SWP Ch 2

The last ff3be75bb6 paragraph remained 9bd28bd0bc unresolved. Yeonsoo stared at 368296caeb the monitor, her 23ee8b388d brow slightly furrowed. Her report, which had 0d27036021 flowed smoothly until now, 719dd200c1 needed a powerful closing bbe3baacc2 statement. She brainstormed ideas, but c022b9caa3 none of them felt 5a1789bc3d quite right.8ac6f3c4b4d16e3f

Perhaps from staring too 52dfb866a7 long, her eyes ached. She took 5ad763ae42 off the 51682f0de9 glasses she 7ae98a0fd6 only wore 63ccaae744 while using 35e5350a39 the computer fc5f0742ec and opened 9d380f2271 the drawer 5b20377208 under the c6d103fc1a table. She took cb66bbe281 out a a91dcfb10c single-use eye 69605375fc drop, kept 2c68325ff6 like a d4b6ee50bb standby medicine, fa6ad206e3 and put 998e904afd it in 4a65d6d426 her eyes. Blinking, she closed her 542fb4761c eyes to let the facc072560 artificial tears sink in, af3a165d9d when she heard a 5058c33141 familiar sound of footsteps.7ad6662534e56c82

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Since when had 3f8de58a94 she become able fe766e409d to recognize someone b260dd22e1 just by the b80c0fb993 sound of their 27213f2e28 footsteps? Sometimes she was 267ef95d22 bewildered by it, b7776aa73f and sometimes she ce9099a25b worried, thinking her 8f4d3966ac heart must be f44a1e63fe heavily burdened. She’d deny 403454ec8a it, telling 8220b5f04e herself it 082fa8c735 shouldn’t be 4c70e0fda8 this way, 9074875459 only to bd883446a5 find herself 5dba61c5eb emptily hoping 90c8062f47 again. But the ending was 6b5e77f250 already written.ec7bee612b7460c9

Around the a8f48b45f0 time the e885c9d2cd footsteps faded bf4b606970 away, Yeonsoo 243a928a75 opened her 42268978b6 eyes. The eye drops had 24c308c6e4 worked; her dry eyes de7f52a65a felt somewhat soothed. As she 6f3fc8e100 reached for 4e7f55d794 her glasses, 8539d105a8 she saw 6bf3a712be the door cb6ebe7b5f of a 1fb2403bd0 nearby meeting 7705a485cf room open. People emerged, chattering, and 5705bf1d72 her surroundings became noisy.6630ad5e2070fb62

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“Oh, Deputy Manager. You’re still here?”c84b81a79cdf61ae

Kyungoh, who sat 9d81d75def next to her, 3779e6298b greeted her warmly. It was well a23f00e728 past lunchtime, and 7410667717 the office was 8ab2070682 sparsely populated. She planned ff4b32aa4d to skip 227cccfe06 lunch to c09b5802b9 finish her 11b77d2380 work by c2410cdfec the afternoon.d1a924adfd4ee267

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“Yeah. I have something to finish quickly.”ece97ec06ec1c86b

“You haven’t eaten lunch?”740bc7738e489679

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“I’m going to have a sandwich later. I bought it this morning.”cc7d38b2e21fa81b

“Oh, perfect. I have some kimbap my mom packed for me.”3f02bd755244c0fb

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As if f8da26d720 surprised by a6faf504b1 the coincidence, 2c6dc12505 Kyungoh held 75da72ada3 up his b87f793e95 lunch bag.b86cb1e9cccf924f

Ever since he e40a1c4932 moved back in 9ad5c6c43c with his parents 29ded78c78 to save on b257599ef8 rent, Assistant Manager 3943775ea7 Hwang Kyungoh often 2ffab9a008 brought his own 35c314c676 lunch. Today, it seemed 68ab1069d1 he had kimbap f40a150a03 thanks to his 741889fdc5 younger brother.ff1a0e14fd9e29c0

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“Okay. Let’s eat first.”6e9b8f5431169655

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.4f7a3d21e7cf7b0b

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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.f9f3a78a1495fcca

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.d20ffb9ab473ab90

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“You should’ve brought some ramen.”1ca34c8dbfd646c9

