Chapter 18
That gentle, deep baritone made Seora’s heart tremble.
As she cautiously approached him, Taewook caught her wrist as if he had been waiting, and pulled her straight into his arms.
“Ah…!”
Startled by the sudden force, a small gasp escaped her lips, but he hushed her softly.
Before she realized it, Seora was sitting sideways on top of Taewook’s thigh like a child perched on a parent’s lap.
His legs were so long that her feet dangled helplessly in the air.
Her heartbeat pounded loudly as she looked up at him, cheeks burning red.
“T-Team Leader… Sitting like this is too embarrassing…”
“Let’s just talk like this for a moment.”
She could clearly feel the firm muscles of his thigh beneath her, and Seora fidgeted, not knowing what to do with herself.
He simply held her wrist in place, his other hand resting on the desk.
“Weren’t you curious about the intern? You even sent me a message about it.”
“Ah—right.”
Finally getting a hold of herself, Seora suppressed the fluster from their intimate position and asked her question.
“I was curious about how Jung-wook suddenly ended up joining our team.”
As if he expected this question, Taewook closed his eyes, sighed briefly, and replied calmly.
“He wanted to join my team, so our father placed him here as an intern.”
“Your father… you mean the Chairman of our company, right? And you’re receiving management training as well, aren’t you?”
“That’s correct.”
“Huh-up!”
Seora clapped both hands over her mouth, nearly choking on surprise. Taewook responded in an even more composed tone.
“JK isn’t some massive conglomerate. Nothing to be so stunned about. It’s just a family business, and I’m preparing to inherit it.”
“Oh…”
He said it as if it were trivial, but to Seora, who grew up in an ordinary family, that background sounded extraordinary.
“But you don’t like being around your younger brother. Working together on the same team… is that okay with you?”
This question made Taewook fall silent.
His eyes turned distant. He pressed his lips together, exhaling quietly through his nose… He looked unmistakably uncomfortable.
“Even so… given the situation, I’ll have to take care of him and guide him until he’s reassigned.”
“Why do you dislike him so much? Was there some story between you two?”
“…Imagine being born and finding another person who looks exactly like you. It’s not a pleasant feeling.”
R-Really…?
“If I’m someone who always gave my all, never let go of first place, and lived with a fire in my eyes—while my brother is a free spirit who only does what he wants… how do you think that works when trying to have a proper conversation? His troubles caused Father to constantly reprimand him, and Mother exhausted herself trying to mediate until she fell ill.”
“…”
“Growing up watching our household constantly fall into turmoil because of him… naturally, I drifted away. And because we look the same, people kept confusing us—calling me him, or him me. Like that incident when you were carried to my parents’ house. I’ve lived thirty years dealing with that.”
“Oh…”
“When people can’t tell the difference between me and that good-for-nothing and keep asking, and asking again who is who… it’s infuriating. I’ve worked so hard to get where I am, yet sometimes it feels like all that effort goes to waste because people mix us up.”
“I had no idea… That must’ve been really difficult.”
Thinking back to how their team members had been confused about whether there were two team leaders… Seora could understand it a little better now.
“And if Jung-wook ever takes advantage of that—if he plays with people by pretending to be me—then it becomes an even bigger problem.”
“He plays with people?”
“He approaches people who know me, lets them mistake him for me, and toys with their feelings. Something like that.”
“What? Jung-wook did that?”
Seora’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe it.
At that moment, Taewook cupped her chin, gently lifting her face to look at him—his gaze deep and close, as if he might kiss her.
“That’s why I told you to distinguish us properly.”
“I-It’s hard to believe. When I spoke with him earlier today, he seemed kind and funny.”
Taewook’s eyes instantly cooled.
“When?”
“Eh? Oh… this morning, before you arrived.”
“Where.”
“We ran into each other near the restroom by chance.”
“What did you talk about?”
His voice dropped low, heavy with pressure, and a chill ran down Seora’s spine.
“J-Just a simple greeting. And I apologized for my mistake last time.”
Taewook stayed silent.
Tick, tick, tick—only the wall clock in his office broke the stillness.
“You’re not lying?”
“…What?”
“It was truly nothing more than greetings and an apology? Nothing else happened?”
“N-Nothing. Really. I’m not lying.”
Again.
He was acting exactly like the time in the car, when he’d bristled and questioned her sharply about Jung-wook.
Seora couldn’t understand why he reacted with such suspicion and unease every time his brother was involved.
‘Did something serious happen in the past because Jung-wook pretended to be him…?’
Here she was, sitting on his lap in an intimate pose lovers would take—and yet the topic was so heavy.
Feeling the atmosphere stiffen, Seora quickly switched topics.
“Oh! Team Leader, a-about your promotion!”
She raised her tone deliberately, trying to brighten the mood. His stern expression slowly softened.
“You heard the rumor?”
“Yes. I overheard someone from another department whispering that you might be promoted to department head.”
Taewook responded with a dry gaze and indifferent tone.
“Becoming department head was inevitable. It was only a matter of time.”
“Then… does that mean we won’t be able to see you anymore?”
She hesitated before speaking. Taewook lowered his gaze to her, quiet.
“Why. Would you miss me?”
“That’s… well…”
Face burning again, Seora struggled for an answer.
“I just like working under you. I learn a lot, and I feel like we work well together, so… I’d be sad if you left.”
Taewook’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“That’s the only reason?”
“Huh?”
Ah…
Her face turned beet red. Taewook didn’t move at all, but his soft gaze made everything worse.
“Well… it’s not the only reason…”
Her ears turned scarlet as she confessed. Taewook smiled deeper.
“Then that’s enough. Because for the same reason, I’m starting to feel I don’t want to leave this team either. And the reassignment is still far off, so you don’t need to worry yet.”
He placed a large hand gently against her back, leaned down, and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose.
The moist, sweet touch brushed and disappeared, sending a shiver through her.
He stroked her back tenderly.
Sitting sideways on his thigh like a child and being patted like that—she felt like a little kid in front of a grown man.
“Really… there’s still a long time, right?”
“Yes. Really.”
He nodded softly.
Only then did relief spread across Seora’s lips.
The fear of him being promoted and leaving melted away.
Their secret office romance remained safe and intact.
A few days passed since the new intern joined the Business Support Team.
The intern worked hard, learning the job with the guidance and help of the team members.
Of course, every morning when Jung-wook arrived, everyone would stand and greet, “Good morning, Team Leader!”—causing daily chaos.
Jung-wook would smile brightly and reply, “I’m just the intern,” leaving everyone embarrassed.
Then the opposite happened: when Taewook arrived, the team members would say, “Oh, Jung-wook, you’re here? Please re-submit the documents I asked for yesterday,” prompting Taewook to fume.
“…I’m the Team Leader.”
“Gasp! T-Team Leader! I-I’m so sorry!”
After days of this happening repeatedly, Seora could tell Taewook’s mood was gradually worsening.
