New Employee Kim Chul-soo

Chapter 20

Kim Chul-soo organized the expense receipts from his Kenya business trip and submitted them to the general affairs department. After finishing his miscellaneous tasks, he revised the business plan as requested by Team Leader Ahn Jeong-gyu, sent the email, and then stood up to stretch.

He checked the time. 7 PM.

As he was leaving the office to grab dinner, he ran into Jang Yoo-mi, who was rushing towards him.

“Oh? Leaving work?”

Jang Yoo-mi asked, and Kim Chul-soo nodded.

“Let’s go together. Have you eaten dinner?”

“Not yet.”

“Great. How about keeping the promise we made last time? I have something to talk about too. Wait for me, I’ll be right out.”

They arrived at a bean sprout soup restaurant near the company and sat across from each other after ordering their food.

“How was Kenya?”

“Um. It was a fresh experience.”

“Must have been nice. You know what? You were the first among our cohort to go on a business trip.”

Kim Chul-soo nodded.

“Yes. I went because there wasn’t a local distributor.”

“Sigh. I’m envious. Our side has a ton of distributors and even resident representatives, so it’s not easy to go on overseas business trips.”

“Next time there’s a World Mineral Seminar or a Steel Exhibition, try asking your team leader.”

“Oh? Can you go on a business trip for that?”

“Seeing things on a monitor and experiencing them firsthand are completely different. There are many cases where trade brokers cause trouble by connecting deals without knowing much about the products, so firsthand experience is necessary.”

“How do you know such things?”

“……Lee Dae-ri taught me a lot.”

“Ah, him. I heard he has the best performance in the entire sales department. It makes sense.”

Kim Chul-soo nodded at Jang Yoo-mi’s words.

Two bowls of bean sprout soup arrived, and they silently devoured their meals to satisfy their hunger.

After finishing the soup and broth, Jang Yoo-mi put down her empty bowl with a happy expression, feeling full. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she spoke.

“Right.”

Kim Chul-soo, scraping the last remnants of his soup with a spoon, looked at Jang Yoo-mi.

“A strange rumor has been circulating among our colleagues while you were away on your business trip.”

At the word “rumor,” Kim Chul-soo blinked and focused on Jang Yoo-mi.

“What rumor?”

“They say you’re gathering information about the Chairman.”

“Ah. That……”

Kim Chul-soo responded nonchalantly.

That is, until he heard the next part.

Jang Yoo-mi spoke cautiously.

“But, there’s also a rumor going around that you’re a spy sent by a competitor. That’s not true, right?”

Jang Yoo-mi, seeing Kim Chul-soo suddenly bite his lower lip with a frightening expression, asked worriedly.

“Are you okay?”

Rumors within a company are usually a form of negative attack.

When things just won’t work out head-on, spreading unfounded rumors secretly to bring down an opponent is a frequently used tactic within companies.

If left unchecked, it can swell up like a black eye, and if one panics, there’s a high chance of becoming a wrongly accused victim.

Kim Chul-soo relaxed his expression and put down his spoon.

“There’s no way I’m a spy.”

Hearing that, Jang Yoo-mi blinked her big eyes and nodded.

“I trust you more than such absurd rumors.”

Kim Chul-soo felt grateful to Jang Yoo-mi for her sincere words.

“Thank you. But, something came up and I need to go back to the office.”

“Oh? Already?”

Jang Yoo-mi wanted to spend more time with Kim Chul-soo.

‘Did I make a mistake bringing this up?’

“Yes. I’m sorry. Let’s see each other again next week, Yoo-mi-ssi.”

Regardless of her feelings, Kim Chul-soo immediately parted ways with Jang Yoo-mi and walked quickly back to the company.

No matter how much he thought about it, the only person who would use such a petty tactic was that guy.

If it were the experienced Park Joon-hyung, the rumor would have spread throughout the entire company.

Judging by the fact that his superiors were completely unaware, it seemed like the work of Hwang Dae-hoon, who was probably still a newbie and lacked the guts.

The problem was that if he left it alone, it would give Park Joon-hyung an opportunity to attack.

The surest way was to remove the content from his computer before the rumor spread throughout the company.

‘This is ridiculous.’

