episode_0075

… … … … …

When I looked around, everyone was listening intently to the president’s words. It seemed like they were agreeing with what the president said, just like I was.

Glancing at them, I felt reassured once again. With such good people gathered in one place, good things would happen, not bad things.

After the president’s speech, the gathering began in earnest.

I thought this gathering would be a cheerful and laughter-filled affair, perhaps even a little noisy.

But the actual atmosphere of the gathering was a little different from what I expected.

The conference room was surprisingly quiet. Everyone was sitting in their seats, but no one seemed to be actively trying to talk. Instead, there were strange looks exchanged.

“Um… …Everyone is too quiet?”

I tried to break the awkward silence by speaking, but the only response I got was a few brief smiles from people who met my eyes. Oddly enough, it seemed like everyone at the gathering didn’t want to talk.

Is everyone nervous about meeting new people?

… … Well, I had faith that the mood would improve after some time.

But for now, I wanted to get out of this awkward atmosphere right away, so I decided to focus on the food in front of me.

In addition to the simple home cooking I had made, there were also gourmet dishes specially ordered by the president of the association on the table. I carefully picked up my fork and took a bite.

“ and… … .”

I couldn’t help but exclaim at the taste that filled my mouth. It was my first time eating such delicious food. The complex aroma of spices, the soft texture of meat, and the subtle flavor of sauce were in perfect harmony.

I was so absorbed in the gourmet food I was trying for the first time that I forgot about my surroundings and kept eating. When other people eat such delicious food, their moods get better, and the atmosphere gets better too.

While I was so absorbed in the food, I suddenly sensed the movement of someone approaching me. When I looked up, I saw President Haneul standing up from his seat and leaning over his desk.

“Huh? Boss?”

At that moment, the Sky CEO’s finger touched the corner of my mouth. The CEO lightly wiped the sauce on the corner of my mouth with his finger, then naturally brought it to his mouth and licked it with his tongue.

“Huh?!”

I stepped back in surprise at her actions. I felt my face turn red in an instant. However, President Sky just smiled happily and opened his mouth.

“Our son, was the wagyu steak with truffle sauce that good? Next time, I’ll make it at home.”

The boss’s words made me feel even more embarrassed.

Mom. I never thought I would use that title, which I said I would only use when I was alone with her, and only when I was mentally prepared, here of all places.

I was worried about what other female acquaintances at the gathering would think of me when they heard I was a mother.

You shouldn’t think of me as a strange person who calls a woman who is less than ten years older than him ‘mom’.

“Oh, yes… … Thank you, boss. It’s really delicious, I’m looking forward to it.”

In order to end the conversation without offending the Sky CEO, I smiled awkwardly and answered.

My face was still hot. I didn’t know how to react, so it was best to just gloss over it.

But then, I felt something strange.

When I looked around, the expressions of the other women had completely changed. Sister Seo-yeon, Miss Ghost, Teacher Wol-hee, Miss Seo-ah, Miss Tae-yang.

Every single one of them was glaring at the Sky President with fierce, bloodshot eyes.

In particular, Ms. Seo-ah was holding the fork in her hand so tightly that even her knuckles had turned white, and Ms. Yoo-ryung’s shoulders were seen shaking.

It was a truly embarrassing situation. The air had become so cold that it seemed necessary to say something to change the mood.

“Uh, uh, everyone, try this steak. It’s really delicious. The president ordered it… … If the president cooks it next time, I’d love for everyone to eat it together!”

But the response to my words was minimal. In fact, some people’s expressions seemed to harden even more. My words had no particular effect, and I felt quite embarrassed by this.

At that moment, Seo-ah’s voice echoed in the conference room.

“Wow, you’re really amazing for cooking for yourself. ‘Boss’. ”

I could feel the sharpness of a blade in Seo-ah’s speech. When I turned my head to look at her out of curiosity, one corner of her mouth was curled up as if she was laughing.

