Chapter 16: An Unwanted Reunion

The next day, as soon as he got to work, Noah contacted Hanjoo to say he wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t meet today.

When there was no reply, he wondered if he had been overly concerned.

With that thought, he felt relieved and was able to return to his boring daily routine.

He was a man who was uncomfortable just to think about.

He was working on his morning tasks in a bored state when the team leader came out of her office, clapped her hands, and shouted in a booming voice.

“Alright! We’re having a company dinner today. The place is XX, so no one is to be absent!”

Friday, a sudden company dinner announcement, yet people’s expressions were bright.

He heard cheers that sounded like dolphin cries, and a design team employee’s voice saying, “What’s going on?” and that they had to cancel their date.

Noah, bewildered by the atmosphere he couldn’t understand, asked Assistant Manager Lee at the next desk.

“Assistant Manager, why is everyone so happy?”

“You don’t know, Noah-ssi? The company dinner location is a super hot place. It’s the most popular place these days, lots of celebrities go there, and the scale of the place is not for a company dinner. But how did the team leader reserve it? I heard they don’t take reservations. Anyway, this is awesome, I have to post on Instar for the first time in a while.”

“…”

He didn’t know much, but it seemed to be an expensive and famous place.

He wanted to go, but it would be impossible.

A dejected Noah knocked on the team leader’s office door.

“Yes!”

“Team Leader.”

“Yes, Noah-ssi.”

“I’m a little worried, so can I skip the company dinner today?”

“Hmm… I don’t think that would be a good idea. I know what you’re worried about, but we’ll be in a private room, so you don’t have to worry. You have your suppressants, right? The Jade PR team’s working-level staff will also be there, so take one in advance.”

“Is that Director coming too, by any chance?”

“Haha, no? I’d love to see that handsome director’s face one more time, but would he join the working-level staff’s gathering? I doubt it.”

The team leader was humming a tune, in a good mood after successfully closing a big deal.

Thinking that if Director Lee Hanjoo wasn’t coming, his pheromones wouldn’t leak even if he took a suppressant, he felt a little lighter.

Back at his desk, he searched for the name of the company dinner location. It was a very luxurious-looking lounge bar.

There were many witness accounts of celebrities frequenting the place, and it was famous for its beautiful lighting, so many people took selfies there.

It also had a stage with a professional DJ, giving it a club-like atmosphere. Anyway, the atmosphere looked very lively.

Noah had never properly enjoyed his early 20s due to his presentation and childbirth.

He had particularly avoided popular and famous places for fear of causing trouble.

When he occasionally wanted to drink, he would leave Seolu with his mother and go to his usual neighborhood pub with Dongseok and Minho to munch on dried pollack with draft beer.

[I’m going here today, do you know this place? It’s super hot (Link)]

When he posted in the friends’ group chat, Dongseok, who was sensitive to trends, immediately went crazy.

[OMG OMG OMG lots of celebrities go there I want to go too]

[LOL it’s a company dinner]

[wasn’t your company super crappy?]

[yeah it is]

[Oh…]

[Look at the class]

Seeing even Minho exclaim, “Oh…” it seemed to be a really famous place.

The office atmosphere became excited with the anticipation of the other employees, and Noah’s heart began to flutter for the first time in a long time.

He had been forced to forget it, but Noah originally liked lively and energetic places.

After swallowing a suppressant before leaving the office, Noah got into the team leader’s car.

Even on the congested Friday evening commute, the sunset in the summer evening sky was beautiful.

Usually, when the company brought in more work, his workload would increase and his quality of life would become more difficult, but now that a project of a different scale had come in, the employee welfare had improved significantly.

‘Hmm, I wonder if they’ll give me a raise.’

With pleasant anticipation, he arrived in front of a building with a splendid and sophisticated exterior.

The team leader, who naturally handed her car keys to the valet, looked especially cool today.

Noah also naturally straightened his shoulders and entered the building with a confident stride.

The dazzlingly splendid interior was already bustling with people.

Assistant Manager Lee at his side tapped him on the shoulder and said, “There, there, Shi Yoojin!” and trembled, not knowing what to do.

He looked where he was pointing and saw the incredibly popular Omega actor, Shi Yoojin, drinking wine with his friends.

“Ohh!”

He was a celebrity who also appeared in the dramas his mother enjoyed watching.

Thinking he was even prettier in person, he followed the staff into the room.

A strong feeling of disappointment remained that the outside was more fun.

“Hello!”

The hotel staff had already arrived and were seated in the room.

There were about 20 people in total from both sides.

