UX Chapter 5

Forget answering the phone, Chiwon avoided it even more diligently than anyone else in the world. Chiwon didn’t keep his pompous promise of ‘calling after work.’ True to the company’s PC-Off policy, as soon as 6 o’clock hit, the power went off. He left without turning it back on, bolting out of the office and then turning off his phone.

He heard his team members clamoring behind him for a company dinner to celebrate the new team leader’s arrival, but he ignored them completely.

Arriving home, Chiwon was so exhausted he didn’t even have the energy to undress, and just threw his collapsing body onto the bed.

“So annoying.”

He didn’t bother to hide the grumbling that escaped his lips. He had the absurd thought that it would be nice if all this were just a dream when he fell asleep and woke up again. He wanted to go back to before he met that ridiculously handsome Ahn Jihyuk. No, at least he wanted to go back to that street where he’d yelled “sex” in front of Ahn Jihyuk, cover his past self’s mouth, chop the back of his neck, and knock himself unconscious.

“Ha.”

As if that would happen.

It hadn’t even been an hour since he got home from work, but he was already worried about going back. He had to start working with Jihyuk properly tomorrow, and a sense of dread washed over him.

“Ugh… I don’t want to go to work.”

Chiwon lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling, replaying the events in his mind.

First, he trespassed into the hotel where Ahn Jihyuk was staying.

“No, but that wasn’t my fault. That crazy Baek Seunghoon sent me to room 1201 instead of 1210.”

No matter how much he blamed his friend, it was ultimately his own fault. Even as he grumbled about the injustice of it all, Chiwon clamped his mouth shut at the truth his mind acknowledged.

And after that, he even grabbed An Jihyuk by the collar.

“Ugh. Idiot, idiot.”

He should have stopped there after mistakenly assuming Jihyuk was his ex’s affair partner.

But his past self suddenly grabbed Ahn Jihyuk by the collar, demanding Kim Sangduk, and ransacked every room. Afterward, he scoffed at Jihyuk’s request when he asked for an apology and yelled ‘sex’ at the man trying to return his phone.

“Just die, why am I even alive? Just drop dead.”

Would things have been a little better if it had ended there?

Even at the company, he abruptly called Jihyuk a ‘fucking asshole’…

“But, that’s because he started it.”

As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. 

If he had just been making a fuss by himself, would he have felt so wronged?

Chiwon sat up abruptly.

“Hey, he played along, why am I the only one embarrassed? Why am I the only one screwed? Why?”

Exactly.

“It was him who came into the company late. If my reputation was better than his, it would be a different story. I’ll show him!”

He spoke bravely, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything. Chiwon sighed deeply and flopped back down.

He felt wronged and angry, but there was nothing else he could do.

He should have just returned the phone he found. Did it really have to escalate this much? It was An Jihyuk who responded to his every outburst, who licked his hand covering his mouth.

“…It’s my karma, I guess.”

Thinking rationally, he was the one who caused all of this.

He let his drained body go limp and slowly blinked his eyes open and closed.

“Should I just…”

Should I just sleep with him and quit?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head vigorously. Even though he met people easily and fell in love quickly, he prided himself on not living a promiscuous enough life to have sex for a one-night stand.

“Although, his face is kind of…”

Crazy, crazy.

He was dumbfounded that he was thinking about An Jihyuk’s face in this situation. Chiwon pulled out the pillow from under his head and placed it over his face. Sighs leaked out. Just thinking about it made his chest feel tight, and he felt like he was suffocating.

“Let’s just stay quiet and try not to stand out as much as possible.”

Having reached a conclusion, Chiwon forced himself to erase that devastatingly handsome face from his mind.

But strangely, as soon as he erased the face, an image of Jihyuk’s naked body, which he had never seen before, bloomed in front of his eyes. The image of Jihyuk roughly pushing back his hair, holding a condom between his teeth, and looking down at him languidly was stimulating, even though he had never actually seen it before.

He must have a great body.

Just looking at him in a suit, he could roughly guess Ahn Jihyuk’s physique. There was no doubt that he would have a well-defined body, with six-pack abs, a gracefully curved chest, and firm muscles in all the right places.

And…

“Ah, I need a shower.”

Suddenly, he felt a tightness in his lower abdomen. Feeling a warmth spreading through him, Chiwon abruptly stood up and shook his head.

“I’m going through a lot right now. Yeah. I broke up with my boyfriend, it’s tough, yeah, it’s tough.”

The cool winter air flowing into the room brought him back to his senses. Feeling a chill, Chiwon turned on the heater before entering the bathroom, making sure to warm up the house. He also turned on the electric blanket on his bed so he could lie down and go straight to sleep after his shower.

It didn’t seem this cold just a few days ago.

The way winter peeked its head out and then revealed its massive form was instantaneous.

Chiwon smiled faintly. The arrival of winter meant the arrival of his peak season, which meant a hectic schedule and, at the same time, a huge bonus.

