NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29
After breaking up with Mr. Cosmo, I didn’t head home but stopped by a café nearby.
This place has private rooms available and, since the prices are generally high, not many people visit, making it a great spot for a personal hideout.
“I’m sorry for making you wait so long, Secretary Kim.”
As I headed to the designated private room, I saw a man who had been waiting for me—my right-hand man, Secretary Kim.
The image of him in an apron from the barbecue place flashed in my mind, and I couldn’t help but laugh. I still feel a bit guilty about what I put Secretary Kim and the bodyguards through.
I should make sure to give them a nice bonus later.
“No problem. By the way, did you take a taxi?”
“Yes, it was hard to contact Driver Park.”
Nodding at Secretary Kim’s words, I took a seat.
With Mr. Cosmo beside me, there was no other choice. I’ve only taken the subway a few times long ago, so I had no courage to risk it.
“It’s rare to see a Director taking a taxi. I almost regret not witnessing such a sight myself.”
“I used to take taxis quite a bit when I was younger. It must seem strange to you, Secretary Kim.”
Putting small talk aside, I decided to get to the main topic.
The reason I called Secretary Kim all the way here instead of going home directly from the barbecue place was to discuss this very matter.
“Anyway, thank you so much for what you did. It must have been a sudden request.”
“It was refreshing, actually. It reminded me of my part-time job as a student.”
“Did you have a part-time job when you were a student, Secretary Kim?”
“Yes, my family wasn’t particularly well-off, so I had no choice but to cover my tuition and living expenses.”
Oh, now that I think about it, Secretary Kim is like a model of self-made success. From the outside, he seems like someone who smoothly rose to elite status thanks to family support, and I sometimes forget that.
It’s hard to judge a person just by their appearance, after all.
Mr. Cosmo also gave off a nerdy vibe when I first met him, but now he feels more like a dependable man. The gap in perception might even be what I like the most about him.
“First of all, here’s a bonus. It’s from me, separate from the company, so just keep it.”
As I handed the envelope filled with cash to Secretary Kim, I noticed his eyebrows twitch for a moment.
It looked more like surprise than joy over an unexpected reward.
“What you’ve given me before was more than enough…”
“I’m giving this to you because I feel bad for having you clean the grill for three days. Consider it separate.”
“Alright, then I will gratefully accept it.”
As he showed signs of wanting to refuse for a moment, I put on a stern expression and insisted again, making him finally bow his head politely and slip the envelope into his pocket.
Despite his calm demeanor, Secretary Kim is strict when it comes to money. With cash given privately, no one would know if he just pocketed it, but he always reports even small amounts to the company and collects them as a bonus after taxes are deducted.
I assumed that would be the case again this time, since I just gave him a little more.
“By the way, Secretary Kim, I heard there are a few open positions at Changseong Planning… is that right?”
“Yes, that seems to be the case. Apparently, they’re looking to hire.”
After confirming he had taken the envelope, I casually asked a question, and Secretary Kim quickly checked a notebook he pulled out from somewhere before responding.
Changseong Planning isn’t closely related to our Changseong Corporation, so I figured he wouldn’t have that information, but I was quite impressed at how well-informed he was.
“In that case, please let them know I can send someone over. I’ll explain the details later.”
“Understood. I’ll make sure to give them a heads-up.”
Writing down the message in his notebook with the pen he always uses, I appreciated that he didn’t question anything.
“Hmm.”
As I took a sip of the coffee that arrived shortly afterward, I felt Secretary Kim’s gaze on me from across the table.
It’s a bit surprising to see someone who usually speaks his mind act like this, and I was curious about what topic made him so cautious. Unable to resist the urge for long, I finally spoke up first.
“Is there something on your mind? You’re staring.”
“Oh, no. I apologize for staring.”
“If you have something to say, please do. Not saying anything in this situation would be more of a faux pas.”
Taking another sip of coffee calmly and responding somewhat coldly, Secretary Kim’s expression hardened as he hesitated but ultimately found the courage to speak.
“Um… you mentioned Mr. Cosmo, right?”
“Mr. Cosmo? Why are you suddenly bringing him up…”
Caught by surprise by the unexpected name, I became flustered this time.
I think it’s the first time I’ve acted so flustered in front of Secretary Kim, who seemed to also be caught off guard, given his expression.
