episode_0039

With heavy steps, I passed through the hallway and arrived in front of Conference Room 5, composing myself as I knocked on the door.

There was no answer, so I opened the door and entered. Inside the modern conference room with a long table, a familiar back view caught my eye.

Perhaps he hadn’t heard me enter; he was diligently typing on the laptop keyboard placed on the desk.

The sound of the keyboard stopped only after the door closed and echoed, and immediately afterward, the chair spun halfway to face me.

“Oh, Hyunsung-ssi.”

“Assistant Manager Son.”

Assistant Manager Son Junhyuk, holding a tumbler to his lips and leaning back in his chair, showed a relaxed smile.

I raised my hand in a light greeting and sat down with one chair between us.

“How have you been while I was gone? Your eyes look even more sunken than before I left?”

At his unchangingly friendly tone, I replied with a faint smile.

Assistant Manager Son Junhyuk had worked as an employee at another travel agency for about a year and a half before transferring to Travel Wiz around the time I joined.

Because of that, even though his hiring date was the same as mine, he became Assistant Manager faster than I did.

If I had to define him in one word, he was a social butterfly.

He had an outgoing personality and was good with words, and he was skilled at winning people over with his unique sociability.

And his face was quite clean-cut and handsome.

In short, he was the exact opposite of me.

“It was the same as usual, you know. How was Osaka?”

I replied calmly, and before an awkward silence could settle, I threw out a formal question.

As if he had been waiting for my question, Junhyuk’s lips curled upwards.

He was shaking his hands lightly even before he spoke, as if warming up.

“It was great. The atmosphere on site was good too. Especially the hot springs, they were incredible. I thought, ‘This is why I go on business trips.’”

Once he started talking, his mouth moved non-stop.

“By the way, it’s already getting hot in Japan, isn’t it? Definitely feels like the seasons arrive earlier than in Korea?”

It’s not really true that summer comes earlier in Japan than in Korea, but arguing would just make the conversation longer, so I let it go.

“Next time, it would be great if Hyunsung-ssi could come along too. Like half business trip, half travel.”

Why was that?

Even though his tone was as friendly as ever, what he just said subtly lingered in my ears.

It was as if, somewhere along the way, his words had lost their power?

Like words spoken casually, without effort, pretending not to care.

Perhaps I was just overly sensitive because of the subtle atmosphere I’d felt in the office since morning.

“Yes. I hope so.”

I nodded, giving a small affirmation.

There was no need to dwell on it.

“By the way, to be called right after a business trip… Assistant Manager Lee, do you know anything?”

“Well, my team member told me about it, so…”

All my attention was focused elsewhere, so I didn’t have the mental capacity to think about it.

If I had been called alone, it would be different, but calling Junhyuk along meant that it wasn’t a simple matter, and that was all I could infer at the moment.

“Hmm. Still, calling only the two of us separately seems like it might be a pretty important matter. What do you think?”

Perhaps Junhyuk had come to the same conclusion; he asked the question, glancing at me sideways.

“I’m not sure.”

“You’re no fun. But I have a good feeling about this for some reason. I have a knack for these kinds of things, you know.”

He should be tired right after a business trip, but that guy shows no signs of it.

Even without this, he’s normally a bit overwhelming to deal with, so I’ve subtly kept my distance from him outside of work.

I wanted to quickly hear what Kang Jooyoung wanted and find out why the employees’ gazes had become strange.

“By the way.”

Suddenly, Junhyuk, who had been continuing the conversation, lowered his voice.

With his lips slightly upturned, he asked, a vague smile on his face.

“That rumor, it’s not true, is it?”

At the sudden question, I was speechless.

Inside the silent conference room, only the tick-tock of the second hand sounded, resonating with tension.

His gaze and expression were distinctly different from a moment ago.

Along with interest, there was a sharp glint in his eyes, as if trying to confirm something.

“What rumor…”

As soon as I opened my mouth.

“I apologize, I was a bit late because I stopped by the General Manager’s office.”

With a burst, the sound of the door opening, Kang Jooyoung’s calm voice, heard from behind me, broke the tension.