“I’m going to be dead tired starting tomorrow, what sex!”

It wasn’t the time to be leisurely fantasizing and ogling someone else’s body.

However, while he had said the season was starting, he hadn’t imagined it would start like this. 

Though unintended, somehow having lunch and coffee afterwards with Ahn Jihyuk had all become Chiwon’s responsibility. Usually, after a new posting, it was customary to have meals with the executives or have a team dinner with the team members, but Ahn Jihyuk, for whatever reason, postponed all of that until next week and specifically chose Chiwon as his lunch mate.

‘Me? Why?’

Chiwon’s eyes widened as he looked at him, but all he received was a cold response.

‘Isn’t this a busy time for the Sports & Outdoor category? Lunchtime is the perfect time to coordinate schedules.’

Ah, he had a point.

Thanks to that, Chiwon ended up spending his lunch break with Ahn Jihyuk.

Ahn Jihyuk was more immersed in his work than expected. When Chiwon heard that Jihyuk had refused requests from superiors to set a rough schedule before the official season began, he was involuntarily dumbfounded.

“Is it okay to do that?”

“What’s wrong with it? I’ll be called around all next week, so don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t particularly worried.”

“Okay.”

Silence fell.

Ahn Jihyuk, who had followed him all the way to the rooftop, stared blankly at the white steam rising from his warm coffee.

Still, it was perhaps fortunate that he willingly made time. As he said, there would be no other time to discuss work with him other than during lunch. Unfortunately, even if the new team leader had an impressive resume, he still needed to receive a briefing during this busy season.

Chiwon clicked his tongue.

He then opened the plastic lid and cooled his hot coffee in the cold air. He was gently blowing on the rising steam when he suddenly made eye contact with Ahn Jihyuk. 

Jihyuk was staring intently at him, his eyebrows twitching as if he was deep in thought, and then he suddenly smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth. That look in his eyes was somewhat unsettling. 

Chiwon frowned, wondering if he was going to start talking about sex again, and Jihyuk burst out laughing.

Is this man really crazy?

As Chiwon abruptly hardened his expression, Ahn Jihyuk cleared his throat.

“Ah, what were we talking about…?”

What, was he so engrossed in my face that he forgot the topic? Well, I’ve never been called ugly.

Chiwon, who was smiling smugly at the absurd thought, shook his head, realizing his mistake.

“We were talking about Company A.”

At his concise reply, Ahn Jihyuk said, “Ah,” and continued,

“So, have you set a date to meet with Company A next week?”

“Not yet. They haven’t finalized their new product launch date either.”

“Let’s ask them to give it to us first.”

“They won’t. They’re still upset about the exclusive launch we gave Company B last year. The products were released at the same time, but Company A took a hit because of Company B’s promotion. This year’s off-season was also focused on Company B.”

“They might be upset, but they’re merchants just like us, aren’t they? We’re all about making money together, so if we persuade them, they’ll come around.”

This time, too, he was right.

Chiwon have heard that Ahn Jihyuk had a brilliant career, and a strange sense of trust bloomed towards him as he easily said, ‘It can be done.’

Other people might think differently, but those who speak and make decisions easily tend to have the ability to back it up. When others are apprehensive and say negatively, ‘It won’t work,’ or ‘You’re speaking so lightly because you don’t know anything you’re talking about,’ those who readily step forward and show courage were mostly those who had already experienced it and had the experience to show for it.

Although Chiwon hadn’t had a deep conversation with him yet, he liked the confidence Ahn Jihyuk displayed towards work. As he slowly nodded, Ahn Jihyuk chuckled.

“Phew.”

Chiwon let out a long sigh. The sigh, escaping without him realizing it, weighed heavily on his chest.

His schedule had been hectic since morning. ON Department Store have numerous branches, and now there was a manager who wanted to launched an online store.

Amidst the busy morning, while he was busy finalizing the launch contract, another manager from another brand branch inquired about coupon discounts. Occasionally, there were brands that prohibited discounts at branch stores, unlike their direct online stores. And the managers running those stores were always trying to increase sales. Most of the requests to add coupons, taking advantage of the brand’s lax monitoring, would turn back into requests to remove the coupons as soon as they were applied, with the excuse of being “caught by the head office.’

And now was the perfect time for such back-and-forth. Now, when they had to dispose of the remaining autumn clothing and boost sales of new products, this was the time when managers and MDs clashed the most.

He delegated most tasks to his assistant, but matters related to margins could directly impact the company’s profits, so Chiwon tried to handle them himself. That’s why he was exhausted from handling the relentlessly busy work.

“Hmm, you looked very busy earlier.”

“Ah, yes. The transition period from off-season to on-season is when I die from dealing with the managers.”

“Are you adding night coupons?”

“Night coupons, and sometimes daytime ones too. Then, when the head office calls with a warning, they’ll ask me to remove them again.”

“Isn’t it difficult to remove them once they’re linked to the partner vendors? Linking takes time.”

