Chapter Text
PART 1:
Chapter 1:
[Do you want to download?]
Imperial Secretary Kim Dan stared at the blue notification on his terminal for a few moments, before clicking ‘Yes’ and watching the program as it downloaded quickly. For some reason he felt a bit uncomfortable, as if he was doing something bad.
The pink icon with a sparking heart appeared on the digital screen, looking rather out of place among the several work related applications and documents.
‘Star Connect’ was the newest app that turned the Empire upside down, registering millions of users just after getting released in the past month. What was the reason behind its popularity? Well, it was the first matchmaking application that was powered by advanced AI that surprisingly worked very well as hundreds of couples claimed. Secretary Seo was among them. Just after 2 weeks on the app, the man came to the Office with a bright smile on his face as he told everyone about the very kind girl he was matched with and who he was dating. It was unusual to see the man this happy, so even Kim Dan felt his curiosity got picked. He wanted to see if this new AI could be useful in any way to the military.
But it didn’t stop with Secretary Seo. Next, half of the military base was hooked on the app, glued to their terminal in every break, texting with a potential date partner.
It took a while for Kim Dan to get to know about the app as he was immersed in work and fighting the Admiral’s strict deadlines, so by the time he could finally check the Imperial Network, the application was trending as No 1. Since he was interested in the algorithm and as an Imperial Secretary he should know about every major thing going on in the Empire, Kim Dan found himself sitting on his couch and staring down at his terminal.
As the Imperial Secretary he had no time to think about dating before; his Grandma’s condition, piling debt and the demanding work did not leave any time or energy for such things. But now it was a bit different. His Grandma was in a good clinic, his debt was paid. Well, the Admiral was still as demanding about his time as before but it just recently hit Kim Dan that it would also change once the Admiral gets a partner himself.
He was in the right age and the voices concerned about his lack of love life grew louder each day. Of course the man couldn’t care less about it, sending a chilling gaze towards whoever opened his mouth and dared to spout such nonsense. As his Secretary, Kim Dan knew that while the Admiral seemed cold and vicious, his heart was good and whoever ends up as his partner will be a very happy person.
Dan tried to imagine his days as a secretary when the Admiral will get married and bring the homemade food of his wife or wear the clothes chosen by the person. Will he finish work 5 pm sharp and head home quickly to spend time with his family rather than go over an other pack of files with Dan sitting in his room? Will he continue to have dinner with him or rather go home early to play with his kids?
Kim Dan could feel the slight ach in his chest at the thought, then instantly felt guilt creeping up on his back. Of course everything will change when the Admiral gets a family. As it should. And as his most trusted Secretary, Kim Dan should cheer for his superior’s happy family life.
It was not like Dan had no desire for love or dating, he was just too busy to care about it till now. The thought of settling down never really crossed his mind before -he enjoyed the quite life he had without a partner so far, working next to the Admiral for years never let him feel lonely, and he doubted it will change soon.
With a sigh, he tapped the small icon on his terminal and watched as the registration page popped up. It seemed he had to set up a profile to proceed.
[Name:]
[Age:]
[What kind of partner I’m looking for:]
Kim Dan reluctantly filled out the fields, pausing at the last one. What kind of partner was he looking for? Well, he was only registering to lessen his curiosity about the AI usage not looking for a partner, but he couldn’t write that, could he? After a few seconds of pondering, he filled out the last box too.
[Name:] _impsecretary123_
[Age:] 28
[What kind of partner I’m looking for:] I’m looking for someone who is kind, gentle and reliable. This person must be hard working and they should easily carry a conversation.
He just hoped his description was generic enough and it won’t get deleted before due date by the regulatory system. Dan was not an expert of dating sites so he had no idea what else he should write, so with a half satisfied heart he activated his profile, thousands of other avatars flashing on his screen in an instant. The site did not supported any photos for profiles, giving an equal chance to all users to win others over with their personality rather than appearance, that Dan was very thankful for at the moment.
To proceed further and train the AI that matches people together with similar interest and mindset, it seemed that all users had to fill out a lengthy questionnaire, select images and completes tasks, seemingly unrelated to dating…
[Choose a number: 14, 37, 55, 84]
[What kind of flavour would you be: salt, honey, ginger, lemon]
[Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?]
Dan furrowed his brows at the weird questions and started to debate the credibility of the website, nevertheless answered them all dutifully.
After 20 minutes, the small completion mark appeared on the screen and hundreds of profiles showed up with a compatibility ranking in % on the top corner. Was it really that easy? If the algorithm was true and it could create matches then it could be implemented in military team formations and in the training program as well, the discovery making Kim Dan sit up in excitement. Opening up the developer layer with his high military authority he pried into the coding of the platform, not finding any fault in it. It seemed useful, so he will definitely mention this to the Admiral tomorrow.
Just as he was about to exit the app, his terminal beeped with a new notification.
[1 new conversation request. Would you like to start the conversation with ‘admJJ’?]
Kim Dan stared down at the message, his eyebrows furrowed. He normally would have ignored the notification as he was about to delete the app anyways, but his eyes widened at the shocking 100% compatibility rate that the program assigned to them. The highest he saw before were around 45-61% matches, so the 100% seemed really too high…
Well, it wouldn’t matter if he tried out the app a bit more, simply out of curiosity.
[You accepted ‘admJJ’’s request. Now you can chat.]
Before he could rethink his decision, a message already arrived form the other.
[admJJ]: ‘impsecretary123’. your name is very interesting.
Kim Dan blinked. He hadn't even typed a greeting yet as he felt sweat forming on his neck at the straightforward message. He didn’t really think much about his username, but now it seemed like he might have been a bit obvious about his identity.
[impsecretary123]: Hi :) haha is it? I just thought of something on the spot.
[admJJ]: I see. Then are you a fan of Imperial Secretary Kim Dan? Are you interested in him?
Dan widened his eyes at the question. Fan? Why would someone be his fan? Well, since this way he could avoid being found out, he reluctantly typed his response.
[impsecretary123]: …you can say that. I think he is a very hardworking person.
[admJJ]: that’s it?
Kim Dan stared down at his terminal with confusion. What else? Was he not convincing enough to pass as a fan? He had no idea what fans usually said so he quickly looked up some fan pages of singers, reading though the comments. It felt really weird to write about himself like this, his neck burning in embarrassment as he picked out the least wild comments.
[impsecretary123]: I like his eyes and his gentle voice.
[admJJ]: !!
[admJJ]: yes, he does have nice eyes and a shooting voice. Sometimes talks too much.
