Born to Be a Secretary

Fujino Pharmaceuticals invited the Korean guests to the family estate rather than to the company headquarters.
It was quite unusual to conduct company contracts in a private residence, but they said that special guests were always received at the family home. This was a tradition passed down from the founder, the former chairman.

“You must have been quite surprised. We usually handle contracts in the usual way… but since we wish to establish a friendly relationship with Apex starting from this contract, we decided to host you like this.”
“Thank you for the invitation. Thanks to it, I’m having a valuable experience.”
Kwon Youngjae and Takano Yui, the president of Fujino Pharmaceuticals, were holding a formal greeting meeting. Although countless emails and video conferences had been exchanged, this was the first time the decision-makers met face to face.

Starting with an introduction to the vast mansion, the conversation flowed naturally, touching on the industry situation in various countries and opinions on the global market.
“Oh, this is my daughter. Sayuri, please greet our guests.”
Upon President Takano’s introduction, a graceful woman dressed in a kimono bowed her head. Her refined aura made it clear to anyone that she was a well-raised Omega lady.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Takano Sayuri.”
“I’m Kwon Youngjae.”
Their greetings looked like a perfect match of a handsome man and a beautiful woman. A dominant Alpha and an Omega from a prestigious family—it felt like a matchmaking meeting.

“Your daughter is very beautiful.”
“Thank you for saying so. She’s a child I treasure very much…”
When Kwon Youngjae gave the customary compliment, President Takano’s face split into a wide smile. The lady blushed deeply on both cheeks, unsure how to respond.

“I’ve been worried because she hasn’t found a suitable match yet. I heard you, Executive Director Kwon, are still unmarried as well.”
“Yes, unfortunately, I have no intention of marrying. I hope your daughter meets someone good.”
Kwon Youngjae plainly stated that he was against marriage. There was no way President Takano didn’t notice that he was quietly scrutinizing me. Her sensitive intuition was active even in moments like this.

“Haha, I hope so too. Oh dear, I meant to just greet you briefly but ended up holding you here for too long. Sayuri, please show the guests to their rooms.”
I was worried the atmosphere might become awkward, but fortunately, President Takano took the initiative to lighten the mood. As instructed, Sayuri took care of Kwon Youngjae and the other guests.
The endlessly sprawling Japanese-style house symbolized wealth. Fujino Pharmaceuticals, like typical chaebols, maintained hereditary management. Like Apex, it was a family business.

Reaching the annex, each person was assigned one room. Naturally, the room Kwon Youngjae stayed in was the largest and most luxurious.
I started unpacking his luggage for him. Although the tatami mats on the floor and sliding doors covered with paper gave off a traditional vibe reminiscent of historical dramas, all the furniture inside was modern. I found myself staring in fascination at the bizarre combination.
After scanning the room once, my gaze turned to Kwon Youngjae.
He was sitting on a hard wooden chair instead of the sofa, reviewing documents. The lawyer sitting opposite him was nervously sweating and rifling through papers as he answered Kwon’s sharp questions. It was somehow pitiful to watch.

After unpacking all the luggage, I stood the suitcase upright and placed it in a corner out of sight. Secretary Song beside me was restless. She wanted to help, but I moved so swiftly that she couldn’t assist even a bit.
“Se-Secretary, I can do it. Just tell me.”
“Secretary Song has a lot to do later. Let me handle this.”

Watching her small hands fidget like a hamster made me smile. My laughter was very quiet, but from behind came a cold voice calling, “Secretary Kim.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
“Are you here to relax now?”

“Sorry.”
Being scolded wasn’t a big deal, but Kwon Youngjae’s attitude bothered me deeply. Since a certain day, he had grown noticeably colder. He was never particularly warm, but now the distance between us felt tangible.
I didn’t know why. Understanding Kwon Youngjae was like understanding astronomy—it was just as difficult and obscure as the celestial bodies of the universe.

I stood upright in a corner where Kwon’s gaze fell. Secretary Song quietly came up and stood shoulder to shoulder with me. Seeing her nervousness, I wrinkled my nose slightly, meaning that no matter what Kwon said, we would just follow without protest.
About an hour before the contract, Sayuri came to the room. She conveyed that her grandfather wished to meet the Executive Director.
Kwon Youngjae left only with me and followed her. In the grand and vast reception room, the white-haired Takano Chairman was already waiting for the guests.

