WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Potter
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Regressed Assistant Manager Kim Can Read Minds ◈
Chapter 24
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[...in that pretty boy’s arms!?]
Chairman Han Myeongcheol’s thoughts rang out like a shout.
As I stood frozen, Han Ara lifted her head.
“Seongjun?”
She followed my gaze and turned around, then jumped in surprise.
“...Dad?”
At the word “Dad,” Kang Minho turned around too.
Recognizing Chairman Han Myeongcheol, Minho’s jaw dropped before he hurriedly clapped a hand over his mouth.
[...W-wait. Manager Kim’s girlfriend is the chairman’s daughter!?]
His eyes widened as if he’d just watched the ending of some wildly over-the-top drama.
Only Jeong Eunho remained calm, picking up the fallen phone.
Han Myeongcheol’s gaze lingered longer on the arms I had wrapped around Ara than on my face.
[...I ought to snap those wrists...!]
Only then did Han Ara pull away from me.
She stood beside me, watching her father’s reaction.
Just as Han Myeongcheol was about to speak, Jeong Eunho said quietly,
“Chairman. The reporters are watching.”
The words had barely left Jeong’s mouth when camera shutters began clicking behind us.
I turned to see reporters approaching with cameras and microphones.
The reporter at the front studied my face and asked,
“Are you Manager Kim Seongjun from Taeseong Trading?”
“Yes, I am, but...”
“We heard you rescued a child trapped in the flooding in Thailand.”
When I looked puzzled, the reporter showed me an article on a phone.
[Korean Salesman Who Remained in Thailand Despite Coup Rescues Child from Floodwaters]
[Korean-Made Water Pumps Buy Time for Ban Chainam Residents to Evacuate...]
The article covered more than the rescue. It also named Taeseong Trading and described our expanding business with Anantakul in detail.
Lalita must have arranged it.
She was helping me while also putting the spotlight on a Korean company that was expanding its business despite the coup.
I’d become a hero during the flight home.
People around us read the article and gave me warm looks.
‘Is that why the chairman came all the way here?’
What incredible timing.
The reporters began asking about the rescue and the situation in Thailand.
I brought Kang Minho, who had quietly stepped back, up beside me.
“I only did what needed to be done. Mr. Kang here handled the pump installation.”
Still looking dazed, Minho bowed to the reporters.
I added a brief account of the rescue.
While the interview continued, Han Myeongcheol approached.
The smile on his face was obviously forced.
“Well done. You’ve both worked hard. Our... Manager Kim...! And Mr. Kang!”
He patted my shoulder with considerable force.
I bowed without letting my expression change.
“You’ve done something important.”
“Thank you, Chairman.”
Even as he praised me, Han Myeongcheol kept glancing at Han Ara.
Whenever their eyes met, she quietly looked away.
[Why did he have to catch us hugging? Look at his face. There’ll be an uproar when I get home.]
After watching her for a moment, Han Myeongcheol turned to me.
“I have a great deal to say... but you must be tired. Go straight home and rest.”
I thanked him and headed toward the parking lot where I’d left my car.
Minho quickly took hold of the cart too.
Han Ara glanced at her father, then followed me.
[They’re leaving together?]
I hadn’t expected Han Ara’s secret to come out like this either.
If I put his title aside, I’d been caught hugging my girlfriend by her father.
Only now did the back of my neck stiffen.
But sending Han Ara off alone at this point would have been strange too.
I glanced back. Han Myeongcheol still couldn’t take his eyes off us.
* * *
After parting with Minho in the parking lot, Han Ara and I got into my car.
The late-September air was cool, and the streets were full of cars rather than motorcycles.
It finally felt real that I was back in Korea.
When I let out a small sigh, Han Ara flinched and watched me nervously.
Her fingers kept fidgeting.
[He’s definitely angry. Well, I did hide it from him. He has every right to be upset. What do I do? What do I doooo?]
Hearing her thoughts, I considered what to say.
If I told her I’d already known, she would ask how I’d found out. Simply saying it was fine probably wouldn’t reassure her either.
At times like this, it was better to keep things casual.
“You don’t look like your father, Ara.”
“...Sorry?”
“I’m the spitting image of mine.”
“Is your father handsome too?”
“Enough that my mother, who’s older than him, fell for him and chased after him.”
Han Ara laughed, but she still kept checking my expression.
“The truth is... I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. If I were you, I wouldn’t have found it easy to say either.”
After all, I’d spat out my ssanghwa tea when Lee Juhye first told me.
“After living through a coup, finding out you’re the chairman’s daughter doesn’t seem all that shocking.”
Only then did Han Ara give a small laugh.
“Still, will you be all right? Your father... I mean, the chairman looked pretty shocked.”