Something good might happen

Jang Yoo-mi waved her hand and watched Kim Chul-soo walk quickly towards the company before turning around and standing in front of the bus stop.

‘It was nice until just now.’

Although Kim Chul-soo didn’t express it directly, he seemed quite concerned about the rumor.

Jang Yoo-mi pouted her lips and stared blankly at the road across from her.

She had been so busy working that she never had a proper relationship.

There were many men who confessed their feelings, but she had lived a life too focused on moving forward to look back.

But strangely, with him, she didn’t care when she wasn’t with him, but once she saw him, talked to him, and had to say goodbye, she hated it for some reason.

Looking at her lonely reflection in the window of the bus that had just stopped to pick up passengers, Jang Yoo-mi turned around.

She ran back to the company and entered the office. There she saw Kim Chul-soo staring blankly at his desk.

At the sound of her clicking heels, Kim Chul-soo turned his head, and their eyes met.

“You didn’t leave?”

“Ah…… I left something behind.”

Jang Yoo-mi said, following Kim Chul-soo’s gaze.

“Your computer is gone?”

“Indeed.”

Kim Chul-soo checked his watch and said to Jang Yoo-mi.

“Aren’t you leaving work?”

“I should. Just let me grab something from my desk.”

“Okay. I’ll wait for you right here.”

Jang Yoo-mi nodded at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

She quickly walked to her desk, put a pen in her bag, and hurried out of the office.

Kim Chul-soo, who was standing there, saw Jang Yoo-mi and slowly started walking, and she quickly walked beside him.

“What happened? With your computer?”

“The Ethics Management Department took it.”

The Ethics Management Department was operated by the Audit Department directly under the Chairman, and unless there was something special going on, there was rarely a reason to interact with them.

However, once involved with them, one could find themselves in a very difficult situation.

Jang Yoo-mi asked, walking beside Kim Chul-soo with a worried expression.

“Is it because of the rumor?”

Kim Chul-soo chuckled and shook his head.

“The Ethics Management Department wouldn’t act just based on rumors circulating among colleagues.”

“Then why?”

“Someone must have reported it.”

“A report means……”

“It means there’s a colleague who dislikes me. Don’t tell me it was you, Yoo-mi-ssi?”

Jang Yoo-mi widened her eyes and shook her head.

“No. Why would I do such a thing?”

“Right?”

Jang Yoo-mi nodded as if it were obvious.

Kim Chul-soo’s expression wasn’t as stiff as it was at the restaurant.

He seemed to be smiling faintly, which worried Jang Yoo-mi.

“Are you okay? It’s not a situation to be smiling about, but you seem to be.”

“Of course, I’m okay.”

“No. This isn’t okay, is it?”

Kim Chul-soo pressed the elevator button and looked at Jang Yoo-mi.

“Do you know why rumors are scary?”

Jang Yoo-mi tilted her head, unsure.

“I don’t know.”

“They’re scary because they’re just rumors. They have no substance, and no one knows where they started, but people believe them as if they were true. No matter how much the person involved denies it, people don’t believe them. Rumors are scariest when they remain rumors.”

Jang Yoo-mi nodded in agreement.

“But, once another organization starts verifying the rumor, it’s no longer just a rumor. People might not believe me, but they’ll believe the Ethics Management Department.”

“Ah……”

“Since the Ethics Management Department took my computer, they’ll try to verify the report, and since I’m innocent, there’s no problem.”

“I was so worried, but you’re thinking differently.”

“I don’t know who spread the rumor, but reporting it was a foolish move. It’s almost as if they helped me.”

Jang Yoo-mi felt slightly relieved by his confident tone.

And then, she started to retrace her memory, trying to track down the source of the rumor from the gathering of colleagues.

As they stepped out of the company, Kim Chul-soo looked at his watch.

It was already past 8 PM, so he had to go straight to Blue House.

“I have somewhere I need to be.”

“Where?”

“I have a part-time job.”

Jang Yoo-mi’s eyes widened at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

“You have a part-time job while working at the company?”

“As long as there’s no overlap in the four major insurances, the company can’t say anything.”

“You’re really hardworking. What kind of part-time job is it?”

“I sing at a live cafe nearby.”

At the mention of singing, Jang Yoo-mi’s curiosity piqued, and Kim Chul-soo, observing her expression, continued.

