Chapter 15, Driving Practice.
Chapter 15, Driving Practice.
Friday, a day that any office worker can't help but love.
The morning work today was pretty straightforward.
Maybe because of the tough stuff yesterday, everything felt easier and simpler today.
Is this what they call shock therapy?
Anyway, if I just get through the work like this and clock out, that'll do it.
I kept thinking today that I'm glad I became a civil servant.
I was in the middle of entering data into an Excel sheet when a familiar voice came from behind me.
"Gyeong-ho-ssi."
I turned my head, and there was the Team Leader-nim, looking down at me—I had no idea when he'd come over.
"Yes, Team Leader-nim."
"By any chance, Gyeong-ho-ssi, do you have a driver's license?"
The sudden question made me blink.
'Driver's license?'
It was totally out of left field.
Why's he suddenly asking about a driver's license?
Is something up?
Do civil servants at the Hunter Management Bureau even need to drive?
I thought about it for a second and shook my head.
"No, not yet."
"I see? Hmm..."
The Team Leader-nim rubbed his chin, looking troubled.
"We'll be heading out on field assignments more and more later. Wouldn't it be a problem without a license?"
Field assignments.
That word made me tilt my head even more.
Didn't I already go on one just a little while ago?
We took a taxi on the corporate card that time.
"Can't I just use public transportation?"
At my innocent question, the Team Leader-nim shook his head vigorously.
Apparently not.
"Heh heh. Gyeong-ho-ssi. You think everywhere we go has a subway station or bus stop nearby?"
"..."
"Once you get into dungeon entrances or township- or village-level administrative areas, public transport is meaningless. Most places only have buses running a couple times a day."
Now that I heard it, it made sense.
Dungeons are scattered all over South Korea, and not every spot has convenient transportation.
'Township- or village-level administrative areas... yeah, bus stops would be pretty sparse there.'
I got what the Team Leader-nim was driving at.
In other words, for field assignments to places like that, you need a driver's license.
"So, you gotta get your license somehow. Class 1 Ordinary, Class 2 Automatic, whatever—just get one already."
I got the Team Leader-nim's point.
But the biggest problem remained.
'No time.'
Weekdays are booked solid from morning till evening with work.
Do driving academies even run on weekends?
When I needed to get my license.
Back in my early twenties, I was swamped prepping for the civil service exam.
No money was an issue too, and I didn't even have time to get it.
Did he read the complicated feelings on my face?
The Team Leader-nim scratched his head and pondered for a moment.
"Hmm... come to think of it."
He asked like something had just occurred to him.
"Among your cohort, Gyeong-ho-ssi, is there anyone with a license?"
"My cohort?"
My cohort's just two people.
Choi Gang-hyeok.
And Im Ji-hye.
'I think both of them have one.'
I vaguely remembered hearing it in passing before.
They didn't seem as pressed for time as I was.
"Probably both, yeah."
"Oh, perfect!"
The Team Leader-nim clapped his hands.
"Then how about using lunch break to learn from them?"
"Lunch break?"
"Yeah. You don't have time for academy classes anyway. Squeeze it in, and you'll pick it up quick."
The Team Leader-nim said there's no need to go to an academy.
For the in-course driving test, if you know how to drive, just watch a few videos and memorize it, and you're good.
"But we don't have a car, or a place to practice..."
"The Management Bureau can sort all that out. A car for practice or an empty parking lot? Piece of cake to arrange."
The Team Leader-nim laughed heartily and patted my shoulder.
He said he'd hook me up with a car from a driving academy.
At this point, it was getting awkward to refuse.
It felt like refusing wasn't even an option from the start.
"Just ask them during lunch. Ask 'em to teach you."
With that, the Team Leader-nim headed back to his desk.
I stared blankly at his retreating back.
'Learn to drive from my cohort, huh.'
Already feeling a bit embarrassed.
How do I even bring it up?
*
Lunch time.
Today's menu was my absolute favorite: fish cutlet.
I piled the crispy fried fish cutlets on my tray like a mountain.
Didn't forget to slather on plenty of tartar sauce.
I sat down, and soon Kang Hyuk hyung and Ji-hye plopped down across from me.
"Gyeong-ho-ya. You'll choke at this rate?"
Kang Hyuk laughed loudly at my tray.
I brushed off hyung's words lightly and took a big bite of the fish cutlet.
Barak.
'As expected, the cafeteria fish cutlet is the best.'
The savory crunch filling my mouth, mixed with the tangy sauce.
Gotta be grateful forever to the government office cafeteria for this feast at just a few thousand won.
I was deep in bliss when I remembered the morning thing.
'Oh, right. Gotta ask.'
I mumbled through a full mouth and brought it up to the two of them.
"Uh... hyung, Ji-hye-ya... you guys have driver's licenses, right?"
"What? You heard about that too?"
"Huh?"
"Our department Team Leader-nim mentioned it earlier? Said there are a lot without licenses. If none of the newbies have it, you guys might have to teach 'em."
Ji-hye, sitting next to me, nodded too.
"No way that's about you, Gyeong-ho? Huh?"
"Ahem..."