“Dad gets shocked by anything involving me. But he can’t win against Mom, so he’ll sulk a few times and get over it.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
I could picture what Han Myeongcheol, always so stern and fierce at work, must be like at home.
Han Ara shook her head and sighed.
“Hmph. How long is he going to keep interfering and stopping his daughter from dating? I told him once when I was little that I’d marry him, and he’s still bringing it up.”
“He must really adore you.”
“He does. He let my older brothers do whatever they wanted growing up, but not me. That’s why I’ve reached this age without ever dating anyone... Oh. Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“Of course. What did you just say?”
My innocent act made Han Ara burst into laughter.
I hadn’t even been back in Korea for an hour, and I was already enjoying myself.
“Since we’re out, do you want to get something nice to eat?”
Han Ara thought for a moment, then shook her head.
“Go home early today. Your parents must be so worried.”
[It’s a shame we can’t have a date, but we can do that another time.]
She wasn’t just saying it.
I was glad to have someone like her beside me.
The old me wouldn’t have understood how she felt. I would only have been disappointed that we couldn’t spend more time together.
“All right. I’ll take you home, then.”
“Okay.”
She gave me a soft smile.
[That’s number one on my bucket list done.]
“There’s actually something I’ve always wanted to do once I had a boyfriend.”
“Like having him take you home?”
“Yes. That was number one.”
“Then let’s work through them together. What’s number two?”
“I can’t tell you that yet.”
[How am I supposed to tell him it’s kissing before we say goodbye outside my house?]
The moment I heard that thought, my gaze went to her lips without my realizing it.
Our eyes met, and I cleared my throat before looking ahead again.
“I’ll tell you soon. You’ll do it with me then, right?”
“But I don’t even know what it is.”
“You don’t want to?”
“...Of course I do.”
The closer we got to Han Ara’s house, the more I kept thinking about number two.
I stopped outside, but she only rested her hand on her seat belt without unfastening it.
“We’re here.”
“We are.”
The car fell quiet for a moment.
[Not... today, I guess?]
At last, Han Ara undid her seat belt.
“I’ll go inside, then.”
“Okay. Take care.”
Just before going through the front door, she looked back and waved.
I raised my hand in return, pretending I knew nothing.
I couldn’t promise I’d manage that next time too.
* * *
My parents greeted me with worried faces when I got home.
They’d seen the news and knew I’d rescued a child.
“Oh, dear. Why have you lost so much weight?”
“Have I? I can’t really tell.”
“You must be hungry. Come and eat.”
“Home cooking was what I missed most.”
I took the heaping bowl of rice my mother handed me and began telling them about my time in Thailand.
When I reached the part about rescuing Mai, her face darkened again.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Once things settle down, why don’t we all take a trip abroad?”
Suyeon’s eyes lit up.
“Really? Abroad? Where?”
“How about Japan? It’s close.”
“Hmm. Didn’t they have an earthquake recently?”
“Then China...?”
“The food in China doesn’t agree with me...”
It looked as though arranging a family trip would take quite some time.
“Oh, right. I saw a young woman standing beside you at the airport on the news. Who was she?”
“...”
[She looked like a nice girl. Could she be his girlfriend?]
My mother and Suyeon watched me expectantly.
My father pretended otherwise, but he was just as curious.
“She’s someone I like. We’ve only just started seeing each other.”
My mother couldn’t hide her smile at my answer.
“Good. You should date too.”
* * *
On our first day back at work, Oh Sangcheol came all the way out into the hallway to welcome us.
He clapped loudly enough for the other teams to hear.
“The heroes of Team 2! No, the heroes of Taeseong Trading!”
He looked between my tanned face and Minho’s, then patted our shoulders and told us we’d worked hard.
The praise was excessive, but considering the results I’d brought back, I could accept it for today.
As we entered the office, our teammates gathered around us.
“Manager Kim, you’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
“No. I felt a bit achy and feverish for a while, but it passed.”
“You have no idea how shocked we were when we saw the news. A coup!”
“The coup itself wasn’t as dangerous as it looked on the news. The streets were back to normal the next day.”
Kang Minho talked about the armored vehicles, tanks, and soldiers he’d seen in Thailand.
He’d barely spoken in front of others at the start of the trip, but now he told the story quite well.
Even the talkative Oh Sangcheol nodded along without interrupting.
“You wouldn’t know, but back in my day, there were plenty of tanks on the streets. Have I told you? When I was in college...”
“About how you suffered from tear gas during a protest? Yes, we’ve heard that plenty of times.”
Park Soyeon quickly cut him off, and laughter broke out among the team.
Oh Sangcheol smacked his lips, looking at a loss for words.
When the laughter died down, Park Soyeon asked another question.
“And you managed to finish all the contracts in the middle of that?”
