Chapter 78
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Team Leader's Trust
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"Hyunwoo, come to the meeting room for a sec."
"Sure."
As expected, Team Leader Ko Go-eun called for Hyunwoo.
- Click
The team leader lightly closed the meeting room door as Hyunwoo entered. In the small room with just a four-seater table, Hyunwoo and Ko Go-eun sat facing each other.
Though they'd worked together as team members for a few weeks, this was the first time they'd been alone, face-to-face, this close.
- Gulp
'Ease up on the death glare...'
Hyunwoo nearly pissed himself under the sharp gaze of Ko Go-eun staring at him from behind her sleek black horn-rimmed glasses.
But that tension didn't last. His eyes were instinctively drawn to Ko Go-eun's bust, boldly asserting its presence on the conference table. He couldn't tell for sure without peeling off her clothes, but one thing was certain—it was a size he'd never seen before.
- Thud
She irritably slammed her approval pad onto the table because Hyunwoo, sitting right in front of her, was blatantly ogling her chest.
"Hyunwoo, what the hell is going on here?"
"What do you mean?"
"I got called to the CEO's office this morning. And they approved that report that's been rejected three times already."
"Isn't that a good thing? Now the team won't have to pull all-nighters anymore."
Playing dumb, Hyunwoo grinned slyly in response.
Zing
"How did that happen?"
"Just like I reported to you before. I explained it directly to the division heads and other team leaders, and got their approvals."
Meeting Ko Go-eun's piercing gaze that seemed to see right through him, Hyunwoo calmly explained.
"Is that all? You took the unchanged report back and got it approved just like that?"
"Yep. I'm killer at verbal reports. Haha..."
'What the...?'
Sure, some managers sign off without even reading the content. It was possible. But something felt off. That was Ko Go-eun's gut feeling.
Still, grilling Yi Hyunwoo about it would look weird. Getting approvals on reports was a skill in itself, right? As team leader, she should be praising him.
"...Anyway, good work. You can go now."
"Got it."
Even after Hyunwoo left, Ko Go-eun kept reviewing the report she'd written. No matter how many times she checked, nothing had changed.
After that, Hyunwoo's exploits(?) continued. No matter how thoroughly Ko Go-eun prepared and presented, spending hours on it, the higher-ups' reactions were lukewarm.
Meanwhile, Hyunwoo waltzed in with just the report in hand and got approvals right away. It was like he had a free pass for signatures.
"Haa..."
To her eyes, it was utterly ordinary. Generously, his work ability was mid-tier at best. Yet Hyunwoo would take the report she'd been rejected on, get it approved in one go, and stroll back to the office.
'What the hell is this?'
Ko Go-eun couldn't figure out the mystery. More than that, her pride couldn't stomach it. The executives trusted a mere deputy manager over her, the team leader.
"Haa..."
She used to hate employees who sighed, but lately, she was the one sighing the most.
'Still... I have to acknowledge it, don't I?'
In her view, he was unreliable, but judging purely by results, Ko Go-eun had no choice but to recognize Hyunwoo's visible achievements, more than anyone else's.
Satisfaction from having her abilities recognized [Satisfaction]
Anticipation for the company's successful innovation [Anticipation]
Disdain for incompetent employees [Disdain]
Contempt for unconfident opposite sex [Contempt]
Trust in team member Yi Hyunwoo [Trust] - New!
"Yee~haw!"
After investing incomparable time and effort compared to conquering Seo Jin-ah, Eun Seol, and Kim Hye-ri, he finally unlocked a single line of Ko Go-eun's psychological message.
As expected from the workaholic Ko Go-eun, her judgment of people hinged on work ability. Hyunwoo, who effortlessly got approvals on reports she'd failed to pass.
No matter how much she disliked him, she couldn't deny those results. Ko Go-eun was the type who strictly separated work from personal matters, more than anyone.
'If it had been [Favorability] or [Affection], that would've been great... Well, [Trust] is something, at least.'
He hadn't expected romantic feelings like [Favorability] or [Affection] from the start, but it was still disappointing. At least [Trust] was better than nothing in the conquest.
'Her [Confidence as Team Leader] is gone?'
Did she feel outpaced by Hyunwoo? 'Confidence as Team Leader' had been replaced by [Trust] in Hyunwoo. Without hesitation, he amplified that emotion right away.
Team member Yi Hyunwoo Trust - Amplification Activated (New!)
The work system's effects were absolute, as a reaction appeared immediately.
"Deputy Manager Lee. A moment."
'Ooooh.'
Ko Go-eun, who used to call him dismissively by his last name with -ssi, now addressed him by his title. Did it mean she was starting to accept him as a proper team member? It was definitely a positive change.
"This is for the monthly meeting report. Give it a final review and let me know."
"Yes, got it."
Her assignments had shifted from mere data collection or grunt work to something far more important.
'Kukukuku. That's right. This is it. I'm Yi Hyunwoo.'
Even before gaining administrator authority, Hyunwoo had strong work pride. He couldn't hide his joy at finally being recognized by Ko Go-eun.
But it wasn't so much his superior skills as Ko Go-eun being completely blacklisted upstairs due to the [Slander Plot]. From the executives' perspective, they would've approved anyone except her who brought the report.
Whatever the facts, Hyunwoo's confidence had doubled, and with [Trust] secured, he now had the minimal setup to seriously pursue her.
"Assistant Manager Park, hold on a sec."
"Yes, Deputy Manager Lee."
Confirming that only Assistant Manager Park Hye-su was in the office, Hyunwoo approached her.
"Nothing much, but how about you and Team Leader go on the Seoul business trip together tomorrow?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"I'll take your place on the trip. In exchange, could you review the monthly report materials here at the office?"
