* * *
“Actually, I bought this as an apology.”
As Wookyung finished the last piece and set down his chopsticks, Director Choi suddenly spoke.
“An apology?”
For what?
“You must’ve cursed at me, right? For dumping all that work on you and disappearing.”
He had. Repeatedly.
But only in his head.
Did his ears burn or something?
Every time he wrote a single word, every time he completed a line in the report, he had cursed at him.
Maybe that itch had gotten to him.
“Well…”
He couldn’t deny it, so he just let his words trail off, shifting his gaze elsewhere.
“That’s why I brought it. I’m sorry for leaving you alone for so long. The CEO suddenly called me in—I didn’t mean to dump everything on you on purpose.”
“Well, if it was the CEO, then it couldn’t be helped.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“It’s nothing. I was just doing my job.”
He wasn’t the type to be easily swayed by things like this.
But seeing Director Choi sincerely apologize and express gratitude made some of his resentment fade.
Especially when he gave a small, genuine-looking smile.
Wookyung reached for the bento box to clean up.
“But,”
He unconsciously looked up at the serious tone in Director Choi’s voice.
What now?
Why the sudden intensity?
It was making him uneasy.
“I’ll make sure to repay you for all the hard work, so just hang in there a little longer.”
One of the top things an office worker should never trust—a boss’s empty promises.
Praising someone’s efforts?
Promising future rewards?
That was just a tactic to squeeze more work out of them.
Any rookie who believed that was in for a rude awakening.
Even all that apologizing and gratitude just now—was it all just a setup to make him work even harder?!
“Ah… Sure.”
He responded half-heartedly before getting up from his seat.
“Thanks for the meal, Director Choi.”
Director Choi still looked like he had more to say, but Wookyung quickly excused himself, grabbing his toothbrush and leaving the office.
He assumed that by the time he got back, the man would be gone.
But when he returned—
“…You’re still here?”
Director Choi was sitting at his desk.
“I have work to do.”
The response was completely matter-of-fact.
“Oh… Okay.”
Well, if he said so.
But now, the office felt uncomfortably awkward.
Working overtime was bad enough—why did he have to suffer through it with his boss?
If only he could finish this at home.
But the project proposal was a critical document and couldn’t be accessed outside the office.
A proper boss should know when to leave.
A superior’s departure should be graceful, leaving behind a beautiful silhouette.
‘Yeah, right.’
Even attaching it to that detestable superior, whose very silhouette exuded pettiness, felt like an undeserved honor.
If you can’t avoid it, just ignore it—that was the plan.
Even though their seats were spaced apart, they still faced each other.
If Wookyung raised his head carelessly, there was a chance their eyes would meet in an unfortunate tangle.
So, he kept his gaze glued to the monitor, focusing entirely on his work.
A burning determination flared within him—to finish everything before dawn.
Thanks to that, he even forgot that his troublesome superior was in the same room.
So much so that he failed to notice the quiet gaze fixed on him.
“Ughhh…”
His neck hurt. His arms were numb. His eyes felt sore.
He couldn’t take it anymore.
No matter how much he tried to concentrate, his body was staging a protest from staying in one position for too long.
Getting up from his seat, he rolled his wrists and stretched his neck.
That’s when his gaze happened to shift.
Because someone had spoken.
[I’ve just received the materials and reviewed them. However, it doesn’t seem to meet expectations. Could you supplement it further before sending it over?]
A low, resonant voice, smooth like a well-tuned instrument.
[No, I’ll be waiting, so send it as soon as it’s organized. That way, we can proceed on our end immediately. Don’t worry, I plan to finish it by tomorrow.]
The way he spoke in a foreign language felt subtly different from when he spoke Korean.
‘He sounds more rigid when he speaks in another language.’
Both were pronounced precisely and enunciated clearly—he could easily pass as a newscaster or a voice actor.
But upon closer listen, his Korean had the warmth of an actor, whereas his foreign language speech had the crispness of a news anchor.
