Chapter 15: When the Team Leader is Obsessed, There’s a Lot of Overtime-7
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 15: When the Team Leader is Obsessed, There’s a Lot of Overtime-7
Monday. The atmosphere in the office was deathly silent.
Was it because people hadn't recovered from their weekend festivities? Was it a severe case of the Monday blues? Or was it the mounting pressure from an increased workload?
Well, the real answer was likely that a certain high-ranking person was in a foul mood.
As the person responsible for that mood, the answer was all too obvious to me.
On Sunday, Lee Mina had snapped after seeing that job search site.
She had grabbed me by the collar and shaken me, then clung to me, repeatedly sobbing apologies.
I had broken a cold sweat, making excuses about how I was just curious about the atmosphere at other companies, but she didn't seem to believe a word I said.
Then again, I wouldn't have believed me either.
Somehow, thanks to her showing up at the office, I hadn't even been able to get a handle on my own work. Instead, I had to field her pointless questions every five minutes.
[Has work been difficult lately?]
[What kind of positions were you looking for on the recruitment site?]
[In-ho, do you need money for something recently?]
[Your salary didn't go up much during the last negotiation, did it? I’ll make sure to speak with the Director during next year’s negotiations.]
[You didn't... get a scout offer, did you?]
[Was it Kim Na-ra, the one who quit recently? Did she scout you? Tell me. I’m asking you a question.]
The questions followed that general pattern.
I kept telling her that I had no intention of switching jobs and that I’d only come in over the weekend because I couldn't focus on work lately.
But her anxiety wouldn't subside so easily.
We eventually went our separate ways and headed home, but I didn't get any rest.
She showed up at my place with fried chicken, claiming my body would be weak because I’d only been eating porridge.
At first, I tried to pretend I wasn't home, but she kept ringing the doorbell so persistently that I had no choice but to open the door.
[In-ho, you haven't had dinner yet, right? I didn't think I saw you eat a proper meal today. I bought some chicken.]
[I haven't eaten dinner either, but...]
When she started laying the groundwork to come inside, I politely declined. Contrary to my expectations, she accepted it and withdrew quite quickly.
I foolishly thought that was the end of the incident.
However, as soon as Monday arrived and Lee Mina showed up for work, I realized how wrong I had been.
Radiating an aura of extreme low pressure, Mina ignored everyone’s greetings and worked silently at her desk.
The employees, who usually chatted in small groups, were now glancing at her nervously, sitting quietly at their desks and typing away in their private group chats.
Just do your work, people. Work.
My old personality flared up, making me want to snap at them, but I had enough of my own problems to deal with, so I held my tongue.
"Um, In-ho," Yu-na, who sat next to me, whispered.
"Do you happen to know why Mina is in such a bad mood?"
I did know, but...
"I'm not sure. I don't know anything either. She’s been like that since she arrived."
"Sigh... the atmosphere is so heavy for a Monday."
"I agree."
"Yu-na."
As we were talking, a stiff voice echoed through the office.
Everyone craned their necks like meerkats, their eyes converging on our section.
Mina was standing there; I hadn't even noticed her approach.
"Yes?"
Yu-na, sensing that things were taking a turn for the worse, asked tentatively.
"Is the quarterly settlement ready? I believe I told you to prepare the data."
Mina pressured Yu-na, slowly stepping closer.
"Ah... well... there was so much other work to do. Not yet..."
"Not yet?"
As Mina lowly muttered back her last words, Yu-na lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
"When will it be ready?"
"Well, maybe by Wednesday..."
"Organize it and email it to me by tomorrow morning."
"...Yes, ma'am."
Having finished off one person, Mina gave me a brief glance before moving on to someone else's desk.
"Hye-young. Give me a status update on the last order."
"Jeong-hye. It’s been a while since we took on the Compound Tech project, but I haven't seen a progress report yet."
"Yun-ji. The documents you submitted last time..."
She went from desk to desk, checking on everyone's work.
The people Mina had already visited began working on their delayed tasks with dazed expressions, while those whose turn hadn't come yet frantically started drafting reports.
I watched this bizarre situation unfold from a distance.
Then, I heard Mina’s voice rise in volume.
"Young-ji. Say that again."
"Well... I told In-ho about it. But it’s not organized yet."
"Say it again."
"In-ho hasn't given me the data yet."
"Again."
"I-I mean... there’s a part that In-ho needs to handle."
Was she just that flustered? Young-ji didn't seem to realize why Mina was making her repeat the same thing.
Ah... if she keeps this up...
She was completely screwed.
Mina, now resembling a block of dry ice emitting a freezing chill, slowly approached Young-ji.
"So. You dumped your work on In-ho? Without even reporting it to me, your Team Leader?"
"Ah..."
Only then did Young-ji realize her mistake. She couldn't say a word, her mouth just hanging open.