“Assistant Manager Kim’s and Assistant Manager Lee’s work isn’t urgent enough to finish by today as far as I know. And today I…”
“No, no. By today.”
The Team Leader, who stopped walking, cut off Joo Seonghan’s words and only lifted his lips. His eyes that turned away were cold. Joo Seonghan closed his mouth that had been half open.
“Finish it by today.”
“……”
“Everyone ready? Let’s go quickly!”
The Team Leader left first and Deputy Park and Assistant Manager Lee followed behind him. Assistant Manager Kim, who had been holding the door, stepped out last. He waved his hand at Joo Seonghan, whose eyes met his, whispering “Sorry.” Joo Seonghan stood alone in an awkward spot in the office and watched Assistant Manager Kim’s retreating figure. He rubbed his lips with the back of his hand and made a call as he went back into the break room. He finished pouring the hot water he had been filling into the mug. And he told his mother, who answered the phone, that he was sorry.
“I think I can go after work. I have a lot of work today…”
「Seonghan-ah, I’m really okay. I contacted my friends because I was bored and they said they’re free so they’re coming to see me. I’ll rest on my own after getting the cast, so don’t worry.」
A cast, how badly was she hurt? Joo Seonghan bowed his head deeply and said, “I’ll come after I finish.”
He didn’t feel good. Although he couldn’t be affectionate toward his parents because of his unsociable personality, he was raised with plenty of love as an only child. Joo Seonghan knew this gratitude and always tried to be good to them. However, the only thing Joo Seonghan, who was bound to the company, could do right now was to finish his work quickly.
Joo Seonghan, who returned to his seat, immersed himself in work to leave punctually. He pounded the keyboard without lifting his bottom once, and whenever his concentration broke, he urged himself on by biting his lips hard. As a result, about 10 minutes before leaving work, he was able to roughly finish the work.
Joo Seonghan uploaded the final file and turned off the company messenger. He tidied up his seat while thinking of shamelessly saying he’d leave first. Just then, those who had gone to the meeting came barging in noisily.
“Assistant Manager Kim’s timing for striking and dodging was killer.”
“Right. Well done, Assistant Manager Kim.”
“No. I just happened to know that part well so I just gave additional explanation, that’s all.”
“Why are you being embarrassed again!”
The faces of those laughing loudly all looked good. Among them, the Team Leader with the brightest expression looked around the office and grinned.
“Let’s have a company dinner today. Our team got a bonus today!”
“Wow, really? Did you land the contract?”
“Got them to sign right there on the spot. Let’s go out right now! Nobody skip!”
The employees, who preferred company dinners to overtime, busily prepared to leave work. Joo Seonghan, who had been observing the situation, crossed the chaotic office and approached the Team Leader.
“Team Leader-nim, I don’t think I can attend.”
The Team Leader, who had been smiling and putting materials in the cabinet, turned to look at Joo Seonghan. He blinked several times then nodded as if he understood. And he quickly patted Joo Seonghan’s arm repeatedly.
“Okay, okay. Next time I’ll give Assistant Manager Joo an opportunity too. And the remaining work, yeah, it’s okay if you don’t finish it all, so pack your bag. Okay? Eat expensive meat and good alcohol and cheer up. Okay?”
“It’s not like that. Actually, my moth…”
“I’m really sorry, Seonghan. I’ll come in early tomorrow morning and handle the work you didn’t finish today. And next time if there’s something good, I’ll definitely recommend you. So cheer up and let’s go together.”
Assistant Manager Kim, who approached while cutting off Joo Seonghan’s words, grabbed and kneaded Joo Seonghan’s shoulder. He was at a loss for words. Not knowing where to start explaining, he just opened and closed his mouth. It had been over 3 years since he joined the company. During that time, such incidents were frequent. In the exhausting situation that continued for years, he was thinking whether he should give up his peaceful life and just quit like crazy, when the phone he was clutching in his hand vibrated. It was a text from his father.
[Dad came to Korea. I’ll be next to Mom, so come down on the weekend or something. Work hard.]
“You’re going, right? Huh? Seonghan, next time I’ll really pass you a good case and help you too. Don’t be upset and let’s go together.”
Before he knew it, the Team Leader had left his seat, and only Assistant Manager Kim was holding onto Joo Seonghan and speaking as if whispering. The directionless consolation he showed and the reasonless consideration his father sent stirred up his emotions. Joo Seonghan pressed his lips together tightly.
He was clumsy at both work and interpersonal relationships. It had been that way since he was born. Social life was always difficult, and group life was poison. But this way of living was the most common. The most, ordinary. Joo Seonghan exhaled the breath he had deeply inhaled and answered, “Yeah, let’s go.” Assistant Manager Kim put his arm around his shoulders and shouted “Alright!”
