chapter_0046

46 – Eve Festival, If It Goes On Like This

46 – Eve Festival, If It Goes On Like This

“I’ll do whatever the Boss wants.”

Silence followed.

We spent some time with our gazes hooked onto each other’s eyes like fishing hooks.

But since I’ve been with the Boss for three years, and I’m already in my fifth year, it’s not hard to read intentions even if the Boss keeps quiet.

When I first brought up helping with the broadcast, there was tension.

Later, when I joked around, there was genuine disgust.

Yet behind the words of willingness, there was a sense of relief….

“Then I’ll take that as a yes and prepare accordingly. If you have any materials, could you send them over?”

“… I haven’t said anything yet?”

“Looking at your changing expression, it’s clear you’ve given the okay.”

“No. Can you not read my thoughts based on someone else’s expression?”

“What else am I supposed to do? I’m in the middle of work here. If I leave Seungyeon alone and something goes wrong with the broadcast…”

“That kind of thing doesn’t just happen out of nowhere….”

“There’s always a chance. If you have the PPT for the pre-event ready, could you send it over? I’ll take a look after work today or tomorrow afternoon.”

The Boss smiled and gently ruffled my hair.

“Let’s just look at it together tomorrow. Come to my office as soon as you arrive.”

Despite the various events on the first day, Seungyeon adapted remarkably quickly.

She didn’t seem burdened by the 3 PM to 12 AM schedule.

After all, someone who hardly misses the first-generation broadcasts wouldn’t be waking up early and sleeping before 10 AM.

I, too, have been a night owl since I started managing the Boss.

Usually, people like this become most active around midnight, and sure enough, after the broadcast ended at 12, while I was writing a report, Seungyeon kept asking questions beside me, showing her enthusiasm.

“But the sentences feel very direct… Is it okay to write it like this?”

“This is what the Boss wants. The perspective from the agency level is already covered by the planning team and the Boss.”

“Ah, I need to make a note of that….”

Since I didn’t want her to go home alone late at night and worry her parents, I made sure to take a taxi with her and drop her off in front of her house.

The next day, I ran into Seungyeon again on the way to work in front of the company.

Coincidentally, Nara was holding a bag of fish-shaped pastries and reflexively handed one to Seungyeon.

Seeing Seungyeon receive the pastry with both hands as if it were a precious offering, trying hard not to drop it despite the heat, was almost pitiful.

However, she seemed much more relaxed than yesterday, so I casually joked with her.

“Anyone would think it’s a fish-shaped pastry made of gold.”

“Well, I can’t drop it again…. By the way, did you have lunch?”

I lifted the pastry slightly in response.

This is my lunch.

Since I don’t eat much, three fish-shaped pastries are enough to fill me up.

Then Seungyeon asked with a worried voice, “What if you faint from not eating? You need to take care of your meals.”

“If that were the case, I would have fainted long ago. The fact that I’m still fine means there’s no problem.”

I smiled and pushed open the glass door of the company first.

With one hand holding the pastry bag, I struggled to push the door with my shoulder, but Seungyeon helped from behind, and the door swung open easily.

“But Team Leader, your health seems so fragile…. Considering what you mentioned during the handover yesterday, it seems like you often stay late at the office, so I’m worried. You do get regular health check-ups, right?”

“I think I’m still a bit young for health check-ups.”

“What are you talking about! In this day and age, with the rising cancer rates among young people! Regular check-ups are the shortcut to living a long, healthy life!”

“Well, if I really get sick, I’ll go. I haven’t been sick yet.”

“Ugh~ That’s not good.”

We entered the elevator, sounding like we were bickering, but we were actually getting along well.

Just as the door was about to close, someone outside called out.

“Wait a moment!”

Oh, it’s the Boss.

I quickly pressed the open button, and sure enough, the Boss glided in with her long black hair flowing.

Seeing her light attire, it seemed she had just run to a convenience store nearby.

Her gaze shifted from me to Seungyeon, then back to the fish-shaped pastry bag in my hand.

“… It’s Jia, right?”

“Please don’t react like a child disappointed because the Christmas gift overlaps with a toy they already have.”

“What a specific description.”

“If you don’t get on, it will close.”

“Hey, hey!”

The Boss hopped in, and the elevator smoothly ascended.

Seungyeon seized the opportunity to greet the Boss.

“Hello, Boss! I didn’t get to properly introduce myself yesterday. I’m Gong Seung-yeon, the new hire in the operations team!”

The Boss nodded lightly.

“I saw you seemed to get along well with Majiya yesterday. Sharing fish-shaped pastries on the way to work today, it seems you hit it off quickly?”

“Ah, yes! The Team Leader has been really helpful. I think I can adapt quickly!”

As she said this, the Boss glanced at me.

With the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, it seemed to convey an unspoken message of ‘Oh, you’re managing your junior well?’

… Did I do well?

I hope I don’t get reported for workplace bullying over fish-shaped pastries and pineapple pizza.

“Anyway, please continue to help her. If Seungyeon adapts quickly, we can take turns on duty later.”

“Yes! I’ll learn quickly and lessen the burden on the Team Leader!”

I casually threw in a comment to indicate that we still had a long way to go.

“I think we need to work together for at least six months. That way, we can handle various issues, and once the second generation is selected, we can go set things up together. Until I make sure everything is clear, doing night shifts separately seems like a bad idea.”

“That’s too long. Cut it down to three months.”

The Boss’s request was oddly picky.

But I also didn’t want to just toss Seungyeon aside after a brief training.

What we do is directly related to public sentiment and the company’s reputation, so I need to teach her properly.

“No.”

“You listen well when you want to, but not when it comes to this?”

