When I first brought the team here, the situation had been much the same as now. Everyone just watched for cues, too tense to even pick a menu. The building’s traditional hanok-style architecture, along with its unnecessarily formal atmosphere, was probably the cause.

There wasn’t really a special way to handle moments like this. The best thing was simply to start grilling the meat myself, acting like it was nothing. Once people ate a bit, the mood would naturally loosen.

“Oh, uh, I’ll grill that!”

As expected, the moment I picked up the tongs, one of the staff stood up. At the other tables, people who had only been hesitating also began grilling, one by one. Team Leader Yoon, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly asked in a low voice.

“...Do you always hold company dinners in places like this?”

“Well... not always.”

In truth, only the menu changed from time to time—overall it was much the same. I usually chose the place, and I always paid. Since it was a rare chance to treat them to something good, I wanted them to have the best for their hard work.

“And beef’s the safest choice if you want to score points at the first dinner, right?”

I said it playfully, and Team Leader Yoon let out a quiet laugh. When he asked how much the place cost, I only told him it wasn’t as expensive as it looked. I didn’t actually know for sure—only Mr. Kim, who had paid with my card in my stead, would know the exact amount.

“President, have a drink.”

In that brief time, the surroundings had grown lively. Yoon was the first to offer me a bottle. It was a high-proof soju in a white bottle with its name brushed in calligraphy, one of several types of alcohol ordered for the table. I thought about refusing, but decided it was better to accept at least one glass.

The clear liquid trickled into my glass. I filled Yoon’s glass in turn and even joined in a toast to match the mood. Employees who had been awkward at first widened their eyes in delight the moment they tasted the grilled beef.

“Wow, the meat just melts.”

“President, this place is amazing.”

Good food and drink made for the best conversation starters. As a restaurant that served only the highest-quality Korean beef of the day, the meat was, of course, excellent. I briefly thought of my old planning team, but the thought broke when one of the staff suddenly held out a bottle.

“President! Let me pour you a drink too!”

“Ah, I—”

I still hadn’t touched the drink from Yoon, so I lightly covered my glass. No one was pressuring me, and I could easily refuse if I wanted to. But when I tried to, the employee’s gaze was far too bright.

“Just a moment.”

So I simply swallowed down the soju already in my glass. “Ooh!” the employee exclaimed, quickly filling the empty glass I held out. Seeing how excited they were, I figured I could humor them a little.

“President, me too!”

“Please take mine as well!”

It didn’t take long for the atmosphere to warm. My original plan had been to settle the bill and leave early. Being the president already made my position uncomfortable enough with the staff—I couldn’t just intrude into their fun.

But the employees were far more forward than I expected. Hard to believe we’d just met today—once the drinks flowed, they became openly friendly. Not just the management support team, but employees from other tables came over to offer me drinks or food.

“President, let me wrap a ssam for you!”

“No... that’s all right. You all eat plenty.”

I accepted most drinks but declined most of the food. Later, feeling a slight buzz, I took off my jacket and set it aside. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had alcohol. The warm burn wasn’t exactly welcome.

“By the way, President, what perfume do you use?”

“Oh, right, I wanted to ask that too.”

A bit tipsy now, the staff spoke more casually. Judging by their department, the ones asking were likely perfumers from the product development team.

“I noticed it as soon as you walked in—it smells great.”

One pretended to sniff again, saying they couldn’t smell it now because of the alcohol. It wasn’t even a particularly strong fragrance, but they must have sharp noses. I took a sip of water and told them which perfume I’d put on today.

“It’s from Company G...”

To my surprise, they recognized it instantly. It must be popular among enthusiasts; one said they collected each yearly edition and even showed me photos. Another said they’d wanted to buy it but hesitated at the price until it sold out.

“President, where’s that watch from?”

“Would knowing let you buy it?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why ask?”

I didn’t answer, and they ended the conversation with quiet laughter among themselves. Watching them exchange drinks so easily, I couldn’t tell whether they had just grown closer tonight or had always been this way.

