Manager Park

One, ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, ten million, a hundred million, a billion, ten billion, a hundred billion....

One hundred forty-four billion....

Was this really my money?

Click! Click!

I hurriedly moved the mouse and checked my coin holdings.

"Ugh....!!"

The delisted Dart Coin had turned into Batch Coin?

How? Why on earth??

"Eunho? Are you okay?? What's wrong??"

"......"

"E-Eunho..."

I could tell my eyes were wide open and my mouth was hanging slack. Beyond that, though, I had no idea what kind of face I was making.

One thing I knew for certain.

I couldn't let anyone find out.

For some reason, that thought hit me hard.

Click—

Glancing at the assistant manager beside me, I reached out with my left hand and shut off the monitor.

"Are you hurt somewhere??"

"No."

"Y-You're sure you're okay..?"

"Probably."

"Huh..?"

"Don't worry about me. Just get back to your work."

"Ah.. Okay..."

The second her gaze turned away, I flipped the monitor back on and logged out. Then I installed the exchange app on my phone and signed in again.

Same number.

It really was my money.

"Hah..."

A laugh slipped out of me. It didn't feel like pure joy. More like... a tangled laugh mixed with too many emotions at once?

It had been money I'd already given up on. Money I'd abandoned because I was disgusted by that so-called father of mine—the man who'd handed over Grandma's inheritance just so he could grant himself a free pass and live with a clear conscience.

That money had come roaring back, swollen enough to flip my entire life upside down.

Come to think of it, it had always been like this. Every time I gave something up, I got what I wanted.

Back in elementary school, I'd thrown away school life and everything else that came with it, and one wild punch had freed me from the pig's bullying. Same with the college entrance exam. Every answer I'd agonized over to the bitter end was wrong; every one I'd simply given up on and guessed turned out right. Thanks to that, I'd gotten into a decent university in Seoul.

And that wasn't all. The confession I'd made before enlisting—fully prepared to get rejected—had succeeded. Of course, she'd dumped me while I was still serving. And this company was the same story. I'd been rejected by every place I actually wanted, and in the end ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd applied here with the resigned feeling of just waiting for next year—only to get accepted on the spot.

"Giving up... makes life easy...."

I had a new motto.

Give up, and life gets easy.

"Hey! Yoo Eunho!!"

"Ah.... That pig bastard."

"What..? You—you little shit! What did you just say?!"

"Eunho...!"

"......"

I was the one who'd said it, but the assistant manager next to me was making a tearful face. That wouldn't do. She couldn't cry.

Swoosh—

I dialed with the phone I happened to be holding. Straight to the furious manager.

"This bastard's lost his mind..!"

I leaned all the way back into my chair, swiveled it toward him, and tapped the phone in my hand with one finger. The pig manager's face twisted like a demon's.

"Fine. Let's answer it once. I'm curious what the hell you're going to spout..!! Hello!"

"Hey, Manager Park. Get your ass over to my desk."

"Eunho!!!"

It wasn't just the assistant manager beside me. Every single employee in the office had their eyes locked on me. And I felt it—a catharsis so intense I could almost take flight.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

What was he, a grade-schooler? Manager Park stomped over on purpose, making a racket with every step, and planted himself in front of me.

"I'm here, you bastard..!"

"You came?"

"You little shit!!! Have you lost your mind?!!!"

The manager's face twisted strangely, unable to process the situation. Shame at being humiliated by a subordinate. Damaged pride. Bewilderment. A face mixed with all those emotions and more.

"Hey, Yoo Eunho! What the hell is wrong with you?! Snap out of it?!!"

"I have snapped out of it. Properly, this time."

"What..? Hey, hey..! What do you think you're doing right now?! Ugh!!"

I paid him back in kind. Grabbing the belt hidden under his belly fat, I jabbed and shook his gut with my fist.

"Does. This. Feel. Good. To. You?"

"You little shit!!!"

"What little shit!!!"

"......"

I shot to my feet and shouted right back, pressing my face to his. No—looking down at him. Manager Park was a lot shorter than me, after all.

"You bastard...! You really want to quit this company?!! You want to get fired?!!"

"Ah, the company? Hold on a second."

I pulled a pen from the cup and wrote across my palm.

Then I submitted it to Manager Park.

"Here! My resignation!!!"

"Gyaaaaaah!!!!!"

I stamped the resignation letter cleanly onto his shiny bald forehead, complete with a full palm print. And just like that, I quit the company.