Secretary Dan wanted to cry. Was this other person another so called ‘fan’? It was truly embarrassing!
[impsecretary123]: …haha is that so? You sound like you know him well. :))
[admJJ]: i know everything there is to know about him.
Well, it started to get uncomfortable so Dan was about to type something casual, to steer the conversation elsewhere or hopefully end it, but the next message popped up before he could.
[admJJ]: He is very diligent. Overworks himself. Doesn’t eat unless reminded.
His fingers paused above the screen. Were his habits this well known? It was true that he tend to forget to eat when showered with work and it was usually the Admiral himself who reminded him to have a meal with him, but Kim Dan never would have guessed that it was known to the general public. But maybe it was someone from the military?
[impsecretary123]: You really seem to know a lot about the Imperial Secretary. Do you perhaps know him in person?
For a few seconds there was no reply.
[admJJ]:….no. I’m just a big fan.
Dan let out a relieved sigh, it would have been complicated if it was someone who knew him.
[admJJ]: What about you? You didn’t answer my question. Are you interested in Imperial Secretary Kim Dan?
He purposefully ignored it earlier, how could he answer such a question? It was truly embarrassing. But he couldn’t do anything now, so with a sigh he decided to continue and impersonate the fan he earlier pretended to be.
[impsecretary123]:….Yes, you could say that I am. I feel like we could understand each other very well.
There was a long pause. A very long pause.
And just as Kim thought he’d been ghosted:
[admJJ]: you can’t
[impsecretary123]: Sorry?
[admJJ]: You can’t be interested.
Well it was certainly an unexpected reaction.
[impsecretary123]: Oh, why is that?
[admJJ]: Imperial Secretary Kim….
[admJJ]: …..he already has someone. So stop it.
Kim Dan could only stare at the message with a dumbfounded expression, trying to find a meaning behind the foolish words. It seemed like even he didn’t know about his so called someone. Shaking his head he decided that it was enough social media for the day and just as he was about to politely say goodbye to this weird person, his terminal rang with the Admiral’s name displayed on it. Closing the app without a second glance, he picked up the call.
“Admiral, good evening.”
“Kim Dan. What are you doing?”
“I was just about to make a tea, Admiral.” Dan said as he stood up to go to the kitchen. He was not really surprised by his superior’s sudden call this late as it somehow become the norm after moving the Base to Planet Earth. The Admiral would call and ask about his evening; what is he doing, did he eat dinner or just talk about anything in general.
“It’s late. Why are you not asleep?” the deep voice came from the terminal.
“If I was sleeping, how could I answer to the Admiral’s call?”
“….that’s true. But still, don’t drink too much tea or you can’t sleep at all.” The man warned, his voice a bit muffled as he was probably laying in his bed.
“Alright, I will not. I would not want to be late tomorrow.” Dan chuckled softly as he poured hot water into his mug. He specifically chose green tea, because the Admiral was right, he would be up all night form anything stronger.
“You better not be, Kim Dan. An Imperial Secretary has to be punctual. If you are a minute late, I will break into your apartment and drag you to the Base myself.”
“T-that’s really too much.” He mumbled, stirring his tea. After many years of acquaintance, he knew that the Admiral was 100% serious. He rather changed the conversation.
“What is the Admiral doing this late then?”
“I’m watching a movie.”
It was not uncommon, the Admiral was a big fan of old movies, even if he never admitted it himself. He often relaxed choosing black and white ones, sometimes just listening to the audio.
“What kind of movie?”
“It’s just some drama. You wouldn’t know it, Kim Dan.”
“Then maybe the Admiral could tell me about it?”
“…fine. But if you are bored, you can’t complain.” The man agreed like he was doing a favour and Dan wanted to chuckle. It was not like he was a big fan of movies, not like he had spare time to watch them anyways, but he noticed how the Admiral enjoyed talking about his hobby. He was pretty sure only he knew about this side of the man, and it spread a warm and pleasant feeling through his body.
So he listened to the low voice with a soft smile, occasionally sipping from his mug as the night turned darker.
Chapter 2:
Yoon-gu was late again, so he picked up his pace even more. He only started as a reporter for Galactical News 2 months ago, after reapplying for the 6th time. And miraculously he landed his dream position, a reporter covering specifically military news. It wasn’t like he was a big enthusiast of military matters, he was more interested in a certain man. A man that was so untouchable, strong and cool that Yoon-gu knew exactly what he wants to do after seeing his face on the digital screen for the first time.
Admiral Joo was perfect, respectable and very handsome. He carried himself with such power that Yoon-gu could do nothing but wish he could act like the Admiral sometimes. His voice was deep and commanding and now it seemed Yoon-gu will have the chance for the first time to hear it in person!
After pushing through the crowed that formed before the public podium, he finally arrived to Galactical News’ assigned spot not far from the voice amplification device. It seemed he was not late! Around him stationed all the other mediums, Imperial Courier, Military Updates and Daily Empire.
Activating his little flying camera that streamed the whole conference in live, he tried to calm his beathing heart. He will finally have the chance to see the Admiral in person, and if he was lucky enough he could maybe ask a question to him too. Not like he expected much, as Admiral Joo never really stopped to answer any questions from the media, as soon as he finished his short and very straightforward speech he would turn around and leave as fast as possible. Some colleagues said that Admiral Joo was the nightmare of reporters and could not understand Yoon-gu’s enthusiasm about the matter.
Shortly the crowed turned more lively, as some figures stepped on the podium an Yoon-gu felt his heart beating threateningly fast…..
…..just to sink in confusion. Where was the Admira?
He must have voiced his words as the reporter next to him glanced at his way with excitement.
“Hey kid, didn’t you hear? The Admiral had a sudden matter to attend to so the Imperial Secretary will speak instead. The views will be high today for sure, haha.”
Yoon-gu didn’t share his excitement, as he felt the ground is slipping from under his feet. It was truly tragic…
He didn’t have much time to sink deeper in his disappointment as a tall and slim figure stepped forward, all eyes fixated on him.
“It’s him! Imperial Secretary Kim!”
“Get a close up about his face! Don’t miss any detail!”
“The chat is blowing up, sir. I think we achieved our monthly planned audience reach! W-wait, now it passed the yearly!”
“It’s been a long time since Secretary Kim appeared before cameras!”
