Supervisor Kim, who retaliated against Deputy Park’s arm with a solid hit, opened her phone’s secret gallery for me. As I looked at the screen, a series of vaguely familiar photos of a man and Kim together unfolded. There seemed to be hundreds of them.
Anticipating that I would now see this face almost as often as Deputy Park’s daughter whenever the three of us had a meal together, I handed the phone back to Kim.
“Congratulations.”
“I’m not sure if it’s something to congratulate, but thank you.”
After feigning defeat and leaving, Supervisor Kim’s eyes sparkled. Deputy Park easily teased Supervisor Kim, who seemed eager to say more.
“Tell us more. When did you start dating?”
“Um… it’s been about a month now? Since early July.”
“Oh, it hasn’t been long. Did you meet at work? You didn’t know each other separately?”
“That’s right.”
“Then who made the first move? Who liked the other first? Confessions? It didn’t happen at work, did it?”
Deputy Park laughed alone but received another hit to his arm. Supervisor Kim brushed it off, laughing as if it was amazing.
“Do you guys think there are no cases of office romance?”
I was focused on cutting a piece of quesadilla into smaller bites when I was suddenly startled by the intense reaction. Supervisor Kim hesitated and turned her gaze towards me.
“Oh… now that I think about it. Lee Seodan wasn’t at the company during last year’s TF, right? Did you ever hear about it later?”
“What story?”
“…It’s not a good story, so just forget about it today. Someone confessed to someone else at the company and caused a big stir. It was quite a famous incident for a while.”
“Really?”
I tried to maintain my expression and tone as nonchalant as possible. My heart suddenly raced.
“The person who was in TF last year…”
“No, no, it’s not that. If it were, it would have been a real disaster. This person was someone I didn’t even know, from the marketing team with no connection to Han Team Leader. They’ve quit now though.”
“It would’ve been better if they did quit.”
Deputy Park chuckled, perhaps recalling the incident.
“He yelled and cried in the hallway, saying it was too much. But Han Team Leader just stood there with his arms crossed without any reaction.”
“Why did he do that at work…”
“He must have really liked Han Team Leader so he wasn’t in his right mind.”
Supervisor Kim answered with a disgusted look on her face.
I put down my fork and hid my hands under the table. I felt like my rapid pulse would give me away. The scene in the office corridor, his expression, and the indifferent gaze felt vividly portrayed as if I had seen them firsthand.
Deputy Park mumbled something incoherent as he put a nacho topped with cheese in his mouth.
“Last year’s TF was quite spectacular aside from that, so that incident just passed by, but thinking about it again… it’s not that we’re saying not to date someone from the company, but you have to choose the right time and place. It’s awkward for Han Team Leader too.”
“But since that incident, there have been fewer people pestering Han Team Leader… Wouldn’t Deputy Park be more comfortable?”
“Is that so? The numbers haven’t decreased, but it seems like they’re being more discreet.”
“Anyway. It’s much better not to show it at work. Whether it’s confessing to Han Team Leader on the weekend or going on a date, just don’t bring it to the company.”
Supervisor Kim nodded vigorously again.
I recalled the numerous glances that followed Han Team Leader. Since my seat was near the entrance, I often saw the slow footsteps of female employees as they passed our department, peering curiously behind Han Team Leader’s partition. Han Team Leader acted as if he didn’t notice those gazes at all. I used to think it was his indifference, but now it seemed more like a familiar numbness.
Deputy Park, unaware of my inner turmoil, ended the conversation with some nagging remarks.
“If Supervisor Kim is going to date someone from the company, it’s better to keep hiding it like this.”
“Yeah, I think so too… Even if it’s a boyfriend, there’s no need to hide it. It’s not something to be ashamed of, is it?”
“That friend seems to be experiencing office romance for the first time.”
“He almost got into a fight because he said he’d only wear the ring on weekends, afraid it might get noticed.”
Even though she said that, Supervisor Kim’s expression looked satisfied as she stretched out her fingers and looked down at the ring.
I felt that rather than warning to never get caught, it would feel much better to speak like that. Rather than stubbornly insisting on separately descending near the company since the morning, or having to answer whether he’s there or not when other employees ask about his presence, even if it’s just words, it seemed much more confident and appealing on their part.
While Supervisor Kim, who was next in line at the counter, was standing, Deputy Park and I avoided the crowd and went out first. As we descended the stairs and opened the door, the heat felt suffocating. It was the time when the sun was at its highest. Even standing under the narrow awning at the entrance made me feel like my body would turn red.
“Should we hail a taxi?”
Deputy Park, unusually weak in the heat, muttered, looking out at the scorching road ahead.
