First Day as Director
After shopping, we headed straight to the office. A brand-new building in the heart of Gangnam's bustling district. On the sunniest floor hung a sleek sign reading JH Consulting.
"We've arrived, Chairman."
As the car pulled into the underground parking garage, Manager Jang hurried out and opened the rear door for us. I stepped out carefully in my new outfit. A tight white blouse and a black H-line skirt that hugged my thighs. And then... click-clack. The sharp sound echoed off the urethane floor. I steadied myself and glanced down at my feet. Heels that had to be at least 5cm high. The saleswoman had called them tactical boots, but no matter how I looked at it, they were high heels.
No, these aren't heels. They're just... trendy high-soled shoes. They make me look taller, that's all good. I tried to rationalize it as I fought to keep my balance. But my ankles wobbled from the unfamiliar height.
"Eek!"
"Careful now."
Abhos swiftly wrapped an arm around my waist, catching me.
"What would become of my heart if you fell and skinned your knee?"
"Ah, y-yes... thank you."
Her gentle tone made my face flush as I grinned sheepishly. It felt a bit odd being escorted by a woman as a man, but it didn't feel bad.
"Let's go."
A short walk brought us to the elevator hall, where men in black suits stood in perfect formation. Buzz-cut tough guys who looked like they were built like brick walls. They were total strangers, people I'd never met before, but...
Huh...?
For some reason, their faces seemed familiar.
Cash... Finance?
That's right. A few of the loan sharks I'd worked with under Assistant Manager Kim were mixed in there! But the vibe was completely different from what I remembered.
"Good day, sir."
They snapped to attention and bowed 90 degrees in perfect unison the moment they saw us. They seemed disciplined, but... something felt off. Their eyes lacked focus, and they were eerily silent—no breathing, no nothing. It reminded me of the security guards back at our penthouse.
Did Abhos do something to them?
A chill ran down my spine. I stroked Kkkomul absentmindedly and stuck close to Abhos as we boarded the elevator.
Ding. Floor 3.
The doors opened to a lively(?) office scene, a far cry from the stark parking garage. Unlike the lobby guards, this place buzzed with actual life. I'd heard last time that these were the folks from Manager Jang's old company—burly, tattooed gangsters hammering away at keyboards with surprising diligence.
"Hey! You sorted the interest collection logs for this month?"
"Yeah, hold on. Excel formula's glitching... Ah, fuck. Who messed with this formula?!"
A bizarre mix of rough curses and business chatter filled the air.
"Attention!"
Manager Jang clapped sharply. All eyes turned to us. They clearly knew Abhos already and jumped to their feet, tense as bowstrings.
"Chairman is here!"
Their voices boomed in unison. Abhos nodded lightly, placed a hand on my shoulder, and nudged me forward.
"Introduce yourselves. This is my secretary from today onward—she'll be working with me."
"Ah..."
Their gazes shifted from Abhos to me. And their eyes changed in a weird way. Curiosity? Or maybe...
Who's that woman? She's fucking gorgeous.
Parachute hire from the manager?
That body's killer.
I couldn't hear them, but that's what it felt like. Their sticky stares raked over my legs, waist, and the outline of my breasts under the blouse. My face burned. This was leagues beyond the glances from strangers on the street. Overwhelmed by the indescribable shame, I ducked behind Abhos.
"Director Kang Min-woo. Treat her like me—her title is director and my proxy, so show respect."
Abhos's cool voice snapped them back to reality.
"Kang... Director?"
"The name's... a guy's?"
The office buzzed with murmurs—until then.
"Kkiruk!"
Kkkomul poked its head out from behind my butt, through the slit in my skirt. Fascinated by the new surroundings, it wagged its tentacles around, scanning the room.
"Eek!?"
"W-what the hell is that?! A tail!?"
The staff recoiled in horror. The atmosphere turned icy. They'd thought I was just a pretty secretary, but nope—a hunter (awakened).
"Ah..."
