Manager Handover
“You're the new manager assigned to me this time...?”
“Yeah, nice to meet you?”
Jeong Ha-rin was left speechless by Lee Ji-hoon's calm response. She was so confused she didn't even know where to begin with her questions. And among all those swirling doubts, the most instinctive one hit her first.
...Was he always this handsome?
The most primal question her rational mind could muster tangled up her thoughts.
His face definitely hasn't changed...
His features matched her memories perfectly—both from the time she'd met him as a substitute driver recently and from their high school days. Nothing about his face had changed.
But why didn't I ever think he was handsome back then...?
If he were just passably good-looking, that'd be one thing. But Lee Ji-hoon's looks were on par with the famous male actors she'd worked with. That was the mystery. With a face like that, back in school, he wouldn't have been running errands for anyone. Hell, she might've even flirted with him herself.
And just as Jeong Ha-rin froze in bewilderment...
“Whoa~, Ji-hoon. It's been fucking ages. Remember me?”
“......Who're you again?”
“Hah, that's cold. It's me, Jang Hyeok-jin. Haha, you've changed a lot. Somehow... you seem different, anyway?”
“Yeah?”
Jang Hyeok-jin laughed as he approached Lee Ji-hoon. He casually placed a hand on his shoulder like old pals.
Squeeze.
His face twisted in pain.
“Hey, what the fuck are you?”
“......”
His friendly tone dropped to a guttural growl as he glared at Lee Ji-hoon.
“What?”
Lee Ji-hoon replied with a relaxed smile.
“What's your deal with the CEO? Why'd you get dropped in here like some parachute? You suck his dick or something?”
“Ah, fuck off, Jang Hyeok-jin. Cut the dirty talk and get lost.”
“Hold up. I need to know just how tight you two are for me to get fired and this asshole to take over.”
Jeong Ha-rin tried to intervene amid the ugly tension, but Jang Hyeok-jin shoved her aside and glared at Lee Ji-hoon again.
“You cost me my job, so I'm in a shit mood.”
No matter how much the atmosphere had shifted, to Jang Hyeok-jin, Lee Ji-hoon was still that high school errand boy loser. Time hadn't changed that fact. Losing his job to that loser just made him boil even more. He tried to intimidate Lee Ji-hoon like old times to vent his stress.
Except...
“Haha, really? Serves you right.”
“......What?”
“You're still the same as ever, Hyeok-jin.”
Lee Ji-hoon showed no fear whatsoever. He spoke with the easy confidence of an adult handling a bratty kid.
“Still living like you're in high school? Leeching off popular kids, deluding yourself you're hot shit, strutting around?”
“What the fuck, you little shit?!”
“Pfft, why? Chocolate Milk hit the nail on the head.”
“Shut your trap, Jeong Ha-rin!”
Raging at Lee Ji-hoon's taunt, Jang Hyeok-jin shoved him against the wall.
Thud.
“Hah, Ji-hoon. You think everything's different now that time's passed?”
“Yeah, I've changed quite a bit, Hyeok-jin.”
“Don't kid yourself, you loser fuck. Think you're safe just 'cause you're older? Wrong. I still lead with my fists when I get pissed. You're dead, asshole.”
“That's exactly it.”
“What......?”
“That's what's changed.”
“What bullshit—!”
The moment Jang Hyeok-jin raised his fist at Lee Ji-hoon's words...
Wham—!
“Guhk... ugh...!”
“Oh my.”
Lee Ji-hoon drove his knee up into Jang Hyeok-jin's gut. Jang doubled over, clutching his solar plexus like he was about to puke.
And then...
Slam!!
“Gaaah!”
Lee Ji-hoon smashed his knee into the bent-over man's face. Jang Hyeok-jin crumpled to the floor.
“What? What's going on...?”
“Looks like a fight broke out.”
People started gathering at the commotion.
“Y-You fucking bastard...!!”
Jang Hyeok-jin clutched his bloody nose, lifted his head, and spat curses.
“Hey, Lee Ji-hoon.”
Jeong Ha-rin approached the nonchalantly standing Lee Ji-hoon.
“You're really my manager, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then cut it out now. If you cause a scene and it messes with my work, getting fired won't be the end of it.”
“......”
She was mindful of the growing crowd. And she was right—if word got out that her manager started trouble on set, it'd affect her career.
...In a normal situation, anyway. Not for Lee Ji-hoon.
“Fire him.”
“What?”
“If there's a problem, just fire him.”
Lee Ji-hoon grinned boldly as he said it. Jeong Ha-rin stared at him blankly.
Then...
“You fucking bastaaard—!!”
Jang Hyeok-jin, back on his feet, charged with his fist raised.
And...
Whoosh!
“Urk...!”
Lee Ji-hoon caught the charging man and flung him to the ground like a ragdoll.
Bang!
“Guhk...!”
“Whew, not my problem.”
“Whoa... impressive. Who is that guy?”
“He's hot...”
“What the hell! What's going on here!”
