Chapter 54
54. Anxious Company Dinner
2023.06.23.
Due to Mal-hee’s persistent nagging, Heejin ended up following her all the way to her house. Asking her to find a private loan, and for a whopping 1 billion won at that. She wanted to hear why she was making such a fuss.
“Mom, who would lend me money? What reason would they have to trust me?”
“You know a lot of people. I’ll pay it back quickly. Don’t you trust your mom?”
“What reason do I have to trust you? And for 1 billion won? What are you even going to use it for? Because of Hee-wook’s house?”
When Heejin pressed her, Mal-hee grinned slyly and held out her phone.
“This is top-of-the-line, the highest-grade information. Keep it to yourself, or it’ll bring bad luck.”
The phone screen Mal-hee showed her displayed a cryptocurrency trading graph.
“Look. This is going to triple soon.”
“Mom, are you crazy? Why are you doing this!”
Heejin jumped up and scolded Mal-hee.
“It’s not like that. It’s not weird. Hyun-ji recommended it.”
“Hyun-ji? Hee-wook’s partner?”
“Yeah. Hyun-ji’s dad runs a big business in Dubai. It’s high-level information that Hyun-ji’s dad told her.”
“……”
“Look! The 1 million won Hyun-ji put in turned into 2 million won.”
After checking Mal-hee’s account history, Heejin looked at the graph again. The graph Heejin saw showed a gentle upward curve. Not satisfied, Heejin searched for information about the coin on a portal site. The prevailing opinion was that it was a solid coin. Her anger gradually subsided.
Hyun-ji. I might not trust Mom and Dad, but I can trust lawyer Hyun-ji. And I can trust my in-law, who runs a large government business in Dubai, even more.
After confirming the record of 2 million won deposited into her mother’s account, Heejin swallowed hard.
“I took the money out, so that’s why, but it was originally supposed to be 8 million won.”
“So, this is going to triple again in the future?”
“Yes! It’s not too late even now. You have to put it in quickly and grow it fast. It’s going to triple in a month, so if you have 1 billion won, it’ll become 3 billion won! Then you can pay back the borrowed money and still have 2 billion won left over!”
A smile, as if sharing a mold with Mal-hee, appeared on Heejin’s face as she calculated in her head.
Her father had squandered half of their assets on his business ventures, so she hadn’t received much support from her parents when she got married. After the marriage, how hard had she lived on the meager salary her husband brought home? She even had to contribute to her mother’s medical expenses, so she couldn’t even save face with her husband.
It was as if a ray of light was shining on her difficult life.
It’s not a matter of lending money to Mom, I should be the one grabbing this jackpot.
*
The company dinner venue was decided as a Korean beef restaurant, according to Bobae’s earnest wish. Han So-eun, Bobae, and Eun-pyo arrived first and waited for Tae-joon and Mun-gyeong.
Bobae, who had been sitting quietly, muttered in a sorrowful voice.
“But, do you think the Director will stay until the end today?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t confirm that far.”
“I wish he would just show his face for a moment and leave right away……”
Bobae grumbled at So-eun’s answer.
What’s wrong with Park Bo-bae, who had spared no praise for how wonderful the Director was? The same question mark appeared in So-eun and Eun-pyo’s minds. Eun-pyo asked first.
“Didn’t you like the Director, Bobae?”
“Oh, it’s different from liking him in that way. I just admire him. He’s not comfortable enough to have a company dinner with. The Director is a better person to look at from afar, isn’t he, Chief?”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s right.”
So-eun, who had been listening quietly, was startled when Bobae looked at her and asked, and she answered awkwardly. Her stomach tingled and her lips dried up even with such a short, insignificant answer.
Will I get through today safely? I mustn’t let them find out that we’re in a special relationship.
As she nervously picked up her water glass, the restaurant door opened. Tae-joon and Mun-gyeong entered.
So-eun couldn’t even drink her water and put the glass down. Bobae was the first to greet them, her face lighting up.
