New Employee Kim Chul-soo

Chapter 4

Lee Jun-hak was on the phone constantly and moving busily, seemingly without a moment to spare to give Kim Chul-soo instructions. However, to think so would be a mistake.

Even amidst the chaos, his sharp eyes were constantly checking what Kim Chul-soo was doing.

Kim Chul-soo seemed to have memorized all the internal phone numbers, as he was seen accessing the team file system and checking its structure with the company manual open.

Lee Jun-hak waited for Manager Pyo Il-soo, who was out for a meeting, but eventually called Kim Chul-soo.

He couldn’t handle all the pouring tasks alone.

“Newbie.”

“Yes! Assistant Manager Lee.”

“Come here.”

As Kim Chul-soo approached, Lee Jun-hak opened his desk drawer and took out a large pile of receipts.

“These are expense receipts that need to be submitted to the general affairs department by tomorrow, so organize them well. This will be your main task from now on.”

“Yes, I understand, Assistant Manager Lee. But, where’s the glue stick?”

“Find it yourself. I’m busy as hell.”

“Yes, Assistant Manager Lee.”

Kim Chul-soo glanced around the office and then turned his steps toward the copy room.

His fellow newbies were still facing the wall at their desks, practicing their meditation.

They looked at Kim Chul-soo, who was walking back and forth in the hallway, with envious eyes.

After getting A4 paper from there, he took out a glue stick and a ruler from Sales Team 5’s supplies drawer.

Kim Chul-soo sat at his desk, sorting the receipts by date on the A4 paper and sticking them on like a machine.

Watching him, the corners of Lee Jun-hak’s lips slightly rose.

It was Lee Jun-hak’s smile when he was in a good mood.

‘This kid. He’s got a knack for work.’

Kim Chul-soo also secretly glanced at Lee Jun-hak and, seeing his lips curled up, stopped being cautious.

He wouldn’t be bothered until this task was finished.

There’s a game he played in his childhood.

Musical Chairs.

The game where you walk around a single chair and, when the whistle blows, quickly rush to sit down.

At first, you might wonder what the point is, but once you get into it, you become focused.

To sit on that chair, you forget your friendship with your friends, abandon your usual politeness, and move like a beast targeting its prey, shedding all pretenses. As the game intensifies, punches are thrown, scratches are made, hair is pulled, and tears are shed.

The internal power struggle within a company to occupy the single chair called ‘CEO’ is similar.

The reason Park Joon-hyung is trying to take down Ahn Jeong-gyu.

It’s an act of eliminating a potential participant in the game of musical chairs.

Although Park Joon-hyung had an absurdly fast promotion, Ahn Jeong-gyu wasn’t slow.

Assistant Manager Ahn Jeong-gyu was someone who took care of his subordinates, treated his superiors well, and was good at his job.

His promotion was slightly delayed due to the tyranny of the HR department, but he was a highly regarded employee within the company.

The reason Lee Jun-hak was sitting in that position was also because of Assistant Manager Ahn Jeong-gyu.

However, to reach the position of CEO, he needed something bigger than Assistant Manager Ahn Jeong-gyu’s connections.

A truly formidable connection.

But in a company where departments were fixed once assigned, it wasn’t easy to build a relationship with such a powerful person.

That didn’t mean it was impossible.

One person came to his mind.

******

Around 8 p.m.

“Alright, good work everyone. Go home and get some rest.”

“You too, Assistant Manager!”

Ahn Jeong-gyu waved his hand and boarded the bus first, and Manager Pyo Il-soo said to Lee Jun-hak.

“Jun-hak, how about a drink tonight?”

“Oh! Sounds good, Manager.”

As Pyo Il-soo said that and turned around, Lee Jun-hak spoke to Kim Chul-soo.

“Newbie, you can go. And it’s two months, right?”

“Yes. You worked hard, Manager, Assistant Manager.”

