chapter 15

As Se-hyeon silently stared at the gift that Shin Tae-oh had given to Yoo Jin-ha, various thoughts raced through his mind.

"I returned this to him, but..."

He had brought it back from the office, but now that Shin Tae-oh was nowhere to be found,he felt a mix of emotions.

What expression would Shin Tae-oh make if he received this?Would he act like it was expected? Or would he be curious about the reason for the change of heart?

Would he be disappointed?

'Why am I like this?'

Se-hyeon realized that he had gone mad, suddenly worrying about Shin Tae-oh in the midst of the amusing spectacle he had been watching. Until now, he had merely been a messenger caught between Shin Tae-oh and Yoo Jin-ha, but this time, he was part of the narrative as the messenger.

Se-hyeon, who had been writhing in agony, maintained his usual expression as if nothing had happened.Whether or not others knew that, he simply didn't want to show a pitiful sight in front of them.

'Now I can't help it. Let's treat him as usual.'

By continuing to treat Shin Tae-oh that way, the same applied to this gift. It would be best to just hand it over as if nothing had happened.

As for what would happen next... he would leave it to the Chief Secretary.

When faced with a difficult situation, it was always best to delegate it to someone else.Now that it was a matter of waiting for Shin Tae-oh to arrive, Se-hyeon was checking his schedule. As the door opened and someone's footsteps entered, Se-hyeon stood up without even looking in that direction.

"Have you arrived, sir?"

As soon as he lowered his head to greet, Shin Tae-oh, who was passing by, stopped. Shin Tae-oh's body slowly turned as he gazed ahead, lost in thought for a moment. When their eyes met, Se-hyeon's hand instinctively went to the box.

'How did he know?' shin Tae-oh thought.

Just as Se-hyeon was about to mention it,he thought that the reason Shin Tae-oh had stopped was that he had noticed the box that Yoo Jin-ha had accepted,but Shin Tae-oh spoke first.

"How did you know?"

".. Um?"

'How' is the question se-hyeon wanted to ask. Since Tae-oh was his superior, he hesitated to ask and tried to explain the situation right away, but he was taken aback by Shin Tae-oh's followup question.

"You didn't even look at me, how did you know it was me?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Se-hyeon fell silent.

"Well, I saw you coming in...?"

"I didn't see you looking at my side."

That's right. He didn't see him. Yet he still guessed correctly that it was Shin Tae-oh.

But could se-hyeon give such an answer? Normally, he would have casually retorted and ended the conversation, but now he hesitated a little.

As time passed, Shin Tae-oh's gaze seemed to become more penetrating, so Se-hyeon pressed the end of the box with his fingernail, scratching it slightly, not keeping his hand still.

"Sir."

That's when it happened. The Chief Secretary, who had been following behind, stepped forward, and Shin Tae-oh's brow slightly furrowed. Unfortunately, he happened to be facing Se-hyeon, and that expression was not clearly visible.

"Our secretaries can recognize the sound of the boss's footsteps."thechief secretary replied to the question.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it's true. Especially since it's not a heavy sound."Se-hyeon responded with a nod, trying to maintain a composed demeanour.

As the Chief Secretary used the expression "not heavy," Se-hyeon and the other secretaries flinched and glanced at each other.

"Considering your stature, wouldn't it be fitting to say that? For example... like a bear walking?"The Chief Secretary stepped in to explain on behalf of Se-hyeon. Now that the question of how he knew became irrelevant, Shin Tae-oh turned as if there was nothing and took the lead, followed by the Chief Secretary, who cast a slightly furrowed gaze at Se-hyeon.

Meeting his gaze, Se-hyeon offered a faint smile. The Chief Secretary was not someone who would normally mention words like "bear." Sehyeon was grateful to him for making the joke for his own sake.

That's why he couldn't dislike the Chief Secretary, Lee Jin-ho.

"Why didn't you come in?"

"I'm coming."

In response to Shin Tae-oh's irritated voice, the Chief Secretary briskly walked towards him.

Se-hyeon, who had been observing the opening and closing of the office door, once again just as he lowered his head his eyes met Shin Tae-oh's. Although Tae-oh had entered first and didn't know why he was near the door, he couldn't just stand there after making eye contact.

It was only after the door closed that Se-hyeon felt the tension release, and he let out a soft sigh, lowering his head.

He realized that he hadn't mentioned anything about Yoo Jin-ha.

'Oops.'

Seeing the end of the box all crumpled, he regretted it. Shin Tae-oh's gaze made him feel uneasy, and without realizing it, he had crushed the box.

'I was going to ask for a refund...'

Since the item was unused and only the box was slightly damaged, would it be possible to get a refund?

Meanwhile, Shin Tae-oh, who had entered the CEO's office, crossed his arms without hiding his discomfort. He alternated his gaze between Se-hyeon, who was still outside the door, and the Chief Secretary standing beside him. Even though he hadn't confirmed it himself, he thought he would know without telling.

But the Chief Secretary interrupted and meddled in the middle. Even Se-hyeon is a problem.Looking at the Chief Secretary, he smiled, but not a simle.

"What is it?"

The Chief Secretary, who was opening his schedule on his tablet, asked Shin Tae-oh, who hadn't yet taken his seat. Shin Tae-oh, seeing the clueless and annoying expression on Lee Jin-ho's face, became irritated.

"You don't need to know about the fourth one." As Shin Tae-oh returned to his seat, Lee Jin-ho smirked.

"What on earth is the fourth one?"

