Series: The All-Rounder Employee Becomes a Legend
Chapter: 39
Title: Hello. I'm Kim Taeseok
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A month had passed.
In three days, he would have to transfer departments and say goodbye.
Now, after nearly two months, Taeseok was well-liked by everyone at the company.
Kim Jungmi, of course, Team Leader Kang Minyul, and even the manager liked Taeseok.
His colleague, Jang Donghoon, was the same.
Jang Donghoon asked Taeseok, who was checking his TOEIC score.
“Taeseok, how did you do on the internal mock TOEIC?”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“Just give me a peek. You told me your score last time.”
“Donghoon, you can’t tell anyone else. Okay?”
“Of course.”
And so, he saw the score.
Kim Taeseok.
Total Score 585.
LC (Listening) 325.
RC (Reading) 260.
In just one month, his score had jumped by a whopping 250 points from last time.
Jang Donghoon asked Taeseok with a surprised look.
“How much did you study? You must have studied all month long, right?”
“Ah, I didn’t study *that* hard.”
“What do you mean you didn’t study hard? Your score wouldn’t jump like that unless you did.”
“Hyung, shh! The Team Leader and our senior will hear.”
At that, Jang Donghoon ignored Taeseok and called out to the Team Leader.
“Team Leader!”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Taeseok’s TOEIC score went up by 250 points.”
“Really? Oh~ I guess we can’t tease him for being bad at English anymore, huh?”
“Hehe, perhaps not.”
Kim Jungmi also heard and praised Taeseok.
“Good job. Taeseok, it’s always nice to see you working so hard.”
“I’m flattered.”
The store list refreshed every week. Eventually, an opportunity came to those who waited.
Taeseok shuddered just thinking about what had happened.
The Arabic Beginner Package and the Portuguese Beginner Package that he had considered buying before the refresh.
Languages that seemed to have absolutely no use in Korea, now that he thought about it.
He had agonized over whether to buy them or not during the remaining time.
Fortunately, when the next refresh happened, the English Beginner Package he had desperately wanted appeared for the ridiculously cheap price of 50 points, and Taeseok had cheered in his dorm room.
After buying it, unfamiliar words swirled in his head all day, and he even got a headache from foreigners chattering incomprehensibly in his sleep, but when he woke up the next day, he could miraculously understand a certain level of English.
He had also perfectly mastered the five basic sentence structures without ever having learned them.
Of course, it was just a beginner package, so that was its limit, but for Taeseok, who was completely hopeless at English, even that was more than he could ask for.
His superiors knew his English level from a month ago.
So his current progress couldn't help but look all the more impressive.
The manager thought as he looked at Taeseok.
‘I really want to keep this kid. He's so good, I'm getting greedy.’
So he asked the Team Leader separately.
“Team Leader Kang, have you tried persuading Kim Taeseok?”
“I haven’t.”
“Why not? He seems like he'd become a great asset if he stayed in our HR department. We have to hire another rookie anyway, right?”
Team Leader Kang Minyul shook his head at the manager's words.
And he thought.
‘Manager, I don't think I can say that. I question whether it's right to saddle a young man with such a bright future with HR work.’
So, after some thought, he passed the responsibility to the manager.
“Would it be possible for you to persuade him yourself, sir?”
As he said this, Team Leader Kang Minyul recalled the mistake he had made with Taeseok.
Educational background isn't everything, yet he had favored Donghoon over Taeseok from the very beginning.
Had the kid been hurt because of that?
Did he resent him?
He felt a pang of guilt.
Taeseok and Donghoon.
Donghoon and Taeseok.
Now, if he had to choose between the two, the reality was that his heart leaned toward Taeseok. He was personable, quick-witted, and good at his job.
But he couldn't say it.
He knew the kid's goals and dreams, and he worried that by persuading him, he might be ruining a talent perfectly capable of making it to the Strategic Planning Office.
But the manager's thoughts were different.
He wanted him under his command.
He liked him so much that he wanted to keep him around.
Rather than lose such a talent to the Strategic Planning Office, he wanted to claim him for himself.
So he said,
“Taeseok, a word.”
“Yes, sir.”
The manager's office.
The manager took a cold can of coffee from a mini-fridge, handed it to him, and began to speak.
“Have a drink first.”
