Chapter 64

Export Agent Team 2 was having a team dinner at a barbecue restaurant near their office.

“When you think about it, our team doesn’t have many team dinners, do we?” Lee Sangsub remarked.

Choi Mina nodded in agreement with his observation. “That’s true. Other teams usually have two or more gatherings per month, but ours barely has one.”

Lim Ho-jin chuckled at their exchange. “I didn’t realize you guys liked these so much.”

“It’s not that I particularly enjoy them, but I just thought it’d be nice to get together for drinks once in a while,” Choi Mina clarified.

Lim Ho-jin shook his head. “From now on, if you want to organize a team dinner, discuss among yourselves and pick a date. Then, I’ll join you with my credit card in hand.”

Lee Sangsub smiled at Lim Ho-jin’s response. “Is that okay?”

“Actually, I like team dinners too.”

Lim Ho-jin took a shot of soju and grabbed a piece of grilled pork belly.

“It’s good to unwind with some drinks while encouraging our hardworking team members and discussing any concerns or complaints you might have.”

“There aren’t any complaints when Manager Lim is around.” Choi Mina’s flattery made him laugh and nod approvingly.

“Well, I appreciate that… However, I dislike how company-sponsored dinners feel like an extension of work. Plus, someone may not enjoy attending these gatherings… And it’s likely that even among us here today, there are those who only came because they felt pressured.”

At his words, everyone exchanged glances.

Including two interns, Export Planning Team 2 consisted of nine people. With three individuals, disagreements were bound to arise, so naturally, not everyone would look forward to every team outing.

“So, from now on, anyone who doesn’t want to attend team dinners can skip them anytime.”

“But it’s still a team dinner…”

“Not attending won’t make you any less part of the team. In fact, it’s better than forcing yourself to join and feeling stressed about it. Let’s agree that if at least six members want to have a team dinner, we’ll go ahead with it; otherwise, let’s postpone until next time.”

Lim Ho-jin’s reasonable proposal elicited smiles and applause from his colleagues.

“Our manager is the best!”

“It promotes a healthier team culture.”

Nodding at their responses, Lim Ho-jin turned to Kang Jin.

“Isn’t stress the root cause of many diseases?”

Kang Jin smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Absolutely.”

It seemed Lim Ho-jin was genuinely concerned after their previous discussion about stress during the pulse diagnosis.

Lim Ho-jin nodded at Kang Jin’s words and looked around at his team members.

“Take care of your stress management well. Don’t end up like me needing medication.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh! And it’s optional to attend company dinners, but I hope no one expects their share of the dinner cost just because I’m not attending.”

“Huh?”

As employees gave him puzzled looks, Lim Ho-jin laughed.

“I’m joking.”

The staff awkwardly chuckled, thinking his joke was quite dry and unfunny. Feeling uncomfortable with their reaction, Lim Ho-jin quickly changed the topic by addressing Kang Jin.

“Do you exercise regularly?”

“My strength is pretty good.”

Kang Jin had built up considerable stamina through manual labor and various part-time jobs.

“In the sports meet, interns also need to participate in events. If there’s any particular event you’re confident in, let me know beforehand.”

“I play basketball.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Lim Ho-jin nodded at Kang Jin’s response and then turned to Choi Donghae.

“How about you, Donghae?”

“Well…”

“You still have to participate in one event. How about…wrestling?”

The mention of wrestling slightly darkened Choi Donghae’s face.

Choi Donghae’s body was…obese. Standing at six feet tall but weighing 286 pounds… In university, he always had to wrestle during sports events. However, he didn’t want to do it. He disliked being the center of attention in individual events, and he also hated how people whispered that his size alone gave him an advantage.

After a brief moment, Choi Donghae reluctantly nodded.

“Rather than wrestling, I’d prefer soccer…”

“Can you actually play?”

Choi Donghae fell silent at Lim Ho-jin’s question. He had applied for soccer because it involved eleven players; even if he wasn’t good, his lack of skills wouldn’t be as noticeable. It wasn’t because he excelled at the sport.

Seeing Choi Donghae struggle to respond, Lim Ho-jin sighed and glanced at Lee Sangsub. The manager pursed his lips and shook his head slightly at Ho-jin’s look.

