Born to Be a Secretary

“Wow, I’m really surprised too. Congratulations, Kim Heewon.”

Professor Hong smiled brightly and offered her congratulations.
Was this really something to be congratulated on? Youngjae Kwon muttered beside him, but Heewon skillfully pretended not to hear. He smiled and shook her hand. Now he had received confirmation from the nation’s top clinical genetics professor.
“Thank you for taking the time despite your busy schedule, Professor.”

“Luckily, Heewon, you have a deep understanding of trait carriers. People who manifest late tend to be confused and have difficulty adapting.”
The test results showed that Kim Heewon had exceptional pheromone regulation ability and a high resistance to Alpha pheromones. In other words, he was dominant. He was barely affected by Alpha pheromones.
“That’s a relief.”

“But you should prepare yourself firmly. Let’s monitor you regularly with checkups. Oh, are you moving to this hospital? If so, I’ll be your primary physician.”
“That would be an honor.”
While they chatted amicably, Youngjae Kwon stood with his arms crossed, staring blankly into space. He kept snorting, annoyed. He clearly looked upset.

After leaving the hospital, Heewon took out a crisp envelope. It was only the second time in his life he handed in a resignation letter.
“Executive Director. Thank you for everything.”
“……”

The stiff envelope was ruthlessly crumpled in Kwon’s hand. Without even opening it, he glared at Heewon’s clear face.
“I didn’t realize you were such an irresponsible person.”
“You know better than anyone that working with me is difficult.”

“Why you, of all people?”
Kwon couldn’t believe that the person he cherished and trusted most had manifested as an Omega. Though he knew it wasn’t Heewon’s fault, his sense of betrayal was indescribable.
Yet he couldn’t have an Omega as his secretary. Ultimately, he shoved the crumpled resignation letter into his jacket pocket.

Heewon smiled faintly at him.
“The rest of the staff will do well. Please trust and leave it to them.”
“That’s none of my concern anymore, is it?”
“If you wish, I’ll finish the handover and then leave.”

“No need. Secretary Kim—or rather Kim Heewon—should take care of himself.”
Kwon spoke coldly and turned away. His face was emotionless, but Heewon saw that he was deeply upset.
Executive Director Kwon would live well. He was a man who would never fail.

Watching the tall Alpha get into his sedan, Heewon turned away as well. His own nose was red. Now he had to live his second life as an Omega.
5:30 a.m. Youngjae Kwon always woke at the same time.
After working out in the home training room for about an hour and showering, it was invariably 7 a.m. He usually skipped breakfast, disliking the feeling of a full stomach in the morning.

For him, suits were like daily wear. Wearing a perfectly pressed shirt without a wrinkle, he put on his sleeves and tightened his tie firmly. His reflection in the full-length mirror looked flawless once again.
Having finished preparing perfectly for work, he left home. He stepped down the stone stairs and passed a small garden. At the front gate, a waiting car was visible. The driver and Secretary ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Ji bowed deeply upon seeing him.
It was his first day going to work without Secretary Kim.

One person’s absence wouldn’t change the world. Kwon glanced at the faces looking at him coldly and moved on. Secretary Ji quickly ran over and opened the back seat door for him.
After closing the door, Secretary Ji exhaled a trembling sigh. Despite steeling herself, her nervousness did not subside.
For the time being, the secretarial staff would share the executive secretary duties. Secretary Ji was in charge of assisting on the morning commute. Though temporary, the burden was heavy. Secretary Ji had already been waiting since early dawn.

Thanks to the meticulous manual prepared in advance by Secretary Kim, she just had to follow it.
Provide Executive Director Kwon’s daily coffee. Adjust the car temperature according to the day’s weather. Give a brief briefing of the day’s schedule during travel.
It wasn’t difficult, but she was tense for fear of making mistakes. Secretary Ji steadied her nerves and got into the front passenger seat.

Meanwhile, Kwon held a coffee cup. From the moment he grabbed the paper cup, he sensed something was off. The lukewarm temperature touched his lips; the coffee had been bought too early.
Kwon reluctantly took a sip and put the coffee down again. Though it was from the same coffee shop, same beans, and same number of shots, it somehow tasted bland. He lost all desire to touch it.
The car began to move smoothly, and soft classical music played inside. Kwon sat upright and took in the scenery outside. Then, a peculiar smell stirred his nose, and he frowned.

