“Ah, yes. The office is suffocating.”
“If the office is more suffocating than this air, you must be really suffocated.”
“Haha, yes….”
Seungju sneakily glanced sideways as Section Chief Mu took out an e-cigarette from inside his jacket. His way of starting the conversation is a bit sketchy. No way.
“How’s the Planning Division?”
“Just, you know. Nothing special….”
Of course it was a lie. Section Chief Mu answered as if he knew that.
“You didn’t look well when we ran into each other before, and you don’t look well now either.”
“Yes….”
“The phone call too….”
At Section Chief Mu’s words, Seungju briefly looked up at the sky, beyond the void.
Ha… Fuck, I’m screwed. Looks like bad luck hit me today.
“I didn’t try to listen on purpose. I’m sorry.”
“Yees…. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? I’m the one who eavesdropped.”
Seungju, who had been desperately avoiding Section Chief Mu’s gaze and letting his eyes wander somewhere toward a distant mountain, looked at Section Chief Mu at those words. The conversation felt familiar. It seemed to be the same for Section Chief Mu. Section Chief Mu, who had turned his head to blow out smoke, smiled slightly.
The side line from his chin to his neck is killer. Men should have a handsome nose, and indeed his nose bridge isn’t that of an ordinary person. As expected, an idol. Plus his shoulders are broad and his arms and chest are solid.
“Right, you said it was a habit.”
At Section Chief Mu’s added words, Seungju came to his senses.
“Yes yes, yes….”
“I heard Team Leader Heo is rumored to work well. You must be tired from working hard.”
No, how incredibly honored. When did you hear rumors about me. Seungju realized that his tone and content were quite affectionate. The eyes looking at him with a smile are also gentle.
Seungju’s heart beat. Thump, thump.
At the same time, Seungju’s alarm bells rang again. No, you bastard. Don’t treat me well, don’t treat me well.
He knew himself well as a face-obsessed person. There was no self-deprecating meaning in the term face-obsessed. Because it was really a fact. From the moment Seungju saw Section Chief Mu, he loved his looks.
But if such a man also had sociability and common sense and was even kind, then this wasn’t Seungju’s fault. Isn’t this person’s existence kind of a foul?
Seungju, who had been wandering in confusion, finally found an answer.
“This is the first time I’m hearing such a rumor. I’m embarrassed.”
“You’re modest. Everyone was talking like that though?”
“Ah, really? Then I have no choice. Actually, I’m a bit….”
Section Chief Mu opened his eyes wide and then burst into laughter. What, why are you laughing. But Seungju felt a little happy that Section Chief Mu laughed at his words.
“You work well and you’re fun too. The people working with you must like you.”
“I… I don’t have anyone working with me though?”
“Why?”
Seungju opened his eyes wide. Do I have to explain my whole pitiful situation? Of course he couldn’t. Seungju replied carelessly.
“Maybe everyone finds it burdensome because I work too well.”
Section Chief Mu laughed again. Hahaha….
The laughter was quite long. Seungju felt proud again. Stopping his laughter, Section Chief Mu stood up from his seat. Seungju’s eyes followed him. He was tall so he had to look up quite a bit, but it was worth it. As expected, my eyes weren’t wrong. He’s handsome from this angle too.
“You must have a hard time working alone. Cheer up.”
At the kind words, Seungju smiled naturally. However, as much as the corners of his mouth went up, the decibel level of the alarm bells in Seungju’s head rose. Don’t treat me well, really.
Section Chief Mu, who had been looking down at Seungju, bent his waist and raised his hand. His face came closer. Seungju opened his eyes a little wider. His thought process stopped for a moment.
A large hand lightly lifted the front strands of hair hanging over Seungju’s eyebrows. Seungju unconsciously opened his mouth blankly.
Soon the stopped circuit burst along with the alarm bells.
Don’t treat me well.
Because I’ll really fall for you.
“The air is bad so go inside quickly.”
“Ah…. Yes….”
He lowered his hand and straightened his waist. And then he smiles again. Very prettily.
His heart trembled again. Thump, thump, thump.
While he turned his back and left the rooftop garden, Seungju thought. That face is a scam. Not falling for it would be a problem. However, really being excited about the president’s youngest son is a crazy thing.
I’m screwed.
***
Seungju, sitting at his seat, opened the group chat window on messenger. He typed habitually.
