Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Administrative Department Female Employee’s Approach (1)
However, there was also some regret about being transferred to the group headquarters.
The reason was that he could not study Japanese. His Japanese study was just starting to gain momentum and was becoming fun.
Yesterday in Japanese class, the instructor also told the story of Momotarō. It was about a child born from a peach that drifted down a river, who grew up and defeated demons.
It was a kind of Japanese folktale.
But then the instructor asked a question.
“Momotarō is very strong. In our country, who is strong? Kim Chirok, why don’t you try answering?”
Of all people, she pointed directly at Kim Chirok.
Kim Chirok couldn’t think of an answer right away and hesitated. He almost said Im Ggeokjeong but stopped himself. The instructor, smiling, continued speaking.
“I’ve heard that in China there is a very strong man named Xiang Yu. They say he had such overwhelming strength that he could uproot mountains and his spirit surpassed the world. Who do we have?”
No one could answer.
After a brief silence, a deep voice suddenly came from behind.
“Our country also has strong people.”
Looking back, it was an older man named Byun, a department head from the production division.
The instructor asked happily.
“Who is it?”
“Xiang Yu of China and Momotarō of Japan are nothing. Our country has someone very strong.”
“What? There was such a person in our country?”
“There is someone in our country strong enough to make Xiang Yu and Momotarō flinch. His name is Byun Gangsoe. He’s overflowing with strength.”
At this, the students burst out laughing.
The middle-aged female instructor turned red in the face. She quickly changed the subject, saying they would move on to the next lesson.
O Ha-young nudged Kim Chirok and asked.
“Who is Byun Gangsoe?”
“Well, I’m not sure either.”
“You graduated from Seoul National University and you don’t know something like that?”
“I’ll look it up on the internet later.”
After the morning training ended, everyone returned to their seats.
Kim Chirok searched the internet to learn more about Momotarō, while O Ha-young searched for Byun Gangsoe.
[They say there’s even a Momotarō statue if you go to Okayama Prefecture in Japan?]
Kim Chirok diligently practiced Japanese because he wanted to travel alone to Japan. But hearing that he was being transferred to the group headquarters today left him feeling disappointed.
Kim Chirok thought about his fellow recruit who had been sent to the group strategic planning office.
Out of the 20 people hired, he remembered that two had gone to the strategic planning office.
One was a guy named Jeong Chan-yeong, who had graduated from Chung-Ang University, Kyung Hee University, Korea University, or Sogang University level schools, but whose father was the president of H Group, so he got in through connections. He had also been his high school classmate.
And another was a guy who had graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle in the United States.
Kim Chirok thought about calling Jeong Chan-yeong since he too had been assigned to the group strategic planning office.
But for some reason, he didn’t feel like calling him. So instead, he called the friend who had graduated from the University of Washington. This was someone he had occasionally spoken with during the two-month new employee training at the group training center.
“This is Kim Chirok from H Chemicals. You’ve been doing well, right?”
“Oh, Kim Chirok! You said you were working in Incheon, right?”
“Yes. I’ve been assigned to the group strategic planning office today. I’ll be handing over my duties and officially starting the day after tomorrow.”
“Really? I’ve been busy and didn’t see the announcement on the internal system. It’s nice to hear you’re coming here.”
“If I end up there, take care of me a lot.”
“Haha. What is there for me to take care of? You should be taking care of me.”
The friend from the University of Washington seemed genuinely pleased. He appeared relatively innocent. Shortly after, a call came in from Jeong Chan-yeong, his fellow recruit working in the strategic planning office.
“Hey, it’s me. Jeong Chan-yeong. I saw the transfer notice on the system. Congratulations. We’ll be seeing each other often from now on.”
“I don’t understand why I’m being transferred when it’s not even hiring season.”
“You graduated from Seoul National University. When you were assigned to a subsidiary after the new hire training, we were all surprised. Aren’t you a talented person?”
Damn it. He took the position I was supposed to have.
“What talent? Once I joined the company, it felt like everyone was talented.”
“Still, it’s fortunate you’re in Incheon and not a remote area. Some of our classmates went to Ulsan or Yeosu.”
“Wasn’t regional preference considered first?”
“Even so, most people listed the strategic planning office as their first choice, and the aviation subsidiaries as the second.”
“You’ve already settled in there, so take care of me well when I arrive.”
“What is there for me to take care of? I should be learning from you.”
“By the way, do they have things like language training in the mornings there too?”
“They do. But department heads and above have to attend breakfast meetings at hotels. By order of President Jeong Hee, they invite renowned scholars in the mornings to give lectures.”
“That’s a great system. Listening to lectures and having free breakfast at a hotel.”
“Ever since President Jeong Hee took office, it feels like there’s suddenly a lot more work.”
“So maybe that’s why I was suddenly transferred even though it’s not hiring season?”
“Maybe. Come by and let’s have a meal sometime.”
“Alright.”
