SURE 14

“By any chance, did your sworn enemy of a thousand years become a Gangnam building owner?”

“What?”

Yeonsu, whom I had met in the smoking area, sidled up to me like a pigeon pecking at birdseed, spouting nonsense.

“Well, you’re smoking with a look on your face like it’s the end of the world. If you’d forgotten to turn off the gas stove, you’d be fidgeting like a dog that needs to poop, but right now, you look like you wish the world would end tomorrow.”

With his limited smoking time, Yeonsu was smoking like a flamethrower again today. He chattered away while sucking on the filter, as if he had no other time to talk. I wondered why he looked like that, but I also found it commendable that he was trying not to break the team’s eight-minute rule.

“Why don’t you just hold it in and smoke after work?”

“Excuse me, Mister CEO. When a guy who can come up and smoke whenever he pleases says something like that, this humble servant’s desire to quit his job skyrockets.”

“You make a big deal out of everything.”

“So what is it? Why the long face? Team Leader Im signed the contract today. Are you nervous about the thought of getting a boost from a major corporation and taking off?”

Right, the contract. The contract that Team Leader Im had signed on my behalf using the company seal was sitting neatly on my desk. The moment I saw it, my craving for a cigarette soared, and I had evacuated to the rooftop without a second thought.

Evacuated. That’s not even funny…

After ending Wednesday night with Shin Taeyoon in the bathroom, Thursday dawned. Team Leader Im, who returned after drafting a collaborative contract with Shinyoon F&B early in the morning, had dropped everything and made this project the main priority. He had rolled up his sleeves and started drawing up the ad storyboard with the goal of a 150% increase in sales over three months.

I applauded his boldness for a moment when I heard he had even given Shinyoon a stern warning when signing the contract, saying, ‘You people are not to do anything other than spend money.’ But when I countered that Shinyoon would probably be happy to have less work, Team Leader Im scoffed.

‘Do you think they’d do that? They told me that running off on my own is no different from acting rashly, so I should work with them and get their confirmation. They said they should at least get to feel like they’re spending the money. Ah, so damn annoying.’

‘They said that? At the contract signing?’

‘Yep. I couldn’t just punch him in the face first thing in the morning.’

‘Who said it.’

‘Who do you think? There’s only one person there who would run his mouth so obnoxiously. Seriously, if Assistant Manager Park hadn’t been sweating bullets in front of me, I would have thrown water in Team Leader Shin’s face. I really had to use all my willpower to hold back.’

The contract clearly states that we are the primary party, but I don’t know why I feel like I’m being treated as the subordinate party whenever I talk to that man. The image of Team Leader Im’s angry back as he left, all worked up, flickered in my mind. Would it have been the same if I had gone?

The more Shin Taeyoon drew a line between his personal and professional life, acting as if last night was nothing, the more I should have just treated his words as nonsense and forgotten them, but it felt like a heavy weight was attached to me.

The act of leaving for work twenty minutes earlier than usual to avoid running into my next-door neighbor, the way I had hastily pulled out of the underground parking lot and merged onto the road, anxious that I might see a single strand of his hair—all of it belatedly turned into sighs.

Why do I even care? I shouldn’t have left the bar right away; I should have sat there with a “what are you going to do about it” attitude.

‘If you’re confident you won’t regret it when you wake up tomorrow morning, then ask.’

I wish this was regret. From the moment I closed my eyes at dawn until just before I fell asleep, I tossed and turned, thinking that. I wished tomorrow would not come. Because after Thursday comes Friday, and after that night passes, Saturday will dawn.

The friction that occurred in that small bathroom changed the placidly flowing current to a rapid one. My heart wasn’t swayed by Shin Taeyoon’s declaration of war, but I wasn’t brazen enough to put on a brave face after hearing such an unsavory remark from someone I would be seeing for work from now on. Two days is too fast. He must have figured out my personality after just a few meetings and deliberately mentioned Saturday, but… not me.

“Mister CEO.”

“…Huh. Huh?”

“I just performed a rap titled ‘Value-Added Tax’ with great gusto, but if the audience doesn’t even pretend to listen, I suppose it’s time for this humble servant to shut up and get off the stage, right?”

“Uh, just pass it on through Manager Han.”

