NLFSD Chapter 35

Chapter 35

A few days later, Jiwoon found himself assigned to work overtime. He had been tasked with compiling and reporting the number of weddings held and current reservations for each hotel and resort.

The office was dark after everyone had left for the day. Only Jiwoon’s desk remained lit.

“Do people really get married this much?”

He muttered to himself as he stared at the Excel sheet crammed with numbers.

“Feels like everyone’s getting married except me.”

Although Jiwoon’s company specialized heavily in hotel resorts geared toward weddings, even taking that into account, the dozens of ceremonies per quarter shown in the statistics were staggering.

“Phew…”

I want to get married too. Not with just anyone— with Mr. Seo.

By now, Jiwoon’s feelings were settled. He didn’t want to break up with Seo Taecheon. Just imagining him remarrying some random omega and starting a family sent icy chills through Jiwoon’s veins and made his stomach turn.

Falling in love. I love you.

That’s what happened, heart.

Instead of focusing on work, Jiwoon blushed alone, lost in thought.

“When will I ever finish this? This Excel sheet is endless.”

Scrolling endlessly and switching tabs back and forth, Jiwoon roughly gauged how many more hours he’d have to sit there before he could go home.

“The previous wedding statistics are all organized… but sorting the reservation data will take some time.”

Muttering absentmindedly, Jiwoon suddenly froze.

Venue reservations…! Why did I forget about that?

Only recently had he overheard rumors that Seo Taecheon was personally asking around about vacant wedding venues. He had heard it clearly with his own ears while standing in the buffet line during the company’s anniversary event, as nearby employees whispered to each other.

N-no way… Could that information be in this Excel file?

His heart plummeted as if dropping down an elevator shaft. Jiwoon wiped his sweat-damp palms on his pants and gripped the mouse tightly.

“No way… It can’t be.”

He clicked over to check the reservation status of the main hotel’s wedding hall. According to the rumor, the hall Taecheon had been asking about was the highest-tier VIP hall, reserved for only one couple per day. That would make it easy to spot.

When he opened the tab, the dates for roughly the next year were listed, showing whether the VIP hall was booked.

“Ah… there is someone who reserved it about six months from now… but I can’t see who it is. It’s masked….”

But as he kept scanning, Jiwoon noticed something odd: someone had reserved every single wedding hall for the entire month of March. Spring was a peak wedding season; even booking just one hall required a staggering amount of money. Yet someone had reserved all of them for an entire month? That was highly unusual.

Jiwoon swallowed hard and examined the chart more closely. The note indicated “TBD,” meaning no specific wedding date had been set. Names and contact details were also masked, making it impossible to guess who it was from this file alone.

This isn’t Taecheon… right? It can’t be.

If he times it to our divorce and marries another omega…! I’ll destroy him.

Jiwoon glared at the monitor, eyes blazing with sudden fury.

“No, no. We’re doing fine these days.”

He shook his head vigorously, trying to calm himself. For Seo Taecheon to be seeing someone else seemed implausible—he was simply too busy. They commuted together in the mornings, spent most evenings together; when would he even have time to meet another person? Weekends were usually spent either working or resting at home with Jiwoon.

Moreover, Taecheon’s behavior toward him hadn’t changed drastically. He maintained a proper distance, was curt yet never disrespectful, and lately, nothing unusual stood out.

Still, it never hurt to be cautious. Jiwoon wanted to uncover the truth behind the strange rumor once and for all.

“Should I just ask him?”

Tsk. What if he says yes? What if he tells me to cooperate with the divorce because he’s preparing to marry another omega? I’d be ruined.

“I can’t…!”

Jiwoon’s specialty—wild imagination—kicked in. In his mind, Taecheon stood at a wedding arm-in-arm with a beautiful spouse, flashing a sardonic smile and telling him to just hand over a generous cash gift. It was an absurd fantasy.

“Haa… I don’t want to work. I just want to go home.”

Declaring an internal strike, Jiwoon began tidying up his messy desk. Just as he was about to shut off the computer, he noticed a drink placed in the blind spot between the monitor and the desktop tower.

What’s this?

He picked it up and examined it—it was Myungsgas, a digestive aid drink.

“Oh…! Myungsgas.”