Excited voices could be heard from all around, as cameras zoomed on the gentle looking face. Yoon-gu also started his stream and noted with quite a surprise as viewers rolled in one after the other. He was not unfamiliar with Imperial Secretary Kim Dan’s name, the whole Empire knew that the quiet man was the Admiral’s right hand. There were even crazy rumours going around about the Admiral and Secretary Kim being romantically involved with each other, that Yoon-gu could only laugh at. Absurd! Despite knowing his name, he never really paid attention to the man -how could he when the Admiral was there with all his glory, and the Secretary did not really appear before cameras -but now he had the chance to take a look.
The face was clean and smooth, lips light pink and soft looking, warm brown eyes laced with long lashes watched the crowd. His hair was a nice shade of chestnuts, gently falling in front of his forehead. The Secretary’s figure was surprisingly tall, lean and almost too thin, a sharp contrast between the usual for those working in the military. Despite all these, the most attention grabbing feature of the man was his soft smile and gentle tone, that swept through the crowed as he started his speech.
Yoon-gu could feel his ears turning slight pink.
As he spoke, voice steady and melodic, each word carrying effortlessly through the digital streams:
“Honored citizens of the Empire, members of the High Command, and viewers across the systems—thank you for your continued trust and attention.”
His tone was soft, but not uncertain. Calm, but not cold.
“As of this quarter, the Empire has successfully completed strategic operations in the 32. System. I am pleased to report that civilian settlements are now fully secured, with key trade corridors reopened under stable navigation protocols. Local resistance has been subdued with minimal casualties, and infrastructure development has resumed ahead of schedule.”
“On behalf of the Imperial Expansion Package, I would also like to confirm the formal approval and commencement of the Intergalactic Cargo Fleet. These new-generation vessels are designed for long-range stability, energy efficiency, and autonomous hazard response, reducing the logistical burden on our patrol forces and enabling faster humanitarian aid distribution.”
The camera zoomed in subtly as he looked up—eyes calm, unwavering.
“Initial deployment will begin in the Last Hope Star Corridor by the next cycle, with full fleet activation projected within eighteen months. This marks a significant investment not only in our military infrastructure, but in peacekeeping capabilities across allied sectors.”
He paused, a soft smile on his lips.
“May these ships carry not only supplies and defence,” he added quietly, “but also the Empire’s goodwill.”
After a pause of silence the crowed erupted into measured, polite applause.
Yoon-gu blinked, caught off guard by the subtle shift in energy. There was nothing dramatic in the Secretary’s words. And yet, his screen metrics spiked again, the comment feed moved faster than he could process.
“WHO KNEW THE SECRETARY WAS THIS SOFT-SPOKENLY POWERFUL???”
“Is this what diplomacy looks like?? Why do I feel like I should sign a treaty??”
“His voice… is like velvet wrapped in protocol. He is really too pretty!”
“WHEN HE SMILED AT THE END MY MOM JUST CRIED.”
“Now if you have any questions, please ask it now.” Secretary Kim said and hands shoot up in the air. It seems everyone had a question.
With a polite smile, the Secretary pointed to a few random reporters and dutifully answered all questions about future military development plans, the rising tension in the neighbouring Alliance and about the budget allocated for recruitment.
It was soon Yoon-gu’s turn, his breath hitching as the brown eyes landed on him, the Imperial Secretary’s full attention on him now. He originally prepared his questions tailored for the Admiral, but now that he miraculously got picked from the hundreds of eager reporters, he had to ask something! Fumbling with his cards, in his deep state of panic Yoon-gu asked a question that was on top of one of the papers.
“I-Imperial Secretary Kim, what are your thoughts about ‘Star Connect’?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to cry. Out of all the questions why this?!
Secretary Kim seemed just as taken aback by the sudden topic, and those with sharper eyes could see panic flashing through his eyes for a second, before he cleared his throat.
“Khm….first of all thank you for the question. Since Star Connect is not a platform developed by the military I can only offer my personal opinion on it. I recently checked the AI algorithm working in it, and I have to say it was impressive. The survey powered by tracking algorithm and self developing AI tools offer a good combination. Despite not yet having any discussion about the matter, I believe that it could be implemented in the millitary’s training program. In the future, I will bring it up for discussion in the development group meeting.”
Yoon-gu was quite surprised and his next words escaped without thinking first.
“Does that mean that Imperial Secretary Kim is using ‘Star Connect’?”
“Well, yes but only for research purposes. As I mentioned, the AI-“
The rest of the sentence was silenced by the erupting crowed, that till now followed the conversation with a hold breath but now shouted with excitement.
“Secretary Kim is on Star Connect???”
“Imperial Secretary Kim is looking for a partner?!”
“What type of partner would be ideal?”
“Secretary Kim, what are the Admiral’s thought on this matter?”
The live broadcast seemed to turn into chaos simultaneously.
“Did I hear it right??? Secretary Kim is looking for a partner??”
“I CAN’T BELIVE IT! OMG OMG OMG”
“isn’t it cheating? aren’t they dating with the Admiral?”
“I KNEW I HAD A CHANCE! I WILL GO AND LOOK FOR SECRETARY KIM’S PROFILE RIGHT AWAY!”
The comments poured in and eventually Yoon-hu had to moderate them to prevent the site from shutting down. On the podium Imperial Secretary Kim stood with a confused face among the questions pouring at him while he tried to repeatedly correct the misunderstanding, but it was too late. Eventually he gave up and with a tight smile said goodbye to the crowded and returned to the Base with quick steps, confusion still evident on his face.
As expected, the Empire turned into chaos by the news of the Imperial’s Secretary’s desire for a partner and those who were reluctant to register for the matchmaking app, quickly downloaded it too, in hope that they would be paired with the Secretary. Threads appeared on social media, discussing which profile could belong to Secretary Kim.
And at the other side of the city, clenching his terminal with a deadly grip, stood a man, eyes still staring down at the already ended stream.
It seemed like Imperial Admiral Joo was not pleased the slightest about his Secretary’s words.
Chapter 3:
By the time Secretary Kim finished with his daily tasks and was about to wrap up some reports then head home, the Admiral already returned from his urgent business. Originally it would have been 2 days work so to see the familiar figure marching towards him, made Kim Dan furrow his brows. Did the man forget something in the Office? He could have just called him, no need to come back.
“Admiral, you are back quite early. Did you perhaps forget-“
“I finished the task earlier. Is my Secretary not happy that I’m back?” the deep voice interrupted him as the Admiral stopped before him, eyes staring at him intensely.
“O-of course, I’m happy. Good job, Admiral.”
“Of course it is. And I remember telling you to not carry heavy stuff.” The man grumbled as he took the pile of folders from him, staring down at him with a displeased scowl. “Your arms are too weak for this, Kim Dan.”
