OWWHM 03
The Office Worker Who Hears Memories – Episode 3
4. Are These My Team Members?
“I heard you’re quite successful? I knew you’d be good at ripping people off, if nothing else.”
Kim Tae-ha put a cigarette in his mouth and offered me one.
“Ripping people off? How dare you! I earned everything honestly. But where have you been? Do you know how much I looked for you?”
“Sorry… I had some things going on, so I left without contacting anyone.”
Kim Tae-ha exhaled a puff of smoke with a bitter expression.
I thought we were close in school…
We lost touch around the time we went to university, and this was our first meeting in 10 years.
“Where were you?”
“America.”
“Studying abroad? Or on the run?”
“Let’s call it studying abroad to make it sound better.”
“Then you should have called your Hyungnim right away when you got back!”
“Hyungnim? Hahaha, it’s been a long time since I heard that. You’re the Team Leader of the Special Sales Team, right?”
“How did you know?”
Kim Tae-ha hung the employee ID card he was holding around his neck, smirked, and continued.
“My sister told me. Do you remember my sister?”
“Ah… Ji-young Noona?”
In school, the first time I saw Ji-young Noona, she looked like a celebrity on TV.
Her height of over 170 cm and her sleek figure.
Her clear, sparkling eyes and a nose that looked like it was sculpted by the ‘Gangnam creator’ (a term for a skilled plastic surgeon).
It was art itself.
“You even remember her name?”
“Of course.”
“Right. Anyway, she’s an Executive Director here now.”
“Ji-young Noona is?”
When I shouted, Kim Tae-ha was startled and covered my mouth.
“Shhh! Other people don’t know she’s my sister. This is absolutely a secret. Got it?”
When I nodded, Kim Tae-ha put his hand on my shoulder and continued.
“Hyungnim is the Team Leader of the Processed Food Team, so if you don’t know something, feel free to ask anytime. If you play nice, I’ll teach you this and that.”
“Play nice?”
“Yeah, speaking of which, want to try being cute right now?”
“We meet after 10 years, and you’re already trying to provoke me. But you don’t actually think you’re in the same league as me, do you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You got here on your dad’s influence, and I got here solely on my own ability.”
“I’m not a parachute employee, and I heard all those rumors about you were heavily exaggerated with MSG?”
“Did you study comedy in America? Your comedy is max level.”
We exchanged jokes without any inhibition.
It was the same when we were students.
His status as someone born with a silver spoon was just a funny subject for teasing, and Kim Tae-ha always played along.
We chain-smoked and talked about our school days for a long time. As time passed, Kim Tae-ha looked at his wristwatch and gasped.
“Hey! We only have 10 minutes left. Let’s go down quickly.”
“Why is a Royal Family member like this? Can’t you just hang out longer, trusting the next chairman’s backing?”
“Don’t you know the term noblesse oblige?”
“You’re just a Hong Gil-dong who can’t even call his sister ‘sister’…” (Hong Gil-dong is a character in a Korean folktale who couldn’t call his father ‘father’)
“We can talk about Hong Gil-dong or Byun Hak-do later, let’s go now!”
Kim Tae-ha got up and pulled my hand. We took the elevator and arrived at the MD Business Division on the 17th floor.
“Your team’s spot is over there. Go on.”
“Alright. Let’s grab a drink on Friday.”
“What about today?”
“I have to take care of my team members.”
“Fine. Got it.”
Kim Tae-ha turned to leave, but as if something came to mind, he called me again.
“Ji-hoon.”
“Yeah?”
“Executive Director Kim Ji-young will probably call you. Do you remember what I told you?”
“I know!”
“Good. Don’t you ever forget it.”
Kim Tae-ha patted my butt and headed to his desk. I looked at his retreating figure and gave a slight smile.
Just then.
“Team Leader Won Ji-hoon?”
Late 40s?
No, a skinny man who looked to be in his 50s approached me.
“Yes, that’s me?”
“Hello! I am Section Chief Ma Seong-geun of the Special Sales Team.”
The middle-aged man bowed 90 degrees.
The top of his head was quite thin.
He wore black suspenders because his pants often slipped down, and a bright red arm guard on his white dress shirt, which looked completely out of place. His glasses were also so large that his already unimpressive appearance looked even shabbier.
Surprised by the excessive 90-degree bow, I quickly grabbed his shoulder and straightened him up.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“Not at all. Shall I bring the team members?”
The company people were staring at me…
And I could picture Kim Tae-ha, snickering as he watched my embarrassment from a distance.
“Surely not everyone does this, right?”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s skip this and grab a coffee, instead. The lounge on the 25th floor looks nice.”
“You go on up first. I will gather my writing tools and follow you.”
“No, no. You can just come as you are.”
Before I could finish my sentence, Ma Seong-geun walked away quickly. He went inside the partition and called the sitting employees one by one.
“What would you like to drink? I heard the coffee here is expensive… It’s on me.”
The tall man, who was dragged along by Section Chief Ma Seong-geun, gave me a strange look. Then he presented his employee ID card at the café counter and spoke.
“If you are a BO Food employee, the bakery and drinks here are complimentary.”
That bastard, Kim Tae-ha…
He was playing tricks again.
“Ah… Is that so?”
“What would you like?”
“Just order me anything.”
“’Anything’ is the hardest thing in the world to order.”
What is this man with such a murderous aura?
His gaze is also unusual.
He was glaring at me with narrowed eyes, like a killer who had found his target.
“An Iced Americano, a cold one.”
“Iced Americanos are inherently cold.”
“Haha, yes.”
He ordered drinks for the other employees and spoke again.
“My name is Kim Dae-seong.”
“Yes, Dae-seong-ssi. My name is Won Ji-hoon.”
“Do you not remember me?”
