“Are you leaving work now?”
I turned my head and asked, and Deputy Park swayed his head faintly with closed eyes.
“I haven’t finished yet. I have to give this to Han Team Leader by today. I should call home since it’s getting late.”
“Didn’t Deputy Park say he’s leaving today?”
Supervisor Kim’s head, which came up over the partition, asked.
“Not to the hometown in Daegu? It’s already getting dark, when are you planning to go down?”
“Oh… that’s right.”
Deputy Park, who pushed his chair back, took out his phone, stared at the screen for a moment, and then collapsed again with a groan.
“I have to go home too. My wife must be waiting, and she’s probably already packed. This is a big problem.”
“Why don’t you just go tomorrow morning?”
“Going down tomorrow morning is the most congested. And I couldn’t go during the year-end, and since our company doesn’t take Mondays off, I’ll be working. The traffic is probably already congested now, right? How do I find out how long it takes?”
“If you search, it should come up, probably. Real-time information is available.”
Supervisor Kim pulled the chair over to this side. She seemed to have a slightly irritated expression, perhaps wanting to chat because Han Team Leader had been absent from his seat for a while. I listened to the conversation between Deputy Park, who began searching for traffic information on his phone, and Supervisor Kim with one ear. Deputy Park, who was unexpectedly tapping my shoulder, turned me around and made me sit.
“Is Lee Seodan going home tomorrow?”
“…Yes?”
“Where are you going? Where is your hometown?”
Supervisor Kim, too, was looking at me side by side with Deputy Park. I pushed my chair back because I felt overwhelmed by the pouring gaze.
“I plan to go to work tomorrow too…”
“Huh?”
“Why?”
Both of them asked at the same time. Surprised by the unexpected commotion, I opened my mouth and then closed it.
“You’re not going at all? Where is your hometown?”
“…Seoul, but….”
“Oh, really? That’s nice. I envy people whose parents live in Seoul the most. Even during the year-end, I went to my wife’s hometown, which is north of Busan. It’s a mess at every rest area, and the kid vomits and cries in the back seat….”
It seemed like Deputy Park had completely given up on finishing work, as he turned his chair around, sat down, and began chatting away. Just as Deputy Kwon entered through the door, he asked, “Who’s vomiting and crying?”
“Our daughter. Last year, when we went down to Busan by car… it was a disaster.”
“Ah… Are you going down to Busan this time too?”
“No, this time it’s Daegu. Deputy Kwon, you’re in Seoul, right?”
“Until last year, I was in Seoul, but my in-laws returned to their hometown, so… I have to go down this time too. I’ll leave early tomorrow morning… it won’t take half a day, right?”
The conversation shifted back to traffic talk, complaints from Deputy Park about having many siblings, and how his spine aches because of the nieces and nephews’ New Year’s money. Feeling relieved that all attention seemed to have shifted away from me, I was about to turn my head when I saw Supervisor Kim’s smiling face behind Deputy Park’s shoulder. At that moment, for no apparent reason, I thought of my younger sister.
“…Our house is small, so we have to squeeze and sleep with the kids, five in each room….”
“…How do you feed so many family members? Without buying separate food…?”
What was similar? Was it the similar length of unkempt hair that could be tied up, or the assertive and blunt way of speaking? No, that wasn’t really a distinctive feature or anything, but whenever I saw a woman of that age group, regardless of who it was, there were times when my younger sister naturally came to mind. Maybe that’s why I tended to attract attention from college-looking girls on the street.
I touched the phone on the desk and then put my hand away. At that moment, the conversation circled back to me.
“Lee Seodan, do you still live with your parents?”
“Yes?”
“No, because he said he’s going to work.”
“You’re coming to work? Tomorrow?”
It was Deputy Kwon. I nodded as I looked up at his contorted expression.
“I don’t live with my parents… I have my own place.”
“Oh, then maybe we can go out in the evening? It must be nice not to worry about going down south.”
“Ah… yes.”
