Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Turning the Tables
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“Stay the night.”
“No! I can take a taxi.”
“Why are you so surprised?”
At the director’s suggestion, it felt like I could hear the designated driver swallow.
“My father’s here. You can sleep in my younger sibling's room. It has an attached bathroom, so it won't be uncomfortable.”
A flicker of amusement seemed to cross the director's face. Was she enjoying my reaction? But she quickly returned to her usual expression.
“Drive me tomorrow at 6 AM. I'll count it as an early start.”
If I went home now, I wouldn't get much sleep before I had to come back out. An attached bathroom and getting paid for an early start… not a bad deal.
It was an apartment that was over ten years old, in that awkward phase between old-fashioned and modern.
Still, it must have been expensive.
“Dad. I'm coming up with a colleague. He's staying here tonight… No, it's not a woman. It's Min-jun.”
Hearing my name, it seemed her father knew who I was.
We went up to the apartment.
I vaguely remembered hearing that she'd once mortgaged her house to save JD Enter. Could this be the one?
“I'm home.”
“Welcome. You're even more handsome in person.”
As we opened the door and went inside, her father, who had been sitting on the sofa, stood up to greet me.
“It's a pleasure to meet you. You're too kind.”
“Haha. Just as I've heard.”
What had he heard?
The director came out of the room I was supposed to sleep in, grunting as she dragged a dehumidifier.
“The room is well-maintained, so you should be comfortable. I've laid out some clothes for you to wear after you shower.”
“Thank you.”
“Go on in and get some rest.”
“Yes. Good night to you too, sir.”
Her father smiled and closed the door.
“There's a new toothbrush in the bathroom for you. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes. Good night, Director.”
The director answered with a soft smile.
I went into the room.
It must have been regularly maintained; even the air felt fresh. It wasn't my room, but it felt strangely comfortable, not burdensome at all.
Perhaps I'd been feeling lonely in my own home, living by myself after my parents passed away.
I took off my clothes, went into the shower, and flexed my upper body. My physique, lean yet solid, felt particularly satisfying today.
There's no one to show it to right now, but it's for my own satisfaction. This feeling, like every muscle fiber is brimming with physical strength, might be one of the sources of my confidence.
When I came out of the shower, I saw a bottle of water and a drink the director had placed on the desk.
I drank the water and lay down on the bed, feeling good.
It should be fine to sleep without locking the door, right?
I need to fall asleep right away if I'm going to wake up early tomorrow...
*Knock, knock, knock.*
“…Yes.”
A dim light crept in through the window, and my raspy voice told me I had slept soundly.
“Time for breakfast.”
“Okay.”
I quickly washed my face, brushed my teeth, and left the room.
The savory, spicy aroma of kimchi jjigae wafted through the air, whetting my appetite.
“My Lee Sun made it.”
“She did?”
Her father said, as if wanting to boast.
I remembered the director making dried pollock hangover soup at the Answer dorm once before. She seemed to be a good cook.
“You couldn't have had much time to sleep.”
“Kimchi jjigae is quick to make. The rolled omelet was made by my... fa-father.”
*Calling him 'Dad' wouldn't tarnish your image, Director.*
“Thank you for the meal!”
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Eat up.”
The tuna kimchi jjigae the director made was delicious. The combination of refreshing coolness, sharp spiciness, and a deep seafood broth with just the right amount of seasoning was perfectly balanced.
Normally, I'd mix the kimchi jjigae with my rice and eat it wrapped in seaweed...
“Mix the jjigae with your rice and wrap it in seaweed. It tastes better that way.”
“Hehe, okay.”
I couldn't help but smile as I answered.
When I had a family, I never fully appreciated how precious they were. But once I was left alone, I would sometimes feel like I was the only person under the sky, even on a crowded street.
It made me think that someday, after I achieve my dreams, I'd like to have a family of my own.
After a delicious breakfast, we left the director's home.
