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chapter 26
“Always impressive, no matter when I see him. I don’t understand why our Executive Director never became a celebrity.”
Kim, the assistant manager, whispered his compliment. Dain nodded in agreement. For personal reasons, facing Taekyung was slightly uncomfortable, but aside from that, he was handsome today as always.
Everyone turned their gaze toward the door, sending looks of admiration. Standing beside Taekyung was Director Jeong, who was just as handsome as Taekyung, giving off an almost actor-like appearance at first glance.
“I feel like I just walked onto a movie set, it’s that surreal.”
“Shall we sit first? Before he comes inside.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Kim eagerly agreed and hurried to his seat. As Dain moved to grab a nearby cushion, her eyes met Taekyung’s, who had been silently watching her like a ghost.
“?”
Taekyung gave a friendly smile just as Dain abruptly turned her head away with a sharp snap. Surprised by her strange reaction, Taekyung furrowed his brows in confusion.
‘Oh no, I messed up.’
Dain bit her lower lip in embarrassment. She hadn’t intended to avoid him, but as soon as their eyes met, she reflexively turned away. Had he noticed she’d intentionally avoided him? The thought made her heart race even faster.
‘This is weird. I thought I’d be okay, but why am I so conscious…?’
She had confidently spoken in front of Inhyuk, but in reality, it seemed she wasn’t. The moment she saw Taekyung’s face, the image of a fiancée surfaced in her mind.
‘I can’t just speculate like this!’
If it had been true, she would have mentioned it from the start. After all, he had once openly declared his interest in her.
At that moment, she realized. This man—the one in front of her—was someone who would pursue his goals with all his heart, without disguise or pretense.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Mom!”
Dain’s sharp cry drew piercing looks from everyone around. She slapped her palm over her pounding chest and gasped for breath.
Turning her head, she saw Taekyung staring at her with an equally startled expression. Naturally, her exaggerated reaction had prompted his.
“I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”
“Ex-Executive Director… When did you…? Wait, why are you sitting next to me…?”
“There’s no other seat available.”
Unlike Taekyung, who quickly regained his composure, Dain struggled to calm herself. Her cheeks were flushed, her face radiating heat.
Noticing she hadn’t touched her drink, Taekyung tilted his head in curiosity.
“Your face is so red. Are you really okay?”
“Y-Yes… I just got surprised. I didn’t expect you to come so close.”
Dain fanned her face hastily, her heart racing so fast it made her flush. Taekyung’s low, deliberate voice followed, carrying a hint of meaning.
“But Assistant Manager Min…”
“Yes?”
“You’re not making eye contact with me today.”
Her already trembling heart skipped another beat. Dain smiled, insisting it wasn’t true, but the awkwardness of her smile only seemed to make him more suspicious. Taekyung squinted and scrutinized her face carefully.
“This isn’t like you, always so confident.”
“Of course not! I’m exactly the same as always.”
“Is that so?”
Fortunately—or not—Taekyung got up with a smile just as people on the other side began chatting noisily.
“Drink comfortably. I’ll move seats.”
“Th-Thank you.”
With a charming smile, Taekyung left. Only then did Dain regain her composure like a rabbit escaping a trap. But there was still one problem.
“Assistant Manager Min, what’s going on? When did you get so close to the Executive Director?”
It was Kim Miyeon, assistant manager, peering at her with curious eyes. She had been watching since Taekyung started speaking, her gaze sparkling with curiosity.
“C-Close? We didn’t really talk much.”
“What did you talk about then? You were at it for quite a while!”
The noisy surroundings made it hard to catch their conversation. Kim tugged at Dain’s sleeve, but Dain only shook her head firmly.
“It’s nothing. He just helped me once in a meeting before, so we briefly talked about that.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s nothing important, and I knew you’d keep asking if I told you now.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
Avoiding Kim’s questions, Dain gulped down her beer. She had been feeling thirsty ever since the tension started.
“Oh, so you’re joining the drinking today?”
Kim was surprised at Dain’s unusual behavior. Dain set down her glass and smiled faintly. Usually, she avoided company dinners to leave quickly for driving, but today was different.
“Yes. And it’d be a waste not to drink. It’s not often we get together like this.”
“You avoided it so many times before. Looks like you trust Summer completely now?”
The mention of Summer made Dain flinch involuntarily. Her gaze almost drifted toward Taekyung across the room.
‘Executive Director said not to worry about the kids. I’ll slip out during the gathering.’
A few hours before the company dinner, Dain had quietly met Woo-hyun in Taekyung’s office. He had already been briefed by Taekyung and had contacted the kindergarten teacher.
“I managed to find someone reliable. That’s a relief.”
“Really? That’s great.”
Kim raised his right hand with a cheeky smile and poured beer with the enthusiasm of a staff member running over in anticipation.
“It’s been a while since we drank! Isn’t this great?”
“Uh…”
Dain, realizing the situation, looked ahead. The Sales Team 2 members were all holding their glasses high, laughing mischievously. They were ready to enjoy the dinner fully.
“Then, let’s get started!”
With Kim’s shout, the sound of clinking glasses echoed everywhere. Dain forced a smile and raised her glass.
‘I really want to get drunk today.’
After the gathering, she would ride the same car as Taekyung to pick up Summer. Just imagining the time alone made her chest tighten.
‘If we sit side by side without even looking at each other, how suffocating will it be…’
Dain swallowed her worries along with the beer, unaware that Taekyung was quietly observing her.
The company dinner seemed endless.
The Sales Team was notoriously unfriendly, but a few drinks loosened the atmosphere. Some even put arms around each other, including Kim. She sang alongside a female colleague she had almost clashed with during a meeting.
“Haah…”
Dain sighed, looking at her flushed reflection in the mirror. The warm breath fogged up the glass. As she washed her hands, exhaustion spread through her body.
She had definitely drunk more than usual. Kim’s persistent questioning had driven her to drink rather than answer.
‘When should I go home?’
Rubbing the back of her cold hands against her cheeks, she stepped outside. Taekyung was probably still inside, and she didn’t want him to see her this intoxicated.
“Earlier, did you see the Executive Director talking to Assistant Manager Min?”
She turned the corner, trying to pull herself together.
“What if the Executive Director finds out she’s a single mother…?”
Single mother.
Hearing the insult chilled her entire body. The warmth from the alcohol vanished instantly. Dain froze in place.
“Hey, I told you that’s not true! I just heard from Kim! She’s definitely not a single mother, stop spreading nonsense.”
“They’re close, though. Maybe she’s lying, or Kim was fooled. Aren’t you being too naive?”
A familiar voice. The people who had gossiped before were still at it, probably harboring resentment after failing a promotion.
“Maybe she’s flirting with the Executive Director on purpose?”
“Why do you always get so worked up seeing Min? Is it because you failed the promotion?”
“N-No! I’m just worried about the office atmosphere changing awkwardly.”
Either way, it was exhausting. Usually, Dain would just ignore such rumors. But this time, it was too much. Taekyung could get misunderstood because of them. She bit down hard and took a decisive step forward.
“Excuse me…!”
Just as she tried to speak up, a familiar low voice echoed from the opposite end of the hallway.
“The Sales Team 1 members are far too loose-lipped.”
Taekyung’s cold gaze swept over the stiffened people. Behind him, the team leaders stood in equally stern silence.
