The Stoic Return

Early in the morning, while I stood in the smoking area with a cigarette in my mouth, Choi Ju-hyeok, the industry team leader, approached me.

"Anything happen over the weekend?"

Chik. He lit his own cigarette while waiting for my answer. Meeting Choi Ju-hyeok in the smoking area every morning had become the first routine of my day.

"I just… did some exercise. Maybe that's why."

"Hmm."

Choi Ju-hyeok scanned me from head to toe and chuckled. It wasn't mocking. Even with our slight age difference, after working together for a year, he felt like the closest older brother I had.

"How intense was this workout?"

He spoke casually after noticing my noticeably thinner face and body.

"Well, when you get older, there's always something that hurts, right, Mr. Maeng?"

"Haha. Yeah, you're right."

Choi Ju-hyeok empathized in his own way.

"Haah, but I'm the real problem here."

"Why?"

"There are just so many complaints. I fully believe in the innate evil of humanity."

He had probably been out on business trips all last week because of those complaints.

"They get the road paved, sell the land for profit, then new people move in and demand this and that. Absolute bastards."

He seemed to have a lot pent up.

"So did you help them?"

"No. Never."

He was a man whose misanthropy had reached its peak.

"Whew. By the way, what kind of exercise do you do?"

"Me? Just cardio."

I had spent the entire weekend practically glued to Yoo-na like a parasite. Playing all sorts of games with her had been surprisingly fun. Above all, since she accepted everything, I never had a moment to rest. If I got hard, we did it. While catching my breath, we did it. While looking at my phone, we did it. I clung to her the whole time like a boy in puberty experiencing his first sexual awakening.

"Good morning~."

Lee Yoo-na, who had just parked and was heading to work, greeted us.

"Good morning, Mr. Maeng. Fighting~."

"Pfft, thanks~. Team Leader~. You're out in the field again today? Fighting!"

After bowing politely to Choi Ju-hyeok, Lee Yoo-na walked into the center. Her gait looked awkward to any third party because she was trying so hard to keep her thighs apart. As the one responsible, I scratched my cheek in guilt. I hadn't finished inside, but I had kept using her pussy. Ah. Even saying "used" feels off. But strangely, that kind of talk turns me on. Because it was something that should never have happened, the sense of immorality excited me.

"……"

My cock reacted. Like Pavlov's dog, it responded the moment I saw Lee Yoo-na.

"Ms. Lee is really pretty."

"And she's already married."

"Hmm, even married people have eyes."

"I'm telling your wife."

Choi Ju-hyeok waved his hand with the half-smoked cigarette between his fingers.

"I can't even joke around with you, Mr. Maeng. You're too stiff. How can someone be more conservative than me?"

"……You're the most open-minded person I know, Team Leader."

Choi Ju-hyeok had a natural charm and composure I lacked, which was probably why we had become close.

Vroom. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Just then, an unfamiliar car entered the parking lot. The center wasn't open yet, so who could it be? Occasionally, vehicles like this showed up. People who arrived twenty or thirty minutes early, waited in their cars, and rushed inside the moment the doors opened. Working here, I had learned that even administrative welfare centers had their own version of "open runs."

"Ah, she's here."

"You know her?"

"Huh?"

Choi Ju-hyeok looked at me instead of answering. Who was she?

"Ah~. You don't know her. Inhale, exhale."

He exhaled a long stream of smoke and pointed at the parking car.

"She got married, took maternity leave, and today's her first day back."

"Oh, really?"

"I'm not close with her, but from what I've heard, she's so strict that residents avoid her."

Residents avoided her? How could a civil servant be avoided by those notoriously aggressive complainants?

Thud! Just then, someone stepped out of the car. Her hair reached just past her shoulders. A medium-length layered cut. Ash-black with subtle ash tones mixed in. Large eyes with a daily smoky makeup that made her look both cat-like and alluring. The white blouse visible under her coat and gray slacks gave her a mature, sophisticated air.

"Yeah, definitely someone you shouldn't mess with."

I understood immediately after hearing Choi Ju-hyeok's words. One wrong move and she'd probably scratch your eyes out.

"Oh my~, So-jeong, it's been a while."

"Good morning, Team Leader Choi."

When Choi Ju-hyeok greeted her, the woman called So-jeong responded with a slight nod.

"Good morning. I'm Maeng Do-yun."

"Ah. Yes. I'm Han So-jeong."