“Of course! Didn’t I say this would work out? You did well too, Mr. Kang. It feels like only yesterday you couldn’t even fix a copier properly. It’s all because you learned under me. You know that, right?”
“Yes. I’m learning a lot.”
I swallowed a laugh.
I could put up with Oh Sangcheol taking a little credit.
The company already knew whose achievement this was.
As we talked, people from Teams 1 and 3 peered in from the hallway.
Then Oh Sangcheol caught the eye of an employee from Team 3.
“Don’t just stand there. Come in and hear what our people went through!”
At Oh Sangcheol’s shout, the employee waved off the invitation and left.
Deputy General Manager Jang Taeho or Manager Shin Jaeuk must have sent them to find out what we were saying.
‘I wonder what their faces will look like when they hear we sold three hundred pumps.’
They certainly wouldn’t look pleased for us.
I sat down and called Choi Dongsik, the representative of Segwang Pump.
I hadn’t yet delivered the news directly since receiving Lalita’s order for three hundred units.
As soon as Choi answered, he said he’d seen me on the news and that rescuing the child had been an incredible thing to do.
“Segwang Pump’s water pumps were a huge help.”
- Our pumps?
The pumps had drained water from the village and bought us the time we needed to rescue Mai.
Choi sounded relieved when I explained.
- Thank goodness. Giving you those pumps was worthwhile, then.
I told Choi about the deal.
“We’ve received an order for all three hundred units in your warehouse.”
- ...Sorry? What do you mean?
Choi couldn’t continue.
“Yes. All three hundred. I’ll send you the purchase order so you can check.”
There was no reply. Just as I was about to call Choi’s name again, he spoke urgently.
- One moment! Manager Kim.
A little later, I heard Choi shouting from farther away from the phone.
- The stock for Thailand is going out! All of it!
- Really!?
Hearing Choi cheer along with the employees filled me with quiet pride.
To Choi Dongsik, the numbers on the contract meant an empty warehouse and the chance to make the next batch of products.
Choi came back to the phone, voice full of excitement.
- Make sure you bring Mr. Kang next time you visit. I’ll treat you both to a proper meal! Oh, and...
“Yes. Go ahead.”
- Manager Kim, thank you so much. When I had my fortune read by a shaman at the start of the year, I was told I’d meet someone who would bring me good fortune. It must have been you. I look forward to working with you!
Oh Sangcheol was just as excited.
The natural rubber contract alone was a major achievement, and we’d brought in an additional order on top of it.
The Thai news article went up on the company bulletin board alongside photos taken at the airport.
My name and Kang Minho’s were printed side by side beneath a photo of Chairman Han Myeongcheol patting my shoulder.
“You’ll receive a separate bonus. You’ve been given some leave too, so pick your dates.”
“Then I’ll use mine on moving day.”
“Oh, you’re moving into that place? Good. That’s a good choice. Out with the old house, in with the new.”
I marked my moving date on the calendar.
In my previous life, even my remaining annual leave had been wiped out. This time, I could use time I’d earned through good work for my own home.
As it happened, a sales division performance meeting was scheduled for that day.
Manager Han Gyeongsu usually went along, but was away on a business trip.
“Let’s go, Manager Kim.”
“Yes, sir.”
Normally, Oh Sangcheol would have started by groaning about not wanting to go, but today was different.
His steps were even more confident than mine.
* * *
When we opened the door to the large conference room, the Head of Sales wasn’t the only person inside.
Chairman Han Myeongcheol, President Cha Myeongguk, and Vice President Baek Seungwon sat at the head of the table. Beside Han Myeongcheol, Director Jeong Eunho was organizing documents.
Perhaps because I’d faced all three during my promotion interview, I wasn’t particularly nervous.
But one thing had changed.
[That pretty boy... How dare he go near my precious daughter...]
Chairman Han Myeongcheol stared at me with blazing eyes.
When I gave him a small bow, he sharply turned his head away.
It was a rather childish reaction.
By contrast, Team 1’s Deputy General Manager Seo Jeonguk gave me a small smile when our eyes met.
Seo seemed pleased that I was building up results on my own, just as we’d discussed.
Head of Sales No Seungpil looked around the room.
“Let’s begin. Shall we start with Team 1?”
Deputy General Manager Seo Jeonguk began by reporting increased orders and new clients compared with the previous month.
The coffee business was growing so quickly that they needed more warehouse space to store the beans.
“Keep pushing ahead like this. Expand the storage space, and pay attention to the company managing it too.”
“Yes.”
Everyone nodded.
When Team 2’s turn came, Chairman Han Myeongcheol cut in.
“Team 2 will go last. Team 3 first.”
He clearly planned to leave me until the end and tear into me.
But Cha Myeongguk and Baek Seungwon seemed to see it differently.
[First he goes all the way to the airport to meet him. Now he’s openly showing his interest in Manager Kim Seongjun.]