An advance between people with no potential ends up as mere wordplay. If we talk about the same topic again on Saturday, I’ll draw a clear line and…

“Ah, fuck…”

It’s so annoying I could go crazy. So what if I run into him in front of my building? If we meet, we meet. Why am I even concerned, even about leaving my own home?

“Whoa? Did I just get cussed out? Were you cussing me out, or the value-added tax?”

“It wasn’t at you. Go on down.”

A call came in from an unsaved number. I waved Yeonsu away, telling him to go downstairs, and answered it.

“This is Lee Jungwoon.”

—Hello, customer? We are a business loan specialist…

I looked at the number and saw it started with 070. I wouldn’t have even answered this kind of call on my work phone. The smoking area, teeming with white-collar workers, had once again become a den of smoke. I shook the loosely packed cigarette pack and put the one that popped up in my mouth. I bought it this morning, and already a third of it was gone. My smoking habit is getting worse, all thanks to someone.

What’s important is that the two companies are now bound by a contract. Let’s just focus on work. It’s not too late to think about the Saturday meeting on Saturday. Work is overwhelming enough, so I shouldn’t let myself be tainted by lewd, distracting thoughts.

Saturday will be the last time I meet with Shin Taeyoon separately. So, I prayed that the misfortune of running into him on my way home from work tonight would not happen. My mouth felt dry.

“Overall, the complaints have indeed increased. It’s mainly about the rice cakes, but cases where they’re left as reviews, li-like at the Gwangmyeong branch, are very few… Most people mention it casually wh-while getting their food to go, I hear.”

I looked over the report compiled by the Field Consultant in charge of the Gwangmyeong branch, who had also stopped by the nearby Siheung, Bucheon, and Anyang branches while visiting the store. Rice cakes. There were no problems with the fish cakes or other supplementary ingredients, but there were many complaints about the rice cakes, the core of tteokbokki. They used to be chewy even when cold, but recently they were hard and broke easily. The feedback was that they just crumbled without providing a proper chewing texture.

The FC’s shoulders flinched at the sound of the file folder being set down. It was his first time being called to the CEO’s office since he joined the company, so he was overly nervous, watching my every move. Well, he probably wondered what he had done wrong. I hadn’t called him in to scold him, either.

“You’re saying this opinion came up commonly across the southern Gyeonggi region 1?”

“Yes? Yes, y-yep… And if I may say so cautiously… I think it will be a common opinion in more regions once the reports are compiled. What the FCs are saying is all very sim-si-similar.”

We signed the contract with Shinyoon F&B today. If this is the kind of feedback that comes out less than a day later, I need to step in and fix it myself. Separate from my personal feelings for Shin Taeyoon, this contract was crucial as it was at a crossroads for whether the company would grow bigger or not. Moreover, if we were targeting a specific demographic of idol fans within the broader category of people who like snack food, we had to meet their needs.

Team Leader Im emphasized the importance of photo cards, but in the end, what remains in memory after the advertisement is over is the taste. Furthermore, the younger demographic was even more sensitive to taste. When I was running my own business, unlike middle-aged customers who were skilled in cooking and would offer various bits of advice, students gave stark evaluations of ‘delicious’ or ‘not delicious.’ When I asked how it wasn’t delicious, they provided feedback worthy of a thesis, which was a great help in improving the taste.

That was the data I had learned through experience. What’s important is the first to the third bite. If you feel it’s delicious on the first bite, the second and third bites will go down without a problem, and from the fourth bite, the business name gets imprinted on your mind. For the sake of the customer’s fourth bite, I ran around with my feet on fire to source ingredients to balance the harmony of the fish cakes and rice cakes. The results have continued to this day. I can’t let someone ruin it.

“Did you stop by the stores and do a taste test?”

At the simple question, the FC lowered his eyes.

“Yes, but… Mister CEO, I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but they were a little different from the rice cakes made in our kitchen.”

“Good work. You can go now.”

He looked at me with anxious eyes as if to ask if that was all, so I gestured toward the door with my chin. But the FC didn’t leave and lingered hesitantly.

“Um… Mister CEO.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry to say this, but… um… could you possibly give us more personnel?”