At that moment, Deputy Park’s phone rang. Fortunately, the conversation was interrupted. While Deputy Park was finishing the call, mixing apologies and excuses with inappropriate aegyo, the rest of the team members returned to their seats. It was a ghostly timing, knowing how it happened. The door to the now-silent meeting room opened, and Han Team Leader and Deputy Yoon entered together.
Finishing the call without noticing Han Team Leader behind him, Deputy Park turned his chair and bumped the back of his head against the backrest.
“Deputy Park.”
“Team leader.”
Normally, Han Team Leader would have sharply criticized Deputy Park with words like ‘no personal calls during work hours,’ but today, he just looked down, sighed silently, and spoke.
“Go home now. I’ll handle the rest, so send it to my email. Take a good rest, and let’s come to work on time on Monday.”
“Really?”
Even as he confirmed, Deputy Park was already speechless. On the other hand, Deputy Kwon looked up and asked.
“Team leader, aren’t you leaving work now?”
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.
“No, I’m not. Deputy Kwon, if your work is done, leave early too.”
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“Vfbei lr ws tbwfabkc. P vbc’a tjnf rqfmlolm qijcr obg atf Oecjg Rfk Tfjg, jcv P qijc ab kbgx cbgwjiis ecali abwbggbk.”
“What? Are you also coming to work, team leader?”
Deputy Park spoke with an intrigued tone.
“So, tomorrow it will be just Lee Seodan and you staying at the company.”
At that moment, my gaze became entangled. I felt my heart drop, tightly gripping my fingers under the desk. Deputy Park continued talking as if he knew nothing about my mood.
“Lee Seodan also mentioned that he’ll be coming to work tomorrow since he doesn’t have to go home.”
“Oh, I… ”
“Is that so?”
Han Team Leader subtly smiled, fixating his gaze on me. Resigned, I closed my mouth, thinking about spending the whole day alone with him in the meeting room, and it already felt suffocating.
Moreover, the next day was Saturday. A worker who desperately wished for weekends to not come every week probably existed not only in this room but throughout the entire company.
I saved the files and shut down the computer. Following the early leavers among my team members, I trailed behind them. In the lobby, we exchanged greetings, and as we exited through the revolving door, the path was crowded with office workers heading home, a rare sight.
That night, instead of going straight home, I stopped by the mart. It wasn’t the 24-hour neighborhood mart on the way from the station to my house but a large mart where I had to walk twenty minutes in the opposite direction.
Holding a yellow basket at the entrance, I descended the escalator and found the vegetable section. It was mixed with families doing last-minute holiday shopping. Every time a cart passed, I stepped aside, meticulously measuring the circumference of vegetables with my fingers.
Two bananas, three cucumbers.
When everything was in, the basket felt hefty. The cashier at the counter, who received the basket with swift hands, had a face that seemed like she might die from the stress of work. Even when I, belatedly at the counter, placed a box of condoms on the counter, she didn’t notice anything, nor did she ask anything.
Having opened the door with much tension, the meeting room was empty, making my effort seem futile. Chilly air circulated in the dark space. Turning on the lights and raising the heating switch, I approached the window and pulled up the blinds. Outside the company’s front walkway visible through the window, there was not a single person passing by. I took off my coat and hung it up, then took out a university textbook I had been reading on the subway.
I flicked the stiff pages a few times, and using the mix coffee packaging I had bookmarked, I opened the book to a page where it stuck out. Despite studying, my mind was preoccupied with when the meeting room door behind me would open. Han Team Leader didn’t show up until the usual working hours. Whether something happened or for another reason, it wasn’t because of me. From my perspective, there was more than enough reason to avoid him, but he clearly wouldn’t care whether I was there or not.
He had said that the suggestion for a deal was not due to resentment, but now I could vaguely understand the expression he had during the interview that day. Wandering through the company like a cheap joke, what did he think when he heard rumors about my unfortunate accident? Did he despise me for being ignorant, or did he find it pathetic? Did he want to prove that I was wrong in such an extreme way, showing it with his own body?