They looked thrilled as hell.
My face heated up from embarrassment.
"...Embarrassing as it is, yeah, it's me."
"No way, for real?"
Kang Hyuk burst out laughing.
Felt like eyes from the whole cafeteria were turning our way.
Ji-hye next to him lightly smacked his arm like she was scolding him.
"Kang Hyuk oppa, don't laugh. It happens."
Ji-hye had my back.
Ji-hye's the only one, for sure.
"When'd you two get yours?"
"Me? Right after the college entrance exam."
"Me too. Nothing to do after the exam, so I got it right away."
Their answers matched perfectly.
What was I doing back then?
Oh, yeah, just mindlessly reading comics, I think.
Finally, I could atone for my debauched past from five years ago—no, seven?
Anyway, that era.
After polishing off my tray clean, the three of us headed outside.
The spot the Team Leader-nim mentioned was the empty parking lot behind the Management Bureau office building.
The Management Bureau building is ridiculously huge.
Naturally, there are multiple parking lots, and they're enormous.
Unlike the crowded front of the main building or the underground lot, hardly anyone parks in this back area on purpose.
So it was usually empty like this.
"It's kinda far from the building, so not many people park here."
Kang Hyuk muttered in admiration.
But today, it wasn't totally empty.
Right in the middle of the parking lot sat a lone car.
"Huh? That the one?"
Ji-hye pointed at the car.
As we got closer, a familiar logo came into view.
A white compact sedan.
An Accent.
"Isn't this... the kind they use at driving academies?"
Kang Hyuk hyung was right.
They'd plunked it right here during lunch hour.
"So, who's teaching first? Me?"
At Kang Hyuk's question, Ji-hye raised her hand.
"I'll go first. Gotta teach the basics step by step."
"Then I'll watch from outside."
Kang Hyuk stepped back and crossed his arms.
I followed Ji-hye to the car.
"Gyeong-ho oppa. Get in the driver's seat."
"Uh, yeah."
I swallowed dryly and opened the driver's door.
First time ever sitting in a driver's seat.
Ji-hye naturally hopped into the passenger seat.
Door closed, and suddenly it was just the two of us in this tight space.
A whiff of air freshener mixed with Ji-hye's shampoo scent hit me.
'Ah, this is kinda nerve-wracking.'
Was it the driving, or Ji-hye next to me?
Or both.
"Okay, oppa. When you sit in the driver's seat, what's more important than driving? Know it?"
Ji-hye asked with a serious face.
I decided to answer seriously too.
"Uh... safety?"
"Correct. Safety first. So I'll teach you the basic rules."
Ji-hye started explaining step by step.
"First, when you get in the driver's seat, buckle your seatbelt right away."
I fumbled a bit and buckled up.
"Then, adjust the seat. Pull it so there's space for one fist between the steering wheel and your knees."
I pulled the lever under the seat and adjusted.
'One fist... like this?'
Once it fit a fist, grabbing the wheel felt comfy.
That's why they tell you to adjust.
"Adjust the rearview and side mirrors too. So you can see behind well."
Ji-hye stressed these were must-knows before driving.
The in-course driving test checks this stuff too, not just driving.
"Next, how to start the engine."
Ji-hye pointed to the key slot.
Then headlights, wipers, transmission, turn signals.
Way more to know than I thought.
My head was getting cluttered.
"Okay, now try each thing I taught you. In the in-course driving test, if you can't do this in 5 seconds, points off."
"Got it."
I took a deep breath.
"First, the engine!"
I turned the already inserted key.
Bu-reu-reung.
The car shuddered lightly.
O... first time in my life starting something up.
"Good. Next, left turn signal!"
Just like Ji-hye taught, I pushed down the lever on the left of the steering wheel.
Ttal-kkak, ttal-kkak.
The arrow blinked on the dashboard.
"Not bad for a first try. So... wanna try moving forward a tiny bit?"
"Forward? I don't know anything yet?"
"Just a tiny bit."
Finally moving the car.
My heart pounded.
First, I firmly pressed the brake like she taught.
Released the parking brake, shifted the lever to D.
"Slowly..."
Muttering it, I eased off the brake and onto the accelerator.
Just a tiny tap.
U-u-ung—
The car started inching forward smoothly.
"O! It's going! Go!"
I was so amazed I yelled.
This hunk of metal moving at my command!
"Okay, now stop!"
After a bit, Ji-hye said stop.
I eased on the brake like instructed.
Kki-ik!
The car slowed to a stop.
'Gotta shift to park.'
She said when waiting at a light, keep it in D with brake on, or neutral.
But for a full stop like now, P for park.
I reached for the shifter.
But.
'Huh?'
The feel of the shifter in my hand was weird.
Not hard plastic... kinda... soft.
And warm, maybe.
I tilted my head and squeezed, released.
"O... oppa..."
Then Ji-hye's voice from the side.
That's when I realized where my hand was.
It wasn't on the shifter lever.
It was on Ji-hye's thigh.
"...! S-sorry."
I yanked my hand back in shock.
Ah, gonna get charged with sexual harassment and fired for sure.