Series: The All-Rounder Employee Becomes a Legend
Chapter: 38
Title: I Won't Die Thanks to Taeseok
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Monday, the job fair at Daejin University in Daejeon.
Perhaps thanks to Taeseok's flawless presentation, the event proceeded smoothly.
The students from the regional university could get an indirect sense of El Sung Group's prestige just by watching Taeseok.
His movements during the briefing were fluid and efficient.
His voice commanded the audience's attention.
Even the way he used the laser pointer, focusing everyone's gaze on a single spot.
"He's amazing. The presenter seems really smart."
"Suji. You think so too, right? I heard it's hard for students from regional universities to get into El Sung Group."
"But didn't they say some from national universities get in?"
"We're not a national university."
"Should I ask?"
“Don't, it's embarrassing.”
“*Giggle*.”
As Taeseok was presenting, a student kept talking to her friend.
Taeseok found them distracting.
Every time they spoke, the flow was broken.
He decided he needed to change the atmosphere.
"You two in the front, what are you so curious about? Let's talk about it together."
"Oh… it's nothing."
"It's okay, you can say it. This is the place to ask questions, after all. If you don't tell me, I'll be upset~“
At Taeseok's playful threat, the audience members next to them giggled.
Perhaps because the mood had lightened a bit?
The student named Suji mustered her courage and spoke.
"It's a personal question."
Taeseok nodded at the student's words and replied.
"That's fine. Should I give you my number?"
Was that why?
The female student took courage and asked.
"No. Not that. I heard that most applicants from regional universities are rejected at the document screening stage, so I was wondering what the criteria are.”
The student was nervous. Her face flushed, perhaps because she felt she'd asked an unnecessary question.
Taeseok grinned.
Then he reassured her.
“It's okay. I think that's a very valid question. It's not embarrassing at all.”
“Thank you.”
Taeseok took a breath and then began his answer.
“Everyone, you might be a little surprised to hear this. We even have an employee who got their degree through the Academic Credit Bank System.”
At Taeseok's words, the crowd began to murmur.
“Really? El Sung Group?”
“No way. They hired someone from the Academic Credit Bank System?”
Eventually, a dissenting voice emerged.
A 29-year-old man, who had been job hunting for four years, raised his voice and asked accusingly.
“Isn't that just nonsense? Who hires someone from the Academic Credit Bank System?”
The Academic Credit Bank System. Since it wasn't common to meet someone who had earned a degree that way, it seemed no one could quite believe it.
Taeseok felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
It felt as if his entire being was being negated.
The man, older and with a better educational background than him, seemed to be pouring out his frustrations as he asked again.
“Say something! You have to tell the truth.”
So he revealed it. That it was him.
“I received my degree through the Academic Credit Bank System. I studied at several educational training institutions, majoring in Business Administration, and graduated this past February. I completed the required major courses and elective major courses over four years. Does that answer your question?”
The job seeker was suddenly at a loss for words.
And was it out of sheer curiosity? All eyes turned to Taeseok.
Taeseok was fine. He stood confidently before them. So he spoke his thoughts without embellishment.
“I don't think your educational background is what's important. Doesn't it depend on how hard you work? I believe that depending on how much you've prepared to join our El Sung Group, and how you can demonstrate that during the hiring process, any of you can certainly join us.”
At Taeseok's words, the 29-year-old job seeker bowed his head low.
And he offered an apology.
"Ah. I'm sorry."
“There's nothing to be sorry for. It's not something you need to apologize for at all. It's been tough, hasn't it? I hope this year you'll achieve results worthy of your preparation and get into a good company. Please come forward for a moment.”
“What?”
“I'm going to give you a complimentary gift. Come on up!"
Taeseok liked seeing the students' eyes sparkle as they looked at him.
It put him in a good mood.
After the job fair ended, Jang Donghoon spoke to Taeseok.
"Are you okay? The student council was recording earlier, you didn't have to share something so personal. Talking about your academic background was a bit much."
"Thanks for telling me. I'll be more careful next time."
"Yeah. Not everyone is going to think highly of you.“
Donghoon was being sincere.
‘The better you do, the harder it will get for you. The days when people cheered for a rags-to-riches story are over. The higher you climb, the more intense the envy and jealousy will become.’
Taeseok knew what Donghoon meant.
