Private Secretary - Chapter 57

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Private Secretary Episode 57

That I’ve come to like you, so I’m trying to quit my job. That I’m not like you and don’t have the confidence to watch you get along well with someone else.

So please let me go, even if it’s out of pity for all my efforts.

Tell Tae-san everything honestly like that? Could she really make such a pathetic confession that would be completely meaningless?

Even with her head aching, Lee Seol didn’t leave work and stayed at her post.

No matter how much she had expressed her intention to resign, she thought she should fulfill her duties until it was processed.

When Tae-san came out of his office after midnight, he seemed slightly surprised to see her sitting there, as if he thought she had left work long ago.

But he didn’t say anything like why are you here or go home.

When they got on the same elevator, Lee Seol pressed the 1st floor and Tae-san pressed basement 3.

The elevator reached the 1st floor in an instant and the doors opened. Lee Seol bowed and was about to get out, but Tae-san closed the doors right in front of her.

“Drive.”

It was the first instruction Tae-san had given Lee Seol today.

Lee Seol silently followed his words. She was still his secretary, after all.

Tae-san didn’t sit in the passenger seat as usual but got in the back seat.

During the drive to his house, neither of them spoke. At least having the audio on helped avoid the suffocating silence.

“We’ve arrived. Please get out first and I’ll park it in the garage.”

Lee Seol unlocked the doors, but Tae-san didn’t get out.

“That day, I wasn’t ignoring your wishes.”

“…”

“I just wanted you to listen to what I had to say.”

“…”

“If you were disappointed because I acted selfishly in the process, I apologize.”

Lee Seol remained silent, gripping the steering wheel and looking straight ahead.

She was flustered that Tae-san had apologized first, but what was even more flustering was when she spotted Kim Se-na’s car parked in front.

Getting out of the back seat, she seemed to have been waiting for Tae-san’s car to arrive, as she approached quickly with determined steps.

Seemingly completely unaware of this fact, Tae-san continued speaking.

“I was angry that you only thought of me to that extent, so your words didn’t register. I also…”

“Department Head.”

“…Why. What are you trying to say now.”

“Kim Se-na is here.”

Only then did Tae-san turn his eyes to look outside the window.

Confirming Kim Se-na approaching nearby, Tae-san hesitated for a moment then got out of the car first.

Turning away from the argument that would follow, Lee Seol drove to the front of the garage and waited for the slowly opening door.

Only when she saw the two people reflected in the side mirror did Lee Seol realize that Kim Se-na was heavily drunk.

After finishing parking, Lee Seol got out of the car but hesitated about whether she should go outside.

If she went out at this awkward timing, it would just make things uncomfortable.

Then she heard the sound of the gate opening, followed by footsteps going past the garage and up the stairs.

“Kim Se-na. You should lean on me while walking instead. You’ll get hurt like that.”

It seemed he was taking the heavily drunk Kim Se-na into the house.

Thinking this worked out better, Lee Seol waited until the footsteps completely stopped, then stuck the car keys in the wiper and left.

Now the place beside Tae-san was no longer hers. It was time to step back before things got uglier.

* * *

About a week since expressing her intention to resign.

During this time, Tae-san hadn’t given Lee Seol any work instructions. However, unable to just idle around, Lee Seol silently continued doing the work she had been doing.

She made sure the office never ran short of clean shirts by doing laundry and restocking them, and when he worked late, she would buy lunch boxes and leave them for him.

Since resubmitting a resignation letter in this situation would be meaningless, she waited for an opportunity to have a sincere conversation with him.

Today, she covered the desk in place of Tae-san and Yang Secretary, who were away for external appointments.

Tae-san didn’t come in until late afternoon, but he always stopped by the company last before going home.

So she was diligently organizing the office, planning to wait until he came.

“This is Ryu Hwa-pyeong. I’m calling because it’s urgent, but could you come to the Praren Hotel lobby right now?”

…How did Ryu Hwa-pyeong get my number? Did Kim Se-na give it to him?

Lee Seol replied asking what was wrong, but Ryu Hwa-pyeong didn’t respond. Even when she called the number the text came from, he didn’t answer.