‘It’s really not that heavy. ‘ Dan wanted to say but under the displeased eyes he could only mumble a quiet thank you, and the two headed towards the Inventory Room.
“You are really too thin. If you don’t gain at least 3 kilos before the end of next week, I have to introduce stricter dietary measure.”
“A-Admiral. That’s is a bit absurd….” Dan mumbled in embarrassment. What was the Admiral’s obsession with his weight? Kim Dan was not that thin, he had a heathy proportion of muscles on him and often exercised. It was just next to these muscular soldiers he appeared thinner than normally!
“Absurd, you say? Then look, I can lift you up with only one arm.”
Before he could protest the man grabbed his waist with his left hand and tossed him on his shoulders as if he was a sack of potatoes, earning a shriek from the Secretary. The Admiral scoffed at his struggling, holding him firmly so he won’t fall, hands gripping his waist and lower back.
“A-Admiral!! Please put me down!”
“If you have dinner with me.”
“I-I always have dinner with the Admiral.” Dan mumbled confusedly, face red from the embarrassing ordeal.
“Of course you do. Who else would you eat with? I need to make sure you finish your food.”
Dan was glad he was not facing the Admiral, his cheeks probably too red from the conversation and the position, so he just silently endured the way to the Office, grateful that it was so late no one else was there to witness his humiliation.
Eventually, the Admiral dropped him down to the couch and turned around to take of his jacket, granting Kim Dan enough time to calm down, before marching back and sitting down too. The couch was not small but Dan felt like the Admiral was really close to him, his musky scent filling his nose.
For a few seconds, it was silence, the Admiral clenching and unclenching his jaw as if wanting to say something but changing his mind the last second.
“The conference went well, Admiral.” Dan said, taking pity on the man. “All the important updates were conveyed towards the public and recruitment was promoted. Applications grew by 12% just in the last few hours.”
The major purpose of the earlier press conference was to promote recruitment as the expansion of the borders required more manpower. It seemed the public response was positive, making Dan sigh in relief. He was not an expert in public speaking, but as the Admiral was called away suddenly, he had to deliver the speech, making it more even more stressful.
The Admiral stared at the wall and clenched is fist.
“Right…. I watched the conference.”
“Y-you did?”
It was surprising, Dan was sure the Admiral would be too busy.
“I always do. You spoke well. Clear. Calm.”
Dan felt his ears burning from the rare compliment. If it was the Admiral who gave them, then it meant a lot. After a few second of silence, the Admiral continued as his eyes bore into Kim Dan.
“And did you mean what you said?”
“Sorry?”
“Don’t act like you are stupid, Kim Dan. Are you really looking for a partner?”
What??
What is he saying now??
Dan could only blink in confusion, having no idea what the Admiral is talking about, while staring at him so intently. When did he say anything about wanting a partner and how does his possible love life connect to the military conference? His confusion was evident and the man clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“So what is it? Are you looking for someone or not, Kim Dan?”
“I-I don’t really understand how this is important now and to be honest I never really thought about it before.” Dan mumbled quickly, already fidgeting under the heated glare. “I-I mean I’m not against getting to know someone but with work-“
“So you would have no objections if someone started to court you?”
Dan almost fell off from the couch as the words left the Admiral’s mouth, face looking as serious as ever. Courting? He never would have thought the Admiral perceived dating in such an old fashioned way, or maybe it was Kim Dan who was so out of touch? Either way, he never would have expected these words to leave the other’s mouth!
“A-Admiral, I guess I wouldn’t mind, but I still don’t underst-“
His words were stuck I his throat as the Admiral suddenly leaned closer, his body towering over him, eyes sparkling with a strange determination.
“Kim Dan.” His hot breath tickled Dan’s eyelashes, freezing him to his spot. “You said it with your own mouth. So you better stick to it.
“A-Admiral?”
Before Dan cold ask the man what did he mean by that, the Admiral already stood up, fingers tapping on his terminal, seemingly unfazed by his rather threatening words from earlier. After a minute he put it away and glanced at him with expectant eyes.
“It’s late so let’s eat something and I will take you home. Get your bag, Kim Dan.”
Still dazed from the half finished conversation, Dan followed the words without much complaint his brain trying to find reason. He was still thinking hard even when they arrived to a rather expensive looking restaurant, then when the Admiral poured some wine for him and when the man said goodnight to him in front of his apartment door and waited till he entered the building. It really made no sense…
…till the next day, when he finally had enough time to check social media. He was expecting some cute videos and maybe some unread messages from his distant friends, but certainly not that his name was withing the top 5 trending topics!
#secretarykimdatingclaims
#secretarykimandstarconnect
#pleasechoosemesecretarykim
#secretarykim’saccount
#isupportsecretarykimandtheadmiral
After reading through his feed with growing panic, he finally understood why the Admiral asked such a weird question the other day. It seemed the whole Empire misunderstood his words and thought that he was looking for a partner! It would have been too late to call the media control group, there were too many posts going around, so he could only wait and hope that the topic will soon change to something newer.
Walking into the office Secretary Kim felt as eyes glued to his back, and murmuring filled the air as he passed by. People in the Base seemed to smile at him a bit braver than before, coming up to talk with him about mundane things and inviting him to get some drinks. Kim Dan, while it would have been good to get to know everyone a bit better, politely rejected the invitations due to the piling work on his desk and continued his way to the office.
Secretary Seo arrived the same time as him, his expression looking grave, almost dropping his coffee at his sight.
“A-h Secretary Kim! You are…. alive?”
Dan furrowed his brows by the strange words. Why wouldn’t he be alive? Secretary Seo truly said some weird things lately.
“Good morning, Secretary Seo.”
“I would doubt it will be good…”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing, I was just mumbling to myself. Shall we go in, Secretary Kim?” Dan nodded and followed his colleague inside the office, hanging his coat. It seemed the Admiral was running late today.
“Secretary Kim…I was quite surprised by your claim yesterday.” Secretary Seo said as he pushed his glasses up. “Are you certain that you are allowed to use dating sites? Just thinking about the Admiral’s reaction…”
Dan felt his ears burning in embarrassment as he opened up his digital screen. It seemed even Secretary Seo read the news. “It’s a misunderstanding. And we already talked about it with the Admiral and I don’t think the Admiral would be concerned about things like that. Besides I would never use any platform on my work terminal due to security reasons, so the Admiral should not be concerned about it.”
Secretary Seo didn’t say anything for a few seconds, a resigned expression on his face.