I don’t remember.
This man, Kim Dae-seong, has an uncommon face…
“I’m not sure. You look familiar, but where did I see you…”
“I interviewed for an AMD position at One Small two months ago, before joining BO Commerce.”
He must have applied when we hired Lee Eun-ji two months ago.
It’s natural that I don’t remember, as there was quite a crowd of applicants at that time. And since I was looking to hire a female employee, I gave the male applicants only a cursory interview.
I scratched my head and replied with an apologetic look.
“That’s right.”
“Do you know how hard I tried to join One Small back then? How much I… muffled”
As I looked awkward, Section Chief Ma Seong-geun leaped up from his seat and put the 30-centimeter taller Kim Dae-seong in a headlock.
“Hey, Kim Dae-seong! Why are you bringing that up right here, right now?”
“Section Chief, this is clearly assault.”
“Is it? Then report me! Let me just punch you a few more times first, okay? How about this? Huh?”
“Oh, seriously? I’ll really report you!”
Are these my team members?
I was momentarily speechless at their abnormal atmosphere.
A little later, when the drinks were ready, the young female employee behind us transferred the drinks to a tray.
“Team Leader! This way, please.”
Ma Seong-geun bowed and pointed to a corner of the lounge.
It was a room prepared separately, like a meeting room.
One of the team members was already blocking the entrance, as if he had reserved the spot.
“Ah… Yes.”
I was led by the team members into the room with blue walls.
It looked like a room set aside for quick meetings, with a whiteboard in the center.
Ma Seong-geun held a whiteboard marker neatly in both hands and bowed deeply, like a trot singer greeting an audience.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself again. I am Section Chief Ma Seong-geun of the Special Sales Team. I was in logistics management at BO Food, and I was transferred to commerce this time. I am 43 years old this year, and I have two daughters in middle school. But since they are only a year apart, it’s costing me a fortune. Hahaha.”
“You’ll need to earn a lot.”
“Yes, I do! That’s why it’s such an honor to meet you, Team Leader. Hahaha! And this friend is the ace of our team, Assistant Manager Kim Gyeong-il.”
A navy shirt and white pants.
A handsome man with a comma hairstyle, something only celebrities typically do, bowed his head.
“Hello. I’m Kim Gyeong-il. I worked at Groupon in the US and came over to Korea following Executive Director Choi Gu-yeol. Please think of me as your younger brother from now on.”
“Yes. I’m Won Ji-hoon. Let’s get along well in the future.”
After finishing introductions with Assistant Manager Kim Gyeong-il.
A man with a tired face full of acne stood up.
“I’m Lee Woo-jin, Lee Woo-jin, who worked as an AMD at Chain Market a month ago. I’ve heard a lot of rumors about Team Leader Won.”
“What rumors? I hope they were good ones…”
“Of course. Of course! Everyone praises the Team Leader so much… Hahaha.”
“I look forward to working with you.”
“Yes, yes. Of course, of course.”
“But Woo-jin-ssi.”
“Yes? Yes?”
“Do you normally repeat your words twice like that?”
“Ah… Ah… Did I do that?”
I held the hand of the embarrassed-looking Lee Woo-jin and smiled brightly.
Then.
“I’m Kim Dae-seong. I greeted you in front of the café earlier, do you remember me now?”
“I’m not sure. You look a bit familiar, but where did I see you…”
“Team Leader!”
The massive Kim Dae-seong, over 190 cm tall.
Despite his size, he seemed quite petty. And he was also the type of friend whose reaction was fun when teased. I waved my hand and laughed loudly at Kim Dae-seong, who was furrowing his brows and pouting like a child.
“Hahaha, I’m just kidding.”
Finally, the female employee in the corner stood up and bowed her head.
“My name is Ha Yeon-doo. It’s been a little over two months since I joined, and I will work hard.”
“Yes. I’m Won Ji-hoon. I will also work hard, so please help me a lot.”
Ha Yeon-doo, short at about 160 cm with short bobbed hair.
She was quite a beauty with sharp features on her small face.
“Yeon-doo-ssi is an intern who joined two months ago.”
I tried to lead the team members to talk comfortably about their family matters, interests, and company happenings. After chatting for about 30 minutes, the sound of a phone ringing stopped the conversation.
– Where are you?
It was Kim Tae-ha, whose number I had exchanged this morning.
“On the rooftop, why?”
– Come down quickly. The Executive Director is calling.
“Which Executive Director?”
– Executive Director Kim Ji-young.
“Alright.”
– Remember what I told you! Don’t fall for any leading questions!
“Got it.”
I sent the team members back and headed to Executive Director Kim Ji-young’s office on the 12th floor, which Kim Tae-ha had told me about.
.
.
Knock, knock.
A woman in her late 30s opened the door and offered a fair, white hand.
“Oh my. Are you really Ji-hoon? It’s been so long.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
Executive Director Kim Ji-young.
She was 10 years older than me, so she would be thirty-nine now.
Her appearance hasn’t changed.
No, she even looks younger than 10 years ago.
Her impression is cold and stern, but her tone is soft and gentle.
She was like that in the past, too. The Ji-young Noona I saw at Tae-ha’s house was the type of person who would personally prepare snacks.
“When we’re alone, just call me Noona.”
At that moment, Kim Tae-ha’s advice popped into my mind.
The one that told me not to fall for this expression and tone and to not call her Noona…
“But we’re at the company, Executive Director. I’ll do that the next time we meet privately after work.”
“Aish, why are you being so stiff?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Coffee is fine, right? Have a seat.”
Executive Director Kim Ji-young walked to the main sofa, crossed her legs, and sat down. Her smooth, white legs were exposed between her short skirt.
“Just water, please.”
“Why?”
“I’ve had a lot of coffee since this morning.”
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