#Ch4 Beautiful design

Kang Jisung had an important rule.

Never dwell on unnecessary things.

Emotions were unnecessary.

Distractions were unnecessary.

And whatever the hell “beautiful design” meant—

That was definitely unnecessary.

So naturally, it was all he could think about.

“You’d probably be the impossible hidden boss people complain about online.”

That part made sense.

He was difficult. Fine.

But then—

Emotionally damaging. Beautiful design.

Jisung stared blankly at the document in front of him.

He had reread the same sentence six times already.

Which was unacceptable.

Because Kang Jisung did not lose focus over weird compliments from his secretary.

Especially not compliments that sounded insane.

Outside his office, the executive floor remained busy as usual.

Inside—

Jisung looked irritated enough to scare the air itself.

Meanwhile, the cause of his irritation sat only a few feet away organizing schedules while quietly humming to himself.

Completely unaware he had psychologically attacked the CEO yesterday.

“…Why are you glaring at your laptop like that?” Hyunwoo asked carefully.

“I’m working.”

“You look like you’re threatening it.”

Jisung’s jaw tightened slightly.

Annoying.

Everything about this man was distracting lately.

The way he talked casually.

The way he smiled at everyone.

The way he somehow made silence feel less empty.

Even now, the office felt… different.

Not loud.

Not uncomfortable.

Just less cold.

Jisung disliked noticing it.

“Stop humming.”

“Sorry.”

Five seconds passed.

Then the humming returned quietly.

Jisung looked up slowly.

Hyunwoo blinked innocently. “I forgot.”

Of course he did.

Jisung sighed softly before returning to work.

But concentration still wouldn’t come back.

Beautiful design.

What kind of phrase even was that?

Did people his age talk like this normally?

He genuinely didn’t know.

Most conversations around him stayed formal and painfully careful.

Nobody joked naturally with him.

Nobody complimented him casually either.

Especially not his appearance.

The realization made him pause slightly.

Appearance.

No.

That couldn’t be what Hyunwoo meant.

Probably.

Hopefully.

—

By afternoon, Jisung had successfully convinced himself he no longer cared.

Then he walked past the break room.

“…No seriously,” Minji whispered dramatically, “CEO Kang is objectively attractive.”

Jisung stopped walking immediately.

Inside the break room, several employees sat around Hyunwoo during lunch.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

“He’s terrifying though,” Jaeho argued.

“That doesn’t cancel out the face,” Minji replied.

“Exactly!” Sumin agreed. “If he smiled once, half this company would collapse.”

Hyunwoo laughed into his drink.

Jisung should leave.

Immediately.

This conversation was stupid.

Instead—

He stayed still.

“…I mean,” Hyunwoo said eventually, “he is really handsome.”

Silence.

The break room exploded instantly.

“I KNEW IT.”

“YOU ADMIT IT.”

“Secretary Lee has death wishes.”

Hyunwoo nearly choked laughing. “What? Eyes exist. I’m not blind.”

Jisung’s expression froze slightly.

“You guys act like I said something crazy.”

“You basically confessed.”

“I absolutely did not.”

“Then why are your ears red?”

“…Shut up.”

Jisung walked away immediately afterward.

Calmly.

Normally.

Completely unaffected.

At least externally.

Internally—

What the hell?

—

That evening, rain poured heavily outside the company building.

Most employees had already gone home.

Except, unsurprisingly, Kang Jisung and Lee Hyunwoo.

Again.

Hyunwoo sat cross-legged on the office couch reviewing schedules while eating gummy bears.

Jisung still didn’t understand why this man constantly ate like a stressed university student.

“Those are pure sugar.”

Hyunwoo looked up. “Want one?”

“No.”

“…You answered too fast.”

Jisung continued typing.

Silence settled comfortably between them again.

Strange.

Silence around other people usually felt irritating.

Heavy.

But Hyunwoo filled space differently.

Not demanding.

Not exhausting.

Just… there.

Jisung hated how used to it he was becoming.

Thunder rumbled outside.

Hyunwoo glanced toward the windows. “The weather looks awful.”

“It’s raining.”

“Yes. That’s generally how awful weather works.”

Jisung ignored him.

A few moments later, Hyunwoo suddenly laughed quietly to himself.

“What.”

“Nothing.”

“You laughed.”

“I remembered something embarrassing.”

Jisung narrowed his eyes slightly.

“…The elevator?”

Hyunwoo immediately covered his face with both hands.

“Oh my god.”

So it was.

Interesting.

“I’m changing my identity,” Hyunwoo mumbled dramatically. “I can never recover from that conversation.”

“You called me emotionally damaging.”

“You are emotionally damaging.”

“And?”

“…And beautifully designed,” Hyunwoo finished weakly from behind his hands.

Silence.

Jisung set his pen down slowly.

Then finally—

After thinking about it all day—

“…What does that mean?”

Hyunwoo peeked through his fingers.

“What?”

“Beautiful design.”

The room became painfully quiet.

Rain tapped softly against the windows.

Hyunwoo stared at him like his soul had just left his body.

“You’re asking now?”

“You said it.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re supposed to remember it!”

“I remember everything.”

That answer came too naturally.

Too honest.

For some reason, the atmosphere shifted slightly afterward.

Softer.

Dangerously softer.

Hyunwoo lowered his hands slowly.

“Well…” He looked awkward now for once. “It just means you’re… attractive.”

Direct.

Simple.

No teasing.

No joking.

Just honest.

Jisung’s expression remained unreadable.

But something tightened slightly in his chest.

Attractive.

Nobody said things like that to him.

Not sincerely.

People admired his success.

Feared his reputation.

Wanted things from him.

But this—

This felt different somehow.

Hyunwoo immediately panicked after the silence stretched too long.

“I mean objectively attractive,” he corrected quickly. “Like scientifically.”

“…Scientifically.”

“Yes.”

“That makes no sense.”

“I’m trying to survive this conversation.”

Jisung stared at him quietly.

Then—

Very quietly—

“You think I’m handsome.”

Hyunwoo froze.

The way Jisung said it sounded less arrogant and more… confused.

Like he genuinely didn’t understand why someone would think that.

And suddenly—

Unexpectedly—

Hyunwoo felt something in his chest ache a little.

“…Yeah,” he admitted softly.

Silence again.

Neither looked away immediately.

Then thunder cracked loudly outside, breaking the moment.

Hyunwoo stood too fast. “I should finish organizing tomorrow’s schedules.”

Coward.

Complete coward.

Meanwhile Jisung watched him avoid eye contact for the next twenty minutes.

And for the first time in years—

The CEO of JS Group smiled.

Just a little.

Small enough that nobody saw it except the rain outside.

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