Chapter 6: A New Face in the Office

The next morning, Jung-hyun opened the office door. His first action was to switch on the air conditioner.

“It’s so hot, just sweltering.”

True to midsummer, the weather was oppressively hot from early morning. Without hesitation, Jung-hyun set the temperature to its lowest, then strode purposefully towards his desk.

The office, empty save for him, was exceptionally quiet. Although he had recently been arriving on time, being the first one in, as he was today, felt like a rare occurrence.

His tasks for the day were predictable. Jung-hyun powered on his computer, checked emails from clients, opened all attached files, and printed them.

He began comparing the inventory with the stock count, noting items that were significantly depleted. As he was about halfway down the list, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Jung-hyun answered with a welcoming tone.

“Oh, Yeol-ah.”

–I’ve arrived in front of the building you told me about.

“Then just open the door and come in. I’ll be right out.”

It was a moment that made his early arrival feel worthwhile. Jung-hyun hung up the phone and promptly exited the office. He walked quickly down the corridor leading to the entrance, and soon, the distinct sound of footsteps approached from afar, revealing Yoon Tae-yeol.

“Over here.”

Jung-hyun greeted him warmly, and together they retraced their steps. His gaze, a blend of admiration and playful mischief, swiftly swept over Yoon Tae-yeol from head to toe.

“Wow, you really dressed up today, didn’t you?”

The black short-sleeved dress shirt and slacks, garments Jung-hyun wouldn’t be caught dead in during summer, suited Yoon Tae-yeol splendidly. With a height above average and a good physique, he truly carried the clothes with exceptional flair.

“But starting tomorrow, feel free to dress casually. Everyone comes in shorts and flip-flops in the summer.”

Jung-hyun himself was already dressed quite freely as he spoke.

“Was it hard to find?”

“No. It’s my first day, so I took a taxi.”

“Good call. Just have a seat over there for a moment.”

After pointing to the versatile table, Jung-hyun opened the mini-fridge situated in a corner of the office. Just then, a suitable drink caught his eye. He retrieved two small glass bottles of apple juice and then settled into the opposite chair.

“Drink up.”

He kindly opened a bottle for Yoon Tae-yeol before twisting open his own. As he gulped down the refreshing juice, Yoon Tae-yeol looked around and spoke.

“It seems like the others haven’t arrived yet.”

At his words, Jung-hyun removed the bottle from his lips and checked his wristwatch.

“They should be here any—”

*Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep*

Before he could finish, the sound of the door lock keypad chimed from outside. Even just by the sound, which was twice as fast as anyone else’s, he knew who it was. Sure enough, the second—no, the third—person to arrive was Chae Song-hwa.

“You’re here?”

“Yeah. You came in early.”

Unlike the relaxed Jung-hyun, Chae Song-hwa looked somewhat bewildered. Not only was Jung-hyun earlier than her for once, but the presence of a visitor in the office at this hour was also surprising. ‘Who could it be? A client?’

The moment that thought crossed her mind, she swiftly changed her demeanor, as if flipping a switch.

“Hello.”

Without even knowing who the person was, she put on her professional smile and offered a greeting. Yet, the visitor’s face seemed strangely familiar. She felt as if she had seen them somewhere before…

‘…!’

Still smiling, her mind raced until she found a match with the information stored in her memory. As if to confirm her suspicion, Jung-hyun revealed the visitor’s identity.

“This is Yoon Tae-yeol, our high school junior. You’ve probably seen him before, don’t you remember?”

‘It’s him. My memory is still alive and well.’

Congratulating herself internally, Chae Song-hwa replied, “Now that you mention it, I remember immediately. …It’s the ‘walking masterpiece,’ right?”

Jung-hyun burst out laughing the moment he heard her whispered addition. Meanwhile, Chae Song-hwa’s gaze repeatedly drifted toward Yoon Tae-yeol. With a face skillfully concealing her true thoughts, she smiled and extended her hand first.

“Nice to meet you. I also graduated from Cheongil High, and I’m the same age as Jung-hyun. My name is Chae Song-hwa.”

“Hello.”

Yoon Tae-yeol wasn’t so ill-mannered as to ignore the mention of her being a senior, so he clasped her hand and returned the greeting. After a light shake, Chae Song-hwa gave Jung-hyun a meaningful look.

‘Can I see you for a moment?’

Jung-hyun, too, had something to say to her. Before that, he smiled at Yoon Tae-yeol, telling him, “Feel free to relax and drink your juice,” then briefly stepped out of the office.

No sooner had the door closed than Chae Song-hwa quickly spoke.

“Didn’t he say he was going to live abroad forever?”

“Not forever… He said he’d been there long enough, so he wrapped everything up and came back completely.”

“But why did you bring him here? You’re not thinking of getting swindled again, are you?”

“Swindled?”

‘Surely, she isn’t talking about me?’

It was utterly new to him. Chae Song-hwa, however, frowned in displeasure, bringing up a stale old story.

“When we first started the business, you were complaining endlessly about him running off without a word and leaving us high and dry. Don’t you remember?”

Upon hearing this, it clicked. Jung-hyun then scratched his cheek with an awkward laugh. While such an incident had occurred, the reality was somewhat different from what Chae Song-hwa implied.

