Chapter – 13
* * *
Having left the office like that, Ruby spent the entire workday watching Seol-ah.
She kept an eye on Seol-ah, who sat diagonally across the partition, to see if she was doing anything suspicious.
However, nothing particularly unusual seemed to be going on.
The only notable things were that when Seol-ah, carrying a file folder during work, entered the team leader’s office and seemed to stay there for quite a long time, Ruby got curious about what the two were talking about inside and knocked on the door herself, and that the candy jar Seol-ah always kept on her desk was replaced with a new one.
Ruby suddenly recalled the time from two years ago, when she first joined the company.
The brief period when she, who was known for being sharp and competent, acted clumsily and somewhat foolishly as a new recruit.
She had made a mistake at work and was severely reprimanded by her superior. She had gone up to the rooftop, crouched down, and was sobbing.
Then, from behind, she heard the neat sound of dress shoes, *thump, thump, thump*, followed by a soft yet powerful baritone voice.
“Ms. Park Ruby.”
It was during work hours, and she had secretly come up to the rooftop to vent her sorrow. Startled at being called, Ruby hurriedly stood up.
She roughly rubbed her tear-streaked, reddened eyes with her hands and saw it was Tae-wook.
“Team Leader.”
“What are you doing here? Are you crying?”
Tae-wook’s voice, flowing impassively, enveloped her.
“Why are you crying?”
“W-well, it’s…….”
“Because of what Manager Oh said earlier?”
“…….”
“That’s it.”
Seeing Ruby unable to answer, Tae-wook rested his arms on the rooftop railing.
Gazing at the urban forest of buildings stretching far away with a thoughtful look in his eyes, he continued.
“How long has it been since you joined the company, Ms. Ruby?”
“Two months.”
Ruby sniffled, wiping away her tears, and then wiped them on her H-line skirt, leaving traces of black mascara.
“It’s understandable at that stage. You make mistakes, get scolded for not knowing things. You grow through that. I was like that too.”
“…….”
Ruby looked up at Tae-wook with tear-filled eyes.
“You didn’t want to show tears during work hours, so you came up to the rooftop to cry alone? You’re still tough. Some new employees cry on the spot, say they can’t handle it, and storm out. Seeing you swallowing your tears alone… it’s pitiful, and it reminds me of my old self too.”
“Team Leader……”
“You will do well, Ms. Ruby. I’ve been watching you work since you joined my team. You have a competent side to you. It’s just that you’re not familiar with the work yet because you’re new. You are meticulous, so I’m sure as time passes, you will become a capable employee.”
Tae-wook’s encouragement, comfort, and recognition caused Ruby’s tear ducts to burst.
When you’re crying feeling wronged, if someone comforts you, it makes you cry even more.
Ruby, unable to control her sorrow, burst into loud sobs.
Tae-wook patted Ruby’s shoulder reassuringly as she covered her face with her hands.
“I have no doubt that you will overcome this period well and later become an excellent team member, a great source of strength for me. So, please cheer up. I believe in you.”
“……Team Leader.”
“And if you have any difficulties, please come and talk to me. A team leader must resolve conflicts through communication with team members and faithfully fulfill the role of boosting the team’s will to achieve goals and produce results.”
With firm eyes, Tae-wook told her to speak up if she had any issues.
His reliable and dependable demeanor made Ruby’s eyes waver intensely.
She had already wondered why such a handsome and cool-looking man wasn’t an actor but was working here as a team leader.
Now she saw that his inner self was perfect too. How could his character and substance be so perfect and solid?
How wonderful would it be if I could make such a man mine…….
“So, if you have difficulties, don’t just cry in a corner like this, come and tell me. Understood?”
“Yes, I understand. Team Leader.”
Tae-wook nodded a couple of times towards Ruby, then gave her shoulder a few pats with an impartial hand.
The red sunset light settled on his back as he left the rooftop.
His tall 188cm frame and the perfect fit of his suit made him look like a movie star walking away.
From that day on, Ruby made a resolution.
To dedicate her loyalty to the Team Leader. To pledge her love and devotion to the Team Leader.
And so, from then on, to get into the Team Leader’s good graces, she perfectly executed every task or instruction he gave without missing a single one.
