Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 61

In a way, the expression “pathetic” might be more fitting. I, originally, was dressed in an even more shabby way than Baek Sieon. A bulky, puffy jacket that seemed to have never been in fashion even once, and a turtleneck sweater that came up to my neck. Even though it was supposed to keep me warm, it looked inadequate in that respect as well. To top it off, I wore sneakers so thin they seemed to belong to summer, completely failing to cover my white ankles.

However, none of that seemed to matter at all. That face. The face that looked like a flower bud blooming through the white snow of winter hid all his flaws. Even his expression, which was twisted into a sad grimace, was enough to invoke sympathy from anyone who saw him.

“Ah, I’m sorry...! I’m bleeding...”

If I didn’t know Choi Hyunjin outside of the drama, I might have felt that way too. In reality, he was somewhat... no, his personality wasn’t great. But in the world of Gwanggong, this image suited him. He was the embodiment of a pure soul with no malice, that’s Choi Hyunjin.

Even now, with his black eyes brimming with tears, holding my hand with both of his, I felt like they were on the verge of falling down if he were nudged even a little. It was easy to tell that this wasn’t acting, but sincere emotion.

“It’s okay...”

“Ah!”

Just as I was about to say that it was okay...

“Let go.”

A large hand was placed on top of Choi Hyunjin’s head, who was crouching in front of me.

“Let go, I said.” frёewebηovel.cѳm

Choi Hyunjin’s face turned bright red, and I could see the tears that had gathered in his large eyes ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) finally start to fall. It looked like Yoon Taeo had applied force to the hand that was gripping his head. Not knowing his personality, I brushed Choi Hyunjin’s frozen hand away, afraid that he might end up with his head smashed the moment the Beta protagonist appeared.

“Representative...! Th-this person...”

I quickly stood up and grabbed Yoon Taeo’s arm, but my mouth closed shut. I didn’t know how to introduce Choi Hyunjin. I couldn’t just say, “He’s your future lover.” Well, anyway, why were they meeting so quickly? Originally, they were supposed to meet much later after Yoon Taeo arrived in Jeju...

“I’m sorry. I feel like I need to compensate...”

Choi Hyunjin, who stood up after me, kept bowing deeply and apologizing. Anyone might think I had almost died in an accident because of him. The excessively repeated apologies were almost embarrassing now.

“How.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve already injured someone due to your carelessness. How are you going to compensate for that? And doing it while crying like that... doesn’t it make your sincerity suspicious?”

I was wondering if it could have just been a minor contact accident... Why was he making it so serious? The moment we met, I was supposed to be engulfed by background music and see hearts floating from Yoon Taeo’s eyes, but instead, biting criticism poured out of his mouth, sending a chill down my spine. Choi Hyunjin, seemingly taken aback by Yoon Taeo’s harsh attitude, stopped crying and blankly looked back and forth between Yoon Taeo and me.

“So just go on your way. Don’t bother apologizing if it’s not going to work.”

After finishing what he had to say, Yoon Taeo pushed me into the passenger seat of the car. It felt a bit like he was tossing me in there, but maybe that was just my imagination.

“Excuse me.”

As the car door was about to close, Choi Hyunjin spoke up, gently grabbing the sleeve of Yoon Taeo.

“The one who should apologize is him, you know? I mean, there’s no reason to say such things to you...”

...Not bad, after all...? Or maybe it’s just the protagonist buff. He’s actually saying all this to Yoon Taeo without hesitation. It’s not like he’s totally calm, but he seems to have the personality to speak his mind.

Yoon Taeo brushed off Choi Hyunjin’s hand with a small gesture as if something very dirty had touched him. It seemed like Choi Hyunjin wasn’t intending to say anything more as he turned to look at me.

“Are you really okay...? I should at least pay for the treatment...”

“Ah, yes. It’s nothing to worry about.”

The voice of Choi Hyunjin, who bent down to ask, was clearly different from when he spoke to Yoon Taeo. I could tell he meant it, so I had to answer with an awkward smile that it was fine. And most importantly, Choi Hyunjin’s financial situation was probably too bad for him to even think about compensating. No matter how much it was.

“Hyung... It’s cold.”

It seemed that Choi Hyunjin didn’t notice his surroundings at first due to his shock. When I turned to look at his soft voice, there was a little child, with a runny nose, no higher than Choi Hyunjin’s thigh.

“It’s really okay, so you can go. Your younger sibling is waiting too.”

Yeah, Choi Hyunjin perfectly fit the Beta protagonist’s condition to gain Yoon Taeo’s favor. In a way, it feels like they piled all the elements for dramatic plot development into him.

A younger sibling and a father who spends all his money on alcohol. An unfortunate family background is a Beta protagonist cliché, right? That’s when the Alpha protagonist would use their money to save the Beta from such a pit. Choi Hyunjin was the perfect fit to allow Yoon Taeo to flaunt his “cool” side.

“Doing everything...”

Yoon Taeo muttered with a sharp voice as he sat in the driver’s seat. The manager who had come to greet us stood outside, unable to do anything because of Yoon Taeo’s sudden actions. I didn’t expect Yoon Taeo to drive himself.

But... I saw it. Even after the car started, Yoon Taeo’s gaze kept drifting to the rearview mirror. It seemed like he was looking at someone left behind.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Me? No way.”

