Chapter – 19
I should at least be able to tell the team leader apart. He already seems to be in a bad mood, so I shouldn’t be the one making a mistake.
With that firm resolve, Seol-a focused on her work.
After staring at the monitor for a while, she noticed the company messenger blinking.
Hm?
It was Jeong-uk. When she clicked it open, a message filled with the friendly tone he’d developed over the past few days popped up — calling her “puppy” in a teasing way no one else could see.
[Puppy-ssi. I need to go to the 3rd meeting room, but I can’t remember where it is. Come with me, please.]
Seol-a blinked rapidly and quickly typed a reply.
[I taught you yesterday. Just turn the corner on the 3rd floor, it’s right there.]
[Ah, I don’t remember. Not sure why my memory only works when it wants to. I think Puppy-ssi needs to personally take me there. The 3rd meeting room is quiet and cozy, I like it.]
[But Jeong-uk-ssi, how long are you going to call me ‘puppy’? Since you’re my junior, I’d appreciate it if you were careful with personal nicknames.]
[I’m the one who carried drunk Kim Seol-a home on my back and let her sleep at my place. Remember that?]
Ugh. He’s really using my embarrassing moment like this…?
His playful message made Seol-a let out a disbelieving laugh.
[…Fine. I’ll go with you this time, but please try to remember things when I tell you.]
[Oh, looks like I found a weakness. Then later, help me with my mid-year audit report too. I’ll treat you to a good meal in return.]
It had been less than a week, but Seol-a could feel how quickly she had grown closer to him.
Other team members also found Jeong-uk’s playful charm endearing; they laughed often and agreed he was attractive.
Jeong-uk’s personality was the exact opposite of Tae-uk.
Unlike the dignified and immaculate Tae-uk, Jeong-uk was full of aegyo and had a slippery, fox-like charm with his soft, relaxed demeanor.
While Tae-uk was usually expressionless or serious, Jeong-uk always had a smile on his face.
His tone was playful and bright — a stark contrast to Tae-uk’s stern and serious voice.
But when Jeong-uk wasn’t smiling or talking, it really was hard to tell him apart from Tae-uk, so employees often confused them.
Watching those mistakes, Seol-a once again told herself that she could never get them mixed up.
Jeong-uk stood by Manager Oh’s desk, receiving various instructions.
Manager Oh pointed at the monitor, and Jeong-uk quickly followed his finger, memorizing everything.
“Can you finish this by the day after tomorrow? If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask… there, you can ask Employee Kim Seol-a for help.”
“Understood. I will listen to Manager Oh’s words very well.”
With a grin, Jeong-uk returned to his desk and immediately messaged Seol-a.
[Maltese-ssi, you heard him, right? He said I can ask you if I don’t know something. When I have questions, I’ll message you. Reply quickly, okay?]
[Just admit you found an excuse to bother me.]
[How did you know? Correct. But I’ll buy you a nice dinner after work in return.]
[I’ll just accept the thought behind it.]
After all, it was her role as the junior employee to help train the intern.
Seol-a chuckled and minimized the chat window.
She could feel herself growing closer to Jeong-uk.
Although it was mostly because he had an outgoing personality and was the one actively approaching her, the closer they got, the more she thought about Tae-uk.
She had a feeling he wouldn’t like her becoming close with Jeong-uk.
After returning from lunch with the female employees, she found a grande-sized coffee on her desk.
“Who sent this?”
When she looked around, she made eye contact with Jeong-uk, sitting at the end of the cubicle row.
He gave her a wink. Clearly, it was from him.
She had answered his earlier question with great detail, so this was likely a small thank-you gift.
Seol-a lifted the cup slightly in a small nod to show her appreciation.
At that exact moment —
Tae-uk walked into the office.
He had just returned from lunch with other department heads, and what he saw was the exchange of signals between the two.
“…”
Seol-a holding up the takeaway coffee in acknowledgment toward Jeong-uk.
Tae-uk’s gaze quickly swept the other desks.
No one else had coffee. Only Seol-a.
And there was Jeong-uk, smiling and winking in a teasing way.
Sipping the drink and returning to her seat, Seol-a still hadn’t noticed Tae-uk’s arrival.
His eyes sharpened for a moment, then he silently walked past and entered his office.
Seeing him pass by, Jeong-uk quickly sat up straight.
Once the office door shut, he clicked into his messenger again.
Hyung, did you see? I’m getting close to Seol-a. It’s different from when it was with Mi-jin. I’m serious this time.
Thinking that to himself, he opened the chat with “HR Team – Staff Kim Seol-a”.
[Kim Seol-a-ssi, don’t always eat with the ladies. Have lunch with me next time. What do you like? Korean? Western? Chinese? Japanese? Just say the word.]
Seated with her coffee, Seol-a saw the incoming message and set her drink down to reply.
[You usually eat with the male employees. I’m more comfortable eating with the ladies. But thank you for the offer.]
She turned him down gently. Having lunch alone with Jeong-uk… she had a feeling Tae-uk wouldn’t like that.
Since the team leader doesn’t like Jeong-uk, I shouldn’t give him a reason to misunderstand.
She needed to keep boundaries.
The next day.
After finishing lunch with the female employees, Seol-a was about to follow them to the break room when she suddenly stopped.
She saw Tae-uk, alone, heading toward the emergency stairs by the elevator.
She was about to chat with the others, but seeing his back, she quietly said:
“I’ll head back first, something came up.”
“Oh? Okay, see you later.”
“Yes.”
As if drawn by a string, she followed him, hand on the stairwell door handle.
It was true that she hadn’t had many moments with him lately.
He still gave her discreet eye contact when their eyes met across the office, still held his gaze on her just a bit longer during the morning meeting… but that was it.
Maybe he was just busy — he hadn’t called her into his office in days, no personal, sweet moments alone.
And she hadn’t gone to his office either, since she hadn’t had a work-related reason.
So aside from brief greetings or comments like, “Seol-a-ssi, did you enjoy lunch?”, there had been no thrilling, heart-fluttering exchanges.
Seeing him slip into the stairwell alone — that was why she followed.
It felt like… their office romance wasn’t progressing.
I want to have more personal conversations with him… exchange warm glances… and when he’s not around, I miss him. Does he not feel the same? Is he just too busy?
Though she knew she shouldn’t be greedy — even this secret, subtle relationship was dreamlike — she couldn’t stop thinking about the memory of him holding her and kissing her in his office.
Maybe if she followed him now… they could have a sweet conversation alone.
Click—
She quietly opened the stairwell door.
His broad back came into view.
“Team Leader…”
She reached out and gently touched his back.
He turned at the touch — sensing someone — and spun around.
The person who turned to face her was—
“I’m not the team leader, though?”
“…!”
To her shock, it was Jeong-uk.