Although retired from the front lines, it was well known that Chairman Takano still held real power. His vigorous appearance was hard to believe for someone nearing eighty years old. Alphas rarely show signs of aging. Chairman Kwon was an example of this.
Through the open engawa (veranda), one could see the serene garden. Despite the open space, a certain intimidation hung in the air. Chairman Takano, exuding a heavy presence, took a sip of hot tea and broke the silence first.
“Sayuri talks a lot about you. She’s a daughter who rarely pays attention to Alphas… she seems quite fond of you.”

Private conversations leaked openly, and Sayuri tried hard to hide her embarrassed face.
“She’s quite a decent Omega, isn’t she?”
“Chairman, I understand your intentions, but since this is a meeting representing the company, it’s better to focus on more important matters.”

“You politely refuse once.”
The chairman chuckled with a hoarse laugh. His aged eyes landed on Kwon Youngjae before naturally drifting away.
A man stood neatly, clearly a secretary judging by his attitude, but his Omega status caught attention. The chairman’s narrow eyes lingered on my face for a long moment.

“Is the Omega you brought along your lover?”
The hand lifting the teacup paused briefly. Kwon answered indifferently.
“She is my personal secretary.”

“Oh dear, you must have been misunderstood a lot.”
“She’s a talented person, so I keep her close regardless of traits.”
“So, she’s not something you play with on the side?”

Kwon remained silent, staring at the chairman. I could not understand their conversation at all, but I kept a proper posture. Still, I sensed they were talking about me, as the chairman’s piercing gaze had been on me since a while ago.
Suddenly, the chairman summoned an elderly attendant and whispered to him. Despite the son-in-law’s calm demeanor, no one could eavesdrop on the secretive orders.
“I hope the contract goes well. If I have time, I’ll attend the meeting myself.”

The chairman held the teacup again, raising it high as if to toast. I bowed slightly in response to the gesture directed at me. He was an old man with something unsettling about him.
After a short chat, the chairman and Sayuri left the reception room first. Kwon ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) also started to leave, but the attendant who had earlier received instructions approached and requested a private conversation.
“The chairman likes your Executive Director’s secretary. Would it be possible to have her served separately?”

“…What did you say just now?”
Kwon snapped sharply. The attendant calmly continued as if expecting this reaction.
“I understand if you feel uncomfortable. I’m only delivering the chairman’s request and have no other intentions.”

Ha, Kwon scoffed bitterly. Even as he glared fiercely, the attendant maintained a calm tone and spoke only his part.
“I heard they’re not in a private relationship. Would that be difficult?”
“Say something reasonable.”

“For the sake of future friendly relations between the two companies, please reconsider once more.”
“I came here for business, not to offer my secretary as tribute to an old man.”
“That’s a harsh way to put it.”

“You were the one who made the first mistake.”
Kwon barely suppressed his anger rising to the top of his head. His pheromones were already raging violently. He exhaled deeply, calming the fierce pheromones. He couldn’t let something like this ruin an important contract.
“I’ll tolerate it just this once. Go and clearly convey my position.”

The attendant bowed slowly. There was neither embarrassment nor surprise in his expression. That made him even more unsettling.
Kwon immediately turned his back. Heewon, waiting outside, was taken aback when she saw him leave the reception room.
“Executive Director, was something wrong?”

Kwon bit his lip tightly. He didn’t want to bring up that disgusting proposal again. As soon as he put on his shoes and started walking down, he suddenly grabbed Heewon’s wrist and began to walk briskly.
Trying to keep up with his long strides, Heewon hurriedly increased her pace. She was bewildered, unable to guess the cause of his anger. Her wrist ached from the strong grip. The large hand holding her wrist showed blue veins.
“Executive Director! Wait a moment.”

“Kwon Heewon, you’re excluded from protocol duty today. Stay in the room until work is over.”
His biting voice carried a cold chill. Heewon could not respond to that at all.