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Im Changkyun was a secretary - an excellent secretary, one who is passionate about their work, rigorous, meticulous, proactive, always performing their tasks on time, efficiently and accurately. He was low-key, polite, reserved, tried to be as sympathetic as possible, and never spoke negatively about his peers.
Truly, no fault could be made against Changkyun, an employee like many would dream of having.
After secretarial studies which had earned him many mockeries, the sexist prejudice that the function should rather be assigned to a woman, he had tried his luck with a large multinational, and miraculously his candidacy was retained.
Changkyun had therefore been assigned to the marketing department, an environment where stress is daily, but he had the chance to evolve in a calm department, where he could work daily without having to suffer the yells of other department heads, tearing out their hair. The young man couldn't complain, his working environment was perfect compared to the rest of the company.
But Changkyun must have admitted it a long time ago: if he still enjoyed coming to work, it was in large part thanks to his own supervisor.
Yoo Kihyun was the head of the marketing department. Arrived in the company only a few years ago, he had had a meteoric rise, and many gossiping tongues were already betting on future success: without a doubt, the man would one day be catapulted into the upper echelons of management.
Rumors about it were daily, and the concerned person could hear them very well; they made Changkyun smile, in that he believed in this success more than likely, and which would certainly satisfy the devouring ambition of his superior.
Changkyun didn't just like his boss because he was understanding, an educator and didn't behave like a tyrant, unlike other bosses - even if, at times, he was very good at putting his collaborators in their place, and Changkyun shuddered every time seeing the fire dancing in his eyes.
Kihyun had established a special atmosphere within the department, as if he wanted to create a real cocoon for everyone to feel good about.
He made sure to greet all his collaborators every day, listened to everyone with kindness and open-mindedness, took on the responsibilities as he should; regularly brought home-made pastries, made it a point of honor to celebrate the birthdays of everyone around a cake that he ordered himself, always organized something for Christmas, Seollal, or even Chuseok.
For births, he offered the happy parent a gift for the newborn; he congratulated on weddings, prepared a short tribute for retiring employees; and when, sometimes, one of his more or less close collaborators died, he honored them by going to their funeral.
In addition to all these qualities, he was extremely handsome, intelligent, attentive, hardworking, friendly, always had a word to comfort or make laugh his interlocutors; he just had that "little something" that made him endearing and irresistible, and no one had ever criticized him once. His dazzling smile was certainly helping too...
Was there a more perfect being than Yoo Kihyun?
What Changkyun loved above all, besides these countless qualities, was the way Kihyun looked at him: he smiled at him, looked at him in the eye, listened to him without ever judging, advised him, always addressed him with a soft voice, and it made the secretary feel like he really mattered to his boss, like he really cared about him.
Still, part of Changkyun mused that Kihyun behaved this way with everyone, including the three insufferable Barbie dolls in the adjoining office.
Luckily, being the chief's main secretary, the younger had his own office which communicated directly with Kihyun's; the three young women, secretaries dealing with more day-to-day affairs, were not in the same room, and this allowed Changkyun to work without having to overhear their incessant conversations on subjects that were of no interest to him at all.
Even when the subject in question was Yoo Kihyun, for the way his colleagues spoke of him loathed him, and he often wondered if they felt a shred of respect for their superior, or if they saw him as just a piece of meat they would like to add to their plate on a feast day.
Dressed in excess, the clothes always revealing too much skin and feminine curves to Changkyun's taste, the “Three Disgraces” as he called them tried to lure into their nets the men they liked.
Changkyun had identified them within days after being hired: Yoo Kihyun, of course; Lee Minhyuk, head of the accounting department, sometimes discreet, sometimes noisy, and if accounting had a reputation for being boring, that suited him perfectly and he was unparalleled in efficiency.
Chae Hyungwon, head of the legal department, whose seriousness suited the job, but it was very likely that behind the mask was a personality not as serious as expected. Lee Jooheon, who took care of the production with rigor, and whose people wondered about the existence or absence of his personal life, because he was always at his workplace at all hours of the day, day and night.
Lee Hoseok, the head of human resources, who seemed to have a heart of gold, but people preferred to talk about his highly developed body instead. The same goes for Son Hyunwoo, the director who skilfully ran all of the company's departments.
