Second Chance (Taekook)

CHAPTER - 22

The Dance of Deception

Jeongguk exited the meeting room, walking toward his office with his secretary, Choi Soobin, trailing behind him like a kicked puppy; one could easily imagine his ears drooping.

Soobin realized he had interrupted something important the moment his president exited the meeting room, casting him a withering glare. For the interruption he had committed, all he could hope against was getting fired.

Choi Soobin began his internship at Jeon Inc. feeling intimidated by his president. However, as time went on, he found himself admiring Jeongguk more and more. To Soobin, Jeongguk was an idol, and he followed his every directive as if they were divine commandments.

Soobin was a bit possessive of Jeongguk, too. He was the only one allowed to call him "President Sir," and anyone else who dared to utter those words would have to deal with an irate Soobin. To him, Jeongguk was exclusively his president, and he wasn't about to let anyone forget it.

What Soobin didn't realize was that Jeongguk cherished him like a younger brother, which was why he often let Soobin off the hook for his mistakes.

Now, you might be wondering why Jeongguk was glaring at Soobin. The truth was:

Flashback: (20 minutes ago)

Jeongguk was in his meeting room, engrossed in a conversation with his fiancé, Taehyung. All the other staff members had already left, and just as he was about to wrap up and leave, he received a phone call from Taehyung. He turned back and settled into his chair again, completely absorbed in their discussion.

They were both so caught up in their talk that Jeongguk didn't hear the soft knocking on the door.

"Are you free, Ggukie?" Taehyung asked.

"Yes, Tae, I'm free; why ar—" Jeongguk started, but he couldn't finish his sentence. The door swung open, and in burst Soobin like a whirlwind.

"President, sir, you have a meeting starting in the next 20 minutes!"

Jeongguk's eyes widened in horror as Soobin spoke. "Get out!" he shouted, quickly covering his phone, praying Taehyung hadn't heard him. Soobin glanced at his expression, whispered an apology, and hurriedly left the room.

After the door closed, Jeongguk gulped, waiting anxiously for any sound from the other end of the line.

"Tae, that was not—" he stammered.

"So you started to lie to me?" came Taehyung's emotionless voice.

"I'm sorry, Tae; it was just—" Jeongguk struggled to find the words, realizing he had indeed lied.

"Don't. Never lie to me, Ggukie. Always tell me the truth. And lately, you've been neglecting your work. You've already canceled too many meetings to meet me. Focus on your responsibilities; I won't disturb you. I'm hanging up now. Bye."

And with that, Taehyung ended the call, leaving Jeongguk staring at his phone, the weight of the situation settling heavily on his shoulders.

End of Flashback

As Jeongguk stepped out of the meeting room, he felt a surge of anger—not just at himself for lying, but even more so at Soobin for inadvertently exposing his lie. If it hadn't been for Soobin's interruption, he wouldn't have faced Taehyung's disappointment. Soobin had become the reason for Jeongguk's scolding, and that realization weighed heavily on him.

This was the source of Jeongguk's angry expression, while Soobin's face reflected sadness. His president was clearly upset with him, and the silence between them only deepened the tension. Soobin couldn't shake the feeling that he had let Jeongguk down, and now all he could do was hope for forgiveness.