The Country Life Diary of a Gangster’s Secretary

The rooftop of the building. Ihyeok leaned his arms on the railing and blankly stared at the scenery spread out below. Cars running on the roads, usual advertisements appearing on the building’s electronic display board, an everyday scene with nothing out of the ordinary.

No, it would have been everyday life. Except for just one thing.

“I will work until the end of this month and then quit.”

“It’s not obvious. Nothing in the world is obvious. Representative-nim.”

Hyeseong’s words were still ringing in his ears. Until now, it had been a continuation of a monotonous daily life. If he had lived an eventful life during his gangster days, now he was living a stable and quiet life in a word. After all, when he lived as a gangster, he had felt the threat to his life countless times.

But now, that daily life was about to be shattered. By someone’s sudden request for resignation.  

“Damn it…”

Ihyeok cursed under his breath and pulled out a cigarette from inside his jacket. These days, he was trying to quit smoking. This was all because of Cheon Hyeseong too.

“Representative-nim. If you want to live long, wouldn’t it be good to quit smoking soon? You’re already thirty-four.”

That’s how much Hyeseong meant to Ihyeok. Six years ago, when he was in his early twenties, he first met Hyeseong who had just become an adult. Since then, they had never been apart for a single moment. From Taesung gang to Taesung Group, from being called ‘hyung’ to representative. Cheon Hyeseong was present in all that history.

Ihyeok knows it would have been absolutely impossible to come to this position of looking down from the rooftop without Hyeseong’s help.

Cheon Hyeseong was the best partner for him. There’s no one in this company who doesn’t know that.

“Hey! Kwon Ihyeok!”

Then someone shouted and flung the door open.

There was no need to look. There was only one person other than Cheon Hyeseong who could treat him like that here.

“Kang Seongjin. I’m not deaf.”

“Is that the issue now? I heard Hyeseong is quitting!”

Seongjin hurriedly approached Ihyeok, huffing and puffing.

“Who did you hear that from?”

“Who else would it be? Hyeseong. I met him earlier this morning. Hey, why would he talk about quitting while drinking strawberry latte? And so nonchalantly as if he’s saying he went to play at the neighbor’s house and came back.”

He had already told Kang Seongjin too? Hyeseong’s words that his resignation was sincere gained more and more credibility. Unable to bear the frustration, Ihyeok finally put the cigarette in his mouth.

“Is it true?”

“It seems like it.”

“But why on earth?”

Seongjin was in the same state as Ihyeok. A situation that doesn’t make sense and is only confusing. It felt like being slapped by a stranger while walking down the street. A sense of numbness and absurdity were rushing in at the same time.

“Don’t tell me you cut him off?”

“Did you stick a bottle of soju in your head? Why would I cut him off?”

Ihyeok took a long drag on his cigarette and glared at Seongjin. It was nonsense. There’s no way he would personally dismiss Cheon Hyeseong unless he was crazy.

“Right, that makes sense. Then why is Hyeseong doing this?”

“…We can just ask.”

Overhearing Seongjin’s low mumble, Ihyeok dropped the cigarette on the floor as if he had realized something and stubbed it out with his foot. Come to think of it, it was as Kang Seongjin said. He couldn’t understand at all why Cheon Hyeseong was doing such a thing.

When he first said he was quitting, he really thought it was a joke. When he said it was serious, his mind couldn’t keep up and he couldn’t even ask why he was trying to quit. They had been together for 6 years. He thought there was nothing he didn’t know, but for the first time, Hyeseong felt like a difficult problem to solve. Then he should just ask straightforwardly.

Ihyeok left Seongjin shouting something behind and came down to the representative’s office. He immediately connected to Hyeseong’s seat in the secretarial office through the intercom, told him to come in, and then abruptly hung up. It was his own revenge for this feeling.

And after a while, there was a knock.

“Come in.”

He thought Hyeseong would come in with a dry face and a slightly flushed expression as it was almost lunchtime, but Ihyeok’s expression crumpled pleasantly at the sight of the person who entered.

“I’m pretty sure I called for Hye… no, Team Leader Cheon.”

Han Seohee, who entered instead of Hyeseong, bowed her head, faltering. With a white envelope in her hand.

“Actually, Team Leader Cheon took the afternoon off.”

“Afternoon off?”

“Yes. And Team Leader Cheon asked me to deliver this to you on his behalf…”

Secretary Han timidly placed the white envelope on Ihyeok’s desk.

