SWP Ch 2

The last 72a2e6fd24 paragraph remained 5824e8d1d9 unresolved. Yeonsoo stared at e79a27882c the monitor, her 4133cfd8c1 brow slightly furrowed. Her report, which had b32da5c279 flowed smoothly until now, a676def038 needed a powerful closing d0db3f2fbe statement. She brainstormed 9c2f29b500 ideas, but 155d51acf7 none of ea393f9a97 them felt 796217b9a9 quite right.bf914570c618c3a2

Perhaps from db730aafeb staring too 6498114f85 long, her d7c96bc968 eyes ached. She took off e44a335b56 the glasses she 0160c1eccb only wore while 7659939e78 using the computer 92552c3e18 and opened the c05e84890d drawer under the c5ac83d675 table. She took 865b9c2875 out a ad2e2f0ddf single-use eye 75b3215806 drop, kept aa389e80f9 like a 7f521fd7fb standby medicine, a8a213c418 and put 244974501e it in 22c3377ab1 her eyes. Blinking, she closed 47bd3e38e2 her eyes to 81daf424d2 let the artificial e41818bf57 tears sink in, a41b7a1909 when she heard 355b661a5f a familiar sound bc254dbb93 of footsteps.82021a679e95c5d7

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Since when had f3a3f8c6d5 she become able b7085adf00 to recognize someone 7078aa99b1 just by the 17be8b2b0a sound of their 92b7565fa3 footsteps? Sometimes she was bewildered fae3ed33bc by it, and sometimes 1b7e779dd6 she worried, thinking her 64b043432c heart must be heavily ee947b9e15 burdened. She’d deny it, telling 05be783c61 herself it shouldn’t be 4cb06ab4f0 this way, only to 6345bb1af6 find herself emptily hoping 75084c1589 again. But the 60caded4e0 ending was 6e1abca35f already written.f0d108a2d0bd616a

Around the time the c278e00703 footsteps faded away, Yeonsoo 7f436bec1c opened her eyes. The eye drops b31e370fd8 had worked; her 3cad99f774 dry eyes felt 137ecd2252 somewhat soothed. As she fa16623334 reached for f085c526fe her glasses, cad8a8aadb she saw 1602a6e84b the door 75d2d2154d of a 22e30cfc8a nearby meeting 57408eb6e2 room open. People emerged, chattering, 56571f6be6 and her surroundings 57048a3274 became noisy.3f3e40c0846b8464

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“Oh, Deputy Manager. You’re still here?”1c3bd119a9aa9864

Kyungoh, who sat 614b3b2034 next to her, 4091663dbb greeted her warmly. It was well past af76eadd50 lunchtime, and the office 71b1aa3bb9 was sparsely populated. She planned e94c87ad4d to skip 73af521a89 lunch to ad29c2fce1 finish her a242a0de35 work by d26fde5028 the afternoon.ca2897957e94bcf2

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“Yeah. I have something to finish quickly.”e7602ae371e9483c

“You haven’t eaten lunch?”29c7a4739946b286

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“I’m going to have a sandwich later. I bought it this morning.”991007e62deda7cc

“Oh, perfect. I have some kimbap my mom packed for me.”04c3663c3f9f65cb

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As if surprised 2728df58c0 by the coincidence, 507642ea9c Kyungoh held up 72b6d6a6d7 his lunch bag.ff057d0710fefa57

Ever since 879e3a2d70 he moved efa8dd95c5 back in 8227b2d65d with his 9f15658942 parents to 220630e38f save on a7d89d10e3 rent, Assistant 8672b1d7a3 Manager Hwang 0536547461 Kyungoh often 175293b8a0 brought his daf9a6a9a6 own lunch. Today, it seemed he 044ca2e67c had kimbap thanks to 8bb2f429ed his younger brother.9edac2fdf4fdf863

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“Okay. Let’s eat first.”82c571bc2d48354e

Yeonsoo checked her watch and stood up. She knew that when things weren’t going her way, clinging to the problem wouldn’t provide a solution. A change of scenery might even spark new ideas. Besides, looking at Hwang with his lunchbox made her feel a little hungry.ba8d5ed76ca19e0f