My chest felt tight as if something was choking me. I spun the chair around and sat down, leaning on the computer. Staring blankly at the empty conference room table, I blinked absentmindedly, and then I heard the sound of the door handle turning. The door opened, and I made eye contact with Han Team Leader who entered without any time to avoid him.
He paused for a moment, looking at me. The tired expression that had clearly shown irritation now concealed itself, sinking into the familiar expressionless face. It was a brief moment. Turning away from me and placing his bag on the table, he spoke.
“I didn’t think you’d really come to work.”
“…You told me not to take work home.”
My words came out as if I were blaming him, even though that wasn’t my intention. Han Team Leader, without much reaction, began taking out documents from his bag and arranging them on the table. After a while, he lowered the bag to the floor and spoke.
“I didn’t mean you shouldn’t take work home when I said that. But your responses are always well-prepared.”
It wasn’t a reproachful tone. I tried to apologize but ended up closing my mouth quietly. Han Team Leader, placing his hands on his waist, continued to look down at the arranged documents, then turned his gaze towards me.
“The consulting team members are scheduled to come in briefly in the afternoon, so it seems I’ll be in the department. If you have any questions or things to confirm with me, try to resolve them in the morning. After that, if you need me, you can come to the department directly, or contact me by email.”
“Yes.”
For me, it was rather fortunate. Han Team Leader walked towards me and took a chair from his own desk, then walked away with it. Now that I noticed, he had no tie, and the top button of his white shirt was undone. While struggling to choose comfortable clothes in the morning and momentarily hesitating, I took a glimpse of his side as he organized documents, then pulled my tie a few times, loosening it slightly.
The suffocating breath was now relieved, but the problem was the work. Without Deputy Park, who always sincerely answered my questions, the parts that kept getting stuck became more noticeable. Each time, I would put a star or highlight them and move on. Raising his shirt sleeves up to the elbows and immersed in documents, I looked at him a few times cautiously. I opened my mouth but closed it again.
Then, a part that I couldn’t bypass without asking appeared like a colossal wall blocking my way. I chewed the tip of my tongue between my slightly parted lips. When I was about to take a deep breath and open my mouth,
“What?”
He said without looking up. The pen on the tablet was still moving rapidly.
“If you have any questions, bring them here.”
“…You seem busy.”
“Lee Seodan, worry about your own work first.”
His voice was deep and resonant. I attempted to get up, but realized there was no way to bring what was displayed on the computer screen to his side.
“Team Leader.”
This time, he paused with the pen in his hand and looked up. I spoke with an expression that wouldn’t provoke his emotions unnecessarily.
“Could you come over here?”
Han Team Leader stared at me for a moment, then wordlessly stood up from his seat. As he walked towards me, I shifted the chair as far to the side as possible. Leaning against the partition, he looked down at my screen, chuckled lightly in the gust of wind, and said, “Quite a mess. What have you been doing all this time without asking?”
“…Ah.”
Because I hadn’t scrolled down, the parts I had highlighted in yellow since earlier were all clearly visible to him. Han Team Leader reached out and took hold of the mouse. Resting one hand on the armrest, he bent over and scrolled to the top, carefully examining the screen. The distance was close enough to see the tiny movements of the collar between the spread lapels. I leaned my body as far back as possible, fixing my gaze on my knees.
“You don’t have to show me everything. If there’s something I really don’t understand later, I can ask separately, or when Deputy Park comes back….”
Han Team Leader didn’t respond at all. I couldn’t help but shift my gaze to the screen he was looking at. The mouse pointer was heavily marked with stars, and above the note saying ‘What’s this???’ it had come to a stop. Suddenly, my cheeks flushed with heat.
“Team Leader….”
Beneath that, there were abundant notes such as ‘!!!??????!!!,’ ‘←Needs confirmation!,’ ‘Fix later!!,’ and more. Han Team Leader’s profile seemed subtly amused, as if he was smiling. His eye corners seemed to be folded.
