A Hole-in-One to Remember
"Honey, I'm heading to the driving range."
"......."
"I said I'm heading out."
His wife stood with her arms crossed, offering nothing in return.
"I told you I have a client golf outing this week. If I don't practice, it's going to be a real problem. I told you about this."
"I know. I know."
"Yejin, it's not like I'm out chasing hobbies or hanging around with friends. Can't you try to understand?"
"......."
His wife, who had been nursing her sullen silence, finally exploded.
"Can't you just be home on the weekend for once? You think anyone actually enjoys staying home?"
"You get to see everyone you want on weekdays anyway."
"Wh-what?"
"Well, don't you? Just this week you saw Mijin, and you saw your mother too."
That was a luxury only a stay-at-home wife could afford.
He couldn't do the same, and the hours he carved out weren't for pleasure anyway — this was exercise he did purely for the sake of his job. Having to take flak for it left nothing in his chest but irritation.
"Yejin. You think anyone does this for fun? I only practice right before a round. How hard is it to understand that much?"
"W-wait a second. What did you just say? I see everyone I want on weekdays? Are you looking down on me for being a housewife? I go out to see people only after I've finished every last chore in this house!"
Squeak—
Any further response would only stretch the argument out longer.
Three years of marriage had taught him that much wisdom.
He set his golf clubs down.
Really, how was his game supposed to improve like this?
Home, or golf. If he had to choose one, of course it would be home.
But that didn't stop him from resenting a wife who couldn't understand even this much.
"Manager Kim, this is the last hole. Hit it however you like."
"Go on, son — just like the department head says. Take a swing and blow off some of that scorecard stress while you're at it!"
He nodded and gripped his driver.
And then, quietly, he called it out.
"Hole-in-One."
Ability: Hole-in-One
Effect: Records a hole-in-one on any hole designated by the player.
Grade: ★☆☆☆☆
⚠ Notice: This is a one-time ability.
Most hole-in-ones happen on par-3s, but on a short par-4 like this one, they occasionally appear too — at truly minuscule odds.
It would be scored as an albatross, a feat rarer than a hole-in-one itself.
And since this ability was already absurd beyond all reason anyway—
Let's do it! A hole-in-one on a par-4!!
He took his address.
As the club head reached the tip of his right foot, the wrists hinged. When the backswing reached its peak, something stirred inside him.
This one's going exactly where I want it.
Shaaaa—
Taang—
The shaft carved through the air, and the crisp sound of a perfectly struck ball rang out across the fairway.
A flawless draw.
The ball climbed into a graceful arc and flew on and on without end.
"Good sh-great shot?"
"......."
"......."
"......."
At that perfect shot, everyone froze, eyes glued to the ball.
"It's still going?"
"It hasn't come down?"
"Whoa!"
His playing partners couldn't tear their gaze away from the ball as it sailed through the sky.
"Nice on! That's a one on, sir!"
When the ball settled onto the green, the caddie announced the one-on.
But that couldn't be the end of it.
"S-sir! I can't see the ball!"
At the caddie's words, the department head bolted for the cart.
"What are you all doing? Everybody get on!"
"Yes, sir!"
The department head fidgeted like the shot had been his own. And then he grabbed Kim's hand and squeezed it tight.
Was he trying to soak up some of his luck?
"Sir, aren't you taking your second shot?"
"That's not exactly the issue here, is it? Caddie, let's hurry."
When they reached the green, there truly was no ball to be seen.
You're not supposed to run on a green, but the department head strode across it in big, urgent steps.
Four people gathered at the hole.
No — five, counting the caddie.
When they spotted the white golf ball nestled inside the cup, they threw their hands up in celebration.
"Waaaah! Hole-in-one!!"
"A h-hole-in-one!"
"Manager Kim! You're insane! What a monster shot!"
The caddie hurriedly radioed it in and snapped a photo.
"To see a hole-in-one on a par-4 in my lifetime... Thank you, Manager Kim!"
"Sir?"
"Whatever my playing partner hits, I hit — that's how I look at it. Truly, congratulations!"
"Oh, oh, thank you, sir!"
The department head threw his arms around Kim and spun him in a full circle.
Team Leader Jung looked beside himself with joy.
So did Manager Park.
"Then, then how about we take a commemorative photo?"
"Ah, where is my head — everyone, stand by the hole! Manager Kim, you take the middle."
"Caddie, please join us too."
A staff member from the course operations support team, who had come to verify the hole-in-one, took the picture for them.
Click—
Their photo would end up displayed on the golf course's main screen.
.
.
.
"Hahahaha! Manager Kim, take a drink with me."
"Of course, sir."
The round had wrapped up at 1:30 in the afternoon.
By the time he'd washed up and changed, it was two o'clock.
They gathered at a restaurant nearby for lunch, and a drinking session broke out before the food even arrived.
"A day like this? There's no way we're not drinking."
"I'll pour the first glass myself."
When he offered the opening toast, the department head beamed like a cat that got the cream.
"Mmm, this glass is brimming with the energy of a hole-in-one."
"PWAHAHAHA!"
"Hahaha."
"Hohoho."
One glass poured, one glass returned — and before they knew it, it was four in the afternoon.
His Hangover Relief skill had a one-month cooldown.
He'd already used it at the company retreat, so today he was drinking with nothing but his own two livers to rely on.
There were bottle after bottle of soju on the table — roughly one per person, at a glance.
And yes, he was well past his usual limit.
And yet something was strange.
He was drunk, no question — but he didn't feel like vomiting at all.
Was it because he'd been exercising?
Or because he was genuinely happy?
It was an odd feeling — as odd as hitting a hole-in-one.
"I've heard that when someone scores a hole-in-one, tradition calls for a separate celebration round with the same group."
Emboldened by the soju, he opened his mouth carefully.
"That's right. And every time I heard stories like that from people around me, how I envied them."
Department Head Park picked up the thread with an ambiguous smile. Envy was written plainly across his face.
Kim closed his eyes for a moment, steadied his breath, then broke into a wide smile again.
"So — if I set a date and invite this exact group back for another round, would that be all right?"
The moment he said it, Department Head Park jerked upright in surprise.
"Well, what do you know — free drinks AND a hole-in-one celebration round? Haha. That won't be cheap, are you sure it's no burden? I'm in a good mood, so I'll cover half."
Kim shook his head with a smile.
"No, sir. I've already taken out hole-in-one insurance, so there's nothing to worry about. Next time I'll book an afternoon tee time and treat everyone to dinner as well."
The department head let out a sigh of admiration.
"Goodness, this fellow is thorough down to the last detail. Team Leader Jung — you've trained your people exceptionally well!"
Team Leader Jung smiled warmly and took Kim lightly by the arm.
"Haha. I've been blessed with good people. Manager Kim especially — he works hard, he's sharp, he can hold his liquor. There's not a single area where he falls short. Haha."
Kim waved his hands, laughing it off.
"You're too kind. If you hadn't invited me along today, Team Leader, I'd never have lived through such a wonderful experience in the first place. My thanks to you as well."
And so the conversation flowed on naturally, everyone already looking forward to the next round.
As far as days in the life of an office worker went, today's round could not have been more perfect.