One Night Mistake(bl)

Episode 1~ The Company Dinner

The digital clock hanging on the office wall quietly changed from 9:59 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., marking the end of another exhausting night shift. The sound of keyboards gradually disappeared one after another, replaced by relieved sighs and the scraping of chairs across the polished floor. Bright white lights still illuminated the spacious office, but the tense atmosphere that had filled the room all evening slowly melted away.

Some employees stretched their stiff shoulders while others hurried to organize the piles of documents scattered across their desks. A few chatted excitedly about their plans after work, eager to escape the office after spending the entire day buried beneath endless reports.

I leaned back in my chair and let out a long breath.

"Finally..."

Being a manager wasn't as glamorous as everyone imagined. While my subordinates could clock out as soon as their work was finished, I always had to stay behind to make sure every report was submitted correctly. By the time I finished checking the last document, my neck felt sore, my eyes burned from staring at the computer screen, and all I wanted was a hot shower and a full night's sleep.

After gathering my belongings, I walked toward the exit with everyone else.

Just as my hand was about to push open the automatic glass door...

Beep!

The door locked itself.

A puzzled silence spread through the office.

"What happened?"

"Is the system broken?"

Several people exchanged confused glances. Even I frowned. During all the years I'd worked here, I'd never seen the company doors lock after working hours.

Before anyone could figure out what was happening, the speakers mounted on the ceiling crackled to life.

Krr...

A calm male voice echoed through every corner of the building.

"Thank you for your hard work. Tonight, the company will be hosting a dinner for all employees. Feel free to order anything you like. Everything will be covered by the company."

For a brief moment, the office remained completely silent.

Then..

Cheers erupted from every direction.

The gloomy atmosphere disappeared instantly, replaced by laughter and excited conversations. Some people were already discussing which expensive dishes they were going to order, while others joked that they would finally get the chance to taste food they normally couldn't afford.

I couldn't help laughing along with them.

Free food?

Who would ever say no to that?

Especially after spending an entire day drowning in paperwork.

The celebration continued long into the night.

The restaurant was filled with laughter, clinking glasses, and the aroma of grilled meat drifting through the warm air. My colleagues, who had spent the entire week buried under deadlines and meetings, finally had a chance to relax. Some were singing terribly off-key, while others challenged each other to drinking games they were clearly destined to lose.

I, unfortunately, belonged to the second group.

"Manager, one more glass!"

Someone slid another drink toward me.

I waved my hand dismissively. "No, no... I've already had enough."

"Liar!"

"You've barely started!"

Before I could refuse again, another glass was placed in front of me.

Clink!

"...Fine."

One glass.

Then another.

And another.

By the time I realized my vision was beginning to blur, it was already too late.

Everything around me seemed strangely soft. The conversations blended together into an indistinct hum, and even the lights above my head looked fuzzy.

That was when I noticed him again.

The young man with the black hair and round glasses was quietly sitting across the room, calmly sipping his drink. Unlike everyone else, he wasn't laughing loudly or joining the chaos. He simply watched the others with a faint smile on his face.

For some reason...

He looked incredibly approachable like a big size omega.

I staggered over to his table and dropped into the empty chair across from him.

"Mind if I sit here?"

He looked up from his glass and gave a small nod.

"Not at all."

Up close, he looked even younger.

His soft features and calm expression made me wonder if he had only recently graduated. It was hard to imagine someone like him working in a company as demanding as ours.

"I don't think we've met before," I said.

"We haven't."

His answer was brief, yet polite.

"I've worked here for years, but I've never seen you."

"I usually stay out of sight."

I laughed.

"Really? I thought you were a new employee... or maybe someone who accidentally wandered into the wrong party."

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.

"I get that a lot."

"Hah... I knew it."

The conversation flowed more naturally than I expected.

We talked about work, food, hobbies, and even complained about overtime. Most of the time I was the one talking while he simply listened, occasionally smiling or replying with a few words.

Oddly enough...but it wasn't awkward.

It felt comfortable.

Another glass somehow found its way into my hand.

Then another.

My thoughts became slower.

My tongue became looser.

I rested my chin on one hand and looked at him with half-open eyes.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You already are."

"...Fair point."

I laughed at myself before asking the question that should never have left my mouth.

"Do you... have someone you like?"

He looked at me for a brief moment before quietly shaking his head.

"No."

"Oh..."

I nodded thoughtfully, as if that answer was somehow very important.

A few seconds later, another ridiculous thought escaped before my brain could stop it.

"Then... would you like to date me?"

The words hung between us.

Even through my drunken haze, I realized how absurd that sounded.

I expected him to laugh.

Or politely reject me.

Instead...

He smiled.

"...Alright."

For a moment, I simply stared at him.

"...Eh?"

Was I imagining things?

Before I could ask again, my head grew unbearably heavy.

The table suddenly looked far more comfortable than any bed I'd ever owned.

"I think..."

I mumbled, my eyelids refusing to stay open.

"...I'm going to sleep for... just five minutes..."

My forehead landed gently on folded arms.

Everything faded into darkness.

...

The next morning...

Warm sunlight filtered through thin curtains, landing directly across my face.

"...Mmm..."

I frowned and instinctively pulled the blanket over my head.

Blanket?

I froze.

Slowly, I opened one eye.