“Yes, Manager.”
“So, how have the past two months been?”
“It's been great. Your sincere guidance was wonderful, and I appreciated how the Team Leader treated me with such warmth. Kim Jungmi also delegated tasks well, so I think I made it through these two months without any major mistakes, despite it being my first time.”
The manager smiled with satisfaction at Taeseok's words.
He couldn't help but smile, wondering how a young man could speak so pleasantly.
So, with just the two of them there, the manager spoke his honest feelings.
“I've enjoyed having you here, too. It was like seeing my younger self. It reignited my passion, and your positive attitude is infectious.”
The manager's words were completely sincere.
Knowing this, Taeseok bowed his head and replied.
“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”
And then came the manager's real proposal.
“How about it? Staying and working with us in the HR team. Kim Jungmi chose to stay here at this same point last year, and so did our Team Leader Kang Minyul. And now, it's up to you.”
Taeseok broke into a cold sweat at the difficult proposal.
‘I know it's a good and grateful offer, but…’
He could feel that the manager acknowledged him.
He also knew that everyone who worked here was a good person.
Moreover, he knew he could do a meticulous job if he stayed in the HR department, the HR team.
He'd be able to earn a decent salary, too.
But was he supposed to give up the best opportunity?
After his back was healed, Taeseok had wanted to become the best.
He now believed there was nothing he couldn't do.
That's why he had set his mind on going to the Strategic Planning Office, a place only the best minds in the group could enter.
But he couldn't just settle down in the HR department because it was comfortable after trying just one rotation.
Taeseok had always achieved what he set his mind to.
Even with the Academic Credit Bank System, he had succeeded in getting his bachelor's degree when he decided to.
He had succeeded in getting into a major corporation.
He had kept his promise to work hard until his mother's illness was cured.
And now, he was walking smoothly toward his goal: the Strategic Planning Office.
Of course, there were risks.
He knew things wouldn't always go this well.
Still, he hated the idea of staying here without even trying.
The only thing holding him back now was his own heart.
Just then, the manager spoke.
“You must know by now how much influence this place has, handling the group's core personnel. Don't go making things hard for yourself; just stick with me. I'll put you down as staying.”
One step forward toward success.
The manager's voice blocked the way.
But it wasn't a problem.
Taeseok's mind had been made up from the start.
His true feelings flowed out in the manager's office.
“I'm sorry, Manager. I want to aim for the Strategic Planning Office. That's why I came here. I'll give it my all.”
“Is that your answer?”
“Yes, it is.”
The manager responded to Taeseok's words.
“I understand how you feel. I won't try to hold you back anymore. But that means the opportunity will go to Jang Donghoon. I'll ask one more time. You won't regret this choice, right?”
“That's right.”
That evening.
The four-person study group's chat room.
Seo Yoonji: Ugh, what an annoying two months! But my cover's blown, they know I'm aiming for the Strategic Planning Office. My team leader was so surprised when I said I was transferring. He was like, "The Strategic Planning Office?!"
Choi Jinyoung : LMAO, same here! Did you get a good evaluation?
Seo Yoonji: Yup. I think I made a pretty good impression on the branch manager. And since that bastard Kim Taeseok is guaranteed last place in sales, I think I'll get an A or a B.
Kim Hyeonsu : That bastard Kim Taeseok LOL. That psycho didn't get fired this time?
Seo Yoonji: Nope. What about you, Hyeonsu ?
Kim Hyeonsu : An A is probably out of reach for me, so I'll probably get a B or C. I teamed up with Team Leader Kim Minseong instead of Kim Taeseok, and apparently we were supposed to close two deals. But,
Seo Yoonji: But?
Kim Hyeonsu : Because of the mess that bastard Kim Taeseok made last time, we lost a big retirement insurance contract to our competitor, Hwahan Life. So unfortunately, it's a B or C for me.
Choi Jinyoung : LMAO. So Hyeonsu is out of the running for the Strategic Planning Office because of that bastard Kim Taeseok. And Yoonji is probably getting an A because of that bastard Kim Taeseok. LOL. This is hilarious.
Kim Hyeonsu : No I'm not! I can still make it!
Choi Jinyoung : Okay, okay. But what's Taeseok up to? Kim Taeseok! Are you sulking? Kim Taeseok! Did you get an A? B?
