chapter 62

Se-hyeon slowly rose from the bed.

What's the point of pretending to sleep when you know I'm awake?

"You're up. I thought you were sleeping, so I was talking to myself. Did you happen to hear what I said in your dream?"

Shin Tae-oh spoke awkwardly and stiffly.

I didn't like how he approached me so casually, but I disliked even more how he seemed to be coaxing me, knowing everything.

Would I be able to give him an answer to his confession now that I've woken up?

"Since when have you been here? I didn't even realize you were here since I slept without dreaming."

Maintaining my audacity, I met Shin Tae-oh's eyes, as if saying, "That's how it is."

"Well, I'm glad you slept well."

Shin Tae-oh took a step back. Since he set up this strange situation in the first place, I

couldn't blame anyone but him.

"Are you hungry? Shall we eat?"

What's his intention this time?

***

"It's my fault, so of course I should feed and take care of you."

Even if I say something, he'll just...

"My hands are perfectly fine."

"So are my eyes."

Is it really necessary to say that when I can see that my hands are fine?

Realizing that someone can become increasingly repulsive when they try too hard to please, I looked at the food in front of me. When my father was hospitalized, Shin Tae-oh brought hotel bento boxes. It seems like the same story this time as well.

Back then, there were many people to share the meal with, so I could discreetly join in and the portions would be just right. But this time, it wasn't the case.

Seeing the towering stack of lunchboxes earlier, I wondered who else was coming.

"How is it? Doesn't it look delicious?"

Se-hyeon hesitated for a moment as he looked at the magnificent feast in front of him, then shook his head.

"Using food to tempt someone is not the way to go."

"You seem to have been tempted enough."

Despite Se-hyeon saying he wasn’t interested, Shin Tae-oh interpreted it in his own way.

He should have said it wasn’t necessary, but... His hand involuntarily twitched, wanting to grab the chopsticks.

"We need to fill our stomachs even if it's not this. So let's eat. Otherwise, we'll just throw it all away."

Shin Tae-oh said as he lifted a piece of grilled short rib with his chopsticks.

"I ordered 6 servings for the two of us, but I couldn't finish it all by myself."

"And why did you order 6 servings?"

Silence.

Grumbling with dissatisfaction, Se-hyeon felt Shin Tae-oh bring the grilled short rib closer to his lips.

"I have to make sure Se-hyeon eats at least this much."

As Shin Tae-oh's mouth curled up on one side, showing his mischievousness,

"You eat well."

Se-hyeon chewed the grilled short rib diligently, taking over for Shin Tae-oh.

"Does it taste good?"

Se-hyeon kept his lips tightly sealed and only nodded his head slightly. There was nothing wrong with the food. The issue was the person who brought it to his mouth.

Se-hyeon glanced at Shin Tae-oh sneakily, raising his eyes for a moment.

Not only did he confess to me, but he seems determined to be straightforward. He's still showing me a great deal of intimacy, yet Se-hyeon himself remains unresponsive.

I heard Shin Tae-oh's confession and pretended not to hear, but now he has set up a table in front of me.

Should I accept Shin Tae-oh's confession? If I do, it would mean entering into a relationship, which would bring significant changes to my stable life. I couldn't be certain whether it would have a positive or negative impact on me.

In the first place, scrutinizing these things meant that I didn't particularly like Shin Tae-oh.

No matter what happens, it's not like I only have eyes for him, ignoring everything else. I don't know how I would appear to Shin Tae-oh if he could see into my thoughts, but this is who I am.

Calculating and selfish. What I prioritize the most is the well-being of my family

and myself.

In the end, there was only one attitude Se-hyeon could take.

‘I have to reject him.’

It would be best to draw a line between us and maintain our relationship as boss and

secretary. My mind has already made the decision, but my lips have yet to speak.

I'm not sure when would be a good time to say it.

"Se-hyeon."

"Yes?"

Startled by the sound of his name, Se-hyeon looked at Shin Tae-oh. He didn't know how long Shin Tae-oh had been watching him. It seemed like he had been caught stealing glances and unintentionally getting lost in his thoughts.

"Do you not want to leave the hospital?"

"No, I want to leave."

"Then eat quickly. You need to eat and get better to leave."

Shin Tae-oh took the soup in front of Se-hyeon and poured a fresh serving for him. As Sehyeon watched the steam rising from the soup, he heard Shin Tae-oh's tender voice.

"Let's eat and think about things."

As if knowing exactly what Se-hyeon had been thinking, Shin Tae-oh set the order. Se-hyeon picked up the spoon and began to eat the soup.

"Does it taste good?"

"It's hot."

To the point where the spot where the soup passed through could be felt. The soup warmed his chest.

"Boss."

Normally, I should be the one watching Shin Tae-oh eat, but it turned out to be the opposite. Stirring the soup with the spoon, I called Shin Tae-oh.

"Yeah?"

"Just now I've been thinking about the company nothing else"

I stirred the soup diligently, but it showed no signs of cooling down. Should I just ask for a cooler soup?

"Is that so?"

It's definitely not what you were thinking.

In response to Se-hyeon's emphasis, Shin Tae-oh flashed a faint smile.

"Fine. Let's say that's the case."

"It's not about 'let's say,' it's the truth."

"Everything you say is true."

"I'm good at lying, but this time it's true."

"Then I'll say that this lie is true."

"...."

It wasn't supposed to go like this.

Feeling strangely cornered, Se-hyeon pondered how to turn the situation while moving his chopsticks, and then spoke.

"I'm healthy. The doctor said I can be discharged anytime."

Having received all the necessary IV fluids, there was only one needle mark left on the back of his hand. Finding something to resist against Shin Tae-oh, his heavy heart became slightly lighter.