The source of the smell seemed to be Secretary Ji in the passenger seat. The scent, whether perfume or something else, wasn’t strong but was not to Kwon’s taste and kept irritating him.
Without a word, Kwon rolled down the window a little. As a strong wind blew in, the unfamiliar smell diluted somewhat.
Secretary Ji glanced in the mirror. She had no idea the reason Kwon didn’t touch his coffee but thought he was just feeling hot. Instead, she quickly requested to lower the car temperature.

“Executive Director, may I start the briefing?”
“Go ahead.”
Secretary Ji held the pad and began reciting the day’s schedule. Though her voice was gentle like an in-flight announcement, it didn’t register well with Kwon’s ears. He had probably grown used to someone else’s voice.

At the company, every day felt like walking on thin ice. The secretaries were on high alert to minimize mistakes. But they were human, and occasional slips happened.
Each time, Kwon took a deep breath and let it slide. He thought of it as an inevitable gap in work.
Still, the tense atmosphere was hard to break. As the absence of the executive secretary stretched past three weeks, the secretaries’ faces showed clear signs of fatigue.

At a weekly meeting, a collective complaint began. Secretary Ji, who assisted morning commutes daily, wiped her weary face and spoke first.
“Every morning I’m so nervous I feel like dying. I don’t think I’ll survive this job…”
“Who here isn’t like that? Look at the youngest—his face is pale.”

“Secretary Kim’s resignation hasn’t been processed yet, right?”
“Yeah, Executive Director hasn’t approved it.”
“Isn’t that a good sign?”

Hopes flickered in their eyes. The most senior secretary firmly shook her head.
“Have you ever seen an Omega working as a secretary? It’s impossible.”
Besides, it was well-known that Executive Director Kwon was repulsed by Omega pheromones. There was no way he’d accept an Omega as his executive secretary.

“I thought… maybe the Executive Director had some lingering attachment.”
“Yeah, I don’t get it. Why won’t he hire an executive secretary?”
“Secretary Lee, please suggest it.”

Even the mild-mannered Secretary Song clasped her hands in earnest plea.
They increasingly felt Kim Heewon’s absence deep in their bones. The work was overwhelming, but worse, no one could read Kwon’s mood. Meeting his cold gaze felt like they’d done something terribly wrong.
Then, the office door suddenly swung open. The secretaries on a group nearby jumped up reflexively. Executive Director Kwon stood holding the door handle, eyes fixed on documents.

“Secretary Kim, I think there’s something wrong with this meeting minutes material. Bring your laptop and come in.”
“……”
Kim Secretary was not among them. Calling him Kim Secretary was one of Kwon’s unchanging habits. He didn’t seem to realize what he’d just said and shut the door, entering his office.

“Jungwoo, go in quickly. He’s looking for you.”
“Um… really? Did he just call Secretary Kim?”
“What’s wrong, amateur? You’re the meeting minutes officer, Jungwoo.”

They patted the rookie’s shoulder, either encouraging or pushing him. Newcomer Choi Jungwoo gathered his laptop with a sulky face.
Thus, the secretarial office continued precariously without Secretary Kim.
The secretaries were struggling, and though Executive Director Kwon appeared fine on the surface, he was suffering severe aftereffects.

On a late Friday night returning from a gathering, after drinking seriously, Kwon was too drunk to stand.
His driver supported him to get home. Kwon insisted he was fine and staggered inside, roughly kicking off his shoes and heading to the living room.
He flopped onto the long sofa, leaning back as if half-laying down, and pulled off his tight necktie first. With each exhale, his vision wavered and his head tilted this way and that.

Did he have a schedule tomorrow?
Even drunk, he couldn’t shake work thoughts. His hand naturally went into his jacket pocket to take out his phone and pressed a speed dial.
The other end answered before the second ring as always.

Kwon leaned back on the sofa and brushed back his disheveled bangs.
“Secretary Kim, what’s our schedule for tomorrow?”