CEO Shin Tae-oh, Executive Secretary Ahn Se-hyeon, Driver Secretary Moon Ha-jun, and himself, if he counted, that would indeed make him the fourth one... Lee Jin-ho looked down at his own legs.

Is it about height?

***

Ha Min-hyuk, Yoo Jin-ha, Shin Tae-oh, Ha Jin-seong, Ha Jin-woong...

Se-hyeon wrote down names one by one in his diary. After becoming Ahn Se-hyeon for the first time and contemplating how he should live from now on, this was the second time. Now it was time to think again.

"At what point are we in the original work, and when will the antagonist appear, and..."

It was safe to say that he was thinking about the original work because of this.

"When will Shin Tae-oh's heart change?"

The original title was "Sweet Alpha, Cool Omega," a BL novel based on the keyword

"Omegaverse." It was a seemingly simple and straightforward novel about an alpha, Ha Minhyuk, with a sweet pheromone, and an omega, Yoo Jin-ha, with a cool

pheromone, who fall in love while their emotions collide.

However, this novel was not as tranquil as one might think. Instead, it kept the tension high by introducing significant events that fluctuated in intensity. From the moment they first met and felt attracted to each other, their peaceful everyday life faced numerous obstacles.

The antagonist, Ha Jin-woong, played a role in creating misunderstandings between them (probably related to their previous fight... ∴), and the initial development was Shin Tae-oh

gradually revealing his fondness for Yoo Jin-ha. Once they overcame those

misunderstandings, the antagonist repeatedly intervened, making trust between the two of them a crucial factor in the later part of the story.

"Shin Tae-oh."

Se-hyeon pressed his pen against his name. He thought that Tae-oh's feelings for Yoo Jin-ha went beyond mere liking. He would call out Jin-ha's name every day, buy him gifts, and dream of a future together.

But now he was confused because he wondered if it wasn't just a one-sided crush on Yoo Jinha.

"He definitely liked him," he thought.

In the novel that se-hyeon read, it was clear that Tae-oh had feelings for Yoo Jin-ha.

"Did something go wrong in the middle?"

If the overall setting of the original work remained the same, but there was a subtle deviation somewhere... But even that frustrated him.

"There shouldn't be a reason for the story to go off track."

If someone else knows the story then it wouldn't be frustrating. So far, he was the only one who knew the original work, and Se-hyeon hadn't intervened in the flow of the story in any way.

Becoming Shin Tae-oh's secretary wouldn't have any impact on this novel, and the important supporting characters remained the same. In that case, let's go back to the original storyline where Shin Tae-oh has a

one-sided crush on Yoo Jin-ha.

"I can't understand Taenyang's thoughts."

He used to be a playful cat who developed feelings for Yoo Jin-ha during his fight with Ha Min-hyuk, but now everything has become twisted.

( If someone doesn't know 'Taenyang' meaning it's Tae-oh's name se-hyeon give as in cat or kitty Tae-oh 🐈)

***

After hearing that the coffee machine was refundable, Se-hyeon finally arrived at Shin Tae-oh's house and placed a box on one side.

"Is he taking a shower?"

Approaching the bathroom, he leaned his ear against the door and heard the sound of water. He confirmed that Shin Tae-oh was showering, so he had to wait…

Se-hyeon turned around and walked into the living room. He looked around the space, which was even more beautiful than a hotel suite. It was neat but didn't feel cold. Instead of filling the space, they used the walls creatively to counteract any dullness.

Shin Tae-oh, despite his imposing stature, had surprisingly delicate touches. If Se-hyeon had to think of one example, it would be the door caps installed to prevent fingers from getting caught in the doors. Shin Tae-oh had implemented them since the construction of the building, even before it became a common feature in newly built apartments. This attention too detail made a noticeable difference.

It was said that the value of the apartment brand had increased even more since Shin Tae-oh became the CEO. Perhaps this was one of the reasons.

'He should apply something like this to Yoo Jin-ha.'

If he had been fruitlessly pining for three years, shouldn't he feel something?

'You're slow and pick up on strange things.' Instead of making weird excuses…

Frustrated, Se-hyeon walked down the hallway and noticed the frames hanging on the wall.

'This one was bought when we went together, and this one was brought all the way from the United States by the office manager, and again...' Se-hyeon briefly glanced at the spot on the wall that had never been empty while he frequented Shin Tae-oh's house. The position where the frames were hung never changed, even if the frames themselves did.

'That's where the safe is hidden.'se-hyeon remembered, It was a secret that Se-hyeon knew, although he had never told anyone. Shin Tae-oh had created a special treasure vault by piercing through the wall. Only Shin Tae-oh could have done such a thing.

Se-hyeon had never opened the safe before to see its contents, but he knew what was inside.

"What is it?"

Just as Se-hyeon was about to imagine what might be inside the safe, Shin Tae-oh asked. Whether Shin Tae-oh had finished his shower quickly or Se-hyeon had lost track of time while admiring the surroundings... In any case, Se-hyeon turned around with a composed

expression.

"I was just appreciating the artwork for a moment."

"Oh, really? I heard the office manager spent a lot of money on it. I guess you likes sunflowers."

Se-hyeon nodded, knowing that Shin Tae-oh's question about the frames in the place where the safe was located was intentional.

"I do like them."

"I see. By the way, did you know that sunflowers are believed to bring good fortune?"

"I didn't know."

As Se-hyeon acquired this new piece of information, he moved further into the living room.

"To Yoo Jin-ha..."

But before Se-hyeon could explain the reason for his visit, Shin Tae-oh turned around, briefly glancing back, leaving Se-hyeon's voice explaining behind.

His attention was caught by a painting depicting yellow sunflowers.