“Where should we start?”
“Ah… then, at the bottom, that…”
I wanted to retrieve the mouse, but his hand didn’t budge. Carefully lifting my hand to his side, only then did his neat fingers reluctantly retreat. I gripped the mouse he handed over. The plastic, marked with warmth, pressed against my palm like a cold touch.
“You just need to let me know about this part. I’m confused about which process to use….”
Carefully examining the part I pointed to, he opened his mouth.
“There are merits on both sides, so don’t just listen to my opinion, refer to the materials. If you go into the Rebuy, Assistant Manager Kwon probably uploaded the analysis. If you still don’t understand after checking the materials, ask me again. … Anything else?”
“…Then this too… I don’t understand this terminology. I looked it up, but it didn’t come up.”
I had felt it before, but Han Team Leader, when teaching something, seemed like a different person. Not verbose, but meticulous, each answer pierced through the peak of curiosity as if he had read my mind. Enchanted by his clarity and the unsaid patience, I rolled questions towards him like a squirrel, wasting thirty minutes of his time. It wasn’t until I belatedly realized, looking at his wristwatch, that he needed to leave for the consulting department.
“Do you have to go to the consulting department now?”
“No.”
Han Team Leader, who had brought over Manager Park’s chair from the middle and sat down, pushed the chair back. Rising, he pressed my keyboard to save the document and blacked out the screen.
“Let’s go for lunch.”
“…Now?”
“It’s already past twelve.”
It was true. While I checked the clock on the conference room wall, Han Team Leader, who had adjusted the sleeves and even put on a coat, was already standing. I stared at him for a while, then pushed the chair he had been sitting in back to its place. I hesitated, putting my hand on the coat draped over the chair.
“Come on. Let’s go out and eat something simple.”
He had opened the door to the conference room, seemingly realizing the uncooperative attitude.
“Are you going to say you’re not hungry again?”
“… I’ll buy something from the convenience store. You should go to the consulting department, and the other team members might have already arrived.”
“I’ve received a message that they’re here. There’s no problem; we’ll eat lunch and go in. And the convenience store is closed today. Stop talking nonsense and come this way.”
I had forgotten that it was a holiday. If I continued to delay, there was a high chance of being dragged to the parking lot where his car was, just like last time. Seeing traces of irritation slowly appearing on his neat face, my heart raced.
“There’s a convenience store right next door, so it’s okay.”
“…Lee Seodan.”
His voice was low. My lips involuntarily bit down. He pulled out his vibrating phone from his pocket after seeing the screen; then, with force on his closed lips, he put it back into his pocket. He nonchalantly went to the conference room door and opened it.
“Whether you go to the convenience store or not.”
“Yes?”
“Follow me. Stop dawdling.”
Now with no more excuses, I reluctantly wrapped my scarf and hastily grabbed my coat and wallet to follow him. Through the hallway, elevator, and the company lobby, I occasionally kept pace behind him with short steps. Diagonally crossing the lobby, he stopped in front of the left entrance and turned towards me.
“It’s cold outside. Dress properly.”
“…Yes.”
Since he walked fast, I followed him, wrapping one arm in my coat and wearing it haphazardly. In the process of putting my arm in, he pointed out my appearance once again.
“Properly tie your tie. If you’re going to loosen it, loosen it completely. It looks messy halfway.”
“…Yes.”
When I tried to untie my scarf and raise my tie, it didn’t work well. He watched as I struggled with my hand stuck in the coat, making my hand unwilling to listen. Eventually, I pulled the tie down completely and folded it roughly. Han Team Leader seemed to be looking for something else to criticize, but he himself had a loose tie with the shirt buttons open and had casually put on a black overcoat without fastening it. Yet, despite that, he gave off a clean impression to the extent that there seemed to be no words about being messy.
