Section Chief Jo had seen it coming. He’d been worrying about how much longer Munyeong could hold out anyway.
But the reason Munyeong had requested a section transfer wasn’t any of that. Director Hwang picking fights and hurling insults, Yeon Haejeong latching onto trivial things and making a scene — none of that was the real problem. He’d endured worse power trips than that, and he’d built up enough resilience over the years to handle them.
The problem was the fact that Yeon Haejeong actually remembered him — all of it. That realization had surprised him at first, then embarrassed him a little, and finally left him with a strange feeling. If he were to name that feeling honestly, he’d have to say it felt good. That Haejeong remembered him. That he hadn’t been so invisible, so utterly forgettable, just drifting through life without leaving a trace on anyone.
That feeling — that was the problem. Munyeong had sensed the danger and chosen the next best option. The best option would have been to quit this job entirely. But it was his main source of income, so walking away wasn’t that simple.
“I had a feeling… Alright, I understand, Munyeong. But cover for a few more days in the meantime. Just until I decide on your replacement.”
Section Chief Jo was put in a difficult position, but he accepted the request. He’d made that decision because he figured if he refused, Munyeong would just quit outright.
“Yes, thank you. And I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Sorry for what. I know it’s been hard. Still, thanks for not just firing off a text saying you’re done and walking out on me.”
Section Chief Jo patted Munyeong on the shoulder and offered a few words of comfort.
“And if anything else gets to be too much, just say the word —”
Still giving Munyeong a reassuring pat, Section Chief Jo was the first to leave the management office. Left alone, Munyeong let out a slow breath of relief. It was a relief, at least. That he’d run into Haejeong a little less at work.
Feeling reassured, he headed toward the locker room. Fortunately, there’d been no after-hours call today. Munyeong checked his phone, thinking to himself that he’d need to wrap this other thing up soon too, and quietly began changing out of his work clothes.
**
Yeon Haejeong’s bizarre outbursts continued the next day as well. Out of nowhere in the middle of working, he’d fling objects and fly into a rage; other times he’d mutter curses under his breath and suddenly start yelling for no reason. The desk staff and secretaries watching it all unfold had started whispering among themselves that he must genuinely be sick.
Every time he threw one of his fits, he’d make a point of calling the management team to come clean it up. It was no different from training a dog to obey on command. What was the point of the cleaning staff tidying everything spotlessly from the crack of dawn when he’d just make a mess on purpose and order them to clean it all over again? Secretary Ju, who had never seen such petty, childish abuse of power in all her life, shook her head and muttered that he was genuinely out of his mind.
“Why isn’t anyone here yet?!”
It had barely been five minutes since he’d called for the cleaning staff. Yeon Haejeong barked at the desk employees. After days of enduring Haejeong’s nonstop antics, the desk staff turned to Secretary Ju with faces that said they were at their absolute limit. Their expressions made it clear — he was her direct superior, so she’d better do something about it.
“They’ll be here shortly.”
Secretary Ju turned to Yeon Haejeong with a wide smile and answered pleasantly. Haejeong stared back at her with a look of pure displeasure, as if nothing about her answer satisfied him. Whatever had gotten under his skin, he’d been like this for days.
Still, if there was one moment when things quieted down, it was when the cleaning staff arrived. It was a young man — Secretary Ju had crossed paths with him a few times herself. Because of her perfectionist streak, she always came in earliest of anyone. Since it was still early when she arrived, she’d inevitably run into him each time, still finishing up the last of his cleaning. Her first impression of him had been that he was remarkably calm. And there was something else — a subtle quality about him that made you look twice without meaning to. He was also quite handsome. The kind of face that made you think, why is he wasting himself here, he should try his hand at entertainment.
He was usually well-covered by a mask and cap, of course, but since she’d crossed paths with him so many times, she had caught glimpses of his face without the mask and hat. And above all else, he was genuinely well-mannered. Unlike most people his age, he bowed politely every single time they passed each other and worked with remarkable diligence. Even Secretary Ju, who firmly believed no job was beneath another, found herself thinking, does he really have to work this hard? That was just how conscientious he was.
The only time Yeon Haejeong’s tantrums settled down was when this staff member arrived. Even in the face of Haejeong’s nonsense, he quietly went about cleaning the office again without complaint. Watching that, Secretary Ju thought to herself, this person is practically a saint. What made it even more absurd was that Haejeong kept talking at the cleaning staff the entire time. Muttering with a dissatisfied look, then snapping irritably — it all looked normal enough on the surface, but there was something oddly off about it. He looked almost like someone restlessly hovering at someone else’s side, chattering away just to fill the silence. This was Yeon Haejeong, of all people.
