Chapter 4 – Year 2017 (3)
Today’s training was over.
Things like making origami with teammates, building weird blocks through teamwork…
To someone like me, who had already survived seven years in corporate life, it all felt childish.
Han Jia enthusiastically dragged our team to first place in every activity, and whether I liked it or not, I also ended up becoming one of the standout new hires.
But I was exhausted.
I’d been swept up in her energy all day. Sitting next to her was tiring, especially since mentally I was already at assistant-manager level. The training itself was painfully boring.
Kim Ain was another problem.
Even after I helped her, she never thanked me. She treated it as naturally as a knight taking a bullet for his lord.
She even subtly started ordering me around—asking me to get coffee and things like that—as if trying to make me her personal servant.
One was obsessed with becoming number one, while the other treated being served as a given.
Yeah. Keeping my distance from both of them really was the correct answer.
Starting tomorrow, instead of Han Jia, Kim Ain, or Engineering Season 2, I’d look for entirely new people.
After reaching that conclusion, I ate dinner.
From this point onward, it was free time.
The time when fellow recruits got closer and new social groups formed.
…But now that it came time to actually meet people, why did it feel so exhausting?
I’d already spent all my social energy for the day, so I decided I’d deal with forming new groups tomorrow instead and headed back to the dorm room.
***
The dormitory had a long hotel-like hallway with rooms lining both sides.
I entered the two-person room assigned to me together with my roommate.
Just like in my previous life, I ended up with someone easygoing.
“Haha… Hey. I’m Park Sanghoon. I’m twenty-eight.”
He was two years older than me. A dependable, steady kind of guy.
Since I’d gotten hired at twenty-six, most people here were older than me. I’d worried about ending up with an uncomfortable roommate, but thankfully, just like before, I got the easygoing Park Sanghoon.
Relieved, I greeted him warmly in the cramped dorm room.
“Nice to meet you, hyung. I’m Min Juchan. I’m twenty-six.”
“Oh. You’re handsome.”
“No, not really. Please speak comfortably.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s fine.”
“Alright. Thanks. But Juchan.”
“Yes?”
“How are you close with those girls?”
“Those girls? Ah, Han Jia and Kim Ain?”
“Uh… Everyone’s talking about you guys.”
“You guys? That sounds horrifying. Please separate me from them.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a thing. Have you gotten close with people yet, hyung?”
“Me? I got close with people from my university.”
“I see. Let’s eat together sometimes.”
“Sounds good. Hahaha.”
Just then, there was a knock and the door opened.
One of the male recruits stood there wearing a tracksuit.
“What are you two doing?”
“We were introducing ourselves.”
“Everyone’s outside drinking coffee together. Come join us.”
So they were creating the classic “social gathering.”
…What a hassle.
I was about to stay put, but Park Sanghoon gestured with his chin.
“Should we go too?”
His eyes looked slightly anxious.
It seemed like he thought he’d fall behind socially if he skipped the coffee gathering.
It’s all pointless anyway. After a year in the actual workplace, everyone only keeps in touch with a few people.
I was thinking about not going when the recruit at the door gestured again.
“Come have coffee with us.”
At that point, refusing would just feel awkward.
“Alright. Sure.”
I followed the older guys outside.
***
In the center of the dormitory was something like a lounge.
Large sofas were placed everywhere so people could sit and talk.
Along the walls were endless supplies of coffee, snacks, and drinks. One of the perks of working for a food company—unlimited snacks and beverages.
The recruits had already gathered and were eating all kinds of snacks.
Around thirty recruits, grouped here and there in small circles.
But the brightest spot in the room was naturally where Han Jia and Kim Ain were sitting.
For good reason.
The two of them were simply on another level.
Even in tracksuits, their figures looked model-like.
Was Han Jia wearing leggings instead of training pants? Or had she intentionally ordered a smaller size?
As she laughed while holding coffee, her tracksuit showed off the maximum possible fit—accentuating her curved hips and narrow waist.
Meanwhile, Kim Ain’s upper body was overwhelming.
Even with her tracksuit zipped all the way to the neck, her chest looked like it might burst through the fabric.
The other female recruits looked intimidated standing next to them.
The male recruits tried their best not to make it obvious as they stared at the two women.
Among them, one guy couldn’t resist approaching.
A man the God of Losers might’ve chosen if I hadn’t existed.
Yoon Jungwook, Han Jia’s Number One servant in my previous life.
And just like before, he was wagging his tail in front of Han Jia near the coffee machine.
“You went to Korea University too? I’m from Korea University as well!”
“Really? What major were you?”
“Industrial Engineering.”
“Wow~ You probably could’ve gotten into an even better company.”
“Haha… I’d wanted to join this company for a long time. I didn’t even apply anywhere else on purpose.”
Bullshit. Your grades were so bad this was the only place you could get into.