How is this guy going to survive in society?

Lim Ho-jin usually tried to treat interns well and teach them proper etiquette. Given how tough times were for young people these days, he wanted to lend a helping hand whenever possible. But putting that aside…

“How about we discuss work later…over a drink?”

As Lim Ho-jin poured soju for Choi Donghae, the intern accepted the shot glass and downed it. Then, just as he reached for some grilled pork belly, his hand froze midair.

Since he had heard that Choi Donghae was quite fond of food, Lee Sangsub wanted to ensure his intern enjoyed himself today.

Noticing this, Lee Sangsub placed some grilled pork belly on Choi Donghae’s plate.

“Dig in during team dinners.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Auntie! Please bring five more servings of grilled pork belly.”

Lee Sangsub’s request caught Choi Mina off guard from her seat next to him.

“Why so much?”

“We need plenty for our team dinner,” Lee Sangsub replied with a smile as he turned back to Choi Donghae. “Go ahead and eat up!”

“Thanks.” Nodding, Choi Donghae picked up three or four pieces at once and popped them into his mouth.

It seemed like he had been holding back until given permission by Lee Sangsub. Witnessing this, Kang Jin clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

Is all he cares about is eating?

Given Choi Donghae’s timid nature, his suggestion to have this team dinner likely stemmed from wanting feedback on how to address his issues at work. However, during the meal, he couldn’t bring himself to discuss it and merely responded to Lee Sangsub while drinking soju and eating meat.

Is it because he hasn’t had enough drinks yet?

Kang Jin shook his head.

I guess he’ll handle it himself.

He wasn’t Choi Donghae’s babysitter, nor did he feel any particular attachment towards him… In fact, Donghae had once tried to test Kang Jin’s loyalty earlier that day. The advice Kang Jin offered was only given because Choi Donghae had actively sought help.

With that thought, Kang Jin took a sip of soju and dipped some grilled pork belly in salt before enjoying it.

This is nice once in a while.

Grilled pork belly couldn’t be considered gourmet cuisine, but it tasted good paired with soju when someone else cooked for him. Of course, nothing beats dishes made from Kim Bokrae’s recipes.

However…someone once said that the tastiest ramen is always prepared by someone else. True to their words, this meal wasn’t bad either. Plus, he didn’t have to worry about doing the dishes afterward.

Nice.

As Kang Jin enjoyed his food and drink, Choi Mina struck up a conversation.

“Kang Jin-ssi, how long have you been cooking?”

“Cooking?”

“I’m getting older now, so I thought I should start learning some basic cooking… Is it difficult?”

“What does age have to do with cooking?”

“I’m getting to that age where I should start thinking about marriage, so I figured it’d be good to learn how to cook. Should I enroll in cooking classes?”

Kim Hyein laughed at Choi Mina’s comment.

“You just need to find a man who cooks for you!”

Choi Mina chuckled and shook her head at Kim Hyein’s response.

“Ae-rin, you’re still living in fantasy land when it comes to men. Let me tell you, there is no such thing as a man who cooks for his woman.”

“But…I think they do exist!”

Seeing Kim Hyein’s puzzled expression, Choi Mina sighed heavily.

“Yes, well, when I was young, I believed in Santa Claus too. But as I grew older, my dad started asking what gifts I wanted directly from him. Do you know why?”

“Because…Santa Claus isn’t real?”

“Bingo!” Choi Mina continued, looking intently at Kim Hyein.

“Hae-in, do you know why men cook for you?”

“Because they love me…?”

“That’s right. No man cooks for someone he doesn’t like. But…what is essential to cooking?”

“Food ingredients?”

“Nope. You need a kitchen where you can actually cook. And where is that located?”

“In their home, of course.”

“The kitchen is at home. They wouldn’t bring you to their parents’ house claiming to cook for you, would they? Have you ever seen other people around when a guy cooks for you?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“That’s correct. It usually happens when the place is empty or maybe at a friend’s apartment.”

“You’re right.” Kim Hyein nodded, recalling her experiences.

Kim Hyein nodded as if she had experienced something similar. Choi Mina looked at her with mischievous eyes and continued.