And, surprisingly, Im Changkyun himself was on the three women's prey list. The young man was very surprised: in his eyes, all the executives and directors mentioned before him could very well have made a career in modeling, cinema, or any other field of showbiz, because they had the physique and the charisma.
What was he doing in the midst of all these incredible men, him the little secretary, the little stain at the end of the list? Changkyun was still surprised when his colleagues blinked at him, gave him fake smiles and spoke to him in syrupy voices, leaning forward hoping to get a look from him on their forms.
Unfortunately for them, the black-haired guy paid them no attention; on the other hand, his eyes and ears were wide open when they played the same scene at Kihyun, and Kihyun participated to their game smiling at them, winking at them, or serving them pickup lines like in the movies, but which he seemed to master perfectly, and which always had the desired effect.
Changkyun was terribly jealous of it.
He was much more discreet, silent, and tended to prefer being lonely. He busies himself to his own passions and interests, exchanged little about his personal life, and apart from his talent for conscientiously performing his duties, little was known about him.
He and the Three Disgraces couldn't be more different: they were night and day, and that was also true when it came to their feelings and goals. Because if the three women secretaries were only looking for carnal pleasure from Kihyun, he felt something else for him.
He loved him. Sincerely, deeply, but so quietly that no one had noticed. Changkyun fell in love with him as soon as he arrived in the service: it was obvious to him, the answer to all the questions he had asked himself before, the light that lit up the dark and shady tunnel of his life.
His heart pounded hard when he saw him, his hands trembled when his boss spoke to him, and he doubled his efforts to avoid her gaze, or answer him in a quavering voice. He was not ashamed of his behavior: it did not contrast with his usual attitude, and he fully assumed that he was impressed by his superior. Discretion was his strong point, and he was convinced that, as long as his feelings remained unacknowledged and secret, he would have no problem.
Changkyun did not wish to be rejected by Kihyun in any way, turning their professional relationship into something strange, ambiguous and uncomfortable; it was out of the question for his fellow secretaries to know as well, because that would be the certainty that the whole company would know the news in one single day.
Changkyun was so excellent at his job that he had caught the attention of the hierarchy. Such an efficient, discreet and rigorous secretary, without history and never causing any problem, could perfectly well have his place with the general manager - rumors of promotion had already circulated.
But Changkyun did not want to leave his service: he had never asked to change since his arrival, because he liked himself in his usual setting, with the man he loved. Nothing, neither the repetitive routine, nor the indecent advances of his colleagues, could take away his motivation to come to his work every day. Besides, he only took his time off when it was really needed, and when there was few tasks to do - and during those days off, he missed Kihyun terribly.
Alas, one day, it was Kihyun himself who asked him for an interview to tell him about a possible promotion. Changkyun had categorically refused from the start, arguing that the general manager's office was known to be particularly gruesome and stressful. His superior could not refute these claims, but he argued about his career advancement: Changkyun had many talents, and he could not spoil them by simply being the secretary of a small department head.
The black-haired guy bit his lip to make no reply. Kihyun was not a "simple little department head," and Changkyun would only thrive in his new role if Kihyun himself was the general manager...
Kihyun insisted, however, giving him the opportunity to think nonetheless, but Changkyun felt it as a pressure, a genuine demand to accept the promotion, and he couldn't help but interpret it as a rejection, a way for Kihyun to be get rid of him.
He then accepted; and the day of his transfer was rather hazy, too quick, too abrupt, too unfamiliar for him who had anchored his habits in his previous office, from where he could observe Kihyun all day through the glass wall.
The reputation of the general manager turned out to be true, and Changkyun discovered it with horror, disgust and bitterness. The man was the complete opposite of Kihyun, or even of his three previous female colleagues whom he almost regretted: he cared nothing and no one, except his own career. He spoke incessantly, listening to himself talking about himself, laughing at his own muddy and disrespectful jokes, while stroking his stomach that almost made his shirt pop.
All the people under his responsibility were overwhelmed with work, which never satisfied him, and he took a malicious pleasure in giving orders, sometimes contradictory, criticizing the work of his collaborators, making them starting over from the beginning, changing his mind, asking more, more, more and more, so that Changkyun, who has always been resistant to the effort, ended his days containing his tears.
All of this pressure, however, was nothing compared to the man's grim look at him, who peered up and down Changkyun's body with a mocking and perverted smile that nearly made him vomit. Anything could happen in this office where Changkyun was alone and the door could be locked, and Changkyun tried not to imagine the worst.
