Series: The All-Rounder Employee Becomes a Legend
Chapter: 47
Title: We're All in This Together, No Secrets!
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A colleague greeted Yoonji, who was alone.
“Yoonji!”
“Oh? Hyeonsu, what are you doing here?”
“I was assigned to the Secretariat today. The Head of Planning told me to work here for two months. So, since I was coming anyway, I thought I should say hello.”
“Really?”
The two weren't awkward with each other since they had been in the same study group.
So, Hyeonsu naturally reached for the photo in Yoonji's hand.
“Huh? What's that black and white photo? Let me see!”
“Hey! No-don't!”
“Ooh~ It's a picture of a little kid. Who is it?”
“Give it back. It's important! Hey!”
Just then, the Chief of Staff returned.
“Shh! What do you think you're doing? Is this a place for idle chatter?”
At his scolding, Yoonji admitted her fault, and Hyeonsu also bowed his head.
“I'm sorry, Chief. The chairman has already left for the day.”
“I'm sorry.”
The Chief of Staff shook his head and asked.
“Is that what you have to say? Are you saying it's okay to be noisy just because the chairman isn't here?”
Yoonji bit her lip hard.
In times like these, there was only one thing to do.
Keep your head down.
“Chief. I have no excuse. I'm truly sorry.”
After the brief outburst.
The Chief confirmed the chairman wasn't there and spoke to Kim Hyeonsu.
“And you are?”
“I've been assigned here for the two-month rotation. I'm new employee Kim Hyeonsu.”
“Is that so?”
The Chief of Staff grinned.
He had been hoping for a male secretary.
And for him to make a mistake on his very first day felt good.
“You're on my bad side from day one. Got it?”
“Yes. I'm sorry.”
A perfect power play. Kim Hyeonsu keenly felt his mistake and regretted his decision to come here today.
Once things quieted down, Seo Yoonji spoke up.
“Chief!”
“Yes. Secretary Seo, go ahead.”
“The chairman asked me to give this to you, Chief.”
“Ah, did he? Alright. I'll take a look. Give it to me.”
“Yes.”
The Chief's expression hardened after receiving the black and white photo.
He recalled the chairman of the past.
‘Chairman, do you still hold onto lingering feelings for your son in a corner of your heart?’
Then he turned and said,
“Secretary Seo?"
"Yes!"
"The chairman or vice-chairman might come back... so wait for another hour before you leave today. When you go, turn off all the lights.”
“Yes…”
* * *
40 minutes later, at an indoor pojangmacha near Gangnam Station.
It was the day of the first get-together for the new hires.
Taeseok greeted everyone warmly.
“We finally all made it. Why is it so hard for everyone to find the time?”
Kim Hyeonsu laughed and replied to Taeseok's words.
“Ah, sorry. I went to the Secretariat and got into trouble. I think I'm on the Chief of Staff's bad side. How am I supposed to go to work there tomorrow? I don't want to go.”
At that, Choi Jinyoung grinned and said,
“Hehehe. Everyone here is jealous of you. Look at Seo Yoonji. She left the Strategic Planning Office and jumped ship to the Secretariat right away. Isn't she a total opportunist?”
Hearing this, Jang Donghoon, who had a crush on Yoonji, smiled triumphantly.
‘What? I thought this guy, Choi Jinyoung, liked Yoonji. One less rival.’
Taeseok, knowing why Donghoon was smiling, asked him.
“Donghoon, what are you smiling about?”
“It's nothing.”
Spicy chicken feet and soju.
The perfect combination for a gathering of colleagues.
They passed around drinks and shared their stories.
Choi Jinyoung, who was now heading to El Sung Life Insurance, was the first to ask Taeseok a question.
“Taeseok, you're really amazing. How did you become the Rookie King?”
“I just worked hard.”
“Give me some hints.”
“Pay attention during training. First, get the necessary certifications, and then just do what your Team Leader tells you to do. That's it.”
“Okay. Sounds easy.”
And then Kim Hyeonsu.
“Donghoon! Thanks for everything during my two months in HR. You're really incredible.”
“Yeah. Hyeonsu! You worked hard too.”
“Not at all. You're the one who really went through a lot with me.”
Just then, a woman entered the venue.
Seeing her, Taeseok stood up and waved.
“Yoonji! Over here!”
“Oh. Everyone's here already?”
“Yeah. You're the last one. Here, sit down.”
Taeseok had Yoonji sit next to Jang Donghoon, playing matchmaker between the two.
“Yoonji. You remember him, right? This is Donghoon!”
“Hello. We've seen each other around, right?”
“Ah~ yes.”
Jang Donghoon had asked for an introduction.
But he couldn't muster the courage and just smiled broadly.
Seeing this, Kim Taeseok shook his head at Jang Donghoon's awkwardness and said,
“Now that everyone's here, let's pour a round.”
As everyone filled their glasses, Kim Taeseok took the lead to liven up the mood.