After returning my greeting with a polite bow, she walked straight into the center.

"Very businesslike, isn't she?"

Choi Ju-hyeok commented the moment she disappeared inside. I nodded vigorously in agreement.

"She seems even more businesslike than I am."

"Extremely so. But she does her job well. Whew, it's cold. Let's head in."

"Yes, sir."

After finishing our cigarettes and going inside, we saw busy employees working in a quiet office. Monday mornings were always packed. We had to prepare for the weekly work report meeting and review everyone's schedules.

"Hmm, I'll have to visit all the villages this week…."

Monitoring village conditions was also part of the administrative staff's duties. In practice, it meant going door-to-door to collect complaints. I could now understand why local officials in the old days used to extort money while making their rounds. So much work, yet they didn't even get paid! What kind of country was Joseon, anyway?

Those idle thoughts quickly vanished.

"Another official document from City Hall……"

Since we were an administrative organization under City Hall, documents arrived frequently.

"Whew."

Because of the recent heavy snowfall, there were many official notices being sent to each department. While printing them, I handled various other tasks as well.

"Huh? She's going in three days?"

While reviewing the materials, I happened to notice Han So-jeong's schedule. In the rotation, Han So-jeong was scheduled to go to City Hall in three days. If the residents avoided her, that meant we'd have an easier time, but it was still a shame. I had wanted to work quietly.

"Alright, let's start the meeting."

The meeting ended quickly, as it did every week.

"And before you go, here are the official documents from City Hall. Team Leader Choi, please take these."

While distributing the documents that had come down from above, someone from the tax department spoke up.

"This isn't ours."

Here we go again. City Hall had specifically sent it down, so why were they saying it wasn't theirs? I didn't understand.

"It has the tax department's seal on it, though?"

"Yes, it must have been sent by mistake. This isn't something we handle."

I understood that certain departments tended to be exclusive by nature, but I couldn't figure out why they were picking a fight with me over a document from City Hall. Even though they were older than me, I honestly didn't want to get involved. But if I pushed back too hard, they'd just gossip behind my back, so I had to mediate carefully. In company novels, you sometimes see satisfying moments where someone drinks in the drama like soda, but reality was nothing like that.

"Understood. I'll look into it again. Then the meeting is over."

I already knew the outcome, but I let it go. Arguing would only waste too much mental energy. I already had plenty of work to do, so I had no intention of talking to a wall.

"Mr. Maeng."

After the meeting, Choi Ju-hyeok gestured at me as I was gathering the documents.

"Let's go, Team Leader."

Almost no one came to the smoking area. There weren't many smokers to begin with.

"Heading out to the field again?"

"I have to. Gotta go smash some complainants' heads in."

Choi Ju-hyeok's expression, as he muttered like a complaint, already looked drained.

Flip! He shook the document he had received earlier.

"City Hall wants us to conduct a farmland usage survey."

New towns were springing up everywhere, bringing in a large influx of people. As a result, land prices were rising and more people were using farmland for other purposes. Back in college, I had wondered if such people even existed, but there were plenty.

"Good luck, Team Leader~."

"Thanks~. You too, Mr. Maeng."

While smoking, I didn't bring up the person who had argued with me earlier. If you gossiped too much at work, it eventually became a habit and spread throughout this small place. I wanted to work quietly. Choi Ju-hyeok felt the same, so he didn't voice the issue either.

"Hmm?"

When I returned after finishing my cigarette, I saw Han So-jeong. Her expressionless face as she reviewed documents made it hard to believe today was her first day back. She was impressive. Even while sitting and working, my eyes kept drifting toward her without me realizing.

"No! You can't do the job like that!"

Suddenly, someone stormed into the center, shouting. Naturally, everyone's attention turned to him.

"Aren't you all working with my tax money?! And this is how you do your job!"

Ah~. I really just wanted to work quietly. What was it this time? Why did something like this have to happen at least once a week?

"What's the matter?"

A flat, emotionless voice. Han So-jeong stood up and approached the angry man.

"Look at this! The cameras are following only me!"

He was waving several fine notices and raging.

"I paid taxes to build that road, so why the hell are you filming me when I walk on it?!"

I silently pressed a hand to my forehead. If I left this alone, he would definitely lash out at Han So-jeong even more. As I was about to stand up, Han So-jeong extended her hand past the partition.

"Let me see. I'll check it for you."

