..“Ah… so that’s why you couldn’t tell us?”
…“Team Leader, you’re getting married? But… isn’t that kind of early for someone your age? No, wait, but you’re getting married… and to Han Taeseok, of all people…”
…“Were you two dating? I’ve never even seen you dating anyone, Team Leader…”
The employees approached Jaekyung in confusion, bombarding him with questions, but all he could do was laugh awkwardly.
“I’m sorry I won’t be able to work with you anymore.”
…“Does that mean we can’t even have a farewell dinner? You’re leaving today… Once you go to NI Company, we won’t get to see you anymore.”
…“Yeah… We should at least have a drink together, but I’m probably going to be really busy with the wedding preparations.”
Everyone nodded in understanding at Jaekyung’s words. They seemed to have the preconceived notion that a chaebol wedding would be incredibly lavish and involve a mountain of preparations, so Jaekyung decided to let them believe it.
…“But you have to keep in touch. Please make time for us and at least have a meal with us sometime…”
With his team members continuing to talk to him, clearly reluctant to let him go, Jaekyung fought back the tears welling in his eyes. He had always known that, as an omega, he would eventually marry and become part of another family. But he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon…
He wanted to stay here a little longer, with these people. There were still so many things he wanted to do, so much he wanted to accomplish…
And it wasn’t as though he would even be joining NI Company. He would probably be shut away in that family’s house, spending every day waiting for his husband to come home.
..“Haesin, come on. Say goodbye.”
A female employee nudged one of the team members standing behind her forward, pushing him in front of Jaekyung.
Gwak Haesin had joined the company seven years ago as a new employee and had only recently earned a permanent position with excellent evaluations. A broad-shouldered, bear-like man, he now stood there with tears welling up in his eyes.
..“Haesin, why are you crying?”
Surprised, Jaekyung pulled out a tissue and held it out to him. Haesin took it and clutched it tightly as though it were something precious.
…“Team Leader, thank you. Really… thank you so much.”
“Thank you, too. For always doing your best and following my lead.”
..“And… and congratulations on your ma-marriage…”
The man’s voice suddenly began to tremble. Unable to get the words out, he swallowed repeatedly before lowering his head.
..“I’m sorry!!”
He suddenly shouted an apology, then pushed through the crowd and ran off. Everyone watched him go with sympathetic looks, clicking their tongues.
…“Haesin… he really liked you, Team Leader.”
One of his colleagues who had joined the company with him spoke quietly.
Ah…
Jaekyung remembered the way Haesin would sometimes look at him while they were working. He had always thought it was simple admiration, but…
So that was what those looks had meant.
He hadn’t known. And perhaps it was better that he hadn’t. Nothing had ever started between them, so Haesin could put it behind him and move on. With a bitter smile, Jaekyung finished packing up his belongings and put the last of them into a box.
His work here was over.
There was no place for him here anymore.
“Take care, everyone.”
Holding the box in his arms, he said his final goodbyes and left the office.
He had barely made it outside when he found himself surrounded by the team members who had followed him down to see him off. As he was about to hail a taxi, however, a black sedan suddenly pulled up in front of him.
It was the same model as his father’s car.
Had the driver not left yet?
That couldn’t be. He had gone to pick up his father earlier…
The car door opened, and a tall, strikingly handsome man stepped out. Everyone standing around Jaekyung let out quiet exclamations of admiration. Jaekyung was so stunned that he nearly dropped the box he was holding. This chapter was taken from NovelPing without permission.
Unbelievably, it was Han Taeseok.
He got out of the car and approached Jaekyung with a smile.
Jaekyung froze at that smile. While he struggled to figure out how he was supposed to respond, the people behind him began whispering among themselves.
..“Wait, that’s Han Taeseok, isn’t it?”
..“What’s he doing here?
..“Why do you think? He’s here to pick up Team Leader.”
..“Oh, right. They’re getting married.”
That was right. The two of them were supposed to get married.
But ever since that decision had been made, Taeseok had never once acted like this around him. The company obviously knew about the marriage, but Taeseok had never asked what he did at work, nor had he ever told Jaekyung anything about his own work.
Then again, why look that far?
They had barely even exchanged proper greetings, and yet now Taeseok was approaching him with a warm, familiar expression and taking the box from his arms.
—“You took quite a while.”
At the gentle, almost honey-sweet voice—another voice Jaekyung had never heard from him before—his heart seemed to stop.
Was the man standing in front of him really Han Taeseok?
Could he be someone else wearing Taeseok’s face?
Or was Jaekyung still dreaming?
Taeseok continued looking down at him with a smile. Then he briefly glanced over Jaekyung’s shoulder.
Jaekyung immediately understood the meaning behind that look.
Among the pedestrians in the distance, he could see several reporters.
