Office Romance Scandal (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
Parachute? A parachute hire, really?
Tae Hong was brutally cold toward Hae Jin on her very first day at work. She tried her best to hide her rising anger, but unintentionally, a silent battle of glares unfolded between them.
“I heard everything clearly from the chairman. That you’ll be personally marking me.”
His sarcastic tone was oddly irritating. But did he even realize? He’d left out the crucial descriptor at the beginning.
Personal marker for a rugby ball—more precisely, one that could bounce off unpredictably in any direction.
Hae Jin clenched down hard on the rapid-fire retorts bubbling up inside her and forced a generous smile onto her face.
Right now, she was the weaker party. He held her livelihood in his hands—the lifeline she desperately needed to cling to. Within the company, he was a team leader, and she was only an associate. In this hierarchical society, rank equaled power and authority.
Moreover, wasn’t he the heir to the Yeon Chang Group himself?
Hae Jin had a monthly salary to collect punctually from now on, and this was absolutely not the time to freely voice everything on her mind. It was time to act with tact.
Completely oblivious to what she was silently fuming inside, Tae Hong merely looked her up and down.
From the very start, the vibe was off. He hadn’t been remotely friendly from the beginning—in fact, he made it abundantly clear she was nothing but a thorn in his eye.
She’d imagined this exact scenario before, and thought herself well-prepared through relentless mental discipline, yet having him openly needle her still left her painfully defenseless.
A chime signaled another elevator’s arrival. Strategic Planning team members began stepping out one by one. Noticing their hesitant glances upon seeing Tae Hong and Hae Jin, Tae Hong moved first.
“Follow me, Ms. Jeong Hae Jin.”
Employees greeting them watched the two curiously. Tae Hong started walking ahead.
Typical jerk—doesn’t even acknowledge staff greetings.
As she trailed behind him, she naturally scanned the employees. From peers around her age to those who looked significantly older, the Strategic Planning team was clearly larger than she’d expected.
She’d mentally repeated thousands of times not to be intimidated—but couldn’t help feeling suppressed by the relentless stares trailing her every step behind Tae Hong.
Everyone here, except her, already belonged to the same team. Facing them individually still meant she stood alone against many.
The one in need must dig their own well. For now, she held back her gaze and gestures. She needed to read the office atmosphere—and it was clearly up to her to make the first move toward them.
To avoid lowering her head, Hae Jin kept her eyes fixed just around Tae Hong’s shoulders as they walked. The team leader’s office was at the very end of the 28th-floor hallway. As they approached his room, she quickly scanned the office’s size, mood, and desk layout.
Compared to Si On’s place, this was undeniably massive. There were many more desks, and several meeting rooms as well.
Even the break room—the so-called flower of workplace breaks—caught her eye. Judging from years of office experience, it gave off that paradoxical vibe: seemingly relaxed, yet rigidly hierarchical.
Lost in thought, she suddenly found herself right outside the team leader’s office.
The office matched Moon Tae Hong’s first impression—neat, yet the furniture, much like its owner, felt cold. The spotless desk radiated no trace of humanity.
Tae Hong removed his jacket as if following routine and placed it on a hanger, then set down his phone. He undid his cuffs and neatly rolled up his sleeves several times. Moving mechanically, he gestured toward the sofa.
“Have a seat.”
She noticed he even personally prepared teacups—a courtesy toward someone meeting for the first time. He picked one type of tea from several varieties available.
Stripped of sarcasm, his voice was a pleasantly deep baritone. His different demeanor compared to the elevator caught Hae Jin off guard, narrowing her eyes slightly.
“Jerk,” she muttered inwardly.
For a fleeting moment, she reflected on her own prejudice. He’d called her a parachute hire—but maybe it was because she’d foolishly blocked the elevator door with her foot first.
The thought passed briefly through her mind. He placed two cups down and sat facing her.
“Drink up. It’s a tea that helps wake your mind in the morning.”
Tae Hong brought his cup to his lips first, prompting Hae Jin to follow suit. After setting his cup down, Tae Hong stretched out his long legs and crossed them to one side. Resting his arms on the armrests, he leisurely watched Hae Jin sip her tea.
“What’s your relationship with the chairman?”
Just as the tea’s heat began to feel comfortable, his abrupt, conversation-stopping question froze her mid-motion. Uncertain of his intent, Hae Jin chose silence over answering.
“Ah. So you won’t answer when the question’s awkward?”
He talked to himself yet stared directly at her with an unnervingly calm gaze.
Hae Jin knew well: in unfavorable moments, or when something potentially revealing arose, it was best to stay quiet and assess the situation first.
“You must know silence won’t solve anything. Well then—go ahead. Keep refusing to answer till the end.”
Though she chose silence, she knew it wasn’t necessarily the best move. Anxiety welled up, but Hae Jin stayed patient. She hadn’t figured Tae Hong out yet.
He leaned back deeply into his chair, crossed his legs, and lifted his teacup. After a tense silence, Tae Hong finally broke the quiet.
“Are you maybe… some kind of private investigator? Did you fake your way into the company because of the chairman?”
What on earth? He was spinning wild theories, and she clearly sensed him desperately trying to extract something from her eyes.
“I’m definitely not a private investigator—and even less so a fake employee.”