What urgent matter could make him call me when we barely know each other?

‘…Don’t tell me he found out about what happened between Kim Se-na and Kang Tae-san.’

If that were the case, Kang Tae-san’s position would become quite difficult.

While she still didn’t want to get involved in complicated relationships, she at least hoped there wouldn’t be any major problems for Kang Tae-san before she left.

Worried about what it could be, Lee Seol decided to go check it out.

If it turned out to be nothing, she could just come back.

Lee Seol stuck a note on the office door saying she was leaving early and went outside.

* * *

As soon as Lee Seol arrived at the Praren Hotel lobby, she encountered Ryu Hwa-pyeong walking toward her while on a phone call.

“Ryu Hwa-pyeong.”

“Oh? Lee Seol. What a coincidence meeting you here.”

“…What? You texted me asking me to come here.”

“…Me? No, I didn’t.”

He said with an awkward smile.

“I think there’s some misunderstanding. I don’t even have your number.”

Unable to understand his reaction, Lee Seol showed him the text she had received earlier.

As soon as Ryu Hwa-pyeong confirmed the text with his name on it, a flustered expression crossed his face.

“I don’t know who impersonated me, but I didn’t send this. This isn’t even my number.”

“…What?”

Facing the bewildered Lee Seol, Ryu Hwa-pyeong took out his phone to show her.

He demonstratively searched for Lee Seol’s contact in his message box, but no results came up.

“…Could this be some new type of scam? Like calling someone out pretending to be an acquaintance to try human trafficking…”

“What?”

“There’s a lot of that kind of phishing these days. Like using voice modulation to sound like your mom asking for money, or disguising as an acquaintance-.”

“…Come on, surely not.”

“Hmm… Maybe it was fortunate that I met the real Ryu Hwa-pyeong here.”

Looking at Ryu Hwa-pyeong’s innocent face, she couldn’t possibly think he was lying.

Then who on earth did this?

“But this is really strange. I came here because I fell for this scam-like prank, but how is it that you’re here at this time, Ryu Hwa-pyeong…”

“Ah, I had a meeting here and was just about to leave.”

So someone who knew Ryu Hwa-pyeong’s schedule deliberately lured me here?

Lee Seol’s mind became complicated, but Ryu Hwa-pyeong didn’t seem to think too deeply about it.

“I don’t know why we ended up meeting here, but since we’ve seen each other, shall we have a cup of tea?”

“Ah…”

She still felt uneasy, but there didn’t seem to be any way to find out more about what was going on.

Since she was thirsty anyway, Lee Seol nodded obediently.

Ryu Hwa-pyeong smiled and guided her to the lounge. It was the same place where Tae-san had his blind date last time.

“Have you had dinner?”

“No, not yet.”

“Then shall we eat first? I haven’t eaten yet either.”

Ryu Hwa-pyeong was kind as always today too.

Lee Seol ordered a menu item he recommended, then hesitated before carefully opening her mouth.

“That day, was everything okay with Kim Se-na?”

“The day Kim Se-na collapsed? Yes. Nothing happened. She often faints due to vasovagal syncope. Fortunately, she woke up that time too before we even had to go to the hospital.”

“…Ah, that’s a relief.”

“I heard from Tae-san that you two went straight back to Seoul. You did well. We were the ones who invited you, but we just made things difficult for you, Lee Seol.”

“Not at all. So, nothing happened after that either?”

“No. Why?”

“…No.”

According to Tae-san, Kim Se-na had definitely tried to kiss me first.

But seeing how Ryu Hwa-pyeong acts so calm without any sign of knowing, does that mean he still doesn’t know about that incident?

Then will the engagement remain intact? What exactly is Kim Se-na planning to do?

Once again, Lee Seol’s mind filled with thoughts she couldn’t share with anyone.

Only when the food they ordered arrived did she finally return to reality.

Ryu Hwa-pyeong brought up various topics to keep the atmosphere from becoming awkward.

Talking about movies, music preferences, hobbies, and travel made the meal pass by quickly.

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