Chapter Text
There were twice knocks on his office door before the door was opened by his new and young secretary. Jeonghan was young before. He wasn’t anymore and was in the blink to 33 in few months.
“May I, Mr. Jeonghan?”
“Sure.” Jeonghan, a handsome and smart co-managing partner of Y corporation, waved him in. “What do you need my help with, Seungkwan?”
Seungkwan gulped visibly before showing him the tablet— well, not really showing the tablet but rather the picture of a well-tailored black suit on the mannequin and a white mask covering where the eyes of the mannequin should be— if it does have one. “Which one do you prefer, Mr. Jeonghan? The white…” His secretary trailed off before swiping his finger to change the picture. It is the same suit and mannequin. Only the white mask was replaced with another. “Or the black one.”
“Do I have to choose the color of my mask?”
Boo Seungkwan is young. He surely is, with 22 as his current age. However, he was smart, witty, quick-learner, and priority organised. He should know better than let Jeonghan spend time choosing something so trivial for the up-coming masquerade that J company— one of Y corporation’s partnership— is going to hold.
Jeonghan did not choose to hire Seungkwan himself. HIs mom— the current CEO and president of Y corporation— is the one who interviewed and decided to hire him, to let him serve her son as a right-handed man. Jeonghan, though, didn’t have any problem with that. He needs a secretary, a very well-hand one.
“I was going to choose for you, Mr. Jeonghan.” The young secretary replied. “But, Mrs. Yoon asked me to let you choose.” Jeonghan knew better than anybody else what his mom’s ‘asked’ seems to be.
The co-managing partner sighed and frowned. He had no mind objecting to his mother’s demand today, when he has a lot of works to be done before dusk. And, it’s evening already. Jeonghan gestured Seungkwan to give a tablet to him. He moved his finger to see the two pictures Seungkwan showed him earlier.
“Jeonghan has to wear a black mask, you know.”
“Why would I?”
“Because I’m going to put on a white one.”
“Is that fair for me?”
“Of course. You said I looked good in white, and I want to look good. And, importantly, you should spoil your fiancee.”
“Fine. Fine.”
“Mr. Jeonghan?” Seungkwan called his boss timidly. He saw his handsome-but-cold boss smile for barely a minute. His mentor once said that Jeonghan smiled only when there was something up his sleeve— and it’s usually not a good thing. Throughout a year and a half that he has been Jeonghan’s secretary, he hasn’t seen the smile once. Not the business-advantages smile, but the actual smile that bloomed out of his heart.
He could tell that Jeonghan wasn’t aware that he let the corner of his lips twitched up.
He won’t get fired, right? He just did what Mrs. Yoon told him to do.
“Tell them, I’ll go with the black mask.”
Seungkwan didn’t wait one bit to reach out for the tablet in Jeonghan’s hands. “Yes, sir.” He bowed and turned around to go back to his work.
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“Is Mingyu a representative from Kim corp. for the masquerade?”
The young secretary widened his eyes with the sudden questions and tried his best to stumble upon all of the list of guests he remembered seeing. Kim corporation is another Y’s partnership, which is also J’s. They certainly sent someone to the party; he just was not sure if it’s Mingyu even though the chance is high since Mingyu is the president’s son.
“If it’s a yes, prepare the bottle of wine I bought from Italy. I told him I got a gift from my trip many times, but haven’t had a chance to actually give.”
The relationship between Y corporation and Kim corporation is a bit too complicated for a newbie in this cruel business like Seungkwan to understand. Outsiders knows that they are rivals, intensely compete in gaining market shares in the same market. At the same time, they acknowledged that Mingyu and Jeonghan seemed to get along really well. Seungkwan is one of the outsiders even he worked at Y corp.
He once went to some trips overseas together with both companies’ sons. Seungkwan could say that they are friend, judging from the fact that they joked and talked about life with each other. He wasn’t sure if there is anything more than that between them. He wasn’t sure he would like to know his boss’ private life as well. However, after a long time working closely to Jeonghan, he realised that Jeonghan has history with the Kim. Not this specific Kim Mingyu. But, he was too far out of their circle to know more than that.
He heard twice knocks before the door was swung open.
“Sorry to interrupt Mr. Jeonghan. Mrs. Yoon—“ Not waiting for Seungkwan to finish his introduction, a guest who came to visit his office at late evening walked pass his secretary to reside inside.
“Good evening, my son.” She gave him her usual warm smile, and turned back to Seungkwan with so much adoration. “Thank you for leading me the way, Seungkwanie. It’s getting late so I think you should probably go home and rest.”
Although Mrs. Yoon is the president here, at the topmost position in Y corporation, Seungkwan still did not quite obey her order as much as to Jeonghan’s. The young secretary looked back to met eyes with his boss. There’re far more work to complete within today on Jeonghan’s desk.
“I have nothing for you to help. Go back and rest like what the president said. Tomorrow you have to be at the ball with me.”
Seungkwan nodded. “Tomorrow, do you want me to—“
“I will go straight to the venue. Meet me at the closet around 5.”
“Well noted, sir. See you there, Mr. Jeonghan.” He bowed to his boss and to Mrs. Yoon before he left the room.