“I’m sorry. I was swamped with work. I’ll be more attentive next time.”
“Really now. As if someone has any mental capacity left.”
When she bowed her head and entered first, Sena’s voice softened a little. Despite her fiery temper, Sena’s one redeeming quality was that she cooled down quickly once calming words were offered.
“Anyway. You’re buying us beef for dinner tonight. If you have any conscience.”
“Why should Seoyoung buy beef!”
“She makes good money!”
At Jungsook’s words, Sena pointed at Seoyoung with a rough jerk of her chin.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
Seoyoung smiled and answered, though she wasn’t sure what conscience had to do with it, nor what good money they thought she was making.
“Tsk. Just understand her, Seoyoung-ah. Sena seems to be having a hard time at work these days.”
“Didn’t she just change jobs not long ago?”
Seoyoung vaguely remembered hearing about it before. Sena, who was learning to work at a hair salon, had changed jobs twice this year. It seemed she was constantly having friction with people because of her harsh words and strong pride.
“Yes, but. You know how sensitive she is.”
“Ugh, what nonsense!”
Sena, who had been eating cake, slammed her teaspoon down and shouted.
“I’m not sensitive, the designer is completely crazy. Yesterday she dyed a customer’s hair blue-black and when complaints came in, she only came after me.”
“Still, you need to be patient.”
“She said my foundation skills aren’t good enough. Crazy, she doesn’t even remember that she did the training herself back then.”
The squabble between Jungsook and Sena began. Seoyoung pretended to focus but nothing was registering. While pretending to listen, she glanced away discreetly.
The phone placed at the corner of the table was still silent. They had said they would contact individuals since it was a private recruitment, but given there was still no news, she must have failed. Although she didn’t expect to be accepted after that kind of interview performance, she had still waited with bated breath…
“I’ll go to the bathroom for a moment.”
Seoyoung rose from her seat with a bitter feeling.
In the bathroom, she turned on the faucet and washed her hands while thinking. She couldn’t give up so easily just because a precious opportunity had disappeared. She wanted to meet him again somehow, but how should she approach? No, would she even be able to see him again?
After contemplating for quite some time, she dried her hands and came out.
“What, where? Bantech?”
She saw Sena answering her phone.
“Give me that.”
Seoyoung quickly ran and snatched the phone. She heard Sena complaining “crazy bitch,” but paid no attention. She spoke rapidly without taking a breath.
“Hello. This is Yoo Seoyoung?”
– Hello, I’m Jung Jiyeon, assistant manager from Bantech’s HR team.
“Yes. Hello.”
– First, congratulations. Yoo Seoyoung-nim, you have been finally selected for the executive secretary position.
“Ah… Thank you.”
For a moment, Seoyoung’s voice thinned as her throat tightened. Though she was clearly happy, she felt more dazed than anything, unable to fully grasp the reality.
– There are some pre-security procedures, so you’ll need to come to headquarters one day before your official start date. Detailed information has been sent to your email, so please check it.
“Yes. Thank you.”
As soon as she hung up, Seoyoung opened her phone.
Bantech Group Final Acceptance Notice
From: BANTECH HR Team (hr@bantech.co.kr)
Hello, Yoo Seoyoung-nim.
This is Bantech HR. Through our recent recruitment process, we have confirmed you as a final successful candidate, and we would like to provide the following information regarding your employment and department assignment.
■ Assigned Department
: President’s Secretarial Office
It really was an acceptance. And she would be a direct secretary to CEO Sa Kangjun. Her determination, which had been plummeting without knowing where rock bottom was just moments ago, suddenly grew wings.
“Yoo Seoyoung, did you change jobs?”
“Ah, just wait a minute.”
Now she could properly see Sena glaring with her arms crossed and her mother trying to calm her. Seoyoung briefly explained her situation, gathered her bag, and stood up.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I have something urgent to attend to.”
“Are you crazy?! What about the beef?!”
“Next time.”
Seoyoung left the house quickly without even a glance. She had things to prepare before Monday when the pre-scheduled meeting would take place. Even if that weren’t the case, the moment she received the acceptance call, her heart had already left her mother’s house.
***
“Ms. Yoo Seoyoung, here’s the confidentiality agreement. Please check the contents and sign all three copies.”