I looked up while closing the file folder. Employee grievances are communicated by each team’s leader during the Monday afternoon meeting. That’s why new employees were scheduled to start next week. There’s no way he wasn’t informed, right? But I couldn’t ask him that directly, as the FC was trembling like a rain-soaked puppy.

“Is the work very difficult?”

I could only use a coaxing and soothing tone.

“…It’s not that, but… a-ah… yes. To be honest, it’s been very tough lately. Since most of us are in field positions…”

“It is tough. I’m well aware of the difficulties of the FC department. Oh, have you had lunch?”

“What? Yes, I have.”

I took my personal card out of my pocket and handed it to him. His pupils wavered, not knowing what to do, so I added.

“The new employees will be starting soon, and we’ll continue to hire more. I know it’s very hard, but please bear with it a little longer. Use this to have a drink with your team members today.”

“Is it okay for me to take this…?”

“I gave it to you to take. My arm hurts. Take it, quickly.”

When I gestured impatiently by shaking my arm, he approached hesitantly and took it with both hands. Only then did I get a proper look at the FC’s face. He looked young. Was he about a year in, having just shed his rookie tag? He looked about Minjae’s age. The ship called a job, which he boarded right after graduating from university, might not always have smooth sailing, but since his captain, the FC Team Leader, is a smart person, he’ll learn a lot. That’s why I don’t say anything even if he cheekily bypasses his team leader to approach me.

“H-how much can I spend?”

He’s just a kid. I picked up the file folder again and opened it.

“You won’t hit the limit, so eat as much as you want. Return the card to Manager Han tomorrow.”

“Thank you…”

“If you’re done, you can go now.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the FC left, I carefully checked the report and immediately called Manager Han. Without me having to say anything, Manager Han asked, “Shall I prepare for you to go out?” He gets it in a snap. This is why convenient communication is so important. As I brought out my jacket, Manager Han, who was waiting, handed me a briefcase.

“You’re going to Dangjin, right?”

“Yeah. I won’t be back today. You can head home when it’s time.”

“Please contact me if anything special happens. Though I pray it doesn’t.”

“I feel the same way. I’m just going to go quietly, so don’t tell anyone else. Oh, and when the FC gives you my card tomorrow, just take it.”

“Yes, sir. Have a safe trip.”

I hoped he would go and have a good long chat. I lifted my wrist to check the time. If I floored it, I could get there before the factory closed. The whole time I was waiting for the elevator, the urge to smoke welled up. At this rate, I probably can’t even dream of quitting.

There was a rear-end collision on the highway, so I was later than expected. As I passed the Dangjin IC and got closer to the factory, I saw more rice paddies than asphalt roads. Right over there were rows of tall, newly built apartment buildings without a single speck of dirt on their tiles, but right in front of me, a tractor was driving by. It was an ironic sight. Fortunately, this area wasn’t included in the new city development zone, so farming wouldn’t be a problem, but you never knew when the higher-ups, blinded by real estate, might suddenly flip, so I couldn’t be completely at ease.

Anyway, I hope he hasn’t left work yet… Am I a step too late?

—Hyung, I sent you a text. Let me know if it’s too expensive.

Minjae chattered excitedly. I couldn’t see the text while driving, so I switched the screen from the navigation while waiting for a tractor to pass. The car Minjae had chosen was a domestic compact SUV.

“You think you can handle an SUV?”

Even if he’s never driven, he could, of course, but if you drive a big car from the start, it’s hard to get a feel for it and it’s difficult to get used to.

—I’ll try it, and if it seems hard, I’ll just get more training. I can do it.

True, in a world where every Tom, Dick, and Harry is out on the road, what couldn’t he drive? Of course, I didn’t mean Minjae was a Tom, Dick, or Harry.

“Okay, hyung is driving right now, so I’ll take a closer look later and give you a call.”

—Okay. But where are you, hyung?

“Hyung is in Dangjin.”

—Whoa. Then you’re not coming home today? Mom told me to call and see if you could have dinner with us.

“Yeah, I don’t think I can make it today. Can you explain it to my aunt for me?”

—Yep, yep. Don’t worry. And hyung, you don’t have to call me today, you can call whenever you’re free. I’m hanging up!

“Okay. Bye.”

I exchanged greetings with the person driving the tractor as it passed and drove on the half-paved road. The days were longer, so the sky was still bright even though it was approaching six o’clock.