Chapter 19: Lee Mina-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 19: Lee Mina-1
A voice thick with tears. She was trembling.
Who am I to her?
The memories the previous "me" and this woman had built together.
Whether those feelings were mutual or one-sided, they must have been precious memories and a deep bond to her.
That, I assumed, was why she was being so desperate.
Since I had to empathize with something I couldn't truly feel, I had no choice but to act.
It wasn't simply to avoid provoking her.
Regardless of what the previous "me" was like, I wanted to comfort this woman right now.
I just felt like doing so.
"Mina-nim."
I reached out and gently intertwined my fingers with hers.
She flinched at the sudden physical contact, looking startled, but she didn't pull her hand away.
"In-ho...?"
"Like I said, I’m not going anywhere."
"...Really?"
"Well... honestly, I did consider it."
"I knew it!"
She squeezed my hand. For someone who looked so delicate, her grip was surprisingly strong.
She almost snapped my wrist just now.
"You had a lot of complaints about work, didn't you? I'm sorry. I should have paid more attention."
Her voice was heavy with self-reproach.
I shook my head, offering a faint smile to put her at ease.
"It wasn't like that. Um... this might sound a bit crazy, but would you listen?"
"...?"
Her eyes widened at the unexpected remark.
How should I explain this?
I tried to describe my situation in a way that wasn't too far-fetched, yet not too brief either.
After about thirty minutes of explaining my "condition"—omitting the parts about dimension transferring and losing my memories of this world, of course—I told her that for some reason, I couldn't remember my work very well.
"That's why I came in over the weekend. I have to get back to work eventually."
"Temporary amnesia? I've never heard of a case like this in my life."
"Yeah, it's a first for me, too."
Dimension traveling is definitely a first.
"Was that why you were looking at job boards...?"
"I just thought it might be better to start fresh at a new workplace. Honestly, I didn't put much deep thought into it."
"Hmm... that is a problem. You're the team's top performer, In-ho. I don't know how I'm supposed to get anything done with the rest of those incompetent people."
"I'm not sure how to respond when you put it like that."
"Why? It's the truth. If I had to put it in ratios, I did 40%, you did 55%, and the others handled the remaining 5%."
Then you should have distributed the workload better from the start.
"Why was the work distributed like—"
"Because... you took it all on yourself. You don't actually think I assigned you 55%, do you? The others dumped their work on you, and you just accepted it like you enjoyed it."
"You knew all along?"
"I didn't exactly win this team leader position in a game of rock-paper-scissors... Honestly, what do you take me for?"
A rich, beautiful older woman.
She narrowed her eyes at me, but she still hadn't let go of my hand.
"I didn't intervene because I thought it was what you wanted. Of course... I can't deny that I had my own personal motives as well."
She swallowed hard before continuing.
"And I've grown so used to the two of us working together. Leaving things to others just makes me anxious."
"Ah, I think I know that feeling."
"You feel it too, right? I'm telling you, our working styles are so similar."
The anxious expression from before was gone, replaced by a blooming smile.
We talked about trivial things, and the two hours we spent chatting about nothing in particular felt incredibly short.
When we finally left the cafe, we were carrying several iced Americanos.
Since I had been a bit cold to her this morning, she had accepted my suggestion to buy coffee for the team as a peace offering.
Well, rather than her "accepting" it, it was more like I had unilaterally persuaded her.
She looked like she wasn't entirely pleased with the idea, but she bought the coffee anyway.
"In-ho, what are you doing this weekend?"
"It's only Monday. I don't have any weekend plans yet..."
"Then, if you're free, do you want to come into the office? You need to get back into the swing of things."
A boss naturally suggesting weekend overtime.
I'll let it slide because she's pretty.
"Sure. I'll let you know if something comes up."
"Okay. I'll pick you up in front of your place."
Mina looked satisfied now that the plans were set.
By the way, this woman... she's obsessive, but she's terrible at making a move.
"Do you want to catch a movie after work this weekend?"
When I tossed the question out casually, she looked up at me, visibly startled.
"A movie? With you?"
"If you don't want to, then never mind."
"I never said I didn't want to!"
She scurried ahead of me, her ears turning bright red.
It was a Monday afternoon in early summer, where the cozy breeze mingled with the burgeoning heat.
Running down the sidewalk lined with stately trees, she turned back to me and made a declaration.
"I'll handle all the arrangements. You just show up."
Man... a boss like this. Isn't she just the best?