Manager Oh, who used to scold her for being a new recruit, gradually stopped criticizing her as she excelled with her clean work abilities.
As Ruby, who was naturally competent by nature, gradually adapted to the work and began to show results without mistakes, Manager Oh started to respect her and praise her, saying she was amazing.
Whenever Tae-wook passed by, he would tap Ruby’s shoulder and say,
“This project was a success. Your contribution was significant. I look forward to your abilities and growth in the future. It seems we’ll soon have a great talent emerging in our team.”
Every time he praised her without holding back, Ruby felt immensely proud. And she thought.
All of this is thanks to you.
Because you encouraged and comforted that young me who was crying on the rooftop back then, I was able to stand up again.
I will work for you in the future, and I will devote myself wholeheartedly for you.
So please, take back those eyes that only see me as a team member, and see me as a woman.
See me prettily, with a man’s gaze.
She cast earnest glances towards Tae-wook, but for him, that was the limit.
He merely encouraged and took pride in Ruby, who was growing into a capable team member from his position as team leader.
But even if that was all, Ruby was happy. Even if his gaze remained just that, Ruby was satisfied. She thought she could just keep trying and approach him as a woman eventually.
She knew there were countless female employees in the company who had a crush on Tae-wook.
Perhaps someone like her might not even catch Tae-wook’s eye.
But that was okay. She decided to endure and persevere, thinking that if she liked only Tae-wook for a long time, maybe someday he would look her way.
However, after about two years had passed, after Kim Seol-ah joined the company, somehow Team Leader Choi Tae-wook’s vibe seemed to change subtly.
Kim Seol-ah made mistakes more frequently than Ruby did when she was new.
She was more clumsy and often got scolded by Manager Oh for being at a loss.
But unlike herself, Seol-ah didn’t cry in a corner.
Even when reprimanded, she didn’t get hurt pride but would cheerfully exclaim,
“Manager Oh, could you give me one more chance? I think it’s because I’m not used to it yet. This time, I’ll do it well without mistakes, so please just watch me one more time. I’ll work hard. I have to.”
“Aigoo… these new recruits these days have such nerve, unlike new recruits. In my day, if we got scolded that much, we couldn’t even peep and would go hide somewhere and cry. Kids these days just open their eyes wide…. Ms. Kim Seol-ah, come here. I’ll explain it to you again.”
It felt like Tae-wook also viewed Seol-ah, who was so confident and spirited, favorably.
Seeing Seol-ah staying late to learn the work and burning with fighting spirit, Tae-wook looked upon her with pride.
“You’re working hard, Ms. Seol-ah. You have a good attitude for a new recruit. If you have any difficulties, you can ask me for help.”
“Thank you, Team Leader! I’m being diligent. I worked hard to prepare for employment because I wanted to join this company. My mom and dad are boasting all over the neighborhood that their daughter got a job here. So, since I worked so hard to get in, I want to do well. So please help me a lot!”
“You’re still the same, Ms. Seol-ah.”
“Huh?”
“……Ah. It’s nothing.”
Tae-wook, who quickly changed the subject, let out a low laugh.
That expression on his face when he laughed… it was the first time she’d seen it.
It was definitely different from back then. Seol-ah’s demeanor, different from her own, was pure, exuded a clear energy, and was full of spirit.
Unlike herself, who would cry and mope when scolded.
Although Seol-ah’s work ability or entry-level specs might be different from hers, she had the tenacity and diligence to recover quickly after being reprimanded, revise her work, and strive to make it perfect.
Tae-wook seemed to view her inability to stay down, always bouncing back like a roly-poly toy, favorably, and she could feel him growing closer to Seol-ah.
So she was jealous. When she was a new recruit, she had received Tae-wook’s comfort and ended up holding him in her heart.
Why is this Kim Seol-ah, who is in a similar position to when she was new, so bright? Why is she so full of energy?
Moreover, all the team members, including Tae-wook, adored Seol-ah. Saying she’s a new recruit but works hard.
Ruby also disliked that atmosphere of everyone doting on Seol-ah.
Above all, she hated how the Team Leader praised Seol-ah, finding her diligent and full of energy.
‘The person who motivated me to keep working at this company was our Team Leader… I hate that the Team Leader favors and pays more attention to other female employees.’
