Please Be Quiet And Take Off Your “Something” - Chapter 77

Seung-Jae was smoking a cigarette, standing with a handsome expression and his face purposely visible to all, when he suddenly turned around as if he had inadvertently choked on his tongue.

With his personality, if it was not for Na-Yool, his senior, he would have kicked his desk and resigned in less than two months.

In Na-Yool’s words, Seung-Jae was “the type of artist who will always starve to death due to his indolence to consent”. He was a talented person, an extremist who, when he was drawn to a concept, would even skip both meals and sleep for a few days to create a work of art. But incompetent with anything else. In a word, someone unfitting into the company. Someone who had no idea nor motivation when facing a task he did not want to do…

Because of that, the hardship was really excruciating. Of course, for Na-Yool. Even now, Seung-Jae’s temperament was still the same. But now he had at least learnt to deal with it in a businesslike way, and had therefore undoubtedly become a different person. It was all thanks to Na-Yool’s care and patience. Seung-Jae remembered the moment when Na-Yool had smiled brightly and waved her hand through the closing door of the subway.

How could there be no feelings…

The statement applied to either of them. To Na-Yool, who endured twice more of all kinds of work for him, and to Seung-Jae himself, who had to bear seeing her doing so every day while she did not even treat him as a man.

No matter how good his senior’s work guidance was, it was not enough to survive in this company. Because at Ethical Communications, once your work starts becoming a bit worthwhile, it is only the beginning of being crushed to death with more.

That’s why, if she had not smiled like that back then…

Her smile had brought him comfort, had tricked his brain into thinking that this place was worth working for, after all, and somehow, while he hung tight to his job, it had caused…

…such a shameful delusion.

At first, and around that time, he thought that Na-Yool liked him. With absolute conviction, at that.

Na-Yool had never shown any particular signs and never acted more friendly than necessary, but Seung-Jae somehow got mistaken then. As she was overall nice to him, it might have felt like finding a haven to rest his weary mind. Speculating that her moderate kindness and friendliness were the blatant proof of some sweet affection, he had found out she harbored hidden feelings for him.

‘Hidden feelings’, not even close!

Seung-Jae, who had always been enjoying all the benefits of being handsome, could not even imagine the cold distance set by Na-Yool. He thought only unattractive losers were capable of such delusion… For he had easily gotten women’s favors and always been loved back by the ones he liked, he had taken this delusion as a self-evident fact. That is, until Na-Yool clearly drew a line over and over. Anything more was not possible.

“…So, shall we reset the advertisement for the Gimpo Daewoon Hills condominium and toss it to Lavi? They seem very eager, judging from how they keep making attempts at it…”

As he nipped his already half-consumed cigarette in a daze, a familiar voice and face drew Seung-Jae’s consciousness back to the present. Kim PD’s voice soaked in alcohol invading the smoking room, and…

“It’s problematic for sure, but there’s no need to go so far as doing them any favor.”

… an annoyingly conceited face, like being the ruler of this world.

President Kwon.

The instant he discovered Si-Jin, Seung-Jae’s expression turned terribly sour, as if by instinct. But of course, he collected himself just as fast. His expression changed back in a flash to his usual demeanor.

“You’re right, but what if it gives the impression that we have thrown aside the client first…? Eh, Lee Seung-Jae!”

With perfect timing, Kim PD noticed Seung-Jae and was delighted. The gaze that was on Kim PD naturally shifted towards Seung-Jae. He greeted the gaze with a bow of his head.

“Mr. President, Kim PD. Did you two enjoy lunch?”

“Yes, we had a meeting with Gwangbo Pharmaceutical today. Thanks to the President, I was able to enjoy an expensive meal!”

“How lucky. Where did you go?”

“You know, in Yeoksam, the Japanese restaurant I told you about, where the food is to die for? Just the price for one sushi is… how much was it… anyway, there. Ah, got some fire?”

Seung-Jae respectfully lit the thin cigarette in Kim PD’s mouth, then silently raised the lighter to Si-Jin with an interrogative look.

“I don’t smoke.” He plainly answered.

“Ah……”

“Is the President the same as us? He already quit such a bad habit!”

By the looks of it, Si-Jin seemed to have only stopped by in the middle of discussing with Kim PD. Seung-Jae nodded nervously and put out his cigarette. Kim PD, as one rare employee who does not walk on eggshells around Si-Jin, smoked his cigarette regardless of Si-Jin’s non-smoker status. But then, lo and behold, drove the whole conversation to an unexpected direction, completely stranding away from the original topic.

“By the way, Seung-Jae, how is it going?”

“What is?”

“You know, that thing with Kim Na-Yool. Ah, could it be that you don’t know yet, Mr. President? That guy, with Kim Na-Yool, I heard they are dat…”

“I’ve roughly heard.”

Si-Jin cut Kim PD’s words off with a stern face. His usual cold and indifferent gaze drifted towards Seung-Jae, when sudden and inexplicable clouds of annoyance gathered in his shiny black eyes.

I don’t know what this look is for but…

He was fucked, for sure. Such was Seung-Jae’s spontaneous first thought.

Of all people, why did Kim PD say these words right in front of President Kwon?!? It was just this Monday that Seung-Jae had been ground down to his soul over last week’s work issue. It goes without saying that Na-Yool was the object of a special handling. Because when it came to Na-Yool, President Kwon always seemed to find fault with her, even in trivial things such as the way she breathes.

But would Na-Yool and Seung-Jae dare leisurely flirt with each other in front of President Kwon? Only if they had a death wish!

“What’s wrong, Mr. President?”

“Ah, Kim PD!”

Seung-Jae was desperate to shut Kim PD’s mouth. However, it was impossible, and Kim PD’s guilty gossiping tongue continued to chatter on in excitement.

“Oh, has it already spread this much? Even Mr. President, who is not interested in petty rumors, knows about it!”

“Isn’t it all because of you, Kim PD!?!”

“Hang on, let’s be clear. Aren’t you the one being too obvious? With that lovestruck gaze of yours when looking at Kim Na-Yool.”

“No, you are wrong, really! What lovestruck gaze, looking at whom…”

“You punk, dare deny that again?”

Pretending to be deeply offended by Seung-Jae, Kim PD jokingly hooked his neck with his arm in a fake fist of anger. Seung-Jae pulled his head out of the grip with genuine annoyance. He then sputtered to Si-Jin:

“It is a false rumor, Mr. President. It is not true at all.”

“What do you mean, not true! Wow, what a joke! Don’t you think so, Mr. President?”

“Mr. President, you know that Kim PD likes to ship people as he pleases, right?”

“That, I know.”

“Ouch, I’m really disappointed. Even Mr. President treats me like this…”

“But it’s not baseless talk either. Isn’t it?”

Si-Jin, who seemed to agree with Seung-Jae’s words a second ago, dropped a casual bomb. His indifferent “isn’t it” caught Seung-Jae off guard, flipping his brain over. Kim PD promptly raised his head towards him with a triumphant air.

“Exactly! Like Mr. President said, it’s not totally groundless!”

“Hold on, what tells you that there is something between me and her?!? I swear, there is nothing! If you keep this up, I will get scolded by Ms. Na-Yool.”

“How, how will she scold you? By showering you with love?”

“You are killing me, really! Mr. President, do you not hate such childish word play? Please do something about this mouth!”

“It’s bearable.”

“……”