Chapter 11

“Thanks to Director Kang Chae-eun, the mood’s really up. Alright, I should have a drink too.”

Chae-eun had always been known as a mood maker wherever she went. She was used to that reputation herself. As she moved around pouring drinks, her hand suddenly stopped midair.

It was because of Cha Jae-oh’s gaze as he casually held out his glass, like he was daring her to try again.

“I should’ve poured yours first, Executive Director. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just started with the people sitting closest, so don’t misunderstand.”

“I won’t.”

His reply was so short it almost felt awkward. Chae-eun forced the corners of her lips up and filled Jae-oh’s glass. Of all times, the bottle ran dry, leaving her only able to drip a few drops in.

She hurriedly opened a new bottle, topped it off properly, and only then sat back down.

“Still, this is officially a welcome dinner for our Director Kang Chae-eun. You should say a few words.”

The excited employees lifted their glasses and looked her way. Chae-eun stood up with a resigned look and raised her glass high.

“Thank you for welcoming me.”

She’d already grown a bit closer to the team, but since this was her first official dinner in her honor, she wanted to leave a strong impression.

Instead of a soju shot glass, Chae-eun poured soju into an empty glass tumbler and lifted it even higher.

The employees cheered. Song Jihyun laughed with a startled look.

“Director Chae-eun, if you drink like that, it’ll take you two days to sober up.”

“If you worry too much, you can’t do anything. Work or drinking.”

“Oh!”

Amid the lively banter, Chae-eun called out a toast. The employees raised their glasses and clinked them with whoever was nearby.

Standing up, Chae-eun downed the full glass in one go.

“Ah, this is bad.”

“Why? Is your stomach upset?”

Chae-eun clutched her chest and lightly furrowed her brow.

“This drink tastes kind of sweet today. Maybe because I’m in a good mood.”

“Oh come on, you scared me.”

The atmosphere heated up in an instant. Chae-eun quickly refilled empty glasses and pushed water toward anyone who looked like they were struggling.

As she stayed busy navigating the social chaos, a hot gaze kept landing on her, making her uneasy.

Why does he keep looking at me like that. It’s stressful.

Jae-oh wasn’t even sneaking glances. He was staring openly, and it got on her nerves.

But with enough alcohol in her system, she decided to act a bit bolder.

So what if you stare.

They grilled meat together, chatting about trivial personal things instead of work. As the bottles piled up, voices grew louder and the mood turned rowdy.

Then someone wandered in through the entrance of the restaurant.

The man wore a loose checkered shirt and had his neck wrapped tightly in a brace.

“Oh, Team Leader.”

“You’re having a team dinner without me? Is that allowed?”

Seeing the employees jump to their feet, Chae-eun stood up without realizing it. It was Team Leader Lee Byung-hoo.

Aside from briefly seeing him on her first day at J Group, this was her first real encounter with him. He’d been on sick leave for a few days after his cervical disc flared up and he needed a procedure.

“What brings you all the way here? Shouldn’t you be lying in a hospital bed?”

“I got discharged yesterday. I still need to know how my team’s doing. And this is a welcome dinner for Director Kang Chae-eun.”

Watching him struggle to even move his neck, she didn’t know what to say.

“You really should’ve rested. How did you even get here?”

“The nurse told me not to use my neck too much for a while. So I asked if it was okay to use my vocal cords instead. My team can’t survive without my jokes.”

He let out a laugh of his own, and the employees ended up laughing along.

Chae-eun did too. Not because it was funny, but because it felt socially required.

“Our team leader’s warming up again.”

“Looks like even if his disc explodes, his mouth’s still fine.”

Song Jihyun and Chae-eun whispered and shared a private laugh. Then Team Leader Lee suddenly came over and sat down beside Chae-eun, killing the laughter instantly.

“Why do you think I dragged this half broken body all the way here? I was worried whether our Director Kang Chae-eun was adjusting well.”

“Ahaha. Thank you so much for caring.”

“If my neck could turn properly, I’d get a better look at our pretty director’s face. Such a shame. Even if my neck won’t turn, the production progress better be turning smoothly.”