Kim Chul-soo bowed and straightened up, but Pyo Il-soo and Lee Jun-hak were already walking away.

In this situation, where they are just ordinary new employees, they would typically think, ‘Am I being ostracized?’, ‘Did I do something wrong today?’ but, in reality, that wasn’t the case.

It was clear that those two would be clinking glasses while badmouthing him today.

He had made a good impression on Lee Jun-hak, so the topics that would come up during their drinks were also obvious.

Kim Chul-soo turned around with a smirk.

‘I’m not tired at all.’

Since his late 30s, as soon as he got off work, his body felt heavy like wet paper, his head felt foggy, and when he woke up in the morning, his once-proud symbol would be drooping. Now, he felt so good that he thought he could run a full marathon.

He felt the power of youth anew.

Kim Chul-soo took out his wallet as he walked toward his destination.

There was a little over 10,000 won inside.

Since the company provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there was no need to spend money unless he ate out, but there was a limit to how much a salaryman could earn.

With a salaryman’s income, if he supported his studious younger brother, he would be left with nothing.

He would have to postpone marriage as well.

18 years ago, he was completely clueless and invested everything in the company, but now the situation was completely different.

As long as he didn’t have duplicate subscriptions to the four major insurances, he could earn money however he wanted.

He didn’t need to be tied to the company all the time like in the past.

He had the skills, so connections were key.

The place where Kim Chul-soo stopped was a live music bar called ‘Blue House,’ which seemed to have just finished construction, with construction materials scattered around.

And in front of the door leading to the basement, there was a help wanted sign.

Live singer wanted. Audition available.

There was a rumor that the person he had in mind had a special relationship with the owner of this place.

To have a special relationship, there must be a meeting.

So that means he came here, right?

You’re dead if I see a TOEIC book during work hours

Choi Hye-na glanced at Kim Chul-soo from head to toe.

He had a good face and a decent physique.

His suit was an off-brand, likely from the market.

His tie was tacky, he wore a Casio electronic watch, and carried a 5,000 won briefcase that could be bought from a street vendor.

He wasn’t dressed for a place like this.

An ID card was tucked in the pocket of his inner shirt.

And a lanyard with the name ‘Han-Young’ written on it.

“If you’re here for business, please leave.”

Kim Chul-soo shook his head at her words and looked at Choi Hye-na.

He thought the owner of the bar would be quite old, but she looked too young.

She had a noble air about her, like a wealthy lady.

Late 20s? Maybe mid-20s if he was being generous.

“No, I’m not. I saw the sign that you’re looking for a live singer.”

At the mention of a live singer, Choi Hye-na widened her eyes in slight surprise and looked at Kim Chul-soo again.

“Really? You look like you would have studied hard to get into a company like that. Well, it doesn’t cost anything to audition… Follow me.”

Kim Chul-soo followed her, looking around.

The construction wasn’t finished yet, but they were using very high-quality interior materials, and he could see the attention to detail everywhere.

It didn’t seem like it was built just to sell drinks to office workers.

Choi Hye-na, watching Kim Chul-soo looking around, said,

“Listen while you follow. I’m not looking for just any mediocre singer. If your skills are just so-so, you can give up now.”

Usually, when she said this, those who tried their luck without real talent would give up and leave.

“How much do you pay for a live singer here?”

Choi Hye-na once again observed Kim Chul-soo, who calmly asked about the pay.

“..Well, there’s nothing set in stone. It depends on how much I like it. What instrument do you play?”

“Guitar would be nice, but it’s not a problem if there isn’t one.”

“Good.”

Choi Hye-na took out a guitar from a small space next to the stage and handed it to Kim Chul-soo.

Then she went down to the stage and sat on a chair at a table.

“Do you have a preferred genre?”

Kim Chul-soo asked, and Choi Hye-na replied.

“As long as it’s not too noisy and distracting.”

Kim Chul-soo slung the guitar over his shoulder and gently placed his hand on the six strings.

