chapter 47

While conversing with Yoo Jin-ha at the cafe, Ha Jin-seong couldn't help but think of Sehyeon. He had wanted to see his surprised reaction.

But at this moment although Se-hyeon's expression wasn't currently an astonishment, still Ha Jin-seong couldn't take his eyes off his face.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but do you want to hear all of it?"

At this moment, it felt like Ha jin-seong could even leave his prestigious position at the company hanging in the air for Se-hyeon's sake.

"What is it?"

Se-hyeon urged Ha Jin-seong, brimming with anticipation. He had mentioned something happened, but Ha Jin-seong didn't provide a straightforward answer.

"Well... I will tell you if you agreed to be my secretary?"

"Sorry, but it seems like you're talking nonsense, no." This is driving me crazy, but still story is finally back to trick.

Se-hyeon even halted his last mumbling words, realizing that it was pointless since Ha Jin-seong couldn't hear him anyway.

Ha Jin-seong didn't hear it. However, he accurately understood that Se-hyeon had mumbled something like..

This is driving me crazy, seriously.

But Ha jin-seong didn't hear the last part and spoke..

"He was a person who didn't match any of my expectations. That's why it was more interesting to observe him for now, as he never became dull. Once today is over, there's time..."

Ha Jin-seong's words were drowned out by the sound of a door opening.

"Secretary Ahn."

Shin Tae-oh walked towards Se-hyeon, his gaze fixed on him. He had passed by Ha Jin-seong before coming to him, not even glancing in Ha jin-seong's direction.

"This is..."

Se-hyeon couldn't step back or retreat due to Shin Tae-oh's sudden approach, and he found himself standing in front of him with a coffee.

It was coffee.

"You like coffee, right?"

Se-hyeon nodded in agreement with Shin Tae-oh's statement.

He couldn't casually enjoy coffee. If it was iced, the ice would melt, making it lukewarm, and if it was hot, it would often cool down before he could finish it. That's why he frequented this particular cafe, where they would add a little ice if he wanted it cold or heat it even hotter

than usual if he wanted it hot, showing their consideration.

Despite the cold outside, Se-hyeon, who was working in an office with a heater, naturally felt more drawn to an iced coffee.

"Thank you."

He received another gift from Shin Tae-oh.

It wasn't as burdensome as the first one with the barley powder, and knowing that it was bought from a cafe Se-hyeon liked, so he felt a strange sense of joy while accepting it.

Before he knew it, Ha Jin-seong noticed the iced coffee with less ice and his expression was not good knowing that Se-hyeon liked the coffee brought by Shin Tae-oh.

"Oh, the boss of the coffee shop wants to pass on a message."

When Se-hyeon looked up at Shin Tae-oh, he saw him wink with one eye.

...I was just about to be touched that he bought my favourite coffee, but his wink made me freeze.

"He said he tried to make it smoother this time. If you like it, let him know for next time."

Since he often drank coffee while working, there were times when it was difficult to swallow.

It seemed like the boss remembered what I casually mentioned during the conversation with him.

"Thank you."

Se-hyeon stepped aside with the coffee cups in his hands. As he placed two of them on the most convenient windowsill, he noticed that Shin Tae-oh had spotted Ha Jin-seong.

"I'll switch to full spectator mode."

This wasn't a situation where Ha Jin-seong came to see him and unexpectedly ran into Shin Tae-oh. Soon, Ha Min-hyuk would also come in. It's like all the main characters of the story have gathered here villian, main lead, second male lead.

From now on, it meant that something unrelated to Se-hyeon would unfold. So he closed his mouth, relaxed, and suppressed his presence, intending to enjoy the show.

It's been a while since I've had front-row seats like this.

Se-hyeon was slightly surprised when Ha Jin-seong suddenly showed up, but if it was for the purpose of disturbing Ha Min-hyuk, it wasn't something he couldn't handle.

Just a misstep.

Even if Ha Jin-seong hadn't come, Shin Tae-oh would have declined. Well, he had no intention of telling Ha Jin-seong what to do anyway.

Now Ha Min-hyuk should be coming soon.

Coincidentally, as Ha Min-hyuk entered, he paused upon seeing Ha Jin-seong.

"The earlier you come, especially on important meeting days, the better the results you can achieve. It's a plus factor," Ha Jin-seong expressed, turning the conversation into a reproach for Ha Min-hyuk instead of a greeting.

"Not that I put it that way. Why are you here?" Ha Min-hyuk asked Ha Jin-seong, glancing briefly at Shin Tae-oh.

In response, Ha Jin-seong casually toyed with the coffee placed in front of him as if it was nothing.

"I came as an observer."

He repeated the same words he had said to Se-hyeon and gestured towards an empty seat.

"Don't mind me and proceed."

If he said that, would he really not mind?

But regardless of Ha Min-hyuk's situation, Se-hyeon's situation wasn't great.

Alpha three pheromone apparently two.

Se-hyeon closed the window, feeling suffocated in the confined space where sharp pheromones were floating around.

He settled his restless thoughts while sipping the iced coffee he had. The excitement of spectating faded away.

"We will begin," Beta Lee Jin-ho said, unaffected by the alpha's pheromones, and started the meeting.

***

Ha Min-hyuk also displayed various data on the screen that he had gathered through different methods. It was to confirm that the content aligned somewhat with the direction they had discussed regarding the business feasibility.

