episode_0133

Indeed, that’s true. There are times when you wonder if it’s really necessary to come all the way here to eat unless it’s your friend’s shop. Today happens to be one of those days. When Gyeonggi residents have to go to Seoul, it’s especially like that. Or when the residents of Masan, Changwon, Jinhae, Gimhae, Yangsan, and other satellite cities of Busan go to Busan, their feelings are similar.

Why am I talking about this?

Because that’s how I feel right now. I wonder why I even bothered coming all the way here to see what fate has in store. No, what lies ahead is just a predetermined tragedy, making me even more reluctant to go. No matter how close of friends we are. Maybe that’s why.

That’s the reason why I phrased the request for Kim Taehyun to accompany me all the way to that far-off place in such a roundabout way.

“Are we almost there?”

“Ah…haha. Probably because it’s Seoul.”

A distance of about 1.5 to 2 hours by car. I came here knowing I would regret it.

“Um…Cheolsu…nim.”

“Nim? What’s with the formalities? Just call me hyung.”

Anyway, Kim Taehyun and I have an age gap of 11 years, and the age gap with Cheolsu is the same. Well, people who are successful in their careers tend to casually refer to each other as hyung even with that age gap.

“Uncle? The age gap seems about right to me.”

In my book, if someone is 11 years older than me, they’re 50. Truly an elder. Even the term “uncle” seems inadequate. Well, guys like Cheolsu, who are easygoing, might even call someone in their 60s hyung, but Kim Taehyun isn’t like that. He’s sociable, but he’s more of the type to accept others’ words well and embrace them, rather than taking charge and leading them.

“Well…that’s true.”

Yeah. It’s not that easy to casually use titles like hyung or uncle if it’s your company superior’s friend.

Actually, it’s because I’ve been getting along with Kim Taehyun without formality, but generally, there’s a huge gap between a team leader and a new employee in a company. There’s a significant difference between a rookie who hasn’t even been with the company for a year and a veteran with over 15 years of experience in terms of abilities, social status, perception by others, interests, etc.

At first, I thought we were just carpooling because we lived in the same direction, but now we’re going to a friend’s shop together for drinks. Of course, I suggested going there first, but Kim Taehyun, who agreed without hesitation, doesn’t seem like a normal or average person.

Well…I shouldn’t be the one to talk, considering I drank with him, called him privately, and even did an overbite on his shoulder.

“So, should I call you Manager Auntie?”

Kim Taehyun asked me with a mischievous expression.

Auntie…the term auntie is something I often hear from my nephews Jinwoo and Jinseo, so it’s somewhat acceptable, but still…

Well, knowing that Kim Taehyun didn’t ask me to call him that sincerely, I jokingly responded.

“If you want to be called that way, go ahead.”

“Eh, eh?”

“Why? It’s funny. Call me Auntie.”

“Uh, how can I call a team leader Auntie? Haha.”

Well, it was his own joke, but knowing he wouldn’t win in the end, Kim Taehyun just waved it off and refused.

“Ah, too bad. I’m getting tired of the formalities even outside of work, I thought we were quite close personally, but maybe I was the only one who thought so?”

“Um? Oh, that…uh…”

Ah, he’s flustered again. Well, recently, Kim Taehyun has been having these kinds of reactions frequently. Well, he suddenly turns red and stutters while talking.

“Well, yeah. Honestly, I didn’t think Taehyun would stick around our company for ten or twenty years like me, but still, since we’re on the same team and we ride together in the car every morning and evening, we’ve gotten pretty close, I think.”

Honestly, even when I was mentoring Kwon Sungyeol, we weren’t this close.

No matter how you look at it, spending time together like this is bound to deepen our relationship beyond just passing the time.

Come to think of it, we’re practically together all day on weekdays. From waking up to going home. Somehow, even though we’ve only spent about 2-3 months together, it feels like we’ve become really close.

“Anyway, if Taehyun wants me to call him ‘uncle’…”

“Oh, no! Just kidding. Haha! I mean, why take it so seriously?”

“Are you joking with the new recruit too?”

“Oh, no. I… I’m sorry.”

This time, he looked noticeably sullen.

Ah, this reaction. It’s really amusing. It’s like, a sharp reaction. I understand now why my superiors used to tease me when I was a rookie. I used to be so serious that if they teased me, I would react so strongly.

This feeling, that I am controlling his emotions.

Ah, exhilarating.