After rolling the tie and stuffing it into the coat pocket, a round lump protruded from the pocket. I wrapped the scarf neatly around my bare neck to cover it. Han Team Leader, who seemed like he was about to say something else, glanced at me and opened the door with a condescending look. The wintry air that rushed in was piercing. The not-yet-melted snow was dirty, scattered around the road.
As the convenience store logo began to appear, I opened my mouth in sudden realization, then closed it. The image of him, who didn’t even drink coffee mix, eating convenience store triangle kimbap or ramen, was hard to imagine. Apparently, having the same thought, when the automatic door of the convenience store slid open, he dryly said something.
“Since you’re having a meal in a place like this, Lee Seodan is grumbling, right?”
The air in the convenience store was warm with the smell of food. It was advisable to quickly buy something and leave. Thinking of buying a lunch box and going back to the office to eat, I fidgeted behind his standing shoulders. A man and a woman were sitting across from each other at a table beside the section where lunch boxes were displayed.
“Team Leader!”
The woman, who raised her head at that moment, widened her eyes and waved her hand. The man also looked up, putting down his chopsticks and laughing aloud.
“Team Leader is here too?”
Now that I looked closely, the faces were familiar. They were the faces I had seen when I followed Han Team Leader to the consulting department for greetings last time.
“You said you would have lunch separately.”
“So we came out to grab something quickly. We didn’t know when you’d come.”
“Why are there so many people grabbing something quickly?”
Even with a dry response, the female employee laughed brightly. She promptly cleared her bag from the chair and moved it aside so that Han Team Leader could sit. At that moment, the man, who had extended only his head behind Han Team Leader, noticed me.
“Oh, it’s the youngest from TF.”
My eyes met with the woman’s as she looked up. Seeing her slightly furrowed brow, I quickly lowered my head and greeted.
“Youngest, come and sit. Oh, what would you like to eat? What about Team Leader?”
“It’s okay.”
Han Team Leader, who was looking at the lunch box section with a disgruntled look, answered. He took out his wallet from the coat pocket and handed me his card.
“Go and buy whatever you want. We’ll be sitting here.”
“…It’s okay.”
I stepped back a few paces. Han Team Leader raised his eyebrows slowly.
“Are you refusing to eat, or do you not want to pay with my card?”
“…If Team Leader won’t eat, I’ll buy something myself. It’s not expensive…”
“It’s not expensive, so there’s no reason to refuse. I don’t know what the problem is. If we had gone to a different restaurant, would Lee Seodan have split the bill with me?”
The presence of the audience was uncomfortable. The man, seemingly forgetting even to eat, was staring at me with chopsticks pressed against his chin. Han Team Leader tried to lift my wrist to place the card. Our bodies became so close that our shoulders touched.
“Why are you so reluctant to have a meal on my account?”
His eyes silently questioned me as if speaking only to me. The strength in the long fingers grasping my wrist was undeniable. To avoid the situation, I reluctantly accepted the card. At that moment, the woman waved her hand to draw attention and cheerfully spoke.
“How about I buy it?”
“…What?”
“We’re on the same team, officially. So, I’ll treat you. I’ll buy it, sorry it’s just convenience store food. What do you want to eat?”
“…No, it’s okay.”
The woman seemed to be amused, smiling as if she was just trying it out. I turned away from Han Team Leader, holding his card, and entered the space between the convenience store shelves. Ramen, snacks, and drinking snacks filled the shelves beyond. Sounds of conversation reached my ears. Han Team Leader’s voice, followed by someone’s laughter. I took a moment to catch my breath, closing and opening my eyes.
Although I was hungry, I didn’t have much appetite. When I touched it with the tip of my tongue, the roof of my mouth and the inside of my cheeks seemed swollen, and each swallow felt stifling, as if I had caught a cold. It was the aftermath of an untimely late-night cramming session.
Holding his card in my palm, I surveyed the convenience store meticulously, like someone who had just received a mission. A square castella, three triangular kimbaps, and an apple-flavored soda. I placed the lunch he was going to pay for side by side with my own selection on the counter. Beep, beep, the cashier, who scanned the barcodes, reached out to take Han Team Leader’s card. The items I picked were neatly packed into a black bag.
