8. Childhood Friend (2)
We returned to the original office.
Three chairs pulled together in one spot.
"So......"
Jo, the department head, eyed Deputy Choi Soo-jung with clear discomfort.
She stared right back, unflinching.
Jo broke the silence first.
"You're from Field Ops, huh? Name and position?"
Choi furrowed her brow.
"Don't use informal speech with me. It's unpleasant."
"......What?"
Silence. Tension thick as walking on cracking ice—or a knife's edge.
I averted my eyes slowly, gauging the room.
Jo growled at the same moment.
"What'd you just say? Say it again."
"I said don't use informal speech."
"Oh, don't use informal? Then yelling at the department head like that is fine?"
"I know you don't have to treat someone nicely if they can't show basic respect."
Jo clicked his tongue.
That classic 'Do all these young MZ kids act like this?' look shot my way.
For some reason, it stung me.
Thankfully, he looked away quickly.
"Heh, so that's what Field Ops is full of these days? Top brass at Mirae must all be fossils."
Now he was stabbing back with words sharp as blades.
Unfortunately, the Choi Soo-jung I knew wouldn't back down from that.
Guess I'd have to step in after all.
"That comment's borderline treason against the company......"
"Name's Choi Soo-jung—! Position's deputy—!"
"......"
"......"
Sharp glares stabbed into me. Icy cold.
But I couldn't just sit there.
A vein bulged on Jo's forehead. He was about to erupt.
Whatever happened next wouldn't be pretty.
Did my ploy work? Luckily, he didn't explode.
"Deputy Choi Soo-jung, huh. So, Assistant Manager Oh, what's your connection to Deputy Choi?"
His tone had frozen solid instead.
Still better than him burning everything down like an active volcano.
"We're in the same hiring class. College classmates too, and even high school."
"Classmates? And she's already a deputy?"
Jo spoke politely to me.
It felt more burdensome than any moment I'd spent with him so far.
"Yes. I heard she's the youngest ever. She's capable, but......"
But I had to say it.
Situations like this weren't welcome, of course.
I'd stopped stepping up after college.
But... she's a good person, isn't she?
For people like that, I could do things I normally wouldn't.
Not talking about Choi Soo-jung.
I'm talking about Department Head Jo Gil-taek.
"She's been on edge lately. I heard she got into a physical scuffle with her own team lead."
"......"
Deputy Choi was still glaring—not at Jo, but at me.
I subtly dodged that razor-sharp gaze.
"Heh. Physical scuffle? With her team lead? Team lead means section chief, right? Insolence to a superior. Hey, Deputy Choi. Who's the one ignoring basic respect here?"
"......"
"And as a deputy, even from another department, mouthing off to me like that is insubordination. You're totally unfit."
Finally, her gaze shifted to Jo.
He sighed in utter disappointment.
"Fine. I'll let it slide a hundred times. Insolence, whatever—consider it all water under the bridge. But why'd you come to our division? You know it's forbidden by company regs."
"...Yes."
Choi muttered obediently.
"Unauthorized entry, unauthorized anomaly use, and causing a ruckus inside an anomaly. Three unauthorizes. That's grounds for heavy discipline. Suspension, depending on the circumstances."
For a split second, injustice flashed across Choi's face.
"......sir."
"What? Speak clearly. Explain it properly, word for word."
"...It wasn't intentional."
"Heh, not intentional?"
Choi explained in a dry, businesslike tone.
According to her, the office had been like that from the start.
"I was just as panicked. The commotion was just me exercising self-defense for my own safety in the chaos."
In a tone that didn't suit her at all, she laid it out.
"The violence against you, sir, was the same. I just thought I'd been caught in an anomaly and acted in self-defense."
Jo's expression softened a fraction.
The vein didn't recede, though.
Just his brow smoothed a bit. Barely that much.
"......Fine. Deputy Choi Soo-jung. We'll let that slide too."
But the conversation had already opened the floodgates.
"Even so, you know there's still more to explain, right?"
"...Yes."
"Why'd you come to our office in the first place, Deputy Choi? I trust you understand why I'm asking. I'm the head of this division."
"......Personnel transfer."
Choi murmured flatly, like she was spilling a secret.
"I've been internally approved for transfer. In a week, I'll be part of Follow-up Special Duty Division 1."
"......"
"......"
"I just came to check out the department I'll be working in next. As you know, Follow-up Special Duty has quite the reputation."
I wanted to slap my forehead.
A glance sideways—Jo looked like he felt exactly the same.
"......Personnel transfer? I haven't heard a thing. Who approved that?"
"Official memo from the Chief HR Officer. Sent after hours, it seems. You haven't checked yet."