“You’re welcome to listen to me sing, but please don’t spread rumors.”

Jang Yoo-mi nodded at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

“My lips are sealed. But, I might have to leave early because of the bus schedule.”

Kim Chul-soo replied with a smile.

“Of course.”

“What good thing happened?”

Choi Hye-na, styling Kim Chul-soo’s hair, noticed the smile playing on his lips and asked.

‘Could it be because of me?’

“Do I look like something good happened?”

“You’re smiling.”

“Something good might happen.”

As Kim Chul-soo answered while looking at himself in the mirror, Choi Hye-na asked curiously.

“Can’t you tell me about this good thing that might happen?”

“It’s too complicated to explain.”

Kim Chul-soo replied, shaking his head slightly.

“That makes me even more curious.”

At her words, Kim Chul-soo sighed softly.

“While something good might happen in the future, honestly, I’m not feeling good right now. Someone tried to slander me.”

“What? Why are you talking in circles? You’re saying someone tried to slander you?”

Suddenly, Choi Hye-na’s hands, which were styling Kim Chul-soo’s hair, moved to her hips, and her voice turned cold.

Kim Chul-soo tilted his head at Choi Hye-na’s reaction.

“It happened to me, but you’re the one getting worked up.”

At Kim Chul-soo’s words, Choi Hye-na cleared her throat a few times and resumed styling his hair.

‘He’s so clueless.’

“Of course, I’d be angry if someone tried to slander my employee. What kind of slander?”

“Well…… something about me being an informant for a competitor.”

“What? You? That’s ridiculous! Really……”

Having observed him for nearly four months, she knew for sure that he wasn’t an informant for a competitor.

Having caught a glimpse of his genuine loyalty to Han-Young Corporation, Choi Hye-na exclaimed in disbelief, then trailed off and cursed inwardly.

‘#@&$%^#%^@$#^%@&^&%^&’

Kim Chul-soo chuckled, seeing Choi Hye-na grumbling in anger.

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

“Do you know who spread the rumor?”

Kim Chul-soo, looking at Choi Hye-na’s genuinely angry expression through the mirror, thought.

‘Since this is related to Executive Director Choi Young-joon, things will get complicated if I tell her. It’s better to handle this myself.’

“I don’t know. It was just a rumor.”

“Really! If I catch them! I’ll……”

Choi Hye-na, overwhelmed with anger, grabbed a handful of Kim Chul-soo’s hair.

“Ouch!”

“Ah! Sorry. Are you okay?”

Kim Chul-soo nodded, looking at the few strands of hair pulled out by Choi Hye-na’s gel-sticky hand.

“I’m…… I’m okay.”

Wearing the clothes he bought at the department store last time and with his hair styled, Kim Chul-soo looked quite like a celebrity.

Choi Hye-na looked at him with a satisfied gaze, then, as if remembering something, she spoke.

“You went on a trip, right?”

‘Huh? How did she know? Did I tell her?’

“Ah. Kenya?”

“Yes. Are you feeling okay?”

“No problem.”

“But I’m a little disappointed.”

Kim Chul-soo tilted his head, seeing Choi Hye-na’s genuinely disappointed expression.

“Shouldn’t you have bought a souvenir for the owner if you went on a trip?”

At those words, Kim Chul-soo opened his bag and took out the best-looking one of the small sculptures he had bought for the Kenyan children. He then pretended to have brought it along and handed it to Choi Hye-na.

“I actually brought something for you.”

Choi Hye-na received the small sculpture Kim Chul-soo handed her and examined it carefully.

She liked it because it was intricately made and had a unique design and color that couldn’t be easily found in stores.

“Thank you. It would look pretty if I made a hole and attached it to my phone. Oh, right, it’s almost time for you to go on stage. Are you going to be responsible for the sales tonight? Fighting!”

Choi Hye-na waved her hand cheerfully with a satisfied expression and left the preparation room.

Kim Chul-soo tilted his head, watching Choi Hye-na’s retreating figure.

‘That’s strange. Something’s……’

******

Blue House.

Jang Yoo-mi realized that she had been here about a month ago.

Back then, it wasn’t as crowded as it was now.

Hwang Dae-hoon had wanted to connect her with Assistant Manager Cha Soo-young from the training team, but she wasn’t really interested.