I leaned closer to the Boss and whispered.

“If Seungyeon makes a mistake while I’m not around and the broadcast fails to recover, what will happen?”

“… She’ll manage.”

“Manage? She’s not me, you know?”

The Boss shot me a glare but reluctantly replied.

“… Fine. Do as you wish.”

“See, that’s the understanding I expect from the Boss.”

“There’s no point in saying that now.”

Until that moment, I thought today was the day.

But when I went to the Boss’s office, the real culprit was someone else.

I brought a notebook and pen, usually used for jotting things down, and the Boss asked,

“Are the fish-shaped pastries good?”

“Yes. They taste great in this cold weather.”

“I see~.”

That one comment, which seemed to imply, ‘You’re enjoying something delicious alone?’ made me realize.

… Could it be that she was upset because I didn’t offer her a fish-shaped pastry?

The Boss doesn’t particularly like sweet foods, so she hadn’t suggested it.

“Shall we go out for dinner later and buy some?”

“You just ate, and now you want to eat again after dinner?”

“They’re delicious. Or I could just eat less for dinner.”

“Oh, how can you eat sweets like that in succession?”

Look at her. She clearly dislikes sweets, yet she still wants the fish-shaped pastry.

Or maybe? Was it polite to offer her one earlier?

I thought we were close enough that such formalities weren’t necessary.

‘… Ah.’

Then it dawned on me.

It wasn’t about the fish-shaped pastries; it seemed she was upset that I didn’t uphold her authority in front of Seungyeon, even though she was right beside us.

With the youngest employee next to her, it might have seemed ridiculous for me, as a deputy, to treat her like a friend.

From now on, I need to be more mindful within the company.

It seems I had become lax without realizing it, as I’ve been going to the PC room with the Boss lately.

First, I need to restore the atmosphere.

The needles the Boss had scattered filled the air, pricking my skin.

“Anyway, let’s look at the PPT. There’s quite a bit of content, right? I casually asked Team Leader Ra, and she said it was about four hours’ worth.”

“… That’s right. Bring that chair over and sit here.”

“Yes.”

I rolled the swivel stool in front of the Boss’s seat and plopped down beside her.

As if she had been waiting for me to arrive, the screen was already displaying the Parallel logo and the new group illustration of the first generation.

“What? It’s a Prezi.”

“Since it’s the first anniversary, Team Leader Ra really put a lot of effort into it.”

Unlike a typical PPT that explains slide by slide, the Prezi felt immersive, as if traveling across a vast game board, shifting perspectives, zooming in and out to delve deeper, and then returning to the world map.

She had spent ten years rolling in the marketing team of a large corporation, consistently receiving top evaluations.

The materials were as chillingly well-made as her sharp personality.

Indeed, since the pre-event is a celebration of the first generation’s journey, this kind of structure is the best.

Every time the scene changed, there were animated GIFs of the kids walking, making it feel like we were embarking on a journey with the first generation.

Then the next screen, and the next.

The background changed rapidly, and the first generation walked, ran, or rode on Dora’s back as a dragon, soaring through the sky.

“Actually, since it’s four hours’ worth, I was a bit worried about what to say while the Boss helps out. But with this material, I could talk for four hours, or even eight.”

“… Really?”

“Yes, let’s say someone made a fan documentary titled ‘Parallel, the Footsteps of a Year.’ Watching that video from start to finish and commenting on it is all it takes.

For example, in this scene, I was eating instant noodles I brought from the break room while watching the broadcast, and Maru screamed so loudly that I spilled the broth all over the floor. I ended up going home at four in the morning because I had to clean it up. I could share stories like that.

At that time, many viewers reacted similarly, saying they woke up and bumped their heads or hit their knees on the desk in surprise.”

After hearing my story, the Boss smiled and spoke in a slightly elevated tone, as if rehearsing.

“No wonder I came to work that day and the smell of ramen was wafting through the office?”

It felt like we were rehearsing based on what I had just said.

So I continued the conversation in line with that.

“Wow, it smelled?”

“It would have been fine if it was just the smell of ramen. But because of the air freshener you sprayed, it turned into a weirder scent, and I got scolded for needing to ventilate.”

“Huh? I didn’t spray any air freshener.”

“… What? So there were two culprits?”

We were just imagining the situation and exchanging words, but the conversation flowed smoothly without interruption.

Even though there was no script prepared.

The Boss looked very relieved.

“The direction isn’t bad. I think it would be great if we could keep this back-and-forth style in other scenes too.”

“I’m good at responding to what the Boss says.”

“That’s something to brag about.”

“But if we keep going like this, it feels like our conversation will never end, right? I could talk for ten minutes on just one scene.”

“I’ll know when to cut it off at the right time, so just keep going like this.”

“Yes.”

Though we didn’t mention it, our expressions spoke volumes.

It felt like if we continued like this, the pre-event broadcast would go smoothly.

Thus, our rehearsal, using the Boss’s office as a studio, continued without us realizing the passage of time.

“I’ll throw in a challenge there. ‘If you talk to the kids like that, they’ll get hurt,’ I would say.”

“In that case, I would probably say, ‘If that’s toxic, then the Boss’s feedback is like pouring hydrochloric acid on them.'”

“That’s too extreme. In that case, I’d rather……….”

A word from the author (Author’s Note)

Are there any students taking the college entrance exam tomorrow?

If there are!!!

Even if you encounter questions you don’t know, I’ll cast a lucky spell that makes you guess correctly!

“Answer, answer, perfect score, yay!”

No matter the outcome, you’ve worked hard studying!

Take the exam well and come back to rest!

Fighting!!!!