Pr: K
“Boss~! We want to order!”
Kang Yibin shouted, raising her hands in the air. Her voice was so loud that all the customers turned to look at her. Jaegyeom’s shoulders twitched in surprise as he fidgeted with his fingers. Yoon Taehee, who was diagonally across from him, gave a small laugh. Jaegyeom frowned slightly and averted his eyes.
“Boss, first, give me two bottles of red soju. Do you have any beer?”
Kang Yibin waved her hand towards the employee who approached her, seeming to be in high spirits. Pyo Jiho was looking at the menu as he gave her an incredulous look.
“Um, Yibin. Shouldn’t we order meat first?”
“I’m thirsty, so let’s start by moistening my throat first.”
At some point, team members started talking comfortably regardless of their positions. Unlike on site, the atmosphere was similar to a meeting of friends. That was how deep the friendship between team members was.
“Whew, Chief, please stop that lunatic.”
Pyo Jiho taunted with a face filled with fear. Yoon Taehee, who was removing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, chuckled. Even while the team members were talking to each other casually, they still used honorifics only for Yoon Taehee. It was the same for Yoon Taehee.
He was a person who had little interest in hierarchy. That was why the team members were able to get along informally with their superior. Yoon Taehee treated his team members as colleagues, regardless of their hierarchy. He worked with the team as a leader, not a boss. However, he drew a clear line in the sand when it came to his personal life.
He did not establish unnecessary hierarchies but also did not allow the distance to be narrower than necessary. He maintained close collegial relationships with his teammates, but that was it. Yoon Taehee thoroughly distinguished between his work and private life. It was safe to say that he rarely ate with his team members unless it was a company dinner like today.
“Manager Kang, are you excited today?”
Yoon Taehee asked playfully, finally stripped down to his suit jacket and wearing just a shirt. His tie crumpled unceremoniously in his jacket pocket.
“Of course! We should go all the way since the youngest is here.”
At Kang Yibin’s exciting declaration, the team members burst into laughter.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Before long, bright red raw meat, several side dishes, and various vegetables were set up. The alcohol that Kang Yibin ordered also proudly occupied one side of the table. As she performed a performance of popping off the cap of a beer bottle with a spoon, the team members cheered and clapped excitedly. The atmosphere was already heating up. The team members became divided into the soju group, the beer group, and the soju-beer mix group, and each chose the type of liquor they liked.
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Meanwhile, Jaegyeom was staring at the meat being cooked on the grill with his mouth open. It seemed like it was written on his face: I hope it cooks quickly. Yoon Taehee watched him and grinned.
“Our apprentice, a fly will go into your mouth.”
The team members’ attention was riveted. The team members looked at the youngest with happy eyes. Jaegyeom looked the other way with a puzzled expression. At that time, Pyo Jiho suddenly handed him an empty beer glass. Jaegyeom, who was quietly rolling his eyes, suddenly took the glass. Pyo Jiho took a sly look at the fat brown bottle.
“Come on, our youngest should have a drink too.”
He subtly suggested a drink in a hushed voice. Then Kang Yibin’s face suddenly hardened. Kang Yibin, who had a younger brother of his age, shook her head resolutely and pushed away Pyo Jiho’s hand.
“What are you doing to a growing teenager?”
Undeterred by Kang Yibin’s disapproval, Pyo Jiho extended his beer bottle once again.
“One glass of beer is okay. You can drink what adults give you.”
“Hey, an adult has to act like an adult to be an adult. Teach good things.”
“Hey, honestly, people should try alcohol once in their youth.”
“Anyway, no. Jaegyeom! Drink Fanta.”
A back-and-forth of grown-ups in their youth ensued.
“…”
Jaegyeom stared at the menu posted on the wall. Beef ribs. Beef brisket. Rib eye. Beef brisket soybean paste stew…
“Well, I heard that in other countries people start drinking at the age of 16, but it’s only in our country that it’s so strict. Huh? It’s just one beer, aiyo.”