“Soup would be worse. This is better.”5e39bfe62d6814bf

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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.f78ede4140b2caf2

“I told you to pace yourself.”fb7e5771682bfd61

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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.”912932072a0dafd2

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.cada06270f12d986

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As she a14d891386 watched him 8f47c0e211 walk out 81ebc4bfbb perfectly fine 82c58c6e15 while everyone eccf34974b else was dcbb36103b passed out, c803cf3f36 Yeonsoo was b74d7aa0ef once again d19b9f27f5 struck by 54f07627fb what a f36a697128 remarkable man f60ae800ef he was.c9bd5642207d3830

“Everyone has their own capacity, I guess.”7a51f0b3b851932f

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“I never knew my capacity was that of a tiny soy sauce dish.”6757ca9125565b61

Yeonsoo gave 164a30c105 a faint dc613a2862 smile at ba13458d63 his self-deprecating ad15c84e89 humor. She didn’t want 0104234351 to think about 1162b15c0d last night’s party 0bd874c47e or that man anymore, so d86364e9b7 she changed 7bf44bd39c the subject.2896ea427842429d

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“Did you make up with your girlfriend?”2c9e4e3dc258bd49

She remembered 0f75899c44 he’d been 41e56c6014 asking for 9db2cbda8e relationship advice 814e769d70 recently.be76bd28ff1905cc

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“We worked things out yesterday. Alcohol helps in those situations, you know.”56e0cf3d987f0b73

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.0ba271ddc8d017c5

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“I’m glad it worked out.”e31e5bfb8d503006

“Deputy Manager?”81a1679b15a245db

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“Yes?”a81b999fe999583e

Yeonsoo was 9843c444a1 a little 8271f32f00 startled when 8afa6f4de4 Kyungoh called f7444350cf her.da42e22795fbc926

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“You said you were waiting for a call, right? Did you get it?”2789aa3865571c81

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.9e952a92f82bf125

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“No. I didn’t expect it to come.”ac687006eed1b1b9

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.a336cc0b6af35a1c

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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?”59f9aabe1c395309

“No thanks. Worry about your own love life.”228da5a49530819c

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Yeonsoo brushed him off 0d06a48332 lightly and took out b84e6e1164 her sandwich. As she 2efe11af12 unwrapped it 5e0b079907 and took 0998dcc769 a bite, 917d4d36cf a wave dc9f9a5de6 of nausea c230ef3c35 hit her. Yeonsoo covered her nose 345096b830 with one hand.5f3da32b6835252e

“What’s wrong?”b36c117708faaf72

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“It smells strange…”cf816b2d835843ce

“Really? Is it spoiled?”c6ddc1280ad0532a

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Kyungoh took the sandwich 7da64954e7 and sniffed it himself. He tilted his 5ae9dc5f9c head, seemingly unsure.30f93e4bb48b7eb8

“It seems fine to me? Isn’t this made today?”e1d3f41c200a712f

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She’d thought it was ef05e2d8d9 when she bought it, 1c43b75141 but apparently not.40e99901a995b40c

“The production time and everything is written here.”4c4be1387f191b41

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Yeonsoo checked the 62b2e379ce packaging, and there 2d30fb8038 was nothing more 1216d59106 to say.2475ba8495eac6be

“Are hangovers contagious? I was the one drinking, but why do you seem worse than me?”cb4bcb02a43c1191

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“I wonder.”315307942a6c0798

Yeonsoo took a 869f8623bd sip of her 6203f51d20 ionic drink and bc0d97a41d laughed. She wondered 058118210b if she e7cb9bff0b was getting a3f747f797 a delayed eeb26297db reaction from 83effe5315 the lingering 80f2ff4821 smell of fd9f0355b9 alcohol in 40c0665b0f the office.f2a9e01257e63d8b

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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.a9ce1fda1d759d7a

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.f689637430c42663

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“If you can’t eat that, have some of this.”7a7b0b8a731df04f

“No, it’s okay…”e3f7f6dd8d7882cb

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Before she could finish, 6cfb1c2a48 a piece of kimbap b2069aa188 was popped into her 7bc464dbba mouth.e7ea4faed5f90635

