Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 18

"Team Leader Baek."

I had to endure quite a long scolding session over failing to properly report the situation to Yoon Taeo. No, to be precise, he didn’t actually say much; it was just that I had to endure the suffocating atmosphere to the point it felt carved into my bones. Honestly, real nagging would’ve been better.

"...You’re still here?"

Kang Seokho grabbed my arm just as I was stepping out of the room. Now that I thought about it, I had a lot to discuss with him too, so we left the building together and headed toward the garden. After making sure the area was completely empty, I finally opened my mouth.

"What the hell happened? I even cleared out his whole afternoon schedule on purpose, so what’s he doing coming back home early, without even dealing with the Beta?"

"I don’t know. He didn’t even show up to the lunch meeting. Just told the driver to stop the car on the way and walked into a Korean restaurant."

"...Why...? You should’ve at least called me!"

"Like I had time for that! How was I supposed to know why he was going home!"

Frustrated, I raised my voice a little, and Kang Seokho frowned in annoyance and snapped back. He wasn’t exactly wrong, but still, if he had at least contacted me before everyone gathered, none of this would have happened.

"But Team Leader Baek, where are you sick?"

"Ah, it’s just... fatigue."

What the hell. Since when did everyone care so much about my health? Yoon Taeo earlier, and now Kang Seokho too.

"But didn’t he say why he bailed on the meeting? It was supposed to be lunch with the Beta."

"...I don’t get it either."

This sudden behavior was unusual. At the very least, Yoon Taeo wasn’t the type to stand up his Betas. He wasn’t the kind to arrive early and wait for them, but even if he was late, he would still show up. Which meant there was one possible explanation...

"Team Leader Kang, you don’t think... he’s already lost interest, do you?"

"Hard to say. Judging by his attitude, maybe. But didn’t he even assign a private chef to that house?"

"Yeah... he did..."

Most Betas were so terrified of Yoon Taeo they tried to run away, but in a few cases, he actually got sick of them first. It wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the story, but according to the setting, that’s how it was—he would cut people off with a coldness beyond imagination.

But Han Yejun was different. In the original story, apart from the main Beta love interest, he was the character Yoon Taeo cared about the most. That’s why I had been trying to connect Han Yejun with Yoon Taeo, but things didn’t seem to be going the way I expected.

"Sigh... What about the secretary team?"

"I gathered them all in one place for now. Figured you might want to deal with them."

Maybe because the conversation turned to work related to him, Kang Seokho’s demeanor shifted. He was the kind of man who could chop off a dozen heads the moment Yoon Taeo gave the word.

"...Release them. That’s what he said."

"No way."

"If you don’t believe me, go check for yourself."

"...Fine, whatever."

Spineless bastard. Someday, it’s going to be real easy to stab that guy in the back.

❖ ❖ ❖

"What is this."

"It’s... dinner...?"

Why—why did my dinner not even look like food to him anymore. I had actually taken care to cook properly for the first time in a while, but Yoon Taeo’s sharp-edged voice returned immediately.

"...Should I make something else? Is there something you feel like eating?"

After the disaster earlier this afternoon, I had paid extra attention to picking the menu. Since he was the type who loved meat, today I prepared a dry-aged Wagyu T-bone steak. You could enjoy both tenderloin and striploin at once, which was satisfying for the person eating it, but for the one cooking it, it was notoriously difficult to get the doneness just right.

I grilled asparagus, mushrooms, and onions as garnish, and added a scoop of mashed potatoes. You could say I poured my soul into this meal.

"If there are two mouths, why is there only one steak?"

"Ah... I’ll just eat separately. Please go ahead."

Since when did he care about my meals anyway. Yoon Taeo usually ate outside, but sometimes, like today, he would eat at home. That’s why being able to cook wasn’t just a plus for Secretary Team 1—it was mandatory. No, you had to be good at it. Yoon Taeo didn’t like keeping a full-time chef around.

"We’ll share it. The steak’s big enough."

What the hell was he saying. The table was clearly set for one. There was only one placemat, only one wine glass prepared to pair with the meat. And none of the secretaries had ever dared share a meal at the same table with Yoon Taeo.

"...I’m fine, really..."

"Sigh..."

Yoon Taeo, now seated at the table, let out a sigh while gripping the steak knife he was supposed to use for the meat. That knife... if it could slice steak, it could definitely pierce through my neck just as easily, right?

"I-I actually have mine ready in the kitchen...."

I quickly ran into the kitchen and came rushing back with my plate. It wasn’t that I wasn’t planning to eat—I just thought I’d feed him first, then sneak off to watch a drama by myself while eating.

"Ha."

When I set my plate down across from him, Yoon Taeo let out a dry laugh.

"Looks like we’ll have to start deducting meal expenses from Secretary Kim’s salary."

"No, sir! It’s just that you usually eat so little, and there was a one-plus-one promotion on the Wagyu... I’m sorry... should I change it for you...?"

I threw out excuses in a panic, but even I could see it. The chunk of meat on my plate was easily one and a half times bigger than his. His plate had a few neat garnishes, just enough for decoration, while mine was piled high with a mountain of grilled asparagus, a mountain of mushrooms, and a full bowl of mashed potatoes.

"You’re really going to eat all that."

"...Yes... but seriously, I didn’t pick the big steak on purpose..."

"I’m usually not one to have a huge appetite, but seeing such an obvious difference kind of pisses me off."

"......."

"If you don’t leave a single scrap, I’ll let it slide."

...I can do it... right? No, I have to. He’s holding a knife right now.

"Enjoy your meal...."

