Deal Breaker - Chapter 43
As soon as she finished the phone call, Hyeji picked up her scheduler and a pen, then knocked on the Director’s office door. Kanghyeon was flipping through the mail Hyeji had placed on his desk, his PC already on.
“I’ll brief you on today’s schedule. This morning at 10, you have a meeting with Team Leader Seo from the Finance Team. He’s already sent you the materials by email. And for lunch, there’s the 91st Class alumni gathering from the training institute at Cloud Nine in Hannam-dong.”
“No word on it being canceled?”
“Nothing so far.”
Hyeji glanced at Kanghyeon’s indifferent face as he clicked the mouse and added,
“The chances of it being canceled are low.”
It wasn’t a meeting of just one or two friends. There was no way a gathering of over ten people would be canceled last minute.
“In this day and age, invitations should be sent by mobile. It’s a waste of time and terrible for the environment.”
Kanghyeon muttered disapprovingly. He was always finding excuses to skip the quarterly gatherings, but this time, it seemed he had no choice but to attend since it was for a friend’s upcoming wedding.
“And this afternoon?”
“There’s nothing scheduled until four p.m., but I’ll call you around one.”
Sensing his intentions, Hyeji answered accordingly, and Kanghyeon rested his chin on his hand, smiling at her with satisfied eyes. By setting up a fake engagement for just after lunch, she was helping him slip away early, knowing his friends would likely hold him hostage all afternoon.
“You’re so pretty I almost asked you to marry me.”
“I’ll remind you again that a marriage proposal would violate the contract.”
Kanghyeon’s brand of flattery and Hyeji’s deadpan responses had long since become part of their daily banter.
“At four this afternoon, there’s a teleconference with the Central HQ and the MENA Crisis Response Team. The materials are already downloaded into the appropriate folder on your tablet.”
After reviewing the day’s schedule, she reported on the progress of ongoing matters: where they were expecting responses by the end of the day, and which requests they had already answered. She then relayed new inquiries.
“The Taesan Elementary Alumni Association is asking if you’d be able to attend their general meeting.”
Kanghyeon’s neatly composed face twisted. Back when he had followed his diplomat father overseas, Taesan Elementary was a school he had attended for only half a year before graduating. Despite that, they still contacted him frequently, as if being wealthy made him an automatic classmate.
“I told them you’re unfortunately busy that day and that we’d send flowers instead.”
At Hyeji’s ironed-flat response, Kanghyeon’s face brightened. His secretary was skilled at filtering out unnecessary favors or invitations. Of course, during her first six months on the job, she had struggled to determine what was worth his attention, but once she got the hang of things, her only real slip-up was forwarding a call from a high school classmate who had claimed to be his ex-girlfriend.
“And Attorney Kim from Cheongsol?”
“He’ll have his review ready by next Wednesday…”
Every question Kanghyeon asked was met with Hyeji’s crisp, immediate answers. Even an AI wouldn’t be this fast and precise.
“Well then, our S-Class secretary can be dismissed.”
“Yes.”
Hyeji accepted the praise of ‘S-Class secretary’ without blushing.
S-Class as a Guide, S-Class as a secretary.
That was her favorite kind of compliment. Truthfully, she preferred being recognized for her secretarial skills far more than being thanked for guiding. Guiding was a gift she had been born with, and excelling at it brought no sense of accomplishment. What truly brought her joy was being acknowledged for the skills she had developed through her own hard work.
And, naturally, it was more satisfying to please her demanding boss than any Esper, no matter how talented.
“Oh, Secretary Noh.”
Just as she was turning to leave, Kanghyeon called out.
“If the meeting runs long this afternoon, leave work on time.”
“Yes, sir.”
She had become so accustomed to this instruction that she no longer hesitated to respond.
A secretary leaving before her boss, well. This was unheard of for others in her position. Due to the nature of their work, executives’ assistants had schedules that fluctuated with those of the executives they supported. When workload was heavy, even Hyeji’s predecessor, Secretary Yoon, had been forced to work late into the night.
But Noh Hyeji? Kanghyeon simply couldn’t make her work overtime.
He’d heard it from the security team: every morning, Hyeji’s grandmother sent her off with a warm farewell, urging her to come home early for dinner. A lonely grandmother waiting at home with a hot meal for her only family member. How could he keep her late at the office after hearing that?
‘But then, why doesn’t she ever give me the snacks her grandmother makes?’
Because he had no interest in snacks, and receiving something out of politeness only felt burdensome. Ever perceptive, Hyeji knew this well and refrained from offering them.
‘I like how quick she is to catch on.’
But the look in Kanghyeon’s eyes, staring at the firmly closed office door with his chin propped on his hand, was far from satisfied.