“What did you buy?”
Returning to the table, the woman asked curiously. Placing the card in front of Han Team Leader, I answered.
“I bought triangular kimbap and bread.”
“That’s all you bought? Why didn’t you buy something more expensive? It’s Han Team Leader’s personal card. He gives you a lot of work, right? Usually, people take revenge at times like this.”
The last sentence was whispered, leaning toward me as if it were a secret. Han Team Leader frowned but said nothing, calmly took back the card, and put it back into his wallet. Pointing to the seat across from them, the woman cheerfully said,
“Sit down, why are you standing?”
“I plan to eat at the company.”
“Hmm? Why?”
I felt the gaze of Han Team Leader, but ignored it.
“You need to discuss work, and I feel like I might be a disturbance. Also, I want to finish work quickly and leave.”
“Too bad. Let’s have a meal together later.”
I nodded in response to his handshake, lifted the bag, and turned away. However, Han Team Leader stood up.
“Before you go in, let me talk to you for a moment.”
“…Yes.”
There was no other choice. Holding the bag containing the food I bought, I followed him outside the convenience store. The automatic door closed behind us. The cold air was refreshing.
Lifting my scarf up to my mouth, I looked up at him. Han Team Leader took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with a familiar hand. Due to the wind, the lighter flame flickered weakly. Shielding the wind with his hand, he deeply inhaled the smoke and exhaled slowly. He opened his mouth with a languid expression.
“Tomorrow is Lunar New Year. Don’t you have something to say to me?”
“…Yes?”
It was an unexpected question. Han Team Leader casually placed the cigarette between his index and middle fingers and turned towards me. His expression was subtly amused, as if he was smiling.
“Do you want to change the day or see me tomorrow once?”
“Tomorrow…”
“Isn’t Lee Seodan going to his parents’ house tomorrow?”
“…Ah.”
Only then did I understand what he meant. I almost said, ‘Happy New Year,’ but luckily, that wasn’t what he was expecting.
“I usually don’t go… It’s okay. But what about Team Leader…?”
If I had thought about it in advance, I would have paid attention to that detail. It was fascinating that even after seeing Manager Park and Manager Kwon elaborate on the topic, it didn’t occur to me. Han Team Leader, raising an eyebrow, flicked the ash off the cigarette and replied briefly.
“I’ll only be gone for a short time during the day, so it won’t be a problem. You can handle things as usual.”
“…Yes.”
“I was going to change the day if you asked me to. Unfortunately, it seems like that won’t be possible for Lee Seodan.”
In response to his neatly delivered words, I, who had been checking if the door behind me had closed, raised my head.
“Why…?”
“Because tomorrow, I’m going to be in a really bad mood. I wonder if Lee Seodan can handle me.”
In front of the man openly declaring that I would be the target of his frustration, I remained silent. I couldn’t say anything. I shivered slightly from the cold. Han Team Leader took one last drag of his cigarette and extinguished it by tapping the ashes on the plastic table.
Our eyes met. The man who had been quietly observing my expression extended his hand, flipping open the collar of his coat. His professional touch was only for business, and he retreated without any lingering sentiment.
“Well then, let’s spend the first night of the new year as planned.”
“…Yes.”
“Go inside and don’t leave your lunch behind. If you have any questions while working, contact me via email.”
Yes, I replied with a trembling voice that had started to quiver. The silently opened automatic door smoothly closed again as Han Team Leader entered. I could see his back as he returned to the table where the other two were sitting. The woman next to him pointed to the lunch box compartment and leaned towards him, energetically explaining something. I couldn’t hear the sound.
Covering my frozen hands with the coat sleeves, I moved my feet. The chilly wind sneaked through the gaps in the coat, and the holiday street was quiet and desolate. It felt like a city where no one lived.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for the update!
I really love the writing style, it makes all the emotions so much more vivid.
Thank you so much for the chapter! And happy new year