Some of the male employees burst out laughing, while Song Jihyun blinked like here we go again.

Chae-eun hesitated, then filled a glass with water and handed it to Team Leader Lee.

“Oh. I can’t drink alcohol. Or wait. Is alcohol poured by a beautiful woman considered medicine?”

“It’s water. Just to set the mood.”

“Wow, that’s so thoughtful. I’m touched.”

Team Leader Lee held his glass out for a toast. Chae-eun lightly clinked her glass against it.

* * *

Jae-oh didn’t like any of this.

Chae-eun was clearly adapting well and blending in without being left out. It would’ve been a problem if an outsider on assignment couldn’t adjust, but this bothered him in a different way.

She clinked glasses easily with the men and even smiled prettily at rotten jokes.

Seeing how comfortable she looked at drinking gatherings made something burn inside him. With the title of executive director, that level of social ease was expected, yet everything about it irritated him.

Thirsty, he quenched it with alcohol instead of water.

As the dinner dragged on, the employees’ posture loosened. Some were already flushed, passionately talking. Others wisely switched to water.

Jae-oh quietly fiddled with his soju glass without saying much.

His gaze kept drifting to Chae-eun. He didn’t want it to, but it was like gravity pulling him in.

Had she always won work like this? Casually offering drinks to men who weren’t him, closing contracts, maybe even spending the night if needed.

F*ck.

Was she an executive director of her body or of alcohol. He felt like a stupid fish trapped in her huge net.

Watching her accept drink after drink poured by men made his irritation spike.

After living in the US for so long, even he felt like an old fossil for being so conscious of men and women at a company dinner.

Chae-eun moved around the table, pouring, laughing, toasting, leading the entire flow, and he hated it.

She could’ve refused, saying she’d just had one, but she smiled easily and held her glass out again.

He acknowledged her competence. He knew she was trying not to be isolated in a place where she alone was an outsider.

But his emotions didn’t cooperate.

The way the men looked at her bothered him. Those weren’t looks for a coworker. They were looks for a pretty woman.

With alcohol in them, no one bothered hiding it anymore. Team Leader Lee Byung-hoo, who hadn’t even had a drop, was the worst.

That sober bastard.

Jae-oh had always been respectful toward Team Leader Lee, but tonight his thoughts turned ugly.

She was too pretty. She’d been that way from the first day, but tonight was worse.

Even the stray hairs escaping from the loosely tied bun at the back of her head were pretty.

He wished she’d tone it down.

Everything.

Smiling like that, drinking like that, being pretty like that.

“Oh, it’s the executive director.”

The voice came just as he was about to stand up after staying long enough. Jae-oh turned his head toward where the employees were looking.

His older brother, Executive Director Cha Gye-oh, was approaching, waving his uninjured hand.

“Haa.”

A sigh slipped out.

He didn’t need to ask why his brother showed up here.

He’d come to see Kang Chae-eun’s face, obviously.

“Sit down, everyone. Sit. I’ll take this seat.”

Cha Gye-oh scanned the area and squeezed into the seat diagonally across from Jae-oh. Out of all the empty spots, it was the one closest to Chae-eun. It was so transparent it made him scoff.

“Executive Director, how’s your arm?”

“I was the one in charge originally, remember? I wanted to come to our Chae-eun’s welcome dinner no matter what, so I barged in shamelessly.”

“Shameless? Not at all. I’m really grateful.”

Chae-eun politely played along again.

It ruined his appetite for alcohol.

“Hey, little brother. Why do you look so gloomy?”

“Because I’m seeing a face I don’t want to see.”

“That’s harsh.”

With an annoyed look, Jae-oh drained his glass. When Deputy Manager Cheon Young-soo tried to pour him a drink, Jae-oh shook his head and reached for the bottle himself. Cha Gye-oh snatched it away.

“No mixing your own. Your brother will pour you one, special.”

As he held out the glass with a small sigh, Cha Gye-oh suddenly added a condition.

“If you answer my question.”

“I don’t want to answer, so just give it to me.”

But Cha Gye-oh ignored him and asked anyway.

“What’s the longest food in the world?”