Maybe he had been staring too long.
His eyes met Director Choi’s directly.
“Assistant Manager Wookyung, how far along are you?”
“Up until the end of last year.”
Thank god. He didn’t seem to notice Wookyung had been distracted.
Relieved, he answered quickly.
“I’m about to start organizing the year before that.”
Director Choi had tasked him with compiling three years’ worth of project plans from the planning team.
He was probably reviewing the company’s past work to strategize its future.
‘Does he think finding all this in a single day is easy?’
This wasn’t some lost bundle he’d left with Wookyung—why was he treating it like one?
While grumbling internally, Wookyung was about to open the documents from two years ago when—
“So you started with the most recent ones.”
“Yes.”
He answered automatically, but he wasn’t sure why Director Choi made that comment.
His confusion was evident as he looked at him.
“Good. Then send over what you’ve organized so far via email, and you can head home for the day, Assistant Manager Wookyung.”
“…Sorry?”
“You said you started with the recent ones.”
So what?
Wookyung prided himself on picking up on things quickly, but for some reason, he often found it hard to understand what this superior meant right away.
“I need the latest data right now.”
What?
Why was he suddenly feeling an intense surge of irritation?
Did that mean he asked for three years’ worth when he only needed the recent ones?
Was this a joke?
“You can submit the rest by the day after tomorrow.”
…Okay, maybe not. Tch. He was still annoyed, but at least his workload had been cut.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll send it right away.”
He had braced himself to pull an all-nighter at the office, but since he was being sent home, he quickly compiled only the latest files and attached them to an email for Director Choi.
But why was the upload progress moving so damn slowly?
Maybe it was because he had been told to go home, but he was getting antsy.
Or maybe it was because someone had been staring at him without looking away.
‘Why is he looking at me? Work! Or at least go back to your call! Why are you just watching?’
He couldn’t even turn his head.
If their eyes met, he’d have to say something.
And for some reason, he always ended up slipping up when he talked to Director Choi.
A wise employee knew that in front of their boss, the best approach was to keep their answers short—yes or no—and keep their gaze down while burying any dissatisfaction deep within them.
‘Did he notice?’
This was why people should never have anything to feel guilty about.
If you did, you’d start overthinking, make unnecessary mistakes, and eventually get caught.
“I’ve sent the email!”
Thankfully, the upload finished soon.
Only then did Director Choi finally look away.
The sound of clicking suggested he was checking the files immediately.
Just moments ago, Wookyung had been doing his best not to look in that direction.
Now, he found himself studying his superior instead, hoping for some sort of positive reaction.
“Hmm… Good. Assistant Manager Wookyung, you really worked hard today. You can head home now.”
What the hell. That’s it?
He thought he’d at least say something.
Then suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
‘Wait… Did they usually send materials like this at his previous workplace?’
That wouldn’t make sense. His suspicion was justified.
After all, when Wookyung sent the email, he had forwarded the files exactly as Associate Choi had given them to him—without any modifications.
Did that mean he didn’t organize them neatly?
Of course, he had.
But giving it to Director Choi so easily after being toyed with didn’t sit right with him.
A tiny act of revenge.
If Director Choi complained about the unorganized files, Wookyung would just apologize and resend the properly arranged ones.
‘Let’s see how you like sifting through a mess.’
But if he didn’t notice… oh well!
“Alright, I’ll head out then! See you tomorrow!”
Though “tomorrow” wasn’t exactly right.
In just a few hours, they’d meet again.
But still, getting back at Director Choi in his own way left Wookyung feeling a little lighter.
‘Yes! Time to go home!’
Just in case, he hurried out before his boss could say anything else.
“I called a taxi to the lobby. Take it home.”
That was the best thing Director Choi had ever said.
“Thank you, Director Choi!”
He didn’t hesitate to accept the favor.
He heard a faint chuckle behind him, but he ignored it.
Wookyung was too busy making his escape to notice Associate Choi standing in the hallway with a convenience store bag in hand.
* * *
