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Korean beef restaurant near headquarters.
The place where Operation Team 5’s dinner was in full swing was abuzz with talk about the practical exam that took place in the afternoon.
Most of them were complaining that they could have done better, or making unfounded rumors that the team next to them was likely to get promoted.
But the real protagonist of the event was someone else.
“Oh right. Choi Jonghyuk! “What are you doing today?”
“Aren’t you going to get promoted like this?!”
“therefore! “When did you train without us knowing?!”
“Can I become team leader at this rate? “Kkkkkk!”
It was definitely Choi Jonghyuk.
It was because of the performance I showed in the practical test that took place today.
Didn’t he surprise everyone with his undeniable skills?
This was an unusual event for them as they worked as a support team with Team 4 without being initially deployed, so it was natural that interest was focused on them.
“What about training… I just did it as usual.”
Choi Jong-hyuk sipped his drink with trembling humility.
Of course, it wasn’t my usual skill.
It’s not a story worth telling here, but I was lucky anyway.
I never thought such a good offer would come to me.
‘You idiots… rot here for the rest of your life.’
I mentally laughed at everyone here and poured down my drink.
Of course, I felt like bragging right away, but I wasn’t stupid enough to mess things up.
Above all, on the other hand, I also felt uncomfortable.
The appearance shown by Kim Min-ju, who was a junior of Saeblue.
And the reason why the CEO, who used to be a cleaner, pointed out to me so loudly was something that still hasn’t left my mind.
I hope you make that mysterious expression for a moment.
“Sorry, I was a little late.”
“Oh my, our intern is here!”
“Welcome, welcome!”
When Moon So-yeon arrived at the dinner party late, her face brightened as if it had never happened before.
“Oh, Soyeon, sit here.”
“yes yes. thank you.”
Choi Jong-hyuk sat her down next to him and immediately poured alcohol into her glass.
“Today is your first day, wasn’t it difficult?”
“Oh, it was okay because you helped me a lot.”
“I’m glad. “You don’t have to bother me more, so please ask more questions.”
“thank you.”
Soon, when Moon So-yeon raised her glass, Choi Jong-hyuk immediately held out his own glass.
“Pour me a drink too.”
“Ah yes!”
“Soyeon, do you… have a boyfriend?”
“yes yes?!”
“Ahaha, it’s a joke, a joke! “I’m even more embarrassed because you’re so surprised.”
Choi Jong-hyuk couldn’t even see anything else.
For several hours, I continued to talk to Moon So-yeon, giving all my attention to her.
“Now, have another drink.”
He constantly offered Moon So-yeon a drink.
However, Moon So-yeon, who had an appointment later, waved her hand and indicated her intention to decline.
“Oh no. “I have to go now…”
“Ah, take it quickly. “Don’t take it out.”
“I really have to go….”
“Seup. Are you going to stand up first in front of all your seniors? “If I do this, I may be at a disadvantage when converting to a full-time employee…”
Choi Jong-hyuk then opened his eyes and said.
Moon So-yeon was completely shocked.
What kind of trivial threat is this to a member of the Rank Review and Evaluation Committee?
However, Choi Jong-hyuk, who had no way of knowing that fact, continued to criticize her.
“In this day and age, shouldn’t there be someone you can trust? “If I get promoted through this review, I will be at the level of a team leader.”
“…Do you think you have someone you can trust?”
“….”
Choi Jong-hyuk’s expression hardened for a moment at Moon So-yeon’s question.
I wondered who the intern would dare say such a thing to.
“Hey, don’t do that. “In what era do they force people to drink alcohol?”
Team leader Lee Tae-beom must have sensed an unusual atmosphere and waved his hand to stop Choi Jong-hyuk.
“Soyeon, if you have an appointment, go first. Because it’s okay.”
“Okay then, I’ll get up first. sorry.”
“No, no. People who want to eat eat together. “Let’s go quickly.”
“Then…”
Moon So-yeon quickly nodded and left.
Choi Jong-hyuk looked at her back as she left the store and clicked his tongue.
He glanced at her empty space with a stern expression and sipped his drink.
***
Cafe near Seoul headquarters.
I was sitting alone drinking coffee when the person I was waiting for arrived.
“sorry. “It’s a little late, right?”
It was Moon So-yeon, in charge of Team 5 of the Personality Evaluation Committee operation.
“it’s okay. “I just arrived too.”
The reason for calling her was for mid-term inspection, but the purpose was a little bigger than that: to monitor Choi Jong-hyuk’s movements.
But for some reason, her cheeks were quite flushed as they sat across from each other.
“Have you been drinking?”
“Ah yes. “There was a five-team dinner today.”
“I have a meeting, so maybe I should have cut back on it a little bit.”
“I was planning on doing that, but my senior kept recommending it, so I had no choice…”
“Huh, what era were you… Who is your senior?”
“Mr. Choi Jonghyuk.”
“….”
I knew it would be like this.
Anyway, I don’t like this guy.
“Well, first of all, let’s put that aside. How is the review going well?”
“Yes, in general, there is nothing particularly problematic.”
She continued, taking out an evaluation sheet from her bag.
“Team leader Taebeom Lee is basically sincere and gets along well with his team members. I try to take care of even the smallest details. The other people are all good people too. Just…”
“Just?”
“Choi Jong-hyuk is a little…”
Sure enough, that name popped up again.
“Of course, he’s helping me a lot and he’s not a bad person… but he’s a bit pushy.”
“Haa….”