“Hello, Director! Hello, Chief!”
“Yes. Hello.”
Tae-joon answered kindly.
“Have you ordered? You can order anything you want.”
“Yes! Thank you, Director!”
Bobae, with a bright smile, quickly picked up the menu. The timid office worker who had been full of worries a moment ago had disappeared, and an energetic young person had been resurrected. That’s how scary power is. In fact, So-eun could also understand Bobae’s reaction.
Soon, meat and alcohol were brought to the table. Chief Song Mun-gyeong poured drinks for everyone and asked for their understanding.
“Okay, everyone, let’s have a drink. Sorry I can’t drink with you.”
“Chief Song, thank you for helping us every time. And for the snacks too.”
While Bobae was saying kind words, Chief Song’s soju bottle was hovering over So-eun’s glass.
Tae-joon kept watching So-eun. He sat right in front of her, planning to make an excuse or drink for her if she had to drink. But if he did that, he would attract the attention of others. And Han So-eun would also feel uncomfortable.
“Shall we toast then?”
Everyone raised their glasses at Song Mun-gyeong’s suggestion.
“Cheers! Future Service Team, fighting!”
Bobae responded in a bright voice. Glasses filled with clear alcohol clinked in the air.
While Bobae and Eun-pyo emptied their glasses, So-eun quietly put hers down. Tae-joon, having confirmed So-eun’s movement, also emptied his glass quietly, relieved.
A meal with a superior who is like the sky has the power to numb the tongue. Even while filling their stomachs with Korean beef ribs, they didn’t have the luxury to savor it deeply. If it weren’t for Song Mun-gyeong, who was working hard in the middle, the alcohol would have felt like plain water. Thanks to Mun-gyeong’s efforts to talk to them kindly, all the members were able to relax to some extent.
“Bobae, are there any difficulties while working?”
Tae-joon asked Bobae, who was already flushed with alcohol. Bobae answered formally.
“No. There aren’t.”
“What about the field work?”
“Sometimes communication with customers doesn’t go well, but I’m a new employee, so the Team Leader takes good care of me.”
Tae-joon turned his head and asked Eun-pyo as well.
“How about Chief Jang Eun-pyo?”
“I don’t have anything particularly difficult either.”
“How about Chief Han So-eun?”
“Me neither.”
Tae-joon smiled inwardly at So-eun’s short answer. The way she was trying so hard not to reveal their private relationship only made her stand out more. Avoiding his gaze and answering briefly. Even the reaction of being startled and pulling her foot inward when their toes accidentally touched was amusing.
I gave ice cream to the entire center staff to feed you ice cream. I remembered you talking about the good restaurants in front of the company, so I arranged a company dinner. I ask the staff the same questions because I want to see your lips moving.
While Tae-joon was watching So-eun avoid his gaze, Bobae was also looking back and forth between So-eun and Eun-pyo. Bobae stared at their funny behavior for a while, then smiled slyly with wide eyes.
“I’ve felt this for a long time, but I think you two have a lot in common.”
So-eun, who had been busy avoiding Tae-joon’s gaze, asked Bobae.
“……Me and Chief Jang? What?”
“You’re both very focused on your work, you’re both quiet and calm, and neither of you has ever gotten angry.”
Haha…… So-eun smiled awkwardly, feeling burdened by being grouped with Eun-pyo in front of Tae-joon. But Bobae, who was pleasantly drunk, continued to speak.
“Yesterday too. Yesterday, you could have gotten angry, Chief, but you didn’t get angry once.”
“Huh?”
“The man who came yesterday, he’s your ex-boyfriend, right, Chief? The man in the photo on your desk.”
Ah. So-eun’s spine tingled. It was a story she hadn’t told Tae-joon.
So-eun hurriedly checked Tae-joon’s expression. The smile instantly vanished from Tae-joon’s face, who had been maintaining a poker face with a slight smile.
“Chief Han’s ex-boyfriend came to the company?”
