Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Royal Family 3-1
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Seo Ji-hyeok loosened his tie as he returned to his car from the villa.
"Whew, it's finally over."
In truth, all his work was done now.
All that remained was Lee Yong-ju...
After a moment of contemplation, Ji-hyeok picked up his phone and tapped the screen.
A short while later,
"It's me."
"Did everything go well? Dad was throwing a fit, so I figured it did."
"Yeah, it went great. But listen."
"Send it."
"What?"
"Aren't you sending the photos to Seyeon Group?"
"No, I was planning to send them to Lee Yong-ju's wife. Don't worry, I'll blur your face."
"Oh, gotcha. Hold on. I'll send you a good shot of Lee Yong-ju's face. And it's fine if mine shows—hey, you're really not sending to Seyeon Group?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Meet him first. He might be a decent guy."
"Fair enough... So it's my call, right?"
"Exactly."
"But oppa."
"Yeah?"
"You don't hate me, do you?"
"Nah."
"Okay. Sending the photos."
He hung up, and moments later, several pictures arrived.
They were quite steamy, but Ji-hyeok used an editing app to erase Yu-rim's face before forwarding them to Lee Yong-ju's wife.
'Time to pay the price for your desires. Go ahead and philosophize your way out of that one.'
Lee Yong-ju's wife's family was what people called "new money."
They had supported the studious young man from a poor background, even sending him abroad to study, and helped him become a professor at Korea University.
As Yu-rim had mentioned, he feared his wife so much that he'd dash out mid-affair if she called.
Clearly, the pain those photos would inflict wouldn't be simple.
With everything wrapped up, Ji-hyeok checked the time.
Five fifty.
The company wasn't far from here.
Ten minutes if traffic wasn't bad...
But this was Gangnam hell during rush hour.
How long it would take was anyone's guess.
"Hmm, what to do. Skip it and head in tomorrow?"
But then—
- Ding!
A message tone chimed. He checked his phone to see a concise notice on the screen.
[Special Sales Department dinner tonight. All members required. Location: Our Pig in the alley next to the main building. That's all.]
It was from Han Ji-young.
Was this big-company culture?
Ji-hyeok smirked wryly at the message.
The department only had four people total.
And he was the only one out.
Wouldn't a phone call have been easier?
He couldn't fathom posting in the group chat just to notify him.
Anyway...
"Damn it. Guess I have to go."
In the end, Ji-hyeok turned the car toward the company.
He arrived at Our Pig, the dinner spot, just past seven.
Our Pig was packed compared to nearby spots, marking it clearly as a popular eatery.
'Damn, come to think of it, I skipped lunch.'
Too busy to eat, Ji-hyeok suddenly felt ravenous as the aroma of grilling meat wafted out.
Licking his lips, he pushed open the door, scanned the room, and spotted the trio in the corner.
'This isn't a dinner—it's a funeral.'
On their round table sat pickled radish, lettuce, peppers, sesame oil dip, soybean paste, and more. The grill held just a few scraps of meat, smoking as they burned.
What really made Ji-hyeok chuckle was the booze situation.
Two beer bottles on the table—that was it. And their glasses were still more than half full.
They weren't even chatting much.
Manager Oh occasionally spoke up. Section Chief Bang just nodded stone-faced. Han Ji-young poked at her side dishes with chopsticks.
After watching for a bit, Ji-hyeok stepped in as a customer with an e-cig approached the door.
"Sorry I'm late."
"Ah, Ji-hyeok. Good work out there."
Manager Oh greeted him first.
Section Chief Bang, true to form over the past three days, ignored him completely—only cared about his own stuff.
Han Ji-young shot him a sharp glare, but Ji-hyeok smiled and took the seat across from Manager Oh.
"Manager, mind if I order some meat? I'm starving."
"Of course, order away. Eat up."
"Boss! Two portions of pork belly, rice, and a bottle of soju, please."
Manager Oh's face flickered with surprise at the soju order, but he soon grinned good-naturedly.
Han Ji-young, however, scowled disapprovingly.
"Seo Ji-hyeok."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you taking the company too lightly?"
"What do you mean?"
"There are procedures and protocols for field work. This isn't some place you can just wander in and out of. Did you get bad info from a senior or friend in insurance sales? How do you go out at ten a.m. and not report back until after five?"
