chapter 41

'I must have been caught despite being careful. What should I do?' The thought of not knowing when he found out weighed more on Se-hyeon's mind than his concerns about the situation.

"Se-hyeon, tell me," Shin Tae-oh urged with a smile, using "Se-hyeon-a" instead of

"Secretary Ahn Se-hyeon." It was a more intimate form of address, indicating a growing familiarity.

"I'm not just a cunning cat, right? Isn't that true?"

"Well..."

How did he find out? Now, well, I couldn't pretend not to know anymore.

"It was simply a term I used to cheer you on as the boss. It was a wish for a bright future for someone I admire."

Ah, it doesn't match. However, se-hyeon couldn't nitpick about that right now.

Fortunately, Shin Tae-oh's smile seemed to

approve of his response.

Shin Tae-oh looked at Ha Jin-seong. It seemed like a reaction that said, "Is the explanation sufficient now?" He looked surprisingly childish.

What should I do with this triumphant little cat who's so pleased to be closer to me?

Ha Jin-seong glanced back and forth between Shin Tae-oh and Se-hyeon before smirking.

"So what?"

His reaction showed no signs of being shocked at all. Was it because he didn't want to engage with Shin Tae-oh's childishness?

"I already told you. How far do you think you'll go?"

Ha Jin-seong now focused his gaze solely on Shin Tae-oh. By excluding Se-hyeon, the previously subtle atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

"Well... Are you still harboring such a futile hope that someone will look out for you?"

Ha Jin-seong twisted his lips into a mocking smile, as if to say it was utterly ridiculous.

"Just give up and live as you always have. It's like trying to live as a stray dog."

Calling him a stray dog seems a bit harsh...

Se-hyeon couldn't hide his expression and looked at Ha Jin-seong.

I wonder what's going on. What does Ha Jin-seong keep wanting to say? Why does he want to provoke Shin Tae-oh and

getting frustrated?

As if sensing my gaze, Ha Jin-seong tilted his head and met my eyes. He offered a thin smile as usual.

"We are classmates. When we were young, we occasionally hung out together."

Ha Jin-seong added a kind explanation, but se-hyeon still couldn't quite understand.

"If you're really curious, ask Yoo Jin-hyeon."

When he mentioned Yoo Jin-hyeon, it seemed like Ha Jin-seong wasn't just saying it casually.

Ha Jin-seong looked at Shin Tae-oh again.

"You said it yourself. You're leaving everyone behind."

Se-hyeon found myself looking at Shin Tae-oh involuntarily. It felt like a conversation between only the two of them, and Shin Tae-oh's playful smile disappeared. It seemed like he had heard

something he couldn't just brush off, as he tightly sealed his lips.

"If you had gone to the hotel with the secretary, I would understand even better. How quickly you would leave his side..."

Ha Jin-seong smirked and then turned to face se-hyeon.

"I'll come to collect the money for the shirt, so answer the phone obediently."

The situation with Ha Jin-seong, who had come to see se-hyeon but got entangled with Shin Tae-oh, weighed heavily on Se-hyeon's mind. Instead of Ha Jin-seong, who left without any lingering attachments after saying what he had to say, Se-hyeon had to focus on Shin Tae-oh's state.

"Boss."

"...Let's go to the office."

Se-hyeon didn't ask if he was okay, in response to Shin Tae-oh's low voice.

"Yes."

Se-hyeon opened the backseat door, and as soon as Shin Tae-oh got in, he moved to the driver's seat. The plan to have a meal together had fallen through, but going to the office now seemed like the best option.

***

Se-hyeon's gaze remained fixed on the CEO's office. After coming to the company and entering the CEO's office, Shin Tae-oh hadn't taken a single step out.

He didn't even look for coffee or take care of any approvals. Thanks to that, Se-hyeon simply sent away the people who came up with approval documents. Then, when he was alone, he sighed, biting his lip to suppress it, and looked at the CEO's office.

Se-hyeon thought that Ha jin-seong only disliked Ha Min-hyuk. So, he thought that if he just troubled Ha Min-hyuk, everything would be fine. But he kept clashing with Shin Tae-oh whenever they met.

While pondering what to do, a savior arrived. It was Lee Jin-ho, who had returned from an external assignment.

"Team Leader!"

"Everything okay?"

Se-hyeon remained silent at Lee Jin-ho's greeting and looked at the documents in front of him. Following Se-hyeon's gaze, Lee Jin-ho noticed the piled-up documents and let out a sigh.

"Looks like something's going on."

Se-hyeon didn't say anything, keeping his mouth shut. He didn't feel the need to mention that it might be because of meeting Ha Jin-seong or the conversation they had.

"Just wait."

The Chief Secretary waved his hand at Se-hyeon, as if indicating that he would ask directly, and entered the CEO's office. As soon as the door closed, Se-hyeon slumped, releasing the tension in his previously tense posture.

'What is going on?'

Shin tae-oh caught him calling "Taenyang." So, se-hyeon thought he would call him for explanation.

At the very least, I thought he would mention the number stored in my contacts...

