Chapter 5
5. What Do You Think I'll Order?
2023.05.05.
The fire was quickly brought under control, and no major commotion ensued. However, all those responsible for the incident were summoned to the chairman's office. Naturally, So-eun was among them.
So-eun's biggest mistake was not checking the battery's condition before plugging it into the charger. She felt a heavy sense of responsibility for her superiors being called in because of her.
Director Kim Tae-joon reprimanded her with a stern expression.
"Safety is fundamental. If you don't understand the basics, you don't deserve to keep your position."
"It's all my fault. I was careless."
So-eun stepped forward.
"Of course, the biggest responsibility lies with Han So-eun, who was spacing out in front of the equipment."
Tae-joon glanced at So-eun and pointed out.
How did he know I was spacing out in front of it? Of course, there are cameras installed nearby, but still.
So-eun thought Kim Tae-joon, who had reviewed the recording and was sharply reprimanding her, was truly amazing. He was still a handsome man today, but unlike yesterday, he was scary and imposing.
"It's fortunate that it stopped there. Now, go back to your work. Only Han So-eun, stay behind."
Here it comes.
As her superiors bowed and left, So-eun froze even more. Her vision blurred.
After everyone left and the door closed, leaving So-eun alone with Tae-joon, she bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry. I'll accept any punishment."
"Any punishment?"
"Yes."
"What do you think I'll order?"
So-eun thought she heard a faint hissing sound, so she slowly raised her head. A faint smile played on the handsome man's lips. It was a smile that felt somewhat bitter. Startled by the expression, So-eun stammered.
"I mean, any disciplinary action..."
"I'll live up to your expectations."
"......"
"I can't just let this slide."
He cut her off, leaving So-eun speechless.
"Settle your affairs within the next few days."
Tae-joon tossed out the meaningful remark and sent So-eun out of the office.
Am I finally getting fired?
The hospital recommended two months of rest after the surgery, but So-eun chose one month of unpaid leave, fearing she would be fired if she took too long.
And she returned to work with gritted teeth.
She worked harder than others, worrying about being disadvantaged or losing her job due to the one-month gap, but in the end, her career was ending because of such a stupid mistake.
So-eun returned to her desk in an even more dazed state than before the fire.
'I miss you, oppa.'
I want to be comforted by my oppa. Though I don't know if he will comfort me.
Since the surgery, she hadn't complained once. She was afraid of seeming like she was showing off, or that her whining would be a burden to them, so she suffered alone, even when it hurt.
She was like that about her health issues, but she thought she could at least get some comfort about her work life.
She missed her boyfriend. If her boyfriend comforted her, she felt like she could accept a job change or demotion and prepare for the future with strength.
6 PM. It's quitting time, so it should be okay to call.
So-eun mustered the courage to dial Hee-wook's number.
The ringing tone played briefly before being cut off.
[Hello. This is Lawyer Yang Hee-wook's phone.]
A clear voice rang out. The person who answered the phone was not Hee-wook, but a woman So-eun didn't know.
"Uh... hello."
[You're Han So-eun, right? Yang's girlfriend.]
So-eun hesitated, and the other person recognized her first. A woman's intuition, sensing unease, kicked in.
"Yes, that's right, but who is this?"
[Hello! I'm Lawyer Choi Hyunji, working at the same law firm.]
The woman replied brightly, with a slightly sharp tone.
Choi Hyun-ji. It was her. The face in the photo So-eun had found on Hee-wook's SNS a few hours ago overlapped with the voice.
"Ah, yes, hello."
[Yang left his phone and went downstairs for a bit. Is there anything you'd like me to tell him?]
The tone, which felt strangely intimate, made So-eun even more combative.
"I was planning to see him briefly this evening."
[Ah, he won't have time this evening. There's a company dinner. What should we do?]
Huh? Uh? This isn't good.
So-eun was at a loss at the unexpected notification. There was no need to be competitive, but she felt like she had lost the battle.
Hyun-ji explained the reason for the company dinner.
[A big case just ended. We're having a drink with the members who worked hard together to wrap things up.]
"Ah..."
[Actually, why don't you just come, So-eun?]
Then, Hyun-ji made an unexpected suggestion. So-eun's eyes sparkled. Without hesitation, So-eun grabbed the bait that the other person had offered.
"Can I come?"
[Of course. It's not a difficult gathering. I've only heard about you from Yang, and I wanted to meet you, so let's meet together on this occasion.]
Hyun-ji's cool voice made So-eun excited.
[It's nothing difficult. I'll text you the address. Meet us there after you get off work.]
Lawyer Choi Hyunji, she's a good person!
She felt sorry for being jealous all this time.
*
It was when Tae-joon, who had to leave work early due to business in Seoul, had just taken the elevator down.
"I wonder if Assistant Manager Han is okay?"
"Assistant Manager Han? Assistant Manager Han So-eun?"
He heard two members of the Mobile Service Team talking. One was an employee named Park Bobae, who sat next to Han So-eun, and the other was an employee whose name he didn't know.
Tae-joon paused and pretended to look at his phone, listening to the employees' conversation.
Employee Park Bobae continued in a worried voice.
