#130. Inclusion. 1
Lee Hye-rim greeted Cha Joo-hyuk calmly as she watched him panic.
“Welcome.”
Only then did Cha Joo-hyuk bow his waist.
Then, I quickly thought about the situation to understand it.
I knew that Shin Woo-jin was Miss Lee Hye-rim's parachute, but they were talking informally to each other a little while ago.
The lady put Shin Woo-jin in SH Strategy to watch over her?
At that moment, Lee Hye-rim's voice was heard.
“Don’t stand, come sit here.”
"yes."
Assistant Manager Cha Ju-hyeok sat to the right of Lee Hye-rim.
It was about 50cm away from her.
At first I was puzzled to see such a fancy bar empty of customers, but when I saw the girl, I immediately understood.
It's most likely borrowed.
And in this high-class bar, Shin Woo-jin, sitting to the left of the lady, was eating tteokbokki.
Cha Joo-hyuk was speechless.
At that moment, Woojin, who was eating tteokbokki with elegance(?), stopped and spoke.
“Hye-rim… … .”
"huh?"
“There are no eggs.”
“What’s missing?”
“Boiled eggs.”
Lee Hye-rim immediately called the bartender as she saw Woo-jin looking at the tteokbokki with a blank expression.
“Please order the tteokbokki with egg again.”
"no."
Woojin asked the bartender.
“Where did you order it?”
“I ordered from Kongtteokkongtteok Tteokbokki. If you don’t like it, I’ll order from somewhere else.”
"are you okay."
Woojin muttered as if he would never forget what he said.
“Kongtteokkongtteok… … .”
Cha Joo-hyuk blinked and looked at the two of them.
This situation was very unfamiliar.
And then reflexively he said to Woojin.
“Mr. Woojin, I think you forgot to mention ‘young lady.’”
Woojin answered.
“I’m going to quit.”
“Huh? What did you say? It’s coming from SH Strategy.”
I fully understand the situation in which SH Strategy is running.
Two days was enough.
“No, it’s only been a few days since I came in… … .”
At that time, Lee Hye-rim said.
“Your name is, Assistant Manager Cha Ju-hyeok, right?”
Cha Joo-hyuk said nervously.
“Yes, that’s right, Miss.”
Lee Hye-rim nodded and spoke to the bartender.
“Please pour this person a drink.”
The bartender poured whiskey worth over a million won into an on the rocks glass and carefully handed it to Cha Joo-hyuk.
"thank you."
When Cha Joo-hyuk turned around and took a sip of whiskey, and then turned back to his original position, Lee Hye-rim said.
“SH Strategy, is the working environment okay?”
Cha Joo-hyuk looked around.
'Are you going to take a look?'
“Yes, I am very satisfied, Miss.”
Lee Hye-rim nodded slowly and continued speaking.
“Even if you earn a high salary, it must cost a lot to maintain your dignity. How do you afford it?”
Cha Joo-hyuk's suit, shoes, and watch were all luxury items with a reasonable price range.
“Not only I, but all employees of SH Strategy are doing their best to not tarnish the image of Shinwha Group.”
“Why does it sound like I’m embezzling money to dress up?”
Cha Joo-hyuk waved his hands loudly.
“Miss! No! Absolutely not!”
That's what they said, but when the bloodlines of Shinwha Group were caught by reporters or had to pay compensation for damages such as property damage, there were rare instances where they would make a deal where they would pay 20 million won in compensation but instead pay 19 million won, and pocket 1 million won.
I thought they wouldn't notice since it was all cash, and that Shinwha Group wouldn't care since a million won was nothing compared to gum.
Lee Hye-rim turned her head and looked at Cha Ju-hyeok quietly.
Cha Joo-hyuk felt a cold sweat run down his spine.
She was ignored by her brothers.
And it's even funny.
However, no matter how much she was ignored and how young she was, the bloodline of Shinwha Group could be felt in her eyes.
“Oh, miss, that’s really not true.”
Lee Hye-rim nodded.
“You can make something like that.”
"yes?"
“Embezzlement of ten million won, embezzlement of twenty million won. Putting this and that together to make it ten billion won, ten billion won embezzlement… … . Would that be difficult? Why would I think it would be easy?”
