“But Saebyeok, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
If someone studied a bit and came from a well-off family, they might have seen me a few times when building up extracurricular credentials. Or if they obsessively read business magazines, they might recognize me.
But I’m not a celebrity, just an ordinary person—there’s no way they’d remember my face. I haven’t even properly entered the business world yet.
They’re probably just making conversation.
“You might have seen me in passing.”
“No, your face isn’t that common…”
What about my face? Maybe because of first impressions, but whatever they said didn’t sound well-intentioned to me.
“Haha, honestly, I thought you were just a parachute hire who climbed the social ladder, but it’s different if you’re a parachute with actual skills. Want to exchange numbers?”
Social climbing, they say. Social climbing. Just look at their word choice. What kind of thoughts would lead someone to speak so carelessly?
“Ah, I don’t have a cell phone.”
“If you don’t want to give me your number, just say so.”
“I really don’t have one.”
I didn’t want to freely hand out my limited edition burner phone number—which only had Gong Pyeonghwa’s contact saved—to people like this.
“Oh, it’s true. Saebyeok doesn’t have a cell phone, that’s why there’s no number on his business card.”
With Saetbyeol’s testimony, everyone chimed in about how anyone could live without a phone these days.
That’s right, it’s really difficult living without a phone in this day and age. I don’t know how people lived in the old days.
“Then how do you keep in touch? Let’s go for drinks later. I’ll introduce you to some good people.”
What’s he talking about? I have a date today. I’m meeting him for the first time in nearly a week.
“What about me?”
“Ah, it’s just guys getting together, so Saetbyeol, you might feel uncomfortable?”
“Oh…”
As if a bunch of guys gathering together would have such meaningful conversations. Sigh. This is pointless.
During the presentation, they seemed like capable elites, but as soon as it ended and casual conversation began, their true characters showed.
I had internally assumed that people with good educational backgrounds and intelligence who worked hard to enter a major corporation wouldn’t act so shallow and cheap to the point where their true nature was so visible… But this felt like watching those idiots from school who only knew how to do well on tests, dividing classmates by income levels and grades. So that’s what those idiots grow up to be.
When you become an adult, shouldn’t you know how to hide your shortcomings and frivolous thoughts? Isn’t that also part of self-management?
What makes a good talent? There’s a lot to consider beyond job skills. Human resource management is truly difficult. With great disappointment, Saebyeok reorganized the policies for the company he would manage someday.
After hearing a couple of worthless office rumors and a dozen poorly disguised brags, the work staff returned.
Feedback was given according to the presentation order. Encouragement was offered to those who had prepared diligently, while there were no particular comments for those who hadn’t.
Those who weren’t called on hung their heads with sour expressions, while those who were called received small gifts.
Saebyeok, who was called but didn’t receive a gift…
“That was very impressive. We’ve gained quite a talent. A real talent.”
…received a pterodactyl figurine separately from Chairman Gong…
A pterodactyl isn’t even a dinosaur…
“…Thank you. I’ll… use it… well.”
“You really like it, don’t you?”
I’ll use it somehow. Maybe as desk decoration. Desk decoration.
“Everyone worked hard today. Let’s all have something good to eat. Teach them some work skills too. New employees, eat your fill and then go home.”
It was a bolt from the blue. How is this different from mandatory company dinner? Saebyeok had prior plans but couldn’t mention them, so his heart was torn into thousands of pieces.
I was finally going to meet my Pyeonghwa after what felt like a hundred years for a date, and now this! What right does my father-in-law have? Does being a father-in-law mean everything? …Well, I guess it does.
Saebyeok held back tears in the bathroom as he sent a text canceling the date.
♥MyHusband♥
?
What do you mean……………………………………………………………………….
I’m now I’m now I’m now… Are you kidding?
ã… ã… The Chairman gave us the company card for a new employee group dinner ã… ã…
♥MyHusband♥
Why would he give a company card for that? Why not his personal card ã…¡ã…¡ No, that’s not the point, no, ah, no. Ahã…¡ã…¡ Who has company dinners in the evening these daysã…¡ã…¡
I know right! That’s what I’m saying!
♥MyHusband♥
Where’s the dinner place?
Some meat restaurant, I think
♥MyHusband♥
Send me the address
Is he planning to come? Wouldn’t that be inappropriate? Aren’t there too many watching eyes? Saebyeok sent the address but worried about potential problems.
“Saebyeok, hurry up! Are you doing number two?”
Damn, they’re rushing me like crazy. Saebyeok flushed the toilet pretending he was done and joined the impatient person.
Those with their own cars drove a few close colleagues, while those without took taxis. Somehow Saebyeok ended up with the car group.
He thought they were close since they hung out together, but everyone was busy with their phones. When they occasionally talked, it was only about rating women or discussing stocks.
Well… it took skill to have such materialistic conversations exclusively.