“When I shout 'To our salaries!', everyone shout back 'Cheers!'. To our salaries!”
“Cheers!”
As the alcohol started to flow, everyone began to loudly share what was on their minds.
Taeseok felt a little relieved seeing Donghoon sticking close to Yoonji and trying to start a conversation.
‘This guy really needs a drink to loosen up.’
Perhaps because of that, he decided to leave the two of them to it and turned his attention to Jinyoung and Hyeonsu.
“Hyeonsu. When are you taking your vacation days?”
“Vacation days in name only. They have to give you time to actually use them.”
“Isn't the HR team not that busy?”
“It's fucking busy. Hella busy.”
“Hahaha, hella busy, he says. You've got a foul mouth.”
“You've got a big mouth yourself, you know?”
Meanwhile, next to them.
Yoonji and Donghoon, buzzed from the alcohol.
“Donghoon oppa! Is it okay if I call you oppa?”
“Of course! Absolutely!”
“Oppa, where do you live?”
“Me, my family home is in Sokcho. But I got a place now and live near Isu Station. What about you, Yoonji?”
“Ah, I'm in Seongsan, Mapo-gu.”
“Oh, that's close to me.”
“It's not that close, though?”
Awkward at Yoonji's response, Donghoon threw out another question to try and impress her.
“An apartment?”
“Yes.”
At first, she was receptive.
“Oh, you must be rich! Which apartment complex?”
But when he asked which one, her attitude suddenly changed.
“Donghoon oppa, why are you so interested in me?”
“It's not that I'm interested, I was just curious.”
“Whatever!”
“Sorry.”
Taeseok shook his head, watching Jang Donghoon's approach.
So he spoke up.
“Donghoon! You were in the wrong there with Yoonji. You made a mistake, so take a shot!”
“Huh? Oh.”
“Not soju, make it a somaek!”
“Ah, oh.”
Yoonji grinned at Taeseok's actions.
A smile couldn't help but spread across her lips as Taeseok handled Jang Donghoon for her.
Maybe because it was a gathering of colleagues, the atmosphere was good.
Taeseok genuinely rooted for the love life of Jang Donghoon, with whom he was close. He hoped he would muster the courage and things would go well with Yoonji. That's why he was trying to liven up the mood.
But then... the worst-case scenario happened. Someone else joined their table.
“Everyone's here already?”
A moment of silence.
Then, Yoonji spoke to him.
“Taeseok oppa! Why are you so late?”
“Late? I came straight from the airport. Good to see you all! You know who I am, right?”
The woman grinned at the appearance of the chaebol Taeseok.
Yoonji, who had forced him to come when he didn't want to, thought to herself.
‘A man really is what a woman makes of him.’
She looked at Donghoon and said.
“Donghoon oppa, Taeseok oppa needs to sit next to me. So please move.”
“……”
Jang Donghoon was dumbfounded.
His face suddenly soured as if he'd tasted something foul.
The Dirt Spoon Taeseok instantly grasped the relationship between Yoonji and him and said to Jang Donghoon.
“Hey, get up and come sit next to me.”
“Ah…”
“What 'ah'? Just hurry up and come.”
Just moments ago, Kim Taeseok had been leading the mood.
And now?
The chaebol Taeseok, his namesake, was taking over.
“Am I the oldest here? I can speak casually, right? Let's all get along!”
The man had a neat two-block haircut.
Flawless in fashion but lacking in character, his presence made everyone uncomfortable as he sat down.
Nevertheless, he didn't care. He immediately started bragging, but he could hold his liquor and was a smooth talker.
“Do you know how much I suffered at El Sung Shipping? Phew! I went overseas, and this Black guy was giving me a fucking dirty look. So I warned him, 'Don't you look at me like that.' Hehehe.”
“Oppa~ that's so embarrassing. Don't tell that story.”
“Baby. Hold on. How dare you! Your amazing oppa is talking!”
“Ugh, he's drunk again.”
“Just listen. But somehow the Black bastard understood and fucking punched me in the face. So I hit him back hard. We were going at it on the ship, trading blows, and I just lost it. I thought the Black bastard was just fucking fluent in Korean. But you know what he told me later? He said he heard 'Ni geureon sig-euro' as 'Negro' and thought I was being racist! Haha, isn't that fucking hilarious?”
“……”
Awkward. Crickets.
Despite that, he continued with his story to the end.
“But it all got sorted out when Yoonji talked to the guy on the phone. See, you've gotta be good at English! Don't you all agree?”
In the end, it was a story about how he had caused trouble.
But, as if unaware he'd done anything wrong, he told it like some heroic tale.
Yet no one told him he was in the wrong. The worst of the worst pains in the ass. He continued his rambling story.
“When it comes to cars, I can't bring myself to ride in a BMV among German cars. Feels cheap. You guys shouldn't ride in them either. They mess with the discount prices so much!”
“Oppa~ you're drunk. Let's go.”
“Ah, you guys don't need to pay. I'll take care of it all.”