“…I see. Secretary Kim is so reliable, thinking about security threats...” ‘I think the Admiral’s jealousy is a bigger threat’ was left unsaid wisely. But since Secretary Kim was still alive and the Admiral did not kill anyone, Secretary Seo started to get a bit confused. He could not misunderstand the Admiral’s feelings, could he? Maybe Secretary Kim could finally escape the grip of the vicious man? He truly deserved better than the Admiral…
With a sight he also logged in to his work account, shaking his head.
“Ahh, Secretary Kim, I truly wish you will find a good partner soon. Now I have my sweet darling but if I knew sooner that you are looking for someone, I would have –“
“You would have what?”
The cold voice almost made Secretary Seo choke on his own words, eyes flickering in panic towards the tall man, leaning to the doorframe.
“…..done absolutely nothing! A-Admiral, good morning.”
The man shot him a freezing look then proceeded to completely ignore him, turning towards the Imperial Secretary instead. Secretary Seo let out a shaky breath and ducked his head behind his digital screens, whishing he could disappear completely. One more word and he would have ended up in a mining planet….
“Kim Dan.”
The Admiral stepped closer to the desk, his face wearing a weird expression that could not be classified easily. Secretary Seo glanced curiously at the happenings from behind his screen. He expected the man to act his usual unreasonable way after the happenings at the conference and Secretary Kim’s sudden declaration, but the Admiral seemed oddly too calm. Well calm is not the best word, more like he looked…determined? He looked ready to tackle a space lion.
“Yes, Admiral?”
After a short pause.
“You look good in your uniform.”
Secretary Seo felt his ears perking up.
“I ironed it this morning.” Secretary Kim answered with a bit of a confusion on his face.
“And your hair,” the Admiral continued.
Kim Dan blinked. “My… hair?”
“It’s looks very soft.”
There was a stunned silence.
“…I used conditioner,” Dan said slowly, unsure where this was going. “I…I can try to order the same product to the Admiral?”
The Admiral: ……
Secretary Kim quickly typed in some keywords, eager to try and order the product to his superior, while simultaneously the Admiral’s face turned quite solemn as he clenched the table.
Secretary Seo had to look away not having the mental strength to watch the awkward interaction any longer. Seriously, these two….
“There is no need. Get back to work, Kim Dan.” The Admiral eventually said and marched into his office, shutting the door behind him. Secretary Kim stared after the man with a confused expression, before turning questioningly to Secretary Seo, who only shook his head, not having the energy to deal with the situation. He didn’t get paid enough for this….
And it only got worse in the next days, and by the end of the week, Secretary Seo debated using his precious sick leave to escape the situation even just for a short time. The Admiral officially turned crazy!
It started with the man constantly lurking around Secretary Kim, like some kind of predator, once going as far as to wait outside the toilet till Secretary Kim finished, then having the audacity to act like he just got there. It was nothing out of ordinary, the Admiral was kind of obsessive about his Secretary’s whereabouts before too, but it become even worse. Employees of the Base soon realised that their desires about inviting Secretary Kim anywhere in hope to engage in any romantic relationship with him, was impossible. One icy look from the Admiral was enough to deter them.
Well, there was one person who seemed especially eager, determined enough to approach Secretary Kim. Secretary Seo watched with great horror, as a young caudate happened to find Secretary Kim in a rare moment when the Admiral’s duties interrupted his constant stalking and he suspected it was not so accidental.
Soldier Monjoo stepped closer with a shy expression on his face, his ears already slight pink before even saying a word to the other.
His face was familiar from a video that Adjutant Gen showed Secretary Seo in great secret about a training session some time ago, what they both watched with slightly widened eyes and a beating heart. No wonder the Admiral didn’t want to show the video to anyone else!
“I-Imperial Secretary Kim. Do you have a minute?”
“Ah, Soldier Monjoo, right?” Secretary Kim turned around surprised, smiling gently when he noticed the young man. He always had a soft spot for nurturing young talents. “I will have a meeting shortly but what can I do for you?”
Monjoo seemingly very touched that Secretary Kim remembered his name, could barely speak and Secretary Seo had to look away in embarrassment.
“I-I was just wondering if Imperial Secretary Kim would…” His ears turned even pinker. “...like to maybe join me for a, um… nutrition unit analysis session? I-I mean, it’s just dinner! Just normal, average person dinner,—unless you want it to be something else! Ha…haha...”
Secretary Seo winced from behind a corner, watching this unfold like a slow-motion disaster.
Secretary Kim tilted his head with his usual gentle confusion. “Nutrition analysis? Are you perhaps not satisfied with the canteen food?”
Monjoo nearly dropped his data pad. “No, it’s not that…. So… there’s a new café at Section 9, they use real ingredients and not just nutrition paste. I thought you might—since you sometimes skip lunch—I just thought…” He cleared his throat. “...you could join me for dinner.”
Secretary Kim blinked. “That’s very considerate of you. Thank you for the offer, but I usually have my meals with the Admiral. He watches what I eat.”
The phrasing made Monjoo’s smile flicker in panic, but he soldiered on. “That’s… good! Then maybe just once….I think the Admiral wouldn’t mind…”
‘Of course he would, you cheeky brat!’ Seo was biting his sleeves by now. ‘Do you want to die?!’
Secretary Kim looked thoughtfully at his schedule. “Well… I suppose if it’s just for checking the nutritional value maybe I could-”
“Don’t burden my Secretary, he is working too hard already.” A deep voice came from behind, as a tall figure approached the two. “Why don’t we have a …little chat, Soldier Monjoo? I will give you some …..recommendations, personally.”
“Admiral. You finished earlier.” Secretary Kim smiled at the tall man, while Secretary Seo watched with pitying eyes as the young soldier’s face paled in comparison.
“I-Imperial Admiral.” He greeted with a bow “I wouldn’t dare to burden you with such a thing.”
“It’s not a burden. Let’s go immediately.”
“I-I really wouldn’t-“ Soldier Monjoo’s expression turned more panicked with each passing second, glancing at Secretary Kim, who only smiled back reassuringly completely misunderstanding the panic for shyness.
“It is very kind of the Admiral to offer this, so Soldier Monjoo is very lucky.”
‘Secretary Kim, don’t send our young hopes into their death.’ Secretary Seo crid silently and couldn’t help but feel bad for the soldier.
The situation was grave and eventually Monjoo let out a noise. It could have been “thank you, sir” but it sounded more like a strangled whimper to Secretary Seo’s ears.
“Thank you for talking to him, Admiral,” Kim Dan said, entirely sincere, still holding his planner. “He’s a very promising soldier. Please be gentle.”