His gaze was so sharp that So-eun quickly lowered her head. It felt like a sharp energy was piercing her entire body. It was so cold that even her fingertips were numb.
“Why? Why did he come?”
“Just……”
Then, Chief Jang Eun-pyo bravely spoke up, breaking the cold silence.
“Director, it would be better not to talk about this anymore. I think Chief Han would be uncomfortable too……”
“So.”
But Eun-pyo’s courage was immediately crushed by Tae-joon’s force.
Who do you think you are?
Tae-joon glared at Eun-pyo for a moment with a fierce expression, then pulled So-eun back into the center of the conversation.
“So you just let it go?”
“He even took a number and suddenly appeared in front of the Chief. The Chief couldn’t help it.”
Bobae, as if she hadn’t expected the Director to point it out so sensitively, also felt embarrassed and defended So-eun.
“If you couldn’t help it, did you report it?”
“No. I just warned him verbally.”
So-eun raised her head and answered Tae-joon’s question.
“You should have reported it.”
“I told him clearly not to come again.”
“You talked to him? Clearly?”
“……”
“Is that ex-boyfriend of yours the kind of guy who will come to his senses if Chief Han says something? Would a guy who comes to someone else’s workplace and interferes with their work listen to such words?”
“I talked to him.”
Chief Jang Eun-pyo spoke up once again in the serious atmosphere.
Who do you think you are, always butting in?
Tae-joon’s eyes were even more terrifying than before.
“Chief Jang talked to him?”
“Yes. I was next to Chief Han because I thought it would be difficult for her to deal with him alone. I chased him out properly.”
“……”
“It’s the guy who can’t read the room and keeps chasing after her who’s the problem. Chief Han is the victim, she didn’t do anything wrong.”
Eun-pyo spoke up for So-eun, thinking that she was being scolded for something unfair.
So-eun felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.
She understood Tae-joon’s position, who couldn’t help but be angry, and she also understood Chief Jang Eun-pyo’s heart, who was trying to protect her without knowing anything. She was actually grateful. That’s why she felt even more embarrassed.
Song Mun-gyeong, who had been silent, looked at Tae-joon and gave a restrained smile. It was a problem that a guy was interfering with an employee’s work, but he meant that he shouldn’t get too involved in the private lives of the employees.
Tae-joon, with furrowed eyebrows, picked up his water glass and emptied a full glass of water in one gulp. So-eun, only glancing around while repeatedly curling and uncurling her dry lips, reached for the pickled wild garlic. At that moment, Tae-joon’s eyes flashed again.
Clang!
Tae-joon knocked away Eun-pyo’s chopsticks with his own chopsticks as Eun-pyo reached out to take a piece of pickled wild garlic after seeing So-eun’s hand reach for it. It was as if sparks were flying from the tips of the two men’s chopsticks.
Who do you think you are, daring to touch the pickled wild garlic? Not even perilla leaves, but pickled wild garlic.
From Tae-joon’s point of view, it was an unacceptable act.
Tae-joon, glaring at Eun-pyo with eyes as sharp as the tips of chopsticks, said to So-eun.
“You can take it yourself, right, Chief Han.”
“……Yes. Of course.”
“Here. Please bring another plate of pickled wild garlic.”
As soon as So-eun answered, Tae-joon requested an additional plate of pickled wild garlic from the staff and pushed it right in front of Eun-pyo.
“Eat a lot, Chief Jang.”
“Yes.”
Eun-pyo, not knowing Tae-joon’s true feelings, nodded expressionlessly.
Cold sweat ran down So-eun’s spine as she watched this.
Ah, it’s hot. Why is it so hot? I’m thirsty, so thirsty.
So-eun, desperately avoiding Tae-joon’s gaze, picked up the water glass next to her and gulped down the water, wetting her parched throat. Mun-gyeong shouted as he watched So-eun in such a daze.
“That’s where I poured the soju?”
……Oops.
