The employee who confirmed it widened their eyes.

The name matched the madam’s, but her face was unknown as it was always pixelated in articles.

While the employee was flustered, wondering if they should contact the secretariat even now,

The employees who had been lurking from afar approached the desk and greeted her.

“Madam?”

A title still painful to hear despite hearing it hundreds of times at workshops. Da Hae turned towards the call and gave a slight bow.

The faces of the employees carrying coffee on their luggage were quite familiar.

“It is you! Hello, madam! You came to see the CEO!”

Please… that voice…

In an instant, all eyes focused on her, countless gazes gathering.

At the same time, greetings and whispers about “look at that woman” could be heard from all directions.

Thinking she should leave before it got noisier, Da Hae decided to have them deliver what she brought instead of leaving it at the lobby.

“Here. You enjoyed the snacks I sent before so much, it’s not much but please share these.”

“Oh my! Such grace!”

“Haha… Um, could I ask you to deliver this too? It’s for the CEO.”

As she held out what she was carrying with her request, an employee standing behind quickly took the shopping bag and instinctively glanced at its contents.

Even at a glance it was clearly a lunchbox, eliciting envious exclamations.

“Don’t do that, come with us!”

“What? No, I…”

…This isn’t right?

“Oh come on. We want to score some points with the CEO too.”

“Madam! Madam! Madam!”

Please… that voice…

The chanting echoing off the lobby walls made her toes curl involuntarily. Da Hae quickly nodded.

“Let’s go. Let’s go.”

She decided to comply, lest they start advertising her as the CEO’s wife at this rate.

Well, since she was here, she did kind of want to see CEO Kang a little.

*

The conference room door that had been tightly closed since early morning finally opened as lunchtime was ending.

Led by CEO Kang Jae Kyung, the executives filed out and returned to their respective offices.

Jae Kyung slowly rubbed his face, heavily tinged with fatigue, and lifted his wrist to check the time.

The morning meeting had dragged on. Among various issues, the server hijacking stood out. Devising countermeasures for it.

Several methods were proposed to track down the client from the previous incident, but none seemed particularly effective.

Suspicion pointed to Kang Pil Seung. However, they couldn’t move rashly.

Pressuring with ambiguous evidence would clearly invite accusations of a witch hunt by the chairman.

But they couldn’t just sit back and watch either…

Lost in deep thought, he was walking consciously when he had just passed the secretariat.

“CEO, the madam has arrived.”

“…The madam?”

“She arrived 20 minutes ago, and we were informed she was escorted to the development team’s office.”

Kye Da Hae…? Kye Da Hae came?

His straight eyebrows lifted.

Color instantly returned to his previously expressionless face. Even the surrounding air seemed to change.

Thanking them for the information, Jae Kyung immediately turned around. After checking the elevator’s number display, he headed straight for the emergency stairs without delay.

As the sound of footsteps running down the stairs faded away, the bewildered secretariat staff who had been staring at the same spot gradually came to their senses.

“He seemed excited, didn’t he?”

“Did you see him smile… It’s heartwarming, so heartwarming.”

Wondering how a wife visiting the company could be such a joyous occasion, the staff let out groans while covering their faces, immersed in vicarious excitement.

*

The small conference room in the development team.

Da Hae smiled awkwardly among the employees from other companies crowding the round table.

It was unclear why they weren’t going to eat and were guarding her instead.

Not long after, things got a bit busier outside the conference room.

The sound of dress shoes rapidly approaching. Respectful greetings pouring out.

Bang! As the CEO suddenly appeared through the abruptly opened frosted glass door, all employees stood up.

While returning greetings with a slight wave of his hand, his eyes sought out Da Hae sitting alone. His breathing seemed slightly labored, as if he had rushed here.

Feeling awkward about this strange situation, Da Hae shrugged her shoulders and smiled wryly.

Jae Kyung took the seat next to her as if it were natural and looked at her face, then looked again. He was so glad to see her.

“Welcome.”

There seemed to be a collective sound of jaws dropping. It was the employees’ muted shock.

To think their CEO was such a devoted husband. Such a private smile was rare, if not unprecedented, from the always gentle and nice man.

Da Hae chuckled softly. Welcoming her without even asking her business.

Why are you so excited, you’re not a child.