“It wasn’t that he ‘ran off’ exactly. I was just upset because he left so suddenly and went so far away. Actually, Yeol-ah paid more for living expenses back then.”

“…”

“It’s true. If he had really swindled me, I would have dragged him to the police station the moment I saw him, not brought him here, would I?”

While on the topic, Jung-hyun briefly explained why Yoon Tae-yeol was at the office today. Chae Song-hwa maintained a suspicious gaze for a while, only showing a look of understanding after hearing the full story.

“Alright. I’ll take your word for it for now.”

“Yeah. He came here because I asked him to, so please take good care of him. And…”

Though it was a bit awkward to say in front of his friend, Jung-hyun thought it best to address it now for the sake of the office atmosphere and smooth relations. He continued, “My feelings for him ended a million years ago, and now he’s truly just a close junior. So you don’t need to overthink anything.”

“…”

“Let’s go in.”

Jung-hyun grinned and reopened the door.

Soon after, the other employees also began to clock in, one by one. When everyone had finally gathered, including Choi Seon-ho, who narrowly avoided being late, Jung-hyun took the opportunity of a long-overdue morning meeting to announce the news of Kim Min-seon’s accident.

“—So, for the time being, it looks like we’ll have to manage without Min-seon.”

“Understood. But who is that person over there…?”

Choi Seon-ho cautiously raised his hand and asked. It was understandable, as a stranger was sitting right there with them during an employee meeting.

“I was just about to tell you. This friend will be helping us out temporarily in Min-seon’s place. He’s a junior from high school, both mine and Manager Chae’s, and I specially brought him in.”

Jung-hyun’s gaze shifted to Yoon Tae-yeol. Reading the meaning of the wink, Yoon Tae-yeol slowly rose from his seat.

“I’m Yoon Tae-yeol. Please take care of me.”

Regardless of their inner thoughts, the employees welcomed the new face with applause. While it was daunting to have a key player missing during such a busy time, having even one extra hand was, of course, far better than a void. Moreover, if he was the boss’s acquaintance, they wouldn’t have to worry about him acting irresponsibly or quitting.

“I’m Jo Min-kyung. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Choi Seon-ho. Please take good care of me.”

After brief introductions, everyone returned to their respective stations.

Jung-hyun led Yoon Tae-yeol to the long table. As he tore open a large plastic bag, about the size of a bedding bundle, wrapped clothes tumbled out.

“You just need to check if there are any visible defects or stains. See, over there, how Song-hwa is doing it?”

Where he pointed with his fingertip, Chae Song-hwa was, as expected, demonstrating her expert speed in inspecting garments.

“Leave the good ones, and set aside any problematic clothes over here.”

“Yes.”

After patting Yoon Tae-yeol’s broad back a couple of times, conveying his trust, Jung-hyun took a spot beside him and began working.

Though the volume of goods was substantial today, he hummed a tune as he moved his hands, as always. As the nominal boss, being busy was certainly preferable to having nothing to do, and the repetitive nature of the work suited him well.

After a few minutes, Jung-hyun subtly glanced sideways.

‘Is he doing alright?’

A silent laugh escaped him as he watched. To accommodate the newcomer, he had assigned the easiest task: inspecting black clothes. Even with a casual glance, defects should be obvious, yet Yoon Tae-yeol was meticulously examining each garment, front and back.

“Oh, Manager Chae, did you happen to see that news?”

“What news?”

Choi Seon-ho, who had been unusually quiet for quite a while, suddenly brought up a topic as if it had just occurred to him. From that moment on, everyone, as if waiting for a cue, began to chatter.

Considering it was a self-employed business rather than a corporate office, the atmosphere was generally warm and free-spirited. A significant factor in this was Jung-hyun’s personality, which his acquaintances universally described as ‘easygoing.’

Even with the title of CEO, Jung-hyun treated his employees casually, without putting on airs. It was a matter of mutual benefit; rather than maintaining an unnecessary formality with people he saw every day, a friendly relationship was preferable.

Of course, the situation would be different if there were any ‘mudskippers’ who took kindness for granted, but thankfully, there were none.

In any case, time flowed smoothly today as well. Moving busily, and a little haphazardly, they soon reached lunchtime.

The scorching sun remained as intense as ever. Unwilling to venture out into the dazzling midday heat, the employees unanimously opted for delivery. After finishing their meal, gathered around the table, they found about twenty minutes of their lunch break remaining.

Jung-hyun, sitting sprawled in his chair, full from the meal, spoke to Yoon Tae-yeol.

“Lunch break is until one o’clock, so you can step out for a bit. Oh, you didn’t bring a toothbrush, did you?”

‘Hold on,’ he said, then ambled back to his desk. After rummaging through all his desk drawers, he found a new, unopened toothbrush.

“Use this. The restroom is out the door, turn right, go straight, then turn left.”

“Aren’t you going, Senior?”

“I’ll go in a bit. Why, do you want to go together?”

Jung-hyun chuckled as he watched Yoon Tae-yeol turn and walk away without a word. He then picked up a small item and left the office a moment later.