The chaebol Taeseok got drunk, and his story began and ended with bragging.
As Yoonji helped him out, everyone else watched with bewildered expressions.
Jang Donghoon, fuming, opened his mouth.
“Are they dating?”
Taeseok then comforted him.
“Looks like it, doesn't it?”
But Jang Donghoon still seemed upset.
“That Yoonji, she’s just a gold digger.”
“Come on, man. Women always choose a stable guy. She’s taken. Just forget about her.”
“Ah, that chaebol bastard. Makes me feel pathetic.”
At that, Kim Hyeonsu grinned.
“Hehe, Donghoon. At least he paid before he left.”
Choi Jinyoung also chimed in with a positive look.
“Then that's all that matters. I'm always happy to have someone footing the bill.”
Taeseok was tired.
This wasn't why he'd wanted to get together with his colleagues.
Maybe it was because he'd had a lot to drink, but he also needed to use the restroom.
“I'm gonna go to the restroom.”
“Okay.”
After Taeseok left, while they were talking, his phone rang.
Hyeonsu checked the screen and said,
“Looks like it's a call from Taeseok's mom.”
Jinyoung, who was drinking with Donghoon, stopped and replied to Hyeonsu.
“You answer it.”
So, Kim Hyeonsu answered the phone.
“Hello? This is Taeseok's phone. I'm answering for him.”
- Oh, my son, where did he go?
“Yes, ma'am. I'm a friend of Taeseok's. He's in the restroom right now, so I answered for him.”
- Okay. I'll call back later.
“Yes.”
The call ended, and just then, Taeseok returned.
“Huh? Did someone call?”
“Yeah. It was your mom.”
“Really?”
Then, Kim Hyeonsu's eyes fell on an old black-and-white photograph.
“Huh? What's this picture?”
“Ah, it's a picture of my dad when he was young.”
“Really? There are a lot of people in it. Which one is your father?”
“Um… here.”
“Oh?”
He seemed drunk as he pointed vaguely with his hand.
It was the spot next to the person who looked like the director.
Kim Hyeonsu was about to look up and compare the father's face to Taeseok's when Choi Jinyoung made a suggestion to the group.
“Hey! Let's get going. Donghoon is completely wasted.”
“Yeah! Let's go!”
The drinking party ended there.
Taeseok said his reluctant goodbyes to his colleagues and called his mom while taking a taxi home.
“Mom, is something wrong?”
- Wrong? Of course not! My son! Are you doing well at work?
“Of course. Mom, you can count on your son.”
- Okay, good. When are you coming down again?
“I'll probably come down sometime next week if I have time.”
- Okay. Make sure you eat well.
“Yes. I will. Bye.”
- Okay.
After getting home, Taeseok washed up and immediately lay down.
His life at El Sung Electronics will begin tomorrow.
But suddenly, a message arrived on his phone.
GangnamHottie has been invited by Seo Yoonji and has joined the chatroom.
[Current members: 6]
Seo Yoonji: Taeseok oppa, I've invited you.
GangnamHottie: OK OK. We all met today, right? Let's all get along.
Seeing this, Taeseok immediately posted a reply.
Kim Taeseok: Ah, it's a pleasure.
GangnamHottie: Taeseok! lol. Stop getting first place. The Chairman gives me so much shit because of you.
Kim Taeseok: Yes~! You drank a lot today, aren't you drunk?
GangnamHottie: Not drunk. In a hotel room now. Having another glass of wine with Yoonji.
Suddenly, the chatroom went silent. Two minutes later, a new message appeared.
Seo Yoonji: We're just drinking wine. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm going to put him to bed and then leave.
And then, silence. Someone invited Taeseok to a new chatroom.
Kim Taeseok has been invited by Jang Donghoon and has joined the chatroom.
[Current members: 4]
Jang Donghoon: Made a new room. Even if we're colleagues, we're on completely different levels. Can't hang out with them.
Choi Jinyoung: Hahaha, Donghoon's pissed because he got shot down by Yoonji today. He's with me at the jjimjilbang right now. lol
Kim Hyeonsu: lol. I'm at the jjimjilbang too. Taeseok, you should come too.
Kim Taeseok: ㅡ.ㅡ;;
Jang Donghoon: From now on, if Seo Yoonji and that Kim Taeseok punk cause any trouble, we’ll share it in this chatroom. OK?
Choi Jinyoung: hahaha
Kim Hyeonsu: OK OK
Kim Taeseok: Hey! Calling 'Kim Taeseok' a punk bothers me.
Jang Donghoon: lol, then you should change your name. Anyway, from now on, we're all in this together. No secrets from each other. Got it?
Choi Jinyoung: hahaha. Yes, sir!
Kim Hyeonsu: Sounds good.
Kim Taeseok: ㅡ.ㅡ;;
Kim Taeseok sighed.
‘A little drama caused by having the same name.’
Just then, an unknown window popped up.
[Main Quest: Salesperson of the Month]
Become the top salesperson and meet the Chairman.
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