* * *
His eyelids were heavy. His ears were ringing, and his senses felt like they were fading away. How much did I drink? Joo Seonghan looked at the tambourine jingling in front of his eyes.
“Team Leader-nim, if you had kept getting vocal training, you would have become a singer. You got a hundred, a hundred!”
“Oh, Assistant Manager Kim is doing it again, again. My daughter teases me for being tone-deaf.”
“I’m the tone-deaf one. You can’t laugh at my singing. Deputy-nim, don’t laugh either.”
Thanks to Assistant Manager Kim, the mood-maker, the company dinner atmosphere was consistently good from the meat restaurant to the karaoke room. Unable to quite blend in there, Joo Seonghan quietly got up from his seat when the accompaniment ended and Assistant Manager Kim sang the first verse.
“Where are you going?”
Even though the air conditioner was running, Deputy Lee’s face was red. Joo Seonghan showed her the cigarette in his hand and left the karaoke room. The people engrossed in the popular trot song didn’t see Joo Seonghan leave.
He came out to the back door stairs of the karaoke room on the basement floor and took out his one remaining cigarette and put it in his mouth. He leaned against the dirty wall and blankly smoked. Various thoughts came to mind in his head without order. He settled each of those thoughts, whose topics and conclusions were slightly off one by one, and put out the shortened cigarette. He went back inside and crossed the long corridor. There weren’t many customers, so the sounds of a few songs could be heard well beyond the doors.
“Assistant Manager Kim doesn’t seem tone-deaf. Right?”
He was heading straight to the bathroom when Deputy Lee approached, shaking off the water from her hands, and asked. Joo Seonghan stood a little apart from her. The smell of cigarettes wasn’t good for pregnant women.
“I didn’t hear properly.”
“Don’t you go to karaoke often with your peers? I think I heard that you all live alone so you meet and hang out often. Assistant Manager Joo, you live alone too, right?”
Joo Seonghan was excluded from the peer gathering she mentioned. Since he didn’t like that kind of occasion, he wasn’t disappointed.
“Yes. But I don’t really like drinking occasions.”
“Really? I didn’t know that since you attend every company event and dinner. But seeing you drunk like today is a bit unfamiliar, Assistant Manager Joo. Is something wrong?”
Deputy Lee asked in a curious voice. Joo Seonghan looked at her for a moment then shook his head. He didn’t want to elaborate that he drank more than usual because of his stirred-up emotions, and that he was dragged here inadvertently. Joo Seonghan recalled the image of Assistant Manager Kim forcibly grabbing his arm saying they had to go to the second round together. It’s not fun, I don’t talk much, and I’m not good at singing, so why is he so desperate to bring me?
“Nothing’s wrong. Just today, the alcohol…”
Bang.
“……”
“……”
Joo Seonghan, who stopped speaking at the loud sound, turned his head toward where the sound came from. Deputy Lee also looked at the entrance. What was that sound? The karaoke bar owner who was watching the counter fluttered his fan and spoke, then fell back into the world of the drama.
“…There are days like that. Days when alcohol goes down well.”
Deputy Lee nodded as she continued the interrupted conversation. Joo Seonghan answered “Yes” and stepped toward the bathroom.
“Go ahead first. I’ll stop by the bathr…”
Kwagwang-!
He stopped walking. And he turned his head toward the back door at the end of the corridor, not the main entrance. Screech, thud! The rattling iron door made a loud noise and crashed to the floor.
“What the?!”
The owner, who shouted louder than before, came around the counter and squeezed between Joo Seonghan and Deputy Lee. The three people looked at the back door with the same expression. What is that?
“…Um, customers… Is that… that, I mean, a person…?”
Tall height, a human face, long hair, a flat upper body wearing nothing. However, the legs covered in fur were too strange to conclude it was a person. The calves that should be straight and attached below the knees were bent backward. Like, the hind legs of a beast.
“What, what is that…? Assistant Manager Joo, can you see that too?”
No voice came out. Just as he froze, forgetting even to blink, the faintly audible music sound grew louder. One of the doors scattered in the corridor opened.
“Assistant Manager Joo? What’s wrong? I think I heard a loud sound.”
Assistant Manager Kim, who stuck his head out, looked at Joo Seonghan and tilted his head. Just then, the unidentifiable life form lowered its upper body and made a beast’s sound. Joo Seonghan, whose gaze was on it, grabbed Deputy Lee’s arm and opened his mouth toward Assistant Manager Kim.
“Cl, close it.”
“What?”
Assistant Manager Kim, with a bewildered face, slowly turned his head toward the back door. Wow! You have the skills of a singer! The monster came running.