Taeseok didn't answer.
He hadn't known that the evaluations were due today.
If he had known, he wouldn't have refused so coldly.
He shook his head at his mistake.
He was being graded on a curve against Jang Donghoon.
If he had said he'd consider the offer to stay in the HR team, the manager would have surely given him an A.
But he had stupidly not thought of that and made a mistake.
What choice had Donghoon made in response to the manager's question?
If Donghoon had chosen to stay, the manager would definitely have given him a higher score.
Just then, the manager came out, fuming.
“Hey! Team Leader Kang! Get these guys' desks out of here!”
“What?”
“I went through all the trouble of talking to them because I liked them both, and what? They won't stay? They refuse? I wasted my affection on them.”
Taeseok was relieved.
‘Right. Hyung, let's aim for the Strategic Planning Office together. It's not like they only pick one person, right? We can both succeed.’
The manager would be fine.
Everyone knew that despite the way he talked, he was a good person at heart.
So he would surely send them off with a good heart when the time came.
But the next day.
When the two of them were alone, Jang Donghoon said something strange.
“Taeseok.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve decided to stay here. I told the manager.”
“What? You’re supposed to go to the Strategic Planning Office, too. You said you were going yesterday!”
“What are you talking about? A talented guy like you should be the one to go.”
“Hey! Then what was all that talk with the manager yesterday?”
Just then, Team Leader Kang Minyul, who was standing beside them, spoke to Taeseok.
“Taeseok, don't be angry. Donghoon deliberately said he wouldn't stay so that you could get an A. When the manager found out today, he clicked his tongue and asked if you two were dating.”
Taeseok chided Jang Donghoon for it.
“You’re an idiot. A real idiot. Honestly, with that kind of mindset, you're better off staying here.”
Team Leader Kang Minyul agreed.
“Taeseok's right about that. With an attitude like that, you'd never get promoted in other departments. If you just give everything away to others, you'll get stabbed in the back and torn to shreds. How are you supposed to climb to the top? So deciding to stay here is a good idea. There's no competition between colleagues in the same intake year here, after all.”
“That's right. You're too damn nice.”
At Taeseok and the Team Leader’s words, Donghoon nodded.
Then he spoke to Taeseok in a regretful tone.
“Heh, alright. I admit it. Thanks for everything.”
Taeseok was incredibly grateful to Jang Donghoon for saying that.
Despite being two years older, he never lorded it over him, always treated him with open honesty, and even looked out for him until the very end.
So he said.
“I'll be sure to repay this debt to you someday.”
“Haha, you idiot. I'm just pushing you into the Strategic Planning Office to make you suffer. Don't you see my real intention? I'm planning to kick back and have an easy time here in the HR team.”
Taeseok didn’t bother to reply to Donghoon’s words.
He only thought to himself.
‘Donghoon, do you think I don't know you? I'll go in your place and work my hardest. And I'll do my best in the Strategic Planning Office and make sure to pull you up with me.’
Two months later, they gathered at the group headquarters, on the second floor.
The head of the Strategic Planning Office smiled at the five people who had reassembled.
“So, how was it? You've all worked for two months in different departments. Was it helpful?”
Taeseok, Yoonji, Jinyoung , and Hyeonsu all nodded.
Then, Jang Donghoon spoke to the head of the office.
“Sir, I would like to remain with the HR team.”
“Is that so? Are you dropping out here?”
“Yes. I believe HR is a better fit for my aptitude. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“Very well. I respect your choice. Is there anyone else who wishes to continue in the department they were assigned to?”
The head of the office looked at the other four.
But no one raised their hand.
“Mr. Jang Donghoon!”
“Yes.”
“Please head down to the HR team. I still have to rotate these four.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Jang Donghoon left the conference room, and the head of the office was about to announce the next assignments.
But just then, the door opened and a man burst in.
*Pant, pant.* He was gasping for breath.
As the other trainees' faces stiffened at the sight of him, the head of the office smiled and spoke.
“Ah, that's right! One more person aiming for the Strategic Planning Office has been added. I'm not sure if you all know each other. This is also Mr. Kim Taeseok! Correct?”
“Yes. Hello, everyone. I'm Kim Taeseok, a 27-year-old new employee. It's a pleasure to be working with you.”
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