While giving him a look to tone it down, Da Hae kept giggling like a deflating balloon due to the laughter that kept escaping, momentarily forgetting the purpose of her visit.

Until someone’s voice reminded her.

“CEO! The madam brought a packed lunch.”

Only then noticing the shopping bag, the corners of the man’s lips rose lazily.

“We were just about to eat too. If you don’t mind, shall we eat together here?”

This won’t do.

This shouldn’t be revealed like this.

Rolling her eyes at the suddenly developing atmosphere, Da Hae brought her lips behind the man’s back.

“Eat it alone.”

She whispered in a voice only he should hear, about to leave her seat.

“Let’s do that. Let’s all eat together.”

Excuse me…?

He readily agreed, plunging his large hand into the shopping bag.

She shot him a look, but the man paid no heed, his attention stolen by the lunchbox.

The “eat alone” meant “eat when you’re alone”, but he seemed to have misinterpreted it as “eat by yourself”.

Just looking at that pleased smile, it was clear.

“No… um,”

There was no time to stop him. The lunchbox lid was solemnly opened amidst everyone’s attention.

“Uh…! …Wow… It’s a… lunchbox…”

Reactions incomplete even with years of social life, and an awkward silence.

Pfft… The CEO’s snicker burst out on behalf of everyone.

The publicly executed lunchbox looked even more pitiful due to its glossy exterior.

Kang Jae Kyung, who had been quietly staring at it, soon turned his head.

Covering his face with one hand signaled he was about to laugh in earnest.

Sure enough, his broad shoulders began to shake. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

You’re having a grand old time, aren’t you, Kang Jae Kyung.

The employees each offered their deductions. Someone said the bibimbap looked delicious, then on closer inspection it seemed to be fried rice. More mixed than fried, according to another.

“…”

It had been kimbap when she packed it, but as the seaweed lost its function of holding the ingredients, they all harmonized together.

While the employees busily came and went from the conference room saying they would bring their own lunchboxes too, Kang Jae Kyung ate it with gusto. Though not exactly gracefully.

He said our wife has such a kind heart, mixing it up for her husband lest he find it difficult.

Seeing the sausages and rolled eggs all mixed up despite the dividers, he chuckled that the side dishes got along as well as we do.

Even while teasing, the way he ate every last grain of rice without leaving anything behind was so endearing and lovely that she almost patted his head.

Though it was annoying when he said he would teach her how to distinguish sugar from salt, she couldn’t really dislike him for it.

* * *

The residence where Da Hae lived.

In the predawn hours, the elevator repeated its ascent and descent, its original purpose forgotten.

“I’ll stay over.”

“See you tomorrow.”

After walking around the park leading to the shops once, then twice. By then it was already midnight.

When they arrived at the front door, he would ask to be taken to the parking lot, and at the parking lot he would offer to take her home. This had repeated three times already.

Jae Kyung firmly embraced Da Hae’s slender waist that fit easily in his arms, lowering his head to bury his face in her small shoulder.

Da Hae scrunched her eyes at the ticklish breath on her nape, raising her arm to stroke his head.

Jae Kyung’s eyes closed peacefully at her caressing touch.

The shampoo scent wafting from his loosened hair, the soft skin against his forehead, the home within reach.

Such things shook his reason, but he was gritting his teeth and trying hard, having said he would follow her wishes in everything.

Even while joking that at this rate he’d become an ascetic, he never insisted more than twice.

“Will you come for lunch tomorrow too?”

His languid voice burrowed into her ear, almost mumbling.

At times like this, even Da Hae found it hard to be resolute. But there were things that overcame the emotions of dawn.

Like the kitchen strewn with traces of the lunchbox, or the deplorable state of the house left uncleaned due to continued overtime work.

Da Hae composed herself and spoke casually.

“Yeah, no.”

“Then I’ll come.”

“You’re busy. Let’s meet after work.”

The man lifted his head and straightened up, turning the woman’s shoulders to face him.

Da Hae, who had been facing the door, looked up tightly at the man who suddenly dominated her field of vision.

Meanwhile, they arrived at the underground parking lot.

With neither of them getting off, the doors closed, and the frequently pressed floor number was pressed again on the number pad.

“Have you cooled off?”