The crowd gasped at Jang Hyeok-jin's flashy fall, and shocked staff rushed over.
“Hey! This is a set! No more disturbances...!”
“Ah, yeah. Call the cops.”
“What...?”
Lee Ji-hoon replied calmly to the approaching staff. Ignoring them, he...
Plop.
“Guhk...!”
...sat on Jang Hyeok-jin's back.
“Hyeok-jin.”
“You fuck...!! Get off...!!”
“How many fingers before the cops show? Think that'll fix your attitude?”
“What...? You fuck, what bullshit...!!”
“Let's start with one.”
Lee Ji-hoon grabbed one of Jang Hyeok-jin's wrists. With his other hand, he gripped the pinky...
...and snapped it backward.
Crack.
“Aaaarghhh—!!”
“Kyaa—!”
“Wh-What?!”
“Oh god...! He broke it...!”
“Hngh, aaaarghhh—!!”
Jang Hyeok-jin's pinky twisted at an unnatural angle with a clean snap. He thrashed and screamed.
“Next one?”
“W-Wait!! Fuck, wait!!”
From then until the police arrived, Lee Ji-hoon methodically broke each of Jang Hyeok-jin's fingers. No one dared stop him—no one was brave enough to intervene with a guy calmly snapping bones.
“Move! Police!”
Time passed, and the cops arrived faster than expected. But even that short window wasn't enough to save all ten fingers.
“Hah... that psycho fuck. Lee Ji-hoon, you're totally unhinged.”
“You gonna fire me?”
“And leave you here? You'd be useless in custody anyway. Or do you have some backup? You really the CEO's nephew?”
Jeong Ha-rin stared at me with a look of utter disbelief.
Yeah, normally you'd get canned for this much drama.
“Hngh, ugh...”
I looked down at Jang Hyeok-jin, trembling with snot and tears, hands shaking.
“Hyeok-jin.”
“H-Hiiiik...!!”
“Wanna finish after the station visit?”
“S-Sorry!! I'm sorry! My bad!! Please, ugh, please spare me...!!”
“Haha, who's killing you?”
I stretched, feeling refreshed. Meanwhile, two officers approached.
“We got a call... ...Holy shit.”
“My god... did the manager do this?”
“Yes.”
“Come with us, both of you.”
“Nah.”
“......Pardon?”
The cops froze at my curt reply, flustered. Meanwhile, I muttered to the air.
“Enemy Reset Mod, activate.”
Enemy Reset Mod
The mod's activation chime rang out, and a notification popped up in front of my eyes. As a result...
“Ah, yeah, no need to come to the station for something this minor. Sorry for the trouble.”
“This guy's hurt bad? You call 119?”
“He can get there himself. Legs are fine.”
“...Hmm, alright. Looks like everything's under control. We'll head out.”
The cops just left. The onlookers dispersed like nothing happened.
“Hngh, ugh... H-Ha-rin.”
“What.”
“I-I think I need a hospital... handover...”
“Ugh, whatever. Just fuck off. Loser to the end.”
Jang Hyeok-jin sobbed as he hailed a taxi and vanished.
“......”
“......”
Peace returned. I turned to Jeong Ha-rin with a smile.
“Chocolate Milk... no, Lee Ji-hoon. ...You've changed a lot?”
“It's been a while.”
“No, even compared to when I saw you as a sub driver recently, you're way different.”
Jeong Ha-rin eyed me suspiciously.
Memories rewrite, but the sense of wrongness lingers, huh.
Maybe it stood out more since it had been a while. People at the office saw me daily and never noticed.
“Anyway, one last question.”
“Yeah?”
“What are you? Why're you my manager? What's your angle?”
“...Angle? Just needed a job.”
“A sub driver doesn't just become my manager overnight. You knew it was me and took it anyway.”
Jeong Ha-rin glared lightly and stepped right up to me.
Some things never change.
This was the guy who'd just tossed a grown man and brutally snapped his fingers. Yet she stared me down fearlessly.
High school was the same. No matter how tough or scary the guys, Jeong Ha-rin always said her piece boldly. It suited her perfectly.
Remembering that, I chuckled and answered.
“Manager's the closest gig to you.”
“What...?”
“I'm a fan. Wanted to keep an eye on you up close.”
“......”
She shut her mouth at my bold declaration, pondering. Then she smirked and poked my chest.
“You trying to hit on me by taking the manager job?”
“......”
“Heh, ridiculous. Guess I look like the type to fall for a pretty face?”
“Ah... think what you want.”
“Totally busted face.”
She was misinterpreting my words her own way.
...Too lazy to explain, I just nodded vaguely.
Jeong Ha-rin strode past me, beckoning with a hand.
“Whatever. I don't date subordinates, so drop the dream and hurry up. Gotta work properly on day one, Manager.”
“......”
That princess complex was straight out of high school.
Eh, watching her evolve will be fun.
Wonder how to handle her.
With that thought, I followed obediently. My long-awaited job as her manager had begun.