Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: It Doesn't Make Sense
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With heavy footsteps, I trudged down the corridor and arrived in front of Meeting Room 5. Steadying my nerves, I knocked on the door.
There was no response, so I pushed the door open and stepped inside. In the modern conference room with its long table, a familiar back came into view.
He must not have heard me enter, because he was furiously typing away on the laptop perched on the desk.
The keyboard clatter only stopped after the door clicked shut behind me. Then, his chair swiveled halfway around to face me.
"Oh, Hyun-seong."
"Assistant Manager Son."
Assistant Manager Son Jun-hyeok leaned back in his chair, tumbler in hand as he took a sip, flashing a relaxed smile.
I gave a light wave in greeting and sat down with one empty chair between us.
"How've you been while I was gone? Your dark circles look even worse than before I left."
His usual friendly tone drew a faint smile from me in response.
Assistant Manager Son had worked as an employee at another travel agency for about a year and a half before transferring to Travel Wiz around the same time I joined. Despite starting at the same time as me, he'd already pulled ahead.
In one word, he was a social butterfly.
Outgoing personality, quick with words, and gifted at winning people over with his natural charm.
And handsome to boot, with clean features.
To put it simply, he was my polar opposite.
"Same as always. How was Osaka?"
I replied evenly, then tossed out a perfunctory question to cut off any awkward silence.
As if he'd been waiting for it, the corner of Jun-hyeok's mouth curled up.
He tapped his fingers on the table beforehand, like he was warming up.
"Great. The on-site vibe was good. Especially the hot springs... man. That's why we do these business trips."
Once he got started, his mouth didn't stop.
"Japan's already getting hot, though? Feels like their seasons hit earlier than ours."
Japan didn't really have summers that came earlier than Korea's, but arguing would just make him talk longer, so I let it slide.
"You should come along next time. Half work, half vacation vibe."
For some reason...
His words were as friendly as ever, but they lingered oddly in my ears.
Like the energy had drained out of them somewhere along the way.
Casual, almost indifferent, like he couldn't be bothered.
Maybe I was just being oversensitive from that weird atmosphere I'd felt in the office since morning.
"Yeah. That'd be nice."
I nodded with a small murmur of agreement.
No need to pick at it.
"By the way, calling us in right after your trip... You don't know what's up, do you, Assistant Manager?"
"Beats me. A team member just told me to come, so..."
All my focus had been elsewhere; I hadn't given it a second thought.
If it were just me, maybe, but calling in Jun-hyeok too meant it wasn't some minor thing—that was the extent of what I could guess right now.
"Hmm. Still, pulling just the two of us aside like this... feels like pretty important stuff. What do you think?"
Jun-hyeok glanced sideways at me as he voiced the same thought.
"No idea."
"You're no fun. But I've got a good feeling about this. I have a knack for this stuff."
He should've been wiped from the trip, but this guy showed no signs of fatigue.
He was already a bit intimidating outside of work, so I'd kept a subtle distance.
I just wanted to hear the reason from Team Leader Kang quick and figure out why everyone was staring at me weird.
"Speaking of which."
Suddenly, Jun-hyeok lowered his voice mid-conversation.
With a slight smirk and an ambiguous smile, he asked,
"That rumor... it's not true, right?"
The out-of-nowhere question left me speechless.
The conference room fell silent, filled only with the tense ticking of the clock.
His eyes and expression were sharply different from moments ago.
A keen glint, like he was probing for confirmation amid his curiosity.
"What rumor..."
Before I could finish,
"Sorry, I got held up at the section chief's office."
The door burst open, and Team Leader Kang Joo-young's calm voice shattered the tension from behind me.
Jun-hyeok and I cut our conversation short and straightened up in unison.
Meanwhile, that question he'd thrown at me echoed in my head.
Her sharp high heels clicking as usual, Team Leader Kang passed by the desk and smoothly crossed her legs as she sat across from us.
Even though it wasn't the time, my gaze naturally drifted to the ample swell of her chest visible above her blouse.
If Jun-hyeok weren't here, I could've found a moment to use the app.
Pushing aside the regret, I steeled myself and waited for her first words.
"Assistant Manager Son, how did the trip go?"
She set her phone and binder on the table, resting her gaze on her neatly folded hands as she addressed Jun-hyeok.
"Yes. Talks with the client went positively. We're just in the wrap-up phase now."
"As expected. Worth entrusting it to you."
Jun-hyeok's voice brimmed with confidence, but Team Leader Kang's expression remained impassive.
Silence settled again, and Jun-hyeok and I exchanged cautious glances.
The hesitation—what to say—pressed down on the room quietly.
In the end, Jun-hyeok spoke first.
"Um, Team Leader? So... what did you call us in for today...?"
His lips curved in a smile, but his tone was cautious.
The slight furrow in his brow betrayed his unease.
Team Leader Kang took a short breath and opened the binder.
"Actually, the proposal Assistant Manager Lee wrote last week got a positive response from upper management. So it's been greenlit as a project."
Her answer was completely out of left field.
"R-Really?"
My voice jumped out before I could stop it, startling even me.
I tried to stay composed, but my heart was pounding.
She flipped through the pages casually, as if it were no big deal, while glancing at me.
"I told you back then—the content wasn't bad."
"But..."