Blood vessels appeared in Cha Joo-hyuk's eyes.
“Miss, why are you doing this to me… … .”
Lee Hye-rim, who thought she had scared Woo-jin enough as he said, cut him off.
“Please report to me all incidents and accidents that occur at Shinwha Group in the future.”
"yes?"
“Are you going to live your whole life as a salaryman or are you going to hold my hand and move up? I believe you understand what I mean.”
Cha Joo-hyuk's eyes trembled like an aspen tree.
It was meant to be the eyes and ears.
It is a call to get involved in the bloody fight between invisible brothers.
At that moment, Woojin spoke as if throwing something.
“Mr. Cha, you won’t suffer any losses. Even if the young lady’s chances of getting promoted are slim, she is the blood of the owner’s family. It’s not impossible. If the young lady succeeds… … .”
Cha Joo-hyuk swallowed dry saliva.
If you stay still, you're still a salaried worker, and even if you fail, you're still a salaried worker. But if you can move up… … .
As his head was spinning, Lee Hye-rim said.
“Can I pour you a drink?”
"thank you."
Cha Joo-hyuk emptied the remaining whiskey in his underlock glass in one gulp and politely handed the glass over to him.
Hye-rim Lee, holding a whiskey bottle, started to fill his glass with alcohol.
When it was about a third full, half full, and the whiskey was about to overflow into the on-the-rocks glass.
Lee Hye-rim said, putting down the bottle of alcohol.
“Looking at your face, I can tell you’re having an interesting time. Do you think I’m dealing with Mr. Cha right now?”
“Oh, no.”
“Do you like whiskey?”
As soon as Lee Hye-rim finished speaking, Cha Ju-hyeok drank the whiskey like he had been ordered to do so.
“Cough! Cough!”
Cha Joo-hyuk, who had poured whiskey over his body, felt like vomiting, but he swallowed several times and endured it.
Lee Hye-rim started to refill his glass with whiskey again.
Lee Hye-rim's eyes seemed to waver as she looked at the glass that was gradually filling up.
At that moment, Woojin's words came to mind.
'Hye-rim, you have to become a fearful person. A person who is fearful, but can also show hope.'
Hye-rim Lee calmed her mind again and fixed her gaze on the glass without wavering.
Her mouth opened again.
“Or do I look like the person asking for a favor from Manager Cha Joo-hyuk right now?”
“Oh, no.”
“Eat.”
Cha Joo-hyuk gulped down the whiskey again.
Lee Hye-rim said, looking at him with his face and neck flushed red.
“Our fairy brother. Who do you think made him like that?”
Cha Joo-hyuk's eyes widened.
I never expected that.
That was something that even the bloodlines of Shinwha Group didn't know.
Because it was something that even SH Strategy couldn't figure out.
Lee Hye-rim, who had never been interested in Shinwha Group’s work…
“From now on, I will live off the sweat that Manager Cha sheds.”
Lee Hye-rim pushed the white envelope in front of her onto the table in front of Cha Joo-hyuk.
“This money will serve as a guarantee.”
"miss……."
Cha Ju-hyuk, who had been looking at the floor and moving his gaze here and there, seemed to have made up his mind, and bowed deeply to Lee Hye-rim while adjusting his clothes.
Anyway, if you refuse, the company will make something up and kick you out.
No, it was something that could have even resulted in embezzlement and handcuffs.
In that case… … .
There is a saying that even if you roll around in dog shit, this world is better.
Maybe this is the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I will do my best to serve you.”
Lee Hye-rim held out an empty shot glass to Cha Ju-hyuk.
“Follow me.”
It was an order.
Cha Joo-hyuk politely filled Lee Hye-rim's glass with alcohol.
"thank you."
"no."
“Go and try it.”
As soon as Lee Hye-rim finished speaking, Cha Ju-hyeok bowed deeply once more and left the bar with the envelope.
Lee Hye-rim put down her shot glass, ran her hand through her hair, and let out a low sigh.
At that moment, Woojin put down his chopsticks and said.
“The Winner Takes it All.”
Lee Hye-rim smiled faintly as if the tension had eased.
Woojin continued speaking.
“A successful coup is….”
Lee Hye-rim smiled faintly and accepted Woo-jin’s words.