I… want… to… quit….
Then he recalled Section Chief Mu’s face that he had just run into. Seungju soon erased what he had written and left a different message.
[Heo Seungju: Anyone drinking today]
This chat room had a long history. It originated as a chat room created for the after-party of people who were on the same foot volleyball team at the sports day during Seungju’s intern days. That’s why the chat room name was originally ‘Just Play Foot Volleyball.’
Office workers who had lost all their stamina and strength in their office chairs had many complaints about the sports day. Thanks to that, the game was ridiculous. Unmotivated players deliberately reached their hands toward the ball or fell down unable to react to the flying ball. But soon the team members realized that the players who were completely useless in the game were more useful than expected at drinking parties.
It wouldn’t have been easy for people with similar content and degree of complaints about the company to gather by chance like this. For that reason, they couldn’t help but communicate well. Around the end of that year, as new people craving alcohol were added and added again, the chat room became less of a foot volleyball team after-party gathering and more of a gathering of people who mostly went to work unable to die and wanted to relieve stress with alcohol.
However, perhaps because the members were all people who had many complaints about the company, those who had treated their bodies like liquor vats quit one by one as time passed. After that, they called this gathering the Quitters Club. Praying that the blessing of quitting would come to them someday too.
The read count decreased and soon a reply came.
[Bae Donghyeon: What’s wrong Team Leader]
[Heo Seungju: Senior Hyeondo says he’s coming to this area]
[Heo Seungju: He says let’s meet]
The read mark disappeared again.
[Cha Sojeong: Really? I’ll go]
[Heo Seungju: Can you make it today?]
[Cha Sojeong: ㅇㅇ While eating dinner]
[Bae Donghyeon: I don’t think I can go,,ㅜㅜ]
There was another reason why this gathering, whose members decreased and increased as more and more people distanced themselves from the company after quitting, continued to persist anyway. Office workers don’t have many opportunities to meet new people unless they make separate time for hobby activities. But in a gathering like this where people who quit a few years ago occasionally show their faces, and new discontented elements are steadily recruited and brought in from within the company, it’s easy to make new connections. Of course, there are also people like Production Department junior Bae Donghyeon who don’t particularly enjoy new encounters. That’s why Seungju didn’t separately ask him for a reason he couldn’t come.
Perhaps many people were absorbed in work, the replies came intermittently. Seungju enjoyed the rare time without the Director and concentrated on work. He had to rush to revise the sample from the confirmation he got chewed out over earlier and request a new draft from the design team. Seungju gulped down the coffee he had brewed in the break room on his way down from the rooftop.
In the meantime, some people said they had prior engagements and others said they were working overtime. Today’s members, decided late in the afternoon, were only three people: Seungju, Design Team 3 Team Leader Cha Sojeong, and Sales Team 2 Deputy Manager Park Dawon.
[Park Dawon: I have premium info today]
The three people made a separate chat room and invited Hyeondo. He must have been busy as he didn’t read the message, and only the three current Vision Factory employees who didn’t want to work discussed tonight’s menu. Until near quitting time, gopchang, chicken, and izakaya were on the candidate list, but the decision process was sluggish. Only when Dawon, who had said she’d be away for a moment, returned was it decided on a raw fish restaurant. She said she was recently going around stamping all the raw fish restaurants near Sadang Station.
Not only did she decide the dinner location, but she also brought entertainment for the drinking party. The first to react to the KakaoTalk Dawon posted was Team Leader Cha.
[Cha Sojeong: What is it what is it]
[Park Dawon: I’ll tell you while drinking~~ Wow office life is dynamic]
[Heo Seungju: What? I’m curious]
Dawon didn’t answer again. What could it be. Although his mind had already left work, she had no intention of returning. Seungju waited for quitting time, worked on the proposal he planned to hand over to the design team tomorrow morning, then made a few calls to the production department.
When 6 o’clock came, Seungju turned off his computer at the speed of light. Here and there in the Planning Division, sounds of people packing their bags and standing up from their seats could be heard. On a day like today when the Director is absent, you should leave work quickly.
The Director would give dirty looks if someone stood up from their seat before he left work. Moreover, he would later petty and indirectly retaliate through work. He got annoyed all over again. Director, this crazy old-fashioned bastard. No, it’s a day to leave work quickly and drink, so let’s have good thoughts.
