Impossible Romance - Chapter 27

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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27.

“Come on, don’t do that. If you’re going to keep buying for everyone, just charge it. Use the Executive Director’s card.”
Park Hyun-sik winked with a grin.
“Is that really okay?”
Jun-hee’s eyes widened as she asked.
“If it’s for the Executive Director, it’s fine. Right, Manager?”
“Yes, do that. And since it’s morning, I’m mentioning it now—don’t forget about the company dinner tonight. No running away.”
Hwang Manager spoke while working on his computer. Whether addressing Kwon Seok-ha or his subordinates, he delivered his words with the same emotionless, clipped tone.
“Understood.”
After distributing coffee to all the office staff, Jun-hee picked up the last cup and headed toward the Executive Office.
But Kwon Seok-ha was standing outside—apparently he’d come out at some point.
Seeing him, Jun-hee’s steps faltered. After everything she’d witnessed last night and this morning, just looking at his face made her flush with embarrassment and irritation.
“Executive Director, I brought your coffee.”
Jun-hee extended the cup toward him, her eyes lowered slightly.
“So Ahn Joon-hee bought coffee for everyone in the office?”
He asked quietly, holding the cup in his hand. His deep voice carried a heavier tone than usual, and Jun-hee felt as though she were being scolded.
“I felt awkward buying only yours. I was running a bit late, so….”
Jun-hee glanced around the office staff before looking back at him, her meaning clear—she’d been delayed buying coffee, so how could she have brought only his?
“So you charged my coffee to my card and everyone else’s to your own card?”
Kwon Seok-ha nodded, but his expression was distinctly displeased.
“Yes….”
Jun-hee’s voice grew smaller.
The Secretary’s Office staff seemed to have fallen quiet as well.
“If you do this every morning, it puts me in an awkward position. Do you think I’d give such an order?”
“….”
Jun-hee said nothing, watching his expression carefully. She couldn’t understand why he was upset. One thing was certain—today had been nothing but bewildering moments since morning.
“With that salary, if you buy coffee every day, there won’t be anything left. Know your place and just buy mine. That’s what I’m telling you.”
Finally, Kwon Seok-ha raised one eyebrow and then furrowed his brow. She couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but his emotions appeared genuinely wounded.
“Yes. From now on, I’ll only buy your coffee, Executive Director.”
Jun-hee answered quietly, keeping her pouting lips hidden as she lowered her head.
Kwon Seok-ha glanced at the crown of her head, then headed into the Executive Office with his coffee.
Click.
As the door closed, a collective sigh of relief swept through the Secretary’s Office. The frozen tension melted away so quickly it was almost palpable.
“Phew, since Ahn Joon-hee is the youngest, just take care of the Executive Director. Don’t you dare buy us coffee. Got it?”
Park Hyun-sik dramatically wiped his chest and spoke with a relieved laugh. The implication was that the entire Secretary’s Office had been scolded along with her.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. The Executive Director has a point.”
“Anyway, I’ll enjoy this coffee today.”
“Yes.”
With each employee chiming in their own comment, Jun-hee’s face flushed crimson.
I couldn’t fathom what Kwon Seok-ha was thinking—his intentions remained utterly inscrutable.

***

Kwon Seok-ha entered the Executive Office and savored a sip of coffee. As expected, its rich aroma and exquisite flavor lingered on his palate. He had deliberately sent her on that errand precisely because she’d been so concerned about arriving at work together with him.
Part of him had also been anticipating the coffee she bought exclusively for him.
But when all the Secretary’s Office staff appeared moments ago holding coffee, a sudden surge of irritation welled up inside him. Still, having made his point so clearly, such a situation wouldn’t happen again.
The instruction hadn’t been directed solely at Jun-hee. If the other secretarial staff had picked up on the hint, they wouldn’t ask her to run such errands in the future.
‘Ahn Joon-hee, I care about you this much. Don’t I?’
Kwon Seok-ha wore a satisfied expression as he leisurely finished the remaining coffee.

