* * *
But apparently, he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Director Choi’s gaze had turned noticeably colder.
“Have a safe trip home, Director.”
Before Director Choi could say anything, Choi Siwon beat him to it, saying his goodbyes first.
His deep bow made it clear—he was telling the director to stop interfering and leave.
There was no way Director Choi wouldn’t notice, given that Wookyung caught on immediately.
His eyebrows arched sharply.
“…Alright. See you tomorrow.”
After staring at them for a moment, Director Choi finally nodded.
Whatever the case, at least one uncomfortable presence was retreating, which was a relief for Wookyung.
“Rest well, Director. See you tomorrow.”
Wookyung also bowed politely.
Of course, he didn’t dare to leave first.
They had to wait for the director to make his move before they could turn away.
That led to a brief, awkward silence between them.
“It’s late, you should head home early,” Director Choi finally said, throwing in one last bit of nagging before walking away.
“Let’s go.”
Watching the director’s back disappear, Wookyung nudged Choi Siwon’s arm.
The place they ended up at was a pub about a 15-minute walk from the office.
Originally, Choi Siwon had suggested a lounge bar in a five-star hotel.
But since it required a taxi ride and was way too pricey, Wookyung rejected the idea and brought him here instead.
“Hm… Not bad.”
Choi Siwon glanced around the place and made a short remark.
Wookyung did the same, scanning the interior.
He wasn’t sure how this place measured up to Siwon’s gold-spoon standards, but to him, it was an ideal spot for office workers—reasonably priced appetizers, decent taste, and drinkable draft beer.
“What do you want to drink? Here’s the menu. Pick something to eat too.”
“Anything is fine. You decide, Assistant Manager.”
Apparently, he had no idea how annoying “anything is fine” could be.
Nor did he seem to realize that, in these situations, the junior employee was usually the one ordering without being asked.
Come to think of it, had they ever had a team dinner since Siwon joined?
‘Probably not.’
Since he was the executive director’s son, people likely hesitated to bring it up.
‘It’s one thing for the section chief, but it’s surprising that Assistant Manager Kim didn’t arrange anything either.’
Well, the section chief was always being snatched away by Director Min the second work ended, so that made sense.
“Alright, let’s go with a mixed platter and draft beer?”
“Sounds good.”
He answered without a second thought.
Wookyung pressed the call button and placed the order.
Then, he set a spoon and fork in front of Choi Siwon before getting his own.
Even when he poured water for Siwon, the guy just sat there blankly.
It was clear that no one had ever expected him to do these things himself.
Still, Wookyung didn’t bother pointing it out.
That was something a direct supervisor should handle.
Since they were only interacting because of the TF team, he figured it wasn’t his concern.
As he wondered how to start the conversation, the server conveniently arrived with their beers.
He used that as an excuse to start with a toast.
“So, are you getting used to the work?”
Wookyung took a refreshing sip of beer and went with a safe topic.
“A little.”
“That’s good. The TF team is known for being tough. That’s why it’s mostly Assistant Managers and above. I know it’s not easy keeping up.”
“It’s because I joined a team I’m not qualified for.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I just wanted to say—don’t push yourself too hard.”
Of course, Siwon’s placement in the team had been forced.
But since that was a decision from the higher-ups, Wookyung, as a mere employee, had no say in the matter.
“I also wanted to tell you not to compare yourself too much to others or feel discouraged.”
“…Ah.”
“Work isn’t just about applying what you’ve learned. No matter how capable someone is, it takes time to sync up with a team. So don’t feel rushed.”
The beer tasted great.
There was nothing like alcohol to wash away the day’s exhaustion.
Wookyung took another sip and let out a satisfied sigh.
That’s when he realized that Choi Siwon was silently staring at him, still holding his glass.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No reason.”
What?
He had to have something on his mind.
Wookyung found it strange but decided to let it go.
“I thought you were annoyed with me for being a bother.”
Just as he was accepting the plate of appetizers from the server, Siwon suddenly dropped that comment.
“I wasn’t.”
Wookyung did find Siwon’s constant visits a bit tiring, but he had never shown it outright—at least, that’s what he thought.
If Siwon had noticed, then that was his own immaturity showing.
“It just felt that way to me. That’s why I thought you didn’t stop the director from taking over.”
“…Ah.”
So he didn’t like the fact that Director Choi had stepped in.
Wookyung hesitated.
To be honest, he was grateful that the director had taken over dealing with Siwon.
It wasn’t that he disliked Siwon, but work kept getting interrupted, making things inefficient.
“Well, you’ve seen it yourself—Director Choi is much more skilled than me. You’ll learn a lot more from him.”
Instead of giving a direct answer, he chose to phrase it carefully.
It was partially true.
After all, Wookyung had also relied on the director several times when his plans were repeatedly rejected.
When he pointed out the flaws Wookyung had overlooked and failed to notice, his face turned red.
And when the director suggested alternatives, it felt like Wookyung had been struck on the back of the head.
Of course, aside from that, Wookyung was secretly grumbling about how long he was going to keep at it.
“Well, I mean…”
“Getting help from the director is good, but if that feels burdensome, just ask me. I’ll take a look whenever I have time.”
Not as often as now, though.
Wookyung tried to phrase it carefully—did he understand?
“Yes. Thank you, Assistant Manager.”
Fortunately, it seemed like Associate Choi understood well enough.
His expression noticeably brightened.
“Then, cheers again!”
When Wookyung raised his glass, Associate Choi followed suit, clinking their beer mugs together.
From then on, they spent time talking about everything except work and the company.
Not that the conversation flowed smoothly.
Wookyung wasn’t particularly talkative, and Associate Choi seemed cautious.
More than anything, there wasn’t a common topic they could naturally bond over.
So, after about an hour, Wookyung noticed they had each stacked three empty beer mugs in front of them.
He decided it was time to leave.
“It’s getting late. Should we go?”
Since they both had work tomorrow, he grabbed the bill and glanced at Associate Choi.
Silence.
“Choi Siwon?”
Now that he looked closer, Associate Choi had his head drooped forward.
Feeling uneasy, Wookyung hesitantly waved his hand in front of Associate Choi’s face.
“Choi Siwon.”
Even after calling again, there was no response.
Wookyung bit his lip, feeling at a loss.
Did he really get drunk after just three 500ml glasses?
‘If you can’t handle alcohol, you should’ve said so from the start.’
He didn’t even know where Associate Choi lived.
What was he supposed to do?
Should he take him to a hotel or something?
‘I don’t think I can carry someone taller and bigger than me…’
While he was fretting, his phone screen lit up with a new message notification.
“Director Choi…?”
Why was he messaging at this hour?
Narrowing his eyes, Wookyung glanced at the name in the chat window before looking at the unconscious Choi Siwon.
Then, he turned his attention back to the message.
A sudden realization struck him like a lightbulb turning on.
This was a sign of salvation.
Wookyung immediately opened the chat.
[Director Choi: Wookyung, did you get home safely?
Me: No.
Me: I was just about to leave.]
Normally, he would’ve complained about unnecessary meddling, but right now, he was relieved.
He quickly replied and waited for the director’s response.
[Director Choi: Just now? It’s pretty late.
Me: Yes. But Choi Siwon is drunk…
Me: I was wondering what to do with him.]
He sent the message and kept staring at the screen, hoping for the answer he wanted.
[Director Choi: I’ll go.
Director Choi: Send me the address.]
Yes! Someone else would take responsibility instead.
* * *
