Pervert?

Thinking what kind of nonsense this was, Ji Soo blinked slowly.

“What are you so happy about, grinning from ear to ear, after getting a morning water baptism?”

I was smiling just now.

“You’re enjoying this situation right now?”

“……”

“Han Ji Soo, you’re in big trouble now. It wouldn’t be an overreaction to cry and wail, so why are you smiling? Isn’t that perverted? Ah, come to think of it, last time in the bathtub too, you were staring at me.”

“No! Director, at that time I really thought you had passed away.”

“You have quite the perverted tendencies.”

“That’s really not true, Director.”

Why am I smiling? Fortunately, the green tea that drenched my face and blouse wasn’t colored, and fortunately it wasn’t very hot. Even while thinking I went too far in saying what I wanted to say to an executive director with a heavenly position, I also found myself remarkable. How could I not smile at this?

No, no matter what, isn’t it too much to ask a subordinate if they’re a pervert?

Thinking about it, I belatedly felt dumbfounded at the unfairness, but Ji Soo’s lips were pressed tightly together.

At that moment, Jae Ho entered the office with a towel in hand. Jae Ho tossed the towel half-heartedly towards Ji Soo.

Nice catch. Ji Soo, who quickly grabbed the towel, began wiping her still dripping wet hair. Then she wiped her face and pressed the towel firmly on her blouse.

Wait, there’s no need to wipe it in the director’s office, is there?

Ji Soo’s thoughts reached that point.

“Director, I will return to my desk now. I apologize for today’s events.”

Ji Soo bowed deeply towards Joo Hyuk, who gestured for her to come closer. Why is he telling me to come closer? Ji Soo didn’t know the reason, but she stood in front of Joo Hyuk like an obedient AI robot.

“Manager Hwang, you may leave now.”

“Yes, Director.”

At Joo Hyuk’s order to leave, Jae Ho quickly disappeared. Joo Hyuk irritably examined Ji Soo’s small face closely. He even grabbed her chin with his large hand and turned it this way and that.

“Your eyes are red. Is there any pain?”

“No, I don’t think there’s any particular pain.”

Too close. Way too close!

The distance with Joo Hyuk was excessively close. Close enough to fully feel his breath. My heart began racing strangely with clattering noises.

Why is this happening? Is it possible I developed an arrhythmia, me who prided myself on at least having good health? If not that, my heart was acting strangely to the point I couldn’t understand this situation.

Seeing him up close, Joo Hyuk was more than just perfect. How could a human being have it all like this? As a living being created by the same maker, it was amazing.

“You’re drooling.”

At Joo Hyuk’s sarcastic voice, I came to my senses with a start. I must have examined Joo Hyuk’s face too absentmindedly.

“I will correct that, Director.”

“Han Ji Soo.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Do you yourself know what you did wrong today, Han Ji Soo?”

“Yes.”

Of course I do.

Ji Soo shrank again.

“No matter what Executive Director Shim Yeon Seok did outside, he is a superior much higher than you. If a subordinate hits back the same way when a superior says or does something wrong, what do we call that?”

“……”

“Not answering?”

No wonder he’s ex-military. Joo Hyuk’s tone was similar to that of a drill instructor during roll call.

“It’s… it’s called insubordination.”

“That’s right, what you did today is insubordination.”

“I’m sorry. I have no words.”

Since he’s from a military background, he may detest insubordination even more. The company isn’t the military, but past experiences and habits don’t completely disappear.

“I won’t tolerate this kind of insubordination again.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Answer louder.”

“Yes! Director!”

“Louder!”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

“……”

I told her to answer loudly, not multiple times. Joo Hyuk was extremely flustered by Ji Soo shouting at the top of her lungs until her face turned red.

“You may go now.”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Ji Soo, who energetically answered three times, bowed to Joo Hyuk. As Ji Soo grabbed the doorknob, Joo Hyuk’s voice came from behind.

“The live viewing of today’s insubordination was fun, though.”

When the startled Ji Soo half-turned around, a subtle smile was spreading on the corners of Joo Hyuk’s mouth.

***

“Han Ji Soo! Come here for a sec.”

As expected. As soon as she left the director’s office, the secretarial staff swarmed around Ji Soo like a cloud.

“All sorts of noises were coming from inside the director’s office, so I wondered what was going on…”

Sang Hee shook her head, unable to finish her sentence.

“Incredible, just incredible. Han Ji Soo.”

“……”

There was nothing to say in response. The secretarial staff all had shocked expressions.

You, Han Ji Soo? You, a contract worker? You, who can’t make a peep when we say something? They seemed to be saying she must be crazy to do this when she should be trying to save her job.

“Ji Soo, I was so surprised to hear about it from Manager Hwang just now. Are you okay?”

Na Yeon was the only one who carefully approached Ji Soo here.

“If you can talk back like that to Executive Director Shim… You’ll probably talk back to us anytime too, right? In front of an executive director, a manager, assistant manager, or section chief is nothing.”

“That’s not true, Manager.”

Ji Soo waved her hands back and forth towards Sang Hee.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, of course.”

