Chapter 59: Boss (2)
Chapter 59: Boss (2)
“…What should I do first?”
“Could you bring these boxes inside?”
“Oh, okay.”
I kept thinking something might happen at any moment, but Noona didn’t try anything.
Still, I couldn’t let my guard down. Maintaining my internal tension, I faithfully carried out the tasks she assigned.
“Be careful not to hurt your back.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry.”
In that sense, it was actually better to be busy. Noona wasn’t the type to lack tact; she wasn’t someone who would try something while she was the one making me work.
If anything, Noona was a person of grace and dignity. It was to the point that even when we first slept together, seeing her so disheveled had felt incredibly provocative.
So, while I remained on edge, I was also able to work with a certain degree of relief.
“But if you have stuff like this, you should make the employees do it during the week. Why leave it for now?”
I asked this warily, wondering if she had saved the work specifically to lure me here, but Noona’s answer was perfectly sensible.
“Well, it arrived on Friday… just as everyone was leaving for the day.”
“Ah.”
“It’s a bit much to give them another task right when they’re heading home, don’t you think?”
Noona was a decent person, even as a boss.
I wasn’t just defending her because we were family; it was the truth.
She didn’t make people feel guilty for taking leave, she always attended family events like weddings or funerals, and she made leaving on time the company standard.
Perhaps because of that, employee loyalty was quite high. It was only natural that someone like her wouldn’t force her staff to move items that arrived right before the weekend.
“I doubt they would have minded, though.”
“Still.”
“If you’re more comfortable this way, I guess it’s fine, but…”
I thought that since she was the Boss, she should use her employees more. She was paying them to work, after all; no one would complain about moving a few boxes.
Regardless, there was no point in putting off what was already done. I worked hard, taking comfort in the fact that I would be safe as long as I was busy.
The boxes filling the storage room weren't few, but they weren't exactly many either.
Even doing it alone, ten minutes was more than enough to get everything organized.
Of course, it wasn't just about moving them.
“Do I need to take the contents out of these, too?”
“Yes, I’ll help you.”
Some of the boxes contained items that weren't strictly related to work.
For example, coffee and snacks for the breakroom.
I opened the boxes that were clearly not for business, inspected the contents, and placed them in their proper spots.
“Oh, snacks. There’s a ton of them.”
“They go surprisingly fast. So I bought extra.”
“Is that okay? I’ve never worked in an office, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Why wouldn't it be? If they eat well and work hard, everyone wins.”
From the perspective of an ordinary Korean man who had recently been discharged from the military and was preparing to return to university, Noona’s company seemed like a great place to work.
“…There’s quite a variety, too.”
“Team Leader Lee likes these, and Employee Choi likes those. And these are…”
Even for a small, female-majority company, I thought it was impressive that she memorized all her employees' preferences. I could see why their loyalty was so high.
Shaking my head in admiration, I filled the snack cabinets in the breakroom.
Fortunately, everything was so well-organized and followed such a clear pattern that I didn't even have to think about it.
It was at a level where I could organize things myself without having to call Noona over to ask what to do.
I continued to work hard as Noona directed.
I organized the snacks, restocked office supplies that were low or missing, and broke down the empty boxes to stack them neatly.
I even set up a coffee machine that appeared to be a new addition.
“I could have done that…”
“No, I’ve got it. The Boss should act like a Boss.”
Noona hovered anxiously, saying she could do it herself, but I took care of it so her pretty clothes wouldn't get dirty.
After all, this was a man’s job. Even if it wasn't, it was better for me to do it than for Noona to get her hands dirty.
“Your clothes are going to get ruined…”
“If we’re going by that, it’ll show much more if your clothes get dirty.”
“…Thank you. I really only have you, Jin-i.”
She smiled warmly, patted my back, and headed toward the CEO’s office.
Watching her, it felt as if everything that happened last night was a lie.
It felt like it had all been a figment of my imagination or a dream. I even had the naive thought that maybe, just maybe, that was the case.
It was understandable, given that the relationship I’d shared with Kang Yu-min and Yu-ri felt less like mere depravity and more like a crime.
Family members—three blood-related siblings—tangling and rolling around together.
From a common-sense perspective, it was something that should never happen. And yet, it had felt so good that I couldn't resist.
I wondered if the guilt sleeping inside me had been triggered, causing me to dream it all up. Logically speaking, it wasn't an entirely impossible theory.
But.
The cold expression Noona had shown earlier, and the current situation—an extension of her request to come to the office today, which she’d conveniently brought up in that 'dream'—all of it was telling me that everything from last night was real. So, even as I tried to escape into comfort, I was pulled back to reality.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily. How on earth was I supposed to bring this up?
And just how much did Noona know?