Since this was also giving up on a job, something good was bound to come of it.

Quitting felt amazing.

I slept in until nearly noon and finally got ready to go out.

Buzz!! Buzz!! Buzz!! Buzz!!

I'd wanted to sleep longer, but this vibrating that shattered my sweet dreams had woken me early.

"Why keep calling first thing in the morning?"

"Jesus... Why are you yelling? What's going on?"

"Oh, is that so?"

I'd expected it. That Manager Park would sue me. And that he'd end up withdrawing the charges himself.

"Mmm~ The coffee smells great."

Whether the complaint had been filed or not, I was leisurely drinking coffee. At Manager Park's house, no less.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about, Mr. Yoo Eunho?"

A woman was staring at me with a thoroughly displeased look. Early thirties—the young and pretty wife Manager Park was so proud of. A woman with looks like that had married a guy like Manager Park, who was already going bald? Anyone could see he was a dishwashing-soap husband who'd gotten thoroughly cleaned out. Only Manager Park didn't realize it. Or maybe he did know, and that was exactly why he ran around doing those things?

"Mr. Yoo Eunho!"

"Could you wait just a little longer? The coffee tastes too good."

"Hah..."

She let out a hollow laugh of disbelief and crossed her arms.

Squeeze—

But with looks like that, getting cleaned out might actually be worth it. That face, that body, those breasts.

Buzz!! Buzz!!

While I was drinking coffee with her breasts resting on her crossed arms as a side dish, the call I'd been waiting for came through.

"Excuse me a moment."

"Sure, go ahead."

She spat the words out sarcastically and curtly—without even knowing I was the savior of her life.

"Yes, I've answered."

"You really filed charges?"

His momentum was impressive. Piercing the heavens. How long could he keep that up, I wondered?

"Manager Park."

"Calm down. I just sent you a video. Check it out."

I set the phone down on the table and waited a moment—on speaker, of course.

Alright. Now it was her showtime.

"Honey..?"

"Shh."

"......"

I quietly shushed Manager Park's wife sitting across from me, then calmly continued the call.

"This isn't the time for you to be raising your voice at me, is it? Since I've been running around as your chauffeur so much, I just happen to have the madam's contact info."

"You're the one who needs to calm down, Manager."

"Money, huh... I've got plenty of that."

"First, go back into the police station and withdraw the charges. And put the officer on so I can confirm the withdrawal."

Manager Park seemed pretty desperate. To turn into such an obedient mutt.

"Thank you. Take care~"

I even confirmed it with the police. Manager Park had sued me, and he'd withdrawn the charges himself. Now he couldn't refile on the assault for me smacking his forehead. That's how the law worked.

"What video?"

"Ah~ The video of Manager Park spending a hot night with his mistress in the car? Or the one where he gifted a luxury bag he said he wouldn't even give his wife? Or maybe the one of him getting diligent service on the way to a family dinner...."

"......"

I slightly lifted my head and checked the expression of Manager Park's wife sitting across from me. It was vicious. The kind of face that looked ready to kill someone. Had Manager Park not gotten cleaned out after all—had they actually married for love? Well, not my problem.

Thud— Sliiiide—

I pushed the USB I'd set on the table toward Manager Park's wife and spoke.

"This is what happens when you make a subordinate drive you around every night as your chauffeur."

"From now on, take out the black box memory card when you go. At least when you're meeting your mistress."

"I'll carefully put the video on a USB with no copies and leave it in Manager Park's mailbox at home. Go pick it up."

"Ah... I'd love to, but I already sent it by courier. I'll hang up now."

Click—.

I hung up and smiled sweetly, watching Manager Park's wife take the USB from the table.

"Congratulations. If you file for divorce, you'll be able to squeeze a lot of alimony out of him."

"......"

"Well then, I'll be on my way, madam."

"Wait. Wait a moment, Eunho."

"Is there something you'd like to say to me?"

"You've given me a gift like this. I feel like I should repay you."

"No, it's fine. I'll just take the thought."

I stood up. The moment I passed by Manager Park's wife sitting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the single sofa—

Grab—

Squeeze..!!

Her hand seized my arm, and something soft and squishy crushed against the arm she'd grabbed. Manager Park's wife's breasts, already wrapping around my arm.

"Are you really not going to accept it?"

"......"

Was it because I'd given up on the job?

Someone else's rice cake was rolling straight into my lap.