As he greeted them and looked around, Kim Moonho, the PR team leader, approached him.

“Noah-ssi, you’re here.”

“Hello, Team Leader.”

He had only seen him a few times, but this Alpha team leader was extremely burdensome.

As a mere employee, he wanted to eat and drink comfortably in a corner with people his own age, but Team Leader Kim even pulled out the chair in front of him and told him to sit there.

Thanks to him, he ended up in the worst possible position, with the team leader and the design team leader on either side of him.

He was screaming internally when this clueless man in glasses kept talking to him.

Things like he was worried he wouldn’t come, and that he looked good in casual clothes too.

He answered perfunctorily and only drank the glass of water in front of him.

He’ll stop eventually.

It was something that happened occasionally when he followed Team Leader Choi to meet Alphas from other companies.

Still, unlike the immature and clueless Alphas from his high school days, most of the Alphas he met through work didn’t cling to him persistently.

To the very occasional persistent ones, if he said this, nine out of ten would back off.

‘I’m an Omega with a child. My partner is a Dominant Alpha, do you want to get messily involved?’

Of course, in this person’s case, it was clear that he couldn’t say that so openly even if he were persistent.

He didn’t know if they would be working together for a year or two.

The PR team leader was relentless in his attempts to talk, but he lacked the sense to lead a conversation.

Just as his artificial smile was about to fade from the questions that were difficult to answer with anything other than “yes” or “no,” the food they had ordered finally began to arrive.

He was so relieved that a sigh of relief almost escaped his lips.

It was his first time here, so he had taken the staff’s recommendation and ordered a menu he didn’t even know.

He couldn’t identify the food that came out either, but the sensuously plated food was as delicious as it looked, and the sweet wine was a perfect match for Noah’s palate.

It was a shame that he could barely touch it to his tongue because he couldn’t drink alcohol after taking a suppressant.

He was both hungry and burdened by the person in front of him, so Noah practically buried his head in his plate and ate.

Everyone else was talking to each other and getting to know each other, but whenever he opened his mouth, a burdensome gaze from the front would pour down on him, so in the end, he closed his mouth and focused on the food.

It was a relief that at least the food was to his taste.

As time passed and a loud, bass-heavy music with cheers from outside began to be heard, the atmosphere inside also gradually became more festive.

Everyone had had a moderate amount of alcohol and had gotten to know each other, and they started to get up one by one, saying they should go out and have fun.

Except for Noah and Team Leader Kim Moonho.

“Noah-ssi, would you like to… dance with me?”

“No. I don’t like dancing.”

Noah cried inwardly as he answered without any soul.

He was a normal 20-something who also wanted to go to clubs and see celebrities.

Damn pheromones.

As time passed, the atmosphere outside seemed to be heating up, and the people’s voices grew louder.

In the distance, he could see Assistant Manager Lee flailing his thick limbs around.

The heart-pounding beat was resentful, but a excitement that welled up from deep within his chest made his leg tap on its own.

Agh!

Frustrated, Noah, who had downed his second non-alcoholic cocktail, frowned.

He couldn’t understand why the Team Leader in front of him was still at his seat.

“It’s okay for you to go out, Team Leader.”

“No, I…”

“Oh, it’s fine, I’m telling you!”

Noah, who had snapped back irritably without realizing it, finally noticed the look on his face.

“Ah, sorry…”

Even though it was a rude attitude, when Noah apologized with his eyebrows lowered, a gentle smile immediately appeared on the PR team leader’s face.

“You’re cute, Noah-ssi.”

A blush appeared on the team leader’s face, which had become openly cheesy now that there was no one else around.

So creepy!

They hadn’t even started working together yet, and they would be working together for a long time. What was he going to do if he kept this up?

Noah began to worry.

“…Team Leader, have you had a lot to drink?”

“What? No. Thank you for your concern. You’re very kind.”

“…”

Oh my god… I’m going crazy.

Noah’s insides were burning.

If you’re going to have a misunderstanding, at least keep it to yourself.

He didn’t know how to respond to such cheesy words thrown at him so openly.

He tried with all his might to stop his face from automatically scrunching up.

“Um, this.”

“What?”

The team leader took out a neatly folded handkerchief from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to Noah.

It was the handkerchief Noah had lent him last time.

“Thank you so much.”

“Ah, yes…”

As Noah reached for the handkerchief, Team Leader Kim’s fingers brushed against his.

Ugh… a strangely creepy sensation made Noah’s expression harden.

At that moment.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

With a chilling feeling, the door opened, and a large man entered with a quick stride.