I didn’t buy this…? I did take some pills during lunch earlier because I was scared I’d get indigestion again, but that was tablets. This one’s a drink.

Tilting his head in confusion, Jiwoon tried to guess who might have left it. No one came to mind.

He had told Deputy Min next to him about his indigestion over the weekend, but she hadn’t gone out of her way to buy medicine for him or gotten Myungsgas from the infirmary. The team leader, whose moral compass was completely rotten, would never secretly do something kind, and the managers had no interest in him.

“Hmm… could it be Deputy Ki? Maybe they heard about me being sick through the grapevine.”

No. If it were Ki Hyun-jin, they definitely would’ve left a note. That person lives to show off.

Then… who could it be?

Jiwoon ruled out Seo Taecheon. He couldn’t imagine Taecheon personally coming over to the general employees’ desks just to leave a digestive drink.

Well… might as well drink it.

Jiwoon twisted the cap and downed it in one go. The bloating vanished, leaving his stomach feeling clear and refreshed.

A few more days passed, and Jiwoon found himself facing a small mystery.

“…Huh? Again.”

Every lunchtime, when he returned from eating, a bottle of Myungsgas was sitting on his desk without fail. At first, he was thrilled—free medicine!—but after a day or two, the feeling turned strange.

Who’s going through the trouble of doing this for me?

He was curious—suspicious even—and desperately wanted to see the culprit’s face. But whoever it was must have slipped by during the short window when he went to lunch, and Jiwoon missed them every time.

By Friday, the fifth day, he resolved to skip lunch entirely and stake out the culprit.

“Assistant Manager Lee, aren’t you eating?”

“My stomach’s still acting up.”

“Really? That one case of indigestion is lingering, huh. Want me to bring you porridge on my way back?”

“No, it’s fine. You guys eat comfortably.”

“Alright, then.”

Deputy Min and the other team members left the office in a group. Jiwoon lingered for a moment, scanned the office, then headed toward the break room. From the break room’s cracked-open door, he could keep an eye on his desk.

Who’s taking care of my digestive health like this? Let me see your face!

Jiwoon nervously ducked into the break room, repeatedly poking his head out to check, restless with anticipation.

It could be Deputy Ki. Honestly, that’s a strong possibility.

But that guy would never secretly leave a drink—he’d buy a whole box of medicine, march in loudly, and announce it to the world. Besides, would he even know I’m still having stomach trouble? We’re in separate teams, so it’s unlikely he knows I barely manage to eat lunch and feel sick in the afternoons.

Hmm. Or maybe… there’s a secret admirer.

Jiwoon entertained the new possibility. Even if it wasn’t Deputy Ki, perhaps someone liked him quietly and was taking care of him in secret. It was a somewhat reasonable theory.

Nah, impossible. I’m way too plain and ordinary for that.

He immediately discarded the thought. Jiwoon tended to underestimate his own looks, so the idea of anyone coveting him never crossed his mind seriously.

And if someone did like me, wouldn’t they just confess or treat me openly instead of giving me digestive drinks? I’ve never heard of anyone wooing someone with Myungsgas. Coffee, maybe—but not this.

After pacing around the break room and sorting through his theories, some time passed. The office was still quiet, with no sign of coworkers returning from lunch. Jiwoon’s thoughts wandered.

…It’s this quiet? So the culprit must be out eating right now.

Just then, the sound of a door opening echoed.

But it wasn’t the sound of the main office door opening from the outside. It was the door to the director’s office—a door Jiwoon glanced at countless times each day.

Oh… the director hasn’t gone to lunch yet. Guess he’s been working alone.

It wasn’t unusual; Seo Taecheon often dined separately due to outside meetings or executive schedules. Jiwoon decided to stay put in the break room.

“…?!”

Footsteps echoed. Seo Taecheon emerged from his office and walked… straight toward Jiwoon’s desk.

Why this way?

Jiwoon’s eyes widened as he cautiously peeked out, watching the scene unfold. Taecheon approached Jiwoon’s desk, jacket draped over one arm, and in his other hand—

Myungsgas.

Jiwoon slapped a hand over his mouth.

Myungsgas (명스까스) is basically a fictional (or parody) name for a digestive aid drink