episode_0130

“Do you know that strong denial is actually a form of positivity?”

“I think you should have joined the sales department.”

Yook, the sudden start of Manager Yook’s confession.

Normally, I should have raised my eyebrows in question, but knowing that he had been eyeing me for a while, I just nodded my head.

“Oh, I felt it on the day you first joined. That guy is going to make it. With that face, it’s possible!”

He continued by saying that when I was a man, my face was very likable. Regardless of gender, it was the kind of face that could be liked by many. I don’t know what it means to be likable in a kind way or in a bad way.

“There’s a newcomer under you, Kim Taehyun.”

“Yes, there is.”

“He looks like a parasite.”

“He looks decent, right?”

“He’s attracting a lot of attention from the ladies.”

“I heard that the female employees are quite interested in him.”

“Jealousy! Anyway, that guy has a decent look. Unlike when you were young, he looks sharp and quick-witted.”

Kim Taehyun’s impression. He definitely looked decent, but he wasn’t the bad boy type.

“What about me?”

“You? Well… to put it nicely, you look sincere, but to put it bluntly, you give off a clingy vibe.”

“Ouch, you’re ruthless.”

Well, I’ve heard that kind of comment a lot from people around me.

“Anyway, when you were young. When I first saw you, I thought, ‘Wow, this guy can be useful.’”

“Like a face for sales, right? Not too sharp-looking, but still likable. It’s not a common face.”

Talking about physiognomy and face shape.

“Do you study physiognomy or something?”

Half-jokingly, I asked him.

“Oh, for about 5 years? I’ve studied it on my own.”

Huh? Why is this for real?

“Is that… really useful or something?”

He looked me straight in the eye and said with conviction.

“These days, people say, ‘Physiognomy is a science.’ It’s true. It’s not completely accurate, but it’s somewhat accurate.”

“Uh, um… oh, okay.”

Part of me was impressed. Anyway, I can’t erase the feeling of him being a frivolous old man. But I thought, he must have done that to become the manager of the sales department, which is full of politics.

Anyway.

“Why do you keep looking at me?”

“Well…”

As we exchanged glances, his gaze was fixed on one part of my body.

What can I hide? Which part of my body attracts men’s attention the most?

Yes. It’s my chest.

How can he look at it so shamelessly? At this point, all I can do is admire.

“Actually, being a man myself, my eyes naturally go there rather than looking at physiognomy.”

“Manager, do you… feel comfortable looking at me as if I were a man? I could sue you for real.”

“Oops. Sorry, I mean. I felt it even when I looked at my own physiognomy.”

“What!”

His attitude was so surprising that I raised my voice.

“Physiognomy is a science.”

I nodded at his face. Yes. Physiognomy is a science.

“Hehe, just kidding. Anyway. When I first saw you, I felt a strong urge. Maybe if you had joined the sales department back then, my position wouldn’t be yours now, considering how talented you seemed.”

“Manager, you know, I may look good on the outside, but I have a lot of nerd qualities, you know?”

He chuckled.

“I watch a lot of anime.”

“What? Why are you suddenly…?”

“At first glance, it may seem like I drink a lot and flirt with women. Is that the image I portray? Well, that may be true to some extent. But the truth is, I’m not really fond of socializing with people. Do you know what I mean?”

“So, you’re saying your work personality and your true personality are different. Is that what you mean?”

“Yeah. These days, companies even look at MBTI types during the hiring process. It’s all useless, though.”

Well, I’ve heard that nowadays, there’s a preference for shunning the Introverted (I) types and embracing the Extroverted (E) types. But if you really look closely, there aren’t that many Extroverted types among the regular employees.

Of course, I understand the preference for extroverted individuals in social settings, but just gathering Extroverted types doesn’t necessarily make a company run smoothly.

Some companies even listed INFP, INTP, and INTJ as ineligible for application and faced public backlash, showing how foolish that decision was.

“Well, at least it’s a relief.”

“What do you mean?”

Unexpectedly, he looked at me with approving eyes and then glanced away for a moment.

“Are you enjoying what you’re doing?”

He asked, turning to me.

“Well….”

Is work enjoyable? Honestly, how many people in the world truly enjoy what they do? Is it a sense of accomplishment? Is it because it’s what they want to do? Or is it just going through the motions? You might feel some enjoyment from time to time. But sustaining that enjoyment consistently is often overshadowed by the stress that comes with it.

