Chapter 22: The Team’s Unexpected Welcome

Kang Seungmin possessed such a formidable presence that even a fleeting glance was enough to inspire fear. A deep scar slashed across his left eye, coupled with his burly physique, added an oppressive weight that made Jung Hanseol’s shoulders stiffen unnecessarily.

Though Kang Seungmin harbored no ill will, his very demeanor felt threatening to Jung Hanseol, who had yet to fully acclimate to Team 1’s atmosphere. The inexplicable seriousness in Kang Seungmin’s expression only heightened his apprehension.

Before long, Kang Seungmin’s lips parted cautiously.

“Jung Hanseol, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you?”

“Huh? Oh, um… no, I had bread… no, yes…” Jung Hanseol, who had gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing, was so startled by the unexpectedly gentle and soft tone that he stammered out a reply.

‘Did I hear that correctly? Was he asking me?’ Unbelieving and bewildered, Jung Hanseol stared blankly at Kang Seungmin, who then softened his piercing gaze and offered a warm smile. While this didn’t entirely dispel his formidable aura, it was certainly an improvement from his usual stoic expression.

“Then let’s go eat quickly. Before the team leader returns.”

Kang Seungmin pressed the switch on the wall, opened the door, and swiftly exited. His movements were far too agile for someone of his imposing size.

Only after seeing Yoo Gyeongjun and Woo Chanhee promptly follow him out did Jung Hanseol rush back to his desk, put down his cup, and grab his employee ID, hanging it around his neck. Even then, his facial muscles involuntarily tightened, as he couldn’t quite comprehend what was happening.

‘What exactly is going on here?’

Jung Hanseol, belatedly pondering the situation, spotted Woo Chanhee at the entrance, waving his hand vigorously as if urging him to hurry. A lingering unease settled in his heart, and questions swirled in his mind, yet he couldn’t foolishly squander this rare opportunity for a proper meal.

Despite their sudden change in attitude, the simple fact that they were acknowledging and looking out for him in this moment brought a warmth to Jung Hanseol’s nose, which he casually rubbed before hastily quickening his pace to join the group.

“Let’s eat well!”

With a knife in his left hand and a fork in his right, Woo Chanhee declared with a rather solemn voice before reverently beginning to cut his pork cutlet. The four of them had settled in the innermost, least conspicuous part of the cafeteria, each with a different meal before them. Kang Seungmin had a thick, handmade burger set, Yoo Gyeongjun a steaming soft tofu stew, Woo Chanhee a perfectly fried pork cutlet, and Jung Hanseol a standard Korean set meal, always a safe choice.

Though he had somewhat haphazardly followed his teammates to the cafeteria, Jung Hanseol felt a little withdrawn, unfamiliar with their drastically different demeanor compared to how they had treated him until now. This was especially true since they hadn’t exchanged much more than quick introductions on the way. As if sensing Jung Hanseol’s discomfort, Yoo Gyeongjun, seated directly opposite him, offered a warm smile and initiated conversation.

“Jung Hanseol, eat plenty. Though I’m not the one paying.”

“Yes… thank you.”

Still, hearing Yoo Gyeongjun’s words, Jung Hanseol felt his tightly clenched heart relax a little. As he took a spoonful of soup with a slightly softened expression, Yoo Gyeongjun hastily shoveled an uncooled chunk of soft tofu into his mouth.

Yoo Gyeongjun yelped, stomping his feet as the searing heat spread through his mouth, completely at a loss. Seeing this, Woo Chanhee, who was seated right next to Jung Hanseol, swallowed his pork cutlet and chuckled.

“Brother, eat a little slower.”

“Ah, damn it, that’s so hot!”

“You’re going to die young from sodium poisoning, always eating stew, Brother.”

“This brat always has something to say…”

Yoo Gyeongjun, seemingly accustomed to Woo Chanhee’s teasing, merely grimaced slightly without getting truly angry, then filled his mouth with cold water and swallowed it.

Observing the ambiguous dynamic between the two, Jung Hanseol, who had been quietly eating his japchae, couldn’t help but offer an awkward smile when his eyes met Kang Seungmin’s, seated right beside Yoo Gyeongjun. Subtly averting his gaze, Jung Hanseol quietly ate his soup, then turned his head as he heard someone address him.

“Jung Hanseol, do you happen to know what time the team leader left?”

“Um… I think he left a little before twelve.”

“Really? That wasn’t long ago. So, he might be back a little later…” It was Woo Chanhee, who had just been teasing Yoo Gyeongjun, who spoke to Jung Hanseol. After hearing Jung Hanseol’s reply, he muttered to himself, then slurped down his udon soup.

Jung Hanseol was once again flustered by the nonchalant voice addressing him, wondering if this was truly the same person who, despite sitting right next to him, had never met his gaze or spoken a single word until now.

Kang Seungmin, who had been observing Jung Hanseol intently throughout, finally spoke after taking a sip of his cola.

“Jung Hanseol, you were probably a little flustered, weren’t you? With us suddenly acting familiar.”

“Ah… yes, a little…”

Jung Hanseol, caught off guard by the unexpected question and given no time to think, blurted out his honest feelings, which made Yoo Gyeongjun and Woo Chanhee burst into soft laughter. Kang Seungmin, too, seemed to recall past days at Jung Hanseol’s reaction, smiling a little wistfully.

