WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Mistaken for an S-Class Employee ◈
Chapter 26: Why Are You Being So Nice?
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“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
At Part Leader Ryu’s lead, the four team members, myself included, raised our glasses high and shouted.
“Welcome, even if it’s a little late.”
“How long has it been since you joined us?”
“Only a week.”
“Only that long? It feels like you’ve been here forever.”
Assistant Manager Baek and Assistant Manager Seong led the conversation, while Manager Shin silently drank.
Assistant Manager Seong spoke up.
“Manager Shin, say something too. You haven’t really talked to Assistant Manager Go yet.”
“...We said hello.”
Manager Shin looked at me steadily, then asked,
“I heard you watch a lot of content.”
“Yes, I like watching it.”
“What kind do you like?”
“I don’t discriminate. If it’s fun, I like it.”
Manager Shin nodded.
“I think common-sense alteration is about to take off.”
“Common-sense alteration?”
“You don’t know it?”
“Oh, no. This is my first time hearing of it.”
“You say you know content well, but you don’t know that?”
I looked at Assistant Manager Baek and Assistant Manager Seong, but they looked just as unfamiliar with it.
“It’s also called common-sense rewriting or common-sense modification. In Japan, though, common-sense alteration is the term people use most often.”
“...”
“It changes only someone’s common sense without greatly changing their personality or way of thinking. For example, a heroine might not feel embarrassed about walking around in her underwear...”
Listening to Manager Shin, I thought I understood what kind of thing they were into.
“Isn’t that common in sexual content?”
“Oh, you get it?”
Manager Shin’s eyes lit up.
It was the first lively expression I had seen from them since transferring teams.
I had never heard the term common-sense alteration before, but I understood what they meant after listening to their explanation. When you researched this and that while writing, there were things you ended up learning.
“Right. But if you take out the sexual aspect and use it to show an unexpected side of the protagonist, I think it could work with a broader audience too.”
I nodded.
When developing a story, an appealing character was the most important thing. The common-sense alteration Manager Shin had mentioned seemed like something worth using for character creation.
Assistant Manager Jeon had said something similar before, and I had wanted to write something other than an office story for my next work.
This didn’t feel like a passing conversation.
“Manager, hold on a second.”
I quickly pulled out my phone and recorded it in my idea notes.
“Being on the Content Team is good in a lot of ways.”
“Hm? How so?”
“I feel like I get to hear a lot of things I need. Haha.”
When Part Leader Ryu got up to use the restroom, I had some alcohol in me, so I asked Assistant Manager Baek something I had been wondering about all along.
“Am I not supposed to ask about the rumors concerning Team Leader Jo?”
Assistant Manager Baek paused for a moment, then checked that Part Leader Ryu was gone before answering.
“It’s better not to bring it up in front of Part Leader Ryu.”
“Why?”
“It would be like talking about rumors in front of the person involved.”
The person involved?
We were talking about Team Leader Jo. Why was Part Leader Ryu involved?
“The team leader and the part leader are practically bound together. You’ll naturally understand once you spend time on the team.”
Assistant Manager Seong nodded and added,
“They’re very close.”
It sounded like they were on the same side.
“Is the Content Acquisition Part Leader in that kind of relationship too?”
“No.”
That was strange. If Part Leader Ryu was Team Leader Jo’s right-hand person, why not put them in the more influential Content Acquisition Part?
Before I could ask, Assistant Manager Baek explained first.
“It’s consideration. If he put them in a good position, people would say he was looking after one of his own.”
At Assistant Manager Baek’s words, Assistant Manager Seong nodded.
“The team leader doesn’t want to burden the part leader, and the part leader doesn’t want to give people anything to attack the team leader over.”
“There are a lot of eyes in a company. And plenty of talk.”
So that was why people who made it were different.
The Operations Team I had been in...
Forget it. Let’s not compare.
“Then the rumor that Team Leader Jo is part of the owner family...”
Assistant Manager Baek lowered his voice.
“You know the phrase ‘an open secret,’ right?”
“Yes?”
“Why do you keep trying to confirm it? You can tell by the atmosphere.”
Assistant Manager Baek shrugged.
“I don’t think baseless rumors spread.”
I could vaguely guess that the rumor had substance.
Just then, a middle-aged man’s voice suddenly rang out.
“Ha ha, I’m not an unwelcome guest, am I?”
A man followed Part Leader Ryu inside as he spoke.
Startled, we all stood up and greeted him.
“Hello, sir!”
It was Jo Min-ho, the Content Team leader.
“I was about to head home, but I heard the Original Part was getting together, so I stopped by.”
Assistant Manager Baek immediately made room, while Assistant Manager Seong cleaned the table in front of Team Leader Jo.
“Welcome, Team Leader!”
“We’re very glad you came! Haha.”
Ever since my bank account had started looking healthier, I had stopped feeling intimidated by most people at work.
But Team Leader Jo was different.
Even while he was sitting down, I remained awkwardly on my feet.
“Everyone, sit.”
Team Leader Jo happened to be seated across from me.
I hesitantly started to follow his instruction and sit down.
‘Let’s try something I haven’t done before.’
Unless it was absolutely necessary to pour drinks, I had never offered alcohol to a superior first and filled their glass.
It was a little embarrassing to do something unfamiliar, but...
“Team Leader, I’d like to pour you a drink!”
I gathered my courage and spoke.
“Sure. Why not?”
Team Leader Jo readily raised his glass.
He emptied the glass I poured in one go, then said to me,
“You should have one too.”
“Thank you.”
Taking the bottle, Team Leader Jo said,
“I heard you’ve been doing exceptionally well right after transferring teams.”
