Chapter 185: The Sorrows of an Office Worker (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: The Sorrows of an Office Worker (1)
"Yeong-hwan, can you scrape every bit of recent news on ZA Corp for me? I don't care if it's just the chairman's wife changing her Ferrari from yellow to red. Anything."
"Yes, sir. Understood."
After assigning the ZA Corp research to Do Yeong-hwan, Seon Gu-an turned his attention back to the monitor. The graph was trending upward.
‘When Team Leader Ji checked it, there definitely weren't any red flags.’
Since Ji Seong-in had acknowledged him, the two had been working in perfect sync, riding a wave of success. They had even received an incentive recently thanks to their collaboration.
But now.
A red light had appeared on a product that he and Ji Seong-in had not only designed together but that My Asset Management was about to push aggressively.
To others, the ZA Corp graph probably looked red, but in Seon Gu-an’s eyes, it was unmistakably black.
The names of companies whose stock prices would rise were red.
The names of companies whose stock prices would fall were blue.
And a black graph meant…
"…Trading is going to be suspended."
"Pardon?"
"ZA Corp could turn into scrap paper. Because of liquidity issues!"
…It meant delisting.
‘Ha Seo-myeong is a really good actress.’
I tried my best not to judge others, but I couldn't help but admire Ha Seo-myeong’s acting.
The look of flustered love, the look of being startled by a mistake, and the look of panic when facing a major problem—they were all distinct. It really drove home the fact that experience makes a difference.
‘Come to think of it, Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon were also great with their expressions.’
The only expressions I could manage were "the smile of overflowing joy right before clocking out" or "the smile of pure happiness after getting paid," but their range was much wider.
Was I given this In My Office appearance mission so I could study this and increase my Dance Proficiency? Since I didn't know the System’s true intentions, I had to consider every possibility.
‘I feel like I’m pouring my soul into this "jaded by mannerisms" acting, though.’
In fact, I hadn't been criticized once for having awkward expressions. Part of that might be because expectations for me weren't high, but at the very least, it meant I wasn't an eyesore on screen.
If that was the case, it meant I was holding my own, so I needed to find a way to improve further.
For instance, by closely watching the seniors' acting to find what I lacked, or by paying more attention to the chemistry with others…
"I-wol, could you throw this away for me?"
…Or by catering to my senior’s whims.
To Jang Jun-hu, UA was his own backyard. Thus, his tyranny was simple.
As long as his family didn't find out, anything went. That was Jang Jun-hu’s mindset.
On the other hand, Gu Ja-han tended to justify his actions.
He was the type who believed that since this was a film set, and the actors were the main attraction, the entire site should revolve around them. His tendency to pick fights with cast members or staff who weren't "born" actors stemmed from that same logic.
Though this was his first lead role, his pride in having been dedicated to acting for over ten years since becoming an adult seemed to play a part as well.
‘He thinks he’s the one who has to set the discipline for the kids who are muddying the waters of the sacred film set.’
Ha Seo-myeong, a former idol, was cast as Gu Ja-han’s co-star. Even if their starting points were different, their actual years in the industry weren't that far apart.
Even when Gu Ja-han openly showed his displeasure, Ha Seo-myeong didn't react. In other words, the "hierarchy" Gu Ja-han wanted to establish wasn't working.
People of that sort only feel secure when they have someone beneath their feet. To show off.
‘Look at him. If you guys mess up, you might end up treated like him.’ That was Gu Ja-han’s goal.
And I was the one caught in that power play. It was perfect for him, wasn't it? I was an active idol, and despite having only a few lines, my screen time was increasing because a senior from the same idol background was looking out for me, and the directors adored me.
"Work hard, I-wol. There are more than a few kids who would literally die to be in your spot."
"I really think… we need to stop idols from crossing over into the acting world. It lowers the quality of the work. Don't you feel that when you're delivering your lines, I-wol?"
Whenever we happened to be waiting together, Gu Ja-han whispered incessantly. To an outsider, it might have looked like we were incredibly close.
Though, since Gu Ja-han kept calling me a "clown," no one would actually make that mistake.
But really, shouldn't he look in a mirror before saying things like that? Ha Seo-myeong is a better actor than he is.
If he was so envious of doing both, he should have just made a flashy debut as an idol himself.
Because he was being so annoying, I just pretended to listen, and eventually, Gu Ja-han started making me do chores.
"Since you're throwing that away"—for the record, my hands were empty—"throw mine away too," or "If you're going to the waiting room, can you take my bag?" That sort of thing.
Once, Ha Seo-myeong caught him, and the two of them had a massive blowout. It happened to be the day Gu Ja-han had to shout a confession to Ha Seo-myeong: "Fine, I am bothered by Seon Gu-an! Are you happy now?!" I was so worried the filming would be ruined that day.
