The Country Life Diary of a Gangster’s Secretary

This chapter is paid for by Mimzy and Nemuru!

Life never goes as planned. Hyeseong knew that best, so he tried to avoid variables on his own and wisely solved unexpected problems. So no matter what tough storms came his way in life, he remained unfazed.

People around him often jokingly said Hyeseong must be living his second life, seeing how he dealt with things. But even he found the current situation hopelessly awkward and difficult. Going to a local soup restaurant with himself, Dohyun, and even Ihyeok – this situation was very hard to handle.

It was all because of the two’s useless and childish nerve war, which Dohyun couldn’t stand watching anymore and butted in. Like a student who raises their hand uncertainly but wants to present during class.

What was more amusing was that Ihyeok, who had an expression of incomprehension at the time, readily accepted saying, “Sure, let’s do that.” The result of this series of events was entering a local pork soup restaurant recommended by the neighborhood elders.

Although in the countryside, the restaurant seemed to stay open quite late. As they entered, a savory smell wafted and a homely scene unfolded.

“Table for three?”

The lady asked as soon as they came in, and Dohyun nodded vigorously. Inside the store, there were a few more groups of men besides Hyeseong’s party. The lady gestured toward an empty seat, telling them the menu was everything posted on the wall.

The three took a seat in the corner. Ihyeok and Dohyun sat facing each other, and as Hyeseong was about to sit down,

“Come here.”

Ihyeok tapped the seat next to him as if calling a dog. Hyeseong, who was about to head there unconsciously, fake-coughed and went to sit next to Dohyun. Excited to look at the menu, Dohyun didn’t notice that brief situation and was contemplating what to order.

“Hyeseong, is blood sausage soup or pork soup more delicious?”

“More importantly, have you ever tried soup with rice?”

Despite his looks, Dohyun was a pretty precious young master. His mother was a doctor, his father a professor, and Dohyun was a golden only son raised with strictness and love. That background was one of the reasons Hyeseong initially didn’t welcome Dohyun.

However, he had none of the vanity unique to rich family children. Rather, Park Dohyun was a person with no creases or twists, more so than ordinary kids. Maybe that’s why they could become close.

“No, I haven’t.”

So there’s no way he would have tried something like soup with rice. Moreover, he graduated college and left for overseas right away, so naturally such experiences would be nonexistent.

“Then get the pork soup. I’ll have the blood sausage one. We can share.”

“Oh, are you Solomon, Hyeseong?”

“You’ll have the pork soup, right CEO?”

“Yeah.”

Ihyeok’s taste was as clear as the back of his hand. Hyeseong didn’t even ask what he would have as if it was a given. After placing the order with the lady, it didn’t take long for three steaming bowls to be placed on the table.

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Thank you.”

“Auntie! Give us a bottle of soju too!”

Then Dohyun excitedly ordered alcohol.

“Hey, what alcohol.”

“Why. Everyone says soju goes with rice soup.”

Then Ihyeok, who was sitting across, smirked.

“He knows it properly.”

Kwon Ihyeok’s relaxed smile. Perhaps because it had been a while, Hyeseong’s heart strangely pounded.

“That’s right. Soju with rice soup. Alright everyone, enjoy your meal.”

The lady also responded to Dohyun and quickly disappeared after leaving soju and three glasses.

“But Hyeseong, you seem to have eaten rice soup a lot. You’re so used to it.”

Dohyun looked at Hyeseong with wonder as he skillfully mixed the rice and seasoned the soup.

“Of course. We used to eat only this all the time when working together before.”

Ihyeok answered the question for him instead.

“Because the CEO ordered only this day and night. Manager Kang too, it was as if people died from not eating this rice soup.”

The old Taesung office. The taste of the rice soup they ordered there was still unforgettable.

“Did you forget that later on, you asked me to order it because you wanted to eat it?”

“When did I do that.”

“You did. You.”

Dohyun listened to their back and forth while sipping alcohol.

“That CEO…”

As Dohyun carefully opened his mouth, Ihyeok glared at him sharply.

“Why am I your CEO.”

“Then what should I call you?”

Dohyun whined with a crying face. Then Hyeseong patted his arm, telling him to just call Ihyeok that.

“You know him well, maybe because you stick together with Hyeseong a lot.”

“Yeah. There’s nothing I don’t know about Cheon Hyeseong.”