So he meekly accepted his advice.
"Okay. If you think so, I won't say things like that anymore."
"Yeah. Sorry for bringing it up.”
“No, it's fine.”
And on the third day.
Today, Donghoon started the presentation instead of Taeseok.
Taeseok had been the one to suggest it.
"Team Leader! Shouldn't Donghoon get some real-world experience too?"
"Should we? Donghoon, are you ready?"
The three men toured the regional areas for the job fairs.
Donghoon was certainly more nervous and stammered more than Taeseok, but he got better and better with each session.
“Donghoon, you did great.”
“Thanks.”
“What's there to thank me for? You're the one who did well.”
The two of them understood each other well.
And they genuinely cared for one another.
The Team Leader, too, found himself influenced by their dynamic.
‘Wow, even brothers aren't usually that close. How did those two get so friendly?’
And on the final day, Friday.
They had just returned to Seoul after finishing the job fair at Bujeon University in Busan when the Team Leader spoke up.
“Are you two free tonight?”
"Yes?"
"You two, make some time for me today."
"For what, sir?"
"I want to introduce you to my girlfriend. Is that okay? I'll buy dinner and drinks. If you're busy, you can go."
In truth, he wasn't busy, and since this was the first time the Team Leader had summoned them for a personal matter, Taeseok didn't refuse and said with a smile.
"I'd love to. Anything with you is fine, Team Leader."
And Donghoon was the same.
"I'm fine with it too."
But Donghoon had a slightly different motive.
It was more for Taeseok than for the Team Leader.
‘I should have a serious talk with Taeseok over drinks.’
A snow crab restaurant with a great atmosphere in Sadang-dong.
A large snow crab cost 99,000 won, and the place was packed with people.
The Team Leader grinned and revealed his true intentions.
“You guys know, right? I've been really lonely.”
“Have you, sir?”
“Our HR team originally just had me and Ms. Jungmi. It was awkward to suggest things like 'let's go for a drink' or 'let's go to karaoke,' and with the age gap, it wasn't entirely comfortable.”
As Team Leader Kang Minyul opened up, Employee Jang Donghoon also shared his feelings.
"I can see that. I'm older than my senior, Kim Jungmi, so it's a bit uncomfortable for me too.”
"Right, and I have a girlfriend. My Yeojin keeps telling me to introduce her to my colleagues, but it felt weird to introduce her to the only female employee under me. But when you two came along, it just clicked. I thought about it for a month, and I decided I could finally ask you guys. It's okay, right?"
"Yes. Of course. By the way, how many days have you and your girlfriend been dating, Team Leader?"
"412 days.“
"Wow! You're even counting the days?"
"Yeah. Yeojin texts me the number every single day, so of course I know."
The Team Leader's girlfriend's name was Yeojin.
Taeseok, thinking of himself as an expert in these situations, asked with a smile.
"Is there anything special we should do when she arrives? Like be funny or sing a song or something."
"What are you talking about? Just being there is enough. Did the old guys make you do that stuff when you worked manual labor?"
"Of course they did. They made us do worse things, too. One of the Directors I worked with even told me to pour drinks for his wife and act cute for her."
"Really? Our company isn't like that."
"I see."
And at 7 p.m.
The Team Leader's girlfriend arrived.
A great figure, a pretty face.
It was just a first impression, but she really didn't seem to be lacking anything.
The two employees stood up and bowed their heads to her, showing their respect.
『Hello.』
In response, the Team Leader's girlfriend demurely bowed her head, accepting their greeting.
The Team Leader, beaming with excitement, introduced his junior colleagues.
"Honey. Say hello. This is Kim Taeseok and Jang Donghoon, who are working temporarily on our team."
"Hello. I'm Song Yeojin."
After the introductions, they fell silent, as if sizing each other up.
An awkward silence.
The Team Leader was surprisingly shy.
Seeing that no one was talking, Taeseok asked her a question to liven up the mood.
"How did you and the Team Leader meet?"
The Team Leader was about to answer with a bright smile when she cut in and continued the story.
"Honey. I'll tell them."
"Okay."
"Minyul and I originally met in a study group to get into the El Sung Group. He was a good student, so he got a job after just three months in the group, and I couldn't get into El Sung the next year, but I was able to get into Daehyun Group."