Yoon Jungwook kept wagging his tail, and the predator didn’t miss her chance.
“Oh my gosh, really? I really wanted to join Sekyung Foods too! We’re the same!”
Han Jia laughed and lightly tapped his arm.
Yoon Jungwook grinned like a corrupt court official receiving favor from a queen.
Tsk, tsk. He’s fallen for it. Completely gone over to her side. Getting that excited over a tiny bit of flirting…
—You were the same in your previous life.
Shut up, Malfoy. No—the God of Losers.
Just as he said, the old me had been exactly like Yoon Jungwook. Grinning stupidly while willingly becoming a servant.
But not this time.
Now I could see Han Jia from a third-person perspective. Once I noticed the intentions behind her behavior, all interest vanished instantly.
Like an adult seeing through a child’s obvious lie.
Thinking only, She really works hard at this stuff, I turned my gaze away.
“Whoa!”
Another female recruit was standing in front of me.
Not Han Jia. Not Kim Ain.
Her name was Lee Jihye. Average-looking—or maybe slightly pretty.
“Hello.”
Compared to Han Jia and Kim Ain, everything about her felt ordinary.
Maybe my first Sex Traffic Light would appear with someone like Lee Jihye instead of those two monsters?
Smack!
I slapped my own cheek at the messy thought.
This is exactly why I said I didn’t want this Sex Traffic Light thing in the first place.
I hated even being put in situations where I had to think about triggering it or not. The idea of interacting with someone while carrying a hidden purpose felt exhausting.
Suddenly, the annoyance of human relationships hit me hard again, and then I noticed Lee Jihye staring at me.
She looked startled.
“Um… why did you slap your cheek?”
“Ah, sorry. I just had a really cringey thought for a second.”
“What kind of thought?”
Triggering the Sex Traffic Light with you.
…Wow, that sounds awful.
It was like being told not to think about elephants and only thinking about elephants. The more I tried to forget the Sex Traffic Light, the more it came to mind.
“Haa…”
I let out a deep sigh and cleared my head completely.
“Just a personal thought. I already erased it.”
“Really? Anyway, are you okay?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you. I’m twenty-six, Min Juchan.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Jihye. I’m twenty-four. Can I call you oppa?”
“Of course.”
“Oppa!”
That last “oppa” sounded different.
Familiar.
I turned my head and saw a huge chest shaking beneath a tracksuit.
Kim Ain had appeared beside me like an assassin.
“…How old are you?”
“Twenty-four.”
“Ah. Right. What brings you here?”
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
“Why?”
“About earlier today.”
Earlier today? Ah—the auditorium incident? Took her long enough to say thanks.
But honestly, her manners sucked.
I didn’t like how she interrupted while I was talking to Lee Jihye.
Just like in my previous life, I hated being treated like I was easy to push around.
“Then wait a moment. I’m in the middle of a conversation.”
You want me to wait?
That was the kind of look Kim Ain gave me.
So what? Even if you’re from a chaebol family, what about it?
I have Bitcoin.
Even if I get fired from the company, I can just leave and get rich through Bitcoin. Marriage… well, if it comes to that, I’ll just give up and loop back again.
Anyway, there was no reason to be intimidated.
“Come right now.”
“Don’t want to.”
Ignoring the clingy Kim Ain, I turned back toward Lee Jihye.
“What were we talking about again?”
Instead, Lee Jihye looked flustered.
“I really don’t mind, though.”
“Then I’ll gladly accept that you don’t mind. Ah, right—we were at the part where you asked if you could call me oppa. Feel free. In society, everyone’s basically friends anyway.”
“Really? Okay, oppa.”
Kim Ain was glaring from the side, but I ignored her and focused on Lee Jihye.
“Did you live in Seoul? Your accent sounds like someone from Seoul.”
“No. I only went to university there. My home is in Gangwon Province.”
“Do people really pay with potatoes there?”
“Want to die?”
“Sorry.”
“Hehe. I’m joking.”
The atmosphere became warm and lively.
A few of the male recruits joined in too.
Like a scene from a sitcom, everyone kept tossing questions back and forth.
Meanwhile, Kim Ain simply stood there with her arms crossed, expressionless, listening silently.
And because of that, everyone’s concentration started falling apart.
Because of the guys.
Kim Ain’s arms were crossed, pushing her chest upward. Her tracksuit formed hills bigger than Montmartre.
The older recruits couldn’t control their eyes. Their faces were pointed toward me while talking, but their eyes kept drifting toward Kim Ain like they all suddenly had lazy eyes.
…Sigh. There’s no way this conversation can continue like this.
“Let’s go talk outside.”
“Okay.”
I stepped outside the training center with Kim Ain for a moment.
***
The snow that had gently fallen earlier now swirled wildly like cherry blossoms in a storm.
Scatter, Senbonzakura—winter version.