"Who are you?! I don't talk to low-level staff like you! Hey!"

Most people would feel their blood boil and show irritation on their face when hearing something like that, but Han So-jeong didn't. She spoke like a machine.

"The village head is out in the field right now, so please sit over there and wait."

"What?! So this is how ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠people who work with my money treat others?!"

"Then let me see. I'll check it for you."

No matter what the man said, her answers were always one of two things.

- The village head will be back in the afternoon, so please sit and wait.

- Let me see, I'll resolve it for you.

Just those two. From the angry man's perspective, it was probably even more infuriating.

"Call him right now! Who the hell are you?!"

"Yes, if you wait, he'll come. There's a waiting area over there."

"Grr!"

Fortunately, each desk had proper partitions installed. Flip! Unable to contain his anger, the man flushed red and tossed the papers over the partition. One of them fell through, and Han So-jeong calmly pushed it back out.

"Please take a number and wait. I'll help you then."

"W-what…?"

At this point, the complainant was speechless. He looked around, searching for another target.

"Hey! You, say something!"

"This is the complaint reception desk. Other areas aren't relevant."

The complainant, feeling like he was talking to a wall, tried to climb over for a moment. But that didn't happen.

"Oh dear! Why is a young man like you acting this way?!"

"What the hell are you, grandma…! Urgh…!"

Thwack! A cane struck him squarely on the head. The sound was clear and resonant, like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Emille Bell, and it clearly hit bone.

"Aagh! Ow! Grandma's hitting people!"

"Yeah, I'm hitting you."

The old woman put strength into her wooden cane and struck repeatedly.

"Has this grandma gone senile?!"

"Yeah, I have. A long time ago."

Watching her relentlessly beat only the complainant's head like a Hollywood action scene, I felt a sense of satisfaction. Even the security guard stood at a distance, just watching.

"Agh…! I'll call the police…!"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Only after the real police arrived did it finally end. As expected, the complainant gained nothing. Instead, he received double fines for obstructing official duties and never came back.

"Hmm."

Even after that, I scratched my cheek while watching Han So-jeong sitting there like a machine, her expression unchanged. She was incredible. How had I handled things before? I had tried to smile and resolve things as much as possible. I was human too—I got angry, I got irritated, and there had been more than one or two times I wanted to go out and beat someone up. The high turnover rate wasn't just because of the rigid, stagnant company culture. Malicious complainants played a significant role too.

"……"

It was a shame that this kind of hero was leaving in three days.

"As expected of Mr. Han."

Other staff members who had worked with her before approached her with smiles.

"Yes."

The fact that her expressionless demeanor applied even to her colleagues was even more impressive.

Lunchtime. She was seen carrying her packed lunch and heading to her car. I pulled my chair over and approached another colleague.

"Ms. Jung."

"Yes?"

"I don't really know, so… what's Ms. Han's personality like……"

"Ah~."

Ms. Jung shrugged.

"She's basically a machine. I've never seen her smile or get angry. Ah, wait, I did see it once. At her wedding, probably."

"Ah~. I see."

I heard other bits of information as well. When the center first opened here, all sorts of people came, not just regular complainants. Back then, she had handled every single complaint that came to the reception desk herself. When asked during a meeting if it was difficult, she had given just one answer.

- This way, fewer people come.

It was an answer that somehow suited Han So-jeong's personality perfectly.

"And the village head finds her really uncomfortable too."

"Ah…. That makes sense."

"She says she finds all higher-ups uncomfortable."

If she heard gossip, she would go find them directly.

- Feel free to gossip, just make sure I don't hear it.

That response had been a trend at our Saetdeul-myeon Administrative Welfare Center for a while. I understood why Team Leader Choi had called her strict. If even Choi Ju-hyeok, who was often out in the field, knew about it, the rumors must have spread far.

"……"

I quietly took out my phone.

I glanced at Lee Yoo-na's back as she left with her colleagues for lunch. She was walking awkwardly. She had been asked all sorts of questions by her colleagues earlier too. I had been pretty intense over the weekend. She had said it hurt and stung….

Yoo-na needed time to rest too. I tapped the button and released the hypnosis on Lee Yoo-na.

A single line appeared below the hypnosis status. I quietly stood up from my seat.

"Mr. Maeng, are you going for lunch?"

"Ah, I have something to deliver first."

I grabbed a random document from my desk as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an excuse. My heart started pounding again.