Chapter 68: Chapter 68 - Misunderstandings of Misunderstandings of Misunderstandings of Misunderstandings

There's nothing more entertaining than someone else's love life. Every day, my team leader teases me about my relationships, but now, I finally have a chance to turn the tables.

Of course, I’m worried she might throw a punch at my stomach, but I’ll think about that later. Right now, I just want to share this fun situation.

“Hello, Team Leader 1!”

“Oh, hey, Yu-Sung! Hello!”

When I greeted her, Team Leader 1 responded with a bright smile.

“You seem to be in a good mood! Did something happen?”

“Oh, actually, our team performed well, so we got a vacation.”

“Oh wow, that’s nice. I’m a bit jealous.”

“Your team gets vacations often too, right? It’s been a while, so everyone’s pleased.”

Team Leader 1 always thinks about her team members, and honestly, I’m a little envious of that.Our team leader, on the other hand, is constantly scheming ways to mess with us just because she’s bored.

“By the way, Team Leader 1, did you know about this?”

“Huh? What?”

“I think our team leader has someone she likes.”

“…What?”

Her once carefree expression instantly froze.

“Hye-Hye-Hye-Hye-Rim has someone she likes?!”

She looked absolutely shocked. Judging by her reaction, this was clearly her first time hearing it.

I thought she would already know since she’s close with our team leader.

I’m almost certain. Just before, our team leader asked me for some dating advice.”

“D-Dating advice?!”

“Yeah. Can you imagine her asking anyone for dating advice?”

“…No, not at all.”

“Right? So, this has to be real. It’s definitely the first time she’s fallen in love.”

Although she didn’t directly say it, everything points to that conclusion.

Let’s be honest, there’s no way her “I’m asking for a friend” story was genuine, right? There’s no reason for her to share someone else’s problems with me.

I was hoping to get some information from Team Leader 1, but it seems like she’s in the dark as well.

“H-Hye-Rim… has someone she likes? I can’t believe it.”

“Uh... Is it really that shocking?”

Of course, it’s surprising that our team leader has someone she likes, but Team Leader 1’s reaction seems a bit extreme. It’s not just shock—it’s more like disappointment, maybe even heartbreak.

Wait… Could it be…?

“…Um, Team Leader 1? This might be an odd question, but…”

“Y-Yeah?”

“Do you, perhaps, see our team leader as more than just a friend? Like, in a special way?”

“…”

An awkward silence fell between us. She didn’t say anything, but I instinctively realized it: Team Leader 1 has genuine feelings for our team leader.

In other words, I basically just told her, “Oh, by the way, the person you like is into someone else~.”

…Oh, crap.

This situation just got really weird.

“Uh, well, I mean, our team leader didn’t say she likes someone directly. It’s just a vibe I got.”

“Ah, ha-ha… Really? So, it’s not confirmed?”

“Yeah, exactly! Nothing is set in stone. So, don’t worry too much about it.”

“But it’s true that Hye-Rim asked you for dating advice, right?”

“…”

Team Leader 1’s eyes were already devoid of life. The atmosphere was unbearable.

“Phew~ That was intense.”

As I returned to the office, I wiped off the sweat that had formed during the long interrogation from Team Leader 1. Who would have guessed she had feelings for our team leader? I mean, I kinda suspected it, but still…

I feel like I’ve learned something I wasn’t supposed to know. I just wanted to have some fun gossip about our team leader’s love life, thinking it had nothing to do with me. But now, I’m somehow in the middle of it all.

“Yu-Sung Sunbae, you don’t look well. Did something happen? What were you talking about with the team leader?”

As I sighed and sat down at my desk, Yu Seo-Eun, the newest member of the team, asked me with concern. She’s the only one in this team who looks out for me these days.

Even though she’s only here temporarily, I hope she stays with us longer. After all, she’s way more considerate than Lee So-Young, who’s just sitting there eating ice cream.

“Oh, nothing much. I just gave the team leader some dating advice.”

