Secretary Mean

Before dying . . .

"Secretary Mean is at it again!" A late twenties-looking woman said as she set down her bag on her desk.

"You too? I had to do overtime this weekend! How many times is this? Three weekend overtime in a row? I'm going to die!" A woman who was at the next desk said rubbing her temples.

"Tsk! He's a demon. A demon, I tell you. It's such a shame that he's so handsome but he's a slave driver at work."

The other woman sighed.

"His face is the only good thing about him."

"His body too. Those suits he wears fit him so well. It's like looking at a celebrity!"

"If only he wasn't so mean."

"Yes, if only he wasn't so mean."

"Good morning, Sir," the building's guard greeted the young man who just came in with a deep bow.

"Oh! He's here!" The woman said eagerly to her friend.

"Gosh, he looks so perfect this early in the morning. Tsk! A demon can still look like an angel. I don't know if I should be thankful or frustrated," the other woman said.

"Well, the demon is technically an angel. A fallen one," the woman pointed out.

Her friend rolled her eyes at her.

"Oh, he's coming here!"

The two women stared in awe as Min Eunsu walked towards their way. He was wearing a dark blue suit with an inner white buttoned shirt inside and a matching dark blue necktie. The suit hugged his fit body perfectly. His black hair was styled neatly. He had prominent cheekbones, a straight nose, and full lips.

Min Eunsu was the epitome of authority and handsomeness.

It wasn't like looking at a celebrity.

It was like looking at a prince with nefarious plans.

The other employees momentarily stopped what they were doing to admire Min Eunsu. He was the secretary of the company's CEO, Song Ae Rin. His position was that of a secretary but his authority was undeniable. Everyone knew that anything Min Eunsu would tell the CEO, carried weight. If he wanted to fire someone, he simply had to tell the CEO and the next day that person would no longer be working in the company.

"You," Eunsu said.

The two women looked at each other, unsure which one of them he was talking to.

He walked closer to them with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Ha Si-Woo, your monthly report had errors. Net income, inventory, and so many other things. It's a wonder you were even hired in the first place. Redo the whole report and submit it by noon," Eunsu said.

Si-Woo turned pale and bowed quickly. She began typing rapidly on her computer.

Eunsu turned to the other woman.

"Jang Do-Yun, the contracts you made had errors. Typographical, formatting, and even the numbers are wrong! Do you think the work we do in this company is all a game?" Eunsu asked.

Do-Yun didn't answer. She just had her head bowed in fright.

"Hey! I'm asking you if you think this is all just a game!" Eunsu said.

"N-no. I'm really sorry. It must be because I was so tired already and I've been doing overtime every weekend," Do-Yun said.

Eunsu let out a frustrated sound.

"If you didn't make so many mistakes with your work then you wouldn't need to do overtime. Do you want to rest? I can tell our HR to make it look like you resigned," Eunsu said.

"N-no! I'll redo it. I'm so sorry!" Do-Yun said with an apologetic bow and began typing on her computer rapidly too.

Eunsu left and the two women exhaled in relief.

"Secretary Mean indeed," Si-Woo said.

"Yes, Secretary Mean is really the perfect nickname for him!" Do-Yun agreed.

*

*

*

Min Eunsu boarded the elevator and pressed the button going to the highest floor of the building - the CEO'S floor. There were other employees inside the elevator. They all greeted him respectfully. Eunsu simply nodded once.

A few moments later, he was the only one left in the elevator. He was alone now.

Min Eunsu knew what the others had been calling him. "Secretary Mean" for being mean and it rhymed with his last name. Eunsu wasn't being mean on purpose but it just made him so frustrated to see people work so messily. It drove him mad to see incorrect and incomplete work.

Ae Rin had been telling him to take it easy but it was difficult to take it easy when the others were taking it easy at work but were making so many amateurish mistakes. Was their HR team incompetent in hiring or was the world just full of incompetent people?

The elevator opened and he walked out of it. The corridor floor was carpeted stylishly and the walls were filled with paintings worth millions.

He knocked on a door with a golden name plate outside. It said "CEO SONG AE RIN" on the door.

"It's me. Are you busy?" Eunsu asked from outside the door.

"Eunsu?" A female voice asked from inside.

"Yes," Eunsu answered.

"Come in! Hurry!" The female voice said eagerly.

Eunsu went in and the scent of cookies was the first thing he noticed. He inhaled it slowly and he began to relax.

"Eunsu! Come here! Hurry! They're still warm!"

"Good morning, Ae Rin," Eunsu said with a bow.

A beautiful young woman with straight long black hair smiled at him. She was wearing a white blouse with a big white ribbon, a lavender skirt, pink high-heels, and a pink blazer. She had big dollish eyes, a cute nose, and soft-looking pink lips. Song Ae Rin was a really beautiful young woman. So many had made the mistake of thinking that she was a model or an actress when she was out malling.

"Good morning, Eunsu. Now, hurry! I just heated them so they're still soft and warm!" Ae Rin said.

Eunsu walked towards Ae Rin and noticed the tray of cookies on her glass table.

"You baked these?" Eunsu asked.

"Of course! What do you think? Do they look delicious?" Ae Rin asked eagerly.

A smile formed on Eunsu's lips. Song Ae Rin was the company's CEO. She was the daughter of the company owner but she had moments like these wherein she was just like a normal girl.

The cookies looked soft and they had big chunks of chocolate on them. They truly looked delicious.

"Yes, they do look de-"

A cookie went inside his mouth.

Eunsu's eyes widened.

Ae Rin giggled.

Eunsu narrowed his eyes at her as she laughed. He began chewing. It was really delicious. It felt like the cookie was melting inside his mouth. It wasn't too sweet or too bland. It was just perfect.

"It's perfect. You've outdone yourself again, Ae Rin," Eunsu said sincerely.

Ae Rin smiled widely.

"Ah. You have crumbs on your . . ."

"Here?" Eunsu wiped the left corner of his mouth.

"No, not there. Wait, let me," Ae Rin leaned close to him.

She began touching the right corner of his mouth with her finger softly. She was so close to him. Her own lips were so close to him. If he leaned down he could . . .

"There! All clean now!" Ae Rin said happily.

"You shouldn't do that," Eunsu said.

"Do what?" Ae Rin asked with an innocent expression on her face.

Eunsu sighed.

The lady he was serving was so oblivious of the effect she had on him.