Chapter : 9
“Good work, everyone!”
Cheers erupted from various corners of the office. It was the time of day office workers loved most: quitting time.
Amid the busy sounds of people packing up their things, my desk remained as quiet as an island. Only the glow of the monitor illuminated my face.
“Assistant Manager Lee, this.”
Team Leader Park casually tossed a file to me through the messenger.
[Project_Universe_Supplementary_Materials_Request.pptx]
“What is this?”
“Ah, you know how the Executive Director liked my proposal earlier? There isn’t enough data to show at tomorrow’s executive meeting. Polish up the graphs and find about five more overseas examples to add.”
I was dumbfounded.
‘My proposal’?
As if stealing all the substance from it wasn’t enough, he wanted me to package up the shell as well. How was that any different from a thief telling the owner to polish the stolen goods for him?
“Team Leader, you’re the one presenting it.”
“Hey, Lee Da-eun.”
Team Leader Park clicked his tongue as he put on his jacket.
“Did you forget what we talked about on the rooftop earlier? We’re ‘One Team.’ The team leader has to shine for the team members to get some crumbs too. You can’t just try to stand out on your own.”
“…….”
“Send it to my email by nine tomorrow morning. You know the quality I expect, right? I’m heading out first. I have an important appointment.”
An important appointment?
It was obvious.
He was probably going out drinking under the excuse of using the company card for entertainment expenses.
“Good luck~.”
He whistled as he left the office. Ji-eun and Do-jin looked at me sympathetically, but there was nothing they could do to help.
It was an order from the team leader, after all.
By eight in the evening, the office lights began going out one by one, leaving only silence behind.
In the middle of the empty office, the only sound was the tapping of my keyboard.
‘Competitor Analysis and Differentiation Strategy.’
I clenched my teeth.
This was my proposal, something I had poured my heart and soul into. Even if it went out under Team Leader Park’s name, I couldn’t stand by and watch it be ruined.
Fine. I’ll make it perfect for you.
When this proposal eventually became a huge success, I could prove that I was the original author of the file. For now, I decided to quietly sharpen my blade.
But unlike my mind, my body was honest.
Grrrrowl.
I had skipped lunch, and now my stomach was completely empty from missing dinner too. It felt like my stomach was shrinking in on itself.
“Ha… I’m hungry.”
A terrible silence hung over the living room.
Kang Seo-jun stared at his own blurry reflection in the turned-off television screen. The cool touch of the leather sofa traveled up his back.
…It’s quiet.
Just a week ago, he had believed that this perfect silence was essential for relaxation.
But now it was different.
The sound of a cutting board coming from the kitchen. The bubbling of stew. The lively voice calling him to come eat.
With those everyday noises gone, the enormous house felt like a desolate cave.
It had been ages since quitting time, yet she wasn’t home.
She hadn’t even sent a message.
Could something have happened to her?
In the end, he couldn’t stand it anymore and picked up his phone.
[Executive Director Kang Seo-jun: Why aren’t you home?]
The reply arrived in less than a minute.
[Assistant Manager Lee Da-eun: I’m sorry. I’m working late tonight. Please eat without me.]
Working late?
Seo-jun’s eyes narrowed sharply.
There was no overtime scheduled for the marketing team in today’s work log. Besides, preparations for tomorrow’s executive meeting had already been completed.
[Executive Director Kang Seo-jun: What are you working on?]
[Assistant Manager Lee Da-eun: Ah, well… We need some supplementary materials for tomorrow’s meeting. Team Leader Park gave me the task at the last minute….]
Team Leader Park.
Supplementary materials.
His grip tightened around the phone. The tips of his fingers turned white and trembled slightly.
He understood the situation instantly.
During the day, her subordinate’s work had been stolen. And now, at night, the aftermath had been dumped on her too before the team leader went home.
“Ha….”
He roughly ran a hand through his hair.
He wanted to rush straight to the company, grab Park Cheol-su by the collar, and drag him back.
But then he remembered that he couldn’t.
Article 10 of the contract.
‘No interference in private life.’
What if he intervened when she hadn’t asked for help?
That would be an abuse of authority that trampled on her pride.
Seo-jun paced restlessly around the living room.
He could practically picture her foolishly staying alone in the office, struggling to clean up someone else’s mess.
Had she eaten?
She was obviously going hungry.
He wanted to go.
He wanted to go there and make sure she was okay.
But he had no justification.
Then an idea flashed through his mind.
If I don’t have a justification, I can simply make one.
He could say he happened to be passing by.
Or that there was some unavoidable reason.
As if he had made up his mind, he called Secretary Kim.
“Secretary Kim.”
“Yes, Executive Director. What do you need at this hour?”
“I want to ask you something.”
After a brief pause, he asked,
“What do employees usually eat when they work late?”
“What? You mean… late-night food?”
He could practically picture Secretary Kim’s bewildered expression on the other end of the phone.
The great Kang Seo-jun was asking about employees’ late-night meals at nine-thirty at night.
Secretary Kim had probably checked his phone screen again to make sure he hadn’t received a call by mistake.
“Yes. Something people prefer the most.”
“Hmm… Usually, they prefer simple sandwiches.”
“Sandwiches?”
“Yes. Do you want one, Executive Director?”
“No. I just need to conduct some market research. Goodbye.”
Click.
Seo-jun hung up coldly and headed toward the dressing room.
The man standing before the mirror no longer looked as listless as he had moments ago.