The HR team employee handed Seoyoung the documents.
Defense Industry Confidential and Classified Information Handler Compliance Pledge
It stated that disclosing any information learned during the course of her duties could lead to punishment under the law. After signing, she moved to the security team. She thought it would be over quickly, but that was a mistake. After registering her fingerprints, iris, voice, and even gait pattern, she also had to receive security training. While defense companies are generally strict with security, Bantech’s security system was particularly rigorous. The final security level Seoyoung received was C-level.
“It’s the same level as general employees, but you’ll have access to the executive elevator, the president’s office space, and some secure meeting rooms. If you work in the secretarial office for more than two years, you can be upgraded to B-level with department confirmation. Until then, some restricted areas will be accessible after permission.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
After receiving the access card handed by the employee with the explanation, Seoyoung left without looking back. But it wasn’t over yet.
「Hello. This is Shin Jihoon from the President’s secretarial office. After completing document submission and security training, I will help guide you to the secretarial office, so please come up to the main building. Thank you.^^」
While going up to the president’s office in the elevator, holding her card to the reader, Seoyoung checked the message she had received yesterday one more time. It seemed to be from the male secretary in the representative’s secretarial office, but a smiling emoticon that didn’t match formal etiquette? Although she hadn’t spoken with him yet, she could roughly guess his personality.
When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, the familiar secretarial office corridor came into view. The seated So Yujung and the male secretary reporting to her both looked at her simultaneously. Seoyoung habitually bowed her head and said:
“Hello.”
“We meet again, Yoo Seoyoung-ssi. Did you finish the security training?”
So Yujung rose from her seat and welcomed her with a smile.
“Yes. I came up right after finishing.”
“Good work. You probably know my name, and my exact position is Executive Director, but since I also oversee the secretarial office, you can call me Office Director. And this is Assistant Manager Shin Jihoon.”
“Yes, Director.”
So she was an Executive Director. That meant she was not just Sa Kangjun’s secretary but also had a recognized position within the company. The aura she felt every time she saw her wasn’t for nothing.
“I look forward to working with you, Secretary Shin.”
“Yes. Welcome, Secretary Yoo.”
Shin Jihoon also playfully put his hands together and nodded. When their eyes met, he smiled slightly, and the wrinkles around his eyes curved pleasantly. He was reasonably tall with a handsome face, and seemed to have a good personality.
“I’ll be away from my position for several months starting in ten days. Secretary Shin will take over my role for the time being, and Yoo Seoyoung-ssi will take over the duties Secretary Shin was handling. It will be tough, but I hope you’ll learn quickly and well.”
“Ah… yes.”
Seoyoung was momentarily stunned by the unexpected statement. She hadn’t anticipated So Yujung leaving her position at all. So that’s why they hired a secretary. She felt disappointed at the thought of her absence after meeting her just once, while simultaneously feeling a chill at how close she had come to not having a position at all. Just as she was wondering whether to ask why she was leaving…
“Then, Secretary Shin, I’m counting on you to guide her through the work as her senior.”
True to her impression, So Yujung only stated the essentials before leaving. Shin Jihoon seemed to have been waiting as he approached Seoyoung.
“The security training is intense, right?”
“Yes. A bit…”
“Phew. It’s no joke here. When I first joined, I thought I was being drafted into the military again.”
Seoyoung smiled faintly at Shin Jihoon’s easy-going manner. If he wasn’t secretly a villain, they would probably get along well.
“But why is Director So leaving her position?”
“Ah. She’s going to Chairman Sa in the United States. I heard the Chairman injured her leg, and Director So was immediately called.”
“Why Director So specifically?”
“She used to be the Chairman’s secretary. So when the Chairman left, she was going to go with her, but stayed to help the CEO for a few years. I think the Chairman was always pressuring her to come over, and with the leg injury, she probably saw it as an opportunity.”
“Ah, I see.”
Even briefly hearing about Chairwoman Sa made her interested. Once internationally famous as a lobbyist, and then returning to Korea to establish a defense company – a remarkable woman. Growing a defense company to this scale in an industry difficult even for men meant she was no ordinary person.
And Chairwoman Sa was also Sa Kangjun’s mother.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