I won’t talk back to just anyone.

“That’s a relief then.”

Did she want a definite answer that Ji Soo wouldn’t commit insubordination against her?

“Honestly, I felt a bit refreshed.”

“Pardon?”

“I didn’t like that pervert Executive Director Shim from the beginning.”

Sang Hee shuddered as she recalled a past memory. It was from when she had just entered the company, much like Ji Soo now. Back when she thought executives were like the sky and couldn’t even make proper eye contact with them.

How ashamed she felt under Yeon Seok’s sleazy smile and gaze. But even so, she couldn’t say a word in front of Yeon Seok. She knew all too well that even if a fight broke out within the company, she would be at a disadvantage.

“It felt… good that Han Ji Soo took revenge on our behalf.”

“……”

“I didn’t know, but you’re a tough nut despite appearances. I like that too.”

Is it praise? Or an insult? Ji Soo could only laugh awkwardly at Sang Hee’s words that were hard to gauge. Anyway, contrary to Ji Soo’s expectation that she would get scolded again for committing insubordination, the secretarial staff seemed unanimously refreshed by this incident.

“Manager, the flight attendant who was abused this time is an acquaintance of an acquaintance of mine. I heard she’s under severe mental shock now.”

“Of course. Honestly, the abuse was pretty severe even watching the video.”

The topic of conversation naturally shifted back to Yeon Seok’s abuse incident. Sang Hee, who had been chatting for a while, glanced at Ji Soo who was standing absentmindedly.

“Han Ji Soo, what are you doing not going back to your desk to work?”

“Ah, yes!”

Although Sang Hee’s ever-changing heart was like a seven-colored rainbow, just like choosing your first meal after starving for a week, even she didn’t seem particularly hateful today.

***

It was as if a storm had swept through the director’s office. Joo Hyuk, half-lying on the spacious sofa, recalled what had happened a little while ago.

Ji Soo, who had silently placed the snacks, that woman named Han Ji Soo who had answered Yeon Seok’s question clearly as if she had been waiting for it. That woman who was grinning despite being doused with green tea seemed really strange no matter how much he thought about it.

Is she in her right mind?

Wouldn’t a normal person be either angry to the point of tears or trembling in fear?

Then Joo Hyuk’s expression quickly turned fierce as he thought of Yeon Seok. Within the group, he had seen scenes of violence that were incomparable to splashing green tea on someone’s face.

But why was he so uncharacteristically filled with uncontrollable anger? Joo Hyuk barely suppressed his breath and roughly ran his fingers through his hair.

“Director, the public sentiment is worse than expected.”

Joo Hyuk, checking the screen of the tablet PC handed by Jae Ho, slowly nodded his head. It was a world where, whenever an incident occurred, it was natural to be judged first in the world of SNS before receiving a legal verdict.

“We may need to issue a public apology at this rate. There’s a high risk of damaging the airline’s image as is.”

Even if the disciplinary committee punished Yeon Seok, it would only amount to a salary reduction. But he knew that level of discipline couldn’t quell the public outrage.

“If possible, it would be better for him to apologize directly.”

“As if Executive Director Shim would do that.”

He was someone who insisted it wasn’t his fault until the end, even after being summoned by Joo Hyuk. There was no way he would admit his wrongs now and apologize to the unspecified masses.

“Anyway, since it’s come to this, it would be better for the company to properly state its position. Ask the PR department to write an apology.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Let’s move on to the next agenda item.”

That should be enough. Joo Hyuk thought that if they did this much, everything would quiet down after a few days passed. But this whole situation was Joo Hyuk’s misconception.

***

All executives from each division usually attended the quarterly meeting. It was for each division to directly communicate and plan for the next quarter.

But today’s meeting wasn’t to make plans. It was a hastily arranged meeting with an emergency agenda item thoroughly focused on Yeon Seok’s abuse issue.

On the large oval conference table, each seat had a dedicated microphone attached. Joo Hyuk’s seat was right next to Gil Seop’s. Across from Joo Hyuk and to the right of Gil Seop was the seat of Executive Director Go Gang Jin.

“Apart from the disciplinary action against Executive Director Shim Yeon Seok, we should reconsider measures to handle this while quelling current public sentiment in Korea and avoiding negative impact on the airline’s image. First, we should post a well-organized apology reflecting the airline’s position on our official website,”

“The first thing should be for Executive Director Shim to personally apologize to the flight attendant he harmed.”

It was Joo Hyuk who cut off the executive proposing obvious solutions and raised his voice.

“Even if Executive Director Shim Yeon Seok belongs to ACS Airlines, not all of his actions can align with the company. In this regard, Executive Director Shim should respond to this thoroughly as a personal controversy.”

The majority of executives nodded in agreement with Joo Hyuk’s words. With the exception of only one person, Gang Jin.

“While I think Executive Director Min’s opinion also has a point, if the company doesn’t protect Executive Director Shim, who has devoted his life to the company, that also seems to go against reason.”

At Gang Jin’s dissenting opinion, Joo Hyuk’s eyes momentarily narrowed.