Survive! Gwanggong!

While Seung-hyeon’s words left Seon-woo momentarily stunned, the system alert snapped him back to reality. More than deciphering Seung-hyeon’s true intent, which was impossible to determine at the moment, this was the bigger problem.

Exactly 50. That meant the value had been slowly chipped away without him even realizing it. He had to figure out how to respond in a way that would smooth things over. If he said even one wrong word, the index would drop below 50.

But before Seon-woo could come up with an answer, Seung-hyeon spoke first.

“I heard you invited Seo Eun-jae over to your place yesterday.”

At that, Seon-woo’s eyes flicked up sharply. So when Seung-hyeon said ‘acting differently than usual,’ he had been referring to Seo Eun-jae. If that was the case, then all he had done was follow the system’s directive to treat Seo Eun-jae favorably—was that really reason enough to dock his index points?

He was annoyed at the unfairness of it, but he had also failed to consider that his index had already dropped to 51 before this interaction even began. That was on him.

“What’s gotten into you? Or was it just a whim? I was curious.”

With those words, Seung-hyeon casually turned the steering wheel.

To be honest, Seon-woo felt relieved. All kinds of wild assumptions had flashed through his mind just moments ago, but they evaporated in an instant like bubbles popping. It wasn’t that Seung-hyeon had sensed something off about him with uncanny intuition—he was simply fulfilling his role as the sub male lead.

If Seung-hyeon had realized that something was truly wrong with him, things would have gotten complicated. After that initial jolt of tension, he calmed himself and reasoned that, realistically, there was no way for his true identity to be discovered. Still, if Seung-hyeon began to suspect anything unusual, it would only mean his Gwanggong Index would take even bigger and more frequent hits from now on.

So, if Seung-hyeon was only wary of him because of Seo Eun-jae, that was actually a relief.

Before he could even think of an answer, a set of choices appeared before him.

▶ “So that’s why you’re questioning my condition?”

But there was only one option. No choice at all.

Feeling bewildered and somewhat displeased, Seon-woo had no choice but to say the line exactly as it was. The moment he did, another set of choices popped up.

▶ “You seem quite close to Seo Eun-jae. I doubt you’d come rushing in here, interrogating me like this, if the two of you weren’t on intimate terms.”
▶ “You’re as insolent as ever. I fail to see why I have to listen to this just because I had someone over. Or do you actually have some sort of relationship with Seo Eun-jae?”

No matter which one he picked, it was clear that both responses were filled with irritation and made him sound highly wary of Seung-hyeon because of Seo Eun-jae.

Honestly, he didn’t want to choose either.

Honestly, he didn’t want to choose either. The idea that Gwak Seung-hyeon was keeping Seon-woo in check because of Seo Eun-jae was not something he welcomed. The system forced Gwak Seon-woo to express false affection, and he hated the fact that he had to be caught in a rivalry with Gwak Seung-hyeon over another man.

Now that things had unfolded this way, was it inevitable that he and Gwak Seung-hyeon would end up in such a relationship? Just as he was about to choose the first option, which seemed the least humiliating, a notification popped up.

< Due to the effect of a low Gwanggong score, the next action will be chosen at random. >

“The way you overstep your bounds never changes, does it? I don’t see why I have to listen to this just because I brought someone into my house. What, are you and Seo Eun-jae something to each other?”

Even as the words left his mouth, Seon-woo was stunned to hear himself speak. Cold, cutting remarks flowed out automatically. Across from him, Gwak Seung-hyeon furrowed his brows in response.

“That’s not exactly what I meant. And just a moment ago… things weren’t like this, were they?”

If he was referring to the sudden shift in atmosphere—where they went from simply talking to biting at each other—then yes, Seung-hyeon had a point. But there was no use in questioning how things had escalated so quickly. As the company building came into view, Seon-woo decided to avoid any further conversation and simply get out of the car.

Despite what had just been said, Seung-hyeon didn’t seem particularly angry at the words themselves. Instead, he kept glancing at the rearview mirror, his expression suggesting he had something to say.