Instead, there was a vitality in his eyes like a predator heading out on a hunt.
I am simply a model boss going to encourage an employee who is working late.
He was absolutely not going because he was bored being alone at home.
Repeating that to himself, he grabbed his car keys and left the house with a solemn expression.
The office was silent as the grave.
“Almost done….”
All that remained was to save the file and send the email.
As I stifled a yawn and adjusted the table on the final page of the PPT, I heard the sound of the door lock being opened near the office entrance.
Who is that? The security guard?
Before I could even turn my head, the heavy sound of dress shoes echoed through the office.
The dark office suddenly lit up.
Before I even had time to squint at the bright lights, I could clearly see the silhouette of the man standing at the entrance.
My breath caught in my throat.
The man standing at the office entrance was Executive Director Kang Seo-jun.
Why on earth was he here at this hour?
Under the fluorescent lights, his presence was overwhelmingly imposing, almost unreal.
But in one hand, he held something completely out of place.
A sandwich bag bearing the logo of a famous franchise.
He stared at me without saying a word.
Perhaps he found it ridiculous to see me hunched over alone in the middle of the spacious office, relying on nothing but the glow of my monitor.
I instinctively straightened my back.
But he walked toward my desk without saying anything.
The area between his brows had drawn tightly together in the monitor’s glow.
Was he angry?
His expression was impossible to read.
Was he about to criticize me for wasting electricity when I wasn’t even getting overtime pay? Or did he suspect that I was secretly stealing company supplies?
All kinds of ominous thoughts flashed through my mind.
It was the instinct of someone who could only ever be the ‘lower party’ in the relationship.
Even the slightest wrinkle between the brows of the man who held the three hundred million won and the apartment could instantly make words like ‘contract termination’ and ‘repayment demand’ pop into my head.
“E-Executive Director?”
His gaze settled on my monitor.
[Project_Universe_Supplementary_Materials_v2.pptx]
“…Hah.”
It was impossible to tell whether his short click of the tongue was ridicule or irritation.
But one thing was certain.
He was extremely displeased.
Was my work too slow? Or did he simply find my existence irritating?
While I was wondering about this, he placed the paper bag in his hand on my desk.
“Eat first.”
“What?”
“You said you wanted to earn your keep.”
He pointed toward the sandwich bag with his chin.
“Your efficiency will drop if you work on an empty stomach. Eat first.”
The spicy scent of jalapeños and fresh vegetables wafted out from the bag.
It was the sandwich, the soul mate of every late-night worker.
He frowned deeply as he loosened his tie.
“It took more than ten questions just to order a single sandwich. It was more complicated than last year’s hotel acquisition bid. I’m never going back.”
“…….”
I could imagine this perfectionist chaebol executive sweating bullets in front of a part-time worker while being bombarded with questions like, “Ranch or sweet onion sauce?”
The thought was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“Ah… Thank you. I’ll eat well.”
I opened the bag and took a big bite of the generously filled sandwich.
The moment my hunger began to ease, something hot welled up in my throat.
“Executive Director… Aren’t you going home?”
I asked while chewing my sandwich.
He stood with his arms crossed, staring intently at my monitor.
“Assistant Manager Lee. Move.”
“What?”
“I’m saying it’s frustrating to look at. That font. That layout. My eyes hurt just looking at it.”
Without even waiting for my answer, he pushed my chair aside.
“Whoa?”
Still holding my sandwich, I awkwardly stumbled to the side.
He took my place.
He removed his jacket and hung it over the back of the chair beside him, then rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt.
The veins stood out on his exposed forearms.
“Just watch while you eat. I hate getting crumbs in the keyboard, so don’t spill anything.”
“Executive Director…? A-Are you really going to do this yourself?”
“I can’t stand watching my employee waste time because of an incompetent team leader. That’s a waste of money too.”
Tap-tap, tap.
The rapid, precise sound of his typing tore through the silent office like machine-gun fire.
His long fingers flew across the keyboard as if they were dancing.
Blue veins stood out across the back of the hand gripping the mouse.
There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in his movements.
The tacky primary-colored graphs were instantly transformed into sophisticated tones, while the clumsy wording was replaced with sharp business terminology.
He wasn’t simply pressing shortcut keys.
He looked like a conductor performing a magnificent piano solo.
I stared at him blankly, forgetting even to chew the sandwich in my mouth.
Wow… He’s seriously a professional.
He’s annoying, but he’s sexy.
No, correction.
He’s sexy because he’s ridiculously good at his job.
His eyes, which were usually so cold, gleamed sharply in the glow of the monitor.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, he struck the Enter key for the final time.
On the screen was a flawless finished product that was on an entirely different level from the one I had just been struggling over.
“Team Leader Park made you work late for something this simple?”
He stepped away from the desk and lowered his rolled-up sleeves.
Then he looked down at me and said,
“Send it to Team Leader Park’s email.”
“Oh, yes! Thank you!”
“Forget the thanks. Let’s go.”
“What?”
Without waiting for an answer, he turned around, his broad back looking effortlessly cool.
I suddenly snapped back to reality.
“W-Wait?!”
I hurriedly wrapped my half-eaten sandwich in its wrapper.
I didn’t even have time to worry about the sauce spilling.
I carefully clutched the half-eaten sandwich, slung my bag over my shoulder, and hurried toward the elevator doors that were already beginning to close.
“Executive Director! W-Wait for me!”
For some reason, his back looked particularly dependable tonight.