“Haha! I’m just kidding too. Since Taehyun started the joke, I just went along with it because his reaction was funny.”

“Yeah, that’s right, isn’t it? Haha.”

“But I really don’t mind. Well… honestly, it’s rare for a superior and subordinate to have such a personal relationship outside of work. As long as it doesn’t affect our work relationship, it’s fine, right?”

But if people were better at distinguishing between work and personal life, wouldn’t half of the troubles that arise from work relationships disappear?

“I’ll just call you Manager Kim.”

Kim Taehyun said firmly.

On one hand, it’s a test to see how he reacts in these situations, but it seems like he has clear standards for when to be formal and when to be informal in human relationships.

“Well, okay. Do as you please.”

Hmm… yeah. That’s the right thing to do. Hmm… something, something feels a bit off. Or maybe not. So I quietly pondered.

“Um, should I use a different title to address you?”

Kim Taehyun spoke to me again, seeming flustered as if he thought I was angry.

“Should I go with ‘auntie’ after all?”

“Uh, Manager. Look in the mirror. If people see us together outside, they’ll only see us as peers, right? But ‘auntie’ might stand out too much, don’t you think?”

Glancing at the mirror, I could see that he had a point.

No matter my actual age, to others, it might look strange.

“Then, well… just call me ‘nuna.’”

Nuna? Hmm. Thinking about it, it doesn’t seem too strange to be called that.

No, I mean, I even call Kang Chanhyuk, the director, ‘hyung’ in private settings. Above all, I don’t have any particular attachment to the term ‘nuna.’

Although ‘nuna’ and ‘hyung’ may be used differently, for someone like me who has lived as a man all my life, the feeling is distinctly different.

Calling someone ‘hyung’ gives a sense of intimacy. But the word ‘nuna’ doesn’t hold much significance for me, probably because I’ve always lived thinking I would never have a sister. So, I allowed Kwon Youngsoo, the trainer, to use that title as well.

So, um… in summary, the word ‘nuna’ is perhaps a less intimate term than ‘Manager,’ in a way.

Kim Tae-hyun asks if it’s necessary to change the way they address each other in private settings due to feeling a sense of intimacy. Well… that’s true, but anyway, the essence is that of a superior and a subordinate, and thinking that way, it doesn’t sit right with my conscience to just get along without any formality, so I consider the compromise in addressing each other to be ‘nuna.’

It’s not a term of endearment that I feel, but anyway, even from an outsider’s perspective, it’s appropriate to use a more familiar term of address in a closer relationship. Um.

“N-nuna?”

“Yeah. Well… this is also a matter of Tae-hyun’s choice. If you don’t like it, you can just keep calling me ‘team leader.’ But doesn’t this solve the problem? Cheol-su can just call me ‘hyung’ comfortably. Yeah. That’s right. Ah, that guy, anyway, it’s a bit embarrassing for someone in their 20s to hear ‘hyung.’”

“H-however, that’s too… even so, the boundary between a superior and a subordinate… no, it’s too fatal…”

“Just relax. Oh, right. And come to think of it, I’ve been calling Tae-hyun ‘Tae-hyun’ all this time, haven’t I? Haha. Then I’ll go ahead and call you Tae-hyun first. How’s that?”

“Y-yes? Oh, and come to think of it… Deputy Director Yoon Sung-yeol, don’t you usually call yourself Yoon Director? I thought you just added ‘~ssi’ because I’m still a newbie and don’t have a title.”

“Sung-yeol? Haha, even so, we’ve spent enough time together to call each other Sung-yeol. Besides, it’s tiring to call someone ‘Director So-and-so’ like in the company even in private. It’s not like we strictly distinguish between them… Anyway, well. I feel like Tae-hyun is like a younger brother with a big age difference to me. I’m thinking of being more casual, what do you think?”

I can’t help but think it would have been better if you had called me ‘hyung’ when you were a man, but what can I do. Life is about timing, and it’s the connection we’ve made after I became like this.

“I, I… th-that.”

Then muttering to himself for a moment.

-Phew!

He let out a deep sigh. With a heavy and serious expression as if he had something important to say, he slowly opened his mouth.

“N-nu, nu, nu-nuna. Ack! I bit my tongue!”

Watching him, I said with a tight and cool expression.

“Okay. I see. Our Tae-hyun prefers ‘nunna’ over ‘nuna.’ Got it. Do as you please.”

Anyway, I can’t understand the emotions of young people these days.