“It’s not a coup.”
The next day.
Woojin, who arrived at SH Strategy, was standing in front of the director.
The manager was looking at me as if to say, "What kind of a guy is this?"
“You’re quitting?”
"yes!"
“Hey. Where do you think you can go and get a salary like that?”
“Considering the average starting salary for a new employee, I think it would be difficult to get this kind of salary anywhere else.”
The director was dumbfounded by Woojin's confident tone of voice without even blinking.
“What do you mean, I came here and it doesn’t seem like it’s a good fit for me?”
"yes!"
The manager chuckled.
“Go out and look for something. It’s not that easy to find a job that suits your aptitude.”
He's young and doesn't know how scary the world is.
There was no need to give advice to a guy like that.
As my head grew bigger and I was tossed around in the world, I would end up hitting the ground and regretting it.
“Go and see.”
The manager had no regrets.
All I need is a dog that listens well, and a guy who is swayed by emotions like a child is of no value.
“Then let’s go!”
Woojin slightly bowed his head and left the office.
The manager shook his head as if he was incredulous.
It was because even the way he turned around and kicked away the blessings that had rolled in looked confident.
Woojin, who came back like that, started to tidy up his place.
Cha Joo-hyuk, who was stealing glances at the sight, couldn't say anything.
It wasn't Shin Woo-jin's atmosphere on his first day at work. No, Woo-jin's atmosphere was the same, but it felt different to Cha Joo-hyuk.
It's not that I couldn't treat him carelessly, I couldn't even talk to him.
Then Woojin said while putting his things in the box.
“I came in as a parachute from you, and quit a few days later. I went shopping with you and even got some luxury items as gifts. Please let your brothers know about this.”
Cha Joo-hyuk blurted out his words reflexively as if he was startled.
"yes!?"
Woojin, who was holding the box, turned his head and looked at Cha Joo-hyuk.
“Shall I say that again?”
“Oh, no. I will do that.”
Woojin, holding the box with both hands, bowed his head to him.
“Then, good luck.”
* * *
At exactly 6 o'clock in the evening.
It was a room in a high-class restaurant.
There were two women and one man sitting there, Lee Hye-rim's older sisters and older brother.
Lee Hye-rim's brothers had a meeting once a week, and Lee Jeong-cheol forced them to have the meeting to promote friendship among the brothers.
“The fairy said I knew how to hit him hard once. What a disgrace.”
“It seems like Father is really angry. I wonder if he’s letting it out on us.”
The eldest son, Lee Shin-cheol, who was quietly cutting steak, said.
“You should behave well from now on. Please hold back on doing whatever you want.”
“Hey, if someone hears this, it’ll seem like we did something wrong?”
Lee Shin-cheol did not open his mouth any longer and simply brought the glass of water to his lips.
“Oh, you know that, sis? It seems like Hye-rim is hanging out with that guy. She buys him delicious food, takes him shopping, and now she’s parachuting him into the company.”
“I heard. You came from a lowly stomach, so where will that behavior lead you?”
Lee Shin-cheol asked.
“You put it in? Where?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I said it was SH Strategy. But when the fairy was captured, I think the leader was fired right away.”
“I guess he’s afraid of getting scolded by his father.”
Lee Shin-cheol's eyebrows twitched.
No matter how self-willed he was, the fact that he had parachuted into the heart of Shinwha Group made him frown.
At that moment, the sound of high heels was heard again.
The owner of the voice was Lee Hye-rim, dressed in a black suit, and the brothers' eyes were fixed on her.
Lee Hye-rim felt it.
It means that the gazes of my older brothers and sisters, who look at me as if I am pitiful, have become higher than before.
Woojin's words naturally came to mind.
'The best weapon to blind your opponent is his/her complacency.'
In the past, I would have ignored those stares, but now that I realize it and look at them, I can't help but smile no matter how hard I try.
It was like watching a marionette on strings… .
“The fairy was captured, but her expression looks really bright?”
The other sister also looked at Hye-rim Lee up and down while linking her arms.
“What time is it now?”
Hye-rim Lee finally couldn't hold it in any longer and smiled brightly.
“The main character usually arrives late. Didn’t you know that?”
And Woojin is here too.