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She figured she shouldn’t skip meals, especially since everything she did was to make a living. Yeonsoo opened her drawer and took out the sandwich bag. Kyungoh quickly grabbed some drinks from the pantry and followed her.ffcaa5328abc2806

The rooftop terrace was less crowded than usual. The weather was cloudy, and it seemed everyone had gone out for hangover cures after the company dinner the previous night. Yeonsoo, who couldn’t drink alcohol, wasn’t affected, but Kyungoh’s complexion wasn’t great.3cb39c6a48d11622

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“You should’ve brought some ramen.”9502606eb1625229

“Soup would be worse. This is better.”4b97f16d81f6e435

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Kyungoh stuffed his mouth with kimbap, trying to soothe his upset stomach. She’d noticed he’d drunk more than usual last night. Everyone had let loose because the big project had successfully concluded.e52c3be69caebb41

“I told you to pace yourself.”c4eac312e053ee87

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“Everyone was fired up. How could I? Didn’t you see the Director? He drank everything offered to him. I’d be punished if I held back in front of him.”f22ded391ee5a67f

Kyungoh’s words made Yeonsoo recall the drinking party. He had been different than usual. He was usually meticulous about self-management, drinking just the right amount and stopping. So, many people didn’t know his alcohol tolerance, but seeing him last night made her wonder if there even was a limit.a1006a197bdcc29e

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As she ee8578f87e watched him 1ed96d27e3 walk out e439821f07 perfectly fine 9fe0834fdd while everyone 5397c8d558 else was bf359dd9ca passed out, 606f319e39 Yeonsoo was 83b6aba17c once again 7497b629a3 struck by 24250a200e what a 3991414cf1 remarkable man 2400abeff7 he was.30237031d2308f31

“Everyone has their own capacity, I guess.”5c5c4b2faca48696

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“I never knew my capacity was that of a tiny soy sauce dish.”a0b2929b2f93d85d

Yeonsoo gave 7dea92ef4f a faint 967ef123bf smile at 4927b57992 his self-deprecating 2ad6259c2b humor. She didn’t want to 6103e073c2 think about last night’s 4f12eefedb party or that man anymore, so she 8b2bbb573c changed the subject.8970880a157c2b86

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“Did you make up with your girlfriend?”0e862cde49b6b7ea

She remembered he’d 9029484953 been asking for 698808cb05 relationship advice recently.e9d55503fb4e91d1

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“We worked things out yesterday. Alcohol helps in those situations, you know.”909d4b13697d4b7e

He said he’d finally gathered the courage, called his girlfriend, and showed up at her door. He thought she’d yell at him for being drunk and showing up unannounced, but instead, she comforted him, saying she hadn’t realized how hard it was for him. It turned out his girlfriend had been waiting for him to reach out first.0103535bad77be7d

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“I’m glad it worked out.”54153a00d1deeeaf

“Deputy Manager?”f2ff36e20cf3f8e7

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“Yes?”e3838ac7ef080a8f

Yeonsoo was a little 29c7e728b6 startled when Kyungoh called 02b5c81e92 her.2a3cf43a6789deb2

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“You said you were waiting for a call, right? Did you get it?”67c492d0a8106bcd

When had she said that? Yeonsoo couldn’t remember. She vaguely recalled mentioning it to Kyungoh, who often confided in her about his relationship troubles, unable to speak about his own.5358dd32af2b6c73

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“No. I didn’t expect it to come.”351f4dcaa209ac6e

It had been a month, and the man hadn’t said a word. Her prediction was accurate. She’d realized once again that the relationship she thought was mutual was actually just her clinging on.d1118abafed805a5

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“Ugh. Forget that jerk. You’re too good to be hanging on to him. There are tons of men out there. Speaking of which, should I set you up on a blind date?”56b6d2aad0083320