In the meantime, Se-hyeon intermittently drank his coffee. There were two cups on the windowsill, and it seemed that the coffee he needed at this moment was the one Shin Tae-oh brought.

As a result, unlike usual, he drank it all the way to the bottom without leaving any ice.

Carefully checking if there might be any sound of sucking in air through a straw, Se-hyeon inspected the bottom and placed it down.

It was a pity that he finished it all, but the meeting was also coming to an end.

"We don't have much time left until the bidding. We have prepared in advance, so if we proceed with additional directions, there is enough time."

As they continued to engage in formal discussions, Se-hyeon let out a slightly disappointed sigh. They had assembled the main character, the sub-characters, and even the villain, so why did it feel so lackluster?

I didn't expect things to go in a strange direction, but I didn't anticipate such a deflated atmosphere, like a balloon losing air.

This is strange.

When he erased the thought of enjoying the spectacle, he began to notice subtle differences.

First, Ha Min-hyuk.

He had expected Ha Min-hyuk to pay attention to Ha Jin-seong. Hadn't he shown signs of discomfort when he encountered Ha Jin-seong? However, midway through, Ha Min-hyuk started alternating between glancing at Ha Jin-seong and Shin Tae-oh with a peculiar gaze.

Se-hyeon didn't know why, but Ha Min-hyuk's initial wariness seemed to have softened considerably. To an outside observer, it would seem like he was just a spectator.

Ha Jin-seong, on the other hand, paid no attention to Ha Min-hyuk's remark about being an observer. Instead, he looked around and tapped the table with his index finger. He even made a few grimaces in between, which made Se-hyeon wonder why he was acting gloomy.

Se-hyeon glanced at his coffee, wondering if it was not enough for him. For a moment, he considered offering it to Ha Jin-seong, thinking he might drink it. But that's unlikely.

And as for Shin Tae-oh...

His eyes are strange.

Shin Tae-oh seemed to be in a content and satisfied mood, with a warm smile on his face. He occasionally looked at himself and even displayed a satisfied smile.

What did he eat?

Is he acting like that because he's full?

"That's all for now."

As Ha Min-hyuk displayed the final screen and made his statement, Se-hyeon quietly

organized his thoughts. Now, only Shin Tae-oh's response remains.

"The business feasibility is indeed not bad."

It wasn't particularly surprising that he received it positively. Now it was time to explain their position, reject if necessary, and move on to the next step...

"Let's do that."

"What?"

Se-hyeon looked at Shin Tae-oh with a shocked expression.

Did I hear that wrong?

***

After the meeting ended and people started leaving the conference room one by one, Sehyeon couldn't hide his serious gaze.

"I need to reconsider the reason for going to that café."

Ha Jin-seong glanced at the untouched coffee that Se-hyeon had left behind and walked out.

It was the café where Se-hyeon had sent him to meet Yoo Jin-ha, but Ha Min-hyuk looked at Sehyeon meaningfully.

"It was a tough day."

Se-hyeon, who couldn't understand if it was a greeting or a remark pretending to be sick, looked up at Ha Min-hyuk.

"They almost ruined the entire meeting because everyone was focused on you."

Even with the additional explanation, Se-hyeon didn't show any reaction. No, it was awkward to show any kind of reaction.

If what Ha Min-hyuk said is true, and Ha Jin-seong and Shin Tae-oh kept looking at me, it's hard to deny...

"Well, I did make eye contact with Shin Tae-oh a few times." Se-hyeon responsed he didn't pay much attention to Ha jin-seong.

However, Ha Min-hyuk's expression, as he criticized the almost ruined situation, didn't seem particularly negative. In fact, it was closer to an expression of interest.

Se-hyeon was unsure how to respond, so he simply lowered his head.

"If I was a disturbance, I apologize."

"No, thanks to you, Se-hyeon, things went smoothly in a fishy way. I should be grateful instead."

Se-hyeon forced a smile at his words, trying to hide his inner turmoil. He was already troubled because of that, and Ha Min-hyuk was fanning the flames.

"Maybe we can have a better time than we think."

At Ha Min-hyuk's final remark, Se-hyeon gave him an incredulous look.

"I like that incredulous expression on your face."

Just like last time, even though Se-hyeon didn't say anything, Ha Min-hyuk seemed to understand his inner thoughts quite well.

"It's not that I understand you well, it's just that it's written all over your face."

Ha Min-hyuk smiled as if he found it amusing, bid farewell, and left, saying they would meet again next time.

As Lee Jin-ho escorted Ha Min-hyuk and Ha Jin-seong out, only Se-hyeon and Shin Tae-oh remained.

"Boss."

Carefully choosing his words and adjusting his voice, Se-hyeon spoke, afraid that it might become an off-topic conversation.

"Are you really going to proceed with this bid?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"There's no reason to refuse."

Indeed, why would there be a reason? It's Ha Min-hyuk we're talking about. The person holding hands with him was Ha Min-hyuk.

The original plan was not to get involved in the internal power struggles and the risks that came with it. Se-hyeon couldn't imagine how much the original work would be distorted by participating in the consortium.

"Even so, knowing the relationship between Ha Jin-seong and Ha Min-hyuk...."

"What's that."

"It's..."

"I didn't hear you. Can you say that again?"

"I'm worried that the boss will be harmed."

Se-hyeon barked at the questioning Shin Tae-oh