It was an instrument he had played for 10 years, from his second year of middle school to his third year of college, including his military service.

And after becoming a ‘goose father,’ the guitar became his wife, his friend, and his children.

“Is it okay if I sing a pop song?”

“A pop song would be even better.”

Choi Hye-na calmly continued the conversation, keeping her eyes on Kim Chul-soo, who didn’t seem nervous at all.

Several people had auditioned, and most of them stammered due to nervousness.

Kim Chul-soo tuned the guitar and lightly plucked the strings, creating a pleasant harmony.

However, Choi Hye-na didn’t have high expectations.

It was difficult to achieve good skills even when focusing solely on music, so how good could an office worker be?

As she leaned back in her leather chair, Kim Chul-soo immediately grabbed a chord and started playing the melody.

My Love ━Westlife

Choi Hye-na, who hadn’t expected much, was naturally drawn to Kim Chul-soo’s powerful voice.

When Kim Chul-soo finished singing, Choi Hye-na clapped.

“That was good.”

“Thank you.”

“Why aren’t you a singer?”

Kim Chul-soo answered briefly to Choi Hye-na’s question.

“Because I’m smart.”

“Pfft!”

Choi Hye-na burst into laughter without realizing it.

“You can’t just be good at singing that one song, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Sing one more.”

Choi Hye-na rested her chin on her hands, her elbows on the table.

And she watched Kim Chul-soo sing another song.

Based on his skills alone, he was good enough to be a singer right away.

His voice was incredibly charming, and the way he sang a pop song in a suit was particularly impressive.

But that wasn’t all.

He had a deep sensibility that young people couldn’t easily possess.

As if it welled up from the heart of someone who had weathered many hardships.

“I’d like to ask you to come every day of the week, but I already have singers for those days.”

“Thank you for the offer.”

“Are you married?”

Kim Chul-soo shook his head at Choi Hye-na’s question.

“No.”

“Then are you available on Fridays and Saturdays?”

Fridays and Saturdays were prime time.

“Pay me well.”

“100,000 won per hour.”

“200,000 won.”

“That’s too expensive.”

“Then I’ll have to look elsewhere.”

As Kim Chul-soo tried to get up, Choi Hye-na grabbed his sleeve.

“150,000.”

“180,000.”

“Are you trying to bargain with me now because you’re a salesman?”

“My weekly allowance is 25,000 won. 30,000 won is a lot of money.”

“……..”

Choi Hye-na let go of Kim Chul-soo’s sleeve with a strange expression.

“….As expected of a salesman…. Fine. 200,000. But from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., two hours each day. It would be troublesome if you lose your voice.”

Two hours each day for two consecutive days meant he had to take good care of his voice.

“That’s a tough condition.”

“But if you last for six months, I’ll double it.”

Kim Chul-soo silently looked at Choi Hye-na.

Either she had no concept of pay, or she had a lot of money.

But 800,000 won for four hours a week, that was 3.2 million won a month.

It was more than his monthly salary.

It was a part-time job he couldn’t refuse, and this cafe survived longer than he did before being laid off 18 years later.

They don’t give important tasks to newbies.

Even if there were such tasks, he had already experienced them.

As long as Lee Jun-hak didn’t act up, there wouldn’t be any work that would keep him until 9 p.m.

“Alright.”

Choi Hye-na extended her hand.

“We haven’t properly introduced ourselves. I’m Choi Hye-na.”

Kim Chul-soo shook hands briefly with Choi Hye-na and said,

“I’m Kim Chul-soo.”

******

“Why are you so late?”

Yoon Jin-sook opened the front door.

Kim Chul-soo was momentarily speechless when he saw his mother.

“……Why aren’t you asleep?”

“I can’t sleep until my sons are home.”

“I might be this late every day.”

“Then you should be. I’ll kick you out if you come home early.”

“…Mom, really…..”

“I think I can finally breathe easy once Yeong-soo gets a decent job.”