The Admiral didn’t even blink, his hand falling to the soldier’s shoulder, giving it a not so friendly grip. “Of course. I’ll be very gentle.”
Secretary Seo, who had been peeking from behind the corner, was already preparing a condolence message to Monjoo’s family as the two left, one with an ominous aura while the other with a face prepared to face death.
Secretary Kim smiled after them and stepped closer to him, eyes sparkling with admiration. “The Admiral is truly generous. Not many would spare their time to give advise to the youth like him, don’t you think Secretary Seo?”
Secretary Seo rather not commented the situation.
After that, the situation only got worse, straining Secretary Seo’s mental heath bit by bit. The Admiral started each day with complimenting his Secretary -well more like attempting to do so, as it seemed Secretary Kim was immune to any of the Admiral’s advances.
“Kim Dan.”
“Yes, Admiral?”
“Your hands” a short pause “are very soft.”
“Thank you Admiral. I use space tulip essence on it. I will bring some to the Admiral tomorrow.”
“That’s not…”
or
“Your eyes, Secretary Kim,” the Admiral said, arms crossed, voice lower than usual, “remind me of a Class-5 star. Quiet, but always pulling.”
Secretary Kim blinked in confusion. “I think you’re mixing up Class-5 and Class-3 stars, Admiral. Class-5s are unstable and likely to collapse.”
Seo had to leave the room for a full five minutes.
or
“Have dinner with me.”
Secretary Kim nodded without looking up from his screen. “Of course, Admiral. I also wanted to suggest that we can discuss the Goliat Complex plans during it. Should I book a table to the usual place?”
“…no need.”
Secretary Seo physically slammed his forehead onto the table. This was unbearable.
Chapter 4:
Admiral Joo was without doubt a capable men. He become the youngest Imperial Admiral in the history of the Empire, won countless battles and expanded the Empire’s influence to the whole Star System. He didn’t lack neither in strength, intelligence or influence.
So why was courting his Secretary seemed to be out of his competence?
Two months have passed since Kim Dan announced his desire for a partner during a press conference, turning the Empire into chaos. Admiral Joo remembers the unexplainable feeling that clenched his heart as he listened to the recording, a mixture of fury because how dare his secretary even think about neglecting his duties, a bit of fear as he thought about seeing his secretary smiling at his partner with the same gentle smile that he only showed to him occasionally, and a painful ache as he visioned him slowly drifting away, spending less and less time together till eventually becoming strangers.
Admiral Joo was not an expert in emotions, but he was also far from hopeless. Even a foul would recognise these feelings and their meaning. When he finally understood that he was in love with his secretary, it was not a groundbreaking moment. Rather, it felt obvious. Of course he would be in love with him, how could someone with functioning eyes would not fall for Kim Dan?
If there was such a person, the Admiral would be concerned about their mental capabilities. But if there was someone who was in love with him, the Admiral would ship them away to a far away planet.
It was a complicated situation.
Thinking back, he could not point out the exact moment he fell for the other, his heart feeling the same for so long it forgot how was it before knowing Kim Dan. At first he was just curious about his quiet secretary, and if anyone accused him of ever falling for him, he would have beat that person up while shouting that love was for fouls and for the weak. Then time passed and he caught himself wanting to know more, and each little information he learned about Kim Dan was a step towards the inevitable. So after he could finally name the emotion that clenched his heart each time when his secretary smiled at him with that gentle smile, greeted him in the morning with genuine happiness or accompanied him silently after long days, he could do nothing but admit defeat.
And after admitting defeat he could only do what military protocol required. He surrendered.
The only problem was that the enemy, who seemed to have defeated his heart, did not intend to take responsibility!
After devilishly seducing him with soft smiles, kind words and those sparkling eyes, it seemed Kim Dan wanted to play hard to get a bit more.
“Admiral, please try on this one. The colour code should be correct but I want to make sure in case I need to order another.”
The big brown eyes stared at him expectantly as his Secretary held out a blue necktie.
“It’s blue, who cares about the colour code? It’s not that important, Kim Dan.” The Admiral scowled, already bored of the ordeal.
“It should be a specific blue. The Admiral might offend the Royal Family with an incorrect attire. Here let me help-” Kim Dan said and stepped closer, his hands brushing the Admiral’s neck as he lifted his collar. He was so close, the fresh secant of his soap wrapped them around both, making the Admiral close his eyes for a second.
“The new ceremonial suit will arrive tomorrow. This time they changed the back part a bit, so I’m not sure if the Admiral will like it or not-“ the gentle voice that Kim Dan used to chitchat made the taller man clench his fists. If he wanted to he could easily hug his Secretary in this position, burry his face into his always proper clothes and test what sound he would make. He could even steal a kiss from his lips in his surprise if he was fast enough.
While both options were tempting, Admiral Joo was not a man who would do such a thing. He would rather abandon his title as Imperial Admiral than surrender to his dirty desires like that. And if he ever crossed that line, he feared that there would be no stopping and he might just end up devouring his secretary.
So he simply scoffed.
“You worry like my wife. Should I buy you a ring, Kim Dan?”
“A-Admiral. I was just making sure-“ Secretary Kim mumbled in embarrassment, a slight blush painting his cheeks and the Admiral had to clench his fist even tighter. His little devilish Secretary seemed to do it purposefully, blushing like an innocent maiden like he wasn’t the one who seduced him in the first place!
It was obvious it could no longer go on like this.
That’s how he ended up logging into the matchmaking app once again, to despite his pride ask for help from someone who knew about his secretary almost as much as him.
Originally he only ended up on the site because of his mother’s consistent nagging, who went as far as to download the app and even register for him herself. Lately she seemed especially insistent on the matter, spouting nonsense about setting him up with someone. That evening, he only opened the app to delete his profile when a strange name and a high matching rate caught his eye and made his eyes turn cold. Before he knew, he already messaged to the person who dared to use his secretary’s name in such a disgusting site.
[admJJ]: ‘impsecretary123’. your name is very interesting.
[impsecretary123]: Hi :) haha is it? I just thought of something on the spot.
Just though of something on the spot? Not a single soul would believe this lie. It was clear that this person wanted something from Kim Dan, going as far as to use his name as a username. It was creepy and obsessive and Admiral Joo had to put a stop to it.
[admJJ]: I see. Then are you a fan of Imperial Secretary Kim Dan? Are you interested in him?
[impsecretary123]: …you can say that. I think he is a very hardworking person.
“Trying to act clever, huh? What kind of stalker are you that this is the best you can think of?”
[admJJ]: that’s it?
There was a short pause.