Woo Chanhee, having rinsed his mouth with water, quickly began to grumble. “This is all the team leader’s fault, isn’t it? Why didn’t he take a vacation this time, causing all this trouble? Making Jung Hanseol scared and wary for no reason… Oh, Jung Hanseol. Want to try some of this pork cutlet? It’s delicious.”

“Ah, I’m fi—”

“Come on, don’t be shy, eat! Want some more?”

“No, really, I’m fine, but… thank you for the meal.”

Woo Chanhee, who had affectionately offered the pork cutlet mid-sentence, placed a large piece onto Jung Hanseol’s plate before he could properly reply. Though slightly flustered, Jung Hanseol felt his goodwill, and in return, he offered a silent bow of thanks, his eyes crinkling into a clear smile.

Yoo Gyeongjun, having cooled his hot mouth with cold water several times, set down his cup, sighed softly, and then cautiously spoke.

“Jung Hanseol, I’m sorry for ignoring you all this time. It’s absolutely not because we disliked you. It’s just… we were a bit wary because of the team leader…”

“‘Wary because of the team leader?'”

To Jung Hanseol, who had simply believed the Team 1 members treated him as an unwelcome outsider, Yoo Gyeongjun’s words came as quite a surprise. ‘Wary because of the team leader?’ What could that possibly mean? Seeing Jung Hanseol unable to grasp it immediately and asking for clarification, Kang Seungmin offered further explanation.

“Well, there was what the team leader said on the first day, and…”

“Ah…”

Kang Seungmin’s voice trailed off, sounding a little awkward and embarrassed, but Jung Hanseol easily understood the words he couldn’t bring himself to finish. If it was something Ryu Yishin had said, especially something that would make the team members wary, there was only one phrase it could be: ‘Because he’s mine.’

Jung Hanseol had simply understood those words as Ryu Yishin’s way of claiming him as a dedicated guide, but it seemed to have held a different, more significant meaning for the team members. So that was why they had been so quick to avoid him, not even meeting his gaze, let alone speaking to him. Within Team 1, Ryu Yishin appeared to be a far more terrifying and threatening figure than Jung Hanseol had ever imagined.

‘How on earth have these people endured working in a team led by Ryu Yishin all this time?’ He felt a renewed sense of respect and curiosity, yet at the same time, a conflicting feeling surged within him: he didn’t particularly want to delve into their past struggles.

A foreboding sensation told him that their past might very well be his future.

“That’s why I checked as soon as I got back earlier. To see if the team leader was here or not.”

Yoo Gyeongjun explained softly to Jung Hanseol, then sharply narrowed his eyes, glaring at something in the air. That gaze was no different from the penetrating stare he had directed at Ryu Yishin’s office door earlier.

However, Jung Hanseol, unable to immediately grasp the connection between this and Ryu Yishin’s absence, tilted his head. Seeing this, Woo Chanhee, who had momentarily been focused on eating, kindly elaborated.

“Oh, this brother has X-ray vision.”

“X-ray vision?”

“Yes. That makes him the most useful brother for secretly checking if the team leader is in his room or not.”

“Jung Hanseol, you know this is a secret from the team leader, right? If he finds out, he might actually kill me…”

Woo Chanhee, his words laced with mischief, chuckled, while Yoo Gyeongjun’s face crumpled in real-time before he quickly adopted a serious tone, cautioning Jung Hanseol.

Although Jung Hanseol had no intention whatsoever of revealing to Ryu Yishin that Yoo Gyeongjun was using his abilities for other purposes, he vowed to be careful not to make any slips of the tongue, nodding reassuringly. Only then did Yoo Gyeongjun seem to fully relax, shoveling a large scoop of rice into his mouth.

“Still, saying this makes me feel so much better. I’ve wanted to talk to Jung Hanseol, but the timing never worked out when the team leader wasn’t around, and it was frustrating.”

Woo Chanhee, who had long since finished his pork cutlet, patted his full stomach, then turned to Jung Hanseol with a wide grin. While the misunderstanding of the past few days had somewhat cleared, the awkwardness hadn’t completely vanished, prompting Jung Hanseol to offer a sheepish smile before carefully picking up a side dish of seasoned vegetables and putting it in his mouth. Still, knowing that his teammates harbored no animosity or ill will towards him brought a measure of relief, and only now did the flavors of the side dishes truly register.

It would be a lie to say there hadn’t been moments of sadness over the past few days, but with Ryu Yishin at the center of the reason, it wasn’t something he couldn’t understand. He knew he would have been equally wary, unable to speak a single word to a new team member, had he been in their shoes. Jung Hanseol decided to generously understand and accept them.

“We’ll introduce you to the other team members when they have time. Hurry and eat, Jung Hanseol.”

“Yes… thank you.”

Kang Seungmin encouraged Jung Hanseol to eat comfortably, settling the atmosphere as he smiled awkwardly. Kang Seungmin and Woo Chanhee had long finished their meals, and Yoo Gyeongjun had devoured his steaming soft tofu stew, yet the three of them remained, chatting casually among themselves without rushing Jung Hanseol.

He couldn’t say why, but simply listening to their conversation without having to respond felt like a long-lost sense of belonging, so overwhelming that it brought tears to his eyes.

‘Even if everyone but Ryu Yishin holds some goodwill towards me… perhaps, with time, I can adapt to Team 1?’

Jung Hanseol secretly harbored a hopeful thought, carefully chewing and swallowing his rice. They willingly waited until he had filled his stomach to his heart’s content.