Changkyun felt like a fallen angel who had tasted the sweets of Heaven, before being punished and thrown into the Underworld. He missed Kihyun...
Months passed; Changkyun survived the overwork, the ambient stress, the barking and insults of his new superior who took him for his servant, the slander of his colleagues who envied his too rapid rise, when he was clearly worth less than them, snubbing his youth and his second-class studies.
He was convinced that he had only been able to hold on thanks to the kindness of Kihyun, who had visited him a few times to check on him, and inquire if he was thriving in his new service.
Each time, Changkyun had tried to reassure him, being as convincing as possible and hiding his despair: should he tell him that this position was hell? That he worked so hard that the slightest task would exhaust him, that he no longer slept at night, that he didn't even have time to eat at noon? That even if he was lonely by nature, he was truly isolated, lonely, with no one to talk to, to chat with at a coffee break, to get to know him? That the general manager was giving him contradictory orders, making salacious remarks about his physique before slapping him on the buttocks?
Changkyun was doing anything to hide his misfortune, but deep inside, the only thing he wanted was to rush into Kihyun's arms and burst into tears, begging him to return him to his service.
Kihyun got worried one day, as he walked into the office and found a Changkyun almost fainting, in front of his computer that he didn't even seem to see; he had lost weight, his eyes no longer reflected any joy, and it seemed that his lips had forgotten how a smile was formed, for their corners were curving downward.
Changkyun looked depressed, ready to crack, and Kihyun felt his heart sink at the sight: the young man was in his eyes a little kitten to be taken care of with tenderness; he had guessed that he was not enjoying his new job, and felt guilty for encouraging him to take the promotion that had been offered to him.
"Hello Changkyun" Kihyun began to say with a soft voice, "how are you?"
Changkyun replied immediately, almost robotically:
"Hello Mr. Yoo, I'm doing great, thank you, and you?"
He stood up to greet his former superior correctly; only, his strength failed him so much that he had difficulty getting up, and he almost collapsed on his desk after losing his balance.
Witnessing this sign of physical weakness, Kihyun rushed over to Changkyun to support him, and helped him sit up.
"Are you sure? You seem very weak... I saw that you no longer came to lunch in the cafeteria. I can't hear anything about you, you seem to be even more discreet than before... And I can see it now I look at you: you have lost a lot of weight, and you are visibly exhausted. So, I will repeat my question: how are you?"
Changkyun couldn't pretend any longer at the genuine concern of the man he loved: he cracked, lowering his head, burying his face in his hands, and bursting into tears, his sobs making his whole body tremble.
Kihyun, not surprised, pulled him into a hug he wanted comforting, waiting for the young man's despair to finish expressing itself; it lasted a long time, and the former superior deduced that Changkyun had a lot on his mind.
When the tears were almost dry, Kihyun knelt beside the black-haired guy and spoke softly to him:
“Here I am, Changkyunnie. You can talk to me about it, if you wish; I'll listen to you, as usual."
The young secretary wanted to cry again. It took several minutes for him to clear everything and come to his senses, and Kihyun waited patiently for him.
"I… It's difficult here. I don't want to complain, but it's really, really hard. The director is a horrible person, who looks at me like a piece of meat to roast and devour. I don't mind working, but I can't sleep anymore, I don't have the time or the inclination to eat; no one is there to talk to me or listen to me..."
Changkyun's voice broke as he spoke, and Kihyun was deeply worried about his condition. The sulphurous reputation of this service was well established, and it was sad that the young secretary was so affected.
"I would love so much to go back with you," Changkyun sighed. Could you make it happen? I really can't take it anymore..."
Kihyun bit his lip, knowing very well that the direction would not understand Changkyun's unhappiness, and would not make exceptions or special treatment for a minor employee like him. It would also be very surprising if his current boss would agree to let go of his new toy.
Kihyun made him feel even more guilty, as it was largely his fault the younger one was in this situation.
"I can intervene with my friend Hoseok. However, I cannot promise you that your case will have a favorable outcome; even if he is the director of human resources, your situation affects people more important in the hierarchy of the company... you know how it works."
Changkyun sighed, knowing in advance that his request would never be successful.
"If I don't get anything ... I will quit. It doesn't matter..."
