WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Potter
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Regressed Assistant Manager Kim Can Read Minds ◈
Chapter 25
──────
I followed Jeong Eunho into the elevator.
The chairman’s secretarial staff greeted us.
“He’s waiting for you.”
We passed them and stopped outside the chairman’s office.
Knock, knock.
Jeong Eunho knocked, and a voice inside told us to enter.
With the blinds down, the chairman’s office was dark even in the middle of the day.
Han Myeongcheol sat behind his desk, looking through the Thailand business trip report I had submitted.
Once Jeong Eunho closed the door and stepped aside, Han Myeongcheol put down the report and looked at me.
His eyes were sharp, like a tiger watching its prey.
“After giving you such an important job, I realized I don’t know you very well.”
Han Myeongcheol tapped the Thailand report with his fingertips.
“You seem to have a special relationship with Anantakul Group.”
“I helped Director Lalita in Cambodia. That’s how we got to know each other.”
“Got to know each other?”
[He has Ara, and he’s getting to know another woman?]
Han Myeongcheol’s eyebrow twitched.
“Then do you keep in touch outside work, too?”
“We don’t contact each other about anything outside work.”
[So he keeps work and his private life separate.]
Without much reaction, Han Myeongcheol moved on to the next question.
“You’ve been gaining more clients. How would you handle a dispute?”
“I’d first find out what caused the problem.”
“What if it wasn’t your fault, but the other party kept insisting it was?”
[Ara clams up when she’s angry. Could a guy with nothing but a pretty face handle that?]
“I wouldn’t start by arguing over who was right. If they didn’t say anything, I’d ask first.”
“A salesperson sometimes needs to give in, even when they’re right.”
“If it wasn’t something I had to win, I’d give in first.”
[At least he’s not all stubborn pride. He listens to reason.]
“Do you drink?”
“I do, but I don’t particularly enjoy it.”
“What would you do if a client told you not to drink?”
“...”
Jeong Eunho glanced at Han Myeongcheol.
It was a strange question to ask about a client, but Han Myeongcheol calmly waited for my answer.
“I probably couldn’t stop drinking entirely, but even when I did drink, I’d stay within my limits.”
Han Myeongcheol leaned back in his chair and studied me.
“All right. One last question.”
“Yes.”
“Do you... like coffee?”
The question sounded like a joke, but Han Myeongcheol’s eyes were serious.
I answered without looking away.
“I do. More than anything.”
“Everyone feels that way at first. Keep drinking it, and you might get tired of it. Sometimes you might want something sweet instead.”
“You soon get used to sweetness, but the aroma stays with you. The more you drink, the more flavors you discover that you didn’t notice at first. That’s what I like about coffee.”
Silence fell for a moment.
Han Myeongcheol watched me as if considering my answer, then slowly nodded.
Only Jeong Eunho still looked puzzled as he watched us.
“The aroma...”
[So he didn’t fall for Ara just because of her looks.]
“That’s enough. You can go.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
I was about to leave when Han Myeongcheol called me back.
“Manager Kim.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll be watching you.”
“Understood.”
[Still, credit where credit’s due.]
“And... good work in Thailand.”
“Thank you, Chairman.”
After the door closed, Han Myeongcheol turned to Jeong Eunho, who had stayed behind.
“Eunho.”
“Yes, Chairman?”
“That pretty boy... No. What do you think of Manager Kim Seongjun?”
“His results are good, and the staff think well of him.”
“Not that.”
Han Myeongcheol hesitated before asking.
“As a match for Ara?”
When Jeong Eunho didn’t answer right away, Han Myeongcheol pressed him.
“You’re her uncle, too. Doesn’t just looking at him make you angry?”
“Me?”
Jeong Eunho tilted his head.
“Wouldn’t you say someone like Manager Kim is a decent choice?”
“...Traitor.”
Despite his words, Han Myeongcheol’s tense expression softened a little.
* * *
When we came back from lunch, Park Soyeon called us over while looking at her monitor.