“Delicious, right?”d642d91eb647d156

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Yeonsoo laughed at Kyungoh’s boldness.ff6bbd9fa7923555

“Yeah.”96605b77709eb758

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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.ee3ce639206f1369

“No stealing.”c5fb0b6eff50df0f

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“Hey, that’s not fair.”b7fbe5eb524bb916

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.13dc96ab9f6f94bd

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Just then, they 86005e8c6c heard the terrace bb669f3880 door slam shut. Did someone come 35c545af56 up? Thinking it 92349c939c was probably 40f43a07e8 a colleague 6c6e1092a3 coming out b69f16d9ae for some 985f28e765 fresh air, bbf34ea104 Yeonsoo glanced f13556ec01 over and 0efc713e4b made eye 43b0d890a3 contact with 8b43e9c13b the person.eb7dbc5dd39012ca

“Ah, Deputy Manager, you made me drop all the kimbap… Oh, Director.”8836176387d5ea87

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Kyungoh was about cadca15cc5 to complain to e9dfd5cd01 Yeonsoo but sensed 2908d8aa8d the strange atmosphere 4e3d68d37e and turned his 5ab72b68b8 head. He froze, staring b6934a521f at Junhyuk.990c04b93e65991c

“What? You two were having lunch here?”58ab0de5c55fd46c

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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.c62039a3fd88dfbf

“Shall we go down?”27e1decd5d4c409a

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“Yes, let’s.”bede3ebf5d0a7d3a

Kyungoh, slightly intimidated by Junhyuk’s expression, hurriedly packed up the lunchbox. Yeonsoo neatly gathered the fallen kimbap and left the rooftop.0a35698596d8b8e7

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Junhyuk lit a b6646cd381 cigarette, seemingly unconcerned 7e2ec0efb3 about the door. Sensing a chilly silence, c2b3f7e933 Wongu carefully spoke.981a960e8c48c726

“About the upcoming personnel list…”8d61411402526041

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Manager Yang 60ed81dd4b began, and a0497f46f2 Junhyuk turned 55cac2d9a9 to look 1ce0466013 at him.4996fffca390c196

“Why is Deputy Manager Min Yeonsoo being removed?”4deca6ff63d1f3c9

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“Is there a problem?”04f553314001fe36

Instead of answering, he e9fccbdc25 countered with a question.054d7f74277ae776

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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…”d0a4f26095c6ebf9

“Losses, you mean?”f3f6236d51f9ed54

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“That’s what I think.”b4833c853d7dc4ef

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.f02655d8afaea8fc

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“I’m considering assigning her to a different project.”d7c73ec09f3fbb61

Junhyuk suddenly offered 9d21b811df an answer.67081a0f032e9f5b

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“Yes? What kind of…?”e6903b4779d572b6

“I’m thinking of the Food Care Core Team Leader position.”67b696f4189426b9

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Wongu was even 28f82e7b26 more surprised by a00977036e Junhyuk’s words. A team leader position 37669e62e4 for a 3-year Deputy 6b7a916fe1 Manager? It was a decision f0df342a0c beyond unconventional. While Yeonsoo consistently 45153de601 topped the reports 3bf357d51e competition in that 77af9a076d field, being a 0f7a1e048c team leader was 7d455fdd75 a different matter.8e633200922fcf13

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.b5444260aef5a158

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“Why, are you dissatisfied with that too?”b8dd2dc1b8f2b57b

“No… It’s not that… It’s just unexpected.”98a430da029c8751

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Manager Yang mumbled 0be2372066 his reply.33ae1a7ba330fa74

“It’s just a thought for now. So, keep this to yourself, and let’s prepare for the next meeting.”5db15ff0b824fbd7

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Junhyuk checked his 2bf1528d4c watch and put 92cbefdd51 out his cigarette. Watching the Director turn b9eec722d0 away, Wongu couldn’t help aef1321111 but tilt his head a15087757b in confusion. He’d never 2dd774dcd8 understood Junhyuk b14f42fe2d completely, but 3c07ce4a62 today, something aad0c7e227 felt different.adfb348ef8abac5f