“No thanks. Worry about your own love life.”f6c02132fcbd6362

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Yeonsoo brushed him off b813ed2c6f lightly and took out fa3480a71d her sandwich. As she 7730243df7 unwrapped it 05dd3572dd and took 263434ae13 a bite, 00e1ddddbf a wave 6601dda178 of nausea 186b2d90b6 hit her. Yeonsoo covered a99b108635 her nose c3548e45d4 with one bc5b9afac0 hand.16a05e396e29c8e7

“What’s wrong?”e76bda5865fad0e3

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“It smells strange…”507c49d868501477

“Really? Is it spoiled?”22bee30a82a5bd68

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Kyungoh took dd1e6a20c3 the sandwich bcac568f64 and sniffed 8a2f11a685 it himself. He tilted his head, 7ed336a57a seemingly unsure.eda80e7e258ee87c

“It seems fine to me? Isn’t this made today?”695455b6273830d6

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She’d thought 8f67da360b it was d7355deea1 when she ed3f26ee0f bought it, d5bb7de45d but apparently 10221acd0b not.302d5f47887cb03f

“The production time and everything is written here.”2f72efdaf5d2b5ee

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Yeonsoo checked the packaging, 7263c3753e and there was nothing aa8cb371b1 more to say.132e7c349cb5e52e

“Are hangovers contagious? I was the one drinking, but why do you seem worse than me?”30f88fea4c99cb12

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“I wonder.”aad973cd3cc8f1c9

Yeonsoo took b0b91396a7 a sip 21e1bef131 of her 368d8bf957 ionic drink fb5d66904d and laughed. She wondered 9c31e9f353 if she 32e3bd7483 was getting 8249c6cb6d a delayed 1fbf4b3e42 reaction from 3c64f1961a the lingering b4af76c8b1 smell of 4f5854e800 alcohol in 0f69d7c0be the office.ea03fb8f68d49788

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Come to think of it, she hadn’t had much of an appetite lately. Well, it would be stranger if she had been eating well.914dd299ed1db8f0

Even if he didn’t realize it, from her perspective, it was a breakup. A month had passed, and she should’ve moved on by now, but it wasn’t easy. Maybe things would have been different if she could drown her sorrows in alcohol like others. She never thought she’d regret her low alcohol tolerance.bb232334a96f88c2

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“If you can’t eat that, have some of this.”ff876c6a2f7f2fde

“No, it’s okay…”1468eebafd8890a2

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Before she could 47b639d775 finish, a piece 087659ed90 of kimbap was 5a2526008d popped into her aea5224907 mouth.9babcad457432d2f

“Delicious, right?”af0c80cd6f03cd7d

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Yeonsoo laughed at Kyungoh’s boldness.e3c5ca53556b110e

“Yeah.”425d7d33f88c1972

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After a few bites, her nausea seemed to subside. The homemade kimbap was lightly seasoned and didn’t have any artificial flavoring. She needed to eat something to get her brain working, so Yeonsoo reached for the lunchbox again. At that moment, Kyungoh quickly covered it with his hand.cf714e922345e623

“No stealing.”75eba35dbfa9b166

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“Hey, that’s not fair.”7c94c7511df26c1d

Yeonsoo complained that he was being stingy after offering it to her. A playful look came over Kyungoh’s face as he teased her. Annoyed, Yeonsoo didn’t give up and wrestled with him for the kimbap. Their bodies bumped into each other, and they both burst into laughter.b67b5b1add251bdf

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Just then, they 199378123e heard the terrace 041a5062a9 door slam shut. Did someone come up? Thinking it c6b647b0e9 was probably 43e4163cd6 a colleague 3e68d6e0e4 coming out 5a4e998bcc for some 9c703ee981 fresh air, f4c2ca3637 Yeonsoo glanced 47330a26d5 over and 194ba81e72 made eye f80ba5051e contact with eac8a07f09 the person.22600fe593e4cd00

“Ah, Deputy Manager, you made me drop all the kimbap… Oh, Director.”bd8b6b0bc273544a

