Born to Be a Secretary

Heewon looked up, bewildered by what was happening. The moment he saw Executive Director Kwon standing right above him, he couldn’t help but doubt his eyes for a moment.

“Executive Director?”
“Are you out of your mind?”
Kwon swallowed the rising anger with difficulty.

He had ordered the car to stop because he saw a familiar face through the window. Seeing Kim Heewon joking and laughing with a man, a wave of disgust welled up inside him. His hand unconsciously unfastened the seatbelt, and before he knew it, he had barged into this place.
His sharp eyes swept over Heewon and those around him. There were more than five bottles of soju on the table. Drinking that much late at night on the street was bad enough—but worse was the fact that Heewon was dripping pheromones all over.
How could someone be so defenseless? Did he have no sense of danger? Did he still not realize he was an Omega?

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?”
Heewon’s face showed clear disbelief. Meanwhile, he reined in his pheromones. His mind was clear.
“Because I didn’t know….”

Kwon stopped speaking and bit down hard on his molars. His chest rose and fell heavily with pent-up rage.
He had been plagued all day by attention toward Kim Heewon—mostly shallow, disgusting, and insulting remarks. Simply because he was an Omega, Kim Heewon had become the subject of vicious gossip, completely dissected and consumed as mere entertainment.
But the person in front of him was no different from the rumors. The carefree attitude was hard to believe was the same Secretary Kim he knew.

Seeing him scatter pheromones recklessly with his own eyes made his disappointment multiply. Was this the kind of person he had struggled so hard to keep close?
Yet his hand still gripped Heewon’s collar. Through the stretched-out shirt, his pale neck was exposed. Kwon stared piercingly at the hollow part over the collarbone. A strange urge surged to tear off the thin skin covering that spot.
When Kwon loosened his grip, Heewon finally pulled back. The stretched shirt wasn’t the problem—it was Kwon’s cold gaze that made Heewon even more uncomfortable. Goosebumps rose, and he covered his neck. The skin beneath Kwon’s palm felt strangely hot.

“I honestly don’t understand why you’re so angry.”
“……”
“Don’t tell me it’s because I’m drinking outside? Worried about maintaining dignity or something?”

It wasn’t some sketchy bar—it was just in front of a convenience store. Besides, Heewon was a resident here. The neighborhood had only one convenience store, so running into someone here was inevitable.
Did he expect to meet Kwon here? The fact that Kwon appeared at the convenience store, where he never went, was equally surprising for both.
As Heewon spoke clearly, Kwon bit his lip silently. His unblinking eyes made the tension feel even heavier. Im Jaekyu, sensing the moment, awkwardly stood up to lighten the mood.
“Hello, Executive Director Kwon. I’m Team Leader Im Jaekyu from Labor Relations. I joined the company the same day as Kim ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Heewon, and we’re taking this rare chance to have a drink…”

“Sit down. This isn’t your place, Team Leader Im.”
Without turning his gaze, Kwon said firmly. His clear voice stabbed like a knife.
“Yes, sir.”

Im Jaekyu immediately sat down. In the quiet, the sound of dragging a chair was pitifully loud.
Wow, my palms are tingling just from trying to speak a bit. How did Kim Heewon put up with that guy? Now his colleague’s efforts looked even greater.
Im Jaekyu chose to quietly watch the confrontation up close. Both Kwon and Heewon had eyes showing zero concession. The tense atmosphere was like a drawn bowstring.

Kwon spoke first. His cold gaze was severe, but his lips curved into an enticing line.
“There’s a limit to how much you can annoy someone. If you’re going to throw a drinking party, do it where no one can see.”
“Executive Director.”

“If you’re going to drip those disgusting pheromones, don’t do it where I can see.”
“Hey, Kwon Youngje!”
Heewon, unable to bear it, stood abruptly. The plastic chair toppled backward, and Im Jaekyu quickly reached out to steady it. His eyes were wide with shock.

It was rare for Heewon to lose his temper—and Kwon had managed it.
Swallowing his frustration, Heewon stepped forward, his breath ragged.
“Don’t speak carelessly. What right do you have to treat me this way?”