Hae Jin had no choice but to speak. His assumptions seemed boundless, so she needed to cut the misunderstanding clearly before it grew further.
“You’re not… involved with the chairman in some… inappropriate way, right?”
What on earth had gotten into his head? She had to rein in those wildly fluttering wings of imagination before they flew off in completely wrong directions.
“You called me a parachute hire, and I won’t deny it.”
Surprised by Hae Jin’s unexpected admission, Tae Hong finally seemed to relax his suspicious gaze, just slightly.
So honesty really was the best policy.
Now sensing the right direction, Hae Jin began speaking smoothly.
“It was… a kind of deal, yes. There really was something akin to an arrangement.”
The suspicion faded from Tae Hong’s face, replaced gradually by curiosity. Hae Jin spoke firmly.
She needed to make the nature of that deal crystal clear.
“It was a direct request from the chairman himself.”
Listen carefully—this is something I’ll say only once.
Hae Jin took a deep breath. Her face looked soft and delicate, but her resolve was firm. The gentle upward curve of her lips was enough to put him at ease—but inside, she remained the ever-capable Associate Manager Jeong Hae Jin.
“There’s a rugby ball in our company, and I’d like Ms. Hae Jin to personally mark him.”
Without a trace of humor, Hae Jin mimicked Jun Tae’s voice flawlessly—repeating his exact words with no syllable out of place.
In their brief encounter, she’d already grasped one key thing about him: he responded better to blunt honesty than to flimsy excuses or lies.
Suddenly hearing Jun Tae’s voice emerge from Hae Jin’s delicate lips made Tae Hong’s brow instinctively furrow. His crossed legs uncrossed, and his upper body, previously slumped deep into the chair, leaned forward eagerly.
“A rugby ball and a personal marker.”
Tae Hong’s hand smoothed the deep wrinkle between his brows, then pressed firmly against his temple.
“The chairman really knows me too well. But—why assign a woman as a personal marker? I’m not even a man.”
His slightly raised intonation grated on her nerves—sounding almost mocking. Or was it just her imagination?
Hae Jin held her tongue. She needed time to discern his true hand. Though the room felt spacious, the atmosphere grew heavy again.
The only difference now was that instead of looking sideways, they were locking eyes directly face-to-face.
This situation felt even more awkward, yet there was no space or seat to escape to. Hae Jin clasped her hands together in her lap. She even felt a slight dampness from nervous sweat.
Whether from the hot tea or the heat of his gaze, she couldn’t tell—but the oppressive weight in the air felt scorching.
Right now, she only wished this uncomfortable interview would end quickly.
“Are you confident?”
She was flustered—it was an exceptionally awkward question.
Confident? Of course not. She was only doing this because her livelihood depended on it.
“I am confident.”
Contrary to her thoughts, her voice rang out strong enough to cause misunderstanding. Despite her innocent-looking face, her tone carried clear determination. Cornered by survival instincts, Hae Jin summoned superhuman patience.
“You’re confident.”
Tae Hong’s sentence trailed off, his expression twisting strangely. This time, his gaze became openly scrutinizing.
“Confident in what exactly?”
Hae Jin cleared her throat lightly and straightened her posture. Realizing her paycheck hinged on this answer, she instinctively sat up perfectly straight.
I need to answer well, Jeong Hae Jin. You’re not Si On’s Jeong Hae Jin anymore. There’s no room to retreat—and opportunities like this golden apple won’t come again. Maybe this path could even reunite my family.
So, Hae Jin—do this right.
“I’m good at handling incidents.”
Between “rugby ball” and “personal marker,” the word “incident” surfaced in Hae Jin’s mind. And indeed, this situation was unmistakably an incident.
The chairman must have been worried. With his striking looks, tall stature, and status as the sole heir to Yeon Chang Group, how many temptations must come his way from the outside world?
Especially women’s advances—they posed the biggest risk. A determined woman throwing herself at him could easily drag him into scandals. In that sense, assigning a female personal marker might allow for more flexible and discreet handling.
It would also avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. So this must be why the chairman assigned her—to make monitoring him easier, both for mind control and close oversight. That’s how Hae Jin, after sleepless nights of overthinking, rationalized her hiring.
He’d likely also hoped she wasn’t a complete newbie—someone desperately needing this position, familiar with the industry’s inner workings.
Now she finally understood: she was the intersection point of countless precise conditions.
But again, Tae Hong’s expression crumpled strangely. The quality of his open stare shifted.
“Handling incidents.”
Unlike Hae Jin’s utter seriousness, Tae Hong laughed as if something were hilarious—even throwing his head back. After laughing for a while, his laughter finally ceased.
This was the moment his true face, unseen until now, revealed itself. Hae Jin froze instantly upon seeing it.
His eyes narrowed sharply, pinning her in place.
“Fine then, Ms. Jeong Hae Jin.”
As if nothing had happened, Tae Hong stood up, brushing off his pants. Hae Jin lifted her head to follow him. His crumpled expression smoothed out along with his trousers.
Was her life really about to speed down the highway like this? It felt almost surreal.
Unconsciously, Hae Jin rose from her seat like a marionette, following his lead.
Tae Hong extended his hand toward her—sleeves still neatly rolled up several folds.
“I’m counting on you as my personal marker.”
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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I like his honesty and my god there is communication.