Chapter 2
The New Company
“Ah, what kind of coffee is this?”
The old man was standing in front of me.
To be precise, he was in front of the cafe we were about to enter to buy coffee.
I instinctively checked the person standing next to sphere.
Even though his attire was different and I had only seen him once, I could tell who it was.
older fiancée.
“What’s wrong?”
Junseo asked.
It was only then I realized he was standing next to me.
My expression must have looked bad.
“It’s nothing.”
Surely, old man wouldn’t acknowledge me here, right?
Especially not with his fiancée by his side.
“What would you like to drink? Jimin, Iced Americano? Seunghyun, Iced Americano too?”
Team Leader Lee Su-bin asked everyone one by one what they wanted to drink.
I’m also having an Iced Americano.
seeing the old one here… I need a very cold Iced Americano.
At the sound of us choosing our menus, Guhyeong and his fiancée turned their heads and looked at us.
Although there was a crowd of people behind them, the two didn’t step aside to let us order first.
The fiancée turned her head back to the kiosk and said.
“Oppa, you can just have an Iced Americano, right? I want this one.”
Old man’s eyes widened when he spotted me.
See.
If you knew you’d run into me in a place like this, you should have lived your life more properly.
I felt like making a sarcastic remark like that, but I held back after seeing his fiancée beside him.
“You know him?”
After ordering our drinks at the kiosk, while waiting for the orders to be ready, Junseo asked.
When he gestured towards old man with his chin, the team members, who were gathered and waiting, also looked at old man.
Ugh, stop it.
I quickly raised my hand and waved it.
Fortunately, the team members’ gazes returned to me.
Junseo chuckled; it was a bit annoying, but since it was a minor thing, I decided to let it slide.
“No. He’s someone I knew from my previous company…”
“Go say hello.”
Assistant Manager Chae Seung-hyeon suddenly said.
But Jimin, standing next to him, retorted nonchalantly.
“If they were on those terms, they would have already greeted each other.”
Jimin was right.
I nodded and said.
“We weren’t on very good terms.”
Fortunately, that seemed to be enough for everyone to understand.
Well, every office worker carries at least one relationship in their heart that feels awkward when they run into each other.
“By the way, I heard we have a company cafeteria.”
Waiting for my drink, I asked to change the subject.
Su-bin nodded and said.
“On the tenth floor. Let’s eat at the cafeteria tomorrow.”
“There’s a cafetería next to it too.”
She even said the coffee was free.
Then why did we bother coming to a cafe outside the company?
Noticing my bewildered expression, Junseo said.
“Everything tastes better outside the company.”
“True. They say the cafeteria uses expensive beans, but I prefer this place.”
“It’s because of the turnover rate.”
While everyone gave their reasons why outside was better than inside, our ordered drinks were ready.
They even said the company cafeteria was cheap.
If it were me, I’d probably never leave the company to eat.
When I said that, Seunghyun giggled and said.
“You’ll last a month.”
“I give you two weeks.”
Instantly, everyone started betting on how long it would take for me to get sick of the company cafeteria.
Watching the stakes rise from candy to a cup of coffee, I shook my head.
“Wait a minute. Those people arrived way after us, so why are their drinks ready at the same time as ours?”
As we picked up our drinks from the counter, older woman’s fiancée complained to the staff.
What the?
Jimin and I, who were holding our drinks, paused at the fiancée’s protest.
The cafe staff at the counter said with a lifeless expression.
“These people placed their order first.”
“What are you talking about? We ordered first.”
“Their order came in before yours.”
At the staff’s reply, we quickly grabbed the drinks from the counter.
Let’s go, let’s go. I heard Seunghyun whispering, urging us to hurry.
Then,old man said to the cafe staff.
“No, how does that make sense? They arrived later than us. I saw them lining up behind us.”
That was true when we first arrived at the cafe.
old man and his fiancée were in front of the kiosk, with other people behind them.
And we were behind them.
But we paid first.
old man and his fiancée were just standing there, bickering about what to order.
I couldn’t help but say.
“There’s a kiosk here, too.”
There was one kiosk outside and one inside.
Seunghyun and Su-bin, seeing the outside kiosk was delayed, went inside to order and came out.
At my words, the old fiancée’s face turned red.
old man also looked at the kiosk I pointed to and scowled.
Then, he turned to the staff and said.
“Shouldn’t this be managed better? If you’re taking orders by kiosk, you should only have one outside.”
For the first time, a soul returned to the staff member’s face.
She looked at old man with an expression that said, ‘What kind of lunatic is this?’ before speaking.
“It’s posted that you can order both outside and inside.”
Finally, G old man’s face flushed.
He turned to his fiancée and snapped irritably.
“I told you to just order anything quickly!”
At old man’s criticism, his fiancée’s face contorted.
“Well, you could have just chosen quickly yourself!”
Let’s go, go. Again, Seunghyun whispered, pushing us outside.
From behind me, I could hear old man and his fiancée arguing.
The people waiting in line outside to order were looking inside, wondering what was happening.
One person even recognized Seunghyun and asked what was going on.
“Could you please step aside so the next customers can get their drinks?”
I finally heard the staff telling old man to leave.
We walked away from the cafe in silence.
Jimin, walking beside me, said.
“It’s not always like this.”
I wished she had said it was the first time something like this happened, so I could have bantered back. But since she said it’s not always like this, I didn’t know how to respond.
“How do you know him?”
Junseo asked.
How do I know? I said he’s someone from my previous company.
I shrugged my shoulders and said.
“He’s someone I knew from my previous company, but we aren’t on greeting terms.”
“For not being on those terms…”
He was about to say something when someone called me from behind.
“Park Chaewon.”
At Gu-hyung’s voice, I tried to ignore it.
But Junseo stopped walking and looked back.
Seeing the team members, who were a few steps ahead, turn back to look at us, I let out a sigh.
Jang Gu-hyung, you idiot.
“Park Chaewon!”
“He’s calling for Park Chaewon.”
Junseo said.
I was about to tell him that I have ears too, but I gave up and turned my head.
old man, who was approaching us, hesitated when he saw Junseo.
Then he said to me again.
“You’re not following me around, are you?”
“Are you cr…”
I almost let the curse ‘Are you crazy?’ slip out.
I barely swallowed the words lingering on the tip of my tongue and said to old man.
“This is Assistant Manager Lee Junseo. This is Team Leader Jang old man, a former colleague from my previous company.”
I desperately hoped old man would catch the hint.
When I introduced Junseo, he paused, then asked, puzzled.
“Assistant Manager? An office worker?”
Surprisingly, old man seemed to be thinking the same thing I did when I first saw Junseo.
I guess people’s thoughts are all the same after all.
Even if it’s sheer audacity.
“So?”
Junseo said indifferently.
Old man looked back and forth between Junseo and me, then asked me again.
“I asked if you’re following me.”
Isn’t this guy a complete fool?
I was so dumbfounded I didn’t even have the energy to yell at him to get lost.
Then, Junseo asked.
“Why would Park Chaewon do that?”
“Well…”
old man started to say something but stopped.
What? Do you think I’m following you to stab you in the back?
That guess would be reasonable.
I really felt like hitting him on the back of the head.
“We, I mean… Wait. Why do I have to explain this to you?”
old man stopped mid-sentence, whatever he was about to say, and got angry at Junseo.
That’s exactly what I wanted to say.
“You’re the one who…”
I was about to tell old man to look at himself first.
But at the same time, Junseo said.
“She’s my girlfriend.”
