1979, Manager Kim is Inheriting Dictatorship! - Chapter 16



Only Krnovel

#16. Evidence Acquired
2023.07.25.

“Chief, I think it would be better to hear my decision around the time I get off work.”

“Are you saying it’s good for me, or is it that one secretary says it’s good for me?”

Strictly speaking, it was both.

Because she was planning to tell Lee Hyun that she wouldn’t have a fake relationship.

It was good for Lee Hyun and me to hear that story as late as possible.

“Chief, I’ve already arrived at work and it’s work time.”

Lee Hyun stared at Yerin as if telling her to do more.

“So I think it’s right to talk about work now.”

Lee Hyun snickered as if he was taken aback by Yerin’s bold words.

“That’s right. Unfortunately, it’s work time now.”

“Yes.”

Right, who would say anything if she said she’d only work at the company?

Yerin praised her improvisation.

Not knowing that it would soon cause huge repercussions.

Lee Hyun began to carefully look over the schedule Yerin had given him again.

It seemed like he finally had the will to work.

“I understand Secretary Han’s opinion.”

Yerin exclaimed inwardly.

The problem was that her joy didn’t last even a second.

“The company only cares about work. We can talk about our private lives after work, right?”

“Huh?”

Lee Hyun smiled faintly, having already made up his own mind.

“I really did choose a good secretary. Now, let’s start the schedule briefing.”

This time, it was Yerin who hesitated.

“Wait a minute, Chief.”

Lee Hyun took his eyes off the paper again and slowly raised his head.

“Are you saying we should meet after work?”

“Secretary Han said so.”

“Huh? When

did I say that?” “I told you earlier. I only want to talk about work at work.”

That’s what I meant.

I was trying to convey my refusal to date right now! I

held back the urge to yell.

It seemed like I had finally been properly stopped by Lee Hyun’s pace today.

Yerin let out a short breath and corrected what she really meant.

“I didn’t say we should meet separately after work.”

“That’s what I heard.”

“That’s not what I meant… … .”

“There are a lot of meetings today.”

Lee Hyun really wanted to talk about work, so he changed the subject to his schedule.

Since he couldn’t keep bringing up other topics since he was her secretary, Yerin had no choice but to explain her schedule.

“If you attend the planning team meeting at 5 PM, your schedule will be over.”

“Secretary Han, there’s one thing you missed.” Missed

? Yerin

checked several times before coming in.

Yerin asked cautiously, wondering if there was something scheduled in the meantime.

“If there’s something I don’t know about, please let me know. I’ll update it right away.”

“Secretary Han knows.”

“I know it too?”

She didn’t miss it on purpose, but sweat dripped down her back, wondering if Lee Hyun would think that way.

Secretary Choi had said that Lee Hyun really hated secretaries who couldn’t do their jobs.

Yerin didn’t want to be that kind of person, so she quickly spoke.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t intentionally not update it.”

Lee Hyun tapped his index finger on the desk with a dizzying smile.

“I missed a very important dinner appointment.”

Yerin tilted her head.

Lee Hyun had no other dinner meetings scheduled today.

“The director didn’t have any dinner appointments scheduled today… … .”

“You already did.”

“Huh?”

“Why are you pretending not to know? Secretary Han, didn’t we have dinner together after work?”

“… … .”

Yerin tightly held the diary she was holding.

“Me?”

“Uh.”

“When… … . I never said I wanted to have dinner, I just said we’d talk after work.”

Lee Hyun’s brow furrowed slightly.

“So you’re saying you’ll have that conversation. Me and Secretary Han.”

“Yes.”

“The company said no. Then should we go home and do it?”

“No?”

“So.”

Yerin finally understood Lee Hyun’s last words.

So, it meant that talking while eating was the best.

“Chief, I’m sorry, but I have a prior engagement tonight.”

Lee Hyun’s eyebrows went up.

“Oh, I hope you understand that I’m not making excuses because I absolutely don’t want to have dinner with you.”

He had arranged to meet Na-ri in the evening.

He was curious about what happened at the party that day that made Lee Hyun look for a woman who looked like Ye-rin, so he insisted on meeting her right away, and that appointment was tonight.

“Who are you meeting?”

“A friend… .”

“A man?”

“No! A female friend.”

Lee Hyun’s expression softened even more at the word “woman. ”

“Yes. Even a secretary has to live in society. I can’t monopolize a secretary.”

“Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

I don’t know why I should be grateful to Lee Hyun for guaranteeing me dinner.

In any case, I was grateful that he didn’t force me to cancel the appointment.

“Where shall we meet?”

“At the S Hotel restaurant… … .”

Yerin closed her lips tightly as she answered Lee Hyun’s question directly without realizing it.