The moment he noticed the camera lenses trained on them, Jaekyung felt as though he had been struck hard in the back of the head.
So that was it.
This was all staged.
He knew reporters would be waiting after the marriage announcement today, so he had come here in advance. Or perhaps he had even called those reporters himself.
Either way, it was all a carefully choreographed performance.
Jaekyung looked into his eyes again. Although Taeseok was smiling, his gaze was still cold.
Those were the same eyes Jaekyung knew so well.
Of course. He was an idiot for letting himself hope, even a little. No wonder he was only setting himself up to be disappointed again.
Jaekyung smiled.
“Thank you. What brings you all the way here? You must be so busy.”
He joined Taeseok in the performance, responding with a warmth and tenderness he had never shown or spoken with in front of anyone before.
His colleagues and subordinates all stared at them in shock. Before long, word that Han Taeseok had shown up had apparently spread, because even their superiors came out to see what was happening, drawing even more eyes to the scene.
Taeseok placed a hand on Jaekyung’s shoulder, gently sliding it down his back before pulling him closer.
“Even if I’m busy, today is your last day at work. Of course I had to come.”
Taeseok greeted the people who had worked with Jaekyung. Everyone there awkwardly returned his greeting, bowing along with him.
The atmosphere was warm and pleasant.
Taeseok’s hand against his back was so cold that it sent chills down his entire body.
After finishing his farewells, Taeseok gave Jaekyung’s back a few gentle pats. Jaekyung quickly said his own goodbyes to everyone who had worked alongside him, then got into the car.
Taeseok placed the box in the back seat, then immediately came around to Jaekyung and fastened his seat belt for him.
Everyone let out an envious chorus of “Ooh!”
“Team Leader! Be happy!”
“Team Leader! Thank you for everything!”
Watching the people see him off, Jaekyung fought back the tears threatening to fall and thanked them one last time before closing the car door.
Once the car pulled away and the eyes of the onlookers disappeared, a chilly silence settled over the inside of the car.
He felt as though he could barely breathe, and the urge to gag rose in his throat.
“Please drop me off at the subway station.”
Unable to endure it any longer, Jaekyung spoke up. He hadn’t meant to sound that way, but perhaps because of the suffocating atmosphere, the words came out colder and more rigid than he intended.
—“Just wait. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
The gentle voice from only minutes ago, which had seemed almost like a dream, was nowhere to be found. Instead, the cold voice of the real Taeseok stopped Jaekyung in his tracks.
Maybe he felt the tension in the air too.
Well, if Jaekyung could barely stand it himself, surely the other man must feel the same way. But what did he want to talk about?
“What do you need to talk about?”
—“Let’s talk in the parking garage at N Department Store up ahead.”
Not a café or a restaurant, but a parking garage…
Since N Department Store didn’t have an above-ground parking lot, he must mean the underground garage. Was that really the best place to have a conversation about a relationship like theirs?
No. He shouldn’t be so cynical.
It wasn’t as though he couldn’t understand why Taeseok had come today. So what if it had all been an act? Jaekyung had grown up in a family like this. It wasn’t as though he had never put on an act himself.
For Taeseok, too, it was probably just another desperate attempt to survive.
Jaekyung began to regret being so cold with him.
They were going to be married, after all. They should at least try to become comfortable with each other. They should be able to talk.
They say that when you think it’s too late, that’s often when you’re actually just in time.
With that thought, Jaekyung pulled himself together.
Soon, the car entered N Department Store and was directed to the VIP parking area on B1. Taeseok pulled naturally into a designated space, as though he had a private parking spot there.
When he turned off the engine and released the parking brake, Jaekyung finally said the words he had been rehearsing in his head.
“Thank you for coming today. I was actually wondering how I was going to carry that box home.”
As soon as Jaekyung finished speaking, Taeseok took out a business card and handed it to him.
—“This is Mr. Seo, who will be at your service from now on. He’s currently assigned to my mother, but starting tomorrow, he’ll be your personal driver. From tomorrow onward, you’ll be riding in one of our family’s cars instead of a Jaewang Group vehicle. The car has already been prepared, and Mr. Seo will always be nearby. Call him whenever you need him.”
“What?”
—“Under no circumstances are you to drive yourself. From now on, you need to conduct yourself according to your position. You’re no longer just a team leader at Jaewang Group.”
“Oh… I see.”
—“I heard you enjoy watching movies. We’ve already built a large theater room in the basement of the house we’ll be living in, so you’ll have to make do with that for the time being. I won’t stop you from going to bookstores. Reading a lot is a good thing, and it also reflects well on you in the eyes of others. However, you’ll have two bodyguards assigned to you, so make sure you take them with you whenever you go out. From now on, you should avoid going anywhere alone whenever possible.”