An Awkward Lunch and a Surprising Promotion
Ack! Lunch with the CEO was just so enjoyable! ……………
The moment I raised my hand to knock on the door of Choi Seori's office.
"Come in."
Her voice rang out before I'd even knocked.
Huh, the timing's like she could see me or something.
Of course, she probably wasn't watching me on the office CCTV or anything. She must've just sensed my presence.
I opened the door and stepped inside. Choi Seori wasn't at her PC. Instead, she was sitting on the sofa by the reception table, a laptop balanced on her knees. As I entered, she casually closed it.
I couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the screen by accident... and it looked suspiciously like a photo of me.
What was she looking at?
I was curious, but I didn't ask. She probably wouldn't answer honestly anyway.
On the reception table sat two black-lacquered bento boxes, already set up.
Whoa, that's...!
The logo lacquered on the bentos was from a high-end Japanese restaurant in the basement of a famous department store. Even the cheapest one there cost 50,000 won, so this meant at least a 50,000-won lunch.
Hmm, this hospitality must be her apology for yesterday. Still, it's a bit much.
As a fellow office worker, 50,000 won didn't feel outrageously expensive, but it was still burdensome.
I approached the table and naturally took a seat across from her.
"Ah, wait."
But Choi Seori's reaction was odd. She started to say something, then stopped, and suddenly moved to the seat next to mine—not right beside me, but at a 90-degree angle. Close enough, but not too close.
I tried not to overthink the mysterious seat change as I opened my bento. Neatly arranged sushi, grilled items, braised dishes—it was clearly a premium seasonal-ingredient set.
Choi Seori opened her identical bento beside me.
I should at least say thanks first...
What to call her? We're in the office, so "President"? Or since it's just us, "Senior Seori"?
Screw it.
"Thanks. I'll dig in, Senior Seori."
"……!"
The moment I finished speaking, her face visibly brightened. Her lips curved up, her eyes turned to crescents. But when our eyes met, she quickly schooled her expression back to neutral.
……………
For the next five minutes or so, we ate in complete silence. The only sounds in the office were the clink of chopsticks and the chew of food.
...Ugh.
I tried to focus solely on my bento, but it was impossible. When I picked up a piece of egg roll with my chopsticks, her eyes followed the exact trajectory. When I glanced her way while sipping the miso soup, she averted her gaze and took a sip of hers too.
What the hell is this...?
It was nerve-wracking. But asking directly felt awkward too. I just popped some sushi in my mouth and chewed slowly. I could feel every single grain of rice sliding down my throat—the discomfort was that palpable.
Choi Seori was the one who finally broke the silence.
"What do you do after work these days...?"
My chopsticks froze at the sudden question. This wasn't something the old her would ever ask.
"Just rest at home."
I kept my answer as short as possible. It wasn't even a lie—Han Minseo had always crashed straight to sleep after grueling workdays.
She nodded. But she showed no sign of stopping.
"What about weekends? Any special plans?"
"No, nothing particular."
"Any hobbies...?"
What's with this woman?
It was weird. Choi Seori wasn't the type for this. Even scouring Han Minseo's memories, there was no precedent. Back in university, she'd only ever talked code, algorithms, projects. No personal chit-chat.
There must be a reason... What's her goal?
Normally—and putting aside that we'd never eat alone like this—she'd dive straight into work talk. Like chewing me out over code reviews, checking Project H.P.J.'s progress, or issuing new orders.
But she kept firing off strange questions.
"You read webnovels? Other books too?"
"Like movies?"
"Exercise? Taking care of your health?"
It felt like awkward small talk with a stranger. Honestly, even more awkward than that.
Hmm... It has to be because of yesterday.
She was probably trying to mend fences with her old university junior. The problem was, like with the naked dogeza yesterday, her methods were utterly bizarre and caused me all sorts of discomfort.
With those complicated feelings, my appetite naturally faded. I closed my bento lid and quietly set down my chopsticks.
……………
Choi Seori glanced at my bento, then hesitantly asked while sneaking peeks at me.
"Didn't suit your taste?"
"No, it was delicious. Just too much food..."
About half of that was true. The 50,000-won bento was surprisingly generous. For Han Minseo's portion size, finishing it was impossible. Though the awkward vibe killing my appetite was the biggest factor.
Her expression relaxed again at my answer. Clear relief.
Once she finished too, we cleared the bentos. We closed the lacquered lids and wrapped them in paper.
As she tidied the empty containers, Choi Seori spoke up.
"From now on... can we eat like this together sometimes? Even occasionally would be fine."
It wasn't a command—it sounded like she was genuinely asking permission.
Hmm...
The old Choi Seori would've just declared, "Lunch here tomorrow too." She really had changed. For the better, for both of us.
Even if today's conversation was a total disaster... it'll get better with time, right?
The awkward small talk and staring contests were torture, sure. But think about it. She's the CEO of a unicorn like Core Systems, and my university senior who got me this job. We've had friction lately, but she patched it in her outlandish way, and now she's putting in this much effort to improve our relationship.
Yeah. Turning her down would be rude. Ungrateful, even.
"Sure, sounds good to me. Free meals from Senior Seori."
Her eyes sparkled. She cleared her throat like she was trying to suppress her joy, but she couldn't hide it completely.
"Ah, yeah. Really? Then I'll buy whenever you want. Even every day."
The words tumbled out in a rush, like an excited kid.
Hmm... Kinda feels bad now.
A CEO thrilled at treating an employee to lunch. For some reason, I felt a little sorry for her.
……………
Lunchtime ended, complete with the unbelievable event of "dining alone with the president"—something I couldn't have dreamed of yesterday.
About an hour into afternoon work, my messenger pinged.
Considering our boss-employee dynamic, it was overly polite.
I sent a short reply and returned to sorting Project H.P.J. files. But I couldn't focus.
Important business? Please don't tell me she's pulling another naked dogeza at the office. God, no.
I suppressed my anxiety and waited. At 3 sharp, I headed to her office.
"Minseo, come in."
Again, before I could knock. I'd never noticed before, but she had an uncanny sense for people's presence.
"Pardon the intrusion."
A massive TV on the wall displayed a presentation.
[Proposal: Establishment of New Business Strategy Analysis Office Directly Under CEO]
Choi Seori held the remote and guided me to the sofa.
"I have something to explain. Sit and listen."
She clicked to the next slide, and my name appeared at the top.
[Chief Researcher Han Minseo]
The org chart below showed a direct line from CEO Choi Seori to me. And below me—nothing. Empty. No team members.
She began explaining in a calm voice.
"After your resignation yesterday, I agonized all night. What the problems were, how to make it comfortable for you to work."
Next slide. Issues and solutions laid out.
Excessive overtime → Flexible hours and autonomous task management
Team communication stress → Independent one-person department
Monotonous development work → Diverse tasks like strategy planning, research, etc.
Poor compensation → 50% salary increase
50% raise?
I saw it with my own eyes, but the raise was hard to believe.
Next slide: office photos. Same floor as current, but a separate space... right next to Choi Seori's office. A glass-walled solo room with what I knew to be the priciest ergonomic chair and standing desk brands.
"The key here is independence. No interference from other departments—just communicate with me."
Hmm, this is...
50% raise, private office, flexible hours. Not bad at all. No, it was outrageously generous.
But worry crept in too.
Long-term, it won't help my career at all.
A one-person department meant isolation. Direct under CEO, no less. Was building a resume in that environment smart? Probably not. Classic empty title.
Still, it beat the old nights wrestling code till dawn under abuse. No comparison.
...What to do? Ask for time to think?