I racked my brain, but I couldn't find a single clue. So, while fiddling with the long nozzle inside the coffee machine, I indulged in futile delusions.
Maybe Noona had installed CCTV at home, or maybe she’d planted a wire.
It would explain things instantly, but that was all it was. It was so ridiculous that I let out a hollow laugh.
The problem was that there was no other way to explain it. I closed the lid of the coffee machine and stood up with a sigh.
Should I approach her first? Should I feel her out to see what she wants and how much she knows?
No, Noona was smarter than me. If I tried to probe, I might accidentally give her a clue and end up revealing more than she already knew.
So, probing was the second-worst option… but that second-worst option was tempting.
Deeply agonizing and brooding over problems wasn't really my style.
It was just as I was sighing over the problem that seemed to have no answer.
“Jin-i.”
I flinched violently and froze, and Noona let out a muffled laugh.
“Oh, Noona. When did you get here?”
I didn't ask why she had approached so silently. I felt like Noona would figure out all sorts of things just from that question alone.
Fortunately, she didn't press me.
“Mm-hmm, you looked so focused. I came in quietly.”
“Ah… I guess I was.”
Noona just smiled serenely at my words and held out her smartphone.
“Pick something. You’re hungry, right?”
“Oh.”
Come to think of it, it was past lunchtime. I nodded and took Noona’s phone.
It was different from Kang Yu-min’s tacky phone with a cracked screen, or Yu-ri’s flashily decorated phone that she was always staring into. It was clean and very much like Noona.
The wallpaper was simple, and the case was a clean navy blue—her favorite color—that protected the phone without being bulky.
The taskbar, or whatever you call it, was also clean to the point of being empty. If it were me or Kang Yu-min, there would have been at least a few mobile game icons. It was just like her.
“Jin-i?”
“Oh, yeah. I was just thinking about what to eat.”
“Take your time.”
With Noona smiling in front of me, I finally started considering the menu. There were all sorts of restaurants on the delivery app, and her favorites list seemed to have one of every category.
“…What do you usually eat, Noona?”
“Hmm, I usually ask the employees and then decide.”
“Then, do you eat things like tteokbokki?”
“I do. Though I’m not particularly fond of it.”
Noona placed a hand on her cheek and smiled with her eyes. Well, tteokbokki wasn't exactly nutritionally balanced, even if it was a food women supposedly loved to death.
“…Because there aren't enough vegetables?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Then… is there anything you recommend?”
“You know how I am…”
“You don't really have any strong likes or dislikes.”
It was strange, now that I thought about it. Noona was unusually indifferent to food.
Having followed Mother around and managed her diet for ballet since she was young, it wouldn't have been strange for her to develop a huge appetite.
She was almost ascetic. Though she seemed to burn with desire when she was with me.
As I stared at her, struck by the thought, Noona made a troubled expression.
“Is it hard to choose? Then…”
“Are you going to recommend something?”
“If you look at the favorites there… yes, that one.”
The restaurant I checked based on Noona’s recommendation was, well…
It was a very 'Noona' choice. Salads, pokes, sandwiches—foods that were simple and easy on the stomach. They were also easy to keep nutritionally balanced.
I was impressed and thought that this kind of thing wouldn't be bad once in a while. I nodded, picked a few items, and handed the phone back to Noona.
“The portions are large, and it’s nutritionally good. The employees like it, too.”
“Really? I guess so…”
Thinking it made sense for a female-majority company, I looked around.
“Where do you usually eat?”
“See that table in the center? Sometimes we eat there, and sometimes in the breakroom.”
“Ah, the breakroom was pretty big.”
Among the things I’d brought in earlier was some bedding. I followed Noona into the breakroom, and seeing the bed, table, and sofa placed there, I thought it looked more like a private studio.
“The employee benefits are insane. Seriously.”
Noona beamed at my words, and I let out a hollow laugh.
“I want to work at a company like this later.”
“Then do you want to work here, Jin-i?”
“Uh, no. I’m good.”
“Oh my, why?”
“It’s too female-dominated, it’s scary. You know how I…”
“Ah, because you’re scared of women?”
I was about to say yes, but a chilling sensation made me stop and close my mouth.
I turned my head to find Noona watching me with half-closed eyes. Her head was tilted slightly, and a cold shiver ran down my spine.
“So that’s why family is okay.”
“…Huh?”
Noona didn't answer. She simply smiled with her eyes again and glanced at the screen as a notification chimed on her phone.
“Ah, I accidentally placed it as a pickup order. I’ll go get it. Wait here.”
She held up the phone as if to show me, then left the room.
And I stood there, frozen where she had left me.
It definitely wasn't a dream, but I felt like I finally understood a little bit of the reason why Noona had called me to the office today.
My brain began to overheat as it scrambled for excuses and solutions.