Ihyeok was talking to Dohyun but his gaze was on Hyeseong. That stare was strangely persistent and uncomfortable, so Hyeseong just downed the glass in front of him.

“Anyone would be like that after working together that long. 6 years isn’t a short time.”

“You never let anything slide.”

Ihyeok also downed his drink at once. Dohyun looked at the two with intrigue. It was fun to watch his friend acting differently and that CEO person who seemed cold but softened only to Hyeseong.

Thinking he made the right choice coming to Korea, Dohyun also emptied his glass.

After that, the meal went on quite ordinarily. Of course, the alcohol was an unexpected part. But right now, Kwon Ihyeok was on high alert with all five senses more than ever.

For example,

“Park Dohyun, are you a baby? Why are you eating so messily.”

When Hyeseong tried to wipe the soup Dohyun spilled himself.

“Try this too.”

When he directly served Dohyun some of the rice soup he ordered.

“You got it on your arm.”

Every time he subtly engaged in physical contact, it bothered Ihyeok too much. The displeasure he felt earlier was swelling up even bigger.

Perhaps ordering alcohol was a good choice. To ease this suffocating feeling, he needed to at least drink some alcohol. As Ihyeok diligently emptied his glass like that, Dohyun, who had no way of knowing the inside story, loudly chattered that it was great. In that atmosphere, Hyeseong also got a bit tipsy matching their pace.

Dohyun, who could drink well, seemed to have gotten drunk too, with his reddened face as he tried to pour Hyeseong a drink.

“Stop pouring. Hyeseong was sick yesterday.”

Ihyeok stopped him with a serious face. At that, Hyeseong felt his emotions well up again. Was it because the alcohol lowered his threshold for feelings? He hated that his heart fluttered at Kwon Ihyeok’s meaningless actions like that.

“It’s fine, give it here.”

“You…”

Hyeseong took the bottle Dohyun was holding, poured it into his own glass, and downed it. The pungent scent and taste of soju filled his mouth. He could feel that Ihyeok’s mood had turned sour, but well, what could he do? He said he would drink. 

After that situation repeated a few more times, Hyeseong ended up getting drunk.

“Whoa… I’m dizzy.”

And so was Dohyun. It was the result of Dohyun sipping soju alone, conscious of the chilly atmosphere between the two again.

“Excuse me! I’m going to the restroom for a bit.”

Dohyun said with a very slurred speech as he pulled back his chair and stood up, but there was no one to respond. Hyeseong was already nodding off drowsily and Ihyeok wasn’t taking his eyes off him. Dohyun asked the lady alone for the restroom location, staggering as he walked out.

“Hyeseong.”

“…”

Not long after Dohyun left, Ihyeok called him in a gentle voice. But there was no answering echo.

Hyeseong rubbed his eyes a few times as if tired, then soon plopped down.

“Sleepy.”

Muttering those words, Hyeseong closed his eyes. The other customers had all left and only the two remained in the store. Ihyeok vacantly stared at Hyeseong who had fallen asleep snoring softly in front of him.

Riiing…

Then his cell phone rang. As expected, the name on the screen was Han Deok-soo.

– Hyungnim, are you busy?

“No.”

The only thing he was doing now was observing Hyeseong who had turned pale white skin red and fallen into slumber.

– I was going to call you tomorrow since it’s late, but I felt like I should let you know quickly.

“You’re taking too long to get to the point. If you have something to say, say it quickly.”

– You know that medicine you sent by quick delivery the other day? I looked into it.

Only then did a slight difference appear in Ihyeok’s eyes that showed no change.

– As you said, it’s a medicine that omegas take, but? I need to investigate more about the exact ingredients and effects, but it’s a medicine that omegas in the early stages of manifestation take to stabilize their pheromones and physical condition.

“…Are you sure?”

– Yes. But hyungnim, why do you have this? It can’t be your medicine, so who is it?

Perhaps very curious about the reason Alpha Ihyeok had that medicine, Deok-soo asked a question.

“I’ll call you back later.”

But instead of answering, Ihyeok ended the call.

“Medicine that omegas take.”

Hyeseong was still dozing off, hiccuping. In the quiet store, past the completely settled night, the chirping sound of insects could be heard through the window.

At the center of that, Ihyeok gazed at Hyeseong with noticeably different eyes.

This chapter is paid for by Mimzy and Nemuru!