During the car ride, the director did her makeup. While it wasn't a perfect salon-quality job, her skilled and practiced touch was impressive.
We arrived at the company at seven, and the director immediately went to check the practice rooms. Trainees could be seen practicing diligently.
“…How could anyone even think of eating snacks on the dance floor?”
It seemed her displeasure still hadn't faded. The way she revered the practice room, it was as if I could see a glimpse of her own trainee days.
“It's probably the same now, but I imagine your trainee days were incredibly competitive, Director.”
“…Haa. If I talk about it, I'll just sound like an old geezer.”
The competition ratio is much higher now, but back then, there must have been a different kind of intensity, one that's unimaginable today.
Over coffee, the director and I went over the agenda for today's meeting and aligned our intentions.
“…Can we really do this?”
“There's that saying, isn't there? You can't take back a piece once it's played.”
“It feels a little cheap… but let's do it.”
“It's justified. We made it clear that wasn't the case, didn't we?”
“…I'm trusting you because it's you, Min-jun.”
While the director checked the time, I searched the news.
-[The Point Membership Card Crisis and Ponzi Schemes]
It was finally out.
After 7:30, a few key employees started arriving, and the first was Team Leader Lee.
***
Team Leader Lee looked up at the JD Enter building with a desolate gaze.
*'When I first joined, it was a sparkling new building. Now the owner has changed, and the exterior is worn and grimy.'*
Team Leader Lee recalled the difficult times when the company couldn't even pay salaries on time. Many employees left, but he looked back on himself, who had stubbornly remained.
*'It wasn't just that I was afraid of changing jobs. I liked the CEO, I liked the Director, and I liked Siljang Ji. That's why I didn't leave, even when SJ Enter made a better offer… Should I have just left back then?'*
But strangely, he didn't feel any major regrets.
Team Leader Lee quickly recalled everything from Min-jun's first day to the present.
The sight of the passionate rookie, who had joined seven years after him, running around was endearing. And the fact that his superiors were gradually coming to trust Min-jun hadn't been a major issue for him either.
Kim Sung-hoon, a member of a ten-year-old boy band whose career was nearing its end. The company's situation was so poor that it had to rely solely on his income, so he, too, had hoped for a new source of revenue.
However, the news he'd heard through the grapevine—that a rookie and he, a man approaching his eighth year, were receiving the same treatment—had struck a deep nerve.
It felt as if all his hard work and dedication to the company were being invalidated.
As if they understood, those at the Siljang level and above only tried to placate him, which only made Team Leader Lee act out even more like a spoiled child.
*'I was just throwing a baseless tantrum.'*
Only now, with the resignation letter in his chest pocket, could he finally see things clearly.
That if he had been the director or the CEO, he would have treated Min-jun the same way.
That the fact they hadn't fired him for picking fights with Min-jun over every little thing was a testament to their loyalty and consideration.
“I lost.”
The self-deprecating words escaped his lips. But he was the one who had lit the fuse, and the bet to quit could not be undone.
*'What am I going to do for a living now?'*
He smiled bitterly and headed up to the office.
Min-jun and Director Lee Sun were already there.
Team Leader Lee considered just handing his resignation to Director Lee Sun and leaving immediately, but he felt that would be too cowardly, so he headed for the planning office.
*'Let's at least finish the meeting before I go. I should say my final goodbyes properly to Siljang Ji, the Director, and the CEO.'*
Team Leader Lee worried that Min-jun would come in and gloat, but that didn't happen.
*'I was just steeped in a victim mentality and an inferiority complex.'*
Before 7:50, everyone who needed to be at the meeting had gathered.
Just yesterday, he had found Min-jun, who was constantly looking at his phone, to be an eyesore. But today, Team Leader Lee found himself thinking, *He must have his reasons.*
“Let's get right to it. This meeting is about the rumor article that was dealt with yesterday…”
The meeting began with Director Lee Sun's briefing, but the CEO, unable to contain his curiosity, spoke up first.