“Not at all.”
“Studio Tiger can be a rather stiff-necked place.”
Trickle...
As Team Leader Jo filled my glass, he spoke casually.
“By the way.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“Do you know Division Head Jo Sang-su?”
* * *
What kind of question was that?
Was there anyone in this company who didn’t know Division Head Jo Sang-su, the AJ Group chairman’s grandson?
I was about to answer since he had asked, but...
“We’ll talk later.”
Team Leader Jo spoke first.
Just then, Assistant Manager Baek leaned in and said,
“What secret are you two discussing?”
Team Leader Jo laughed heartily.
“Ha ha, it’s nothing. Come on, let’s have a drink.”
He raised his glass and proposed a toast.
“I know the Original Part has been working hard. I heard an opportunity has come up to expand our business area. I hope you seize it and achieve great results. Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
The lively team dinner continued afterward, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the strange question Team Leader Jo had asked me.
As time passed, Team Leader Jo and I briefly made eye contact.
He mimed smoking at me, then gestured outside.
I nodded and stood up.
Team Leader Jo put a cigarette between his lips and glanced at me.
“Want one?”
“I don’t smoke.”
“Really? I called you out for nothing, then.”
“No, it’s fine.”
After drawing in smoke, Team Leader Jo suddenly said,
“You were bothered by what I said earlier, weren’t you?”
“Yes. Because I couldn’t answer.”
“Could you have answered?”
“Yes.”
I stared blankly at him before replying.
“Of course I know Division Head Jo.”
“Do you know him personally?”
“What?”
The question was so absurd that I could barely answer.
“Why? Is it difficult to answer?”
“No. How could I possibly know him personally?”
“...”
“I don’t understand why you’re asking me this.”
He tapped his chin and asked,
“I saw your personnel record. You joined the company in the same cohort as Division Head Jo.”
The same cohort?!
Ah... Now that he mentioned it, I vaguely remembered hearing that there was a royal family member among my incoming class.
But that had just been for appearances before fast-tracking his promotion, so it had nothing to do with me.
And I wasn’t the only one in that cohort. There had been around two hundred of us...
“I don’t know if you can really call us members of the same cohort, but I suppose we were.”
The more I thought about it, the stranger his gaze and questions seemed.
What did he think of me?
It was strange that he kept asking about Division Head Jo, too.
“That’s all? Nothing else?”
“Yes, nothing.”
“...All right.”
Team Leader Jo nodded, crushed out his cigarette, and muttered,
“This guy... He’s not at the bottom of the ladder, at least.”
Maybe it was because I had already been questioning Team Leader Jo’s attitude.
But I could sense his feelings in that brief remark. It felt like he was wary of Division Head Jo.
It was only a feeling, but still, they probably were not on good terms.
* * *
The team dinner ended a little after eleven.
The train schedule was awkward, so I was about to call a taxi when...
“Assistant Manager Go!”
Part Leader Ryu came over.
“Yes, Part Leader.”
“You said you live around Gangdong, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Let’s go together. I live in Gwangjin-gu. I’ll drop you off on the way.”
Gwangjin-gu and Gangdong-gu were close, but it was hard to call it on the way.
“No, I’ll go separately. It’ll take you too long if you drop me off first.”
“Forget it. It’s not like you live on the other end of Seoul. Is taxi fare that cheap?”
“...”
“How much do you think an assistant manager makes? You need to save while you’re young so you don’t struggle later. I’ll drop you off, so come with me.”
I had received over 100 million won in settlement payments this month...
Taxi fare was nothing to me.
Part of me wanted to pay the part leader’s fare too, but that would probably seem strange.
“All right. Thank you.”
Clunk.
I closed the car door and sat in the back seat with Part Leader Ryu.
“Ah, I’m drunk.”
They leaned their head far back and spoke.
“Assistant Manager Go, you hold your liquor well.”
“Haha. Not really.”
“Your stomach isn’t upset, is it?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Should I have made you drink more? Ah, I’m getting drunk, though.”
Part Leader Ryu closed their eyes, and we rode in silence for a while.
It was quite a distance from Gangseo to Gangdong.
There was no traffic because it was late, but it would still take over thirty minutes.
Looking at the night view of the Han River from Olympic-daero, I thought to myself.
Now that work was over, today’s side job was finished. It was time to prepare for my main job.
I would get home around midnight.
I had written about half of tomorrow’s installment this morning and already outlined it, so I could finish it in about an hour.
I felt hazy and sleepy. I had drunk quite a bit.
I could write after getting home, but for the quality of the writing, it would probably be better to do it tomorrow morning with a clear head.
After organizing my writing schedule, I glanced at Part Leader Ryu beside me.
I had thought they were asleep, but they were looking at the night view too.
“Assistant Manager Go, why aren’t you sleeping?”
“I thought you were asleep, so I was staying alert. I thought at least one of us should be awake.”
Part Leader Ryu snickered.
We rode in silence again.
Was it because of the alcohol? It was a little embarrassing, but I brought up something I had really wanted to ask at least once.
“Part Leader, I have something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Why are you so good to me?”
Part Leader Ryu widened their eyes and lifted their head from the seat.
“Why are you curious about that?”
“I haven’t shown you anything yet, but you’ve been so good to me...”
We had not known each other long, and I had done nothing for Part Leader Ryu.
I sincerely wondered why they treated me so well.
“Because you’re on my team. Isn’t that obvious? What other reason could there be?”
“...”
“You’re a strange one.”
Part Leader Ryu closed their eyes and leaned their head back again.
This was obvious?
My chest tightened, and I was about to feel moved, but...
Damn it.
Why did Team Leader Kim suddenly come to mind?
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