Vol 7 Chapter 54

"Nothing too expensive though. Director shouldn't waste money on a temporary employee's mouse-tail salary."

"Haha..."

'Somehow... this feels kind of good...?'

Could it be that buying him yogurt yesterday had unexpectedly worked well with him? Nam Mugeon wondered as he entered the break room.

"Director Nam, what would you like?"

"The brown rice green tea can over there, please."

"Brown rice green tea.... Alright."

While watching Kwon Cheon-woo's back as he inserted money and pressed the button, Nam Mugeon desperately tried to think of something else to say. What on earth should he talk about?

"Director Nam, I wonder if something's going on in our company's HR department these days?"

"Pardon?"

Nam Mugeon started so unnaturally at Kwon Cheon-woo's sudden question that he inwardly reproached himself before speaking.

"What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"

Clunk. Kwon Cheon-woo's back, as he bent down to pick up the dropped drink, looked unusually large and cold. Nam Mugeon unconsciously gulped.

"The short-term part-timers were saying that the company doesn't seem to be processing their resignations properly."

"..."

At that moment, a chill ran down his spine. Nam Mugeon recalled Yoon Seok-ho's voice telling them not to process the part-timers' resignations. It was something that had been done through Nam Mugeon directly conveying the message to HR as part of the measures to catch a spy within the Operations Management Department.

If resignations weren't processed, the information of those who quit wouldn't be automatically deleted even after their part-time period ended, allowing them to continue logging in using their employee numbers.

'But why is he asking me about this now...?'

As if reading Nam Mugeon's mind as he bit his lip, Kwon Cheon-woo turned around with a slight smile.

"There was a short-term part-timer I was quite close with. They asked me to inquire about it higher up."

"Ah... I see."

Though he answered, Nam Mugeon felt a strange coldness in Kwon Cheon-woo's eyes.

"That's probably because... HR's processing is delayed as year-end approaches. It's just a... temporary situation, so please tell that part-timer not to worry, and to refrain from things like logging in with their previous employee number."

"Ah.... I see. I understand. It was nothing after all. Here, please have this."

Nam Mugeon took the brown rice green tea can Kwon Cheon-woo held out.

"Kwon Cheon-woo-ssi."

"Director Nam."

By coincidence, just as he steeled himself and called out to Kwon Cheon-woo, Kwon Cheon-woo called him too.

"Uh..."

"Haha. Please speak first, Director Nam."

"Ah, no, it's nothing. But what were you going to say...?"

Kwon Cheon-woo opened the cap of his yogurt drink bottle with a gentle smile in his narrowed eyes.

"No. I was just thinking it's about time for a joint dinner with all the operations management departments, but our director hasn't said anything. I was going to ask when it might happen. Haha. Please don't misunderstand that I only like eating, drinking, and having fun?"

Company dinner. Nam Mugeon's mind spun rapidly at those words.

'That's right. Company dinner. There was that. With alcohol as an excuse, I might be able to have more candid conversations with this guy.'

"That should happen soon."

At Nam Mugeon's words, Kwon Cheon-woo said "Oh, that's good news" while licking his lips with a smile.

"Since we just had pork belly at the fall company dinner, I'd like something nicer this time. Like well-roasted Peking duck, for instance."

"Peking duck?"

"Yes. I like meat that's been carefully roasted for a long time, eating it slice by slice with great attention."

But I rarely get the chance, which is really sad. Since we're having a company dinner anyway, I'd like to at least dream of Peking duck. While saying this jokingly with a smile, Kwon Cheon-woo's eyes were fixed steadily on Nam Mugeon without the slightest movement.

'This guy...'

Nam Mugeon felt a chill as he stared back at that gaze.

Certainly, today's Kwon Cheon-woo was different somehow. Regardless of whether that difference was positive or negative.

Je-hwan unexpectedly followed Kapros's words exactly when he had told him not to come to his house on work days. He would arrive at the dojo about 30 minutes before Kapros to warm up, and though Kapros didn't know what he talked about with Master and Master's wife while he wasn't there, he seemed to have scored quite a few points.

"Mu-heon. You're here."

As soon as Kapros entered the dojo door, Je-hwan approached in his uniform and greeted him. Seeing Je-hwan casually standing by the back entrance where students rarely passed due to its proximity to Master's house in the back garden gave him a very strange feeling.

'This is almost employee level.'

"Why did you come all the way here?"

"Because I thought you'd come."

"Hmm. I see."

"..."

Since he always came to work at the same time, after about two weeks, Je-hwan would naturally have a sense of when Kapros would arrive. As Kapros nodded and passed by Je-hwan toward the training hall, he followed with a slightly dissatisfied expression.

'Why is his expression like that again?'

Though Kapros wondered if he had said something wrong, he couldn't think of anything he'd said that would suddenly lower Je-hwan's mood, so he just decided to quickly go change clothes.

While Kapros changed into his uniform in the changing room, Je-hwan waited outside the door. Though this too was a new experience that hadn't become familiar over the past few days, it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. When they entered the training hall together, they could see In-woo and Se-jong running over hurriedly after spotting them from afar.

"You're here!"

"Yes."

"Ah. But with that mister again..."

"Huh?"

When Kapros turned to look behind him where In-woo's gaze had fallen as his expression suddenly hardened mid-greeting, Je-hwan was looking back at him with slightly sparkling eyes.

"What now?"

"Master, why do you keep coming with that mister these days?"

In-woo pointed at Je-hwan and complained in a sulky voice.

"I told you. He attends here too."

"But why does that mister just follow Master around instead of practicing like us while attending the dojo?"