Corporate Strangers

The Secret Thing

"I can't help it when you look like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're about to end everyone's career."

She snorted and pushed him away, walking back to her desk and resuming the email she's been reading. "You should be scared."

"Well, too bad it turned me on instead."

---

That late in the afternoon, Seo Dan visits her office. She decided to stop by to catch up with Seri before she goes to her agency.

Tinkering with her phone at the couch while she's working on her desk, the bestfriend casually asks, "How was the trip?"

"Good." Came her reply.

"How was the companion?"

She smiled to the numbers and texts on the documents on her screen, "The best."

"Come again?"

Seri looked up from her monitor and saw her already adjusting from her seat, those big eyes boring into hers as if she doubts herself she heard the right words from her.

"The worst."

Thinking the woman who can read every single thing from her so easily might not get convinced, Seri had to roll her eyes and huff, hoping she would believe her.

"Seung Jun told me about it. He said the last time he met you two you were in bad terms. I mean, you were already in bad terms from the start after all. That must be the worst trip you had, yes?"

"You have no idea. Ugh, I hate him."

Saying that was so foreign to her ears that she holds back in biting her lip.

"Well, if you hate him, then I hate him too."

When she did not respond, Seo Dan added with a wink, "That's what bestfriends are for."

Seri doesn't trust herself to look further into her friend's eyes for she might recognise the obvious lie in her words. She focuses back on her monitor and sighs in relief when Seo Dan brushes it off and opens up a new topic.

———

As soon as she exits the building that night, a call came in. Seri was alone in the parking lot and she didn't even open the door to her car yet.

"Jeong Hyeok?"

A pause. "I want to take my girlfriend for dinner but I don't know if she's free tonight."

She bites her lip to stop the smile threatening to form on her face, "She's not, sadly. She has to meet this boyfriend of hers."

"Oh that's too bad... I guess I'll just have this bouillabaisse all to myself."

"Hey!"

That night she finds herself driving to the restaurant Jeong Hyeok had texted her. The room was very private and there were only one or two customers inside. He waved a hand and invitingly raised his glass of wine.

Seri smiles at his antics and takes elegant strides towards her man, realizing he had changed outfits to a more formal one.

"How's your day, Doctor?"

"Good. Apart from me having to scold my intern for an hour, everything else went well."

"Oh dear," she takes her first sip, "Tell me about it."

The waiter appeared and took their order. While she was busy skimming through the menu, Jeong Hyeok took his time to admire her look for the day, noticing she had touched up her makeup a little and changed her outfit.

Beautiful.

A strand of hair fell to her cheeks and he was about to tuck it back when she blew it away with her mouth, the gesture so adorable to his eyes he couldn't help but smile.

After everything was settled, they ate their dinner in comfortable silence with a little bit of small talks in between. It ranged from her rants about her work and his insights on a few of students' progress.

"I wonder how it's like to be with them. I could never have your patience."

He laughs before downing his wine, "They can really be a handful sometimes but they're attentive and always eager to learn something from me."

"I want to learn something from you too."

She watches him lift a brow, stunned. "And what would you like to know?"

"Mmm... Can this doctor take care of my heart?"

He wanted to laugh at her cheesiness. It must be the alcohol talking. There was a blush on her face and the way her lids languidly close and open tells him she had a lot. He remembers how she always prides in having high tolerance but seeing her downing glasses thinking she won't ever subject herself to getting drunk, but here she is.

It feels like it was that night in Baur Au Lac all over again.

"He can. He will take care of it more than his own."

If she was sober, she would have laughed at that and hide her blush. But in the heat of the moment, coupled with the alcohol in her system, all she wanted to do was throw herself at him and kiss him.

Making use of their small distance from each other, Seri reaches to cup his cheek with both hands, caressing his skin with her thumb and smiles. "You look extra cute today."

Jeong Hyeok smiles, but sides an eye to the glasses on her side. "I am flattered, Seri. But I think you had a few drinks now, maybe we should go?"

She shakes her head and holds his face. Jeong Hyeok nervously chuckles and looks around them, thankful that there were just a few people minding their own business.

If it weren't for the lady sitting on a table behind him from afar that caught her sight, Seri would've closed the remaining distance and placed a peck on his cheek. But instead, her body froze when she met those bewildered set of doe eyes, mouth agape, her glass of wine held close to her lips as if she just witnessed something that she shouldn't have seen.

Seri almost choked on her own breath seeing the look on Seo Dan's surprised face.

And just like that, she instantly became sober.

———

A/N : Ahhh thank you for the warm welcome on the previous chapter!😅 Glad to know people are still here with me. I have a lot going on irl now but I'll make sure to reply to your comments soon. See you in the next!