“Before that, let's first hear how yesterday's situation was resolved.”
Min-jun recounted the timeline from yesterday morning, speaking smoothly as if he had memorized every detail.
“…So, Oh Ro-si, disguised as a wealthy woman, and I went into the law firm that represents SJ, got the shareholder registry, and confirmed that reporter Do Chang-ryeol owned shares under his wife's name.”
“Whoa…”
“Using that, we uncovered Do Chang-ryeol's corruption through an informant at SJ and successfully lured him into a trap…”
“You have an informant, too?”
“…Because I used to be a trainee at SJ.”
“Ah, right.”
Min-jun's ingenious plan and execution drew gasps of admiration from everyone in the planning office. Team Leader Lee could only let out a hollow laugh at his own pathetic self, which couldn't even compare.
*'Why did I even try to fight a monster like him?'*
“Faced with the threat of being bankrupted by a single word from me, he surrendered and agreed to all my demands. That's all.”
“Wow. A round of applause, everyone!”
“Woooah!”
At CEO Park Jae-yong's lead, the meeting room filled with cheers and applause.
Not wanting his last memory here to be a pathetic one, Team Leader Lee congratulated him sincerely.
“So, should we drop the lawsuit against reporter Do Chang-ryeol?”
“I believe the company should proceed with it, if only to set a proper precedent.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Heh. Min-jun… Team Leader Min is better than the CEO. Great. You did really well, thank you. What's the next item on the agenda?”
CEO Park asked Director Lee Sun, his face beaming.
“Originally… this was supposed to be a discussion, but now it's more of a request for cooperation. Min-jun, you explain.”
“As you know, more than half of Answer's schedule was unilaterally canceled yesterday.”
“Right, right. They were even making a fuss about suing us to get their deposits back.”
Siljang Ji's face brightened as if he had guessed what was coming.
“The clients who canceled will definitely be calling us back.”
“Of course they will. So, you're saying we shouldn't work with them?”
“Of course we should.”
“Huh?”
All eyes turned to him, puzzled by the unexpected answer.
“However, most of the canceled gigs were booked when Answer's name value was low, so the pay is about half of the current rate. Didn't you say it was a shame, Siljang-nim?”
“I did. You remember that?”
Siljang Ji recalled a brief conversation he'd had with Director Lee Sun a while ago and smiled enigmatically.
“We'll honor the deposits they already paid, but we'll use another excuse to raise the performance fees to the current market rate.”
“…Hey, Team Leader Min. Won't we get a lot of flak for that?”
Besides Siljang Ji, the expressions of the marketing team members, who would have to field the calls about events and contracts, soured.
They seemed to be getting stressed just thinking about arguing with clients.
“That's why I'm asking you to forward any contract-related calls to me. Just tell them, 'Answer's schedule got messed up because of yesterday's rumor incident, so their manager is currently readjusting it,' and then transfer them over.”
“You're going to handle it all by yourself?”
Freed from the impending stress, the marketing team's faces brightened up again.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
“We just got a call from Caribbean, one of the clients who canceled yesterday.”
Just as expected, it was an employee who had been waiting by the phone. The client had called the moment business hours began.
Director Lee Sun gave the instruction just as Min-jun had suggested.
“Tell them Answer's schedule is a mess while we're patching things up, so you'll give them the manager's contact info. Give them Team Leader Min's number.”
After the employee left, the meeting room fell silent as if on cue. Soon, Min-jun's phone rang. He didn't answer it right away, instead addressing everyone.
“I'm going to make them be the ones to make the choice. For the sake of the clients who trusted us, I believe this is the right thing to do. This industry may have manners, but there's no such thing as loyalty.”
“Min-jun… Team Leader Min is right. Contracts come in when our artists are successful. Loyalty doesn't pay the bills.”
Only then did Min-jun answer the call on speakerphone. Watching him, Team Leader Lee also held his breath for no reason.