual, someone lightly tapped on his desk.
A dark shadow fell across it, but Doh Yihyun did not even glance up and continued working in silence.
Knock, knock.
The tapping came again.
If anyone from Accounting Team 2 needed something from him, they always called out to him directly. They knew well that once Doh Yihyun concentrated, making a halfhearted presence known was useless.
‘Annoying.’
Under normal circumstances, he would not have heard such a minor sound. But because his concentration had been precariously lowered, it grated on his nerves. Though his brows narrowed faintly, he still did not respond.
Then the unidentified person circled around the desk and approached from the side, bending slightly to press a shoulder against his.
His facial muscles twisted involuntarily at the unwanted contact. Clenching his teeth to control his expression, Doh Yihyun slowly turned his head.
A man’s face was closer than expected.
“Let’s go eat lunch.”
With a polished smile, the man spoke to him in a soft, friendly tone.
‘Not a team member.’
Doh Yihyun reached that conclusion immediately.
The members of Accounting Team 2 rarely spoke to him unless it was about work. With the exception of Kim Yumin. And even Kim Yumin had never invited him to lunch.
It was only natural. Even if someone tried to get close out of friendliness, Doh Yihyun always looked at them as though they were strangers. Since it never went beyond one sided familiarity, even the most easygoing person would eventually be hurt.
‘Who is it?’
Doh Yihyun calmly lowered his gaze. The man was wearing a bright pink knit sweater, but there was no employee ID around his neck. That erased any remaining way to identify him.
He stared at the man without interest. Despite Doh Yihyun’s cynical gaze, the other did not shrink back and maintained his fresh smile.
Silence fell between them. Neither of them spoke, and the quiet stretched on endlessly.
‘What is he trying to do?’
He was just about to grow tired of the meaningless standoff.
“Yihyun.”
The man curled the corners of his lips neatly and called him in a familiar tone.
There was no one in the company who addressed him as “Yihyun.” At least, not until yesterday.
“Mm.”
At the unfamiliar form of address, Doh Yihyun recognized him at once, his voice rumbling low.
“What is it, Executive Director?”
Only then did he remove his hands from the keyboard. If one could call it convenient, it was convenient. But he did not like identifying someone through something as trivial as that.