Junhyuk and I stopped our conversation and simultaneously straightened our postures.

Meanwhile, the question he had thrown at me echoed in my mind.

Making the sharp click of high heels as usual, Kang Jooyoung walked past the desk and expertly sat down in the opposite seat, crossing her legs.

Even though it wasn’t the time to be thinking that, my gaze naturally drifted to her ample chest, visible above her shirt.

If Junhyuk hadn’t been there, I would have found a chance to use the app.

Putting my regret aside, I composed myself and waited for her first words.

“Assistant Manager Son, did you have a good business trip?”

Jooyoung, who had placed her phone and a file on the desk, rested her gaze on her neatly folded hands, and asked Junhyuk the question.

“Yes. Discussions with the client progressed positively. Now only the final stage remains.”

“As expected, entrusting you with it was worthwhile.”

Junhyuk’s voice was filled with confidence, but Kang Jooyoung’s expression remained calm and composed.

After that, silence fell again, and Junhyuk and I exchanged glances.

Not knowing what to say, an air of hesitation quietly pressed down on the conference room.

In the end, it was Junhyuk who broke the silence first.

“Uhm, Team Leader-nim? So, what did you call the two of us here for today…?”

Though a smile played on his lips, his tone was cautious.

His slightly furrowed brow revealed his true feelings.

Kang Jooyoung took a short breath and opened the file she had placed down.

“Actually, the proposal Assistant Manager Lee submitted last week received a positive response from upper management. So, it’s been decided to turn it into a project.”

The answer that came from her mouth was something I had never expected.

“Th-that’s really true?”

I was surprised by my own voice, which burst out suddenly.

I tried to maintain my composure, but my heart was pounding.

She looked at me like that, and casually flipped through the documents, one by one.

“I told you then that the content wasn’t bad.”

“But…”

I never imagined that the proposal I had rushed to write would receive such a good evaluation.

“That’s great. Congratulations, Assistant Manager Lee!”

“Th-thank you.”

Whistling, Junhyuk genuinely looked happy for me, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Amidst my tangled worries, it was a moment of overwhelming joy for the first time in a while.

A fear and tremor ran through me, wondering if I could truly lead this project well.

Still, I first thought that since I’d been entrusted with it, I wanted to see it through.

But then.

“However, the practical work for this project will be handled by someone else.”

“…Huh?”

My excitement instantly cooled at Kang Jooyoung’s next words.

Had I heard something wrong?

“If not me, then who…”

The moment I saw Kang Jooyoung’s gaze turn to Junhyuk, the words caught in my throat.

“The person in charge of this project will be Assistant Manager Son Junhyuk.”

“Me, you mean?”

Junhyuk, too, blinked repeatedly as if he hadn’t expected it, and looked back and forth between me and Kang Jooyoung.

“Assistant Manager Son has been in charge of buyer relations since joining the company, and he has a lot of project experience. I determined that he is the most suitable person for this.”

“But Team Leader-nim, I haven’t even finished the Osaka-related work I was just assigned…”

Junhyuk cautiously protested, but Kang Jooyoung nodded as if it was an expected reaction.

“That’s almost in the final stage, so another team member can take over and it won’t matter. Oh, Assistant Manager Lee can do it instead.”

My heart, which had grown as big as a fist, choked my breath.

So bewildered, any words just swirled in my mouth but couldn’t come out.

“I’m grateful for the trust, but still, it would be better if Assistant Manager Lee, who wrote the proposal, handled it…”

“You both know that our travel agency is preparing for overseas business expansion.”

Her resolute voice cut off Junhyuk’s words.

“Within that, the Japan division is a core profit-generating part of our company, so upper management is also closely monitoring this project.”

Why was that? Every word she spoke seemed to be trying hard to convince me.

As if there was another reason for excluding me.

“Therefore, from my position as Team Leader, I want to avoid unnecessary risks as much as possible and have the project proceed stably.”

For a moment, her sharp gaze turned towards me.

Unnecessary risk.

As if defining me as that risk, that sharp single word pierced my ears.

