Not as a man, but as a respect
04. Disinfection
Produced by. PD
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It's been two months since the heroine realized her own feelings. She occasionally offers coffee tributes, wears new clothes with a similar style, and even sprays perfume. At the age of 27, she's experiencing a crush she never experienced before, even as a student.
“Secretary Kim. You’ve been acting strange lately.”
“Huh? Why me?”
“Your lip color has changed, you’re wearing perfume, and you recently bought clothes… Could it be Secretary Kim…!”
“You like someone? Right! Is that so?”
"What kind of person do I like...? And where would I have time for dating..."
“Hey~ Who is it? Huh? Who is it~”
“Okay. Just give me the documents I gave you yesterday.”
“Secretary Kim, you’re really boring.”
Although the heroine is internally flustered by the quick-witted Yuna, she never shows it on the outside. Yuna grumbles as she hands over the documents she finished yesterday, and the heroine accepts them with a slight smile.
“Yuna, if I told you that I really liked someone, would you support me?”
“Of course!! You said you’ve never been in a relationship while you were here.”
"I'd be grateful if you'd cheer me on... Yuna, please come to the 4 o'clock meeting today. There's an exhibition tomorrow, so I'll go for a final inspection and then stop by the managing director's home before I go."
“Yes. Good work! Good luck with your unrequited love!”
“Oh my gosh… thank you so much.”
Beep-
The bell on the desk rings. The source is the executive office.
“Yes, sir.”
“Secretary Kim, please come in.”
"yes.
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“Sit in front.”
Slow motion is visible to Yeoju. She takes two deep breaths and sits down in front of Seok. Yeoju, unable to look him in the eye, stares intently at the documents.
“What’s wrong with the paperwork?”
“No. It’s not like that.”
“I called to ask about the exhibition schedule today.”
"Ah... yes. I'll explain. Today, right after dinner, we'll have the final check-up day for the Dawn Flower Exhibition. You can tour the exhibition with the executives and let me know if anything is lacking. We have models ready, so you can check out the runway too."
When it came to briefings, Yeo-ju handled them flawlessly, as if she'd never been nervous. No wonder she was called a workaholic. Seok nodded as if he understood, then chuckled.
“This is why I work with Secretary Kim.”
"yes?"
“Should I say that even if something seems strange, if you just work at it, you become a different person?”
"thank you."
“Let’s eat together again today. There’s no one else to eat with.”
“Yes. I’ll make a reservation at the Korean restaurant you go to every day.”
"is it so."
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After dinner, I headed to the exhibition hall with the executives. The other executives, seeing this exhibition for the first time, were excited and constantly questioning Seok's qualifications. It was understandable, as many of Seok's cousins were among the executives. But Seok didn't care. He decided to focus solely on the exhibition.
“These clothes…”
Seok and Yeoju continued to talk to each other, creating perfection in front of a curator who explained and introduced the clothes.
"Secretary Kim. The outfit right next to the entrance isn't particularly noticeable, and I doubt anyone would even notice it. Please adjust its location again."
“Yes, sir.”
After the curator's explanation, as they moved on to the next costume, one of the executives spoke to Seok.
"Sir, this exhibition seems quite unique. I don't think you've ever pursued this style before, yet you're decorating it with costumes."
"Newness always attracts attention, and it leads to innovation and progress. I simply pursued newness for my calligraphy and painting."
“While newness can bring innovation and progress, it can also create a sense of alienation in the image of calligraphy and painting.”
It was a harsh statement. It was enough to scratch Seok's head. It was a statement that cast doubt on his career.
“It feels out of place because it doesn’t fit the image of calligraphy and painting.”
“If that’s really your concern, don’t be so worried.”
“I will succeed perfectly, just like I always have.”
“Secretary Kim, let’s go.”
“Yes, sir.”
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The runway, the exhibition's greatest innovation and challenge, has begun. Models strode forward wearing garments that blend the beauty of hanbok with the designers' unique aesthetic.
Some executives tilted their heads, others looked at me with interest, and some laughed and said, "As expected."
“Let’s take that light out there. It’s distracting from the costumes.”
The scene was filled with music, flashing lights, and the sound of voices being muffled as they walked. Seok approached Yeo-ju and whispered in her ear, offering his opinion.
‘Too close..’
“Secretary Kim?”
“I’m sorry. I was too focused… I’ll relay it.”
‘Concentration is a piece of crap.. Manager.. You changed your perfume.. The scent
good night..'
As soon as she thought of that, the heroine suddenly jumped in surprise and slapped her cheek as if she were slapping herself. Seok, startled by this sight, opened his eyes wide and grabbed her hand, staring intently at her.
The female protagonist's face grew hot, but it couldn't be seen because of the lighting.
“Don’t do it.”
"..yes.."
After the model in the final outfit finished her walk, the designer came out to greet her. Everyone welcomed her with applause and expressed their gratitude.