“The girl I’m seeing now is still young, so she’s into luxury brands which is tiring. I’m thinking of breaking up since we’re not getting married anyway.”
If you’re not going to marry her, why date her?
With a romantic’s heart, Saebyeok felt a surge of indignation. He wasn’t usually the type to get worked up over such things, but becoming a romantic had changed him.
“If her family doesn’t have money, break up. If she can’t buy luxury items with her own money, she’ll use yours. Even if you earn good money, it all goes to the in-laws. Date pretty girls with nice bodies, but marry frugal women.”
You should marry someone you love, what nonsense is this?
“Or someone whose family is rich.”
“That’s right.”
“Exactly.”
They cackled with each conversation, all of poor quality. Saebyeok didn’t want to join in.
There’s a type of person you sometimes see during entrance exam season. Those who should rightfully feel shame for their actions but don’t feel even a hint of embarrassment—rather, they take pride in their obscene behavior.
“Right, Saebyeok? Ah, you look much younger than me, can I speak casually to you?”
“No. I’m the type who only speaks casually with people I’ve become close with, so I’ll pass.”
“Come on, we’re both employees, what’s the big deal? We can become friends now.”
His face, smiling with an “oh really? look at this” expression, seemed a bit flustered with some bravado mixed in.
“I prefer to become close naturally.”
“Ah-ha, so you like Jamanchu. Did you meet your partner that way too?”
The thought of Gong Pyeonghwa made him depressed.
Sigh… according to the original plan, instead of being buried in these nutritionless conversations that only drained mental energy, he should be holding hands with Pyeonghwa, eating at a nice place, and sharing kisses…
“How did you meet your partner?”
“At school.”
“Oh. University?”
“No, high school. Our school districts overlapped.”
“Oh. You’ve been dating for a very long time then? But given who the other person is, I guess everyone would have known?”
“It was a secret relationship, so everyone only found out recently. And well…”
He’s not the eldest son but the second, and the kid is so unpretentious that he doesn’t show off his wealth. Even Seonwoo Jeong didn’t know Pyeonghwa was from a wealthy family.
“My partner was famous, but, um.”
Not famous for being rich, but rather… famous for being a troublemaker.
Ah, our Pyeonghwa was so complicated and cute back in school.
Even during their secret relationship, Gong Pyeonghwa would find ways to celebrate special days by giving gifts.
On rainy days, he’d secretly attach flowers to Saebyeok’s umbrella, and he’d slip homemade chocolates into his locker or bag. He would also leave perfumes or scented candles that matched how he felt when writing love letters.
Of course, in the process, he was suspected of theft and dragged to the teachers’ office… Um, let’s skip over that part.
“I’m sure. Well, they’re quite famous, aren’t you?”
“Am I famous?”
Most information about direct family members of owners can be found online, but wouldn’t they only become known once they inherit and manage the business? Plus, our Pyeonghwa was in America for nearly 10 years—how could he have become famous during that time? It was a bit confusing, but I thought, maybe so.
Well, my Pyeonghwa does have a face that can’t help but become famous. He’s like a walking statue. Haha!
“Anyway, you’re lucky.”
“Lucky? Ah, shall we play a balance game?”
Suddenly what? I don’t have high expectations for how wholesome this balance game will be, but it seemed better than listening to them brag about their national rankings in mock exams during school days.
“Living with someone rich who constantly cheats vs. living with someone poor who only has eyes for you.”
Obviously I’d live with the man I love and who loves me, you crazy fool.
“How rich are we talking?”
“Daughter of a chaebol family.”
“Oh.”
Everyone looked at Saebyeok with lewd smiles.
“Well, I’d choose the first option.”
“I’d pick the latter.”
“I’d go with whichever woman is prettier.”
It wasn’t even funny, but they snickered as if it was hilarious, as if they had so little to laugh about in life. They were truly an incomprehensible bunch.
“What about you, Saebyeok?”
“I dislike both options.”
Dare to cheat after getting married? In romance novels, infidelity is worse than murder. As a romantic, I couldn’t forgive it.
And what about only having eyes for me? Getting married just because the other person only looks at you, feeling superior about it even though you don’t like them? Are you crazy?
“Marriage should happen because both people like each other.”
At Saebyeok’s statement—obvious to him but difficult to achieve in reality—everyone thought his head must be full of flowers.
“Really, Saebyeok still doesn’t understand the world.”
What are these childless fools talking about?
“I don’t dislike that innocence. Let’s be friends?”
“I’d rather not.”
“Why!”
I could tell them if they really want to face reality, but that would only make me look like the strange one…
“I prefer people who are more intellectually inclined than myself.”
At Saebyeok’s provocation, those who had no life achievements other than good grades in school felt momentarily upset. But because they were secretly confident, they said to Saebyeok with smiling faces:
“What if I’m smarter than you?”
“Then I’ll respect you as my hyung.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
