Chapter 18: Office Tyrant-3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: Office Tyrant-3
"I expected you to pick rice soup, so this is a surprise."
That was what she said when I chose a nearby pasta place.
"I don't eat rice soup every single day, you know."
"Is that so? I heard that men prefer... what do they call it? Ah, 'cost-effective' food."
She tilted her head, resting her index finger against her lips as she thought.
Seeing this softer side of her, so different from the one she showed at the office, brought an involuntary smile to my face.
Actually, maybe Lee Mina just doesn't know how to express her emotions properly?
The thought crossed my mind.
"Hm? What is it? Is there something on my face?"
"No. It just seems like you're in a better mood now."
"My mood? ...Ah."
Her finger traced the rim of her water glass as she averted her eyes. She glanced at me tentatively, like someone who had committed a crime, and spoke in a voice devoid of confidence.
"Was it... not enough?"
"What was?"
"I should have given them more work."
She took a sip of water, sounding genuinely regretful.
She was referring to what happened this morning.
"Considering what you've been through, In-ho, maybe I should have been more firm?"
She looked at me with eyes that seemed to ask, Are you not satisfied? I found myself at a loss for words.
"Did you do all that today because of me?"
"What do you mean 'because of'? I did it for you."
That’s the same thing, woman.
She continued to scan my expression like a child seeking praise. The way she fidgeted in her seat made it clear she was waiting for me to say something—anything—in approval.
However, if I told her she did a good job, she would undoubtedly push the others even harder. That was the last thing I wanted.
In times like this, I had to be firm.
"You don't have to go that far."
"Why?"
"Pardon?"
She looked at me, genuinely puzzled.
"What's wrong with making them work as much as they've slacked off?"
"It's not that it's wrong, exactly... but you're letting personal feelings and judgments influence the work."
"But it's true that those people dumped their work on you while they played around."
"That's true, but..."
"Then what's the problem? Don't tell me you're taking their side? You can't do that, In-ho. You'll pick up bad habits."
"......."
"Here are your dishes."
The food arrived at the perfect moment.
She had the carbonara, I had the rose spaghetti, and we had two pieces of garlic bread on the side.
"Thank you for the meal."
Since someone else was paying, I made sure to offer a proper thanks.
"Enjoy," she replied, picking up a pickle with her fork.
The restaurant was a common chain found in any food alley, so the taste was mediocre at best. I wasn't exactly savoring the flavor; I was just eating the meal. It was nothing more, nothing less.
For a few minutes, we both focused on our food. There wasn't much to talk about while eating, and we were both hungry.
By the time I finished my plate and felt full, Mina had only finished about a third of hers. I took a sip of water to rinse my mouth and wiped my lips with a napkin.
Did I eat too fast?
I should have matched her pace. It was a classic case of hindsight.
She was chewing away with her small mouth full of pasta, her cheeks puffed out. She looked incredibly cute.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.
[Maybe I could actually settle down here?]
Her obsession didn't seem as intense as I’d feared, and if I worked hard to adapt, living here might not be so bad. Who would turn down a capable, beautiful older woman?
She seems socially awkward, but that’s something we can work on over time.
This dimension... it might actually be a decent place to live.
"What is it? Is there something on my face?"
She asked shyly, noticing my lingering gaze.
"No, it's just... you're quite cute."
The words slipped out without passing through a filter. I hurriedly clamped my hand over my mouth.
"Uh... um..."
Mina tried her best to maintain a composed face as she focused back on her carbonara, but she couldn't hide her ears turning bright red.
She really is cute.
For an older woman, she had a surprisingly charming side.
*
After lunch, we went to a coffee shop.
Since she bought lunch, I offered to buy the coffee, but she replied, "It's fine, I'm using the corporate card anyway," so I didn't insist.
I returned to our table carrying two iced Americanos.
"Come to think of it, we drank a lot of coffee when we worked through the weekend, didn't we?"
"Right. We couldn't have survived without it back then."
I didn't really know the details, but I played along for now.
"Actually, I couldn't even drink a single cup of coffee before, but I started because of you, In-ho."
"Eh... is that so?"
"Yes, it is. I used to wonder why people drank something so bitter, but now I feel like I can't live without it."
Her smile was soft and delicate, like a watercolor painting soaked in water.
I smiled back and looked out the window. Office workers returning from lunch and young people in casual clothes passed by in a blur.
"In-ho."
As I stared blankly outside, Mina called my name.
Ah, had I been silent for too long?
"Yes? Yes."
"As you saw today, I'm going to distribute the workload fairly from now on."
"Right, okay."
"I'm also going to reassign some of the tasks currently under your name to myself and the other team members."
"I see."
"I mentioned this when we met on Friday, but I admit your workload was excessive. I was a bit indifferent to it."
Her fingers fidgeted nervously.
"Then... your work will get easier, right?"
"I... suppose so?"
"Then, there won't be any reason for you to go to another company."
"Pardon?"
She reached out tentatively, as if touching a baby chick, and placed her hand over mine.
"I'll... I'll do better. I won't give you too much work, and I'll give you good performance reviews..."
"Um, Mina-nim."
"So... please don't transfer... or quit."
Her voice trembled, sounding almost like a plea.
"I'm asking you. Please."
I could feel a faint tremor in the hand resting on mine.