"Yeah. Assistant Manager Han didn't look good today. She barely ate lunch and was sleeping at her desk."
"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Assistant Manager Han looking good lately. Doesn't she look too tired?"
"Honestly, today's accident wasn't 100% Assistant Manager Han's fault. It was a defect in the equipment, but it was still a matter of luck, so does Assistant Manager Han have to take all the responsibility?"
"I feel so bad for Assistant Manager Han."
It was a conversation that seemed like they were deliberately raising their voices for Tae-joon to hear. Tae-joon left the area just as their conversation was ending.
So-eun left the company around 6:30 PM.
'Should I take the bus or a taxi?'
It would be good to get to the meeting place quickly, but the taxi fare was a burden. Still, she decided to take a taxi and took out her phone, but a black car approached her.
"Director."
So-eun's eyes widened as she recognized Kim Tae-joon. Tae-joon, who got out of the back seat, opened the opposite door.
"I'll give you a ride. Get in."
She wondered if she had misheard. The back door that Tae-joon opened seemed like the gate to hell.
If she got in there, it didn't seem like she would arrive in Seoul safely.
It was scary to refuse the order of her high-ranking boss, but So-eun mustered the courage to express her refusal.
"It's okay."
"Didn't you say your house is in Kwonseon-dong? I'm passing by there."
"No, I'm not going home. I have business in Seoul."
"Where in Seoul?"
"Gangnam. Gyodae Station."
"My house is near there. I'll drop you off on the way."
Then he wouldn't be passing by Kwonseon-dong, would he?
But if the boss said this much, she had to get in anyway.
"What are you doing? Get in quickly."
Wow, this is driving me crazy.
What kind of torture is this?
It seemed like he wasn't satisfied with the scolding from just an hour ago.
With the feeling of being dragged to the underworld, So-eun got into Director Kim Tae-joon's car, following his strict order.
"Hello..."
While bowing to the driver with the expression of a criminal, Tae-joon also turned halfway around the car and sat next to So-eun.
With him sitting next to her, the back seat felt full. It wasn't like he was spreading his legs wide, but it did.
...His long legs are very impressive.
So-eun, who had become humble, hunched her shoulders. She was too scared of his presence to even look at him.
"Where are we going?"
"We're going to Gyodae Station. Towards the Court intersection."
"Where at the Court intersection?"
"A pub called 'Omotesando Hills'."
So-eun answered Tae-joon's question stiffly, facing forward.
Tae-joon instructed the driver to go to the pub So-eun had mentioned, and the car immediately departed.
And, a terrible silence.
It was a terrifying feeling, like being crushed by the air.
Is this the royal family's style of torture? It felt like her energy was being sucked out just by being still.
A few minutes later, he spoke first.
"Do you have plans? (After making such a mess, you're going out to play?)"
The short question couldn't be heard properly by So-eun. It was as if a terrible question mark and terrible parentheses were floating in the terrible air.
Still, So-eun answered steadily.
"Yes."
"With your boyfriend? (After making such a mess, you're going on a date?)"
"Yes."
"Is your boyfriend good to you? (Does your boyfriend know you started a fire today?)"
The following question was somewhat abrupt and even a little rude.
We're not in a relationship where we talk about boyfriends. Just, 'Have you eaten?', 'You worked hard today,' that level of greeting would be a perfect relationship.
You're crossing the line.
"Yes."
Yes. But you're the super boss, so you can cross it as you please. I'll just redraw the line. I'll draw it with dotted lines so it's easier for you to cross.
The powerless worker So-eun answered correctly. There was no need to raise her hackles at such a cliché question and provoke the boss.
She had finished with a short answer, so she hoped the conversation would end. She would rather endure the silence.
But the questions continued.
"What does 'good to you' mean?"
"......Yes?"
So-eun, who was drawing parentheses in her mind and trying to figure out the hidden meaning, blinked. It wasn't a 'yes' or 'no' question, but a subjective one.
Tae-joon added an explanation in a relaxed voice.
"I don't really know."
"......"
"What do women think they need to do to be good to them?"
So-eun, who turned her head and blinked at Tae-joon, felt her cheeks flush slightly. She might have discovered a cute side to Director Kim Tae-joon.
He was a high-ranking director, but in fact, he was a man not much older than her. If he was unmarried, he was at an age where he would be actively dating.
Taking it seriously, So-eun gave a much more lively answer than to the previous questions.
"Just, if I ask for something, they don't refuse, they take good care of me..."
"......"
"I think it's enough if they make me feel loved."
"Is your boyfriend like that now?"
The man who turned his head to face her had an expression that was unreadable, but he seemed a little serious. It seemed like there was some kind of stuffiness and longing in his eyes.
Who is the person loved by this man?
So-eun thought that the person being loved by him must be very happy.
"Yes."
In response to Tae-joon's question, So-eun smiled gently. It was the first expression she had shown to Director Kim Tae-joon.
When their eyes met, his narrowed eyes flashed sharply.
"Driver, can you pull over for a moment?"
Tae-joon said to the driver, keeping his eyes fixed on So-eun.
The driver stopped the car abruptly.
Near the terminal. It was still about one stop away from the Court intersection.
"I have urgent business, so I have to drop you off here. Can you go alone?"