"Huh? But Team Leader specifically assigned me to it."
"Oh, she just told me to switch with you."
"Really? That's weird... Let me check with her and get back to you."
'Haa... so damn suspicious.'
Hyunwoo's plan to go on the trip alone with Ko Go-eun hit a snag from the first step. But Assistant Manager Park's reaction was still within his calculations.
'Damn, every second counts right now... No choice.'
Hyunwoo used [Task Cooperation] from the employment contracts on Assistant Manager Park.
1 Employment Contract consumed.
"Let me say it again, Assistant Manager Park. I'll be taking your place on this trip."
"Oh, is that so? Understood, Deputy Manager Lee."
Once [Task Cooperation] was used, Assistant Manager Park dropped her suspicious look and followed Hyunwoo's instructions immediately.
[Task Cooperation] - The recipient must carry out work-related directives from the issuer.
Limited to work-related directives, but incredibly useful in situations like this. And only one contract consumed—pretty cost-effective.
If Hyunwoo were team leader level, the applications would be endless, but as a mere deputy manager, there weren't many he could boss around. Anyway, now he could spend alone time with Ko Go-eun under the trip pretext.
'Heh heh heh.'
Hyunwoo was already fantasizing wildly about their time together.
"So, I'll be accompanying you on the trip."
"Good. I was planning to take the train, but you have a driver's license, right, Deputy Manager Lee?"
"Uh... of course, Team Leader."
"Then we'll go by company car."
"Ah... yes."
But the trip was already veering off from Hyunwoo's expectations. When he'd checked with Assistant Manager Park, it was a relaxed train schedule, yet Ko Go-eun changed plans from the start.
- Vroom
Hyunwoo started the car with Ko Go-eun in the passenger seat.
'First stop 200km... second 150km... third...'
Suddenly turned chauffeur, Hyunwoo felt a headache coming on at the sight of the navigation's numerous stops and distances.
Utterly indifferent to Hyunwoo's mood, Ko Go-eun
- Flip
buried herself in documents, signaling no intention of chatting, fully focused on work.
'Haa.'
And so, in complete silence, Hyunwoo gripped the wheel all day.
"Uwaaaah."
- Thud
Finishing the first day's schedule, Hyunwoo collapsed onto the hotel bed like he'd passed out. Skipping lunch, juggling driving and client meetings had left him utterly drained.
'I was gonna grab some soju tonight... build some [Favorability].'
- Good work. We'll head out from the lobby at 7 tomorrow.
Slam
Ko Go-eun delivered her message with a blank face and retreated to her room. Too exhausted to even respond, Hyunwoo dragged himself to his own room.
"This... isn't... working..."
The trip was nothing like he'd imagined. Needing some event with her, Hyunwoo passed out instead.
The next day was no different. Hyunwoo driving, Ko Go-eun buried in work in the passenger seat. Hundreds of kilometers on the nav.
"Today's schedule is meetings with reps from five organizations."
'Fuck.'
Hyunwoo barely resisted the urge to rip up the trip itinerary she'd given him.
He wanted to use [Task Cooperation] on Ko Go-eun to adjust the schedule like he did on Assistant Manager Park, but he'd burned them all on the [Slander Plot]. The one from yesterday was barely scraped together the night before, rolling around in Eun Seol's officetel. Normal sex without special events yielded at most one contract per night.
In the end, Hyunwoo had no choice but to slog through another hellish day.
- Rumble
"Hoo..."
'So fucking sleepy.'
Poking his thighs with a pen to stay awake, but after over ten hours of driving since yesterday, Hyunwoo gripped the wheel in a daze.
The nav showed the distance to the destination—still a long way off. The mileage wouldn't budge, and drowsiness poured in.
"..."
"Deputy Manager Lee! Snap out of it!"
'Gasp!'
- Screech!
"Haa... haa..."
Hyunwoo slammed the brakes at Ko Go-eun's sharp shout. He'd nearly rear-ended the car ahead.
"Pant... pant..."
"Sorry, Team Leader... I'm just tired. Can we rest a bit before continuing?"
Ko Go-eun, realizing the schedule was too brutal, nodded silently without scolding. Hyunwoo pulled over to the shoulder and passed out in the driver's seat.
Watching Hyunwoo's expressionless form blankly, Ko Go-eun turned back to her documents.
About an hour later?
"Deputy Manager Lee! We need to go now. It's already been an hour..."
She shook his shoulder, but with fatigue piled up, Hyunwoo showed no sign of waking.
"We'll be late at this rate..."
Being late for an appointment—unacceptable for perfectionist Ko Go-eun. It had never happened before, and it never should.
Checking the remaining distance and appointment time. Any more delay here, and they'd miss it.
'No choice.'
"I'll drive. Move to the back, Deputy Manager Lee."
"Mmm..."
With Yi Hyunwoo refusing to wake, she barely shoved him to the back seat and took the wheel. First time driving in Korea since her overseas assignment, but no big issue.
"Hoo..."
- Vroom
The car carrying Hyunwoo and Ko Go-eun headed toward the destination again.
"Ugh..."
How long had he slept? An hour? Two? With some stamina recovered, Hyunwoo woke up.
'Team Leader drove herself?'
It was so dark without headlights he'd slept through that only shadows were visible outside. And the dense foliage visible through the window. Definitely not the shoulder where he'd parked last.
'Where the hell are we? Mountains...?'
"Team Leader, where are we...?"
Asking Ko Go-eun in the driver's seat. But
"..."
The team leader was staring blankly ahead.
Ahead, the road was completely blocked by a boulder, and the engine was off.