“I see.”

“There’s no way you’d come there? You’re busy.”

As if to let Yerin know that her thoughts were wrong, Lee Hyun straightened his back and sat up straight in his chair as if he had no regrets.

Yerin marked important dates that Lee Hyun absolutely must not forget with stars and wrote notes on them with Post-it notes.

Lee Hyun’s eyes were fixed on those notes.

“After the schedule briefing is over, go out, Secretary Han. I think I’ll understand everything if I look at this.”

“Yes, Chief.”

Lee Hyun couldn’t hold back his laughter after sending Yerin out.

“Even your handwriting is so like Secretary Han.”

Lee Hyun took off the Post-it note and held it up close to his face.

Then he opened his desk drawer and took out the memo he had been keeping.

It was the memo that the woman who disappeared that day had left behind.

“The handwriting is the same.”

Laughter kept flowing out.

“It’s not just the writing.”

Whether I closed my eyes or opened them, all I could think about these days was Yerin.

When I went to see the CEO of Cheto to ask about that woman, Yerin’s appearance was reflected in the glass conference room.

Yerin kept shaking her head and made an X with her hand in front of her chest.

It was probably telling me not to tell Kim Na-ri, the CEO of Cheto, important information that she knew.

I barely held back laughter when I saw that.

How long would Yerin be able to hide that woman from me?

That was also interesting.

I was also curious about why Yerin wouldn’t reveal that woman to me.

Up until now, Lee Hyun had only seen women lining up to try to get along with him.

Because of that, Yerin never mentioned that day’s events until the end, which was enough to pique Lee Hyun’s interest.

That’s why I proposed a ridiculous fake relationship.

And in fact, more than that, I couldn’t forget that night.

To be exact, the woman who disappeared, Yerin.

I wanted to keep her by my side and get to know her better.

What was that absurd feeling he had for that woman?

Whether it was a ridiculous fake relationship or something, he felt like he had to do it anyway.

The more personal connections he could create, the better.

Lee Hyun lifted the corners of his lips and carefully kept the note left by the woman who disappeared and the post-it note that Yerin had given him.

“This is the proof.”

　

　

***

When Yerin reported that she was leaving work, Lee Hyun gave her a friendly smile and sent her off.

It was both unsettling and nice to be able to get away for now.

‘I haven’t told the manager that I won’t have a fake relationship yet.’

Thinking that Lee Hyun had roughly figured it out, Yerin headed to the S Hotel with light steps.

Thanks to Na-ri’s reservation, she was able to be guided to a private room as soon as she entered the restaurant.

“Hey, Han Yerin!”

“Nari.”

Na-ri opened the door and opened her arms as she happily saw Yerin coming in.

Yerin also hugged her and sat down.

“I really have a lot to ask you.”

“Let’s eat first.”

The two ordered pasta and waited for it to come out.

“Why on earth is Chief Cha Hyun looking for a woman who resembles you?”

“Ha.”

Just thinking about it made her head hurt again.

“Nari, don’t be surprised and listen.”

“It seems like something surprising. Okay. I’m mentally prepared.”

“Actually, our chief and… … .”

Yerin confessed everything that happened that day.

And she even mentioned how her former boss was disciplined and she ran into Lee Hyun again.

Narin’s mouth was wide open and she couldn’t close it.

“Are you crazy? So she’s telling you to find that woman?”

“Huh.”

“No, that woman is you.”

“Of course you can’t say that.”

“Why? Speak confidently!”

“You can’t.”

Yerin explained again why she couldn’t do that. She added that

if Lee Hyun came looking for that woman, she would demand all the damages that had been incurred because he hadn’t done his job properly.

“That’s the situation?”

“Huh.”

“It’s difficult.”

Nari ran one hand through her hair, seeming to sympathize with Yerin’s situation.

“But I have a good idea.”

“What is it?”

Nari told her to come closer and whispered in Yerin’s ear.

“That’s ridiculous. Are you kidding me?”

“I’m serious.”

There was no smile on Nari’s face.

“What do you think? If you use the method I mentioned, don’t you think you won’t have to look for the missing woman?”

“No. How could you do something like that?”

“I told you that if you seduce the chief properly, things will be different?”

“You want me to forget that woman like that?”

“Exactly.”

Yerin shook her head with a determined expression.

“I can’t do that.” The more she

got entangled with Lee Hyun, the more the situation went in an unexpected direction.

That’s why it was best to avoid making contact with him as much as possible.

“I really just want to run away.”

Yerin let out a deep sigh as she thought about her situation where she couldn’t do anything.

Although no one had let her go, she felt like she had been trapped without realizing it.