chapter 23

[Note;- The sentences in '    ' this symbol are the thoughts of se-hyeon]

Until now, Se-hyeon believed that there was no better boss than Shin Tae-oh.

First and foremost, the most important aspect was money. The salary was higher than other places, and performance bonuses were also provided. Not to mention the additional allowances for work outside regular hours. The salary was so good that even if Se-hyeon stuck by Shin Tae-oh's side 24/7, laughter would naturally emerge.

Next, it was great that the boss wasn't a strange person. Shin Tae-oh himself was a decent human being.

Moreover, as Shin Tae-oh was a celebrity, the perks that came with it were considerable. The items bought as gifts for Jin-ha ended up being quite valuable. Plus, there was the joy of being able to watch the original performance from the front row, which added to job satisfaction.

Until just five minutes ago, that was the case. Se-hyeon truly loved it to the point where he wanted to make it his lifelong job...

'I want to run away.'

The desire to quit intensified. Se-hyeon couldn't hide his flushed face as he pondered how to respond to the words he had just uttered.

"Because of me, Se-hyeon's heart raced."

Shin Tae-oh repeated in dazed.

'Should I say that it's normal for a person's heart to race because they're human?'

"If you hadn't said it, i would have never known."

Se-hyeon bit his lip. It seemed he had heard it, and he didn't think twice about how embarrassing it would be for him. Seeing shin Tae-oh smiling so happily, it was infuriating.

"Well, everyone has different things that make their heart flutter." Se-hyeon try to cover the situation but..

"Where... on earth did you learn such words?"

'I wondered where I had picked up those cringe-worthy words.'

"Um, well…"

When Shin Tae-oh pointed somewhere, Se-hyeon quickly turned his head. And as soon as he saw the company's promotional slogan that was carefully chosen to leave a lasting impression for the apartment brand they were working on.

-Where everything becomes a point of excitement, right at your home.-, he came up with an idea...

"Advertisement!!

After confirming what had happened, it was now Se-hyeon's turn to speak.

"I will accurately explain what I felt."

"Do you know your own heart well?"

"It's mine, so I know it well."

"Is that so? I didn't know..."

Se-hyeon was determined to express his feelings and clarify the situation, asserting his perspective to Shin Tae-oh.

Se-hyeon had the impression that Shin Tae-oh's murmurs grew heavier, likely due to the subdued look in his eyes. Se-hyeon pretended not to hear for a moment, as it seemed like a continuation of the story Shin Tae-oh had been telling. For now, he wanted to convince him of what had happened earlier before hearing about Shin Tae-oh's situation afterwards.

"I have three desires."  Se-hyeon further explain.

"Desires?"

One of Shin Tae-oh's eyes twitched as if questioning what kind of nonsense Se-hyeon was talking about. Suppressing the thought that closing one eye seemed oddly sensual compared to both eyes squinting, Se-hyeon continued.

"Appetite, the desire for sleep, and..."

He deliberately excluded one desire that Shin Tae-oh could anticipate.

"The desire for recognition."

"The desire for recognition...?"

Se-hyeon's words hung in the air as Shin Tae-oh processed them.

"That's right. I think the desire for recognition played a role because I received praise from you. That's why my heart raced."

Se-hyeon didn't avoid Shin Tae-oh's gaze, emphasizing that there was absolutely no other meaning behind his words.

'Believe me.' If he didn't believe this, Se-hyeon didn't know if he have to go home and start writing a resignation letter.

In truth, the desire for materialistic things was even stronger than the desire for recognition, but he kept that a secret, deep within himself.

"I definitely understand the appetite part."

Shin Tae-oh murmured as he slurped up the soup from his ramen. It was only then that Sehyeon realized they were in the middle of a meal and picked up his spoon.

"I've finished my explanation."

"Alright. Eat up."

Shin Tae-oh crossed his arms and pointed at the ramen before Se-hyeon could put it in his bowl.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"...I should eat."

Seeing Shin Tae-oh unfold his arms, se-hyeon poured some of the ramen into his bowl as well. Two ramen servings were indeed not enough from the beginning.

As Se-hyeon was about to take a bite after pouring some into his own bowl, he felt a gaze directed at him and lifted his head.

"Why are you like that?"

"Can you just pick one?"

"Yes, Please ask."

"Cat, dog, cute, not cute."

The common mention of 'cat' caught se-hyeon attention.

' Had I ever revealed my fondness for cats?'

"What's the matter?"Shin Tae-oh asked when Se-hyeon didn't reply.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I want to give a nickname to the cat."

'A cat, huh?'

Se-hyeon nodded his head. The nickname I had given to Shin Tae-oh was 'Seungnyangi',' which was quite elaborate.

"Then I'll go with 'Bulnyangi'."

[TL note: Fiery Kitty, "불냥이" (bulnyangi) from "불" (bul) meaning "fire" and "냥이"

(nyangi) meaning "cat."]

For some reason, se-hyeon liked the rough pronunciation of it.

"So, the secretary likes that."

Seeing Shin Tae-oh nod as if understanding, Se-hyeon turned away. There was no need to delve into the details of what it meant.

***

Now that all the tasks were completed, Se-hyeon could go home. However, something unexpected came up.

"Why on earth are you giving me a ride?"

Se-hyeon asked, puzzled by the sudden offer.

"Because you've always given me a ride."

