NLFSD Chapter 29

Chapter 29

After devouring the ramen, Lee Jiwoon polished off two plates of frozen fried dumplings and even some ice cream.

“Shall I bring you more ice cream?”

“No, it’s okay. More importantly, there’s something I need to tell you…”

“What is it?”

Jiwoon handed his phone across the table to Seo Taecheon, who was sitting opposite him. Alongside a crying image of the “Deliberation-Dung” mascot, a warning message was displayed.

“My score dropped a lot, and it says I need to take corrective action. There are three options: a camp, a one-day counseling session, and a trip for just the two of us.”

“Hmm… I see. Actually, my score is also low since I haven’t updated my deliberation log in a while.”

Seo Taecheon nodded.

“Well, if we leave it like this, our scores will drop too much and be marked as insufficient…”

“I know. In fact, I received an alert as well earlier today.”

“Oh.”

Right, of course he would have gotten an alert too. Jiwoon began to worry about how he could steer the conversation toward the “trip for two” option. Given how busy Seo Taecheon was known to be, he might prefer the one-day counseling format over something more active.

However, the answer Seo Taecheon gave was more than enough to satisfy Jiwoon.

“How about a trip for just the two of us? If it’s a day trip on Saturday, it shouldn’t be too burdensome. We can rest all day Sunday after coming back.”

“R-really?”

Jiwoon’s eyes widened as he asked. Truthfully, he was so thrilled he wanted to break into a dance, but he bit down on it and held himself back.

“Then, Director! I’ll plan the trip. From A to Z—transportation, sightseeing! And all the best places to eat!”

“Restaurants are important. I think you’d be far more of an expert on that than I am, Assistant Manager.”

Seo Taecheon gave a small chuckle. Jiwoon felt like he had the whole world in his hands.

This Alpha—starting now, I’m going to conquer him! I’ll make sure we do everything a couple could do on a trip!

 

The next morning, Jiwoon arrived at work humming a tune.

Smiling and singing on the way into the office—how was that even possible? To many fellow office workers, it was an utterly incomprehensible sight. But Jiwoon was simply overjoyed today.

First of all, both the team leader and department head were away on a business trip. And on top of that, there wasn’t much to do—so it was practically the office-worker version of Children’s Day.

Sure enough, when he arrived at the office, Assistant Manager Min and the other teammates were already seated with noticeably brighter expressions than usual.

Min Hyekyung

Assistant Manager Lee, great job yesterday. But I heard the team leader lost it over the banner?

She messaged him through the company chat.

Lee Jiwoon

It was a bit tense, but it’s okay.

Min Hyekyung

That’s hilarious. He outsourced it to a vendor he knew and still blew up?

Lee Jiwoon

It smoothed over fine. The Director backed me up…

Min’s eyes sparkled as she read his message.

Min Hyekyung

The Director did?

Lee Jiwoon

Yeah. He said to leave it as-is, so it all got resolved.

Min Hyekyung

Oh… really? I see.

Min narrowed her eyes with a sly smile. As expected—there’s definitely something going on between those two.

“But, Assistant Manager,”

Jiwoon spoke to Min Hyekyung cautiously.

“Yeah?”

“Um… if you’re not busy, would you like to go to the cafeteria with me for a bit?”

“Ooh! I’d love that. No upper mana—I mean, no higher-ups around today, and if we can’t even enjoy a cup of coffee, is it really living?”

Min grabbed her wallet energetically and stood up. She and Jiwoon headed to the rooftop staff cafeteria, where they each ordered a vanilla latte and a watermelon juice.

Seated at a table across from each other, Jiwoon was the first to speak.

“So, actually… Assistant Manager.”

“Uh-huh? What is it? Go on.”

Min was hoping the topic might be the Director again.

“It’s nothing major, really… I just wanted to ask your opinion about something. It’s about my friend’s friend’s friend and their love story.”

Friend’s friend’s friend? That’s not ‘someone else.’ That’s obviously a lie. This is his own story!

Min held back a twitch of her lips and told Jiwoon to go ahead and spill.

“So, that friend’s friend’s friend apparently started liking someone. But they’re really troubled because they don’t know how the other person feels.”

“Oh, really?”

Under the table, Min clenched a triumphant fist. At last—the moment had arrived.

“They’d love it if the other person liked them back, but if not, it could get awkward and cause all kinds of issues… What should they do in a situation like that?”

