Chapter 31: Yakgwa, Traditional Korean Sweets

Kang Jin was making yakgwa, traditional Korean sweets, following a recipe using medicinal herbs. He mixed licorice root with barley and rice flour according to the instructions, sifted it through a sieve, kneaded the dough, and began shaping them.

As he worked, the door opened.

Click.

Kim Sohee entered the room. Unlike her appearance outside, she now looked familiar—dressed elegantly in hanbok attire, her hair neatly combed, she appeared as the pretty young girl Kang Jin had first met.

Where did she put that sword?

Noticing the absence of the blade, Kang Jin spoke up. “Please wait a moment for the yakgwa.”

“I will,” replied Kim Sohee.

With a nod, Kang Jin started frying the yakgwa in oil.

Sizzle! Frrrsh!

As the sound of frying intensified like raindrops falling, Kang Jin glanced at the hall where Kim Sohee sat upright with her back straight.

I thought she’d ask for soju first…

Kang Jin finished frying the yakgwa and placed them on a strainer before dipping them briefly in the pre-made syrup mixture.

He checked the time and smiled.

This practice room truly is monstrous.

Although not overly difficult, he managed to make yakgwa within ten minutes.

Smiling, Kang Jin arranged the yakgwa on a plate and set it on the table along with some side dishes.

“Here you go.”

“Bring me some soju.”

“Yes ma’am.” Following Kim Sohee’s request, Kang Jin retrieved two bottles of soju from the fridge and placed them on the table.

Kim Sohee silently poured herself a shot of soju and downed it in one go. Then…

Kang Jin pursed his lips as he noticed Kim Sohee’s smile spreading across her face.

She really enjoys drinking.

The way she savored each sip was refreshing to watch.

If only she’d lived longer… She would’ve been considered quite beautiful.

Although pretty, Kim Sohee still looked young, making “cute” a more fitting descriptor than “beautiful.” One might describe her as having a cute little sister vibe.

As Kang Jin observed her, Kim Sohee quietly sipped on soju while snacking on yakgwa. After finishing the first bottle, she opened the second without missing a beat. Once done with that, she stood up.

“You eat well.”

Seeing Kim Sohee finish two bottles of soju within thirty minutes, Kang Jin emerged from the kitchen.

“Um…there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

Kim Sohee looked at him upon hearing his words.

“Go ahead.”

“You always come here alone…

Other Virgin Ghosts formed groups when visiting, but only Kim Sohee consistently came by herself.

“Why don’t you dine with others?”

“Do you find it inconvenient that I come alone?”

“Not at all! It’s actually more convenient for me since you’re solo. However…wouldn’t it be better to enjoy meals with company rather than eating alone?”

Kim Sohee observed Kang Jin briefly before responding.

“I…”

She seemed about to say something but hesitated and ultimately shook her head.

Kim Sohee hesitated before shaking her head.

“I’ve already eaten.”

Kang Jin watched as Kim Sohee left without another word.

She must feel lonely…

Despite being a ghost from the Joseon Dynasty… Kang Jin felt sorry for Kim Sohee, who appeared to be just a high school girl wandering alone all the time.

Early Monday morning, Kang Jin stood before the mirror dressed in a suit.

“It feels uncomfortable.” He scratched his head while checking himself out from different angles. It felt like wearing ill-fitting clothes, which made sense since this was the first time he’d ever worn a suit in his life.

Kang Jin adjusted the tie around his neck and pulled it tight. With a cheap zipper-style tie secured, he twisted his neck to loosen up.

Crack! Crack!

“All right! Let’s go.”

Today marked Kang Jin’s first day as an intern. After stretching, he left home.

Outside his shop, he spotted several ghosts gathered together.

“Please come inside everyone.”

As he opened the store door, the ghosts entered one by one.

Kang Jin had opened his shop early this morning to let the ghosts inside, as he felt sorry for them waiting outside.

“From now on, you’ll only come here after work hours since you’re interning?” Bae Yongsoo asked Kang Jin.

Kang Jin nodded at Sung Yongsoo’s question.

“Yes, sir.”

“If you see any ghosts while at your company, don’t acknowledge their presence. People might think you’re crazy,” Choi Ho-chul warned him.

“I wasn’t planning to do that anyway.”

Choi Ho-chul responded, “If any ghost bothers you, call me.”

Kang Jin subtly bowed his head towards Choi Ho-chul.

“Yes, sir.”

Although he was getting used to seeing Choi Ho-chul frequently…Jin still found Choi Ho-chul intimidating.

“Well then, I’m off.”

“Sure. Have a good day. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Bae Yongsoo sounded like a wife bidding farewell to her husband, causing Kang Jin to grimace and hastily leave.

Can you believe this ghost is seeing me off to work?

Muttering internally, Kang Jin briskly walked towards the Taekwang Trading Company building as fast as he could.

Kang Jin arrived at the building located about five minutes away from One Meal Restaurant and looked up. Seeing how tall it was, he straightened his clothes before entering.

The lobby was still quiet. It was only 8 AM, so most employees had yet to arrive for their shifts.

“They told me to go to the HR department on the ninth floor…”

After checking the directory on one of the walls, Kang Jin approached the reception desk.

“I’m Kang Jin, here as an intern for Taekwang Trading Company today. How do I get inside?”

He pointed towards the entrance of the building. There were turnstiles similar to those found at subway stations, requiring a security pass to enter.

There was a turnstile gate similar to those found at subway stations, and he needed his access card to enter.