So, while I was grateful and sorry to Ha Seo-myeong, I was doing my best to put up with Gu Ja-han’s nonsense without making it obvious, so as not to cause trouble for her or the production company.
Gu Ja-han felt the same way. Having decided that there was nothing to gain from messing with the lead, Ha Seo-myeong, he now only bullied me when she was busy filming.
"I-wol, that coffee I asked you to throw away. Did you already toss it?"
"Yes, I just got back from doing that."
"Ah, you threw it away already?"
Gu Ja-han furrowed his brows as if he were in a bind.
You told me to throw it away quickly, you fucker. You're really testing my temper. I've been living so peacefully since UA calmed down.
"Now that I think about it, I think I left my personal cup holder on that cup."
Gu Ja-han stopped there. Silence fell.
It was obvious what he wanted to say.
"Was it something important?"
"Yeah, I got it from a fan. I really need to find it."
The thing you got from your fan, and I have to…
I thought I’d never have to dig through a trash can again after leaving Hanpyeong Industry. I was arrogant.
"I'll go look for it, Senior!"
I replied with a bright smile.
What workplace doesn't have a boomer? Everyone lives like this.
It varies by set, but on In My Office, they used large plastic bags as trash cans.
Even though they tried to recycle, the amount of trash produced by dozens of people was always staggering.
And I was currently searching through those trash bags for a disposable takeout cup that Gu Ja-han presumably used. Fucking hell.
In the first place, if there had been a unique cup holder, there was no way I would have missed it and just thrown it away. He was just spouting nonsense to make me do busy work.
Nevertheless, there was only one reason I had to do this.
I couldn't drag my group's name through the mud at someone else's workplace.
Unfortunately, the actions of one celebrity often become the reputation of all celebrities. If I were to snap at Gu Ja-han, the entertainment news tomorrow would be headlined: "Idol's Disrespect Crosses the Line, Influence Spreads from Main Job to Acting World…" Having appeared in the news more than I intended, I knew how it worked.
‘And since I won't get the proficiency points unless all 12 episodes air safely, I can't just get rid of him in the middle like I did with someone else.’
While I was seething, my hands and feet were busy as I tried to re-sort the messy recycling.
System, I'm being a very good, moral person right now, so won't you give me something? My pants are soaked in coffee, but I'm not getting annoyed and I'm diligently picking out paper cup holders.
But the System did not appear. Son of a bitch. Fucking piece of shit.
Instead of the System, something else appeared.
"I-wol, you still haven't found it?"
It was this man, Gu Ja-han.
Why? You gonna give me a reward if I find it, you bastard?
"No, Senior. I don't see anything special."
"Ah, then I must have been mistaken."
Even so, Gu Ja-han didn't say a single word of apology or acknowledgment of my hard work.
I was genuinely curious. What do people like this actually gain from this kind of behavior?
Just the joy that comes from tormenting others? Shouldn't they have graduated from that in elementary school?
Many thoughts crossed my mind, but professional life is what it is. I replied, trying my best to smile with pure, untainted innocence.
"I'm just glad you didn't lose anything important."
Whether it had the opposite effect or not, Gu Ja-han’s expression actually worsened.
"I-wol, do you just not have any pride?"
"Pardon?"
"Is it because you're an idol? Because you have to manage your expressions? I don't know how you can't even show a hint of displeasure."
What the hell did that have to do with being an idol? Did he think idols were the only ones who had to hide their feelings at work?
There are probably 50 million working people in Korea alone who suffer from having to hide their true feelings. If he was going to pick a fight, he should at least find a better excuse.
‘You sure talk a lot of bullshit.’ I tried sending a telepathic message, but it didn't reach him. Gu Ja-han’s mouth continued to flap incessantly.
"You grin no matter what you're told to do, and you follow like a puppy whenever someone calls. Poking your nose in everywhere and touching everything like you're desperate for praise. You think that's doing a good job, don't you?"
= I hate how you're always smiling and getting along with everyone even on a tough set, and how you're always stepping up to do things!
…Isn't that what he's saying? That's what it sounds like to me. If you're so salty about it, why don't you bring some cable ties and tie up some LAN cables yourself?
I'm the one who told the Spark kids that an idol not smiling is a sin, so I have no intention of failing to manage my own expressions. And not going when called is just a lack of social skills.
I silently stepped out of the trash bag.
Watching me, Gu Ja-han said:
"You'll probably be rolling over and showing your belly to the director soon. That's exactly what my dog does."
Gu Ja-han, who had long ago crossed the line as a colleague working on the same project, had now stepped over the line of human decency.
"Who knows, I-wol? Maybe you'll get a few more lines out of it."
I mean, I really don't get it.
What exactly do you want to gain by insulting someone in such a low-class way?