“…I don’t think we’ll find one here.”
Looking in that direction, the company building seemed small. It seemed unlikely to find a taxi that could accommodate us.
“Is that so?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
With a lingering face of regret, Deputy Park suddenly glanced up at the stairs where Supervisor Kim would come down.
“Off Vfbvjc.”
“Tfr?”
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“Lbk’r atf mbcreialcu vfqjgawfca atfrf vjsr? Ktfs rjlv atfs’gf ublcu bea obg olfivkbgx klat atflg reqfgnlrbg.”
“Ct… atf kbgx lr lcafgfralcu, jcv jii atf afjw wfwyfgr jgf clmf. Ktf afjw ifjvfg lr gfjiis ugfja abb…”
“That’s good to hear. I thought about you going there after TF and worrying if Lee Seodan would be bullied there, but it seems not.”
“Yes, nothing like that…”
“Han Team Leader said not to worry about strange things. Because he’s not the type to know everything about the subordinates.”
I paused, diverting my gaze, blurred by the heat, towards Deputy Park.
“Did you ask the team leader?”
“Oh, I just asked if Lee Seodan was adapting well there… and the team leader said everyone is overly caring towards Lee Seodan. So I’m relieved. Do you feel uncomfortable? Was it unnecessary fuss?”
“No, thank you for your concern.”
“It’s not thanks…”
Deputy Park awkwardly scratched his sweaty collarbone.
“But still, Lee Seodan was briefly supervised. Anyway, it’s fortunate that you’re settled in well.”
“Yes. He I haven’t been able to help much yet, but…”
“Oh, Lee Seodan seems happy. Talented, diligent, quick learner, bold… there were a lot of praises.”
“Who said that?”
“Hm? Han Team Leader did.”
Seeing my puzzled expression, Deputy Park blinked.
“Wasn’t he trying to cheer you up?”
“…Han Team Leader? Oh, me? That’s unlikely. I just relayed what I heard, but there were other things too…”
“What did you hear?”
Supervisor Kim, who had suddenly emerged from the door, asked. Deputy Park, conceding the shade under the awning to Supervisor Kim, replied.
“Lee Seodan is adapting well in the consulting department and enjoying working at the company.”
“Yeah, he looks good.”
Supervisor Kim chimed in, patting my face up and down. I tried my best to make my flushed face look like it was due to the sunlight.
“Was it tough during TF? Considering how much more stable you look now, maybe the consulting department suits you.”
“No, I enjoyed TF too.”
“These days you smile a lot and eat well. Your personality seems much brighter. Is it because of Lee Seodan’s supervision? Is that the difference?”
“…I didn’t take good care of Lee Seodan back then.”
“No, it’s not like that-.”
“Now, it’s widely known that Lee Seodan’s supervisor is taking care of him openly. Because she treats him so sincerely, Lee Seodan opened up.”
Even though Deputy Park looked genuinely slightly disheartened, Supervisor Kim’s words were relentless. It was hard to tell whether their relationship was good or bad.
Watching the two continue walking ahead while chatting, I paused for a moment on the narrow sidewalk. The noon sunlight beating down from above felt scorching, as if it would burn. Beyond the heat rising from the asphalt, I could see the small, illusion-like company building in the distance.
***
It was a Thursday, uncomfortable both physically and mentally due to the hot weather and the high discomfort index. My supervisor, Supervisor Kim, and I arrived at the office to attend a morning meeting after several days of fieldwork.
After the meeting, I found myself sitting in my seat, where I could see the partition of Han Team Leader. The supervisor next to me meticulously wiped the desk, which had accumulated dust over the past few days, using a small trash can and wet wipes placed on the palm of her hand. As I glanced at her, she slid the pack of wet wipes towards me.
“Oh, thank you.”
I had only looked because the trash can looked cute. I took out a wet wipe and roughly wiped the corners of the desk where dust had gathered. I quickly wiped the bookends, two rabbit decorations, a round cactus growing in a pot, and the tumbler and mini fan. There didn’t seem to be much dust.
“We’re planning to leave in the afternoon, can we finish everything by then?”
Supervisor Kim said, offering the open trash can. I nodded.
“Then just resolve what you mentioned yesterday and send it to me via email.”
“Okay.”
“And also, since I sent that to the team leader yesterday, make the changes if he gives any feedback.”
Just then, my phone lying upside down on the desk, vibrated slightly. Lately, I had developed the ability to distinguish messages from Han Team Leader among similar vibrations. It was a kind of intuition that made my lower abdomen flutter and the hairs on my body stand on end.
After my supervisor thoroughly wiped the desk with a wet wipe, she started working, and I cautiously picked up the phone.