Maybe because I’d already shared a few meals with Yoon Taeo, it didn’t feel that awkward anymore. Although, at home, it was the first time... no, we did have ramen that once. Come to think of it, I’d been sharing meals with him a lot lately. Maybe that’s why. It felt like the psychological distance had gotten smaller.

"You remember you’re under disciplinary action as acting General Secretary, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you also know what you’re supposed to do."

"...Yes..."

Sadly, I knew. Somehow, I had ended up the de facto second-in-command of the secretary team, which meant I had to take over the General Secretary’s duties for now.

"But."

"What now."

"...Why is the General Secretary being disciplined anyway? I mean, why not just... you know... ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) kill him...?"

Even as we spoke, Yoon Taeo never paused his meal, but now his gaze locked onto me. He stared for a long time, as if trying to parse the real meaning behind my question, before he finally spoke.

"You're more ambitious than you look."

"No! That’s not what I meant at all...."

"Or are you asking why I’m keeping a thief who’s been embezzling company funds alive?"

Startled, I stopped eating. Yoon Taeo... knew about it?

"You... knew?"

"Of course I knew."

"Then why are you just leaving him alone?"

In the original story, the General Secretary was the first to abandon Yoon Taeo when crisis struck. He embezzled the company's slush fund and disappeared without a trace. Because of the company's problems and his own psychological issues, Yoon Taeo never even tried to catch him and ended up stabbed in the back.

"You could call it a tradition, I guess. If you turn a blind eye when someone is only skimming small change, it keeps them from turning into real thieves."

It was the kind of explanation that sounded half understandable, half not.

"For now, it’s still just pocket money level, so I’m letting it slide. And that old man’s actually more capable than he looks. Surely you don’t think I’m running this company all by myself."

"I mean... yes...."

"If it bothers you that much, Secretary Kim, you can push that old man out yourself. If I had a replacement lined up, I’d cut his head off without hesitation."

"I-it’s fine! Really, it’s totally fine...!"

"You reacting like that makes me want to assign you even more."

Fucking lunatic. My intended career path was crystal clear: either Yoon Taeo would end up with his destined partner and reach his ending, or I would make my ‘safe resignation.’ Until then, all I wanted was to survive quietly without getting my throat slit. In other words, I didn’t want to take on even more responsibilities.

"...It’s enough for me that you already know."

Back when I watched the drama, I’d been so pissed off watching that ridiculous old man stab him in the back. It was probably meant to highlight just how alone Yoon Taeo was, with no one he could truly trust, but now, that scene wasn’t just fictional staging anymore—it was real, sitting right here in front of me.

"Since we’re on the subject, let me ask you a favor too."

"...A favor...?"

Yoon Taeo... could he even say words like that?

"I’d prefer if Secretary Team 1 stayed at the house only when I wasn’t around."

"...Excuse me...?"

Was he seriously saying he wanted me out of the house too? Really? If that’s the case, that would actually be amazing.

"I understa—"

"Except for you, Secretary Kim."

"......Yes... Ah, yes."

My overly eager response overlapped with Yoon Taeo’s voice. As if he had expected it, Yoon Taeo’s lips curled up into a faint smirk, like he had known exactly how I would react.

"Don’t be so obvious about being disappointed, Secretary Kim. It hurts my feelings."

"I’m not disappointed...."

Yoon Taeo looked genuinely amused. Seriously, seeing how much he enjoyed toying with people like this, his personality was absolute trash.

"I’m not joking. It’d be better if those useless idiots kept out of my sight."

...I’ll just have them do all the housework during the day. If they get everything done before I get off work, that would at least save me from having extra chores afterward. Sure, today’s mess was a nightmare, but in the end, this situation was working out in my favor. Well... except for the part where I have to fill in as the acting General Secretary.

"Um, sir."

Maybe because I couldn't tell if his words were a joke or not, I found myself getting a little braver too. Maybe it was because we had been eating together more often lately and he felt slightly less terrifying, or maybe I had just finally lost my survival instincts.

"What."

"Why didn’t you go to the lunch meeting with Yejun today?"

Finally, I asked the thing that had been bothering me all day. The root cause of this unusually exhausting day started right there. I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking no matter how hard I tried. Yoon Taeo didn’t immediately answer my question. He set down the knife, lightly gripped the neck of his wine glass, and slowly rolled it between his fingers.

"Who knows."

Without meeting my eyes, he stared at the red liquid swirling inside the transparent glass and spoke curtly. That was all.

"Let’s just say it was for no particular reason."

"...Ah, yes...."

I couldn’t press him any further. His voice was low and heavy, and it didn’t sound like he was joking. Besides, it wasn’t my place to demand confessions about his emotional state.

"You really are something, Secretary Kim."

"...Excuse me?"

I immediately shoved all other thoughts aside at the unexpected compliment.

"I didn’t think you’d actually manage to eat all of it. Seriously, are you starving yourself?"

When I came back to my senses, all I could see was an empty plate in front of me.

What the hell, where’d my steak go...?

"I guess I can’t dock your salary for the meal costs after all. What a shame."

Yoon Taeo stood up from the table. As he passed by, he ruffled my hair roughly with his hand.

Wait, did he just... hit me?

Anyway.

"Thanks for the meal."

"Yes... have a good rest."

Even after he left, I stayed sitting there. To be more precise, my legs were too weak to get up. My heart was pounding so hard, spreading a weird kind of resonance through my whole body, that I couldn’t even stand.

"Ah, Secretary Kim."

"Yes!"

I turned quickly at the sound of Yoon Taeo calling me.

"Reschedule the lunch date with that guy."

Leaving behind only that order—to reschedule a meeting with a Beta whose name he couldn’t even remember—Yoon Taeo disappeared into his room.

Somehow... I was left with a strange feeling.

A deep, hard-to-explain sense of dissatisfaction.