I never imagined a proposal I'd slapped together under time pressure would get such high praise.
"Nice! Congrats, Assistant Manager Lee!"
"Th-Thank you."
Seeing Jun-hyeok whistle and genuinely celebrate pulled a smile from me despite myself.
For the first time in a while, amid all my tangled worries, my chest swelled with emotion.
Doubt flickered—could I really lead this project?—but before that, I felt the urge to give it my all since I'd been given the chance.
However.
"That said, someone else will be handling the project operations."
"...Pardon?"
The elation froze in an instant at her follow-up words.
Had I misheard?
"If not me, then who..."
The moment I saw her gaze shift to Jun-hyeok, the words stuck in my throat.
"Assistant Manager Son Jun-hyeok will be taking charge of this project."
"Me?"
Jun-hyeok blinked repeatedly, clearly caught off guard, looking back and forth between me and Team Leader Kang.
"Assistant Manager Son has been handling buyer relations since joining and has plenty of project experience. We judged him the best fit."
"But Team Leader, I haven't even wrapped up the Osaka assignment yet..."
Jun-hyeok protested carefully, but she nodded as if she'd anticipated it.
"That's basically done, so another team member can take it over. Ah, Assistant Manager Lee can handle it instead."
My heart, swollen to fist-size, choked off my breath.
Too stunned for words, they swirled uselessly in my mouth.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity, but wouldn't it make more sense for Assistant Manager Lee, who wrote the proposal, to..."
"You both know our agency's preparing to expand overseas operations."
Her firm voice cut him off.
"Japan is a core revenue stream for us, so upper management is watching this project closely."
For some reason, every word felt like she was trying to convince me.
Like there was another reason she'd sidelined me.
"From my position as team leader, I want to avoid unnecessary risks and see the project proceed smoothly."
For a split second, her sharp gaze flicked toward me.
Unnecessary risk.
That pointed phrase stabbed into my ear, as if labeling me the problem.
"This is already decided. Assistant Manager Son, coordinate with the team to connect with the Japanese buyers."
"Yes, understood."
Jun-hyeok nodded reluctantly.
His initially flustered expression gradually settled into composure.
"Do your best since it's yours now. Upper management and I have high expectations for you."
A faint smile even graced his lips.
"I'll do everything to meet them, thank you for the chance."
Without further comment on his words, her gaze turned to me.
"Assistant Manager Lee, don't take it too hard. Cooperate fully with Assistant Manager Son to ensure the project goes smoothly."
"...Understood."
In this situation, compliance was the only option.
This space allowed no refusal—only acceptance.
"Assistant Manager Son, as project lead, will coordinate schedules with the team."
"Yes, I'll handle it."
Jun-hyeok nodded at her words.
When I turned to look, his eyes were utterly different from when we'd first talked upon entering.
"I'll make it as easy as possible for you, Assistant Manager Lee. Teamwork is key on big projects like this."
It sounded considerate at first glance.
But it carried a declaration that he held the reins.
"That's all. Any questions?"
Neither Jun-hyeok nor I spoke up.
"Good. Return to your duties."
Team Leader Kang pushed back her chair and stood.
She picked up her neatly organized binder and left without another word.
With the door's click, a heavy silence descended.
"...Whew."
Jun-hyeok stood next, letting out a hollow chuckle as he scratched his neck.
"Sorry about this, Assistant Manager Lee. I had no idea it'd turn out like this."
He glanced at me cautiously, then offered an unnecessary excuse.
"Just got lucky, that's all. Your turn next time. You've made your mark with upper management on this proposal."
His voice sounded consoling, but the subtle nuance at the end grated.
A hint of relief at being chosen, and a smug superiority seeped through.
"Anyway, let's make this collaboration work."
"...Yeah."
I mustered a weak, short reply.
"I'll head out first, so take a minute to collect yourself."
Jun-hyeok hesitated briefly, patted my shoulder, grabbed his laptop, and left the room.
Alone now, the conference room held only utter silence.
"Ha..."
Leaning back and staring at the ceiling, all my energy drained away, and a sigh escaped naturally.
In the wake of the scorching whirlwind, only chill emptiness and an indelible unease remained.
Right—who was I to lead a project?
Since when had I ever carried that kind of responsibility?
The proposal getting picked was pure luck.
If anything, handing it to a perfect fit like Assistant Manager Son might be for the best.
...That's what old me would've accepted, content in a support role.
But.
Unnecessary risk.
Team Leader Kang's words kept replaying in my head.
Was that all—just a difference in experience?
Or something else?
"Hoo."
I rubbed my face and pulled out my phone from my pocket.
The hypnosis app.
Talk about perfect timing—it was right in my hand.
As if prepared just for this moment.
With this app, I could turn the situation around however I wanted.
So what I needed to focus on now was uncovering why this had happened.
And the one with the answer was...
Bzzz-
Then, the phone in my hand vibrated suddenly.
[Mi-na]
[Senior.]
[Got time now?]
[I have something to tell you.]
[Come to the cafe in front of the office.]
The buzz came from messages from Mi-na, who'd gone radio silent since the weekend.
I'd ignored the lack of replies until now, but asking to meet at a cafe out of the blue was odd.
'...Alright. Tackle the easy stuff first.'
The cafe wasn't far.
Better to go meet her and hear it straight than sit here stewing.