***

The workday had ended. The Secretary’s Office had organized a company dinner for the first time in ages—partly to welcome the new employee and partly because they hadn’t held one since late autumn was approaching.
‘A company dinner.’
Jun-hee felt somewhat disappointed that the dinner had been scheduled for a precious Friday evening. However, since she’d contributed to organizing at least some portion of today’s gathering, attending without complaint was only natural.
Besides, even though it was Friday evening, she had nothing else planned anyway. Her schedule largely depended on whether Kwon Seok-ha came home early or late.
But since they’d be spending the evening together at the dinner, she’d essentially be in his company all day from morning onward.
‘This is really bothersome.’
The thought of him as both her superior and landlord made her want to distance herself from him constantly. Yet the irony was that even as she thought this, her eyes kept finding him.
It wasn’t because she liked him. He was simply the type of person who naturally commanded attention.
Just as it had been during the commute this morning, she absolutely couldn’t let anyone at the dinner discover that they lived together.
‘I need to keep my wits about me!’
With that resolve, she sat down next to Park Hyun-sik as soon as she arrived at the restaurant, choosing his corner seat. Had Lee Soo-chul been sitting there instead, she would have done the same.
“Jun-hee, you’re sitting right next to your mentor.”
Lee Soo-chul spoke with a smile from a distance away. Recognizing it as an attempt to lighten the mood, Jun-hee nodded politely with a smile.
“Yes. I’ll work hard to learn from you. Thank you for your guidance, sir.”
“Of course, of course. Just relax. Our Secretary’s Office doesn’t have that rigid corporate culture.”
Park Hyun-sik also smiled and matched the atmosphere appropriately.
Once the four employees were seated, meat and alcohol arrived. Shortly after, Kwon Seok-ha entered with Hwang Manager, having just finished an important meeting.
“Welcome!”
“Please sit here.”
The Secretary’s Office staff treated Kwon Seok-ha with the formality of soldiers greeting a commanding officer. They were all talents he’d personally recruited, and having weathered difficult times together, they seemed to share a camaraderie reminiscent of soldiers in arms.
Kwon Seok-ha gave a slight nod and took the central seat. In doing so, his gaze briefly swept across Jun-hee’s location. She quietly lowered her head in acknowledgment.
“Now that the Executive Director is here, should we really get things started?”
Park Hyun-sik spoke with casual confidence, and Kwon Seok-ha nodded in agreement.
“That’s our Executive Director for you! So impressive.”
Park Hyun-sik gave him a thumbs up, then called over a restaurant staff member and placed a varied order.
“Oh, excellent! Excellent! Wow, we’re really going all out with premium Korean beef here.”
“That’s what a proper company dinner looks like when the Executive Director hosts it. Not all company dinners are created equal, you know?”
At the mention of ordering Korean beef, Lee Soo-chul chimed in to lift the mood. The other employees caught the infectious energy, and the atmosphere at the Company Dinner Restaurant began to warm up nicely.
Kwon Seok-ha glanced back at Jun-hee sitting in the corner. And then at Park Hyun-sik beside her.
‘Something about this bothers me.’
A restaurant staff member arrived with an armful of meat and set the table beautifully. The employees, reveling in the rare moment of leisure, chattered away with relaxed expressions, even the sizzle and pop of the grill adding to the festive atmosphere.
Park Hyun-sik’s hand moved busily over the sizzling griddle, flames licking at the meat. He placed a perfectly cooked piece onto Jun-hee’s plate.
“Thank you, Manager Park. But you don’t need to keep doing that—you should eat too.”
Jun-hee politely declined and placed a piece of meat on Park Hyun-sik’s plate. The fact that he kept bringing meat to her plate made her feel self-conscious.
“Don’t worry about it. For us, just having Jun-hee here, comfortable and not wanting to run away, is mission accomplished! Ha ha.”
Lee Soo-chul, sitting across the table, laughed and cheered her on as well. Everyone was tipsy and cheerfully rambling without much thought to what they were saying.
“That’s right, that’s right. Today’s a welcome dinner for our newest member—we can’t let her feel left out.”
Park Hyun-sik enthusiastically filled Jun-hee’s glass with beer.
“Oh! Thank you.”
Jun-hee accepted the beer and filled Park Hyun-sik’s glass in return.
“The Executive Director mentioned he’s driving today, so we’ll skip him.”
Park Hyun-sik started to pour beer for Kwon Seok-ha but stopped himself, filling Hwang Manager’s glass instead.
Under the table, Kwon Seok-ha’s clenched fist tightened. He was stuck sipping soda because he was driving, and not a single person had joked about calling him a designated driver.
The disappointment was secondary.
‘That bastard.’
I hadn’t pegged Park Hyun-sik as the type to show off like this, but apparently he had more of a tendency to draw attention than I’d thought.
And the two of them were standing far closer than necessary.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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