Home/The Secretary's Dignity/ch62

Chapter 62

The passengers on the bus fell into two categories: those too exhausted from working late to keep their heads up, nodding off, and those glued to their phones, unable to tear their eyes away. The bus was quiet—no one was making noise. But there were two who didn't fit either category. Hae-joon had turned his head toward Si-hyun, facing her directly.

"Move back a little. You don't like being this close, President."

As if determined not to let her escape, he used his tall frame to box her in. With him planted right there, Si-hyun, trapped by the window, had nowhere to go.

"Trying to run away like last time?"

"Run away! That's not—"

She couldn't even remember how she'd sprinted to that taxi that day. She'd just been driven by a single thought: I have to get out of here.

Even as she ran, she'd kept questioning what she'd heard. The President couldn't possibly have said that.

Sure, she'd run to a taxi, but it wasn't running away.

"That day it was raining, and taxis were hard to come by. One just happened to arrive, so I took it."

"Is that so?"

Hae-joon smiled ambiguously and shifted even closer.

"Then today we can continue the conversation we didn't finish. No taxi to run to this time."

Why did his smile look so wicked? She felt like a rat in a trap.

"First, tell me why you want to quit."

The biggest reason was Chairman Kim. Though he'd phrased it as a suggestion, it was practically an order. A mere employee had no power to defy him. He was the king of Hanil Group, and she was at the bottom of the ladder, a contract worker. If Chairman Kim unilaterally fired her, she'd have no recourse. She should be grateful he'd even offered a recommendation.

"Three years working for you is a long time, President."

"What?"

She couldn't tell him the truth. If she was leaving anyway, she wanted to do it quietly, causing as little trouble for Hae-joon as possible. It was a courtesy to the boss she'd served for three years. If Hae-joon confronted Chairman Kim, it would only make things worse for him.

"The nine people before me—they all quit for a reason. It's hard work."

She stopped, about to say more. Even as she spoke, she felt a pang of guilt. It was true that being his secretary wasn't easy, but she hadn't wanted to put it like that. She just had no other excuse.

"You only eat sealed food, same with drinks. If even one thing on your desk is out of place, you complain. A single typo in a report and you're in a bad mood all day, making everyone walk on eggshells. Want me to go on?"

She was acting like someone who had no tomorrow. Since she'd already told him she was quitting, and leaving was a foregone conclusion, she just let it all out. If she was clear enough, maybe she could leave without regret.

"That's what you're unhappy about?"

"Yes. That's why I'm quitting."

She said it firmly. There was no turning back now—she'd crossed the point of no return. Hae-joon's expression didn't look good. He seemed deep in thought. If he turned those thoughts into words, she could only imagine how venomous they'd be. He might even tell her not to show up tomorrow.

She waited silently for his response. If she was going to get hit, better now. She averted her gaze and looked out the window.

"What if I change?"

"Huh?"

Her head snapped back toward him. What was wrong with him lately? He'd been acting strange—was he actually going crazy?

"What if I change?"

"Change what?"

"Everything you just said. If there's anything else that's bothered you, say it now. All of it."

Kim Hae-joon was not someone who gave up his territory. He had no reason to accommodate others; if someone didn't fit his standards, he'd cut them loose without hesitation. That was his rule, his way of life. Si-hyun had concluded as much over three years of watching him. And now he was saying something that completely contradicted that.

"Why would you change, President? Just do as you always do."

"Why are you making such a fuss when I'm offering to listen to your complaints?"

That's not your character. The words rose to her throat, but she held them back. His eyes looked resolute, like someone confessing to a lifetime of sins.

"Then there's no reason for you to quit, right?"

"Uh... well..."

"Okay. Next."

What's okay! She was dumbfounded. He talked, made his own conclusions, and moved on. She was about to protest when a sharp, unpleasant smell hit her nose.

"Hoo... haa..."

A man who'd just boarded the bus was breathing heavily, hovering near Hae-joon. Clearly drunk, his flushed face demanded Hae-joon move over, then he sat in the middle of the back row. Hae-joon grimaced, covering his nose with a handkerchief, and pressed even closer to Si-hyun.

"It's because of the guy next to me."

He offered an unsolicited excuse. The smell was strong even for Si-hyun, so for Hae-joon, with his germaphobia, it must have been unbearable. Yet he was enduring it. Impressive for someone who would normally have bolted.

"Then just go for today. We can talk another time."

"No."

He spoke with a slightly nasal tone, still covering his nose. The mix of his subtle cologne and the drunk man's alcohol fumes was nauseating. Si-hyun, used to late-night rides home, had encountered smelly buses before, but for Hae-joon, it was a first.

She resolved to let him do whatever he wanted. He wouldn't listen anyway.

"We're not done. I'm going to quit within this month..."

"Youth unemployment is a big issue these days. You want to join that statistic?"

Was he really bringing youth unemployment into this? Getting off work late only to hear that was bizarre.

"Or did someone offer you a position?"

He was hitting too close to home, as if he knew something. Chairman Kim had said he'd find her a spot—a good one, even. But she had no intention of taking it. Accepting would mean staying under his influence. If she quit, she wanted a fresh start.

"For example, if someone made you a job offer—someone you know asked you to work together, or made a good offer at a new company—are you holding out for something like that?"

Where are these oddly specific examples coming from? She was even more baffled.

"A job offer? What are you talking about? Who would make an offer to a contract secretary?"

"You sure?"

"Why would I lie?"

"Then that's a relief."

Relief about what? She couldn't predict where this conversation was going.

"There are people who target people who've just quit. Why? Because that's when they're most vulnerable. You've left your job, the future is uncertain, and you feel like you need to belong somewhere. So when someone approaches you with an offer, you jump at it. That's how people get scammed."

She wanted to ask, Are you really President Kim Hae-joon? She seriously suspected someone else was wearing his mask. There was no way, no reason, for him to talk like this.

"How would you know? You've never quit a job."

There was no way he had. Someone who'd started as an executive from day one wouldn't understand a quitting worker's mind. But the detail in his warnings was suspicious. And how did it suddenly lead to scam prevention?

"Do you have to quit to know that?"

He spoke confidently, but in truth, he'd researched it. He'd browsed bookstores, reading books written by people who'd quit their jobs. From his perspective, he couldn't understand Si-hyun's intentions. He wanted to crawl into her head and read her thoughts, but he couldn't. The best he could do was read books by people in similar situations and repackage their advice.

"Anyway, you have no reason to quit now. And if anyone approaches you with an offer, ignore it. It's probably a scam."

He urged her firmly, preparing for the possibility that Jeong-woo might make a tempting proposal. He had to be ready.

"Do you really have to go that far? What if it's a genuinely good offer?"

"That kind of careless thinking invites danger."

"Did you get scammed before?"

"Me? Why would I?"

She still couldn't follow his reasoning, but she figured being cautious couldn't hurt. She decided to let it go. Overthinking would just give her a headache.

"Ugh..."

A sound of frustration escaped Hae-joon. Following his gaze to the left, she saw the drunk man's head tilting toward Hae-joon's shoulder. Hae-joon tried to push it away, but it kept lolling back, like a tumbler doll.

Watching him, she wondered why he was putting himself through this. He could have just talked to her at the office.

"Let's settle this for now."

Like a student finishing overdue homework, he concluded the matter and moved on.

"You still haven't answered what I asked that day."

"Ah..."

It was the topic she'd wanted to avoid most. She could still clearly hear his voice from that rainy day.

"Secretary Cha, do you dislike me?"

Back   Next