[He said he received reports directly from Thailand too, didn’t he? Does this mean he’s overseeing Team 2 himself?]
Jang Taeho cleared his throat and opened the report.
Unlike Team 1, there were no new achievements to present.
Cha Myeongguk looked through the report and asked,
“Your results have fallen considerably from last month.”
“We transferred work to Team 2 and have also been supporting Team 1’s coffee project, so...”
“Enough excuses. You haven’t won any new business, have you?”
When Jang Taeho couldn’t answer, Shin Jaeuk’s expression darkened too.
[Damn it. They take the Thailand business away and still expect results. What do Team 1 and Team 2’s strong performance have to do with me anyway?]
Team 2 was next.
Oh Sangcheol cleared his throat and confidently reported the team’s results, including EVA resin sales.
He left the Thailand results, including the natural rubber and water pump deals, to me, since I’d handled the negotiations there.
[If I step in and they ask something I don’t know, it’ll be a headache. Better to hand over the things I don’t understand.]
Cha Myeongguk looked surprised that Oh Sangcheol had put me forward when this was a chance to show off his own results.
Baek Seungwon also seemed to remember what I’d said at my promotion interview.
[So Manager Kim didn’t choose to stay under Oh Sangcheol for nothing.]
I opened the report and began by explaining that our natural rubber supply volume had doubled.
Han Myeongcheol and Jeong Eunho’s expressions remained unchanged. They must have already received that part of the report.
The atmosphere changed when I revealed the two priority rights and the potential value of up to thirty billion won over two years.
Cha Myeongguk picked up the contract copy again.
Baek Seungwon also carefully checked the section listing the terms.
Finally, I reported the water pump order.
“The additional order is for three hundred units.”
The corners of Oh Sangcheol’s mouth rose.
Shin Jaeuk clenched his teeth.
[You stole that business from us.]
When I finished, Jang Taeho cut in.
“Segwang Pump is a client we’ve been managing for some time. These results were only possible because of the groundwork we laid.”
Oh Sangcheol whipped around.
“What kind of bull...headed argument is that? You couldn’t sell a single unit in six months.”
Oh Sangcheol met No Seungpil’s eyes and shut his mouth.
Jang Taeho continued without backing down.
“I’m saying we put a lot of work into it too.”
I saw no need to step in.
When it came to sales credit, there was no attack dog more dependable than Oh Sangcheol.
“Really? Shall we go through it point by point, then?”
“To begin with, you took our client...!”
Their voices grew louder.
Seo Jeonguk and No Seungpil watched the executives at the head of the table.
[What is that idiot Jang Taeho doing? Even if he can’t get half the credit, he should at least get his name attached to it.]
Cha Myeongguk watched Jang Taeho with a displeased look.
Meanwhile, Baek Seungwon stayed out of it and observed.
[Tsk. Does President Cha still think getting someone under him is all it takes? To win over someone like Kim Seongjun, you need to protect his achievements first, then give him a bigger stage.]
“Even so, does it make sense for Team 2 to take all the credit?”
“Who treated Team 2 like crap when we needed sales credit before?”
“Like crap? Department Manager Oh, that’s going too far!”
“The ones going too far are Team 3, throwing a tantrum.”
Jang Taeho’s face reddened at Oh Sangcheol’s sneer.
Just as he was about to argue again, Jeong Eunho stepped in.
“The Thailand results will be recorded as Manager Kim and Mr. Kang’s achievements. The chairman has made the final decision.”
“...Director Jeong.”
Jeong Eunho closed Team 3’s performance report.
“It’s already been settled that Team 2 will handle new business in Thailand. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Oh Sangcheol gave a short snort.
[You spent all that time looking down on Team 2. Now that the tables have turned, you can’t stand it, can you? Serves you right.]
The meeting ended, and people rose from their seats.
Jang Taeho and Shin Jaeuk made no effort to hide their displeasure as they passed us.
As Jang Taeho brushed past me, I heard his thoughts.
[Just you wait. I’m not letting this end here.]
If he didn’t intend to let it end, I had no reason to stop him.
I already had the evidence showing what the two of them had done in Thailand.
Once we left the conference room, Oh Sangcheol watched them walk away and grumbled.
“Honestly. If someone does a good job, just tell them they did a good job. They always have to add something. They’re full of greed. At the very least, they shouldn’t try to carve themselves a slice of someone else’s cake. Right?”
“Exactly.”
No one was stricter about other people taking a share of someone else’s credit.
I didn’t say that out loud.
As I was about to return to the office, Jeong Eunho called me.
“Manager Kim Seongjun.”
“Yes, Director Jeong.”
“Come up to the chairman’s office with me for a moment.”
The moment I’d known was coming had finally arrived.
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