As expected.
That personality is nowhere to be found.
“Have you ever been forced to do something for a personal favor or in the name of your position?”
“You say that sometimes… but it’s probably a joke.”
“Moon So-yeon.”
I looked at her with very serious eyes.
“It’s up to the listener to decide whether it’s a joke or not.”
“….”
“So… was it really a joke?”
Her eyes turned to the floor.
Judging by his reaction and his personality, there is absolutely no way it was a joke.
If you leave him alone, he will end up doing the same thing as before he returned.
If possible, I would like to take this opportunity to cut it.
“Are there any more points that could be deducted? “Using verbal abuse or violence.”
“no. There was nothing like that.”
“Then what’s different?”
“Not at all. Honestly, even if there is a coercive part, that alone is not a reason for point deduction. Above all, work attitude, interpersonal relationships, etc. “If you look at the evaluation criteria alone, they are all top-ranked.”
“Tsk.”
Even though I know that he’s a bastard who will tarnish the name of Hunter, I can’t kick him out.
Should I wait until something happens?
‘No…’
Then what is the meaning of going through all this trouble?
“Oh, come to think of it, I just said something strange at a company dinner…”
“Strange thing?”
When I asked, Moon So-yeon nodded and answered.
“He said to me that in this day and age, it’s important to have at least a little bit of faith.”
“So?”
“So, when I asked my senior if he had a side like that… he couldn’t answer. “What does this mean?”
“Well… it’s obvious.”
It means that there is something trustworthy about you too.
‘Someone is looking after Choi Jong-hyuk?’
Could it be that the high performance on the practical exam had something to do with it?
If the guy who was looking after me had given me a tip in advance…
‘I heard he was one of the evaluation committee members…’
Except for Lee’s father and daughter, there aren’t many people left.
One outside director and three inside directors.
One of them is related to Choi Jong-hyuk.
“Then don’t you know that I am in charge of personality evaluation?”
“no. Probably not. The personality assessment is something that is being carried out by me and Director Lee A-young. Even if they knew, only each team leader would know.”
It becomes even more difficult if one of the evaluation committees is really watching your back.
Putting disqualification aside, I will finish all screenings with high scores.
Tsk, what’s so pretty about that bastard…
‘…Wait a minute.’
It was something I said without much thought, but it suddenly stuck in my head.
Why are you looking after someone like that?
Unless they’re just pushing each other without getting anything in return because they like each other so much, wouldn’t there definitely be something being exchanged?
But he is still a C-class hunter.
You probably don’t have the ability or authority to give something helpful to a director-level person, right?
‘Or rather, he asked me to do something that only low-ranking people can do…?’
I racked my brain for a while, but I couldn’t think of anything worth mentioning.
“For now, let’s wait and see.”
In the current situation, there is not enough information to judge anything.
I have no choice but to find out a little more.
“We will find out who is looking after you, so Moon So-yeon, please continue to evaluate.”
“Yes, please leave it to me.”
“Then let’s go in. “You look like you’re having a hard time, so go home and get some rest.”
I stood up first, taking the evaluation sheet she held out.
As I headed home, the story from earlier kept repeating in my head.
Someone watching your back.
And something worth asking a C-rank hunter.
What on earth was the deal?
***
“Ah, Soyeon! “Can you come here for a moment?”
Early morning Operation Team 5 office.
As soon as So-yeon Moon got to work, Team Leader Tae-beom Lee urgently called her.
“Is this a draft of this week’s operation schedule? “I have to rush to a meeting right now, so please finish this and hand it over to the control team.”
“Finish it?”
“It won’t be difficult. All you have to do is organize the date, time and location and create a table. “If I’m not sure, I ask Jonghyuk.”
“Oh, I understand.”
“Then let me ask you a favor. “It’s urgent, so please send it to me before lunch time.”
Team leader Lee left those words behind and immediately ran out of the office.
Moon So-yeon returned to her seat and looked at the paper handed to her.
‘…I don’t recognize a single thing.’
The letters were scrawled in a handwriting that could be trusted to be hieroglyphs.
I tried to read it with my eyes wide open, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t make out a single sentence.
In the end, Soyeon Moon gave up on decoding and looked around the office to get help from others.
However, everyone seemed to have gone out to suppress it, and the only person left in the office was Choi Jong-hyuk.
What Kim Jun-woo said really bothered me… but since there was nothing else to do, Moon So-yeon eventually approached him.
“Um… senior, I don’t know what it says on this…”
“Can’t you see I’m working now?”
Choi Jong-hyuk shoots sharply before he can even finish his sentence.
Moon So-yeon was quite embarrassed by his appearance, which was so different from yesterday.
“ah. Sorry, senior. But if you just look at this….”
“Ah… hey, why am I your senior? “I’m not even a hunter.”
“….”
“And you’re the one who has to help me unconditionally whenever I ask you to help me with something? “I asked him if he wanted to come, but he was very polite and ate it.”
He spouted out random words while pointing his finger.
However, rather than being frightened by the sudden yelling, Moon So-yeon was more embarrassed that the person had changed overnight.
“Anyway, things these days are…”
As Choi Jong-hyuk was muttering like that, his cell phone rang.
“….”
After checking the caller, he picked up his cell phone with a stern expression and hurried out of the office.
“…I can’t help it.”
Moon So-yeon, who was staring blankly at the spot where Choi Jong-hyuk left, eventually returned to her seat without much benefit.
Then I started filling out as many tables as I could.