Chapter 25

Boss at work. ―I will inform you. Thai Airways Flight AA912 to Hong Kong at 15:30… …. Incheon International Airport. I’m back after two months, but I didn’t know that the Korean announcement would feel so warm. The flight attendants spoke Korean on the plane, but it felt like I was completely back in Korea when I arrived at the airport. “Sir!” “This way!” At the airport, Lee Jong-yeop and Jo Soo-ah came out to meet me and waved. Sales team work group chat room. I only answered when Lee Jong-yeop asked when he would come to Korea. “Why did you come on purpose? I didn’t have to come all the way here.” “I had work in Songdo, so I came over right away.” It was also nice to see Jo Soo-ah smiling widely. She was always pretty, but today she feels more sophisticated, perhaps because of her bright outfit. “How do you do your afternoon shift?” The flight arrived at 1:00 PM, but it was almost 1:40 when we picked up our luggage and left. “If you just close your eyes, the assistant manager, I’m going to tear you up.” Lee Jong-yeop glanced at him and said, Being a foreign pharmaceutical company, staff management was loose. I was the only one who worked according to a tight schedule, and when I went on a business trip, I toured the province twice as much as everyone else. I thought that if I worked five or six places a day, there would be compliments from my boss or performance appraisals. I worked hard, along with the sincerity that I had accumulated since working part-time. “Then let’s eat something delicious.” “Do you know where?” “Let’s go to the hotel.” 5-star hotel. It was extremely rare to eat at a five-star hotel in Seoul while entertaining doctors. Even when doctors calculated the cost of a buffet or Japanese restaurant, the salespeople ate a single item at around 30,000 won, which was relatively cheap. Food was like a wall dividing the ranks of doctors and salespeople. “Eat a lot.” “I will eat well, sir.” “I will enjoy it.” Hotel Japanese restaurant in Myeong-dong. I ordered the most expensive menu and tasted one by another. “I haven’t been to work since the conference, so everyone has been busy, right?” “It was free because it was the beginning of the year. On the contrary, I think the assistant manager will be disappointed that he didn’t use his vacation during the summer.” Lee Jong-yeop said with a smile. It seemed that the fact that he was leaving the company was not known to the employees. I could feel Team Leader Ahn’s consideration to tell me in person, but I felt sorry for announcing my resignation as soon as I returned from the US. Since we are on the same team, we met Lee Jong-yeop every day during work, so it was okay to talk slowly. I also worked with Jo Soo-ah about once a week. “Is there anything wrong with the company?” “It is always the same. Going to the hospital, checking the checklist. If there is a claim, go and handle it.” “Okay.” Salesperson 1st year. I learn quite a lot, but after that, it was the same routine over and over again. “Assistant Na Sang-guk often talks about Assistant Manager Kim.” “Yes?” “I bet he lost most of his money with coins like he did.” I wasn’t even surprised. Because Na Sang-guk is a motive and a jealous guy. “As always, Assistant Manager Na Sang-guk is like that.” “Haha. Yes. But I have an appointment, so I think I need to go out.” Lee Jong-yeop looked at the food with regret and stood up. “Where are you going?” “I must go see a friend, sir.” I stand up unusually. Joshua was sitting still. And I ate alone with her. “Did you enjoy your trip to America?” “Yes. See your friend’s face. I travel.” “What kind of trip is it?” “Backpacking. I’ve been all over America.” As I talked about my travels, the topic never ceased. I think it was quite an adventure in its way. “Aren’t you afraid to go alone?” “… … .” I was traveling with Ellie. He wasn’t an idiot to the point of bringing up the story of Ellie while with Jo Soo-ah. “I had a lot of good experiences.” “How was New York?” “Night… It was a very beautiful place.” A white lie was necessary. After eating at the hotel, Sooah Jo took me to the entrance of the apartment. “Be careful driving, Mr. Sua.” “Rest well.” I saw the car driven by Jo Soo-ah leave, and went up to the apartment. A 60-pyeong apartment with a spacious feel. The sun was setting, and it was time to see the lights on the buildings and the bridge over the Han River. ‘It’s finally home.’ I laid down my bag and suitcase and lay down on the sofa. It doesn’t matter if you organize your luggage slowly, and there is nothing urgent. That’s why I sat on the sofa and turned on my cell phone after a daze. ―Myungwoo Oh: Come to America often! ―Ellie: I had an interview with JP Morgan! I think we have some good news. Please contact us when you arrive in Korea. I simply sent them a text saying they had arrived well. After that, I went to check the blocked text messages after a long time. ―Han Chae-won: I have something to say after the vacation. It will be a good story for you, too. -Han Chae-won: I missed you for a long time. It seems that I still have feelings of love for you. ―Han Chae-won: Wasn’t it difficult to live alone? -Han Chae-won: I made some side dishes. It’s hard because it’s the first time. Shall I bring it? The blocked text messages were mixed with spam, so there were a lot of text messages from Han Chae Won. I used to do a lot more rice. And did you have a side dish? I must have bought it at a side dish shop.’ There is no trust left in Han Chae-won. It wasn’t worth reading, so I went down all the way, and after about 20 days, the contents changed a little. -Han Chae-won: Did you lose money? Really? ―Han Chae-won: Did you blow the money you earned with coins again? ―Han Chae-won: Say it quickly. I’m curious, so come on! After sending such reminder texts for several days, the contents changed again. -Han Chae-won: It’s understandable, seeing that he doesn’t talk. Are you going on vacation and spending the rest of your money? With brains. ―Han Chae-won: You said you bought a car with a loan? After all, the root does not go anywhere. Have your mental state really rotted, and just blow that much money away? -Han Chae-won: Stupid bastard ―Han Chae-won: I’ve got everything resolved. You will have to be a bit nervous at work in the future. ‘I wonder what has been resolved.’ I was a little curious, but I didn’t want to check the contents of the texts one by one. ‘It’s a matter of money. And it looks like he solved it somehow.’ They say that you have to be nervous in your company life, but I feel more comfortable. Before breaking up with her, I thought and struggled a lot. ‘Divorce was the best choice.’ After a long time, I rode my bicycle to work. It was a bit awkward because I had been out of work for 2 months, but I felt like I was waking up with a clear mind after being blown by the cold wind. “Good morning.” “Yes. Good morning.” When I arrived at the office, I greeted the staff lightly and started working. As the vacation was long, there was no outside work assigned, and I was mainly in charge of phone work. “Yes, Director Yang. What error message are you getting? Are you saying that the laser does not output even if the power is turned off and the cartridge is replaced?” Although he is a salesperson, he received technical training constantly and was able to resolve rough consultations immediately. For parts that are obscure or need repair, we pass the phone over to the tech team. At 11 am, I went to the rooftop with a warm Americano to take a break. The weather was still very cold. “Chief Seo.” “Howdy. Long time no see.” Team leader Ahn, team leader Seo. There were seven other employees. “Thanks to Assistant Manager Kim, I made a lot of money.” “You’re lucky, Chief Seo, what?” “I was able to get out quickly because I also had the advice of Assistant Manager Kim.” It felt like the staff were exceptionally welcoming. Manager Ahn smiled and explained the situation. “For the past two months, the company hasn’t been in a frenzy because of the coin.” “Yes.” “It went up and down, and it was a complete rollercoaster.” It is said that employees who invested in coins went back and forth between heaven and hell. It was a little regretful that I couldn’t see that scene while I was at the company. If you listened to the stories of other employees, it was highly likely that you could not stand it and bought coins in a falling market. “The uproar ended only after the coin collapsed. Many employees want to fill their negative bank accounts with incentives.” “I see. Looking at the group chat room, it seems that female employees are suffering a lot. I heard Park Hwa-young even lost money on her marriage.” “It was noisy because of that. Assistant Manager Na Sang-guk received a lot of swearing. Then he decided to buy me a refrigerator as a wedding present.” A refrigerator is a significant expense for an office worker. The mistake of encouraging investment by recommending coins was so great. “This is a gift.” When no other co-workers were around, I secretly handed out the wrapped box to only two team leaders. Team leader Ahn was my direct supervisor, and team leader Seo took care of me a lot even though they were in different departments. The two of them are so close, so I brought two of the same thing. “It’s a gift from America.” “Can I open it right away?” “Yep.” Team leader Ahn opened it and found a white box with a crown pattern on it. It was a familiar brand. “Deputy Manager Kim, is this a Rolex? Is it real?” “Yes. I wanted to give you at least a watch.” I bought it directly from San Francisco, and when I brought it to Korea, I even declared it at customs. According to Oh Myung-woo’s theory, the key currency. A watch that you can wear on your arm and sell whenever you need it. “Wow. Why did you go on a trip and give me a Rolex as a gift?” Team leader Seo was also surprised when he saw the Rolex. “I can’t accept this because it’s a burden.” “It’s not a burden to give, so just take it.” “I didn’t do anything for you, so can I accept such a big gift?” “It’s possible.” When giving presents, I wanted to buy items that would be memorable rather than forgotten quickly. It was a company that didn’t hold meetings often. Of course, on the day when the vacation was over, a dinner date was scheduled. It was also the seat next to the old-fashioned Director Jeong. “Deputy Manager Kim, I’m a boss at work who doesn’t look like an old man, so the new employees who joined this time liked it.” “Ah, yes.” I roughly hit the right pitch. I’ve had drinks by my side a few times over the past 4 years, but it ended only when I listened carefully. There were many other employees in the spacious pub, but I could see that they were all trying hard not to look this way. “You know our company’s sales increased significantly last year, right? Who do you think it was all thanks to?” “Thanks to Director Jeong.” “It’s the job. Nothing else. Is it called a record? In the eyes of a person like me, a problem comes out when I see it, and I just have to solve it wisely, right?” “Yes, yes.” Director Jeong drank beer and soju in a drinking glass. I don’t know how many cups it has already been, but it was a crisis. “Would you like to know how we moved quickly? Sincerity in work is important. Guys who only stare at the clock when it’s time to go to work don’t deserve to go to work.” “Of course.” At the time when director Jung was the team leader, everyone said that they left work around 8 o’clock to pay attention, even if there was no work. It is widely known that he has a great ability to flatter the head office or the president dispatched from Germany, even if he does not know his job skills. What I felt while watching Director Jeong was that in social life, he was very good at walking on a tightrope and flattering. Gulp. Director Jeong drank two glasses of Pokmokju in a row. “As a senior in my life, there was something I wanted to tell Deputy Manager Kim.” “… … .” I drank quietly. I wanted to throw my resignation in Jeong’s face and leave, but I couldn’t do that considering the remaining staff. “It was a hundred times wrong to divorce a pretty woman like Han Chae-won.” “… … .” My boss at work even interferes with my personal affairs. Was crossing the line. “Thanks to Assistant Manager Kim, I became happy.” “Yes?” “Don’t you know? Han Chae-won, you started dating me.” “… … .” Director Jung was in his mid-40s, but he was still single. ‘I wonder if the meaning of the solution was because I asked Director Jeong?’ When I recalled the contents of the text, the puzzle came together a bit. Happy to meet Han Chae-won. I wondered if this was the situation to wish a living person peace of mind.