Chapter 8: New Employee 2

Translator: – – Editor: – –

Wearing his workout clothing, Junhyuk ran to the grocery store. It was still morning. Soyeon should be there. When he arrived, he looked through the glass door, saw Soyeon arranging stuff, and went inside.

“Welcome!”

Soyeon got up from her seat, saw that it was him, and was unable to hide her concern.

“Are you okay?”

“I could fly because of the cider you gave me the other day.”

“That’s a relief.”

She started arranging sushi rolls. He picked up two sushi rolls and two boxes of banana milk, and put them on the checkout counter. Soyeon rang it up and looked at him. After paying the bill, Junhyuk gave her a sushi roll and a box of banana milk.

“Just as I’d promised.”

“Did you have another interview over the weekend?”

He opened his sushi roll.

“No.”

Soyeon’s eyes widened.

“Then, who hired you?”

“ST Capsule did.”

“Really?”

It was the third largest company in South Korea. Soyeon got a twinkle in her eyes when she heard, then and there, that he had been hired. Junhyuk took a bite out of the sushi roll and smiled.

“Life is worth living,” he said.

Soyeon was impressed with him and looked around. There weren’t any other customers. She also took a bite of a sushi roll. She was hungry because she hadn’t eaten her breakfast. Looking at her sushi roll, she said:

“It’s delicious.”

Junhyuk looked at her while she ate, ate his own sushi roll, and then drank his banana milk in one go.

During his month in the Valley of Death, when he was just trying to stay alive, he often thought about Soyeon.

The last time he had had a girlfriend was in high school. When he was in the army, his girlfriend cheated on him. Because of that betrayal, he did not date anyone when he returned to his university after the army. Thanks to that, he received good grades in his classes.

However, when he was facing death, he had thought about Soyeon. It had probably been because of her bright and active personality. He wasn’t sure how to feel about her, but every time he saw her he felt well.

Junhyuk took the garbage.

“When I get my first paycheck, I’ll get you something better.”

Soyeon was a little embarrassed. She did not think much of a sushi roll and a box of banana milk, but going out with him for dinner was rather embarrassing.

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

Junhyuk got even more embarrassed than her. He scratched his head and mumbled:

“It doesn’t have to be a date. It’s just that you are always rooting for me, so I feel grateful.”

Soyeon looked embarrassed, and Junhyuk laughed radiantly.

“I was just kidding.”

Soyeon smiled.

“You’ve made it to a major corporation, so you should take me out for something bigger.”

“I will get you something better. I will,” Junhyuk tapped on his chest while he said that. “Starting on Wednesday, I have two nights and three days of orientation. It ends Friday, so I won’t be here. Don’t wait for me.”

“I don’t wait for you!” She said with wide eyes.

Junhyuk looked as though his feelings were hurt.

“Well, then there is nothing I can do. I should get going.”

“I am just kidding! I have waited for you since you made that promise.”

He looked proud.

“Well, when I start my job, I will get you some banana milk every day.”

Soyeon stuck out her tongue slightly and said:

“That could get tiresome for me.”

“Could it?”

“You should just come and visit me from time to time like you do now.”

In truth, he only visited her when he had an interview so she could cheer him up. Unemployed people had no money.

“Alright, I will do that. I have to go. See you next time!”

He waved goodbye and ran home as fast as he could. It had been only two days, but since his soul experienced some struggles, his body responded well to his new training. According to Artlan, his body followed his soul and vice versa.

Artlan warned him about imbalance. So, to achieve balance, after he got home, he did handstands.

“Heee, up!”

Before, his musculature had been normal, but now he could do handstands easily. While in the handstand position, he also did push-ups, but he soon lost his balance and fell forward. He lay on the ground and looked at the ceiling.

“Is it a date?” He mumbled.

Junhyuk was thinking about the conversation he had had with Soyeon and laughed. He was now doing sit-ups.

“Ooph, ooph!”

If he wanted to remain alive the next time he got summoned, he had to sculpt his body and mind. He had also been hired and had to get used to the company as well. He did not think he would have time for a date.

—

He was standing in front of the twelve-story building that was ST Capsule’s corporate headquarters, wearing a suit and a backpack. He took a deep breath and entered the 1st-floor lobby. He found a service desk.

“Where should I go for the orientation for the new hires?”

“You should take that stairs downstairs and you’ll see an auditorium.”

“Thank you.”