At some point, Secretary Ju had started waiting for that cleaning staff member herself. Drained by days of nonstop chaos, she’d begun to feel as if he was the only source of calm she had left. She checked her wristwatch and hovered near the elevator — and then finally, the elevator doors slid open to reveal a cleaning cart. Secretary Ju’s face immediately brightened. But it didn’t last long.
“Hello!”
The cleaning staff who stepped out was someone she’d never seen before. Caught off guard by the unfamiliar face, Secretary Ju replied with an awkward “Oh… right…” and led him into the office.
“This is actually my first time taking over this floor. The guy who handled it before — everyone on our team calls him the ace. I’ve only been here a short while, and honestly, I think that’s pretty incredible.”
The new employee was younger than the previous one, and far more talkative. He had a somewhat bright, sunny look about him. Secretary Ju gave an awkward laugh — haha, yeah — responded with mechanical nods, and walked over to Yeon Haejeong’s office door and gave it a knock.
“You can… go right in.”
At Secretary Ju’s words, the cleaning staff breezed cheerfully into the office. Then, spotting Yeon Haejeong sitting there in full composed posture, he immediately launched into a booming greeting.
“Good day, sir! I’m Yu Chanyeong, newly assigned to this floor! Pardon the intrusion!”
The greeting was loud enough to carry through the office walls. Yeon Haejeong stared at him with a completely blank expression. Secretary Ju, watching from just outside, thought to herself that Haejeong’s startled reaction looked a lot like her own had been.
“……Who are you?”
Haejeong asked, genuinely baffled, to which the new employee smiled brightly and shot back a question of his own.
“Sorry? Didn’t you call for someone?”
The fact that Haejeong had called and then asked who he was left the employee looking at him with puzzled curiosity. It was a rather bold attitude.
“…I mean, why are you here.”
“You called for someone…”
“Who called for you specifically?”
Haejeong’s eyes were beginning to sharpen dangerously. But the employee didn’t seem to notice at all and went on with sunny cheerfulness.
“Ah — you must be looking for the senior staff member who had this floor before.”
He clapped his hands together as if he’d finally figured it out, then continued with an easy grin.
“He moved to a different section. Said he didn’t want to work here anymore.”
“…What?”
“If hyung — someone who never complains about anything — said that, he must have really not wanted to be here.”
“……What?”
Haejeong still looked completely dazed. The employee’s words seemed to have caught him genuinely off guard, leaving him opening and closing his mouth blankly, unable to get a proper word out.
“Should I go ahead and start cleaning then?”
The employee asked with breezy nonchalance. Haejeong stared blankly into the air, giving no answer. At his employer’s silence, the employee shifted his gaze toward Secretary Ju, standing at the doorway. His look clearly said: can you answer for him. Secretary Ju quietly gave a small nod. At that, the cleaning staff slipped the headphones hanging around his neck over his ears and began pulling the vacuum out from the cart piece by piece.
“……Give him back.”
A low voice reached Secretary Ju’s ears as she watched Haejeong’s mood visibly darken. His face, which had been muttering while staring off somewhere else, was slowly twisting into something dangerous.
“…Pardon?”
Secretary Ju cautiously asked again, thinking he might be giving a different order — and then Yeon Haejeong, who had been sitting on the sofa, slammed his foot into the table with a bang and shot to his feet, shouting.
“Who gave anyone permission to switch him out?!”
The shout rattled the entire office. Secretary Ju, and even the employee who had his headphones on, both went rigid with shock.
And Secretary Ju looked quietly at her superior — eyes blazing, chest heaving — and let out a silent, weary sigh.
Ten years as a secretary. She thought to herself that she had never once encountered anyone this unhinged.
**
“Oh, Munyeong. You’re back?”
Deputy General Manager Kim called out warmly to Munyeong, who he’d spotted tidying up the break room. Munyeong gave an awkward smile and dipped his head in a small bow.
Thanks to Section Chief Jo’s consideration, he’d been able to return to the seventh floor he’d handled before. It was a sprawling office space housing no fewer than eight departments. One of those departments was where Deputy General Manager Kim belonged — someone Munyeong had exchanged a few words with in the past.
“Yes.”