The ceiling above me was unfamiliar.

The room was spacious, clean, and decorated in soft gray tones. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a quiet part of the city, while expensive-looking furniture occupied every corner of the room.

I sat upright so quickly that the blanket slid onto the floor.

"...Where am I?"

Looking down, I realized someone had changed my wrinkled work clothes into a clean set of comfortable sleepwear.

"...What?"

Panic immediately set in.

My phone rested neatly on the bedside table beside a glass of water.

Nothing else seemed out of place.

No headache.

No injuries.

No signs that anything unusual had happened.

"...A hotel?"

That was the first explanation that came to mind.

Maybe that guy couldn't figure out where I lived and booked a room for me instead.

Honestly...

That sounded reasonable.

Just as I reached for my phone..

Knock... Knock...

The sound of gentle knocks echoed from the bedroom door.Before I could answer...

Click.

The door slowly opened.

The same black-haired young man stepped inside, carrying a tray with breakfast.

He looked at me and smiled politely.

"Good morning."

I blinked several times.

"...You're still here?"

He tilted his head slightly.

"Of course."

Then, with complete calm, he added,

"Welcome to my home."

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

The morning sunlight streamed through the floor to ceiling windows, illuminating the spacious bedroom. Everything looked expensive from the neatly arranged bookshelf to the elegant furniture that I didn't even dare to touch.

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly before letting out a dry laugh.

"So... thanks for taking care of me last night."

He simply nodded.

"You were drunk."

"...Yeah."

Just remembering last night made my head hurt.

"I really caused you a lot of trouble, didn't I?"

"No, You screamed my name so loudly last night. I almost felt flattered."

"...Sorry,What!?."

For some reason, instead of looking annoyed, he looked... amused.

He placed the breakfast tray on the table before quietly pouring a glass of water for me.

"You should eat first."

I looked around the enormous house once again.

The place was ridiculously luxurious. Even the guest room was bigger than my entire apartment.

"I honestly thought this was a hotel." I laughed nervously. "I didn't expect your house to be this big."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Well..."

I rubbed my nose awkwardly.

"You look... young."

Very young.

With those glasses and that baby face, I had honestly mistaken him for a university student.

"I figured you were probably working a part time job while studying."

For the first time that morning...

He chuckled.

A quiet, pleasant laugh.

"I'm not a student."

"...Huh?"

"I've been working for quite a while."

"Oh..."

Now I felt embarrassed.

"So I completely misunderstood..."

"You did."

His calm smile somehow made me even more embarrassed.

I quickly finished my breakfast before checking the time on my phone.

"...Wait."

My eyes widened.

"...WAIT!"

I nearly jumped out of my seat.

"I'm late!"

Without another thought, I hurriedly grabbed my bag.

"Thank you for everything! I'll treat you to dinner another day!"

I bowed so quickly that I almost lost my balance before rushing toward the front door.

"See you!"

Click!

The door closed behind me.

The house became quiet once again.

The young man remained standing where he was, quietly staring at the closed door.

A gentle smile slowly appeared on his face.

"So..."

He murmured softly.

"...you're still as energetic as ever."

His fingers lightly brushed against the coffee cup in his hand.

"I've finally found you again."

Outside, I was completely unaware of the smile on his face.

I was too busy running for my life.

"Huff... Huff..."

I sprinted through the company entrance, breathing heavily.

Please don't let me be too late...

Please...

Ding!

The elevator doors opened.

I rushed toward my department as fast as I could.

The moment I reached my desk...

"...Huh?"

Standing there was one of the company's security guards.

He seemed to have been waiting for someone.

Specifically...

Me.

"Manager."

He gave me a polite nod.

"The CEO would like to see you."

"...What?"

I blinked.

"The CEO?"

My heartbeat skipped.

"...Why?"

"I... didn't do anything wrong."

Did I mess up a report?

Forget an important meeting?

Was I getting fired?

The guard simply shrugged.

"I'm not sure."

Then he lowered his voice slightly.

"But..."

He hesitated.

"...the CEO seemed surprisingly interested when he mentioned your name."

"...Interested?"

"He actually smiled."

"...Smiled?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

"The CEO... smiled?"

Everyone in the company knew one thing.

The CEO was extremely private.

Hardly anyone had ever met him in person.

Most matters were handled by his assistant, and even department managers rarely had the chance to see him.

Yet...

Today...

He personally asked to see me.

"...Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this?"

A few minutes later...

I stood in front of the largest office on the top floor.

The CEO's office.

My palms were already covered in sweat.

Knock... Knock...

"Come in."

A calm voice answered from inside.

I swallowed nervously before opening the door.

Click.

The office was silent.

Sunlight poured through the enormous windows behind the desk.

A man sat calmly in the CEO's chair, reading a document.

Without looking up, he spoke.

"You're late."

"I..I'm sorry, Boss."

I lowered my head instinctively.

Then...

He closed the file.

Slowly...

He looked up.

"..."

My breathing stopped.

Black hair.

Round glasses.

That familiar gentle smile.

No...

No way...

The mysterious CEO...

...was the same man I'd had breakfast with just this morning.

The same man I had mistaken for a college student.

The same man who had taken me home after the company dinner.

My mind went completely blank.

"...Y-You..."

He smiled.

"Good morning."