Born to Be a Secretary

The announcement of Director Kwon Youngho’s personnel transfer was released. It caused a brief uproar with the official statement, but even that soon died down.

After all, a company was essentially a socialized jungle, and battles for the throne were always fierce. No matter how ferocious a beast, if it suffered a fatal wound, the jungle’s law dictated it to tuck its tail and flee.
The victorious beast revealed its usual meticulous self without any reservation and was continuing a long meeting. The regular meeting of the Strategic Planning Headquarters, delayed due to the emergency board meeting, had already been going on for four hours.
“Next is the Global Strategy Team, right? Tell them to come in right away.”

Executive Director Kwon hadn’t once disturbed his breathing during all that time. Each team was given about forty minutes to an hour. The reports proceeded under the tension of walking a tightrope, along with high-concentration document reviews.
The newcomer taking the minutes beside him had long since gone blank-eyed. Even Kim Heewon, watching, felt drained, but only Kwon Youngjae himself maintained a pristine composure.
His stamina was truly something…. Heewon couldn’t even suggest taking a five-minute break and immediately called the waiting Global Strategy Team leader.

A stiff group of people entered the conference room. Heewon knew that among the four people in the reporting team, there was at least one Omega. As he scanned quickly, two rosy cheeks came into his field of vision. Nervous? Why was his face so red?
As that odd thought occurred, the pheromone purifiers placed in both corners began to roar loudly. The sharply rising pH level proved just how densely pheromones had spread in this space right now.
The noise from the machines was followed by a moment of silence in the conference room. The startled Global Strategy Team leader gave a glance toward the employee in question.

“Minyoung, could you step outside for a moment….”
“It’s fine. Let’s just continue.”
Kwon Youngjae cut him off in a dry tone. As if he had no interest whatsoever in the pheromones, he rolled a fountain pen in his hand and fixed his gaze solely on the report the team leader had just submitted.

“Ah… are you sure that’s okay?”
While the team leader’s eyes darted anxiously, Heewon busily walked back and forth in the conference room to manage the situation. He switched the pheromone deodorizer from timed spray to continuous output and increased the power of the ventilation system.
Kwon Youngjae’s expression remained calm. In the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ past, he would have thrown down a crushing order like a hammer, but now he showed no reaction at all to such intense Omega pheromones.

Rumors were true — it had been openly said that the notoriously strict Executive Director Kwon had become much more vulnerable to Omega pheromones. Seeing his changed behavior confirmed the truth of those rumors.
The employees could now attend the meeting more comfortably, and Kwon Youngjae led the conversation with the same neat demeanor as before. Only Secretary Kim, standing like a fixture in the corner, kept her senses sharply tuned to her superior’s complexion and breathing.
“Well then, let’s prepare without any setbacks.”

“Thank you for your efforts.”
At last, the long relay meeting ended. Those leaving the room showed signs of relief, while the remaining few finally let out brief, tired sighs.
“Everyone, good work. Let’s head back as well.”
“Thank you, Executive Director.”

“Thank you.”
Heewon approached the newcomer who was tidying the cluttered desk and said quietly.
“Secretary Choi, pack up your laptop and head upstairs first.”

“Ah… I haven’t finished cleaning here yet.”
“It’s fine. I’ll handle the rest. Go ahead and finish the minutes so the Executive Director can see them right away.”
The newcomer nodded with a dazed expression. Heewon gave his hunched back a gentle pat with his characteristic warm smile.

Soon the newcomer left the room, and the bustling interior instantly became quiet. Heewon put everything else aside and checked on Kwon Youngjae first.
The headache he had been holding back seemed to surge; he was furrowing his brows deeply. Heewon carefully approached the man cooling his forehead with the back of his hand and handed him some headache medicine prepared earlier.
“Executive Director, should we cancel the rest of your schedule?”

“…Let’s rest for ten minutes and then go back up.”
No sooner had the reply come than a weary sigh escaped. Kwon Youngjae leaned his head back and swallowed the headache medicine. Even drinking water was noticeably irritable. Heewon watched worriedly.
Others might think he had gotten better, but in reality, he was just foolishly enduring. The neurosis that had eaten away at him for so long wouldn’t disappear overnight.

Still, it was commendable that he somehow endured. If he held on like this, maybe one day Kwon Youngjae would be fine again. Heewon continued tidying up with a lighter heart.
That evening, a regular checkup at the Department of Genetic Medicine was scheduled. Both had appointments with the same doctor on the same day, and they visited the hospital as if it were an extension of work.
After his meeting with Professor Hong, Kwon Youngjae was told he was healthy to the point of vitality and even received advice to date a bit. Of course, he didn’t even hear it.

Next was Heewon’s turn. Still nervous from the recent pheromone shock, he faced Professor Hong with a tense expression. As she slowly read the results, Heewon’s eyes narrowed like flounder’s as he glanced at Kwon Youngjae sitting on a sofa in the corner of the room.
He seemed uninterested in others’ matters, focused only on his laptop, but simply by his presence, he was a person who made others uneasy. Heewon shot him a sideways glance again, but Kwon Youngjae completely ignored him and concentrated on his work.
Of course, the exam room was probably more comfortable than the waiting room outside, but it was still a personal checkup. Heewon could only laugh bitterly at how little privacy remained in reality.

“Have you been unstable since then? How have you been lately?”
Professor Hong suddenly asked, bringing Heewon’s head back to reality. He didn’t notice that the Executive Director’s gaze had shifted to him as well and carefully recalled his recent memories.
“…I don’t really feel uncomfortable.”

“Do you sleep well at night? Have you ever had your heart race for no reason, or numbness in your body?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Has Kwon Youngjae’s pheromone been helping?”

Heewon’s normally quick answers stopped. Did she really have to ask that with the person concerned right there?
But Professor Hong had a face that said, What’s the problem? As a thorough attending physician, she eventually gave up and accepted the answer.
“…Yes, quite a bit.”

“That’s good. I thought about using medicine if your condition got worse, but it seems unnecessary. Keep using it occasionally.”
The ‘him’ she referred to sneered openly behind Heewon’s back. It was a laugh bordering on ridicule, but Professor Hong continued undeterred.
“The heat cycle — about three months left, right? You know you need to prepare for it soon.”

“…Ah, yes.”
“You’re probably as well-informed on this topic as an expert, Kim Heewon, but since it’s your own experience, you’ll need time to think carefully. You can’t just bring anyone and make them a partner, right? You’ll need to prepare yourself mentally, too.”
“Um… professor.”

Heewon raised his right hand, unable to hold back any longer. Feeling sharp stares from behind, he discreetly asked.
“Would it still be too difficult to use a suppressant?”
“I think I told you last time that it’s not good for you.”

“But… everyone has their reasons.”
Even if he accepted being an Omega, the heat cycle was still hard to grasp. At first, when Professor Hong told him, it felt like someone else’s problem, but as the time approached, he realized it wasn’t something to ignore.
Professor Hong, who had always answered Heewon’s questions kindly with a smile, suddenly became cold. Her eyes behind her glasses sharpened as she glared evenly at both Kim Heewon and Kwon Youngjae sitting behind him.

“Why is it that none of you ever listen to me?”
“Professor, it’s not that. I was just wondering if it’s possible.”
“Have you seen with your own eyes what happened to people who lived on suppressants every heat cycle?”

“…….”
“If you’re dumb, I won’t talk. Both of you walk around with such polished faces but try to protect your bodies? Are you obsessed with cleanliness?! Do you think you’d die if you had sex?”