“I’ll be with you when I get discharged, Secretary Ahn.”

Tae-oh who was just talking tenderly to me suddenly lowered his voice and spoke in a

business-like tone.

Having been his secretary for three years, I knew not to refuse in times like this.

"The discharge procedures will be handled by the Chief Secretary."

I said it for no reason.

***

The lunchboxes that Se-hyeon thought he couldn't finish emptied one by one.

"You did well ordering six servings."

Shin Tae-oh smiled as if he had expected that and pushed the empty container in front of me to the side.

"I ordered a lot so that we can eat a lot."

“Isn’t this better because you give in if you ask for more?”

Shin Tae-oh's words were correct.

Honestly, it felt good to be able to eat to my heart's content without worrying about anyone's opinion.

"You'll know the joy of eating."

Se-hyeon, who was eating the remaining food, looked at Shin Tae-oh with chopsticks still in his mouth.

"I meant it as mealtime. I just thought it was a time to have a conversation while looking into each other's eyes."

It's probably not just Shin Tae-oh, but most people feel that way.

"I often eat alone, so it wasn't very enjoyable."

It seemed like Shin Tae-oh was referring to the times when he ate alone at home, as opposed to having meals with the person he met for a business meeting outside or with the Chief Secretary.

"I wasn't alone in that space, but there was no one to talk to."

His voice was heavy, and I couldn't interrupt.

"But it's different when I eat with Ahn Se-hyeon."

"Sorry for interrupting, but we didn't talk much either."

At first, I wondered why we would eat together, but once we started eating, we focused without saying much. In that case, isn't this also similar to having almost no conversation?

"Yeah, I unintentionally end up eating competitively."

Are you afraid of being deprived?

"When I see you eating, it looks delicious, so I want to eat it too."

Somehow, I followed along and imitated you.

"You're busy eating, so when would there be time to talk?"

At this point, I'm curious about what you want to say.

"It's okay even without conversation. Just the act of eating itself isn't enjoyable as that."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it."

Unable to find anything to say, I held onto the tail end of the conversation.

Fortunately, Shin Tae-oh, seeming to have finished saying what he wanted to, moved his chopsticks again.

Watching him with a lifted corner of his mouth, as if to say it tastes good, I quietly set down my chopsticks.

["I was in the same class as Shin Tae-oh. When we were young, we used to hang out together sometimes. If you're really curious, ask Yoo Jin-hyeon."]

Perhaps it was because of what Shin Tae-oh just said that Ha Jin-seong's words came to mind.

"Um, boss."

Before going to ask Yoo Jin-hyeon, I wondered if there was anything I could hear from Shin Tae-oh. So, I called out to him, but before he could answer, the sound of a knock echoed.

The doctor came and left in the morning, so could it be someone looking for Shin Tae-oh?

"Is Se-hyeon here... Yes."

The person who appeared with the door slightly ajar was Yoo Jin-ha.

"Yoo... Manager."

I was taken aback by the unexpected visit, and it seemed like Yoo Jin-ha was too. He greeted me with a friendly handshake and then his eyes widened when he saw Shin Tae-oh.

"Oh? Tae..."

"He's also hospitalized. The timing was coincidental, but we're not sharing the same room. We just ate together."

As Yoo Jin-ha was about to say something upon seeing Shin Tae-oh, Se-hyeon intervened.

"...Oh, so that's why you're here."

Jin-ha continued his interrupted sentence and greeted Shin Tae-oh. Then, he momentarily leaned back and checked something, probably my name written on the hospital room.

"I heard from the Chief Secretary that you're not feeling well... Can I come in for a moment? Can I?"

Yoo Jin-ha asked Se-hyeon first, and then he asked Shin Tae-oh.

"Ah..."

Upon Yoo Jin-ha’s question, I looked at Shin Tae-oh. It's not like there was a specific reason, but whenever someone mentions "Yoo Jin-ha," Shin Tae-oh naturally comes to mind, and that's how I ended up looking at him.

"Come in."

After Shin Tae-oh gave his permission, I thought it wasn't my hospital room, but it was already too late.

"I didn't come alone. Can we come in together?"

With Yoo Jin-ha’s words, the door swung wide open, revealing Ha Min-hyuk who was standing behind.

"Why is everyone doing this to me?"

Se-hyeon, who saw the two of them, sighed and covered his eyes.

Why did they both show up on the day when I was already feeling troubled by Taenyang's confession?

Even if it's because I'm hospitalized for some kind of pain, it wouldn't be like this. I'm already worried that the cycle will be disrupted, and now if Ha Min-hyuk comes holding hands with Yoo Jin-ha and says, "We are dating,"  what should I do?

If Shin Tae-oh noticed this. Wouldn't it bother him even if he confessed his feelings to me now?

"Come in."

But Shin Tae-oh even gave permission to Ha Min-hyuk.

"Excuse us then."

"This."

Ha Min-hyuk, who came in with Yoo Jin-ha, placed a fruit basket on the bedside table.

"I was going to buy drinks, but they said you'll be discharged soon..."

I see. So he knows. He came even though he knows.

"Thank you."

I expressed my gratitude for the care they showed by coming. Then, I tried to get up, but I hesitated when I realized that the meal wasn't finished yet.

"Finish eating."

Shin Tae-oh pointed at the fruit and even picked it up to bring it to my mouth.

"I'll eat it."

"I'm giving it to you because I'm worried that you won't be able to eat properly with other people on your mind."

Why would you tell them to come in and then say something like that?

Anyway, it would be better to eat and finish it quickly rather than refusing. I ate what Shin Tae-oh offered and finished off all the remaining fruit.

"I haven't finished eating yet."

I ignored Shin Tae-oh's mumbling