“This has already been decided. Assistant Manager Son, cooperate with your team members to contact the Japanese buyers.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Junhyuk reluctantly nodded.

His expression, which had initially seemed bewildered, gradually regained its composure.

“Since you’ve been entrusted with it, work hard. Upper management and I have high expectations for Assistant Manager Son.”

Soon, a faint smile even appeared on his lips.

“As you have given me this opportunity, I will strive to meet your expectations.”

Without much of a reply to Junhyuk’s words, Jooyoung’s gaze turned to me this time.

“Assistant Manager Lee, don’t feel too disappointed, and cooperate with Assistant Manager Son as much as possible to help the project proceed smoothly.”

“…I understand.”

It was a situation where I had no choice but to meekly comply with whatever was said.

This place was already a space where not rejection but only acceptance was allowed.

“Regarding future schedules, Assistant Manager Son, as the project manager, should coordinate with the team members on his own.”

“Yes, I will.”

Junhyuk nodded at Jooyoung’s words.

Junhyuk’s gaze, when I turned to look at him, was completely different from when he entered the conference room and we talked.

“I’ll coordinate so that Assistant Manager Lee is as comfortable as possible. Teamwork is important, especially for such important projects.”

On the surface, it seemed like he was being considerate of me.

But within it, there seemed to be a declaration that he held the initiative.

“That’s all for the discussion. Do either of you have any questions?”

Neither Junhyuk nor I spoke.

“Alright. Then you two can return to your work.”

Kang Jooyoung pushed her chair back and stood up.

Carrying the neatly organized file, she left the conference room without a word.

With the sound of the door closing, a heavy silence fell.

“…Sigh.”

Junhyuk, who stood up next, let out a hollow laugh and scratched the back of his neck with one hand.

“I’m sorry about this, Assistant Manager Lee. I didn’t know it would turn out this way.”

He subtly glanced at me, then immediately started making pointless excuses.

“It was just a bit of luck. Next time will be your turn, Assistant Manager Lee. You’ve also made a good impression on upper management with this proposal.”

His voice sounded like comfort, but the subtle nuance lingering at the end of his words somehow bothered me.

The relief of being chosen and a subtle sense of superiority seeped through his tone.

“Anyway, since it’s turned out this way, let’s work together well.”

“…Yes.”

I replied weakly and briefly.

“I’ll go first, so take your time to compose yourself before coming out.”

Junhyuk hesitated for a moment, then patted my shoulder, collected his laptop, and left the conference room.

Inside the conference room, where I was left alone, only complete silence remained.

“Ha…”

Leaning back in the chair, the moment I looked up at the ceiling, all my energy drained away, and a sigh involuntarily escaped me.

In the wake of the passing hot gust, all that remained was a cold sense of emptiness and an indelible discomfort.

Right, what kind of project manager would I be?

Since when had I ever worked with such a great sense of responsibility anyway?

Even the adoption of the proposal was just pure luck.

Rather, it might be a good thing that the project was entrusted to someone as suitable as Assistant Manager Son.

…or so, the old me would have settled into the position of a helper and moved on.

But.

‘Unnecessary risk.’

Kang Jooyoung’s words kept replaying in my mind.

Were those words simply about ‘differences in experience’?

Or was there another reason?

“Hoo.”

I ran my hand over my face and took out my phone from my pocket.

Hypnosis app.

By a truly uncanny coincidence, it was in my hand at a very opportune moment.

It was as if it had been prepared just for this situation.

With this app, the situation could be overturned any number of times.

So what I needed to focus on now was understanding why this outcome had occurred.

And the one who held the answer was…

Buzz—

Just then, the phone in my hand suddenly vibrated.

[Mina] [Sunbae.] [Are you free now?] [I have something to tell you.] [Please come out to the cafe in front of the company.]

The vibration came from a message from Mina, who I hadn’t heard from since the weekend.

Aside from the fact that she hadn’t replied until now, it was strange that she suddenly asked to meet at a cafe.

‘…Alright. Let’s address the easier problem first.’

The cafe wasn’t far.

Rather than just sitting here, it would be faster to meet her directly and hear what’s going on.