Corporate Villain
Copyright© 2025 by K.W
Chapter 37
A message from Manager Noh Gyu-hyung came in on KakaoTalk.
-Draft exclusive contract confirmed! I’m only contacting you now because I had to attend to the executive director.
Why is this friend acting like this?
Why do something out of the ordinary?
I never specifically asked Manager Roh to report on the business trip details.
Of course, I was curious about the meeting results.
I trusted him, but ... still, I was curious.
I was bearing with it, but I didn’t expect to find out this way.
Before replying, I checked the time first.
8 PM.
I figured it must be the peak of lunchtime over there.
I sent a reply.
-You’ve worked hard. Did everyone have lunch?
I couldn’t just exaggerate and send a message saying everything went incredibly well.
Now, I too must behave like a proper owner...
As soon as I sent the message, the number 1 disappeared immediately, and a reply came in.
-We just had a quick meal together, but the executive director didn’t eat, saying he wasn’t in the mood.
I thought as much.
It means he poured all his energy into that meeting.
And ... it’s a sign that the day he lightly falls ill once a year is approaching.
I’ve never actually met her.
But I’ve seen her countless times in photos.
Her mother, the late An Young-hee’s memorial day is coming up.
I’ve been preparing for that these past few days.
If you spend almost all your time performing duties right beside someone like I do, Manager Roh will soon catch on.
He’s quite a strong-willed person, hates showing weakness, so although the executive director doesn’t show it outwardly, it’s strange how his word count significantly decreases around the days before and after his mother’s memorial.
-Didn’t you skip breakfast too? At least have a cup of coffee.
-How did you know that?
-Is everyone back at the hotel now?
-Yes. There’s no additional schedule today, so after telling everyone to take some personal time, the executive director went up to his room.
-Check if there’s a decent sushi place nearby.
-Sushi?
I’m not one to send long messages on KakaoTalk, but this time I have no choice.
-Prepare the sushi without eel, shrimp, or salmon. Focus on tamagoyaki sushi and white fish sushi. If there’s beef tataki sushi, grab a few of those too. For the salad, preferably with balsamic dressing. If you can’t find a salad with balsamic dressing, just get some cherry tomatoes and bring them to the room.
-Right now?
-Usually, I wouldn’t say this, but when going on a business trip for war-like preparations, Manager Noh needs to pay special attention to the meals.
-Yes, I’m sorry. I was actually worried about what to do since you skipped breakfast and didn’t seem to have plans for lunch.
-I had a feeling that’s why you messaged me. Good job. In the future, if you’re unsure about something, feel free to contact me.
-Thank you, Director.
-Got it. Look up a sushi place and prepare right away. When you deliver it to the room, sell me out. Say it was my order.
There were often times like this.
When I was serving as the shadow to a woman named Kang Moon-jung, my boss at the time, there were moments when I wanted to make her smile, no matter the reason for her subdued mood.
Her mood directly determined the intensity of my work.
But every time, there was a clear wall between her and me, a wall directly tied to my livelihood, and I never dared to approach it.
Now, however, I’ve earned the right to at least touch that wall.
And I’m about to use that right.
Two days later, at Incheon International Airport’s arrival hall.
“Huh? Why are you here?”
The first group to exit the arrival hall.
At the forefront were the Director and Manager Noh Gyu-hyung.
And behind them, several related personnel from the distribution department who had gone on the Paris business trip were exiting the gate, pulling their suitcases.
At first, they didn’t recognize me.
It was only after Manager Noh noticed me and gave a hint that the Director, startled, came over to me, mindful of the surrounding eyes.
“If it weren’t a restful weekend today, I would have brought a few more company employees to welcome you. It’s a pity.”
“What are you talking about?”
“After accomplishing such a big task and returning, we should prepare at least this much of a welcome ceremony. I’ve only hung the banner in my heart. There are too many eyes to prepare anything more; it might seem too fanatical.”
I received the Director’s suitcase from Manager Noh.
“You’ve worked hard. Manager Noh, you can go home from here.”
Manager Noh, surprised by my unexpected appearance, seemed relieved by the suddenly brightened expression on the Director’s face.
Even I could see the Director’s expression had changed markedly before and after discovering me.
“Thank you.”
After a brief exchange of greetings with the distribution team members there,
I headed to the parking lot alone with the executive.
“Why did you even come out?”
The executive asked, still surprised that I had come to meet him at the airport.
Dragging my suitcase, I walked on and, realizing we were now alone, I answered with a joke.
“I never knew weekends without Moonjeong could be this peaceful.”
“What?”
“Wow, I actually got to sleep in for once. Can you see how fresh my skin looks? Without someone clattering around from dawn to go exercise, I managed to sleep in.”
I flashed a mischievous smile at his rolling eyes and quickly gathered up my scattered joke.
“After lounging around the house all day, I found it bearable only until noon; after that, I got restless. So I went out for a drive to get some exercise, catch some fresh air, and sort out my thoughts with music on.”
Tomorrow is the anniversary of Mrs. Ahn Young-hee’s passing.
Whether the executive scheduled his business trip around his mother’s anniversary to avoid sinking into depression, or because he deemed the matters urgent enough to be settled quickly, only he would know.
But from now on, I wanted to tend to the mood of the woman who would pretend not to be herself.
As we left the airport in the car, I asked what she planned for dinner, and she replied that she had no appetite after the long flight and the awkward timing.
“Oh, by the way, the picture you sent to Director Roh as support was quite a clever cheer.”
“That’s the least I could do. But about that picture...”
“Yes?”
I loaded another joke in my arsenal.
“In that picture, why is there a large wooden box under the table?”
“Yes?”
“Do you know what’s inside that box?”
“In the box? How would I know that?”
“You don’t know?”
I exaggerated my surprise, briefly turning to look at the executive.
“And do you know what’s inside?”
“Are you saying you hung that picture there without knowing what’s inside?”
“...”
“That box isn’t just any box; it represents a gift box. The artist is famous for such expressive work. Didn’t you know...?”
“A gift box? Do you know much about Taesik’s paintings?”
“Just a casual liking? The kind where you could get slightly acquainted with a stranger through drawings? Just that extent? But not quite at a professional level.”
“I had no idea you liked art, Taesik. So? What’s inside that box?”
“It contains the luxury Marco, a top-grade coffee machine brand born from the CMG Group located in Northern Italy.”
It was then I realized I had been spouting such nonsense and caught the side-eye from the executive next to me, who was driving. In response, they playfully punched my arm.
“Are you crazy?”
“Ah, why? Why hit someone who’s driving? You promised. If I caught the draft, you said you’d install Marco coffee machines all over Black Bean and Gold Line.”
“Good grief, this is ridiculous. To make someone burst out laughing like this? Seriously. Pfft...”
Dimples formed on her cheeks.
It was a genuine laugh.
Upon arriving home, we immediately divided our roles in the living room.
While the executive unpacked their luggage and went to shower, I quickly changed into a suit and prepared the champagne.
No need for snacks.
There’s no one to eat them anyway.
This champagne, which I’ve prepared today, will suffice as a sleeping aid for her, who has been struggling with jet lag these past few days.
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