“Actually, I thought it was just fan admiration since you seemed quite interested in him at first, but it doesn’t seem like just that anymore, so I wanted to ask cautiously.”
“…What do you mean?”
Now that I think about it, I’ve mentioned a few times that I watched Mr. Cosmo’s broadcasts, but I realized that I never openly expressed this to Secretary Kim before, which made me feel a bit regretful.
Seeing me lost in thought, Secretary Kim cautiously spoke again.
“Are you saying you have rational feelings towards him?”
“……!”
If one were to look at my actions today alone, it would be hard not to notice that. But being pinpointed by Secretary Kim made my face heat up unexpectedly, akin to a child caught in mischief.
“If this topic makes you uncomfortable, I won’t bring it up again…”
“Y-Yes.”
Seeing me hesitate a bit to answer, Secretary Kim quickly tried to retract his question, and I nodded my head to stop him.
There was no reason to feel uncomfortable about it. After all, it’s the truth.
“I thought it was just fan admiration until I saw him in person. But as I learned more about him, I found it uncontrollable. Is this what first love feels like?”
“It might not be just because it’s first love. It means your feelings toward him are genuine.”
Secretary Kim immediately dismissed my words as sounding like a fleeting emotion and affirmed them earnestly.
I found myself momentarily stunned, then smiled in gratitude and jokingly replied.
“You always say just the right things, Secretary Kim. So does this mean the bonus ends here?”
“I don’t expect more. What you’re giving me now is more than enough to raise kids.”
“Didn’t you used to say there isn’t enough to support kids no matter how much you have?”
“Ahem… that was just representing what a mother would feel.”
That doesn’t seem quite right. No matter how I think about it, I could sense the genuine emotion back then.
Anyway, since he insists on thinking that way, I decided to nod in agreement.
Secretary Kim also seemed to have no intention of asking more about Mr. Cosmo, as he didn’t bring up anything further.
“I’ll support you in any case. I secretly hoped you would have a youthful love that suits your age.”
That was the extent of encouragement he offered.
When I heard those words, I felt a bit amazed.
I wasn’t particularly yearning for love, nor had I ever thought about wanting to experience a fresh romance with someone.
I was just walking the path I chose, and as a result, I unexpectedly encountered love and found someone I wanted to give everything to.
“Thanks for saying that. But please don’t mention this to my father or mother yet.”
“I don’t think the chairman would know, but I believe the wife would be thrilled…”
“Exactly. She would definitely make a fuss about when I would hold a ceremony, saying something like, ‘When I dated him…’ while sharing love stories.”
I can easily picture my mother getting carried away, discussing her own experiences in front of me, who hasn’t even started dating yet. I can’t let that future happen.
“…I overlooked that point. I will ensure discretion is maintained. Leave it to me.”
Knowing my mother well, Secretary Kim also seemed to understand that point too late and bowed his head sheepishly, feeling embarrassed.
But Secretary Kim can be trusted to keep his mouth shut. If news reaches my mother, I would have no choice but to assume it came from him and take drastic measures.
“Anyway, you can head home now. I’ll start working from the day after tomorrow, so you should take a nice break.”
“Understood.”
As I dismissed him, wanting to linger a bit longer, Secretary Kim got up to leave and bowed.
“Oh, hold on, Secretary Kim.”
“Yes, is there something you didn’t mention?”
Nodding while gulping down the nearly finished coffee, I suddenly remembered a question I hadn’t asked and caught him before he could leave.
He turned to me, and as I wiggled my fingers, feeling embarrassed, I brought up one more request.
“Uh, could you possibly find a guy nearby who’s good at video editing?”
“Video editing…? What’s it for…?”
“Uh? Oh, uh…”
I couldn’t say the real reason I needed a guy for that “performance” at the barbecue place, and I hesitated to respond honestly.
How could I explain this? That I want to recommend a guy to the man I like, but would prefer it if he’s not a woman?
“I just need someone to bring in first, then I’ll explain. But he has to be a guy.”
“…Understood. I’ll see if I can find someone as soon as possible.”
Having successfully avoided giving a full explanation, I sensed that Secretary Kim realized I didn’t want to discuss it further. He promptly turned around and left the private room.
Perfect.
I’d be able to secure a good job for Nayun and, in return, recommend a talented editor to Mr. Cosmo who nearly missed out on an opportunity.
I need to contact him as soon as I find someone.
That could also be an excuse to meet.