“Well, I think I should be heading out.”

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I realized it was getting late. Taeseong would be waiting in the car, and Yido would be waiting at home. It was about time to leave.

“President, already?”

“Stay a little longer!”

“Let’s go to karaoke!”

The moment I stood, drunken voices called out from all sides. Who knew how they’d feel tomorrow, but right now the earlier distance was gone. I smiled apologetically, took my jacket, and got to my feet.

“Eat as much as you want, and if you go for a second round, get a receipt and bring it to me tomorrow.”

Fortunately, they didn’t press me to stay. They still looked disappointed, but in the end they bowed and wished me a safe trip. With their thanks lingering in my ears, I left the noisy restaurant for the quiet outside.

The night air, now pleasantly warm, greeted me as soon as I stepped out. Without the constant hum of voices, the light drunken haze eased a little. My face still felt flushed, so I didn’t bother putting my jacket back on.

“Phew...”

I exhaled softly and shook my head a couple of times. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dialed the eleven digits I knew by heart, intending to tell them to come pick me up.

The ringing went on a little longer than usual. Why aren’t they answering? Just as I thought that, the tone cut off, and a familiar voice came through.

“...Young master?”

“....”

I froze, standing upright. Frowning, I glanced at the phone screen—Mr. Kim was displayed. Out of habit, I’d called him instead of Taeseong.

“Hello, young master?”

“Ah... Mr. Kim.”

“...Have you been drinking?”

“....”

Quick as ever. How could he tell from just one word? I wasn’t even that drunk, and my speech was steady.

“Yes, but not much.”

“What’s the occasion... did something happen?”

His voice was laced with concern. One hand in my pocket, I let out a long hum. My left thumb brushed my ring finger—out of habit—but the ring that should have been there was gone.

“Mr. Kim.”

“Yes.”

Not far off, I spotted Taeseong approaching. He must have been waiting in the car and saw me come out. I slowly rubbed the faint mark where the ring had been and let a small smile curl my lips.

“I had a company dinner.”

“A company dinner...?”

“Yes, since I started working again.”

“....”

“I took a few drinks to get closer to them, so I ended up drinking more than usual.”

Now close, Taeseong gave me a questioning look. He didn’t ask who I was speaking to—just said he’d wait in the car and walked back. I blinked lazily and glanced around the dim surroundings.

“So I meant to call the driver, but I called you by mistake.”

“....”

“Habit’s a scary thing.”

Mr. Kim didn’t answer for a moment. I was about to tell him to rest when his voice came again—quiet, but resolute.

“I’ll come pick you up.”

***

The car glided forward in silence. Leaning back in my seat, I kept my eyes closed. The soft purr of the engine, the occasional sounds from the road, and the faint scent of leather unique to cars.

“If you’re tired, you can sleep for a bit.”

From within that familiar feeling came an even more familiar voice, saying words I’d heard countless times. I let out a slow, hollow laugh and opened my eyes. Reflected in the rearview mirror wasn’t Taeseong’s gaze, but Mr. Kim’s.

“It’s been a while since I heard that.”

“....”

His eyes narrowed slightly. Through the thin lenses of his glasses, they almost seemed to smile. It was such a fleeting change that I couldn’t be sure.

'I’ll come pick you up.'

Earlier, Mr. Kim had hung up before I could respond. I’d stood there for a moment, dazed, before walking over to Taeseong to tell him someone else would be coming for me, so he could go home for the night.

“Is the executive director coming?”

He’d asked casually, then frowned slightly when I shook my head. His eyes studied me with suspicion, as if I were cheating on someone. I shrugged to say I was innocent, but he kept that look and replied curtly.

“I’ll wait with you.”

When Mr. Kim arrived, the meeting between them was as awkward as it could be. They didn’t greet each other—just exchanged glances with me in the middle. I hadn’t introduced them, so they probably didn’t even know each other’s names.

“You can go home now.”

“...I’ll follow behind.”

