Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Lean on Me (2)
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“Sob. *Sniffle*. Y-yeah. I’ll be right there, just… yeah. Send me the hospital address through messenger.”
Pateujang Heo Yuri's sobbing voice came from down the hall.
She was usually one of the most cheerful people in the company, so seeing her like this made my heart sink.
‘This seems more serious than I thought.’
Something must be very wrong.
After finishing her call, Pateujang Yuri wiped her tears with her sleeve and turned, walking briskly toward me.
I stood in the hallway, took a deep breath, and waited for her.
“PD. I, uh, my mom... she was just in a car accident. I…”
“Go on, leave right now. I'll handle things here, so don't worry about coming to the office for a while.”
“I'm so sorry. I know this is a really busy time.”
“Don't worry about it. Just focus on your personal matters for now, Pateujang Yuri. And….”
I returned to the office first and approached Pateujang Jeong Yosep, who was standing by his desk with a worried look on his face. I quietly explained the situation to him in a whisper.
“Given the circumstances, could you drive Pateujang Yuri to the hospital in her car, Pateujang Yosep? You can head home directly from there.”
“Of course, I'll do that right away.”
As if he'd been waiting for the word, Jeong Yosep grabbed his coat and left with Yuri.
“PD. Did something happen to the Pateujang?”
“I've never seen Pateujang Yuri like that before.”
The team members looked clearly bewildered, wondering what was going on.
If I showed any sign of wavering now, the anxiety would spread like wildfire.
I shook my head and, with the calmest expression I could manage, said.
“I'll let you know once things are sorted out. For now, everyone, please head home for the day. I'll see you all tomorrow.”
And so, the day ended.
****
The next morning, I got an update from Pateujang Jeong Yosep.
“I'm not sure if you can call it fortunate, but... Her mother was hit by a taxi that ran a red light at a crosswalk last night. It's not life-threatening, but it seems she'll need surgery.”
“You don't know what kind of surgery?”
“No, I don't know the details.”
“I see. Thank you for your help yesterday. I'll lead the art team for now, so Pateujang Yosep, please make sure to keep your team grounded and prevent any unrest.”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
Pateujang Jeong Yosep nodded with a firm expression.
He was meticulous about these things, so there shouldn't be any problems.
‘Phew. Now it's my turn to figure things out.’
I stopped what I was doing, immediately gathered the art team in the conference room, and updated them on the situation.
“Uh, is there anything we can do to help Pateujang Yuri?”
“Yeah. I wish we could do something to help.”
The team members chimed in, their faces etched with worry.
Every word they spoke felt sincere, not just empty platitudes.
This was only possible because of how well Pateujang Yuri had always connected with and cared for them.
“No, that's my responsibility as the team leader, so you don't need to worry about it. The best way you can help is by staying focused and doing your jobs well in Pateujang Yuri's absence.”
“Understood.”
As everyone nodded, I opened my laptop and moved on to the next step.
“Given the situation, I'll be leading the art team for a while. Please tell me, one by one, what you're currently working on and what your schedules look like.”
“Ah, yes!”
I then assessed the team's work progress and schedules.
Perhaps it was because Pateujang Yuri was the type to work quickly.
Fortunately, everyone was about a week ahead of their original schedules.
“Alright, continue with your work as planned. For approvals, just come to me like you did with Pateujang Yuri. Don't worry, anything that passes my feedback won't have to be redone or re-evaluated when she returns. Please, get to it.”
“Yes, PD!”
After the meeting, we returned to the office.
I sent a quick message to Bonbujang Shin Chihwan explaining the situation, then put on my coat, left the company, and hailed a cab.
“Driver, Seongjun Hospital, please.”
I was on my way to the hospital where Pateujang Yuri's mother was staying.
I bought a fruit basket at a nearby convenience store, passed through the hospital lobby, and took the elevator to the seventh floor. As I was heading to her room...
“Why are you so selfish, Oppa? Is paying for Mom's surgery really that much of a waste to you?”
A familiar voice came from the patient lounge on the way to the hospital rooms.
I peeked inside and saw Pateujang Yuri, her brow furrowed in anger, arguing with a man who resembled her.
“Hey, you're the one who makes more money. I've got a lot of expenses, I'm telling you.”
“That's because I don't have any money right now! I pay for the household expenses, I'm paying off the debt *you* racked up, and you can't help me out just this once? Huh? I'm not asking for much! You're a grown man in your mid-thirties, is ten million won really that much to ask for?! This is about our mother, and I told you I'd pay you back!”
“I just bought a car, I really don't have the money! Why is this bitch making me out to be some cheapskate?! And who asked you to pay off my debt anyway?”
Watching them, I started to get the gist of the situation.
‘So her brother is a good-for-nothing scumbag.’
Just then, God Game Maker sent me a notification.
<<Your understanding of 'Heo Yuri' has slightly increased.>>
-Heo Yuri's brother is a scoundrel who squandered a significant portion of the family's assets on gambling and stocks, leaving them only with debt. He currently lives away from home and refuses to take any responsibility. Heo Yuri is effectively the head of the household. (NEW!)
