The women’s lounge, the women’s restroom, his stories were invariably the topic of conversation. If more than two female employees gathered, they inevitably talked about Ji Seo Joon. He was such a hot topic that I heard about him whether I wanted to or not.
In the process, he gradually became the object of envy and jealousy of the male employees. It was worrying enough, and there were times when I had to step in due to baseless criticism that was too much even for me to hear.
At that sight, Ms. Baek In Ha, who was with me, opened her mouth and stared.
“Are you that free? If you’re free, help me with my work. Stick the receipts from the business trip correctly…….”
When I grumbled, Ms. Baek In Ha quietly avoided her seat.
On a day I left work early, Ji Seo Joon and I found ourselves seated together at the old lady’s table after a long while due to her call.
She seemed curious about our corporate lives, so she asked him a lot of questions, but he just answered languidly.
I took a big bite of rice and stared at his face, chewing loudly.
I wondered if he knew how his reputation was circulating around the office. I carefully studied him, slightly worried, but all I saw was his inscrutable poker face.
After dinner, he got up from his seat, saying he had to go to work early the next day, and after saying goodbye to the lady, I left the house with him.
While he was waiting for a taxi, I tapped a protruding pavement block with the front of my foot.
“How’s work life? Are you adapting well?”
“Work life is all the same, isn’t it.”
He was still giving answers I couldn’t make heads or tails of.
Because Ji Seo Joon was not one to share hardships, I decided to ask directly.
“Is there anyone at work who bothers you, or people who talk nonsense?”
At my words, Ji Seo Joon tilted his head to the left and stared blankly.
“Why, why?”
I stuttered, feeling unexpectedly pricked.
“Why are you suddenly worrying about such things?”
“What! We’re friends, of course!”
I got inexplicably angry at his surprising answer. I recalled the look of the employees who looked at me like I was crazy for taking his side at the office.
“Friends?”
“Yes. 29 years of friendship!”
Even when I was agitated and grumbling, Ji Seo Joon, who casually answered and turned his gaze back to where the taxi was coming, said.
“There was a bit of a nuisance……. But, it was nothing.”
“What happened?”
Worried that he might have been harassed, I grabbed his arm and shook it.
Then he sighed heavily, as if annoyed, and pulled my hand off his arm.
“It really wasn’t a big deal? It was something I could easily ignore. Hey, there’s a taxi coming. I’m going.”
As the taxi arrived, Ji Seo Joon quickly got in, waved his hand out of the open window, and disappeared.
“What kind of guy is it? Who messed with you?”
Ji Seo Joon was not one to be bullied, but I was angry that someone had messed with him.
Isn’t there something like this? Only I can scold my sibling. That kind of feeling.
I thought I would have to go to the office tomorrow and discreetly find out about it.
The next day, I contacted a known researcher from the Virus Research Team 1 via the company’s messenger.
[Researcher Lee Kyung Hoon. Can I ask you something?] He replied after a while, probably busy. [Of course! If it’s Deputy Manager Moon asking, I’ll answer everything!] Lee Kyung Hoon, a researcher with a sociable personality, had many connections in the company, and I was included in those connections.I decided to have lunch with Researcher Lee Kyung Hoon.
Both of us had odd schedules, so we decided to eat together in the company cafeteria.
I had stopped going to the cafeteria, uncertain if Ji Seo Joon would show up, but when I checked just in case, I heard that he was eating with another researcher today, so I headed to the cafeteria with ease.
“Deputy Manager Moon Da Yul, aren’t you too busy these days?”
“It’s not me who’s busy, it’s you, the researcher.”
At my words, Mr. Lee Kyung Hoon laughed with a friendly smile.
“But what is Deputy Manager Moon curious about? I’m dying to know.”
“Ah……. About that…….”
I hesitantly opened my mouth after glancing around the area.
“It’s about Researcher Ji Seo Joon…….”
“Ah. I see. Deputy Manager Moon, you’re interested in Researcher Ji Seo Joon too? That’s disappointing.”
Mr. Lee Kyung Hoon, who was making an exaggerated disappointed face, took a big bite of his meal.
“No, that’s not it……. Did something happen to Researcher Ji Seo Joon at work?”
“Huh?”
Mr. Lee Kyung Hoon, who was surprised by the unexpected question and was vigorously chewing, hurriedly swallowed his rice.
“Did you hear something?”
“Huh?”
“Actually…….”