Junhyuk moved quickly. He went downstairs to the auditorium. It looked bigger than any ordinary auditorium you could find at universities. He opened the door and saw people talking in groups. He watched them briefly and walked in.

People were taking their seats, so he felt he should do the same. He found an empty seat and everyone was suddenly staring at him.

They were whispering, but Junhyuk could hear everything. In the Valley of Death, he could not afford to miss a single noise. If he did, he could’ve been surprise attacked by beasts or monsters, and all that experience made his senses keener.

“Who is that?”

“He looks familiar, but I don’t know who he is.”

Then a woman spoke.

“Isn’t that the man on SNS?”

“Right, that’s him!”

“Is he one of the new employees?”

Listening to people whisper made him feel awkward, and he got up from his seat. They must be his colleagues. Some of them might be assigned to the same division as him, and he shouldn’t distance himself from them.

“Hello! My name is Junhyuk Lee.”

He greeted them, and they stopped whispering. A woman lifted up her hand and asked:

“Aren’t you the guy from that famous video on SNS?”

“If you are referring to the bus accident, I am that guy.”

The women whispered among themselves. A man lifted his hand. He was wearing glasses and looked proud of himself.

“The accident happened on the day of the interview. Did you get to interview?”

“After the accident, I came straight here.”

“Weren’t you injured?”

Junhyuk knew where he was getting at. Looking at the man, he answered:

“I did not want to be rejected without even being able to have an interview, and that’s why I went to the interview, but they gave me a warning at the end of it: a person who does not take care of himself is not qualified to sell medical equipment.”

“Then, how did you get hired?”

Junhyuk replied without an attitude.

“Only the interviewers know the answer to that question.”

The man frowned at his answer, but Junhyuk paid no attention and continued:

“In any event, nice to meet you, my new associates.”

“Nice to meet you!”

The women greeted him. Junhyuk nodded his head and took his seat. He sat in the front row. He could feel everybody’s gazes behind him, but he ignored them.

People began whispering again. Suddenly, the door opened, and a group of people came in. They were wearing employee name tags. They called the attendance for the new employees and had them relocated.

Every new employee took a seat in the front row. The guy with glasses who had asked him questions was sitting right next to Junhyuk. He looked as though his pride had been hurt because he was sitting next to Junhyuk, but Junhyuk paid no attention.

The twenty new employees were sitting in the front row when a woman went up to the podium. Junhyuk looked at her closely. She was the same woman with glasses who had admonished him on the interview day.

“All new employees are in attendance,” she looked at them with a haughty expression. I am Eunseo Kim, Department Chief to the Strategy Planning Department. Nice to meet you.”

The Strategy Planning Department was the center of the corporation. She was the department chief, which made everyone nervous. The woman standing in front of them was at the center of the corporation, and everyone corrected their postures.

Eunseo looked at them.

“I am in charge of this orientation. We will spend next two nights and three days together,” she said and looked at her tablet. “Mr. Jangho Kim.”

“Yes.”

Junhyuk looked at the man next to him, who got up from his seat. He looked proud.

Eunseo lifted her head and looked at the man.

“You passed the interview in first place. For the next two nights and three days, you will be the chief of Section One.”

“I will do my best!”

Eunseo looked at Junhyuk.

“And Mr. Junhyuk Lee.”

“Yes.”

Junhyuk got up when Eunseo calmly called his name.

“You will be the chief of Section Two. Each section will have ten people. You should pick the people who will be in your section and who have the same interests as you.”

After Eunseo spoke, Jangho stared at Junhyuk. Junhyuk ignored him and replied:

“I will.”

Eunseo put her tablet away.

“Thirty minutes from now, we’ll take a bus to inspect a factory. You should pick the members for your section before that. I will see you at the factory.”

After Eunseo left, Junhyuk looked at the new employees and said:

“Raise your hand if you want to join Section Two.”

The women raised their hands as soon as he finished the sentence. In total, seven women raised their hands, and two men looked around first, but also raised their hands.

At once, Junhyuk filled up his section and looked at a man wearing an employee name tag. His name is Woogun Jang.

“Mr. Jang. My section is filled up.”

“You are popular, Mr. Lee.”

Woogun took out name tags.

“Hand out the name tags. You should introduce yourself. We will spend two nights and three days together.”

Junhyuk took the name tags and looked at Jangho. He looked uncomfortable with Junhyuk’s popularity, but Junhyuk paid no attention to him.

“Section Two, come this way. I will give your name tags.”