Looking at Jiwoon, who had deflated like a balloon, Min tried to maintain a calm expression. Since he was pretending it was someone else, she decided to offer a general, sensible response.

“Hmm… Well, in that case, it might be best to just go for it head-on.”

“Uh… head-on?”

“Yeah. Would that friend’s friend’s friend be this torn up for no reason? They’re probably confused because they sense the other person might feel the same way, right?”

“Y-yeah! Exactly! That’s it!”

Jiwoon unknowingly raised his voice. After clearing his throat and checking their surroundings, he leaned in and asked Min softly.

“They’re going on a trip together soon, just the two of them… Is there a good way to make something happen during that time?”

“Where are they going?”

“Huh? That hasn’t been decided yet…”

“Did you know? In romance, the location of a date is 80% of the battle.”

Min Hyekyung’s expression turned uncharacteristically serious.

“The date location is that important?”

“Of course! Let me give you one truly important piece of advice—if you’re unsure, always go for an island. No exceptions.”

“A-an island?”

Jiwoon’s eyes grew round. He’d been thinking of a day trip somewhere around Gyeonggi-do or, at most, Chungcheong-do—to check out restaurants and go for a scenic drive. But an island? Min’s suggestion carried unexpected weight.

“Why an island?”

“Sigh. Haven’t you watched any dramas, Assistant Manager Lee? There’s a classic trope that’s been around for ages. You go to a small island where the ferry stops running early, and if you ‘accidentally’ miss the last boat, everything falls into place on its own.”

“What? Miss the boat?”

“There’s a little island I know near Incheon. It’s past Ganghwa-do, and the last ferry cuts off sharp in the evening. Go there, miss the boat, and guide them to a guesthouse. That’s when the real, heartfelt conversation begins.”

Jiwoon clapped his hands together. He’d been trapped in the fixed idea of a day trip, and it had narrowed his vision far too much.

As far as he knew, Seo Taecheon didn’t have any other plans this weekend. That’s why he’d agreed to a Saturday day trip with rest on Sunday. If they flipped it, they could spend a full night together on that island.

If they spent the night not at home, but in a different space—depending solely on each other… then something was bound to happen. Jiwoon knew instantly—this was it.

“Thank you so much for the amazing tip, Assistant Manager.”

“No need to thank me.”

May it work out for you, junior. A wistful smile spread across Min Hyekyung’s face.

 

Jiwoon began planning the trip. Sure enough, the island Min had mentioned had its last ferry cut off precisely at 7 p.m.

According to blog reviews, the island had only one hiking trail and not much else in terms of attractions. There weren’t any resorts or pensions—just a few small guesthouses.

Jiwoon quickly memorized the ferry timetable and began researching vehicle transport options, good restaurants, and other details. Then, he started counting down the days, eagerly awaiting the weekend.

At last, the day of departure arrived, and Jiwoon, like an excited child before a field trip, couldn’t sleep a wink the night before.

“Ah! The weather’s perfect!”

After barely an hour of sleep, Jiwoon stretched wide and admired the clear sky. The weather was so crisp and beautiful it felt like the whole world was rooting for his love life.

“Let’s see… suppressants, a change of clothes, toiletries… I think that’s everything.”

Jiwoon muttered to himself as he packed.

“Yup, looks like I’ve got it all.”

He was so excited that he clenched his fist and threw a jab into the air. Even that wasn’t enough to calm him down—he felt like he could break into a dance.

Once Seo Taecheon was ready, they were all set to depart.

“Let’s take a photo.”

“Ah, I almost forgot.”

Before setting the car in motion, the two took a selfie and tagged their current location in the app. Their bodies drew closer for the picture, and Jiwoon’s cheeks flushed red.

What do I do? I’m so excited…!

Jiwoon let his excitement flow into music. He searched for a playlist called Songs for Driving on a streaming site, hit play, and opened the window to take in the fresh air.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Assistant Manager. Excited for the trip?”

“Ah, yes. It’s just… been so long since I’ve gone on a trip.”

“I see. It’s been a while for me, too.”

Seo Taecheon hadn’t been involved in any romantic relationships for a long time, so he hadn’t really traveled within the country either. His trips had always been for work—rarely for pleasure—so this was a refreshing change.

“We’re here.”

Their car arrived at the passenger terminal. After purchasing tickets, they loaded the vehicle onto a 50-seat ferry and set off toward the small island.