Once again, I was right. The name saved as “[Han Juwon Team Leader]” appeared on the screen.
I glanced briefly at his partition and then opened the messaging app. Two words in a neat font similar to his handwriting were displayed on the screen.
「Lunch today?」
I quickly moved the computer mouse and checked the mailbox where the email sent by my supervisor had arrived. After opening the attachment, it seemed like we could finish everything before lunchtime.
Although my response was only a few minutes late, there was another message from him.
「Lee Seodan.」
A period was placed after my name.
By now, he would probably be looking at the phone screen with his usual expressionless face under his neatly parted bangs. With my right hand pretending to work the mouse, I tapped on the phone screen with my left index finger, letter by letter.
「Hehe」
「Okay」
As soon as I sent them, the indication that he had read them appeared. Feeling somewhat unsatisfied with the short conversation, I scrolled up and down the conversation window. I remembered Deputy Park taunting Supervisor Kim about showing signs of office romance. If someone was watching our department right now, they might be able to see the entire conversation on my face.
As that conversation from that day came to mind, I naturally remembered other things Supervisor Kim had said about Han Team Leader. I stared blankly at the flashing cursor on the white screen of the document.
Time seemed to pass particularly slowly as I checked the clock every few minutes while working. When I was almost done with my work, a pop-up window from the company messenger blinked in the corner of the screen. Supervisor Kim’s name was displayed.
「Lee Seodan!! Would you like to grab a coffee for a moment?」
Underneath, an emoticon was cheerfully dancing. I checked the remaining workload for a moment and typed on the keyboard.
「Shall we meet in about ten minutes?」
「Okay!!」
The reply came immediately. I quickly finished the email and uploaded the document approved by Han Team Leader to the cloud. It seemed like we could leave for the client’s site right after lunch.
As we entered the usual meeting room, Supervisor Kim was already seated by the window. There were two white paper cups on the table.
“Sorry for being late.”
As I apologized while taking a seat opposite her, Supervisor Kim shook her head while offering me a cup.
“I think I arrived early? I even made coffee for you, Lee Seodan.”
“Oh… Thank you.”
Supervisor Kim’s cup contained milky instant coffee, while mine had syrup-infused freshly brewed coffee. After a few sips, I could discern my preference. As I took a sip, a pleasant balance of bitterness and sweetness coated my tongue.
“Is everything alright?”
After some light chatter, I asked during a lull in conversation. Unconsciously, my eyes drifted towards Supervisor Kim’s left hand.
Since last week’s lunch, it seemed Supervisor Kim had decided to utilize me as a relationship advisor. A few days ago, out of the blue, I received a messenger status message screenshot with the question, “Lee Seodan, what does this mean?” I felt a bit awkward since I wasn’t exactly the most suitable person to represent the universal psyche of a man in a relationship, but I responded diligently, feeling like I was a hundred times better than Deputy Park.
Supervisor Kim hesitated for a moment, then rummaged through the bag she had placed beside her.
“I got this for you, while you’re at the company.”
With a rustle, a neatly packaged bag with a few bread rolls and a glass bottle was placed on the table. Supervisor Kim arranged the bread neatly and explained,
“These three are butter scones. They taste good with jam or just on their own. The rest are cheese scones, best when heated.”
“Are you giving all of these to me?”
“I have plenty at home, been baking continuously. If you’re not going to eat them right away, freeze them when you get home. They’ll still taste good after thawing later.”
Smiling, Supervisor Kim pushed a sturdy paper bag with ribbon handles towards me.
“Since I only distributed them within our team, take them without being noticed by others.”
“I’ll enjoy them. Thank you.”
I thanked her sincerely. Supervisor Kim tapped the packaged glass bottle and said,
“And this is orange marmalade. It tastes great with water or sparkling water.”
“…Can you make this at home?”
I could see neatly cut fruit pieces inside the bottle. It reminded me of the ginseng-infused liquor found in old countryside restaurants.
Supervisor Kim shrugged, smiling,
“It’s easy. Try it, and if you like it, I’ll give you more later. It’s also good to heat it in tea during winter.”
“Thank you.”
I placed the glass bottle at the bottom of the paper bag and stacked the scones on top. The bag wouldn’t close properly due to its overflowing contents. I felt like I needed to cover it up somehow to avoid being noticed by my colleagues. Leaning the bag against the chair back, I pondered for a moment before speaking.
“When you have time… let me treat you to an expensive meal.”
“Huh? Why all of a sudden?”
“I feel bad just receiving what you made every time.”
“Don’t feel bad. I enjoy making them, and I bring them to the office anyway.”