“Oh? The workshop notice is up.”
A new company notice was on the screen.
[Second-Half All-Staff Workshop Announcement]
Choi Yeongjin pulled a chair over beside Park Soyeon.
“Finally? They’ve been saying we’re going since summer.”
“It got pushed back once when the coffee project started. They’ve set a date now, so I suppose we’re really going this time.”
“The last workshop was at the beach, right?”
“Then it’ll be the mountains this time.”
“How do you know, Department Manager Oh?”
“They always alternate between the beach and the mountains. Late September? We’ll probably go somewhere like Gyeongju.”
Park Soyeon scrolled farther down the notice, then widened her eyes.
“Oh? It really is Gyeongju.”
“See?”
“Surely they won’t make us climb mountains all day?”
“Oh, come on. Surely not.”
Oh Sangcheol chuckled.
“You two have no idea. Back in my day, we’d drink with the division head all night, then start climbing a mountain at dawn. Manager Han, what was that mountain called?”
“If it was in Gyeongju, do you mean Tohamsan?”
“That’s right. We all threw up that time, so we called it Throw-up Mountain instead of Tohamsan.”
Han Gyeongsu shook his head, apparently remembering it too.
Taeseong Trading’s workshops were famous for being exhausting.
This time, though, everyone seemed more excited than worried.
“A colleague in Personnel who joined the same year as me said we could look forward to a pretty good performance bonus.”
“You never know until the money’s in your account.”
Kang Minho and Im Jaeho, who had never received a proper performance bonus, looked excited.
Just then, the sound of a desk being dragged came from the hallway.
General Affairs Team staff were moving desks and partitions into the empty office across from us.
“Looks like they’re going to use that as an office, too. I guess the rumors about hiring entry-level and experienced staff next quarter were true.”
“There’s more work, so we need more people. Minho and Jaeho, you’ll have junior colleagues of your own now.”
Kang Minho smiled in disbelief.
“Me, a senior colleague?”
Oh Sangcheol checked the leave schedule on the wall.
“Use your leave before the new people arrive. Manager Kim, you said you were taking yours on moving day, right?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve bought a home and made manager. Now all you need is a good marriage.”
Oh Sangcheol pulled his chair closer and lowered his voice.
“Manager Kim, want to go on a blind date? I know someone nice.”
“I’m seeing someone.”
“Already? Who? Someone from work?”
“Not someone from work.”
Across from me, Kang Minho’s hands stopped moving.
Kang Minho was the only one who knew Han Ara was the chairman’s daughter.
“The wrong woman can ruin a man in no time. There’s an old saying about watching out for three tips. The tip of your tongue, the tips of your fingers, and...”
When Han Gyeongsu shot him a sharp look, Oh Sangcheol cleared his throat and swallowed the rest.
“Ahem. Anyway, you need to choose the right woman. Have you met your girlfriend’s father?”
“Yes, I have.”
“What did he say?”
I remembered the strange questions I had been asked in the chairman’s office earlier.
“He said I was good at my job.”
Oh Sangcheol laughed in disbelief.
“You talked about work there, too? Honestly, Manager Kim. When you first meet him, you should ask about his hobbies, what he likes to drink, things like that. Save the work talk for the office.”
“I’ll try that next time.”
“Well, if he’s a good judge of character, he’ll like you. Where would he find a better son-in-law these days?”
Across from me, Kang Minho quietly turned back to the monitor.
[Could he say that in front of the chairman, too...?]
“Still, you never know how things will turn out. Let me know if it doesn’t work out.”
Kang Minho choked on the water he was drinking.
Cough! Cough!
“What’s gotten into you?”
I held back a laugh and handed him a tissue.
* * *
Moving day.
After transferring the remaining payment at the real estate agency, I opened the purchase agreement again.
[Purchase Price: 280 million won.]
After subtracting the 28 million won deposit and the 10 million won interim payment I had made in advance, the remaining balance was 242 million won.
The 150 million won mortgage and the 92 million won in my bank account went out all at once.
