“...An Oga?”
“Oh. I know it’s unlikely, but you look young, Team Leader, and your physique... You just seem like an Oga... But, um, I an that in a good way! Like, you look pretty, so don’t take it the wrong way!”
No. What you just said to clarify is actually bothering more.
It’s true that Ogas generally have more delicate and attractive features compared to Betas. That’s just how they were designed as a group. However, I, Baek Sieon, due to my late manifestation, looked sowhat different from the typical Oga. As long as I hid my pheromones well, I thought I could pass as a Beta without much suspicion.
“Well... Alright. I’ll take it as a complint.”
But listening to the chick’s words stirred a small unease within . I knew that as ti passed after manifestation, the traces of a Beta would gradually fade, and one’s appearance would align more closely with that of an Oga. Maybe the people at the company hadn’t noticed since they’d seen before my manifestation, but as ti went on, more people might start noticing sothing off. Like this chick did.
“You’re an Alpha, right, Gyuil?”
“Oh, yes... Not as dominant as our CEO, though.”
That makes sense. These days, I’d been dealing with Alphas like Yoon Taeo and Kang Seokho, who both had that rough, imposing vibe. I guess I’d missed the subtle Alpha cues in Gyuil. If I hadn’t caught that fleeting, beast-like glint in his eyes typical of Alphas, I might not have realized he was one.
“Why would an Alpha join our company...?”
“Well, Alphas co in different types, you know.”
Gyuil wore a sowhat bitter expression as he stepped out of the now-open elevator. Holding the door for to exit, he didn’t bother to hide the obvious story lingering behind his expression. But I didn’t ask. Yeah. Every grave has its story, and he must have his share of troubles too. But my own worries are so massive that I can’t afford to shoulder soone else’s burdens right now.
“Hello.”
The cafeteria was nearly empty. I’d worried that I might have been too late and that the chicken might be sold out, but thankfully, it wasn’t. After confirming that the al was still available, I quickly placed my order.
“Two chickens, please.”
Judging by the size, it looked like they had made the samgyetang with chicks rather than full-grown chickens. It seed like I’d need to eat three or four to feel full, but for now, I’d start with two.
“You’re going to eat all that...?”
Ah, our little chick seems surprised. The tone of Won Gyuil’s ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) voice, trailing behind while holding his own tray, was laced with astonishnt.
“Why would I starve myself for anyone’s sake? If I’m hungry, the only one who loses is . What glory is there in skipping als to work? We’re all working to eat, aren’t we?”
“Are you... saying that for to hear...?”
The cafeteria was nearly empty. Won Gyuil placed his tray across from and scratched his cheek. He wasn’t completely oblivious, at least.
“What I an is, from now on, even if you’re alone, co here and eat. Don’t skip als.”
I started eating first. If the chick got the hint, he’d start eating too.
“Okay, I will.”
And as expected, Won Gyuil picked up his chopsticks. Watching him now, he didn’t seem like a complete idiot. But considering how tough working under Yoon Taeo was, even a sane person might start looking incompetent. It was a harsh reality.
“It’d be nice to have lunch with you every day, Team Leader.”
Yeah, no. I can handle having a al with the chick every now and then, but I’m not generous enough to babysit him daily. Well... at least until the casino permit deal is settled.
“Well, I—”
I was just about to give a half-hearted response when—THUNK! A tray slamd down onto our table. Just like that.
Soup from the samgyetang splattered everywhere. Turning my head, I glared, trying to identify the bastard who’d pulled such a stunt.
“My hand slipped.”
But the sight of the person standing beside made the anger bubbling up inside fizzle out instantly. With one hand shoved casually into his pocket, Yoon Taeo stood there, expression calm and casual as if he was telling the most mundane lie in the world.
“President...? What are you doing here? What about your lunch?”
Instinctively, I stood up. Seeing him here was shocking. He was supposed to be at a luncheon with the other CEOs in the financial sector, and he shouldn’t have been back for at least another hour. Besides, Yoon Taeo eating in the cafeteria? Not a chance.
“Aren’t you going to wipe it up for ?”
“Huh...?”
Yoon Taeo subtly tilted his head, gesturing to his hand. His voice carried a hint of irritation. I couldn’t even see it properly, but a bit of chicken broth seed to have splashed onto the back of his hand. What am I supposed to do with this brat?
“Oh, my... You should have been more careful, President! What if you got burned? If you’d told , I would have brought the food up to your office.”
I quickly pulled out my handkerchief and began wiping the broth off the back of Yoon Taeo’s hand. Sohow, I felt like I was using this handkerchief more for Yoon Taeo’s sake than my own. For good asure, I made a big fuss, turning his hand over to check if he was burned. As if his fist, capable of smashing through a human skull, would get hurt by so hot soup.