[impsecretary123]: I like his eyes and his gentle voice.
[admJJ]: !!
Now it was something more personal that a normal person would not notice. His suspicion seemed to turn true, but he needed more proof so he decided to play into the hands of the stalker.
[admJJ]: yes, he does have nice eyes and a shooting voice. Sometimes talks too much.
[impsecretary123]: …haha is that so? You sound like you know him well. :))
“Look at him, acting like he is the only one who knows anything about, Kim Dan.” The Admiral grumbled, clenching his terminal tighter.
[admJJ]: i know everything there is to know about him.
[admJJ]: He is very diligent. Overworks himself. Doesn’t eat unless reminded.
The reply came within seconds.
[impsecretary123]: You really seem to know a lot about the Imperial Secretary. Do you perhaps know him in person?
It was so obvious, the user wanted to gather more information. If he says yes, he would start asking questions and who knows how he would use it to get closer to Kim Dan.
[admJJ]:….no. I’m just a big fan.
[admJJ]: What about you? You didn’t answer my question. Are you interested in Imperial Secretary Kim Dan?
He had to make sure. After confirmation, he will instruct Secretary Seo to disable the account and figure out who is the user, then send him to a far away ice planet. After a minute of no reply, the stalker sent a message.
[impsecretary123]:….Yes, you could say that I am. I feel like we could understand each other very well.
The Admiral could barely contain his anger at the ridiculous words displayed on his screen. This man was clearly dangerous!
[admJJ]: you can’t
[impsecretary123]: Sorry?
[admJJ]: You can’t be interested.
[impsecretary123]: Oh, why is that?
He will make sure to ship away this person but till then it wouldn’t hurt to deter them a bit. Without thinking he already sent the messages.
[admJJ]: Imperial Secretary Kim….
[admJJ]: …..he already has someone. So stop it.
These exact words loaded first as he opened the chat one more time. Identifying the user proved to be much more time consuming than he assumed, but for once Admiral Joo felt happy about the ineffectiveness of the military’s performance and sent a new message to the profile.
Kim Dan did not plan to ever log in to the matchmaking site again, especially after the whole misunderstanding he faced because of it. If anything, he wanted to delete his profile, but as it turned out it could only be done if he opens the app, and that is how he ended up facing more than 100 unread messages in his inbox. He knew that the app was popular but never expected that it was this extent! Most of them were under ‘Pending’ as he did not allow the users to send him any messages before, so even if he read the messages the other party would not receive a notification about it. Kim Dan couldn’t help and peeked into the texts.
[lee_the_enthusiast]: Hello, we seem compatible. What is your hobby? :)
[user_37366]: Hello, I can sense you’re a bit lost right now, but don’t worry. Are you interested about learning a bit more about the guidance of Galactical Starling next to a coffee?
[lady_purple]: Hi :)
[lover_boy8ever]: Hi, our match rate is 29%, how about we make it 69-
Kim Dan: ………
He never understood Secretary Seo’s complaints about the quality of dating these days, but it become a bit more clear now. He decided to ignore the dubious messages and was just about to click on settings when his phone flashed with a news notification. It was a direct message, from the rude user he talked some time ago, the text standing lonely in his chatbot.
[admJJ]: are you here?
He had no obligation to answer but after their short conversation Kim Dan felt like he at least has to say goodbye to the person out of common decency.
[impsecretary123]: Hello. Yes, I am.
[admJJ]: good. I have a question
A question? Dan leaned back in his couch as he typed a response, already gotten used to the other’s dry texting style that slightly reminded him of the Admiral.
[impsecretary123]: Go ahead.
There was a long pause.
[admJJ]: how…how would you court Imperial Secretary Kim?
Kim Dan almost dropped his phone, the unexpected words startling him. The question was so specific, he could not help but think that this person knew who he was so after a few seconds he types out with sightly trembling hands.
[impsecretary123]: …Why are you asking me?
[admJJ]: you are a fan of him. who else would know better
Ahh, so it was not the reason he thought. His relief only lasted for a few seconds, before he realized that the situation was truly too embarrassing. To pretend to be someone else and talk about himself…. It was really uncomfortable and he already regrated answering the user.
[admJJ]: why are u not replying?
[admJJ]: answer the question
[admJJ]: hey
It seemed the other person really had no intention to stop.
[impsecretary123]: Can I ask why do you want to know it?
[admJJ]: ……
[admJJ]: its personal
Kim Dan could not believe the audacity of this person. Asking for his help and not even telling why he wants to know. It wasn’t like he would ever meet with this person, so telling a few things would not hurt him.
[admJJ]: it is important, so….please
Well, it really looked like the other party was desperate. Dan sighed and bit into his lips, thinking hard as he didn’t want to leave this person in such a desperate state. The problem was, he did not really know what to reply. Courting him? He didn’t have experience in it, and just the though of someone inviting him to a date felt too much! What do people these days do? A nice dinner or a few drink together probably. If he remembers correctly Secretary Seo mentioned that he and his girlfriend usually just play some games together.
[impsecretary123]: I think a nice dinner and some drink would work well :)
[admJJ]: not working. he though it is a work dinner
Kim Dan furrowed his brows at the confusing reply. Since it was impossible for this person to talk about him, he eventually came to the conclusion that the other wanted to invite someone else to a date but was too embarrassed to say it, using his advices as guidelines. From the reply it seemed that the love of this user was a bit ……dense.
[impsecretary123]: how about giving him compliments or buying a small present?
[admJJ]: do you think I’m stupid? already tried both but he ignored it
[impsecretary123]: Then try to find common interests and talk about it :)
[admJJ]: I’m not good at talking.
It really seemed complicated. Dan sighed as he tried to come up with new ideas, feeling useless for not being able to help someone, but this area was not his strongest.
[impsecretary123]: Could it be that this person….doesn’t like you?
[admJJ] : impossible. he seduced me first
It was truly strange!
[impsecretary123]: Then for me it seems like this person is just a bit shy. Maybe he needs a little push to admit his feelings. A setting that he could not misunderstand.
A reply didn’t come for a long time.
[admJJ] : …what do you mean? What setting?
[impsecretary123]: Something that makes your intention obvious like a romantic picnic or a love letter. It is best if the person has no time to overthink his answer!
Before realising it, Kim Dan caught himself really invested in this stranger’s success. Since he lacked any knowledge he could only tell what he would do as an equally shy person. He knew for sure that the more time passes, the more he would overthink the situation.
[admJJ]: no time to overthink….?