The agent handed me the keys received from the seller.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
The keys felt heavier in my palm than I had expected.
Only when I held them did it finally feel real that I had a home of my own.
I left the real estate agency and headed to Saebit Apartments.
It was a 32-pyeong apartment in a building about ten years old.
The exterior walls and the grounds were still neat.
When I opened the front door, my mother and Suyeon went in first.
“Oh my, the living room’s big.”
“Seongjun, I can use this room.”
Suyeon threw open the door to the small bedroom first.
“Why would you be living here?”
“I’m going to come over on weekends sometimes.”
“Sleep on the sofa.”
Suyeon pouted, but she was already looking out the window.
My father silently opened and closed the living room window a couple of times, then went straight to the boiler room.
“Have you tried running the boiler?”
“The real estate agent said they checked it.”
“How can you just take someone else’s word for it? You’re the one who’ll suffer if it breaks down in winter.”
My father immediately tried the boiler controls himself.
After a look around the kitchen, my mother began putting the containers of side dishes she had brought into the refrigerator.
“I’ve put some side dishes in the fridge. Don’t skip breakfast.”
“I’ll eat before I go to work.”
“Don’t just say that. You can’t live on instant noodles just because you’re on your own.”
Not all the furniture had arrived yet, but the refrigerator was already full.
My mother put in the last container and asked as she closed the door.
“I saw an apartment the same size listed for 320 million won at the agency outside the complex. You said you bought this one for 280 million, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s gone up by 40 million won already?”
“It went up after the Dongseo Line announcement. There’ll be a station right outside the main gate.”
Suyeon stared at me with wide eyes.
“You made 40 million won just sitting around?”
“It’s not profit until I sell.”
“Still, you made a good buy.”
By the time we had roughly sorted through my things, it was nearly evening.
My family got ready to leave.
“Call when you come over on the weekend.”
“Keep my room free.”
“Just go.”
Once the door closed, the house that had been so noisy only moments earlier quickly fell quiet.
I crossed the living room and stood by the window.
Old shops and low houses stretched out below, with empty plots scattered between them.
There wasn’t even a subway station yet, let alone a shopping area around it.
But once the Dongseo Line opened, the view would change.
Shops and officetel buildings would fill those empty plots, and twenty years later, an apartment this size in this complex would cost well over a billion won.
The 40 million won rise so far was only the beginning.
I turned from the window and looked at the empty living room.
I took a photo and sent it to Han Ara.
[Finished moving? The living room’s bigger than I expected.]
[I’ve just finished.]
[Then when are you having a housewarming?]
I looked around the living room, which didn’t even have a sofa yet, and replied.
[Whenever you’re free, Ara?]
* * *
That evening, at Chairman Han Myeongcheol’s house.
Han Ara sat on the living room sofa, looking at the photo Seongjun had sent of his new home.
On the wall behind the sofa hung a large family photo of Han Myeongcheol, his wife, their two sons, and Han Ara, all standing shoulder to shoulder and smiling brightly.
[Whenever you’re free, Ara?]
Reading the message, she couldn’t help smiling.
Han Myeongcheol glanced at his daughter from across the room, where he was reading the newspaper.
“...Is that him?”
“Yes. He moved today.”
“Why are you calling your daughter’s boyfriend ‘that guy’?”
“What should I call him, then? My son-in-law?”
At the word “son-in-law,” Han Ara broke into a smile.
Han Myeongcheol’s eyes narrowed over the newspaper.
Seo Migyeong cut an apple into bite-sized pieces and arranged them on a plate as she asked,
“Is Manager Kim the customer who asked for ssanghwa tea at your café before?”
“Yes.”
Han Myeongcheol lowered the newspaper.
“Wait. Didn’t you put that on the menu for me?”
“Just because you like ssanghwa tea, does that make it your menu item?”
“Then you’ve known him since back then?”
“Yes. That’s when we first met.”
Han Myeongcheol lowered his voice.
“Did Manager Kim only find out you were my daughter at the airport?”