"No, that's not what I—sigh......"
A vague, floating awkwardness hung in the air, hard to pin down.
Choi remained utterly composed.
I had no idea where to even start criticizing.
"......Wait here. I'll confirm."
Jo, rubbing his brow, muttered as he stood and headed straight out of the office.
"......"
"......"
An unwelcome silence settled over the office.
Deputy Choi glared at my face; I counted the stains on the ceiling.
—Who the hell approved that?! I'm the one managing personnel for this division! Me! ME! You think I'll work with just anyone? Does this Jo Gil-taek look like a pushover to you?
Choi opened her mouth as Jo's bellow echoed from outside.
"Assistant Manager Oh Sung-jin. You didn't take my advice after all. How's it feel? Regretting it yet?"
Businesslike tone, utterly personal content.
I had no obligation to answer.
Silence returned as I kept my mouth shut.
—You do everything they say from upstairs? Why? If they told you to die, would you? You some kinda slave or board member's dog?
Choi spoke again, keyed to Jo's shout.
"Of course you're regretting it. So? How's it feel to ignore my sincere advice and face the brutal truth?"
My ex-friend seemed to be pivoting from company troublemaker to shaman.
I didn't respond this time either. No opening my mouth unless it was work-related.
—Fine, whatever. Before I let this slide, revert the personnel records right now. What? Can't? You wanna see my face? Get over there NOW?
"Talking behind the company's back... Have some conscience... You don't even know how I feel, saying such harsh things—doesn't that give you any guilt?"
—What? Got complaints, call me directly and hash it out. Hey! Don't hang up! Hang up now and you're dead! Hey! Hey! You fucking bastard...
"But it's okay. I'm generous."
Choi's lips twitched.
"Company work... it's tough, right?"
A smile in her eyes.
"A life where you don't know when you'll die. You'll feel that more than ever now."
A fragile smile.
"Life's more precious than anything. More than money or fame."
And a voice that trembled, somewhere.
"I have a way to keep Assistant Manager Oh safe. Want to hear it?"
I stayed silent. My quiet was taken as assent.
"Quit right now. Mirae's solid on stuff like that. And... come live at my place."
A hollow laugh escaped me. The moment my no-talking-unless-work resolve broke.
"Is this your idea of making up?"
"Think of it that way if you want. I'll handle your livelihood. Pocket money too, nothing stingy. Weird to say it myself, but I've got the company's full trust."
I shook my head firmly. This time, the message got through.
Various expressions flickered across Choi's face. After a brief silence, she spoke.
"Why? It's not a bad offer. The 'pocket money' phrasing bug you? Don't worry. I'm not cheap enough to undervalue the memories 'we' built."
Not the reason.
"Or is it the rumors I spread? But now you get what my actions meant, so no hard feelings left between us, right?"
Even less the reason.
"Or......"
I stood up.
She didn't get it. Not at all.
"Pretend I never heard that."
"......Assistant Manager Oh Sung-jin."
"Deputy Choi Soo-jung, you're still the same."
I barely managed a smile.
She's my superior. What mattered here wasn't emotion.
Rationality.
"I'm talking about that attitude. You still... make enemies. Why do you do that?"
...Rationality.
"......"
"You probably think you're cherishing me. You've always been like that, Deputy."
I didn't know anymore.
"You always force things from your perspective. Shoving your standards on others. 'It was all for you.' 'You succeeded thanks to me; you failed because of you.' Know what? That attitude? It's fucking annoying."
I'm not an idiot. I'm not a kid.
I don't need that kind of attention. No means no.
Don't need some cliché excuse like 'I have ambitions too.'
"That's......"
Deputy Choi started to speak. Listening more would just hurt me.
I waved my arm to cut her off.
"Ah, fine. Whatever. I like getting worried about by someone."
"......"
"But that's possessiveness."
Her gaze flew like a dagger.
"Stop it now. Toying with other people's feelings—that's a bad habit."
"......"
Our fallout wasn't just from the nonsense rumors she started.
And...
People don't need big reasons to hate someone.
"Just keep things as they are. We're not great, but we've been getting by okay, right?"
Only after driving the nail in did I regain my calm.
'...Damn, she won't retaliate, will she?'
Now I was starting to worry.
Why do I always regret these things after doing them?
'Should've said it softer.'
The stress from today must've been worse than I thought.
Truth is, I'm exhausted even now. Just want to get home and crash.
'Sigh. Wanna go home.'
I sat back down, thinking that.
Deputy Choi just stared silently.
...Whatever happens, happens.
I started counting ceiling stains again.
Jo returned soon after.
"...Deputy Choi Soo-jung. I'll be watching you from now on."
Bearing the unwelcome news.