“You were smiling.”

Even as we entered the city, Yoon Taeo’s demeanor seemed a bit strange. He shook his head, and then let out a sigh-laugh before tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

“Isn’t it a bit funny? He’s saying he’ll compensate. Doesn’t look like someone who could do that. But he still says everything he needs to.”

As expected. I guess Yoon Taeo was thinking about Choi Hyunjin. I couldn’t understand it, but unlike in the original, just his appearance didn’t make hearts sprout from Yoon Taeo’s eyes. But it seemed to have left a strong impression on him. Well... I guess it’s unavoidable. Choi Hyunjin is pretty much Yoon Taeo’s ideal type.

“...Should I look for him?”

“What for?”

“The person from earlier.”

Actually, there wasn’t much to look for. Soon enough, he’d walk into the resort on his own. But why did my palm hurt so much? It was just a light scratch, but it felt like it was burning. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Screech!

With a loud screeching sound, the car jerked to a stop on the shoulder. I turned to look at Yoon Taeo, but he was completely unfazed. He seemed like he was expecting this situation, with his eyebrows raised in a scowl. The smiling face from earlier was nowhere to be seen.

“Why ask that kind of question?”

“Well... I thought you were still thinking about him...? I mean, objectively, he’s quite good-looking. His character doesn’t seem bad either...”

What was this? I quickly started speaking as his attitude had changed suddenly. But why did it feel like his expression got colder every time I spoke? Could it be... again...?

“I really don’t care...”

I added an unnecessary excuse, afraid he might misunderstand that I was trying to get the Beta for myself, but Yoon Taeo’s face didn’t change much.

“Ha...”

He sat there for a long time before starting the car again. Speeding down the open road, he spoke again.

“Yeah. Go ahead, look for him.”

His indifferent words made my palm ache even more.

“Here is the representative’s accommodation.”

“Is this the largest room in our resort?”

“Yes. It’s designed with a Southeast Asian private villa concept, so it’s a standalone house. It’s set far apart from other rooms, and each room has its own access to the beach.”

Honestly, I thought this room would hardly be in demand. It was excessively luxurious. The size was comparable to two regular two-story houses put together, and the interior decoration could be considered top-tier. That said, it was still nothing compared to Yoon Taeo’s home. Internally, it was just for promotional purposes, and hardly anyone would actually stay here.

“How many rooms are there?”

“Five.”

“That’s decent.”

Yoon Taeo opened the balcony window wide. A cold breeze rushed in through the large window. Despite it being winter, the air that had been warmed inside made the sea breeze feel quite refreshing. The thin white curtains danced in the wind, rising and falling in waves. The unusually bright sunlight for a winter day streamed through the balcony window.

Between the breeze and the sunlight, Yoon Taeo stood there.

...Why was he unnecessarily showing off his looks like that? Looking back, his face was truly remarkable. It seemed like he had gathered all the world’s beautiful things and made them into his face. Even now, I felt like I didn’t want to look at that face, though.

“Kim Secretary’s room?”

“My room is in the hotel building.”

“Didn’t you say there were five rooms here?”

“There are many hotel rooms, so I didn’t think it’d be necessary for you to stay here uncomfortably.”

Back in Seoul, my original house was poor... well, somewhat lacking, and since it was so far from Yoon Taeo’s home, living at his house was more convenient. But there was no need to live with him here, right? Especially since Choi Hyunjin might be coming and going daily soon.

“Then, you can rest until dinner. There’s no schedule for now.”

I wanted to rest. I felt unusually tired despite not doing much. Until we arrived in Jeju, my body felt light, but now, that pleasant feeling seemed so distant, like it belonged to a past life. It didn’t make sense, but I felt mentally exhausted.

“Baek Secretary.”

“Yes, Representative.”

Turning around, I had to look at him again at his call.

“I didn’t tell you to leave. Stay quietly.”

“Ah... sorry.”

With one hand in his pocket, Yoon Taeo passed by me. I thought he had something to say, but he grabbed the coat hanging on the hanger, carried it in his hand, and walked out of the living room and out the door.

“...What is this?”

I didn’t understand what was going on. He stopped me from leaving, but then he left on his own. I was about to follow him but stopped. “Stay quietly,” did that mean I was supposed to wait? I had no idea.

I thought about it for a long time. Should I go, or not? Should I call him, or not? But it felt like he had meant for me to wait, so I decided to sit quietly on the couch. After a long while, I finally heard the front door open again.

“Representative, where did you go, suddenly...?”

“Do I have to report everything to my secretary?”

He approached the couch with a slow, casual gait, but something strange was hanging from his finger. He was holding it without much care, almost like trash.

“No, that’s not what I meant... What is that?”

“Sit down.”

How lucky he was. There was nothing that couldn’t be done with power. I had no choice but to sit on the couch as he pulled my arm and made me. He turned his body to face me and sat down. Yoon Taeo started pulling things out of the envelope he was holding with his fingers. Bottles of wound disinfectant, wet bandages, and ointment poured out one by one.

“This is ridiculous. Is it really that painful, this wound that doesn’t even look like one?”

“Huh...?”

“Why have you been acting like that all day?”

What was he talking about?