“Yes. I was going to tell him when he got back. Do you know how shocked he was because of you, Dad?”
“That was my fault, too?”
“There were reporters everywhere at the airport.”
“Then why did you go all the way to the airport?”
“Because he said he missed me.”
Han Myeongcheol opened his mouth, then closed it again.
“...They say there’s no point raising a daughter.”
Seo Migyeong quietly studied her daughter’s face as she held her phone.
Her daughter, who had claimed she wasn’t interested in men, had rushed all the way to the airport. Now a single text made her smile like that.
She was glad her daughter had fallen for someone for the first time.
From everything she had heard so far, he sounded like a decent person.
Han Ara picked up a piece of apple.
“He made good use of the material I gave him for the coffee project, and I heard he’s doing well at your company.”
“Being good at his job and dating you are two different things.”
“So I’m not allowed to date him?”
“Who said you weren’t? I’m saying I’ll keep an eye on him a little longer.”
Han Ara finally burst out laughing.
When Han Myeongcheol gave his laughing daughter a displeased look, Seo Migyeong stepped in.
“Ara, stop teasing your father. And you, stop making that face.”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
“You were so nervous the first time you met my father that you couldn’t eat a single spoonful.”
“Why bring that up now?”
“I’m saying you shouldn’t be too hard on Manager Kim.”
Han Ara asked with interest,
“You were nervous in front of Grandpa, too, Dad?”
“That’s enough.”
“You really couldn’t eat?”
“Tsk.”
Han Myeongcheol opened his newspaper again and hid his face.
Seo Migyeong pushed the fruit plate toward her daughter.
‘Manager Kim, is it? I should meet him myself.’
* * *
The morning after my move, before I could even sit down, Choi Yeongjin placed a faxed purchase order request on Oh Sangcheol’s desk.
[Temperature Sensor Modules: 5,000 units.]
[Supply Value: 250 million won.]
Oh Sangcheol picked up the request and checked the amount first.
“250 million? Assistant Manager Choi, you’ve landed a big one.”
“Haha. All those years looking after this client have paid off.”
Manager Han Gyeongsu got up and took the request.
As he checked the quantity and delivery date, his eyes stopped at the list of attached documents.
“Where’s the purchase order from Seonghwa Boiler?”
“I haven’t seen it yet. The president of Daemyeong Electronics says everything’s been agreed on.”
“Verbally?”
“The president said it was practically confirmed.”
Choi Yeongjin continued as though there was nothing to worry about.
“They can get the funds together, too. The president said that if they’re short, they’ll even put up their house as collateral to cover it.”
“They’re offering their house as collateral without a confirmed purchase order?”
“Yes. That’s how certain they are.”
Han Gyeongsu looked down at the request again.
“Even so, I think we should check before proceeding.”
“Manager Han, I’ve dealt with Daemyeong Electronics for years. The president isn’t someone who would make things up.”
Han Gyeongsu turned to me.
“Manager Kim, do you have anything scheduled tomorrow?”
“No.”
“Then go to Daemyeong Electronics with Assistant Manager Choi. It’s a large amount, so it would be better for both of you to take a look.”
[Manager Kim won’t just let things slide.]
Choi Yeongjin immediately cut in.
“Manager Han, is there really any need for Manager Kim to come along?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Assistant Manager Choi. It’s a big deal, so go together and check.”
[So he doesn’t trust me on my own. And of all people, he’s sending Manager Kim?]
Manager Han Gyeongsu handed me the purchase order request.
I looked through the attachments, but there was no official purchase order from Seonghwa Boiler.
Daemyeong Electronics, which normally bought fewer than a hundred units, had suddenly ordered five thousand.
And they were even putting up a house as collateral, based only on a client’s word.
There were too many troubling details to let it pass.
I closed the request.
“Understood. I’ll go along.”
Footnotes:
A pyeong is approximately 3.3 square meters. Seongjun’s 32-pyeong apartment is about 106 square meters.
An officetel is a Korean building with units that can serve as homes or offices.
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