[admJJ]: maybe I should lock him up till he agrees
That’s…that’s what not what he meant at all! Before Kim Dan could clear up the misunderstanding and help the pure soul, the other person seemed pretty determined about the new plan.
[admJJ]: he will have no choice but to agree
[impsecretary123]: That’s really not what I meant….:((
[admJJ]: your advise was not entirely useless. I will go now
[impsecretary123]: No, wait! Maybe think it through one more time.
[impsecretary123]: Hello? Are you still there?
[impsecretary123]: …..
Kim Dan could only close the app with a slightly guilty conscience after no reply was sent in the past minutes. He could only hope that his ‘advise’ will not result in a kidnapping of an innocent person!
Chapter 5:
Secretary Seo, despite working in the military for years now, was a man with a weak heart. Numbers and reports were always more comforting to him than going out to the filed or fighting with others, and he did not feel himself a lesser man because of it. When applying to be a secretary in the military, he made sure to asses the level of danger he would face in his everyday life and just after it become clear that he will enjoy the safety of the thick walls and high security level of HQ, he did not hesitate and signed the papers.
Who would have thought that someone would try to kidnap him in broad daylight?!
The malicious attacker strike as he was walking in the east wing to deliver some documents, a gloved hand reached out from the dark and pulled him into a small room, closing the door behind them. It happened so fats, Secretary Seo had no time to think, could only wave around frantically. He seemed to hit the other several times, but the man didn’t even budge, only an annoyed growl could be heard.
“You punch like a little girl. Don’t we have physical tests for the secretaries?” the familiar voice hissed as Secretary Seo was pushed into a chair.
“A-Admiral?!” he managed to shriek out when his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and could take out the silhouette of the tall man leaning to the door with crossed arms and an annoyed expression on his face.
“Who else?”
For some reason Secretary Seo would have preferred if an enemy was here instead of the Admiral. It would be less scary for sure…
“I-I didn’t know it was the Admiral. Can I ask why we are here?”
Locked up in the dark in a supply closet. Was it about the report he messed up the other day? Will the Admiral beat him up personally? Lurking in a dark room while wearing gloves so the blood won’t taint his hands…. Maybe he should start apologizing and beg for a second chance.
“A-Admiral, I’m truly really so-“
“I heard you have a girlfriend.”
After a second of stunned silence.
“Pardon?”
“….you have a girlfriend, yes or no?”
Secretary Seo was sure the shock messed up his brain, but he did not dare to ask once more and could only answer dutifully.
“I do. Although it is really fresh and we only just celebrated our 4 month anniversary, so it is still really new and-“
“Spare the details.” The Admiral said, looking just as uncomfortable talking about the topic. Then as if the words physically pained him, he finally hissed out. “What kind of date did you take her to?”
“D-date?”
“Are you deaf? Why do I have to repeat everything I say?!”
“S-sorry.” Secretary Seo could only open and close his mouth in confusion, his mind working fast to pierce together the happening. He was a smart man so it didn’t take long to realise the real meaning of the interrogation, and the Admiral’s awkward behaviour. The Admiral -sole protector of the Empire, unmovable shield of faith, the nation’s hero—had just cornered him in a supply room… to ask for dating advice?
“I—” Secretary Seo struggled to overcome the great shock. “Admiral, with all due respect, wouldn’t it have been easier to… text me?”
The Admiral’s scowl deepened. “And risk being leaked? I’d be the laughing stock of the entire Star System. No. This conversation won’t leave this room. Am I clear?”
Seo swallowed hard. “Y-yes, sir.”
“And don’t even think about mentioning it to anyone.”
“Yes, sir. Not to a single soul.” Seo mumbled, half to himself. As if he would dare to do something like that!
“So?” the Admiral asked, shifting uncomfortably. “What kind of date do normal people go on?”
Seo rubbed his temples. This had to be some sort of weird dream. Maybe he was unconscious from the ambush earlier and this was a coma hallucination -definitely not a nice one. Not even talking about how the Empire’s dream couple’s future seemed to depend on his next words!! He really did not get paid enough for this…
“Well… we…,” he finally said, voice a little hesitant. “…we played Interstellar Duty.”
The Admiral: ?
Secretary Seo: this is truly awkward!
“…Isn’t that a game?”
“…Yes, it is.” Secretary Seo admitted with burning ears. Interstellar Duty was a popular action game where players could build their own character and the goal was to find the cure of a deadly virus while fighting mutant creatures. He often played it and when he figured out that his dear who he met at Star Connect is also a player, he knew that it was a match made in heaven! He instantly gave a 5 star review to the app.
“Useless. Tell me about the normal places you went.” the Admiral pried more, clearly not impressed by his answer. “Dinner? Park?”
“I-We…. didn’t really go anywhere.”
A few seconds of silence.
“What does it mean?”
Secretary Seo wanted to cry. How could he tell the Admiral that he never met with his girlfriend in person before? She was…a bit shy. And busy. So it was completely normal that they could not meet before. Besides Secretary Seo was a man who regarded emotional connection more important than appearance, despite knowing that his dear must be the most beautiful person in the whole world. And he would not force a shy person to meet, he was satisfied with hearing her angelic voice and talking about their days to each other. But he didn’t think the Admiral would understand their spiritual connection….
“W-we were just too busy recently. Soon I will take her to a proper date.”
The Admiral seemed quite dejected and sent him an almost pitying look.
“This is just a waste of time.”
“N-no! Admiral please wait!” He couldn’t let the Admiral think this bad of him. Also he doubted he could survive more of the weird tension between the two in the office so even if the Earth stops spinning he will help the man get together with Secretary Kim!
“What.”
“Why don’t the Admiral try to arrange a play date as well? Recently ancient Earth’s board games are quite popular among couples! I just so happen to know someone who has a collection and I’m sure he will lend it to the Admiral.”
“Board games?”
Secretary Seo quickly pulled out his terminal to show a few photos of the retro games that didn’t require any AI or digital screens, promising fun in a primitive way.
“It doesn’t need any energy or digital input so couples can play it anywhere. It is easy to transport and helps to set a relaxed atmosphere for a date. I’m sure Secr-khm- the Admiral’s partner would enjoy it as well.”
The man stared at the photos with a sceptical look, but the reviews seemed to convince him.
“Very well. Arrange it for tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And needless to say, that I don’t want to hear a word about it.”
“It’s only natural, sir.”
The Admiral shot him one last warning look before he teared the door open and marched away without looking back. As soon as the figure disappeared behind the corner, Secretary Seo collapsed in the chair and clenched his chest, while breathing rapidly. His heart is really too weak for this….
To be continued.....