“And in the near future, I’ll organize a gathering of our high school classmates. I’ll even make sure Im Jae-geun, who used to bully you a lot, shows up.”
“Bully? That was when we were immature.”
Just thinking about Im Jae-geun, the prosecutor’s son, still gave Kim Chirok chills. He would hit his head and take his money whenever he felt like it, and looked down on him for living in a semi-basement.
Even now, he still had a scar on his head from being hit with a rock by Im Jae-geun.
Kim Chirok had been the outcast at his high school in Gangnam.
But starting around his second year of high school, his grades improved significantly, and after repeating the college entrance exam, he finally got into Seoul National University. After that, his former classmates began to include him.
So he attended gatherings when there were any. However, when they talked about luxury goods or newly purchased cars, Kim Chirok was still left out.
Jeong Chan-yeong’s voice came again.
“Jae-geun graduated from law school this time and joined a XX law firm in Seocho-dong. He was asking about you recently, so I told him you’re working at H Chemicals in our group.”
What? Im Jae-geun joined a XX law firm? Isn’t that one of the top five law firms?
Even though he graduated from a provincial law school, Im Jae-geun managed to enter a top law firm. It seemed to be thanks to his father’s connections from having worked in a high-ranking prosecutorial position.
Im Jae-geun had gone to Konkuk University after repeating the entrance exam. It was a non-law, unpopular major. For some reason, he didn’t serve in the military. Despite being physically strong and known for fighting well, it was strange that someone from a delinquent background was exempted from military service for health reasons.
After graduation, Im Jae-geun said he would go to law school. However, due to poor LSAT scores, he kept failing admission attempts. After receiving private tutoring and years of effort, he barely managed to enter a provincial law school.
But if he joined a top law firm, he would now be earning far more than him. Top law firms are difficult to enter even for those who attended Seoul-based law schools. The thought that someone who had constantly bullied him had become a lawyer and joined a prestigious firm made him feel depressed.
At that moment, a call came in. It was from O Ha-young of the administrative department.
“I heard you’ve been transferred. Congratulations. But I feel a bit sad.”
“I was notified suddenly as well.”
“Shouldn’t we have a farewell party? Didn’t we once say we’d go to Yeonan Pier together?”
“Yeonan Pier?”
“Last time, when you went on a business trip to Japan, you didn’t bring back any gifts. Assistant Manager Lee, who went with you, brought back manjū, but you came back empty-handed. Let’s have a farewell party and go to Yeonan Pier today. Let’s go with the female employees from the administrative department.”
Kim Chirok, feeling down, wanted to at least get some sea breeze.
Going alone with O Ha-young to Yeonan Pier felt burdensome, but going with a group seemed fine.
He didn’t particularly like the fact that O Ha-young had a delinquent past, as he had the impression she might have bullied less privileged kids since she came from a well-off family.
She reminded him of Im Jae-geun, the prosecutor’s son who had bullied him. People like that seemed to have issues with their character.
Although he should have his farewell party first with the planning office staff, it seemed fine to do it tomorrow. So he agreed. He thought there was no need to be stingy on his way out.
“Y-yes, that sounds good.”
“Then see you later in the evening.”
Around quitting time, O Ha-young called again.
She suggested meeting at a café near the Ara Waterway cruise at Yeonan Pier. She said she would go by car. There was a public parking lot near the cruise boarding area.
[Since she’s bringing a car, it seems she won’t be drinking much. Is she bringing a car because several of the female employees are coming?]
Kim Chirok felt uneasy. If too many female employees came, it would cost him a lot of money. Still, he didn’t want to be stingy on his way out.
He currently didn’t have a car. Since his one-room apartment wasn’t far from the company, there was no need to use one.
[Should I take a bus to Yeonan Pier?]
Thinking the bus routes might be complicated and waiting times long, he took a taxi.
He met O Ha-young at the café near Yeonan Pier.
O Ha-young seemed to have put on some makeup. Compared to her appearance during the Japanese class in the morning, she looked a bit different. Her lipstick appeared more vivid.
O Ha-young smiled brightly and said,
“The sashimi restaurant right next door. I’ve made a reservation, so let’s go.”
The restaurant was on the second floor of a place serving seasoned vinegared anchovy sashimi. Being on the second floor, it had a view of the sea.
Kim Chirok handed the menu to O Ha-young and said,
“Please order the sashimi. By the way, how many people are coming today?”
“The others said they had prior plans. So today it’s just me.”
“Just you?”
“Isn’t that better? If there were many people, you’d be spending more money. Today, let’s have a relaxed time, just the two of us.”
[Just the two of us, relaxed drinking?]
Kim Chirok felt strange. But having come this far, he couldn’t just turn back.
O Ha-young smiled and said,
“What should we drink? Should we go with soju mixed with beer?”
Without even waiting for Kim Chirok’s answer, O Ha-young ordered soju and beer.
She looked completely cheerful, but for some reason, Kim Chirok felt uneasy.