“Please wait a moment.” The receptionist made a phone call before addressing Kang Jin again. “It seems like employees haven’t arrived yet… What time is your scheduled appointment today?”

“Nine o’clock.”

The receptionist smiled while checking their watch. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but it’s quite early for you to be here with no one else around.”

“Oh really?”

“The earliest they arrive is usually by half past eight. You can grab a coffee from the café nearby and wait.” The staff member gestured towards one side of the building where amenities such as an in-house café and convenience store were located.

Kang Jin nodded and headed towards the convenience store instead of the expensive coffee shop. He bought a canned coffee inside, then sat down at a chair facing the building’s windows.

Klack!

He opened his can and sipped it while observing people outside through the glass window. As he watched them going about their business, Kang Jin sensed someone approaching from beside him and turned to look.

Standing next to him was Manager Jang, who could now be considered a regular customer here.

“I wasn’t sure, but it’s really you, President Kang.”

“Hello.”

“We’re colleagues starting today.”

“It’s nice working with you.”

“Of course, I’m looking forward to it. Thanks to you, sir, I found my passion again.”

Kang Jin shook his head at Manager Jang’s comment with a smile.

“I just got lucky, that’s all.”

Manager Jang nodded and continued, “The best part is you’re joining our department…but unfortunately, we don’t accept interns, so even though we’re in the same company, I won’t get to see you often.”

“Your department doesn’t take interns?”

“The overseas business division is critical within our company, so we don’t have interns. One wrong phone call could lead to significant issues.”

“I see.”

“But if work gets tough or you need advice, feel free to contact me anytime. And if any supervisor gives you trouble up to assistant manager level, I’ll handle them myself.”

Nodding at Manager Jang’s words, Kang Jin glanced at the time and said:

“You came to work quite early today, didn’t you?”

“I arrived early because I had some faxes to receive.”

As they chatted about various topics, Manager Jang and Kang Jin exited the convenience store together. When Kang Jin approached the reception desk, the staff member spoke up.

“May I see your ID, please?”

Kang Jin handed over her identification, and the employee returned it with a temporary access card.

“Please go to the ninth floor’s HR department for your permanent pass, then come back here to retrieve your ID.”

“Understood.” With a nod, Kang Jin accepted the temporary card, and Manager Jang escorted her towards the entrance.

“This way, please. To reach the ninth floor, we need to take this elevator.”

“Are there different elevators for each floor?”

“If every elevator served all floors, people would constantly be waiting or going down unnecessarily. So, the elevators operate separately for odd and even-numbered floors.”

When the elevator doors opened, Manager Jang and Kang Jin stepped inside. Soon after, others joined them, quickly filling the elevator.

Kang Jin entered the elevator, and it quickly filled up as more people followed him inside. When they reached the ninth floor, Manager Jang waved goodbye to Kang Jin.

“If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Thank you.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Kang Jin stepped off at the ninth floor. He scanned the various department names posted on the walls before entering the one labeled Human Resources.

As he walked in, a man approached him.

“You’re here early.”

“It’s my first day…”

“Please have a seat for now. I’ll explain everything once the other interns arrive.”

The man gestured towards what appeared to be a meeting room, and Kang Jin nodded, heading inside. As he sat down waiting, young individuals who seemed to be fellow interns gradually entered and found seats.

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

Knowing they were all interns, everyone exchanged brief greetings, including Kang Jin.

As they greeted each other, the door opened, and a man and woman entered. The staff badges around their necks silenced the interns immediately.

With the room quiet, the male employee looked at them while referring to his paperwork.

“Please raise your hand when called. Sung Si-seok, Cha Inho, Goblin…”

The interns raised their hands as their names were called out.

“Lee Kang-jin.”

Kang Jin lifted her hand upon hearing her name. As the employee continued calling more names, he frowned.

“Hwang Seok, is Hwang Seok here?”

No one raised their hand, causing him to click his tongue.

“To be late on your first day…”

He shook his head and marked attendance on his list.

“Don’t be tardy during your internship. Nothing hurts your evaluation more than being late.”

Although his tone was casual, all the interns nodded in agreement.

“Also, some of you may leave for other positions…but this industry is small. Unless it’s with a foreign company, it’s best to complete your internship here before making any moves.”

After giving them what sounded like a cautionary warning, he turned to a female colleague who had brought along a box containing ID badges. She started handing them out to the interns.

“Please check your IDs.”

The interns verified their respective IDs as instructed. Kang Jin fiddled with his badge attached to a red lanyard while sneaking a peek at the employee. His ID was on a blue lanyard.

Red for interns and blue for full-time employees, I guess?

As Kang Jin pondered this, the male employee began explaining the details of the internship program. After outlining their duties and requirements, he continued by addressing the group.

“I’m not sure if you’ve heard about our internship program…but we often hire many interns as full-time employees.”

The crowd’s eyes sparkled at this announcement. They were aware of Taekwang Trading Company’s high rate of converting interns to permanent positions.

As the staff member observed the eager interns, they opened their file and began speaking.

“Now, I will announce your assigned departments. Seong Sik-woo, Kim Kangho, Domestic Marketing Team 1…”

They listed off the departments where each intern would work. And then…

“Export Agency Team 2: Lee Kang-jin, Choi Dong-hae.”

Upon hearing “export agency,” Kang Jin nodded.

Export agency, huh… Sounds interesting.

It was one of the job descriptions Park Chung-man had mentioned earlier:

Export Agency > Represents small-medium enterprises seeking exports by handling all aspects of selling overseas.