"Ah, so you're with Daehyun Group. You still ended up at a great place. Congratulations."
"*Huhu*It's not as good as El Sung. Anyway, we were both busy so we lost touch, you know? But then one day, he texted me after drinking. Asking how I was doing."
Taeseok chimed in.
"Ah… what a romantic."
As Taeseok played along, the Team Leader let out a silent, snickering laugh.
Song Yeojin liked men who were good at keeping a conversation going.
So she turned her gaze to Kim Taeseok and continued her story.
"This guy is super shy, isn't he? That's why I had to ask him out first. And that's how we started dating. What's he like at the office? My Minyul , is he always walking on eggshells?"
At that, Taeseok grinned and replied.
"Not at all. He's an incredibly good worker. He treats his superiors well, and he's great to us junior employees too. Otherwise, there's no way we would have come out for dinner with him like this."
"Oh, really? I suppose he would be. So my Minyul is doing well at the company, then?"
As the compliments continued to flow, the smile never left the Team Leader's face.
The mood during the first round was great, and when Song Yeojin went to the restroom, the Team Leader spoke to Taeseok.
"Taeseok."
"Yes?"
“My girlfriend's pretty, isn't she?”
Taeseok answered the Team Leader's question.
"Yes. She's absolutely beautiful, Team Leader! You're a real winner! The best! You're the absolute best.”
Before they knew it, the snow crab and crab-meat fried rice were all gone.
And three empty soju bottles.
“Shouldn't we be moving on?”
“Round two? You want to go? I'm going to go for a second round alone with my girlfriend. You two can head home.”
But that was when Jang Donghoon made a mistake.
“Team Leader, come on, let's have just one more.”
“What's with this guy?”
“Donghoon, the Team Leader said he's leaving.”
“…Ah. My apologies.”
“No, it's fine. You're drunk. Head on home.”
Taeseok grinned.
And to smooth things over, he opened his wallet.
“What's this?”
It was the blue pill he had received as a gift from Mr. Kim back during his construction days.
Handing it over, Taeseok said.
"This is a confidence booster. Just take half. It'll put you in a great mood."
"Oh yeah? Heh heh, got it."
Taeseok, the sly fox who had read the Team Leader's true intentions.
And the Team Leader, who found this side of Taeseok utterly endearing.
He handed over his card and said to him,
“Pretend you're the one paying. I want to look good in front of my girlfriend.”
“Ah, I know exactly what you mean.”
Just then, his girlfriend returned, and the Team Leader took out a different card and smoothly began his performance.
“Did everyone eat well?”
Taeseok quickly dashed to the counter and paid with the card the Team Leader had given him.
At that, the Team Leader rushed to pull Taeseok back, putting on a show of stopping him.
"Taeseok, what are you doing? Put your card away! Put it away!"
Playing along to boost the Team Leader's image in front of his girlfriend, Taeseok grinned and said.
"Not at all, Team Leader. You're always so good to us, the least we can do is pay for dinner. We're always grateful and have the utmost respect for you! Please, just accept it as a small token of my appreciation. Let me get this."
Watching from the side, Jang Donghoon thought.
'Wow, how does that kind of acting come so naturally to him?'
First, the Viagra pill he had prepared in advance.
Then, this flawless acting that came out the moment the Team Leader asked.
Was that why?
A smile spread across the girlfriend's face.
Team Leader Kang Minyul placed a hand on Song Yeojin's waist and said goodbye to his team members.
“Alright everyone, head on home. See you on Monday.”
“Yes. Have a great night.”
“Get home safe!”
After parting with his juniors, Team Leader Kang Minyul asked his girlfriend.
“What do you think? My juniors at work. They're good kids, right?”
“Yeah. But I was really, really surprised. How much must your juniors like you to even pay for dinner? At my company, we don't have a single junior like that.”
“Heh heh, just treat your juniors well. Then they'll be like that too. So, where should we go? Ace? Or maybe Chocolate? Highland's not bad either.”
“Let's just go somewhere nearby. Honey?"
"Yeah?"
"You're not going to fizzle out in five minutes like last time, after your business trip, are you?”
At Yeojin's words, Team Leader Kang popped the blue pill from his pocket into his mouth and thought.
'Nope. Not tonight. Thanks to Taeseok, I won't be fizzling out.’
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