30 – Girlfriend at the Company Dinner
If it were like before, I would have had to endure at least three days of a tough cold.
But on Sunday, I miraculously recovered completely in just one day.
This is probably thanks to Lina, who took care of me with all her love.
I’m also grateful to Manager Lee Tae-seok, who cooked delicious food for me.
Anyway, thanks to my complete recovery, I was able to safely go to work on a weekday.
That’s not all.
Perhaps, during the weekend, I became a little closer to Lina.
Whether that was clearly revealed to the outside world.
As soon as I got to work, Kyung-tae said,
“Did you happen to go on a date with Yuri on your day off?”
He asked with a question that accurately pierced through my Saturday schedule.
When I asked why he thought that way,
“Because there’s a clearly happy vibe on your face, this guy!!!”
Kyung-tae spread his hands as if he were about to strangle my neck right away and twisted his face a lot.
In that situation, he even gave me a deep, provocative kiss.
If I provoke him a little more, he looks like he might shed tears of blood.
Maybe it’s because of Kyung-tae’s attitude, and also because of the bank robbery incident last time.
The presence of Luina, known externally as Yoori, was now fully known to the employees of Hero Nation.
“I also want to see Yoo-ri.”
“Kyung-tae said she’s really pretty, right?”
“Oh, I heard that too. I thought she was a magazine model.”
Whispering and murmuring filled the air.
Even without intentionally listening, bits and pieces of Luina’s story could be heard throughout the office.
…………I should have realized it then.
“Well, we have a department gathering scheduled for tomorrow, so please let us know if you have any prior engagements.”
Just before quitting time.
The manager stood up discreetly and asked the employees about tomorrow’s schedule.
“A gathering, huh….”
Resting his chin on his hand.
He glanced briefly at the paper calendar on his desk and mumbled.
Come to think of it, work had been piling up recently, so I hadn’t been able to say no.
Some employees disliked treating gatherings as part of their work, but at least I didn’t mind them as much as others.
After all, it’s free food and free drinks, right?
Not only could I save on dinner expenses, but I could also indulge in the meat and alcohol that I rarely had.
The moment I had been looking forward to tomorrow had already arrived.
In my mind, Luina’s bright smiling face, momentarily forgotten, came to mind.
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, I’m not alone anymore.
I have a strong and precious girlfriend waiting for me at home.
Yes. There’s nothing to hesitate about.
Of course, it’s Rui-na over the company dinner.
I immediately raised my hand.
“Oh, alright, Seonghun.”
“Um, I’m sorry, but I think I have to pass. hahahaha…”
As he awkwardly scratched the back of his head and spoke coolly, a piercing gaze shot from the seat next to me.
“It’s because of Yuri, right? Huh? It’s because of Yuri…!”
Kyungtae was shooting beams from his eyes, sharpening them fiercely.
How could he have endured jealousy while watching other couples until now?
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As I, someone close to him, escaped singleness, his jealousy gauge clearly hit its max in an instant.
“Oh. Come to think of it, there’s something I wanted to tell you, Seonghun.”
“Yes?”
A random exaggeration made a question mark hover above my head. The likelihood of it being about a disciplinary action for a direct subordinate was about 90%.
Suddenly, I felt a suffocating sensation in my chest.
“It’s nothing much, really.”
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With my mouth tightly shut, swallowing the saliva that had pooled in my mouth.
I was waiting for the next words from my boss.
“By any chance… Could Mr. Seonghun join the company dinner with his girlfriend?”
“…………Huh?”
The question that came from my boss was completely unexpected.
It was like a ghost randomly spouting nonsense.
* * *
Beep!
The sound of the front door lock being released.
And at the same time.
“Darling~!!!”
Luina’s fluffy hair suddenly approached.
Now, it was like an everyday occurrence as I gently stroked her hair and asked.
“hehehe. How have you been?”
“Yeah yeah! I missed you so much!”
“Even though we were talking the whole time?”
“But it’s better to talk while being together in person♡”
Thanks to the gift from Ex Machina, even though we were an hour apart, we could continue talking as if we were right next to each other.
Thanks to that, until just a few seconds ago, we were still engaged in conversation.
Maybe to others, it might have looked like I was muttering to myself.