Snowflakes slapped against my cheeks.
My ears felt like they were freezing off.
Wanting to finish quickly and go back inside, I looked at Kim Ain.
“What is it?”
She must’ve been cold too, because she wrapped both arms around herself.
“Thanks for earlier today.”
“You called me out here just to say that?”
“Yes.”
“You could’ve said it in front of everyone.”
“I didn’t want people to know.”
“Hmm… I understand what you mean.”
As I nodded, Kim Ain’s deer-like eyes widened.
“How do you understand?”
“Joker Syndrome. Well, I guess that’s not what it’s called here. Basically, it’s a condition where you suddenly burst into laughter, right?”
She looked genuinely shocked.
“That’s right! How did you know? Wait… do you know who I am?”
“What do you mean ‘who you are’? I’m not the National Intelligence Service.”
Kim Ain marched right up to me and demanded an answer.
“Then how did you know?”
“Because you suddenly started laughing.”
“That explanation makes no sense.”
“I’ll explain it simply. When I saw you laughing while a senior employee was talking, I figured there were only two possibilities: either you were a crazy woman with flowers blooming in your head, or you had a condition that made you unable to stop laughing. But now that I think about it, maybe I judged too quickly. After seeing you earlier, you really might just be crazy. Ack!!!”
Are you Floyd Mayweather or something?
Kim Ain threw a sharp punch into my side and huffed angrily.
“Watch your mouth.”
“You mean the ‘crazy woman’ part? I specifically said I thought you had an illness because I judged you weren’t crazy. And you still don’t get it. Are you below average intelligence or something?”
…….
Kim Ain glared fiercely at me.
In my previous life, that look of contempt would’ve made my heart tremble.
But protected by the blessing of Bitcoin, I wasn’t scared at all.
“Triggered?”
“Huh?”
“Ooh, scratched your pride?”
“Ha…”
Kim Ain looked around the area and let out a sigh.
“Ha… Nothing here.”
“What?”
“Something to throw.”
Ah right. She did get criminal charges once in my previous life. Though I don’t think it was for assault.
Anyway, she was a genuinely terrifying person, so I toned things down a little.
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you?”
“There’s nothing here I can throw.”
“My apologies.”
I’ve seen it in movies—chaebol heirs beating people up because they feel offended.
Suddenly reminded of her status, I quickly clasped my hands together politely.
Kim Ain burst into laughter.
“Pfft. Ahaha.”
“Is your condition acting up?”
“No. I’m just laughing normally. I think you’re funny, Juchan oppa.”
People used to say I looked like MacArthur in my previous life, though.
Still, when a cold beauty like her laughed, she really did look pretty.
Alright, enough teasing. I’ll let her off this once. Staying out here any longer felt like we’d freeze to death anyway.
“Well, whatever. About what happened earlier today—I only stepped in because I felt like it, so don’t worry about it. Let’s head inside.”
I’d teased someone from a chaebol family.
That title alone was satisfying enough, so I tried to retreat.
But Kim Ain blocked my path and wouldn’t move.
“I think I should worry about it.”
“…Why?”
“When I laugh. No, no—using your words, when I ‘turn into a crazy woman.’”
“It’s not that bad.”
“That’s literally your wording. Anyway, when I become a ‘crazy woman,’ you’re the first person who didn’t look at me strangely.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re the first person who laughed together with me.”
“Hmm… I guess that makes sense. I mean, who would laugh along with someone who looks like they’ve got flowers blooming in their head?”
“Is that a flowerpot over there?”
“But this Min Juchan stood by your side.”
“Ahaha. What was that~~”
“You should decide whether you’re angry or laughing.”
“Then I’ll choose laughing. Since I laughed for you just now, next time something happens, you have to laugh with me too.”
That commanding tone.
Seems like growing up as the one in power your whole life isn’t something you can fix.
“Don’t want to.”
“But I want you to.”
“Next time, I’m just going to yell that a lunatic has appeared. Ah!!! Why are you so violent?!”
“Then stop saying things that deserve getting hit. Anyway, I already made my request.”
“I’m not doing it.”
“I’ll give you a gift if you do.”
“What kind?”
“I’ll allow you to speak casually to me.”
“Wow. What an incredible gift. Not interested. I’m going back inside first. At this rate, we’re both going to freeze to death side by side. Your ears are red already.”
“I told you to drop the formal speech.”
“I said no. Stop blocking the way.”
“If you do it, I’ll move.”
“I’d rather keep some distance.”
“I said drop the formalities.”
The tug-of-war continued until she moved so close that her chest was pressing against mine.
In the end, I lost.
“Fine. Let’s go inside.”
“Okay.”
“…You’re dropping formalities too?”
“Yep.”
As expected, she really was the crazy woman of this area.
In the end, we both agreed to speak casually and headed back into the training center together.