Her dream was to see her two sons get married, have children, and live well.

“What are you talking about… Where’s Yeong-soo?”

“He’s studying. I’ll turn on the boiler, so go wash up.”

“Okay.”

Kim Chul-soo washed up in the small bathroom and went into his room.

It was almost midnight, but Yeong-soo was sitting like a Buddha, diligently studying.

“You’re back, hyung?”

“Yeah. Don’t read with the book so close to your face, you’ll ruin your eyes.”

“I’ll just wear glasses.”

“You’ll ruin your handsome face if you wear glasses.”

“Pfft.”

Yeong-soo went back to his books, and Kim Chul-soo dried his hair while looking at the back of Kim Yeong-soo’s head. He then opened the laptop in the corner and connected to the internet.

One of the welfare benefits at Han-Young Corporation was providing loans.

He hadn’t known about this before and hadn’t used it, but…

After searching, he found an option to borrow 20 million won at an annual interest rate of 2.5% from his main bank.

With 20 million won, he could move out from under this mountain.

He had to prevent his mother’s legs from getting worse.

Kim Chul-soo captured the relevant page and sent it to his company email, then closed the laptop.

And he lay down on the lower bunk bed.

“Yeong-soo, are you having fun?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you want to do in the future?”

“A doctor.”

“Why?”

“They make a lot of money.”

“Because of the money?”

“Just… I think it would be reassuring to have a doctor in the family.”

In fact, Yeong-soo’s dream was to become a doctor, but he went to engineering school because they didn’t have enough money for medical school.

“Work hard.”

“Yeah, hyung.”

“Hyung is going to sleep.”

“Okay.”

Kim Chul-soo lay in bed, pulled the covers over himself, and stared at the wall.

My dream.

My brother’s dream.

My mother’s dream.

Perhaps no one would have to give up.

Perhaps they could all do what they wanted to do.

Perhaps because of the sudden changes he had gone through, Kim Chul-soo’s tired eyes closed on their own.

******

“Ah!”

6 a.m.

Lee Jun-hak, who had been drinking until dawn, suddenly jumped up and started rummaging through his briefcase.

“What are you doing? Honey…”

His wife, Jang Hye-young, asked, rubbing her eyes.

“I left something at the office. I need to go now.”

“You’re such a fool. What about breakfast?”

“I don’t have time for that. I need to go to the office and then head down to Busan. I’ll be in big trouble if I’m late.”

“Alright.”

Lee Jun-hak quickly washed his face and came out, and Jang Hye-young dressed him in the suit she had prepared.

“I’m going then.”

“Drive safe.”

“Yeah. Call me if Ji-hoon asks for his dad.”

“Okay.”

Lee Jun-hak drove to the office.

He checked his watch; it was 7:05 a.m.

As he hurriedly ran towards his office in the corner, he noticed the lights were on in Sales Team 5’s area and found it strange.

‘What’s going on? At this hour?’

He saw Kim Chul-soo wearing earphones and reading a book.

“Newbie!”

Startled by Lee Jun-hak’s loud voice, Kim Chul-soo quickly took off his earphones, closed the book he was reading, and stood up, trying to cover it with his backside.

“Yes, Assistant Manager Lee!”

“You…. What are you doing?”

“Nothing, sir. I woke up early.”

“No! What are you hiding? What is that?”

Lee Jun-hak pushed Kim Chul-soo.

Then, a tattered TOEIC book caught his eye.

It was the TOEIC book that Kim Chul-soo had always carried around after deciding to join the company.

“You!!!?”

“I’m sorry, Assistant Manager Lee.”

“……..”

‘How much could he have possibly studied to make the book look like that?’

Lee Jun-hak looked back and forth between Kim Chul-soo and the TOEIC book, then opened it.

The pages were filled with countless notes.

It was evidence of dedicated study.

Lee Jun-hak closed the book and looked at Kim Chul-soo.

“Didn’t I say you’re dead if I see a TOEIC book in the office?”