“Sure, Lucina?”
So let’s bring up the conversation we had earlier.
“Yeah, why?”
“It’s about the company dinner we talked about earlier.”
“Great~♡”
She replied briefly, burrowing into my arms.
The sweet scent wafting from Lucina’s hair was delightful, but this was not the answer I was hoping for.
“Well, I mean, it’s a company dinner. You have to be with people you don’t know, right?”
“It’s an opportunity to show everyone that you’re my girlfriend, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true, but….”
“Then let’s go!”
“Hi, gocha.”
Lucina had firmly made up her mind to participate in the dinner since earlier.
To be honest, I never thought she would agree so easily.
I was confident she wouldn’t refuse because she could be with me, but I thought I would at least ask if we really had to go.
Of course, Lucina was not the only one invited to the dinner.
Partners or spouses were all welcome.
That was something the manager mentioned after inviting Lucina.
Well, it’s a common occurrence in any company, after all.
Since we’re having a company dinner, it’s only natural to arrange such a gathering to spend more time with your significant other.
Of course, some employees may argue, “Why not just skip the dinner and go home to spend time with your loved one?”
Especially the singles expressed their doubts and discontent…
[We have no way of knowing what the higher-ups think…]
In other words, that’s the situation.
If I resisted, I would have no choice but to take the place of the higher-up next time.
“The higher-up?”
“Oh, no. Just talking to myself.”
As I gently stroked Luina’s head nestled in my arms, I spoke.
Now, I can finally pay attention to the communication device.
But I still couldn’t stop the thoughts from leaking out on their own.
However, I couldn’t take it off even for a moment.
What if I take off the ring and Luina ends up in a situation where she can’t communicate with me?
Then, how many minutes will it take for a startled Luina to run towards me?
…That’s the situation.
This ring on my ring finger is like a rein to control Luina, no different from a lifeline hanging around my waist.
For the safety of the world and my own well-being, I couldn’t possibly remove the communication device haphazardly.
“Are you hungry? Let’s quickly change clothes and go eat.”
“Yes~”
It seems like Luina is delighted to have met me.
hehehe~ With a giggle, she walked into the living room.
I naturally watched her cute figure and entered my room.
“Sigh….”
Before changing clothes, she raised her phone and dialed a number.
Once the 11-digit number was complete, the owner’s name of the number automatically popped up.
“Well, I guess I should ask….”
A man who secretly watches me and Ruina from anywhere in the world.
I called Team Leader Lee Taeseok.
After a moment of transmission sound.
After passing even the friendly message that this line is encrypted.
“Yes, Handler.”
The voice of the gentleman who had secretly visited our house came back.
No matter where or when I make a call, his voice is always consistently gruff.
“The reason for the call. You know it, right?”
“Yes. It’s related to the team dinner and Ruina’s participation.”
As expected.
Now, I was gradually figuring out how to deal with Team Leader Lee Taeseok.
What I know, this person knows too.
What I don’t know, this person knows.
So, rather than beating around the bush, it was more straightforward to confront this tough negotiator like this.
“Is it okay? Even if you have a fake identity, you can still introduce Luyina to others.”
“It doesn’t matter. Let’s go together.”
“You too…!?”
Following Luyina, a quick response came from Team Leader Lee Taeseok.
“Hey, is it okay to decide so simply?”
“Actually, it’s undesirable for us if Luyina is separated from you.”
“That may be true, but…”
He was the one who willingly gave a large sum just to be with Luyina in the first place.
But now, he was about to introduce Luyina to countless people.
If something were to happen…
There was no guarantee that an incident wouldn’t occur.
“And it’s not as simple a decision as the handler thinks.”
“What? What do you mean…”
“Our team values you much more than you think.”
“Even if you suddenly praise me…”
“No. Isn’t Luyina really not sleeping for over a week? It’s because you are sending her dedicated affection. That’s why we’ve decided it’s okay for you to join the gathering.”
“Ugh…”
It was certainly praise, but the uncomfortable feeling didn’t easily fade away.
“And you don’t need to worry about any unexpected situations that might arise.”
“You?”
“Our agents will be waiting near the dinner venue. So, rest assured.”
But that only makes me more uneasy…
I let out a long sigh.