Chapter 8

“Of course, I’m not saying that you are, Yiseo. It’s just that, how should I put it? Our salary is quite decent, right? Your spending isn’t extravagant, but you seemed a bit too tight-fisted. A few years ago, when that kid had trouble with a loan, I saw a bit of my younger sibling in you, and that’s why I meddled. I’m sorry.”

If she were someone I wouldn’t see again, and if she hadn’t shown me any kindness until now, I would have snapped back to tell her not to take unnecessary interest.

But I had to continue working with her in the company. And it didn’t feel right to take a sharp attitude towards Natalie, who had treated me well until now.

“It’s okay. But since it’s a personal matter, you don’t need to worry about it, Natalie.”

I heard Natalie’s sincere apology, but once my nerves were on edge, they didn’t settle down easily, and naturally, my voice became sharp. An awkward silence enveloped the two of us.

“Shall we head back now?”

“Oh, right.”

Following Yeon Yiseo, who stood up first, Natalie moved as well. As they changed locations, the stiff atmosphere loosened a bit. Taking the opportunity, Natalie expressed her wish that they could come in 30 minutes late tomorrow, and Yeon Yiseo, unable to ignore that, smiled and agreed.

Although I felt much better, my condition hadn’t fully returned to normal, so I easily became fatigued. Perhaps due to the high fever I had, I still had muscle aches. I had heard that Alphas and Omegas had better self-healing abilities than Betas, and at times like this, I truly envied them.

However, if I were to list out the disappointments, there would be no end to it. If I had the luxury to grumble about unchanging matters, I should just get back to work, I admonished myself, and soon returned to the office, resuming my tasks while staring at the monitor.

By the time quitting time arrived, I thought this week had gone quite well. I finished a bit earlier than usual, and the owner of the sandwich shop, recognizing me, offered me a freshly made hash potato to take home if I wanted. Feeling good enough to hum a tune, I walked lightly.

As I stood in front of my apartment door, I suddenly stopped upon seeing a black silhouette. Somehow, it felt like things were going unusually well this time.

‘Like gambling... you know, something like that.’

I recalled what Natalie had said at lunch. Perhaps it would have been better if it were something like that. A sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.

The slanted black shadow noticed me and straightened up.

The next day.

Everyone who saw Yeon Yiseo widened their eyes in surprise. The curious gazes were still unfamiliar to him. However, even Yeon Yiseo would have definitely stopped to check if he saw someone in such a state.

When he checked his face in the bathroom that morning, his left cheek was swollen and red. It was obvious to the naked eye, so it would take more time to go down enough to not be noticeable. Even if it was the weekend, he would have tried various methods to address it, but since it had happened just last night, he couldn’t do anything.

In a hurry, he had applied ice to his cheek, and it seemed that was all he could do. Thankfully, it hadn’t swollen up to his eyes. He was relieved it was only this much. However, it was unavoidable that that it throbbed a bit when he spoke or moved to eat.

As he entered the office, Natalie’s eyes widened even more, and his mouth dropped open.

“Yiseo? No, what happened? Your face! Your cheek, what’s going on?”

“I tripped over a bottle that was at my feet while getting up from the sofa last night and fell onto the table.”

Yeon Yiseo clenched one fist and tapped the other hand to convey the message of his collision. Upon hearing the explanation, Natalie frowned as if she had witnessed the situation firsthand. Yeon Yiseo felt tense, wondering if she would ask any questions about his injury, but fortunately, she didn’t say anything else.

Whether it was because of what happened yesterday or if she simply believed Yeon Yiseo’s words, there was no way to confirm, but it was a relief that he didn’t have to come up with another excuse. Natalie frowned, her lips painted with lipstick.

“Oh dear. That must have hurt. Did you do the hot compress properly?”

“Yes. That’s why it’s like this.”

“It’s such a pretty face; it makes me upset.”

“Ahaha. Thank you.”