Pyo Jiho lamented. Yoon Taehee, who sat next to him, didn’t seem to have any intention of getting involved in the issue of whether to give Jaegyeom alcohol or soda. He just sat with his legs crossed and chuckled quietly.
“Is that what a public official would say? Would it be okay for someone who receives a generous salary from the country to say something like that? If you were the same as before, your neck would have already been hacked.”
Kang Yibin rolled her eyes and pretended to jab the back of Pyo Jiho’s neck. Then, the latter’s complexion changed completely and he quickly raised his hand in a salute.
“Ohh, sorry. If you pay me, I’ll be patriotic. Loyalty.”
Pfft, Jaegyeom burst out laughing without realizing it. The two people’s actions were so outrageous and ridiculous that he couldn’t help but laugh. Then his eyes met Yoon Taehee, who was resting his chin.
As their gaze met, Yoon Taehee’s eyes became like half moons.
“…”
Jaegyeom felt embarrassed and pretended to fiddle with his chopsticks while the other team members who were watching the two bickering laughed so hard that they were dying of laughter.
In the end, Jaegyeom’s cup was filled with Fanta. Jaegyeom, who didn’t really enjoy drinking, felt no particular disappointment. It wasn’t that he hated alcohol. If he did drink, he liked rice wine like Makgeolli and Dongdongju, but he had never tried modern soju or beer, so he had no interest.
“Now that our glasses are full, shall we make a toast?”
Kang Yibin led the atmosphere cheerfully by clapping her hands.
“Now, pay attention, the chief has a word to say!”
The team members clapped their hands in agreement. Yoon Taehee, who was sitting languidly with his legs crossed, pointed a finger at himself, “Me?”
Everyone burst out laughing. Yoon Taehee, who had an expression like he was hearing this for the first time, soon obediently got up from his seat, though he didn’t take the initiative. Jaegyeom stared at Yoon Taehee in disbelief.
The man stood leisurely, with one hand on the table.
“I was away for a while, so everyone had a hard time while I was gone…”
Yoon Taehee continued his words of encouragement, focusing his gaze on each of his team members kindly. The team members raised their glasses one by one. Jaegyeom also looked at him and hesitantly raised his glass.
Yoon Taehee’s gaze stopped when he reached Jaegyeom.
“Last but not least… our new apprentice.”
A clear dimple appeared on Yoon Taehee’s cheeks.
“He’s a precious person, so please treat him as such.”
It was a short but powerful ending. Jaegyeom’s eyes fluttered rapidly. ‘A precious child’… Suddenly, a faded voice he had heard a long time ago came to his mind. Yoon Taehee’s voice seemed to overlap above it.
Ah, there was one more person who told me I’m precious…
“Well, then….”
Yoon Taehee smiled and raised his glass.
“For our success!”
The exorcists recited and toasted in unison. Jaegyeom’s hand, missing the timing, wandered in the air. Seeing this, Yoon Taehee stretched out his arm and clinked his glass. As the glasses came from all directions, several small toasts followed. Every time the glass touched, a clear clunking sound spread.
While watching Yoon Taehee and others empty their glasses, Jaegyeom rubbed his slightly flushed cheek. He suddenly looked down at the glass in his hand. The lingering sound of the toast left ripples and shook the surface.
“…”
Hesitantly, Jaegyeom took a sip of Fanta. The crisp carbonation slid down his throat. The corner of his chest flared. The tingling sensation was similar to excitement.
Until recently, he could never have dreamed of something like this. He took a test for the first time in his life, went to a department store and bought clothes, had a meal fit for a king, and had a company dinner together like he only saw on TV. These days, he was trying a lot of things for the first time, so every day felt strange and awkward. Maybe he was even excited.
But he should not forget what he was here for.
Speaking of success, Yoon Taehee and his success. To destroy Naryecheong, that’s why he was here. They clinked glasses without thinking, but they were just hanging out for a bit for the sake of planning. And all these moments would become nothing as time passes.
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Always looking forward to the new chapter, thank you!