“Then when a man offers to cook for you, it means he wants to be alone with you in an enclosed space…”

Choi Mina glanced briefly at Kang Jin before whispering discreetly into Kim Hyein’s ear. Hearing this, Kim Hyein giggled.

“Oh my! Assistant Manager!”

Seeing Kim Hyein’s laughter, Choi Mina joined in.

“Why, do you think I’m exaggerating? Did you just go there for the food?”

“Not exactly, but…you’re being quite harsh.”

“In any case, men only cook when they have no choice but to eat their own cooking or starve. It’s not because someone else can prepare meals for them.” Choi Mina then turned to Kang Jin.

“What do you think, Mr. Kang?”

“Me?”

“Will you cook for your family, Kang Jin?”

Kang Jin’s expression hardened slightly at the mention of his family but quickly put on a forced smile.

“I definitely…will do that.”

He meant it sincerely. If he had a family, he would personally prepare delicious meals for them with all his heart. He’d wash high-quality rice thoroughly and grill premium seaweed with sesame oil. Then, he’d roast meat and fish while simmering a savory beef radish soup.

I’ll make truly scrumptious meals for my family.

As Kang Jin mentally planned out menus, Choi Mina shook her head.

“Ha! Haven’t you heard that even famous chefs don’t cook at home?” Kang Jin’s heart felt heavy for a moment thinking about her family but quickly forced a bright smile on her face.

“But as a chef, shouldn’t she be good at cooking? Why wouldn’t she?”

“Do you want to keep cooking at home after doing it all day at work?”

“Oh!” Kang Jin nodded understandingly. “That makes sense.”

“You’re also a chef, so I won’t assume you cook for your family either.” Choi Mina handed Kang Jin another shot of soju, who simply smiled and accepted it.

Since Choi Mina was unaware of Kang Jin’s personal situation, there was no need to explain how losing her family early in life made them incredibly precious to her.

“So…is learning how to cook difficult?”

“Do you live alone, Assistant Manager Kang?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…then I’ll write down some recipes for you. You can practice cooking while following them.”

“I’ve tried making dishes from recipes before, but they always turn out terrible when I do it.”

“You might not be getting the measurements right.”

“That’s true. When trying to make one serving, I end up with a whole potful and have to throw most of it away.”

“It’s tricky to balance flavors in soups. Why don’t you start with stir-fried dishes instead? At least you won’t accidentally end up with too much food that way.”

“Oh! That sounds great.”

As Choi Mina nodded enthusiastically, Kang Jin glanced at Choi Donghae.

Lee Sangsub’s face was flushed from drinking with Choi Donghae.

“Donghae hyung.” Choi Donghae started addressing Lee Sangsub as “hyung” due to his tipsiness.

“You’re pretty drunk, Donghae. Come on, let’s stop eating now.”

“Nope. I can still drink more.”

“No way. You’ve had too much already.” As he spoke, Lee Sangsub pushed Choi Donghae’s soju glass aside.

“I said, I can still drink!”

“Hey…Donghae, I’m doing this because I’m genuinely worried about you. What if…”

“There’s no one here to carry me home when I get drunk?” Choi Donghae finished Lee Sangsub’s sentence.

Just as Lee Sangsub nodded in agreement, Kang Jin urgently nudged him at that moment.

“Huh?” Lee Sangsub turned toward Kang Jin, puzzled by his actions.

Lee Sangsub glanced at Kang Jin’s reaction to Choi Donghae’s words. Kang Jin quickly shook his head and whispered softly:

“Don’t agree with him.”

“Why not?” Lee Sangsub looked at Kang Jin as if questioning whether it wasn’t true.

If Choi Donghae became drunk and passed out…carrying him would be impossible, let alone supporting him upright. Even when women become intoxicated, their bodies go limp, making them difficult to carry. If Choi Donghae lost consciousness…not only would carrying him be out of the question, but even propping him up might require several people.

That’s why Lee Sangsub tried to stop him from drinking further. Meanwhile, Kang Jin sensed anger in Choi Donghae’s voice towards Sangsub.

If something goes wrong…it could blow up.