After expressing his gratitude with a somewhat inaccurate pronunciation towards Natalie, who was making a face as if she was the one who got hurt, Yeon Yiseo sat down at his desk. He wanted to correct Natalie’s comment about his “pretty face,” perhaps because he still felt grateful for the help he had received with the documents, but he didn’t want to nitpick over trivial matters.

Fortunately, because of being the CEO’s secretary, there was a partition separating Natalie and Yeon Yiseo’s office from the other employees, which was a relief. If it weren’t for that, he would have had to deal with curious gazes and worried comments from others all day long.

Today, Ethan was out for an external schedule. Just because Ethan wasn’t there didn’t mean Yeon Yiseo’s workload decreased. Today, he particularly didn’t want to run into him.

It was awkward to speak with a swollen face, but more than that, he didn’t want his subdued mood to be noticed. Although he tried his best not to show it, it was difficult to keep his feelings hidden, and he worried that his mood might be visible to others. Therefore, it seemed better to have fewer interactions with people.

“Natalie, I’m going to the General Affairs Department.”

“Got it.”

After exchanging a light nod with Natalie, Yeon Yiseo pressed the elevator button and waited. As he watched the number 23 on the floor indicator, he tapped his feet nervously.

Ding. With a cheerful notification sound, the elevator doors opened. Habitually about to step in, Yeon Yiseo noticed someone already inside and stopped his movement.

It was Ethan. He hadn’t heard that he was returning to the office today.

“Hello, CEO.”

“Ah, good lunch.”

Yeon Yiseo felt Ethan’s gaze land on his cheek. It felt a bit awkward to be in the elevator alone with him. After confirming that the button for the 55th floor was lit, he pressed the button for the 40th floor and stood next to Ethan, facing forward.

Was the Strategic Planning Office on the 55th floor? As he thought about it, Yeon Yiseo caught a glimpse of their reflections in the polished elevator doors.

Standing side by side like this, the difference in their physiques was striking. They looked almost like an uncle and a niece. Had Ethan grown this much? As Yeon Yiseo glanced at Ethan, their eyes met.

“That.”

“Uh, yes?”

Surprised by the sudden words, his voice wavered. Yeon Yiseo cleared his throat softly and turned his body toward Ethan. Ethan tapped his left cheek with his index finger. Realizing what he meant, Yeon Yiseo opened his mouth in understanding.

“This? I tripped over a bottle that was at my feet while getting up from the sofa last night and fell onto the table.”

“Oh dear.”

Ethan slightly furrowed his brows.

“It didn’t look like that; I guess you’re a bit clumsy.”

Noticing a hint of laughter in his voice, Yeon Yiseo flinched for a moment. In the original in-game novel My Beloved Beta from Sickly Villain, the reason Ethan became interested in Yeon Yiseo was that he discovered the gap between his appearance and his true personality.

Since it was Alexander who found Yeon Yiseo collapsed at the presentation, it seemed a bit different from the original work, but now this was happening.

Of course, in the original novel, the flow was that the lively and confident Yeon Yiseo showed a delicate and innocent side, which was somewhat different from now, but he couldn’t help but feel concerned. He couldn’t shake the thought that the compulsion of the original work seemed to be creating situations in some way.

“Hmm.”

Perhaps because it was a confined space, Yeon Yiseo heard Ethan’s soft voice. When he asked what was wrong, Ethan tilted his head slightly.

“I feel like I haven’t had many opportunities to talk with you like this. I mostly talk with Natalie. Now that I think about it, I wonder if you’ve been doing that on purpose.”

“Of course not. That’s not it.”

He was sharp. It wasn’t just a guess; it was true. Yeon Yiseo wanted to be around Ethan. Yet, he also wanted to maintain a certain distance, and finding that balance was quite difficult. What he hoped for from the characters, including Ethan, was simply, “Ah, it’s Yeon Yiseo. I know him.”

If that were the case, it wouldn’t be difficult to receive recommendations after leaving Daimin. At the same time, he judged that to avoid developing into a romantic relationship like in the original work, it would be best to minimize close contact as much as possible.

Looking nervously at the rapidly ascending numbers, Yeon Yiseo felt grateful that his floor was getting closer.