“I’m sorry, Assistant Manager Lee.”

“Damn…. That’s right!”

Lee Jun-hak, in his annoyance, remembered why he came to the office and hurriedly opened his desk drawer, grabbing a USB and some documents.

Then, as he was about to run off, he stopped and said to Kim Chul-soo.

“….Newbie!”

“Yes, Assistant Manager Lee.”

“……You’re dead if I see a TOEIC book during work hours.”

“Yes, Assistant Manager Lee.”

“You’re dead when I get back if I’m late because of you!”

Lee Jun-hak shouted and ran down the hallway, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted.

‘Ah…. This kid… I really like him.’

As soon as Lee Jun-hak left the office, Kim Chul-soo sat down and put the TOEIC book back in his desk drawer.

He knew Lee Jun-hak would come early this morning.

Because it was the only day that Lee Jun-hak, who was usually so harsh, had overlooked him.

So he staged it a little.

Kim Chul-soo turned on his computer and opened the internet browser.

He planned to use the money he earned from the live cafe for stock investments.

He needed quite a bit of money to send his brother to medical school.

Let’s have Samgyetang today and nourish our bodies

Choi Yeong-joon, the fourth son of Han-Young Group’s chairman, Choi Kyung-hoon, and Managing Director of Han-Young Corporation, a subsidiary of Han-Young Group, stopped briefly in a street filled with entertainment venues.

“You go ahead. I have some business to take care of.”

He said to his assistant and looked at the building with the sign ‘Blue House’ before entering.

Choi Hye-na, who was directing the hired workers and working on the interior decoration, saw Choi Yeong-joon enter and waved her hand. Then they entered a small, empty room together.

Choi Hye-na pointed to the coffee machine and opened her mouth.

“Coffee?”

“I already had some.”

Choi Yeong-joon declined and sat down on a chair.

“Do you eat breakfast? Father said something today.”

He said and looked around.

“Father? What’s gotten into him? He usually treats me like I don’t exist.”

“He’s saying that because you keep going astray. Are you really going to do this?”

“I’m going to spend my time here listening to music and people’s stories.”

“You’re so carefree.”

“It’s good for you, oppa, right? A strong competitor is out of the picture.”

Choi Yeong-joon burst into laughter at Choi Hye-na’s words.

“Yes, the strongest competitor is out of the picture.”

“Right? So, come often and help boost sales.”

“Well, I’ll come since my sister is running it, but why don’t you just listen to Father?”

“Are you crazy? Marry a guy I’ve never even met?”

“Father is saying that for your own good.”

“Bullshit. He’s sacrificing me for his business. Forget it. Get out if you’re going to say that kind of nonsense.”

As Choi Hye-na pushed Choi Yeong-joon, he stood firm and said,

“We shouldn’t have sent you abroad.”

Choi Hye-na giggled at his words.

“You didn’t send me, oppa.”

“I did make the suggestion.”

“That’s true.”

“Father is worried. He’s afraid rumors will spread that the youngest daughter of the Choi family of Han-Young Group is running a bar.”

“Well, Father will keep his mouth shut. I’m not going to say anything about it either.”

“What if you get into trouble with some weirdo while doing this?”

“You know me, oppa. I’ve been learning Taekwondo since I was a kid.”

Choi Yeong-joon shook his head.

“I’ll get you a bodyguard.”

“Wow, are you taking care of your little sister? You’re the best, oppa.”

“You’re the black sheep of the family, but you’re still my sister.”

“The other siblings don’t think so.”

Choi Yeong-joon was the only one in the family who cared for Hye-na.

“That’s why I’m telling you to listen to Father.”

“I don’t want to.”

Choi Yeong-joon shook his head and looked at his watch.

“I have an executive meeting in the morning, so I have to go.”

“Okay, good luck. Bring some people with you often and help boost sales.”

Choi Yeong-joon waved his hand as if he understood and left the bar.