Resignation Letter

Secretary Han placed the envelope with ‘resignation letter’ written large on it while gauging Ihyeok’s mood. Her expression showed that she was quite embarrassed to be caught in the middle when something seemed to be going on between the two.

“…Why did he take the afternoon off?”

“What? Ah, that’s… he said he wasn’t feeling well. That he should go to the hospital…”

“Not feeling well?”  

Ihyeok’s brows furrowed more and more. He didn’t seem to be in such a state when he saw him this morning.

“He seemed a bit tired these days as he had a lot to take care of before resigning.”

Secretary Han didn’t seem to notice Ihyeok’s eyebrows twitching strongly at the word ‘resignation’.

Him not feeling well due to preparing for resignation. It was truly a nonsensical statement. He hadn’t even allowed the resignation yet.

“I got it, you can go.”

Whether he was feeling unwell for that kind of reason or not, it was none of his business to care about.

“Yes.”

“…Secretary Han.”

As soon as he thought that, Ihyeok called out to Secretary Han who was about to grab the doorknob and leave.

“Do you know which hospital it is?”

* * *

“Then make sure not to forget to come for the next checkup.”

Having finished the consultation and received a prescription for headache medicine, Hyeseong hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Yes. I understand.”

“No matter how busy you are, it’s best to come and get your condition checked.”

The doctor strongly advised, noticing Hyeseong’s hesitation. But Hyeseong wasn’t hesitating because of his busy schedule. There would be plenty of time left after resigning. He was contemplating because he might not be able to keep coming to this hospital depending on the plan he set for himself in the future.

“Then I’ll see you next time.”

After bidding farewell, Hyeseong got the medicine from the pharmacy and went outside. Maybe because it was right after lunchtime, it was bright and sunny outside. When was the last time he freely wandered around at this hour?

Honestly, he was able to take the afternoon off like this because he was resigning soon. This was why people said employees about to resign were the happiest.

As Hyeseong sat at the bus stop waiting for the bus home, a familiar car slowly stopped in front of him.

“……”

Even without asking, Hyeseong knew. Who the person was, visible through the slowly descending window.

“Representative-nim, isn’t it time for you to be working now?”

“Get in.”

As Hyeseong looked at Ihyeok’s neat face, he sighed and approached the car.

“Please get out. I’ll drive.”

“It’s fine, just get in.”

A firm voice. He seemed very displeased about something. Probably his resignation.

Hyeseong got in the passenger seat without a word.

“Who uses afternoon off as they please? I never allowed it.”

It was the first thing Ihyeok said as he drove.

“Then please allow my resignation.”

Hyeseong fastened his seatbelt and spoke as usual, but there was no response.

“Where are you not feeling well?”

“Just a cold.”

Hyeseong made an excuse nonchalantly. It was the best excuse.

“Fever?”

As the car stopped at a red light, Ihyeok naturally reached out to Hyeseong. He seemed to be trying to check his temperature by putting his hand on his forehead, but Hyeseong, who quickly noticed, slightly dodged.

“It’s not severe so I’m fine.”

“……”

Ihyeok’s hand that was hovering in the air turned back to the steering wheel. The light turned green and Ihyeok skillfully drove again. The familiar scenery and road through the window. The road to Hyeseong’s house.

As they slowly entered the alley where the studio apartment was located, Ihyeok naturally parked the car in the parking lot.

“Thank you for the ride. Please go straight back to the company.”

As Hyeseong was about to open the door, there was a clicking sound and Ihyeok locked the car door just like that.

“Cheon Hyeseong.”

Since declaring his resignation, he seemed to hear that name quite often.

“What’s the reason?”

“For what?”

“You don’t know so you’re asking? The reason for leaving me.”

Hyeseong paused for a moment. If someone heard it, it sounded like he was trying to hold back a broken-up lover. After hesitating for a moment, he opened his mouth.

“As I said before, it’s personal reasons.”

“What personal reasons of yours that I don’t know about?”

“It’s called personal because I can’t say it.”

Ihyeok’s eyebrows twitched. He seemed to want to get angry and refute, but he was also contemplating as if there was nothing to find fault with since it was the right thing to say.

“I have no intention of reversing my decision to resign, so please open the door.”

“Cheon Hyeseong.”

Before long, Ihyeok had completely turned his body and was staring straight at Hyeseong.

“Think carefully. If you quit, do you have any plans for the future?”

So Ihyeok was now asking what he was going to do for a living.

“I do.”

“What is it?”

“I’m going to return to farming.”

But Hyeseong stated his grand plan without batting an eye.