Chapter 10: New Employee 4

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Junhyuk got another two full plates of food and ate them. Somin was eating soba noodles and looked at him with a smile.

“Chief Eunseo Kim was talking to you personally. Does she want you to go to the Strategy Planning Department?”

Junhyuk shook his head.

“No. She wants to use me as a model.”

She stared blankly at his honest answer. When they were on the bus, he didn’t want to talk, but now he was being too honest. She didn’t understand it.

He lifted his head and smiled.

“I wasn’t expecting that.”

“What?”

Junhyuk pointed with his chin, and Somin turned to see people getting on the stage. A piano played, and then a female singer sang jazz along with it.

She had a sweet yet sultry voice, and her singing was very sensual.

Somin looked for Junhyuk, but he had already left his seat. He was going for more of the buffet food.

“This must be his first time at a buffet.”

She was attracted to him, and even his gluttonous behavior was cute to her. She took a seat next to Junhyuk’s seat and enjoyed the jazz while she ate.

Soon, Junhyuk came back and sat opposite of Somin. Somin tapped on the seat next to her.

“We already sat together on the bus. Why do you insist on sitting alone?”

“It’s different from being on a bus, “Junhyuk ate some ribs and replied. “We are not close enough to dine together.”

“You are being picky.”

“I am not that easy.”

Junhyuk smiled at her and ate the food on his plates. Looking at him, Somin laughed and decided to concentrate on listening to the music.

Looking at the both of them, Jangho was angry.

To himself, he was a much better man than Junhyuk. Junhyuk just happened to be in an accident and did what every responsible man should do, but it had made him a star. Using it as a pretext, he got hired, and now Eunseo and Somin were trying to get close to him. They all made him sick to his stomach.

“Argh!”

Jangho Kim got up and went to his sleeping quarters. There was no reason for him to stay there any longer since Eunseo had already left.

—

On Thursday, they experimented with the capsule, learning more about its effectiveness. Any ordinary person could handle a capsule, but they were trying to understand each part of the capsule.

According Mr. Jang, being well informed and understanding the effectiveness of everything in a capsule was necessary only in the training stage. Each department had an analyst, a salesperson and a repair person. Excluding them, there was no reason for other people to understand everything.

No one was paying close attention, except for Junhyuk. He, himself, might have to use a capsule in the future, so he was the most curious and tried to understand everything.

Jangho made a remark to provoke him:

“Since he can’t be an analyst, is he trying to become a repairman?”

Junhyuk paid no attention and asked an analyst a question. They all looked at Jangho and talked amongst themselves. Jangho was like a bad student who was being sarcastic toward an honor student, and he did not feel so well.

All the instruction concerning the capsule ended, and they all ate their lunch.

The staff told them to gather around the playing field after lunch, by one o’clock, and they all came. They were in their separate sections and chatting, and Somin stood next to Junhyuk.

She knew Junhyuk didn’t talk much. She did not say anything and kept a little distance from him. She was a woman that required attention, but he did not have the time to spend with her.

He was standing there, tuning each of his muscles. What he was doing related directly to him living. He could not pay attention to anything else.

They had waited for a while when, suddenly, Eunseo showed up wearing hiking clothes with the other guides. Eunseo looked at the people gathered.

“We should go on a light hike.”

Eunseo was in charge of training the new employees. No one was able to turn her suggestion down.

Mr. Jang did not have a backpack, but the other guides did. It should only take one hour and thirty minutes to get to the top of Mt. Chun Ma. The whole trip, without stopping, should take less than 3 hours.

“Let’s go.”

Eunseo and Mr. Jang took the lead with Section One following them. Section Two was following Section One, and the guides were behind Section Two. Junhyuk was in last place. A guide was having trouble with his heavy backpack, and Junhyuk offered to take it.

“Give it to me.”

“I am fine.”

“It will be a good exercise. Give it to me.”

The guide turned down his offer a few times, but he started to lag behind, so he gave Junhyuk the backpack. Junhyuk strapped the backpack on and said:

“It’s heavy!”

“Give it back to me.”

“No, I’m fine.”

Junhyuk moved forward. It was heavy, but he could still handle it fine. Even though he didn’t look strong, he, in fact, had a strong constitution. He moved easily with the backpack on him, and the guide was impressed with him. He did not even break a sweat.