“That’s why I don’t usually link coupons.”

So, just as Ahn Jihyuk said, they were all merchants in the end.

The store managers who violated the head office’s rules and asked for coupons, Chiwon who applied coupons to outperform competitors, and the head office that monitored coupon usage to maintain product exclusivity and brand value.

In this entangled relationship, no one could be noble. Still, if one had to divide them by status, the store managers were the most pitiful. Stores that accumulated warnings from the brand for violating regulations usually didn’t receive new products.

It was a bit harsh, but Chiwon had no obligation to look after them. If Branch A couldn’t receive new products due to penalties, he could simply shift the planned promotion to Branch B. If Branch A complained, he could just tell them to ‘discuss it with the head office and contact him again.’

Brands weren’t only in one branch; they were often in multiple locations simultaneously, so Chiwon wouldn’t suffer a significant loss.

The only slightly unfortunate situation was when the two branches had different profit margins. But even then, he could directly request the head office for some consideration. 

“It seems like weekend coupons were also applied this time. Are the margins profitable?”

“You checked that already?”

“Of course I had to.”

It seemed Ahn Jihyuk had grasped all the promotions that had taken place before his first day, even though he was busy familiarizing himself with his own tasks.

Perhaps a more formidable superior than he thought had arrived. Chiwon clicked his tongue in admiration, naturally comparing him to previous team leaders.

As Jihyuk said, weekends were even more competitive. Since department store managers worked even on weekends when head office staff were off, that’s when the coupon war truly ignited.

“Just curious. And I’m also an MD. I know how to calculate margins.”

Chiwon deliberately spoke in a more triumphant tone. It was a childish desire not to be outdone in performance.

Chiwon was a renowned talent in the industry. It wasn’t the first time he had received scouting offers during brand meetings.

He shrugged, thinking that the news probably hadn’t reached Jihyuk yet. But Ahn Jihyuk didn’t seem to care and was just wiggling his foot, his gaze elsewhere.

Chiwon unconsciously scanned Ahn Jihyuk’s handsome face.

Ahn Jihyuk, with his overall strong features, had prominent brow bones and sharp eyes. His high nose bridge was assertive, yet his slim, well-defined jawline was sharp. With his distinct features, he was undeniably handsome. An exquisite, extremely rare handsome man.

Chiwon’s mouth fell open unconsciously.

“Why, am I that handsome?”

And it closed. Chiwon’s expression crumpled.

Just as he was about to think ‘he’s andsome’, Ahn Jihyuk’s voice reached his ears, and it wasn’t pleasant. The playful sidelong glance he gave was also incredibly annoying.

“Team Leader.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know about the Law of Conservation of Assholes¹?”

“Huh?”

Ahn Jihyuk tilted his head quizzically. Saying that now clearly meant he was calling him an asshole. The thought of insubordination didn’t even cross Chiwon’s mind. Choi Chiwon, oblivious to the fact that he was acting no better than an asshole, was just amusing to Jihyuk.

“The Law of Conservation of Assholes, it means there are assholes everywhere.”

“Yes, and?”

Ahn Jihyuk chuckled and agreed with Chiwon. He was willing to play along to see how far Chiwon would go.

“Team Leader, have you ever met an asshole? I just have a feeling you haven’t.”

So, it seemed like he wanted to say, “There are assholes everywhere, and if you haven’t met one, then you are one.”

Ahn Jihyuk laughed in disbelief and bit his lip. As far as Jihyuk was concerned, the biggest asshole he’d ever met in his life was Choi Chiwon, the very person saying this. And yet, this Choi Chiwon, had the audacity to call him an ‘asshole’ despite being one himself, which piqued Ahn Jihyuk’s interest once again.

“I’ve met an asshole before.”

Chiwon, who was laughing excitedly, drunk on his own victory, abruptly turned his head to stare at Ahn Jihyuk.

Wow, if even this man thinks someone is an asshole, just how much of an asshole must that person be?

Chiwon, suppressing his surprise, feigned pure curiosity.

“Who?”

“There is one. The kind of asshole who keeps saying ‘sex, sex’ from the moment we meet.”

Huh?

“Someone named Choi Chiwon.”

So… the asshole he’s thinking of is me?

Chiwon’s eyebrows, which had risen in amusement, now sank back down in irritation.

“See, didn’t I say it? I told you before, didn’t I? I said, let’s fuck, since we’re both assholes. But you didn’t call. Or… are you perhaps thinking of assholes to assholes showdown hookup?” 

“We did.”

Chiwon didn’t want to continue the conversation any further. 

Was there anything more humiliating than being labeled an asshole by another asshole?

Chiwon left the rooftop first, ignoring whatever Ahn Jihyuk was babbling about.

After seeing Ahn Jihyuk trudging after him from afar, he quickened his pace. He just wanted to get on the elevator as quickly as possible, so he could shut the doors right in Ahn Jihyuk’s face.