Supervisor Kim chuckled before suddenly saying,
“How about today? I’m planning to have lunch with the team. If you don’t have any plans, let’s go out together. It’s lunchtime anyway.”
“Oh…”
I glanced at the wall clock in the meeting room. Come to think of it, my colleagues would be heading down to the cafeteria one by one or going to nearby restaurants or ordering takeout lunches.
Thinking of Han Team Leader, I felt anxious. By now, he might be looking for me. I flipped over my phone, but the screen was clean.
Although Supervisor Kim said she brought them to the office and shared them, judging by the last time she brought cookies, it seemed like other team members received only one or two. In the bag I received separately, there were ten of each type. Supervisor Kim suggesting lunch today seemed like she had something to consult or ask about. After hesitating for a moment, I spoke up.
“I do have something I’d like to ask, so I’d like to treat you to lunch, but today…”
“Lee Seodan.”
It was a voice from behind. Following Supervisor Kim’s gaze, I quickly turned my head.
Standing at the threshold of the meeting room was Han Team Leader, wearing a coat over one arm. His cold face bore the expressionless demeanor of a superior.
“You’ve been chitchatting during work hours, haven’t you?”
“Team Leader…”
“Come out. I have a brief errand to run, and I need someone to do it.”
I stood up promptly, holding the paper bag and phone. Supervisor Kim, belatedly protesting, spoke up.
“What about Lee Seodan’s lunch? It’s lunchtime, and if he doesn’t eat-”
“We’ll fill in lunchtime later when there’s time. What does it have to do with you, Supervisor Kim, whether my team members work while they’re hungry or not?”
“Well, still…”
As I was dragged out of the meeting room, still seated, I mouthed “Sorry!” to Supervisor Kim. She looked at Han Team Leader, who was moving away, with a displeased expression, but when our eyes met, her expression softened with sympathy.
Han Team Leader released my arm as we rounded the corner of the corridor. The firm warmth that could even be felt through his shirt disappeared, making my arm feel cold. I caught my breath and asked him as we walked.
“Where are we going?”
I wondered if there was a problem with the project. He turned to me with a perfectly normal face and replied.
“To eat something delicious.”
“Oh.”
He had suddenly returned to the familiar face I knew so well. The hint of a mischievous smile lingered on his lips. Unconsciously, I found myself smiling along.
“You might get a reputation as a tyrant boss.”
“The rumors have already spread.”
He shrugged it off. It was true. I had already heard various rumors about him before meeting him. While Han Team Leader was indeed a reasonable person who provided ample time for lunch, his tone sometimes sounded chilly, leading to misunderstandings.
My phone vibrated in my hand. It was Supervisor Kim.
[Lee Seodan ㅠㅠㅠㅠSob Sob But still, make time to eat something!!]
[Han Team Leader is really too much ㅠㅠ No, people should eat and work]
[I’ll sue the labor department]
Han Team Leader held the elevator door for me to step out. Feeling guilty about leaving Supervisor Kim behind and going to eat something delicious with my boss alone, I felt a twinge in my ribs. As the elevator descended to the parking lot, I leaned against the wall and sent a reply.
[I’m sorry for going out suddenly 🙁 🙁 I’ll really enjoy the scones and orange marmalade. I’ll let you know how they taste after eating!]
[And later, I’ll definitely treat you to lunch. Whatever you want to eat.]
[Enjoy your lunch!]
I opened the set of emojis my supervisor had gifted me and carefully selected the appropriate ones. Meanwhile, the elevator signal sounded. When I looked up, Han Team Leader was staring at me.
“You’re smiling again.”
“….”
“You thought you were going to work, but it seems not. Are you okay with that?”
The air in the parking lot was stifling. Although Han Team Leader’s face seemed expressionless at first glance, upon closer inspection, there was a slight curve to his eyes. I felt my gaze drawn away as I answered.
“It’s been a long time since I had lunch with the team leader….”
Past that column, his car would be there, with the passenger seat adjusted for me. Although I felt sorry for Supervisor Kim and the team members who were probably eating tasteless food in the cafeteria by now, I couldn’t help but feel excited. It wasn’t the first time I had snuck out with him during the day to have lunch together. It felt like taking honey out of a hidden jar and eating it.
Even as we got into the car, my excited feeling didn’t subside. As he entered the destination into the navigation, I leaned over to look at the screen. Thud, my ear bumped against his shoulder. Through the fabric of his shirt, I could feel his warmth.
“Where are we going to eat?”
“…Somewhere Lee Seodan would like.”
I feel like TF already know about Juwon and Seodan’s relationship or if not they , might have suspicions lol
I’m vibing their relationship ❤🤗