So the final rehearsal ended.
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“What’s next on the agenda?”
“There’s nothing scheduled. The boss just wants to have dinner.”
“Father..?”
“Yes. Please come to my hometown.”
“Sigh… I guess I should go.”
"yes.."
“Let’s go..”
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Crack-!
“…”
“I told you to just prepare for the exhibition... What..?! Prepare for a press conference?!”
As soon as he entered the house, Seok's head snapped back. He had no time to pay attention to his cold cheeks, and the press conference he had been secretly preparing with a close reporter, unbeknownst to Secretary Kim, was canceled. That press conference was crucial to Seok. He needed to protect his career.Can protect yourself.
“Did you attach someone?”
"Is that the problem now?! A press conference to call me crazy... Since when? Since when?"
"It's important to me. Did you hire someone? No, since when did you hire someone?"
“This kid..!!”
Seok-ui had to turn his head again. His mouth tasted bitterly of blood. It felt as if the inside of his mouth had burst.
Seok didn't mind being slapped. What was devastating was the news that the press conference had been canceled.
The press conference was intended to block a "marriage of convenience" proposed by Seok's father. The media, apparently unleashed by a cabal, was flooded with articles linking him to S, the granddaughter of the chairman of Group A. The purpose of the conference was to deny this and prove that there was no such connection. But where did the clues come from?
"Press conference? There won't be anything like that. We'll just stay quiet, get married for three years, and then get divorced. Got it?!"
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“Secretary Kim. Could you please have the car wait?”
“Secretary Yang just went to the hospital... I“I’ll be there. It’s nearby, so it’ll only take five minutes. Please wait a moment.”
“It’s… over..”
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“Sir... your face..”
"It's okay. Let's go. There are still documents to be confirmed."
"No, you can't. You should go to the hospital first. Go there and get disinfected."
“Is this a hospital? It’s okay.”
“No, sir. The exhibition is the day after tomorrow. You should go to the hospital first. Seriously.”oh my god.."
“It’s really okay.”
"Let's go. At least disinfect it. I can't compromise on this. I'm here to help. I can't."
But how could they possibly defeat their boss? The two eventually headed to the office. Seok sat at his desk, catching up on his pending work, while Yeoju cautiously opened the door and entered. In her hand was a small bag containing her over-the-counter medications.
“What’s going on?”
"It's disinfection. You don't have to go to the hospital, so just disinfect it. What are you going to do if it gets scarred?"
“I told you it’s okay.”
“I’m not okay… Please sit down quickly.”
As if he had no choice, as if he had lost, Seok walked over and sat down next to Yeoju. He slowly watched Yeoju, who was tearing off the disinfectant cotton pad with intense concentration.
“Secretary Kim, do you know how to do that?”
"Yes. My younger brother has been injured a lot, so he's been able to do things like this since he was little. Please do it with his face this way."
I was a little startled and my heart raced as I saw the stone sticking out my face, but I quickly put cotton to my mouth, thinking I had to disinfect it.
“It’s hot. A little too much.”
"ah."
“Please be patient.”
“It hurts.”
“Don’t say it.. it’ll just tear me apart more.”
“Secretary Kim. Are you still blushing?”
“Ha, if you say that one more time, I’ll press hard.”
Seok chuckled at the cute threat and remained still. After finishing the disinfection, he fanned the area with his hand a few times and gently applied the medicine with a cotton swab.
‘I can only see your lips.. sigh.. please save me..’
“Is it okay?”
“…”
“Secretary Kim?”
"Yes, yes... I'm done. Go home today and make sure to get an ice pack. I heard a lot of reporters are coming tomorrow... If you have a wound that's obvious to anyone, there'll be a ton of weird articles..."
“Okay. I’ll leave work first.”
“See you tomorrow.”
The heroine leaves the office and heads to her desk. She opens the second drawer, takes out a piece of paper, and clutches it tightly in both hands.
“Secretary Kim..?”
“Ahhh..!! Huh.. Miss Yuna.. I surprised you..”
“You didn’t get off work..? You left your bag behind..”
The female protagonist is so shocked that goosebumps run down her entire body, and Yuna is holding her bag and smiling awkwardly.
“But in your hand... that..”
"ah.."
“Is this a resignation letter? Secretary Kim quit the company. What happened?
“No, what..”
“I didn’t know Secretary Kim would quit..”
“I might not stop... Really... I hope so..”
‘I really hope so..’
[warning]
“Sir, this is my resignation letter.”
“A letter of resignation..?”
“Thank you for everything.”
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“You can’t run away. I’ll be waiting.”
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“Grandpa, what should I do?”
"If someone is holding back talent in our company, we should let them go. Isn't that the attitude of a true owner?"
- Special privilege from author Han Ami -
Thank you🙏 It's really pretty..
I will work hard and make the series fun♥️
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I hope my ranking doesn't drop tomorrow..😭
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