“What I meant was, Director—”

Just as Seung-hyeon opened his mouth again, another car suddenly cut in front of them.

Given his driving skills, Seung-hyeon should have been able to avoid it easily. But maybe because his attention had been elsewhere, he was caught off guard and had to slam on the brakes.

Unprepared for the sudden stop, Seon-woo’s body lurched forward, his head colliding with the front seat’s headrest. With a gasp, he recoiled back into place. He had let out a surprised sound, but it wasn’t because of the situation itself—it was because he had expected this exact outcome.

< You have embarrassingly hit your head. Gwanggong score decreases by 2. >

As expected. Without even realizing it, Seon-woo let out a deep sigh.

< Current Gwanggong score: 48. >

< Due to a decrease in Gwanggong score, ‘Status Effect: Headache’ has been inflicted! Increase your Gwanggong score to resolve this. >

The moment the notification delivered its verdict, an excruciating pain spread through his head. It felt as if someone were swinging a hammer inside his skull. Headaches were nothing new to a working adult, but this level of pain was unprecedented.

Noticing Seon-woo clutching his head, Seung-hyeon quickly turned toward him.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Seon-woo couldn’t even lift his head. Just the slightest movement sent waves of unbearable pain crashing through his skull. When he finally managed to get a glimpse of Seung-hyeon’s face, he could see that the man had already assumed the blame was his.

Seung-hyeon looked completely flustered.

But the more he spoke, the worse Seon-woo’s headache became. A sudden thought struck him—he needed to get out of the car immediately.

“Did you hit your head? Should we go to the hospital?”

Seon-woo cut him off, his voice sharp with irritation.

“Pull over.”

“What? We’re in the middle of the road.”

He had expected Seung-hyeon to comply without question, given his startled state. But even now, he remained rational. Meanwhile, Seon-woo had no room for rationality. It felt as if something was gnawing away inside his skull, and he raised his voice.

“I said, pull over!”

Seung-hyeon studied Seon-woo’s face for a moment before silently obeying. He pulled over to the curb in front of the company building and turned to glance at the backseat. Seung-hyeon undid his seatbelt – it was clear he intended to follow him out.

But before Seung-hyeon could say anything or step out, Seon-woo had already thrown the car door open.

“Director—”

He heard Seung-hyeon call out behind him, but he didn’t look back. Just walking without clutching his head or stumbling required every ounce of focus he had left.

With hurried steps, he strode through the entrance of the company lobby, practically fleeing. From inside the car, Seung-hyeon watched, his expression frozen in shock.

It didn’t take long for him to pull himself together. Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, he leaned forward, deep in thought.

Seo Eun-jae’s name had come up, but that wasn’t the whole issue.

Sending Eun-jae to the executive office yesterday had been an impulsive decision, made without much thought. He knew that if he went to see Seon-woo after upsetting him, the reaction would be several times worse. Since he had already been hesitant to approach him, he had simply taken advantage of Eun-jae’s desire to meet Seon-woo.

Despite being a parachute hire, Seung-hyeon had gotten along well with his team members, including Eun-jae. That was how he had managed to hear a rough account of what happened yesterday.

Letting someone he had just met into his home? Considering Seon-woo’s almost obsessive cleanliness, it wasn’t something that could be brushed off. It was definitely unexpected.

But there was something even stranger about Seon-woo’s demeanor.

It wasn’t unusual for him to insult people, lash out, or dismiss sincerity. He had been doing it for so long that it had to be counted in years, not incidents. Compared to all that, what he had said yesterday and today was barely a scratch.

The problem wasn’t his words. It was what came after…

‘…That expression.’

Seung-hyeon furrowed his brows, his lips pressing into a thin line. He kept staring at the glass doors as if trying to see through them, though Seon-woo was long gone.

“That expression was… off.”

Since there was no one around to hear him, the words faded as soon as they left his lips.

After lingering in thought a little longer, he finally started the car, as if trying to shake off his spiraling thoughts.