I didn’t tell her that I thought our team leader might like someone, especially after what happened with Team Leader 1. My mood for teasing had completely vanished.

But life has a way of throwing curveballs.

“…Hye-Rim asked for dating advice?”

Yu Seo-Eun’s reaction mirrored Team Leader 1’s exactly.

Wait a minute. Don’t tell me… her too?

Who on earth could Jung Ha-Yeon be interested in? Even after hearing about the type of guy that Shin Yu-Sung's woman might like, I still couldn’t figure it out.

I wanted to ask Jung Ha-Yeon directly, but when I did, she got angry for some reason and refused to tell me. So frustrating.

“Hey, everyone, I brought coffee! Let’s work while we enjoy it.”

Unable to solve the mystery, I returned from the cafe with coffee for my team. Normally, they’d be happy with a free treat, but today, they weren’t.

“…”

“…”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“What’s up with you guys? Did something happen?”

As soon as I stepped into the office, I sensed something was off.

Yu Seo-Eun was staring blankly into space.

Lee So-Young was sweating bullets.

Shin Yu-Sung had his face buried in his hands, sighing deeply.

And Park Oh-Jin was trying hard to hold back laughter.

What is this? What on earth happened while I was gone? While I was trying to make sense of the situation, Shin Yu-Sung, still hiding his face, peeked up at me.

“…Team Leader.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.”

“…Huh?”

Why is he apologizing all of a sudden?

“Why are you apologizing out of nowhere? Did you do something wrong?”

“…I’m really sorry. So, so sorry.”

“Don’t just apologize! Tell me what you did! I promise I won’t get mad.”

“I can’t tell you. But I’m really sorry.”

“You idiot! Tell me what you did!”

No matter how much I pressured him, Shin Yu-Sung wouldn’t open his mouth.

What on earth happened while I was out getting coffee? He was perfectly fine before I left.

“Seo-Eun, can you tell me? What’s wrong with Yu-Sung?”

“…”

I asked Yu Seo-Eun, but she just turned her head away, not saying a word.

Just when I was starting to think the whole team had gone crazy, Yu Seo-Eun finally spoke, her voice trembling.

“…Hye-Rim.”

“Y-Yeah?”

Yuseo-eun, who usually calls me “team leader,” suddenly used my first name.

“I won’t give up, just so you know. Keep that in mind.”

“…Huh?”

Her cryptic words only deepened the mystery.

“What, did they all take something?”

On my way home after work, I still couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off.

My team members—and even Team Leader 1—had been acting so weird all day, like they were trying to read my every move. I asked the section chief if he knew anything, but he just gave me a simple, “How should I know?”

“I wish I could’ve asked Seo-Eun more about what happened.”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t heading straight home today. I had plans to meet someone, so I sent Yu Seo-Eun home early.

Technically, I’m supposed to keep an eye on her, but lately, I haven’t been paying much attention to that. After all, I know she’s not dangerous, and even the section chief has taken a liking to her. No one sees her as a threat anymore.

So, where am I off to now?

“Ah, Ms. Hye-Rim~!”

I was meeting none other than Alice, the superstar idol.

I had promised to go on a date with her after our hero mission, and even though she wanted to meet over the weekend, we settled for a weekday evening due to her sudden schedule changes.

Disguised with a black wig, Alice quickly came up to me and clung to my side.

“Hehe. It’s been a while since I’ve felt your warmth, Ms. Hye-Rim. It’s so nice.”

She rubbed her cheek against my arm like a cute puppy, and I patted her head, making her lean into my touch with a content smile.

Who would’ve thought I’d be someone an idol relies on? I really am a lucky fan. As I basked in the thought, I remembered something I wanted to ask her.

Alice recently went on a mission with Jung Ha-Yeon, so maybe she knows who Jung Ha-Yeon’s crush is. I’ll try to subtly bring it up.

Just as I was about to broach the subject, Alice’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at me.

“Oh, Ms. Hye-Rim! I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Are you someone who gets drunk easily?”

T/N: the trope won’t stop