“But when I lived with Gaeul-kun, I ate the food Gaeul-kun made with his own hands every day, right? And it was delicious.”

She paused for a moment and smiled meaningfully.

“Is this the difference in affection received? I don’t think the ‘boss’ has ever eaten a dish made by Ga-eul-gun.”

I was bewildered by the bragging and sarcasm in her words. Was eating the food I made something worth bragging about? I couldn’t understand why Seo-ah would say such things.

At that moment, the voice of the CEO was heard. Unlike her usual warm voice, it was now as cold as ice.

“Is it really love to just receive, Seo-ah?”

The smile on the face of the Sky CEO felt frighteningly cold. Her pupils were as narrow as if they had been stuck in a pin, and they reminded me of a poisonous snake.

“In the first place, is a woman who can’t even cook for herself worthy of being loved?

You say that kid is good at cooking? Since you’ve never cooked for him, he’s had plenty of opportunities to see how good he is, right? ”

Every word the president said was as sharp as an ice pick. Seo-ah’s expression distorted for a moment, then quickly changed into an even colder smile.

“Oh, I see. But you, ‘Boss’, have never lived with Ga-eul-gun, right? He’s just an imaginary ‘son’.”

The president’s eyes widened at Seo-ah’s counterattack. It was as if sparks were flying between the two.

I couldn’t understand why on earth they were exchanging harsh words in such a nice place.

“Uh, Uh… … How about everyone calm down? If we clear up the misunderstanding and talk things out, we’ll be able to see that we’re both good people… … .”

I managed to speak in an atmosphere as cold as ice, but my words were lost in the air. Rather, it seemed to have the opposite effect, heightening the tension.

In the midst of this, the association president began to speak.

“Okay, okay, everyone. This is a great opportunity, so it would be awkward if we did this.”

The president spoke softly, but his voice was utterly firm.

“Hey, can I ask you a favor?”

When the president of the association, who had returned to his usual tone of speech, looked at me and spoke, I was startled and answered him.

“Huh?! Oh, yes. Go ahead. What’s going on?”

“… … Um. Could you please go to the information desk in the lobby on the first floor… … and get me a gift set? I think it’s for today’s meeting.”

“Yes, yes. Okay. ”

I stood up from my seat without thinking. As I left the conference room, I looked back and saw the president talking to the others. Even after I closed the door completely, I could still faintly hear the president’s voice.

(……Now that you all recognize each other, if someone fights, it will be a great opportunity for the rest of you.

I believe you are smart enough to understand. If you really can’t stand it, you can solve it with your fists somewhere the boy doesn’t know. However, you must at least refrain from killing and killing.

Keep in mind that you can eliminate each other either physically or by using trickery to expose each other’s weaknesses… … .)

I was very curious about what the president was talking about, but after the door closed, the sound was so quiet that I couldn’t hear the content.

With that in mind, I headed to the lobby on the first floor. Perhaps because it was a holiday, there was no one at the information desk, but when I looked closely behind the desk, I saw six paper bags that looked like gifts.

I held three paper bags in each hand and they were heavier than I thought. I was quite curious about what was inside, but I couldn’t open them.

Well, I guess I can ask them later anyway. For now, I’ll just use this to create a good atmosphere for the social gathering. With that in mind, I headed back to the conference room.

‘You’re not still arguing, are you?’

As I entered the conference room with some apprehension, the atmosphere was much calmer than I expected.

In a situation where everyone was sitting quietly, the president of the association spoke first.

“Oh, you worked hard.”

“Yes. I brought a gift set.”

I carefully placed the paper bags containing the boxes on the empty table. Then I looked around and saw that everyone’s expressions had changed strangely.

Everyone seemed to have come to an agreement and was just sitting there looking at me. It was a lot better than when we were arguing, but I was a little embarrassed by all the attention.

I wondered what on earth had happened, but I couldn’t ask, so I opened my mouth to them with a bright expression.

“Well, then… …Now that the gifts have arrived, I hope you all had a great time!”