It did, because his career would be significantly impacted: resigning from such a powerful multinational could open the doors for him to an equally large competitor, or on the contrary shut him down and relegate him to companies of smaller size and influence. And the absence of Kihyun would be felt even more...
What was expected happened: even though Lee Hoseok sympathized and understood Changkyun's distress, he could not get him to return to his old service. The elder was very careful not to mention it to his colleagues and to the other management, preserving the secrecy between Kihyun, Changkyun and him: indeed, if the wish of the secretary was known, the management would rather choose to sanction him and to Demote him to a lesser service where the work would be less interesting, more routine, far from the upper echelons, with reduced wages, and that would perhaps even mean a transfer to another city.
Changkyun still preferred to resign, which he hastily did. His last day was a relief: the joy of leaving this infernal service had given him back some color. Surprisingly, his boss hadn't said anything to him, just staring scornfully at him when he could have insulted and humiliated him once more, even harder, to make this last day unforgettable. Perhaps he had been ordered not to intervene, Kihyun thought, himself unaware of what the general direction had decided.
The young man was in the office of his former boss, to say goodbye to him. It was up to him to do so, since he was resigning, and no one would have thought of celebrating his departure... except Kihyun, who had gathered his friends as well as the entire department, who had welcomed the news of the resignation of the cadet with a small compassionate smile.
The Three Disgraces themselves, were sad to see their "little kitten" leave like this. They at least had the merit of making him laugh for a few moments, and Changkyun almost regretted them, finding them far less horrible than the sharks of the upper echelons.
As usual, Kihyun had made a point of underlining the qualities of the secretary, recalling how effective and appreciated he had been in the service, regretting his bad past experience and wishing him a good career continuation.
Changkyun and Kihyun met face to face then, to discuss one last time. The young man hadn't slept all night: how was he going to do now without Kihyun? The future seemed dark and very uncertain to him.
Kihyun, however, had some ideas for him:
"I don't know where you are in your research, but I tried to find some tips for you. One of my closest friends, Yoongi, works in the company of Kim Namjoon and Kim Seokjin, our direct competitors, and he can support your application. Two other contacts of mine, one at Carat and the other at Aghase, have also agreed to meet with you. Either way, these are really great companies where you won't experience the hell you've been through here, I promise. What do you think?"
Did Kihyun really look for jobs for him?
"I ... I don't know what to say, it's...
- Don't thank me, Kihyun interrupted, smiling warmly, and how Changkyun would miss that smile! It's partly my fault that you ended up resigning today; I had to help you find a similar job.
- I would like to thank you all the same, but I do not know how, the youngest whispered, bowing respectfully. You have done so much for me, you have already helped me a lot..."
Kihyun stood up and walked over to the black-haired guy, hugging him for the second time in a few weeks. The embrace was loving, almost tender, and Changkyun knew there would never be another place in the world so comfortable. He had his place in the arms of the man he loved, and he could spend his entire life there without getting tired of it.
" Do you have anything planned for tonight? I would like to invite you to dinner."
Changkyun, his head still buried in Kihyun's neck, widened his eyes, and repeated the question in his head several times, to convince himself that he had heard and understood it.
The eldest put an end to the embrace, and allowed himself to caress, delicately, one of the cheekbones of his former subordinate.
"It's a serious proposition" Kihyun said, suppressing an embarrassed little smile. I would really like to have a date with you... other than professional."
Changkyun must have been in the middle of a hallucinatory dream, he was sure; and in a dream anything is possible, right?
He pounced on Kihyun's lips, finally tasting their flavor and texture on his own mouth, and he thought the feeling was decidedly very realistic. He smiled with glee and contentment, satisfied that he had finally gotten what he wanted most.
"I gladly accept, hyung!"
Kihyun seemed to know that the younger was somewhat out of touch with reality, and he couldn't help but laugh softly, without mockery or nastiness, clearly amused by the situation. He had known for a long time the affection his former secretary had for him, and suspected that what had just happened was something Changkyun had wanted for a long time.
Changkyun blinked, slowly realizing that the situation was real, and he blushed strongly as he realized his intrusive and bold behavior. Kihyun found him even more adorable.
“I will pick you up from your home at 8 pm; I know an excellent Italian restaurant in your neighborhood, is that right for you?"
When Changkyun nodded in approval, Kihyun leaned over to seal their lips again.
Changkyun was almost too discreet, but he was on his way to achieving more than he had always dreamed of.