And remembering that there was a live singer who sang really well, she sat at a single table and had a beer.

As the female singer who was singing a ballad left the stage and a stylish man came up, Jang Yoo-mi’s eyes widened.

If she hadn’t heard that he would be on stage at 9 PM, she might not have recognized him.

Since he always had a typical office worker look, she never imagined he could transform like this.

Seeing women calling out “Oppa! Oppa!” from here and there, it seemed like he had gained quite a few fans.

“Hello. I’m Eddie.”

It was Kim Chul-soo’s voice.

‘Oh my god!’

Jang Yoo-mi couldn’t believe that the live singer who had captivated her with his singing the first time she came here was Kim Chul-soo.

Perhaps it was the lighting, but he looked handsome enough to be a celebrity.

His friendly gaze, which seemed to be directed towards her, and his wild, mane-like hairstyle made Jang Yoo-mi’s heart flutter.

As Kim Chul-soo adjusted the microphone while sitting on a stool and strummed the acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder, the live cafe fell silent.

Seeing the expectant gazes of the people with their hands clasped tightly, Jang Yoo-mi closed her eyes and immersed herself in the music as Kim Chul-soo began to sing in his sweet voice.

‘He’s a person you can’t help but like.’

******

Monday morning. Lee Jun-hak, after receiving Kim Chul-soo’s greeting, placed his bag under his desk. Then, a strange thought crossed his mind, and he turned his head.

He realized that something that should have been there was gone.

“Chul-soo, where’s your computer?”

“The Ethics Management Department took it.”

Lee Jun-hak’s face hardened at Kim Chul-soo’s answer.

“Why would they take your computer? Did you do something wrong?”

“I think gathering information related to the Chairman was wrong.”

Lee Jun-hak knew that Kim Chul-soo had been unusually fixated on Chairman Choi Kyung-hoon since he joined the company, but he never thought it was a serious enough matter to warrant having his computer confiscated.

“Why would that be a problem?”

“I don’t know, Lee Dae-ri-nim.”

“Those are strange people. Why would they take the computer of someone who needs to work?”

As Lee Jun-hak frowned and picked up the phone to call someone, two men in suits came looking for Sales Team 5.

“Is this Sales Team 5?”

Hearing the polite voice, Lee Jun-hak turned his head towards the source.

Seeing the badges pinned on the left side of their suit jackets, Lee Jun-hak put down the phone with a bewildered expression.

‘The Group Audit Department? What’s going on?’

“Yes. But, what’s the matter?”

“We’re from the Group Audit Department at the headquarters. Excuse me, but which one of you is Kim Chul-soo?”

At the man’s words, Kim Chul-soo replied.

“I am.”

“We need you to come with us for a moment.”

Since an order from the Audit Department, which reported directly to the Chairman, took precedence over anything else, Lee Jun-hak said to Kim Chul-soo.

“Go ahead. I’ll cover your work for now.”

“Thank you, Lee Dae-ri-nim.”

As Kim Chul-soo bowed deeply and followed the Audit Department employees, Lee Jun-hak sighed heavily.

‘What’s going on?’

He was blankly wondering what was happening when he saw Ahn Jeong-gyu and Pyo Il-soo arriving for work together. He quickly lowered his head.

“Welcome.”

Pyo Il-soo responded.

“Why isn’t it a good morning?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem like it will be a good morning.”

Ahn Jeong-gyu, noticing the absence of the youngest member who always greeted him loudly with a 90-degree bow, asked Lee Jun-hak.

“Where’s Chul-soo?”

“The Group Audit Department took him.”

Ahn Jeong-gyu’s eyes widened at the mention of the Group Audit Department.

“What? Why?”

“I’ll ask my colleague in the Ethics Management Department after the morning meeting. I heard from Chul-soo that it’s because he collected information about the Chairman.”

Ahn Jeong-gyu knew about it too.

He had seen Chul-soo’s eyes widen and focus whenever the topic of the Chairman came up.

Usually, new employees rarely showed such interest in the group Chairman, so he had thought positively of Chul-soo’s attitude. But to think that he was taken by the Audit Department because of that?

“No way. Why would the Group Audit Department come out for something like that? Are they crazy?”