Shin Tae-oh explained that he wanted to give Se-hyeon a ride home. Se-hyeon was taken aback and tried to decline several times, but he couldn't break Shin Tae-oh's persistence.

As usual, Se-hyeon's place was in the passenger seat, but the driver was not a chauffeur but his boss. Se-hyeon couldn't just casually turn his head in that direction due to the discomfort it caused.

Did I really like Jin-ha that much?

Shin Tae-oh's words echoed in Se-hyeon's heart. It was a heavy feeling that settled

somewhere in his chest upon hearing those words.

Until now, Se-hyeon had known and happily observed Shin Tae-oh's fondness for Yoo Jin-ha.

While Shin Tae-oh sympathized with Jin-ha and carried out tasks for him, Se-hyeon faithfully performed his own assignments like...

"Order a cake and send it."

"Understood."

As expected, Yoo Jin-ha declined, and Se-hyeon informed Shin Tae-oh about it.

"What should we do?"

"Can the cake be refunded? Just let the staff members have it."

"Understood."

The chocolate-covered coffee beans that fell in between were also very sweet and delicious.

"Why are you looking at that watch? Is it pretty?" Shin Tae-oh just glanced at it.

"Send that to Jin-ha too."

Se-hyeon knew Jin-ha would probably decline again, but he didn't stop Shin Tae-oh. Se-hyeon had no intention of meddling with the original work, and he believed that Shin Tae-oh faithfully expressed his affection through the service he provided.

"Since he's busy with work these days and probably doesn't have time to check the time, tell him to wear a wristwatch."

Se-hyeon made the suggestion, knowing that it would likely be rejected as well.

Se-hyeon didn't even mention that it would be cooler to give without saying anything.

What was I thinking?

"If he refuses to accept it... just let the staff members have it."

At that time, se-hyeon had been delighted, thinking it was a win-win situation.

He thought that if he just played along with Shin Tae-oh's strengths and weaknesses, the original work would come to an end, and he would be completely merged into this world.

But...

'Did I do something wrong to Shin Tae-oh?'

Because se-hyeon understood him, because he didn't interfere with him working with a secretary who didn't match his intentions for long. Se-hyeon enjoyed watching Shin Tae-oh's heart gradually diminish.

Shin Tae-oh is a CEO, so there's nothing to be done about the difference in status. That's why he turned away from him...

'I regret it.'

Se-hyeon realized that he should have taken the time to understand Shin Tae-oh's feelings without directly asking. After over three years had passed, he felt remorseful.

'Let's start treating him well from now on.'

Se-hyeon turned his head, thinking that it could be a small way to apologize to Shin Tae-oh.

As if sensing Se-hyeon's gaze, Shin Tae-oh turned his head for a moment while the car was briefly stopped.

"Do you have anything you like?"

"What do you mean by 'like'?"

Shin Tae-oh asked in return, staring at Se-hyeon without providing an answer.

Even though Se-hyeon didn't expect him to willingly share, it was still uncomfortable to be stared at so intently, so Se-hyeon averted his gaze first.

"I want to repay you for giving me a ride."

Se-hyeon thought it would be a reasonable excuse. Honestly, it's not common for a boss to give a ride to their secretary.

"Then..."

As Shin Tae-oh pressed the accelerator again and looked straight ahead, Se-hyeon secretly swallowed a sigh. Just five minutes after making up his mind to treat Shin Tae-oh well, he was on the verge of retracting his decision.

Was my question too difficult?

Lost in thought, Shin Tae-oh didn't respond, and Se-hyeon couldn't bring up any other topic, so they arrived at Se-hyeon's house in silence.

When the car stopped, Se-hyeon unbuckled his seatbelt and pondered on what to say. It was difficult to start a conversation easily because it seemed like Shin Tae-oh was lost in thought due to what Se-hyeon had said. Se-hyeon looked outside, observing the surroundings and the people passing by, feeling increasingly impatient. Finally, he had no choice but to speak up.

"Thank you for giving me a ride."

Se-hyeon thought that if there was still no response, the only answer would be to simply get out of the car. Fortunately, Shin Tae-oh opened his mouth without further delay.

"I just remembered something I might like."

"Oh! Please tell me."

Fortunately, Se-hyeon was able to receive a response before the day ended. It was the

moment when Se-hyeon looked at Shin Tae-oh with an unexpectedly joyful feeling.

"I like instant noodles."

"Instant noodles...?"

Did he find the instant noodles tasty from earlier?

"Understood."

Se-hyeon replied, acknowledging his preference, and got out of the car. He thought that he would have another chance to cook instant noodles for him in the future.

However, as Se-hyeon heard the sound of the car door opening, he looked up to see Shin Tae-oh getting out. They met eyes again, with the car between them, and Se-hyeon lowered his head as a farewell gesture. Just when Se-hyeon thought that it was really time to part ways, Shin Tae-oh spoke.

"You're not just trying to send me off, right?"

"Then what's left?"

"If it's me, I like it..."

Se-hyeon looked at Shin Tae-oh with a questioning gaze as he muttered meaningfully.

"You don't mean you want to have instant noodles at my house...and now?"

"Ok" Shin Tae-oh replied with a simle.

'No, I was just asking, not inviting you.'

"You had it earlier, but can you have it again?"

"But that was not enough for two grown men and you asked what I like with great effort."

"...Come in." Se-hyeon finally give up.

It's not even a "what I like " but rather a "I want to eat instant noodles in your house right now" situation from the start.