His anger flared, fueled also by the alcohol. He swept his bangs away irritably and glared directly at Kwon.
“Do you still think I’m your secretary? I quit that job long ago. You have no right to treat me like this.”
His tone was sharp and decisive. His words flew like arrows, piercing Kwon’s ears.

“What business is it of yours if I throw a drinking party? Is this your store? Do you own it?”
“Kwon Youngje?”
“No… Ha, Youngje. Honestly, we’re the same age. How long do you expect me to serve you? And please, grow up.”

Heewon blurted out words he shouldn’t have. “Youngje,” that crazy bastard! Must be drunk. Im Jaekyu covered his mouth, silently screaming.
“Are you crazy?”
Kwon voiced what Im Jaekyu thought silently. Even he saw Heewon’s behavior as abnormal.

Heewon scoffed openly. The water was spilled and couldn’t be gathered again, so he might as well say what he felt.
“Yeah, I’m on the brink of madness. Why are you such a mess? What crime did being an Omega commit? It’s natural to release some pheromones, but you can’t stand it and grab people like vermin? Huh?!”
“Go on.”

Kwon crossed his arms firmly. Just one sentence chilled the atmosphere.
“What, gonna glare at me? You think being tall means anything? You think I’ll be scared if you look down on me like that?”
“……”

“Cut it out. You’re over thirty, learn to compromise. How long will you live just doing whatever the hell you want? If you don’t find a secretary, who loses—me or you? Keep being picky and see who suffers.”
“Done?”
“Not yet! Stop cutting people off so easily.”

Im Jaekyu silently made the sign of the cross. “Lord, today one more lamb will be taken to your side. Please watch over this drunkard.”
Heewon rubbed his face like washing it. He’d shouted so much his head was spinning. Should drink slowly. Probably drank that soju too fast earlier.
Exhaling, he pushed back his messy hair. But he still had to say what needed to be said.

“No matter how handsome or rich you are, what good is it if your personality’s rotten? Kwon Youngje, listen carefully. If you dare try to control me again…”
“What will you do?”
“…Hoo, you’re not really like this. I don’t expect you to understand, but at least don’t torment me. It’s over long ago, so why do you lose your mind every time you see me? But wait… Kwon Youngje, are you spilling pheromones right now?”

Heewon stopped pointing and blinked. A gentle scent flowed from Kwon. The same bergamot scent, but not as cold as last time—it felt like being wrapped in a warm cotton blanket.
His eyes fluttered shut for a moment. The soothing pheromones made Heewon collapse as if his fuse had blown. He was defenseless against the Alpha pheromones and had crossed his limit of intoxication.
Kwon lightly lifted the sleeping Heewon. Unconsciously, Heewon was releasing pheromones as well. As emotions intensified, the Omega pheromones surged with them. It was better to put him to sleep to stop it. So Kwon raised Heewon’s body temperature using his own pheromones.

The drunk was heavy. Kwon was surprised by the weight and struggled, trying hard to keep his expression controlled as he adjusted Heewon on his shoulder. One slipper that had been precariously hanging on Heewon’s foot finally fell off.
Im Jaekyu carefully picked it up. What the hell was going on? They’d been chatting fine, so why did Heewon suddenly fall asleep? And what was all this about pheromones?
Beta Im Jaekyu hugged the slipper and looked up at Kwon expectantly. He seemed to want an explanation, but Kwon had no intention of giving one. In a dry tone, as if giving orders to a subordinate, he said,

“I know Secretary Kim’s house. I’ll take responsibility for getting him there. You handle cleaning up here.”
“Yes. I’ll take care of this. Don’t worry.”
Im Jaekyu smiled trustingly, but Kwon didn’t even smirk. He just nodded vaguely and turned away.

Im Jaekyu sank back into his chair and watched as Kwon disappeared. A long sigh escaped him, followed by a laugh of disbelief. Then he drained the remaining soju.
“Feels like I just witnessed a couple’s fight.”
A wife who left and the husband who came looking for her. That was exactly the feeling. Looking back, the conversation had been nothing but insults and blame.

Im Jaekyu resolved to keep today’s events a secret. He had to be careful himself, after all.
If Heewon ever asked, he’d tell him: Yeah, you went toe-to-toe with Executive Director Kwon.