“That’s not necessary—”

“I’m your bodyguard, not your driver.”

Mr. Kim didn’t even try to explain himself, despite the suspicious look aimed his way. More surprising was that he didn’t ask who Taeseong was.

And so I ended up in Mr. Kim’s car, with Taeseong following behind in his own. As Yido had once said, Taeseong’s skill was impressive—his silent tailing felt less like security and more like surveillance. Not that I minded.

“How did you know I was at that barbecue place?”

“Who do you think handled °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° all your company dinners?”

Right—he always took care of everything from reservations to payment. The moment I’d mentioned a company dinner, he could easily guess where I was.

“Sorry for dragging you out. You were probably resting at home.”

“No... I was working overtime at the office.”

I wasn’t sure if I should feel relieved he hadn’t been resting. Even after I quit, he was still busy. I’d thought his workload might have lessened, but maybe it had only grown, supporting my father.

“Mr. Kim.”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you going to ask where I’m working?”

He glanced at me briefly through the mirror, then asked in a flat, affectless tone.

“Where are you working?”

It was like coaxing someone into asking, but at least now I had an excuse to tell him. Leaning my head back and closing my eyes, I murmured.

“In the perfume business Yido runs as a hobby. Seems he wants to expand and go public someday... he asked me to take the president’s seat. Today was my first day.”

“President...”

He repeated the word absently, then said, “You’ve done well for yourself.” Even as he said it, his voice was dry and businesslike—just like always.

“And...”

I trailed off, turning to the window. The passing night scenery left faint traces behind, reminding me of the Han River view I’d once seen with Yido.

“The company’s name is Sejin.”

'Want to take a drive around the Han River?'

Who had said that—me? My memory was fuzzy. The only time I’d been to the Han was the day I was given the car. The scene in my mind felt unreal.

“Who names a company after someone else...”

Muttering, I closed my eyes. The darkness behind my lids wasn’t much different from how I felt inside. This was why I didn’t like drinking—it made my emotions swing unpredictably.

“Mr. Kim.”

“Yes, young master.”

No matter how many times I called him, his answer never changed—from childhood to now. Only Moon the butler and Mr. Kim had always been constant.

“In your opinion... how do you think this engagement will turn out?”

If I hadn’t been drinking, I wouldn’t have asked. I would have just kept it to myself, unresolved. But the alcohol made my mouth move on its own.

“I keep wondering.”

“....”

“Far in the future... or maybe soon... where will I be then?”

The car stopped. With my eyes closed, I assumed it was a traffic light. After a pause, Mr. Kim finally spoke.

“I think... at the very least, Executive Director Kwon won’t abandon you.”

“....”

My throat tightened, and my chest churned like I was carsick. While I tried to steady myself, he continued in a calm voice.

“If this engagement were only a contract, he wouldn’t go to such lengths for you.”

“You say interesting things.”

I laughed quietly. The alcohol and sleepiness made my thoughts sluggish.

“‘Such lengths,’ huh.”

“....”

“What more has he done?”

It was an odd phrase coming from someone who knew nothing. Mr. Kim explained plainly.

“You said he gave you the president’s seat. And if he named the company after you, that says it all.”

Something about it felt off, but I was too drained to dwell on it. I just nodded, and Mr. Kim didn’t add anything further.

When we reached home, he dropped me off at the garage. The door opened automatically as we arrived—perhaps Taeseong had given notice ahead. In any case, it was convenient.

“Get home safe. And work hard on that overtime.”

I stepped out and gave him a light farewell. Behind us, Taeseong parked in one corner of the garage. Mr. Kim only told me to get some rest before driving away.

In the elevator up, I loosened my tie. I’d already taken off my jacket earlier, and the constriction at my neck made me undo a couple of buttons as well.

When the elevator doors opened, I froze.

“....”

“....”

Dark eyes studied my face. His sharply defined features felt almost unreal. Arms crossed, waiting for me, Yido spoke in an even tone.

“You’re late.”