If things always go smoothly, it feels like you haven’t done anything and becomes boring. And if things don’t work out, you experience frustration without a sense of achievement, leading to a loss of motivation. It becomes a cycle, and before you know it, you’re stuck in that routine.

That’s what work feels like.

So, is work fun?

“It seems fun and not fun at the same time.”

“I’m not sure. Hehe.”

I’m not sure.

When it’s fun, it’s fun. When it’s not, it’s not.

I’ve been so immersed in work without thinking about when it’s enjoyable or not, that it feels a bit bitter. But still, isn’t it worth doing?

“Yeah. That’s it. Let’s think of this job the same way and do well.”

He extended his fist towards me.

Now, it’s a bit confusing.

Whether this person is good or bad.

Of course, after working in the corporate world for a long time, you realize there are no eternal enemies or allies. But it seems rare to find someone like Director Yook who can quickly cross that line.

Yes, to put it bluntly.

This person is good at their job.

And I like people who are good at their job.

So.

“Hmph, not some hipster either.”

-Tok.

I might actually like this guy.

Oh, of course, if I had to choose between liking or disliking him.

**

After a brief chat with Director Yook and hearing some stories related to the model project, I returned to the development room.

“Oh, Assistant Manager! What’s going on? Why did Director Yook suddenly?”

Assistant Manager Kwon asked me.

Well, it’s natural to be curious. He suddenly dragged me away without saying a word.

As I glanced around the development room, Kim Tae-hyun was also looking in this direction, and although the other members of the development team weren’t directly looking here, it felt like their ears were tuned in this direction.

But.

I couldn’t bring myself to admit the embarrassing fact that I had become a model.

Anyway, soon the rumor will spread from the PR team, and everyone in the company will know.

Even so, I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Director Yook just wanted to consult with me about some advertising-related matters for this project.”

While the consultation was indeed related to the model project, it wasn’t a lie, so my conscience was clear.

“Oh, I see.”

As Nine, who was in charge of overseeing the remaining menu items, seemed to nod in agreement, Deputy Director Kwon turned his head to face Kim Taehyun.

– Whoosh!

What’s this? Why is he avoiding eye contact with me?

Did I do something wrong?

His face seems a bit flushed, like he’s angry?

Come to think of it, his behavior has been a bit off lately.

“Taehyun.”

“….”

“Taehyun!”

“Yes, yes!”

“What are you thinking that you can’t even answer when called? Can you leave this sample at the Food Safety Center?”

“Sorry! I’ll leave it right away.”

“I have a favor to ask.”

– Pat, pat.

As I patted his shoulder, he leaned back excessively.

“…Hey. Do you really not think so?”

“Yes, yes?”

“What, were you not listening?”

“Oh, no. I… I’m sorry.”

On the way to and from work, it was common for conversations to not flow smoothly like this when talking in the car.

It’s a clear fact that Kim Taehyun’s state has been strange recently. Why is that?

After finishing today’s tasks and heading home, I couldn’t take it anymore and directly asked him.

“Taehyun.”

“Yes?”

“Did I do something wrong? Your behavior has been strange lately.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Not listening when called, late responses as a basic, and even a light touch of encouragement gets an excessive reaction… Hmm… I might need to be careful. I’m not a man anymore. Anyway, why are you like this lately? Did I do something wrong? Or are you hiding something wrong from me? Just tell me straight. It’s frustrating.”

In response, Kim Taehyun vehemently shook his head.

“Oh, no! There’s nothing like that. Really. Absolutely! Yes!”

Then why is he acting like that?

“Or maybe, do you have something to worry about?”

“No, there’s nothing like that. Haha. You don’t need to worry!”

An overly strong reaction. There’s definitely something going on. This is not a guess but a certainty. It’s an intuition that comes from years of social experience and human relationships.

Alright. Let’s dig deeper.

“Family issues?”

“No.”

“Work-related problems within the company?”

“Oh, no. Everyone treats me so well, so if there were any issues, they would be problems.”

“Then financial issues?”

“I may not be wealthy, but I diligently save money and put it in savings. Haha. You can stop worrying. There’s nothing to be concerned about.”

Hmm… Not that either. Then what could it be?

Ah, could it be that? It doesn’t seem likely, though.

“Oh! It’s a romantic issue!”

I threw out the bait, but he definitely won’t take it.

Kim Taehyun seemed to be showing a pathological innocence when it came to that area. Watching him from the side, he treated his female colleagues well, but there was no sign of him crossing any lines.

So, without expecting much, I just threw it out there.

“Oh… No! Absolutely not!”

Strong denial.

This is it.