“That’s enough. I’m fine now.”
“Please, have a seat, President. I’ll go get you a fresh al.”
“No need. I’ll just eat what’s here.”
Only after I’d finished wiping his hand did Yoon Taeo’s voice return to normal. He was the one who’d dropped the tray, so why did he seem so annoyed? Yoon Taeo sat down right next to .
“...Didn’t you eat anything at the luncheon?”
“The food there was awful. Don’t schedule for any more luncheons at that place.”
Who the hell goes to luncheons to eat, you brat? It’s just about making connections and showing your face. How is it that he becos such a wreck the mont I take my eyes off him for even a second?
“You’re not eating? Looks like you ordered two chickens.”
“Oh... Yeah. Let’s eat. Enjoy your al.”
I glanced at the chick sitting across from . He already looked like he was about to pass out. His face had gone pale, almost to the point of turning blue. Is this what it’s like when Alphas intimidate each other? When an ordinary Alpha faces a dominant one like Yoon Taeo, does it suppress them? Just to clarify, there’s no Oga here.
“By the way, what happened to the deputy team leader who went with you? Why’d you co back alone?”
“Who knows.”
“You didn’t... co here alone, did you...?”
“Who knows.”
What the hell? Are we playing word gas now? I glanced up from my al, and Yoon Taeo gave a brief, insincere smile.
“No way!”
“3rd Team Leader took care of him. Whatever happens is up to him.”
...Great. Another vacancy. I wonder what he did wrong this ti. Well, the guy had been with the company for a while, so hopefully, he won’t end up dead. I resud eating. I really didn’t want to know any more details.
“T-Team Leader... Can I... leave now?”
Won Gyuil’s trembling voice broke through as we were in the middle of the al.
“Go ahead.”
Before I could even respond, Yoon Taeo gave his permission. Before I could even ask Won Gyuil if he wanted to stay and finish his al, he had already grabbed his tray and bolted out of the cafeteria at lightning speed.
“Ah... I brought him here to get him to eat a proper al....”
“Now that I think about it, we don’t really need him for the casino permit.”
What kind of bullshit is that? The resort opening is already a problem, but getting the casino permit? That’s sothing even Yoon Taeo can’t handle on his own. In the original novel, everything was completely stalled without Won Gyuil’s help.
“But why bother taking the hard way when the easy way is right there? Just wait a bit longer.”
I couldn’t tell him the truth, so I said sothing vague. It was true, though. Using Won Gyuil to secure the resort permit was the easiest and most effective way.
“But... what are you doing...?”
“What?”
I’d been eating for a while now, but sothing felt... off. No matter how much I ate, the samgyetang didn’t seem to diminish. I swear I’d already eaten four chicken legs, yet there were still two more sitting in the bowl. The empty bones were piling up in the dish, but the samgyetang in front of seed to be endlessly replenishing itself.
“...Why aren’t you eating and just...?”
The culprit was Yoon Taeo. He was ticulously stripping the chicken at with his chopsticks and placing it into my bowl as if he were expertly filleting a fish with a sashimi knife. I’d been so caught up in the conversation that I hadn’t even noticed.
“You didn’t really think I’d eat this, did you?”
“Well... no, but still....”
“Hurry up and eat. You have an executive eting this afternoon.”
At Yoon Taeo’s urging, I had no choice but to keep moving my chopsticks. anwhile, more expertly stripped chicken at kept getting piled into my bowl.
“So, you eat three chickens at once, huh. No wonder the house managent fees have gone up lately.”
If I said I felt like I was about to start spitting out chicks, would he believe ? I couldn’t even respond to his nonsense. Whether the maintenance fees were 200 million won or 202 million won, what difference did it make? I’d bet my life that Yoon Taeo had no clue how much the managent fees even were.
“I’m just trying to bulk up for the winter....”
“How many more excuses like that do you have stored up in that head of yours? I’d almost like to open it up and see.”
...Did he just say he’d crack my skull open and see what’s inside if I said one more word? And he said it with that smile. This crazy bastard.
“...W-Would you like so coffee...?”
Yeah, I need to get him out of here as soon as possible. Most of the coffee Yoon Taeo drank was brewed in the office anyway, so all I really needed to do was grab one for myself. This was just an excuse to send him away.
After seeing him off in the elevator, I went down to the first-floor franchise café and ordered an iced Aricano packed with ice. There’s nothing better than sipping cold coffee in a stiflingly hot office.
“Team Leader!”
But the mont I stepped back into the office, the atmosphere was tense.
“It’s bad....”
“What now?”
The kind of news that cos with this kind of ominous atmosphere is never good.
“The President... He’s in a rut cycle.”
Ah, shit. I felt the ground spin beneath .
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