This was not a light hike, and Eunseo and Mr. Jang were moving fast. They must’ve been hiking for a while, and some of the other people were lagging behind, especially Section Two. That was because Section Two was composed mainly of women. Junhyuk cheered the women on with the backpack on his back.

Many women did not have hiking experience, and they were slowing down. Somin was cheering and pushing the other women forward.

She was different from how frail she looked. She showed a strong willpower, which impressed Junhyuk. She was not only pretty, but was also considerate of other people.

Finally, Section Two reached the zenith, but that was twenty minutes after the lead group. On the top of the mountain, Eunseo was looking at the scenery.

“You are late,” she told Junhyuk.

“I am sorry.”

Junhyuk apologized calmly, and Eunseo fixed her glasses and said:

“Then, let’s start.”

He was curious by what she had meant by start when Mr. Jang called for him. Mr. Jang took the backpack from him.

“Did you carry this here?”

“Yes, what’s inside the backpack?”

“I will show you.”

With a smile on his face, Mr. Jang took out the things inside the backpack. They were all soju* bottles packed tightly inside the backpack. While carrying it, Junhyuk felt something sloshing. He thought it might have been water, but it was the soju. There were a total of fifteen bottles.

The guides came over to Mr. Jang. They were carrying cups for the wine and side dishes to go with the liquor.

Junhyuk looked at Eunseo. She was looking far away. So, he also looked at the scenery of Mt. Chun Ma.

He had not liked to hike before, but at that moment, on the top of a mountain, the air and cool breeze and picturesque scenery all made him think it was worth the trouble.

He was enjoying being on the top of a mountain when Mr. Jang announced:

“We are ready!”

As Eunseo turned her head, she saw Junhyuk. She realized that Junhyuk had also felt the same emotion from looking at the scenery as she did. She smiled and walked away. Mr. Jang was surrounded by new employees and he had already poured a round of drinks for everyone.

Eunseo turned around and saw Junhyuk still looking at the scenery.

“You should come too,” she said.

“OK.”

Quickly, Junhyuk took a seat. Eunseo picked up her cup and said:

“From now on, you will experience many hardships working for the company. Don’t be discouraged and remember to push and to pull others just like you did during this hike. Then, everything will be okay.”

It hadn’t been just a hike, but a hike with a meaning.

Eunseo kept going:

“I wish for a bright future for our company. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

While everyone lifted their cups, Eunseo drank down her soju in one gulp. She had always looked so arrogant, and this was a new side to her. Everyone else emptied their cups.

They had all been thirsty from the hike and were able to drink one cup each.

Eunseo put down her cup and looked at Junhyuk.

“Usually the guides carry the soju, but this time a new employee carried it. We are able to drink this cold soju because of him. Give him a round of applause.”

Everyone clapped their hands. Junhyuk scratched his head and nodded. Eunseo smiled and continued:

“The new-employee training is over. We will have another round of drinks when we get down. Work hard!”

Eunseo looked at Mr. Jang.

“Make sure no one gets drunk. I will head down first.”

“I will go with you.”

“I am fine. I only drank one cup. Don’t worry.”

“But…”

Eunseo fixed her glasses. It was a simple gesture, but she turned back to the arrogant persona of the Chief of the Strategy Planning Department.

“Are you trying to make me into a careless superior?”

“No.”

As Mr. Jang smiled, Eunseo nodded her head and headed down the mountain. She looked strong. Junhyuk looked at her and picked up the soju bottle. Being at the top of a mountain made the soju taste extra sweet. He was about to pour some more when someone stopped him.

It was Somin, who looked a little embarrassed.

“I will pour it for you.”

“I’m OK.”

“If you pour it yourself, I will be out of luck for 3 years.”

It was a joke. Junhyuk put his cup forward. Somin poured him a cupful of soju and lifted her own cup.

“Now, you pour me a cup.”

Since she had been so considerate while hiking up the mountain, Junhyuk poured her a drink without thinking twice. She was his coworker now. He should be nice to her, and she was a beautiful woman.

With her cup full, she smiled and clinked his cup with hers. He smiled at the sight, and both of them gladly emptied their cups.

——

soju – a clear, colorless distilled Korean beverage traditionally made from rice