What is it about? What did Ha Jin-seong mean by his words?

Lost in thought, I reflexively stood up at the sound of the door opening. I couldn't take my eyes off Shin Tae-oh and Lee Jin-ho as they walked out.

"Get to work."

Lee Jin-ho gestured for Se-hyeon to sit down and shook his phone. Understanding that he would contact him, Se-hyeon nodded and took his seat.

Se-hyeon recalled Shin Tae-oh's expression as he passed by just now.

"Like he's seen a ghost..."

Even though Shin Tae-oh came straight back to the office and didn't eat anything, his face had turned pale. His lips had also lost color, as if he was feeling unwell.

"Let's not worry about it."

He's probably going home because he's still not feeling well. The Chief Secretary will take care of arranging a visit to the hospital or getting medicine for him.

Se-hyeon nodded and took the opportunity to review his schedule. He wondered if he should continue scheduling meetings with Yoo Jin-ha next year, as they always did around this time...

As he was about to ask...

Yoo Jin-ha? As soon as he thought of the main character, he felt a chill run down his spine as if he had been hit on the back of his head.

Ha Jin-seong originally went to find Yoo Jin-ha. Knowing that Yoo Jin-ha was someone Ha Min-hyuk liked, Ha Jin-seong even made a scout offer to Yoo Jin-ha and kept hovering around him. Like a diligent little puppy, he manipulated people and diligently stamped his mark.

"So, Ha Jin-seong should be near Yoo Jin-ha right now."

The reason he visited today must have been because he was bored while looking for Yoo Jinha.

But that's how it should be.

"Things should go according to the original storyline."

That way, I can maintain this stable life as an extra.

***

Se-hyeon arrived at shin tae-oh's home after leaving work on time and stood in front of front door, mulling over his dilemma. He repeated the internal struggle in his mind, debating whether he should ring the doorbell or turn around and leave.

"To ring or not to ring?"

He raised and lowered his hand in front of Shin Tae-oh's house dozens of times.

Feeling unwell and considering that he might see him at work tomorrow, it might be more unusual for him to show up like this...

Ignoring the situation was also difficult.

While others may not know why Shin Tae-oh turned out this way, he himself knew. So, simply ignoring and passing by is felt like poking his conscience.

But another reason for his hesitation was that Shin Tae-oh had caught a glimpse of his true self. Moreover, he even knows that he gave him a cute nickname, "Tae-nyang," surpassing "Seung-nyang."

'Well, everything's been exposed.'

He heard everything, from me being an omega to what I truly think of Shin Tae-oh.

Now, he didn't even know what face to put on in front of Shin Tae-oh.

Should I just put on an innocent expression as if I know nothing, as usual?

"Let's put that aside for now... It's just an extension of work."

Se-hyeon found a compromise. He decided that today he would assess Shin Tae-oh's

condition to ensure that work would return to normal from tomorrow.

With that thought in mind, Se-hyeon pressed the doorbell.

"Come in."

The door opened in an instant.

Upon seeing the wide-open door, Se-hyeon felt a mix of emotions.

"Would you like to come in?"

"No, thank you."

"You've become honest."

He had been caught red-handed by Shin Tae-oh's straightforward remark, so there was no need to pretend anymore. Instead of stepping inside, Se-hyeon remained standing as if blocking the entrance. Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked how the door opened so quickly.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"What?"

Shin Tae-oh sipped his coffee with an expression of not knowing anything.

"Did you know I was here?"

"Yeah."

Shin Tae-oh answered honestly, seemingly surprised by Se-hyeon's question.

"I waited because I saw you hesitating about whether to ring the doorbell or not. I can't stop someone who's about to leave."

He saw it all.

Se-hyeon had been contemplating at home, and that's why he decided to meet Shin Tae-oh.

Once he made up his mind, he didn't hesitate twice and headed straight here...

Putting aside unnecessary thoughts, Se-hyeon extended what he brought.

"Have you had a meal?"

Shin Tae-oh looked down at the rather large paper bag and nodded his head.

"My stomach’s been empty for a while..."

Does that mean he hasn't eaten anything all day?

Se-hyeon sighed inwardly and extended the paper bag even closer to Shin Tae-oh.

"I've prepared something soft. Please have it before going to bed."

"Hmm..."

Shin Tae-oh glanced at it briefly and then raised an eyebrow.

"It's not like eating this will make my memories disappear, right...?"

Where did he get such ideas?

"Or maybe it'll make me so sick that I won't be able to get up for days...?"

"Just don't eat it then."

Se-hyeon decided to just leave, considering Shin Tae-oh's absurd suspicions. He thought of this visit as simply exercising. As he lowered his hand holding the paper bag, Shin Tae-oh swiftly approached and grabbed his wrist.

"Let's eat together."

"..."

He should say it from the beginning.

"Understood."

Se-hyeon, who was about to leave after handing over the food, took a step into Shin Tae-oh's house.

It was the first time he had entered after revealing his true self.

The reason his heart was racing could be due to nervousness or some other reason.