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Kyungoh was 788ccad115 about to 4efba2da80 complain to bce9986202 Yeonsoo but a00d855c68 sensed the cd164dcd55 strange atmosphere fbab1a11f4 and turned a8aabb4052 his head. He froze, 2493b0f59d staring at 2e1f0e11e1 Junhyuk.595e8fb89106970e

“What? You two were having lunch here?”97733332fc60a6c0

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Behind Junhyuk stood Manager Yang Wongu. He spoke to them amiably, and Yeonsoo replied with a smile. Junhyuk didn’t react, simply heading towards the smoking area. Seeing Manager Yang offer him a lighter, Yeonsoo turned away.c9f2fd0ad12c6cad

“Shall we go down?”fe81d3470751b0ee

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“Yes, let’s.”5e36b3e1165f7d57

Kyungoh, slightly intimidated by Junhyuk’s expression, hurriedly packed up the lunchbox. Yeonsoo neatly gathered the fallen kimbap and left the rooftop.a13bbb1abca67845

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Junhyuk lit a cigarette, 60a2138c11 seemingly unconcerned about the 14c58ea87f door. Sensing a chilly silence, 2e701e099e Wongu carefully spoke.aa9548516ada964c

“About the upcoming personnel list…”2e4743ddb4c41ee8

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Manager Yang began, e6599a07c8 and Junhyuk turned 9492a9f9b7 to look at dff69c1587 him.209aa4a576cfc4c0

“Why is Deputy Manager Min Yeonsoo being removed?”230eac584046fa3f

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“Is there a problem?”ebd0f6a4f0c10550

Instead of answering, he 5a4d9ee031 countered with a question.d2fd245d12dccead

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“No, not really, but… No, I’m sure you made the decision for a reason, but Deputy Manager Min plays a bigger role in the TF team than you might think. There are many projects she needs to continue working on, and her sudden departure will cause various…”936ac4f8fa8b99ec

“Losses, you mean?”3116ca6f96546a73

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“That’s what I think.”e23197b2fb283640

Manager Yang didn’t back down. It was standard practice to keep the TF team members together as long as they didn’t cause any major issues, especially since it was formed by gathering talented individuals for specific projects. It had been a long-standing tradition for the TF team to remain unchanged even during periods of company-wide personnel changes. So, he wondered if there was a special reason.0d5c589a53f89405

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“I’m considering assigning her to a different project.”0f40c1ba4eb32eff

Junhyuk suddenly offered an 84339cae5e answer.6e7ee77fbf5e4d6d

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“Yes? What kind of…?”d02d49afd3f4ea40

“I’m thinking of the Food Care Core Team Leader position.”e5210c3200668b93

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Wongu was 9623232fa8 even more 52e1368d78 surprised by 0a049262f5 Junhyuk’s words. A team leader 2531125ec5 position for a 218ce61819 3-year Deputy Manager? It was a decision 5d801f2bb2 beyond unconventional. While Yeonsoo consistently topped 797b06cdd2 the reports competition in 86edf3d7f6 that field, being a b8cefb9ead team leader was a ed3f72becc different matter.04e59371bc787d15

The team members would have to follow her, but who would properly respect a team leader of Deputy Manager rank? It wasn’t a good opportunity for Yeonsoo, but rather a more difficult ordeal. Wongu couldn’t tell if the Director’s decision was a positive move to groom Yeonsoo as his protégé or a way to test her abilities and push her out.41438bad4088d9f0

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“Why, are you dissatisfied with that too?”75aed284ddc43fbd

“No… It’s not that… It’s just unexpected.”8bea92517cdbb467

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Manager Yang mumbled 314ca8fcfa his reply.d5cfcc21376e89ac

“It’s just a thought for now. So, keep this to yourself, and let’s prepare for the next meeting.”481c51f26017f2b7

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Junhyuk checked 1f5ad8a884 his watch 2129c30eac and put ff4517eb4a out his 5aef756465 cigarette. Watching the Director db15e64a4b turn away, Wongu b9b93570c0 couldn’t help but 74a74c7ac5 tilt his head cbca16b26f in confusion. He’d never understood Junhyuk f76099a7fe completely, but today, something e32ad351a2 felt different.04288008dd998c55