I panicked and reached to grab Kkkomul, but Abhos caught my hand, stopping me. She swept her cold gaze over the staff.
"Any complaints?"
One word. But the overwhelming killing intent in her voice crushed the entire office. Their faces drained of color. Don't piss off the chairman. Or that tailed secretary. One wrong look and we're done. Same expression on all of them.
"N-no, ma'am! Welcome, Director!"
"Welcome!!!!"
They bowed 90 degrees again, this time far more desperately and sincerely.
"Heh, that's more like it."
Abhos patted my butt in satisfaction.
"Come on, Min-woo. Your spot's over there."
She pointed to a separate modern president's office. Inside, right next to the massive executive desk, sat a cute little desk—Manager Jang's thoughtful setup, no doubt.
"Y-yes, got it!"
I click-clacked over in my heels. Dozens of eyes followed from behind, but the semi-transparent glass wall of the president's office soon blocked them out.
Scraaape—
I sank into the surprisingly plush chair and looked around. A brand-new laptop and an inbox for approvals sat on the desk. And in one corner, a potted plant caught my eye. Untended, its leaves were yellowed and withered, on the brink of death.
"Oh... poor thing."
I reached out unconsciously and fiddled with the dried leaves. It tugged at my heart. Withering away with no one to care... just like my old self.
Should I water it?
There was a tumbler on the desk that looked like mine. I unscrewed the lid to pour some water, but...
"Ow, crap."
I accidentally nicked my finger on a sharp leaf edge. A red drop of blood welled up and plip—fell onto the soil.
And then.
Sss...
The moment the blood drop soaked in, the yellowed leaves quivered faintly. Then, very slowly but unmistakably... green vitality spread through the veins.
"Huh...?"
I rubbed my eyes. Was I seeing things? But the plant definitely looked a bit fresher now. The leaves seemed crisper, somehow.
"Young master—no, Director. Let me explain the approval documents."
Manager Jang approached with a stack of papers. His expression was his usual calm, but deep wrinkles furrowed his brow. His pocket phone buzzed nonstop, but he ignored it.
Vrrr— Vrrr—
"Manager Jang, your phone's ringing? Shouldn't you get it?"
"No, it's nothing. Spam call. Don't worry about it."
He forced a smile and silenced it. But I saw the caller ID on the screen.
Our Daughter... 'Daughter?'
Did Manager Jang have a daughter? Then why ignore it? His face was so restless.
There had to be some story there.
Should I ask?
But our relationship was still too new... awkward. Abhos had given me this flashy director title, but I was just her parachute hire. No way he'd see me in a good light. And prying into personal family matters when we weren't close would be rude. Above all...
Thud!
The thickness of the document stack Manager Jang plopped on my desk crushed my curiosity flat.
"Ugh...? D-do I have to do all this?"
I gawked at the towering pile, eyes wide.
Ughhh... What is this, Jenga?
Ledger reviews, money laundering logs, new business proposals... Dense walls of numbers and text.
"What? Too much?"
Abhos, watching from the side with arms crossed under her chest, smirked.
"If it's too hard, quit. Wanna go home and roll around with Kkkomul instead?"
Her eyes teased me outright. See? Told you you couldn't handle it.
That look sparked a weird determination. Giving up now would make me a total house husband. Time to earn my keep!
"N-no, it's fine!"
I rolled up my sleeves and declared fiercely.
"I'm ex-admin clerk in the army, you know!? Excel? HWP? Bring it on! I'll sort this shit perfectly!"
"Ho, I'll be watching."
Abhos ruffled my hair. I quelled my twitching lips and fired up the laptop. Sure, I looked like an office girl in a tight skirt, but my typing fingers were pure end-of-service speed.
Tap-tap, tatata-tap!
The lively keystrokes echoed through the office. Kkkomul seemed to like the rhythm, wagging its tail behind my chair in time.
Yeah, the first step's half the battle. Paperwork, director role... just dive in!