He looked around and lowered his voice.
“Ji Seo Joon is a bit……. He’s next level, isn’t he? There were a lot of people envious of him. Honestly, at his age, being a senior researcher, with looks that could rival a celebrity…… It’s enough to make others jealous.”
I involuntarily swallowed.
“He had a big fight with another team’s senior researcher.”
“Huh?”
A loud voice slipped out of me without me realizing it, and I covered my mouth with both hands in surprise.
“Shhh. Your voice is too loud, Deputy Manager Moon.”
“Ah. Yes. I’m sorry.”
I lowered my voice and my body slightly.
“Do you know the senior researcher from Team 3, Mr. Envious?”
“Ah. I think I’ve heard the name. I haven’t worked with him yet though…….”
“He was rude to Ji Seo Joon.”
“What did he say?”
“I can’t give you the exact details…… but he was nitpicking at his research paper. It looked like he was picking a fight to anyone watching.”
Was his name Envious? He really lived up to his name.
“But Ji Seo Joon has quite a character. He refuted point by point……. Mr. Envious’s face turned red and he left.”
Without realizing it, my hand was clenched tightly.
“Really, there are a lot of strange people around.”
“Well. That’s true. I can somewhat understand. It took over 10 years for Mr. Envious to become a senior researcher……. Ji Seo Joon became a senior researcher at 29. And that too, in our team.”
Lee Kyung Hoon nodded his head and took a spoonful of soup.
“Ah! Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying Mr. Envious did well. Absolutely. Not.”
I nodded my head, indicating that I understood.
And I quietly made a mental note.
Researcher Envious from Research Team 3.
After parting with Researcher Lee Kyung Hoon, I returned to my office and leisurely sipped a cup of coffee while searching the company intranet for a photo of Researcher Envious.
As I was familiarizing myself with his face, Ms. Baek In Ha burst in and sat down. Rolling her chair, Baek In Ha pulled up next to me and called me.
“Deputy Manager.”
“Yes?”
“Just a moment, lend me your ear…….”
I wondered what news the company’s information officer, Baek In Ha, had brought this time. Smiling inwardly, I offered my ear to her.
“You know the HR team’s goddess, right? Ms. Yoo Na Ra. That goddess is said to like Researcher Ji Seo Joon!”
Huh?
Before Ji Seo Joon appeared in our company, there was a famous person. The protagonist was the goddess of the HR team, Ms. Yoo Na Ra. She was known to be the older sister of a popular female idol these days.
She was indeed a beauty, looking very much like that idol, and among the male employees, she was called ‘the goddess’.
And that ‘goddess’ liked Ji Seo Joon.
My Ex-Girlfriend Is The Regent In The Female-dominant World (Male lead transmigrates to the matriarchal world)
Two years ago, Gu Sui picked up a homeless woman in ancient costume from the street.
Apart from occasionally claiming to be a princess from a female-dominant country due to illness, her figure, appearance, intelligence, and martial arts skills were impeccable.
Naturally evolving from roommates to girlfriends, as time went on, Gu Sui found it increasingly difficult to tolerate her queen syndrome.
“Mu Jiulu, can you stop controlling me inside and out? Let’s break up.”
Gu Sui made a breakup call, and since then, he couldn’t find any trace of her.
A year later, Gu Sui, who was planning to move, woke up the next day and found himself in a different place.
“Young Master, today is the day you choose your Wife-master through martial arts competition at Jade Dew Pavilion. Please get up quickly.”
Gu Sui: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
As the only son of a general’s mansion in a female-dominant dynasty, the young empress personally issued a decree allowing Gu Sui to select his Wife-master through martial arts competition. Whoever could defeat him could marry him.
Gu Sui: “……”
He didn’t inherit the original owner’s martial prowess, so anyone could defeat him! And what the hell is a Wife-master?
Forced to come to Jade Dew Pavilion, the densely packed women below made Gu Sui’s agoraphobia act up, and his face was full of resistance.
Until he saw the Regent sitting on the second floor, with a smile on the corner of her lips, her eyes wicked and nonchalant.
Hmm… she looked a little familiar.
It turned out that the Regent also found him a little familiar.
Mu Jiulu fiddled with her bone clasp, her deep gaze locked on the man who was out of place in this world.
“Finally, I found you.”
Male transmigrates into female-dominant world
One-sentence summary: What goes around comes around, taking turns in the crematorium
