Secretly Meeting With My Boss - Chapter 59

“What’s happening around you?”

“… Actually, I have some family problems.”

Taekyung replied as if he wasn’t willing. Soyoung’s heart sank at his words. It was what she expected, but that didn’t lessen her shock.

“Family… Problems?”

Soyoung asked Taekyung. There was no way she could get all the expressions on her face, so she had to lower her head. Taehyung gently nodded his head.

“I can’t tell you in detail, but they need my help… So it’s true that I was giving time to them. But there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Taekyung’s voice was a little impatient, and perhaps desperate. So-young felt like her whole body was pulsating roughly. All kinds of delusions triggered by his excuses swirled in her head. She forced herself to swallow the emotions she felt in her throat and moved her lips mechanically.

“……Is there really nothing to worry about?”

She would rather ask Taekyung openly, but it couldn’t have been possible. It wasn’t just because of the pride of not wanting to be miserable.

Even at this moment, she’s afraid to check the facts directly with him.

Being prepared didn’t mean it wasn’t painful. For So-young, every second with Taekyung was like a sword. If even a word of acknowledging the scandal came out of his mouth, she might collapse as it is. So-young laughed at herself for being terribly weak.

As if reading So-young’s mind, Taekyung shook his head with a fairly firm face.

“There’s nothing like that. I’m sorry if it bothered you. I should’ve told you in advance…… I didn’t think about it.”

“…….”

“Actually… I thought there might be some other reason ‌you were so cold, so my head stopped working and I didn’t know what to do. But when I confirmed ‌it wasn’t like that…”

Taekyung couldn’t finish his words and shut his mouth, but his stiff expression loosened a little. As if he had guessed right, concluded, and finally relieved. He told her with a softer face.

“I’m also frustrated with the current situation. I’ll clean up the troublesome situation as soon as possible. So please understand a little bit.”

“…….”

“There’s a lot I want to do with you.”

Taekyung’s words were sweet and cruel at the same time. Family, circumstances. Organize. A few words penetrated deep into Soyoung’s ears. Without realizing it, she clasped her own hands. For some reason, her cold hand was trembling softly.

Taekyung avoided direct comments as much as possible, but for So-young, who already knew his situation, that attitude just felt disgusting.

Taekyung still liked Soyoung. Even when he had to take responsibility on his back. He became a worse man than she had ever thought.

Even amid such cynicism, she can’t deny the resentment that is infested arbitrarily, and So-young felt as if her stomach was churning. Unaware of her stormy thoughts in her heart, Taekyung continued with a more comfortable face.

“I know I did something wrong… I hope you can relieve your anger. It’s difficult to keep being ignored.”

….You want me to calm down?

The anger, which had been suppressed all along by the light words, finally exploded. So-young’s face quickly turned pale.

Taekyung’s hand touched Soyoung’s cheek. The contact that carefully felt the texture of her skin, leaving familiar warmth, was still sweet. When she showed no response, he tilted his head as if he were trying to kiss her.

It was ‌when Taekyung breathed over Soyoung’s lips.

“Team leader, do you want to stop?”

Taekyung’s lips stopped at Soyoung’s words in a low-pitched voice. He, who had hardened first, bit his upper body. A little embarrassed expression appeared with a handsome face.

“I’m sorry. I did whatever I wanted.”

Taekyung apologized for the missed kiss, but Soyoung didn’t mean only that. She continued in an incredibly calm voice that she had ever been anxious about.

“No, our relationship.”

“……What did you just say?”

“I think the decision to go out with the team leader was a wrong decision.”

Taekyung could not hide the expression of doubt on his ears. Blinking blankly, he asked back.

“What are you talking about?”

“…….”

“Han Soyoung.”

It was the moment So-young imagined countless times in recent years. However, imagination couldn’t keep up with reality. As soon as she said it, it was the end. Chills that she had never experienced before swept through her whole body. Her heart fluttered like tearing out of her chest at any moment, and it was difficult to even breathe with the dizzying emotions.

It was only after Soyoung announced the end to their relationship that she realized ‌she wasn’t ready to end it with Taekyung yet. But she sometimes had situations where she had to put a period when she wasn’t ready to see the end. Just like right now.

She wanted to finish what she had to do as soon as possible. So-young, who had been rigid at first, soon continued to talk as if pouring out.

“I don’t think I can go out with you. So, I want you to pretend everything didn’t happen.”

Instead of showing anything, Taekyung remained silent. However, looking at his pale stiff face or his weakly excited chest with rough breath, she could see that he was trying to calm down his emotions somehow.

Taekyung, who had been silent for a while, faced Soyoung. He fixed his unshakable eyes to her and spoke in a clear tone.

” All of a sudden, with no opportunity or notice,? I’m sorry, but I can’t accept it.”

“…….”

“As expected, what happened? If I look at your recent strange attitude.”

“…….”

“If you’re not happy with me, I’d rather you be angry and criticize me. Whatever it is, it’s all my fault, so I’ll apologize until you feel better.”

“…….”

“Tell me anything you don’t like. It may be overwhelming to change all right now, but I’ll just have to try.”

As expected, Tae-kyung did not accept So-young’s harsh breakup. That doesn’t mean she was angry or excited. He was confident even though he spat out a plea, and tried not to lose his reason somehow. He looked rather cold-hearted.

His face was pale enough to be recognized even in the dark, his squinting eyes, and his body that had stiffened without movement proved that he was doing his best to suppress the turbulence that shook him inside.

If So-young had not known Tae-kyung’s secret, his attitude would have felt only earnest. At least, ‌Taekyung’s affection for her was her sincerity.

However, Taekyung was a man who could have secrets as much as he wanted, and a man who valued his current feelings rather than responsibility. He deceived So-young. The worst quality was that he was proud of himself. In other words, it meant that this could be repeated‌.

Soyoung could have engaged in a war here. However, she didn’t want to get hurt by digging up to the end. The pain and misery she had already suffered over the past week are enough to fill her up. If the conversation was further advanced, it would have been ugly.

So So-young intentionally pretended to be colder. Even when she heard it herself, an icy voice flowed through her lips.

“Do we need a reason to break up?”

“….What do you mean?”

“I thought that if one side didn’t like it, that would be the end of the relationship.”

Taekyung closed his mouth with a speechless face. The crack was deeply drawn on the face stained with indescribable emotions. He did not hide the wounds he received. So-young felt a reflective dull pain, so she tried to refine her expression of collapse somehow.

There was a heavy and sharp silence between the two.

Taekyung, who was staring at Soyoung as if he didn’t know what to say, smiled twistedly. It was a cold smile. The voice, which did not change, rang low as if crawling on the floor.

“… Was my sincerity just a light joke to you once you got tired of it?”

Taekyung’s gaze was unfamiliar. He gave a look as if he was judging whether So-young was the woman he liked.