"Report? You told me to?"
"Pardon?"
She clearly hadn't expected that response, her eyes widening in shock.
"I told Manager this morning I'd handle it my way, got permission, and headed out."
"That doesn't mean skip reporting altogether. You should've at least called after lunch to update me on your afternoon plans!"
"Got it. Sorry. But if I didn't know, fine—but why didn't you call me, Assistant Manager Han?"
"What? Are you blaming me now?"
"Yes. Instead of chewing me out now, you could've corrected me sooner."
"Seo Ji-hyeok!"
Her voice sliced sharply.
Manager Oh, who had been watching, raised a hand slightly.
"That's enough, both of you. If we're talking rudeness, arguing in front of me is the worst offense. Right, Assistant Manager Han?"
"...Sorry."
His tone carried weight.
Manager Oh handled this kind of thing masterfully.
Ji-hyeok bowed his head right after her apology.
"Sorry. I'll be more careful."
The awkward tension eased as the server arrived with meat, slapping it on the grill.
Ji-hyeok busied himself grilling and slicing, then downed the shot Manager Oh poured in one go.
Han Ji-young grimaced, clearly irked that he'd drunk without turning away, but Manager Oh didn't seem to mind.
"Seo Ji-hyeok, what's your limit?"
"A bottle and a half, no problem."
"Impressive. Eat first."
"Yes, sir."
As the meat cooked, Manager Oh chatted idly with Section Chief Bang and Assistant Manager Han, giving Ji-hyeok space to eat.
That personality had kept him in Taesung Group's elite Presidential Secretariat for twenty years.
Thanks to him, Ji-hyeok enjoyed his meal heartily.
He wrapped huge ssams, chomped noisily, swallowed with an audible gulp, then savored his soju.
Funny thing: no matter how empty his glass got, Section Chief Bang next to him never refilled it.
Undeterred, Ji-hyeok poured his own, polishing off the grill's meat, a bowl of rice, and half the soju bottle.
That's when Manager Oh's laughter rang out.
"Hahaha, nice."
"Pardon?"
"I'm a bit jealous of that appetite. Watching you eat, I get why mukbangs are popular."
"Heh, grew up poor. Eat when you can—that's my motto. Was I too piggy?"
"Not at all. Looked great. Alright, you're done eating, so let's do a proper toast."
Section Chief Bang and Assistant Manager Han lifted their half-full beer glasses with blank faces.
Ji-hyeok raised his soju shot, and Manager Oh clinked his last.
- Clink!
"Let's get along."
"Please take care of me."
"Please take care of me."
"Same here."
Standard office greetings—Ji-hyeok echoed them and drained his glass.
With the first toast done, Manager Oh smiled softly at Ji-hyeok.
"Now, tell us about your day. We're all curious."
A hint of mischief played on his face.
As if he already knew everything...
Section Chief Bang looked disinterested. Assistant Manager Han wore a "let's hear it" expression, ready for the report.
"Sold some electronics and a car."
"A car?"
Manager Oh blinked in surprise, and Han Ji-young jumped in.
"Just as I thought—networking with connections. Seo Ji-hyeok, you're misunderstanding. We're not appliance store clerks. And a car? Shouldn't you at least know what Taesung handles? I shared the materials."
One word from the manager sparked ten from her.
Absurd, but Manager Oh's face said, handle it yourselves.
Ji-hyeok's eyes sharpened as he noted the manager's demeanor.
"Assistant Manager Han, if you're dropping honorifics midway, why not go full banmal? Might be easier for both of us. Wanna drop the formalities?"
"What? Seo Ji-hyeok! Hierarchy matters in an organization. I'm your superior. You're not about to claim military discrimination or something, are you?"
"Why bring up the military? Got some grudge against men?"
"What did you say?"
"This isn't about gender. Or me being two years older. It's because Manager Oh, our department head, uses honorifics with us. Fine for him, but not me? Assistant Manager Han, you one of those young know-it-alls? Oh, and last—I never served."
Han Ji-young bit her lip, face flushing at his icy retort.
She seethed, but stayed silent.
The moment he invoked Manager Oh, any rebuttal was futile.
Still unwilling to concede, she glared, lips clenched.
- Thud! Thud!
About a minute of silence later, Manager Oh rapped the wooden table.