chapter 53

Shin Tae-oh was soaked. At first, it was mostly sweat, but after Se-hyeon added water, it became mostly water.

Se-hyeon waited to see how Shin Tae-oh would react. If he showed discomfort, Se-hyeon would apologize immediately, but if not, he was willing to add more water when needed.

After a short while, Shin Tae-oh ruffled his hair.

"So that's why my secretary was in the bathroom."

"Yes, I was caught off guard too."

Even when the heatwave was brought forward by a day, it was the same. I suddenly felt an unbearable thirst, just like Shin Tae-oh. So I crawled to the bathroom.

Adding water provided some relief from the heat, and I occasionally stuck out my tongue to catch some water. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was the best under the circumstances.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"To some extent."

As Shin Tae-oh shook his head, some strands of hair fell off his face. Just that alone made his face look cooler and brighter. Shin Tae-oh slowly stood up from his seat, and it seemed that he was not weakly trembling anymore.

Was he really feeling somewhat better?

"Can you continue to endure it? If you think you can hold on a little longer, maybe we should go to the hospital and get a prescription quickly..."

Before waiting for Shin Tae-oh, I suggested going to the hospital to get treatment sooner. But suddenly, my shoulder was grabbed.

It wasn't just one shoulder; Shin Tae-oh placed his hand on both shoulders and bowed deeply.

If there had been a significant height difference between us, maybe I could have seen his face, but there was only a mere five-centimeter gap.

"Boss?"

So, I called out to Shin Tae-oh, but by his hand on my shoulder felt a force.

"I think it has to be now."

Shin tae-oh expressed his thoughts not through conversation but as if talking to himself. So, it was even more incomprehensible. But then, Shin Tae-oh raised his head and our eyes met.

I couldn't tell if it was sweat or water, but his eyebrows were soaked. Whether it was blinking or moistening them with water, his damp pupils reflected me.

I shouldn't have looked. My heart started pounding like crazy from the moment I met Shin Tae-oh's eyes, especially when I was already dizzy from his pheromones.

Ignoring my racing heart, I raised my trembling hand. I was trying to push Shin Tae-oh away.

As I placed my hand on the edge of his collar, instead of pushing him away, I had an impulse to wrap my fingers around the fabric. I wanted to hold onto Shin Tae-oh. I felt a desire to stay here, without leaving, when my body suddenly turned around.

"Huh?"

I was facing Shin Tae-oh, but in an instant, I found myself facing the wall, feeling

bewildered. What just happened?

"When I can endure it."

"Boss? Just wait a moment."

While being manipulated by Shin Tae-oh's hands, Se-hyeon walked forward, trying to turn around, but their body wouldn't budge.

Shin Tae-oh kindly opened the door and pushed Se-hyeon into the corridor. Only then was Se-hyeon able to turn around and look at Shin Tae-oh. His breath, holding onto the doorknob, was once again faltering.

"Go home."

"But your condition isn't good right now."

"Still, there's nothing else my secretary can do, right?"

Shin Tae-oh forced a smile.

"One hour will pass quickly. Let's see each other tomorrow."

Shin Tae-oh delivered the final farewell and closed the door.

Se-hyeon, who ended up facing the door, blinked silently.

"You're... kicking me out?"

Did you actually send me away?

Did you also pretend to close the front door last time?

Yeah, being kicked out is probably right.

Se-hyeon murmured to himself, expressing his troubled thoughts as he walked back the way he came.

"What am I..."

He was just Shin Tae-oh's secretary. His dream and goal were to lead a stable life by sticking by the side of a sub-gong...

That's why he wanted to remain just as a secretary, an extra. So, even if someone confesses their love to Shin Tae-oh, I would understand and handle it. It was a role that ended with the same response every time.

I can comprehend it in my head, but why does my heart want to rebel and go crazy like this?

Even though the distance I walked wasn't that far, and even when I tried to shake off his pheromones from my body, Shin Tae-oh's scent wouldn't fade away.

Why is it clinging to me like this?

Annoyed by the invisible pheromones, I extended my arms in frustration.

All of this is just because of my unsettled heart, yet I'm trying to brush off his strong

pheromones.

"Mr. Ahn Se-hyeon?"

It was Park Ha-seong.

"That's right. Oh, wait, are you attending this party here?"

"Not me, but the boss."

Se-hyeon lightly retorted while tidying up his disheveled hair. He didn't have the luxury to engage with anyone at the moment. His focus was entirely on being in the same room as Shin Tae-oh, as his nerves revolved around him.

"Well then, I'll..."

As Se-hyeon lowered his head, Park Ha-seong greeted him and stepped aside. He knew that Se-hyeon's state of mind wasn't good as he allowed him to pass.