-Her mother has a pre-existing heart condition, which has worsened due to the accident. Doctors are recommending surgery, but the cost is very high. (NEW!)
New entries had been added.
I'd never imagined Pateujang Yuri, who was always so flawlessly bright, had such a story.
Just then.
“Look, I don't have a penny to my name. I think I've done my part just by showing up here, so you can handle the rest however you want.”
The man who seemed to be her brother stormed out of the lounge, his steps angry and irritated.
Naturally, Pateujang Yuri's gaze turned in my direction, and our eyes met awkwardly.
“Oh. Hello, Pateujang Yuri?”
Feeling awkward, I needlessly lifted the fruit basket and spoke.
“Hello, PD.”
“Uh, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop. I was just on my way to visit and happened to…”
I mean, I *was* eavesdropping, but whatever.
“I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to see that.”
“Hmm. Do you have a moment to talk?”
“Ah, yes. My mom's sleeping right now, so it should be fine.”
We sat in the lounge and talked for a while.
Pateujang Yuri kept apologizing for being a burden to the team and the project, and I reassured her several times that it was okay.
And then.
“If you don't mind, may I ask you a few questions, Pateujang Yuri?”
“Ah, yes…”
“Hmm, about the surgery fees you mentioned earlier... what's the situation? It sounded like there was a problem.”
“No, that's... you don't need to worry about that, PD.”
“I won't worry, so could you just tell me how much the surgery costs? The company might have insurance support, loans, or a welfare system we can use.”
“Really?”
“Yes, our company has a lot of little-known welfare benefits. This is the time to use them.”
At my words, Pateujang Yuri, who had at first been skeptical, slowly opened her mouth.
“About 20 million won.”
“Ah, okay. I'll talk to the company and get it sorted out for you. I'll leave this fruit basket here, so please share it with your mother when she wakes up.”
“Th-thank you, PD! I'll wrap things up here as quickly as possible and get back to work.”
“See you next time, then. And please take care of your own health, Pateujang Yuri.”
“Ah, yes!”
I got into a taxi and headed straight back to the company.
Then, I asked a few employees who were close to Pateujang Yuri and managed to get her bank account number.
‘20 million won, she said.’
I immediately opened my phone's banking app, set the sender's name as 'NB Soft', and transferred 20 million won to Pateujang Yuri's account.
Thanks to the incentives from *Forgotten Andersen's Story* and the Phoenix project, I already had over 700 million won in my bank account.
And that amount was only going to grow faster from here on out.
If 20 million won could save one of my people from a hellish situation, I considered it a bargain.
A moment later.
[Pateujang Yuri: PD! The company deposited 20 million won! Was this because you took care of it?]
A message arrived.
[Me: Ah, yes. I talked to them, and it turns out there's a temporary loan system.]
[Pateujang Yuri: Thank you so much! I've scheduled Mom's surgery right away. I should be able to come back to work in two to three weeks at the latest!]
[Me: That's great to hear. For now, don't worry about the company. Just focus on your own affairs, Pateujang.]
Of course, that was a lie.
While NB Soft did have a loan system, it only applied to housing-related matters like deposits or home purchases.
However, like many game companies, it had plenty of welfare benefits that weren't well-publicized—often intentionally—so Pateujang Yuri just accepted it without question.
I had considered just giving or lending her the money myself.
‘But knowing Pateujang Yuri's personality, she would have never accepted it if I offered.’
This was a much cleaner way to handle things.
Just as I finished my well-intentioned (?) lie,
<<Achievement Unlocked: 'Great Boss'!>>
-Reward: Acquired 10 Developer Points
An achievement message from God Game Maker appeared for the first time in a while.
It was a significant reward, equivalent to two level-ups. It almost felt like the God Game Maker system was praising me for doing the right thing.
An indescribable emotion swelled in my chest.
“Alright then. Let's fucking hold down the fort until Pateujang Yuri gets back.”
I stretched and placed my hands on the keyboard.
It was time to power through this situation with my own skills.
****
Three weeks after that incident.
“Hello! Hello! It's been a while, everyone!”
Pateujang Yuri returned to the office with a bright expression.
Her mother's surgery had been successful, and her recovery was going well. Her father was now taking care of the nursing duties, with Yuri visiting the hospital occasionally after work, and the situation was resolved.
“You all must have gone through a lot because of me.”
As soon as she arrived at the office, Pateujang Yuri handed out individually wrapped bags of cookies to her team members.
It was her way of expressing her apology, much like how office workers bring back gifts for their colleagues after a long vacation to show their gratitude.
“Alright, graphics part members, let's have a quick meeting! Please share what you've been working on in the group chat, and we'll do a simple briefing! Coffee and cookies are on me!”
“Yaaaay!”
She sat down with her part members in the conference room for the first time in a while to review their work.
She needed to know if there were any parts that needed revision and how far the schedule had been delayed so she could lead the part going forward.
Once all the part members had gathered, the briefing began.
“Huh?”
Pateujang Yuri's brow twitched in surprise as she looked at the quality and quantity of the resources her part members had created.
“Everyone... what is all this?”