Se-hyeon didn't decline and entered the space Park Ha-seong offered. Right now, going home like this...

"Can I ask you something?"

Se-hyeon grabbed Park Ha-seong.

"Yes? Sure."

Although I asked, Se-hyeon could only bite his lower lip and couldn't speak immediately.

Asking a question to Park Ha-seong, whom he coincidentally encountered, felt like an

impulsive act. It was too frustrating to think alone and come up with answers. He wished someone, anyone, would get caught up in it. Even if it was Park Ha-seong, whom he had seen only once before...

"When you receive help, should you also do something in return?" Se-hyeon murmured.

"Yes?..."

"When you receive help, you should repay the favour."

"Usually, that's what people do."

"Usually... Yes, that's right. It's not anything unusual."

Se-hyeon's face brightened.

It wasn't strange at all for him to have the desire to help Shin Tae-oh. He no longer needed to hesitate, solely focusing on Shin Tae-oh and his own situation as portrayed in the original work.

"That's right. I'm just an ordinary person."

Before becoming an extra, he was a secretary who served Shin Tae-oh. It's only natural to repay someone for what they've received.

"People would give me a bowl of rice or buy me coffee that suits my taste at the café I often visit. Ignoring such a person's circumstances would be disrespectful as a colleague, wouldn't it?"

"Well, yeah, that's true."

Park Ha-seong showed a somewhat ambiguous reaction, but Se-hyeon didn't hear anything anymore.

"Actually, it bothered me to leave it alone. What's the point of all those traits? It's easy to ignore when you don't know, but I knew exactly how difficult it was because I went through the same thing. I was truly selfish."

"Is that so? You think you're selfish?"

"What does it matter if the other person is a man? It's not like anything like that will happen now; I just need to help for a little while."

"The other person is a man?"

"The third say was practically synonymous with liking someone the most. I watched that romantic lunatic from the sidelines, and you thought my heart would waver for Yu Jin-hae. Now I get it, now I understand."

"Oh, you know everything?"Park ha-seong was quite confusing with Se-hyeon's way of talking.

"Yes. Thank you. I'll make sure to bring coffee when I come next time."

Se-hyeon bid farewell with a bright smile and turned away. As Park Ha-seong watched him run inside, he scratched his head. He wasn't sure what was happening right now, but he could roughly guess...

"He's involved with someone."

A colleague who gives rice and buys coffee, the third save, a romantic straight guy who's practically a pervert... a man with those traits.

***

(Shin tae-oh's pov, After Kicking out Se-hyeon)

Normally, I wouldn't have missed the opportunity, but I stupidly let it slip by. If Lee Jin-ho had seen me, he might have asked where my mind was wandering off to.

"It's my own fault."

So, even if I'm feeling restless and in pain all over, I can't blame anyone else. It was a good thing I sent Se-hyeon away.

Compared to the patience I had in not grabbing his shoulder and pulling him towards me, this is nothing.

"Yeah. This kind of thing..."

Shin Tae-oh let out a long breath with his arm resting on his forehead. The clothes soaked in water were gradually drying, stealing away the heat from his body. It was the only lifeline that kept him rational at the moment.

"Just take the suppressants..."

Shin Tae-oh, who had been muttering that the current situation was nothing, bit his tongue and forcefully pressed his eyes shut. Honestly, he still regretted it. He wanted to hold onto Sehyeon. It wasn't that he wanted anything from him. He just felt like it would be nice to be together.

"Damn it, I'm selfish. Se-hyeon!!"

It's selfish of me to hope that Se-hyeon would stay by my side, even if he could suffer because of my pheromones. I know that, but...

"I miss you."

If I had known this would happen, I would have at least taken a photo. Even if it made me embarrassed and my ears turned red, having a picture of the blushing Se-hyeon would have been a consolation.

Ah, now that I think about it, Ahn Se-hyeon isn't a stiff man. His ears turn red when he's embarrassed, and his eyes flicker when he's flustered. Even without making a face, he showed his own reactions.

The more I think about it, the more I miss Ahn Se-hyeon. Just imagining him makes my heart beat faster. That person who...

"Who is it? Is it me?"

"..."

Shin Tae-oh quickly stood up, moving his arm that was covering his eyes. He blinked when he saw Se-hyeon standing at the entrance.

I definitely sent him away. I sent him away so he wouldn't be standing in front of the entrance again like last time. Why is he here again?

Is it an illusion created by my desires? Or did I not close the door properly?

"How did you get in?"

Looking at Shin Tae-oh's bewildered face, Se-hyeon showed what he was holding in his hand.

"Two key cards?"

"Ah, right. This is a hotel."