An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 282

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 281
Part 4. Shall We Take a Break? (2)
The following Friday arrived.
Gwak Young-ho, who had begun feeling happy since five o’clock at the thought of leaving at six, started bouncing in his seat and gathering his bag, then raised his voice toward Shin Jung-ah, whose condition had appeared poor until now.
“Shin Manager! You’re feeling okay today, right?”
When Shin Jung-ah answered by giving a thumbs up, a bright smile bloomed across Gwak Young-ho’s face.
“Phew, you must have been through so much.”
“…Ugh.”
As the word “much” stirred up memories that rose in her throat, Shin Jung-ah covered her mouth.
“Hey? Are you really okay?”
“I’m, I’m fine. Really.”
“Phew! So we can have the team dinner tonight, right?”
“Yes, yes.”
Shin Jung-ah, who looked far more gaunt than the previous week, answered, and Gwak Young-ho draped his coat over his arm while surveying all the team members.
“Alright then, everyone head to the restaurant.”
A Friday night team dinner.
It was meant to celebrate the contract that Kang Hyung-seok and Shin Jung-ah had brought in, but it was only happening now because Shin Jung-ah’s condition had been slow to recover.
“Manager! How should we get there?”
Namgoong Min-ah asked while putting on her long padding coat, and Gwak Young-ho answered with an “Oh, that’s right!” expression.
“Since there are so many of us, let’s split between Kang Manager’s car and mine.”
“How do we split?”
“Just get in whichever. It’s not like we’re going far.”
“Yes!”
In the elevator descending to the Underground Parking Lot, everyone decided who would ride in which car.
“Has Shin Manager ever ridden in my car before?”
“I’m not sure? I don’t really remember….”
“Usually she moves around with Kang Manager. Why, did something happen between you two?”
“Nothing happened. I just wanted to try riding in your car once.”
Riding in Kang Hyung-seok’s car had apparently become a trauma for her.
Kang Hyung-seok, who seemed to understand the reason, nodded in understanding and moved to his car with Namgoong Min-ah and Lee Jin-pyung.
Should I be grateful the dinner was scheduled late?
“Oh? Your car smells nice, Manager.”
Namgoong Min-ah, who quickly took the passenger seat, looked around with curiosity, and Kang Hyung-seok confirmed Lee Jin-pyung in the back seat before starting the engine.
“I changed the air freshener.”
“But isn’t the scent a bit strong?”
“Yes. It just happened that way.”
Shin Jung-ah, drenched in rotten blood, was sitting in the back seat.
The stench had been so unbearable that Kang Hyung-seok had to take time out of his weekend to get the interior professionally cleaned.
One hundred thousand won. One hundred thousand won.
It was sad, but at least thanks to that, the car no longer reeked of decay.
A deep rumble echoed.
For twenty minutes, I followed Gwak Young-ho’s car as it led the way down the road.
Gwak Young-ho flicked on his hazard lights, eased off the accelerator, and turned the steering wheel toward a restaurant on the right.
“Huh?”
Lee Jin-pyung, who had been checking his phone in the back seat, furrowed his brow and looked up at the restaurant’s sign.
“Do you know this place?”
“Yes. I came here before with my parents.”
As Kang Hyung-seok nodded with an understanding expression, Lee Jin-pyung continued.
“It’s an expensive place, though…”
“…Very expensive?”
“Around 80,000 to 90,000 won per person.”
The shock of the 100,000-won interior cleaning bill was nothing compared to this.
Like someone who had witnessed something far more terrifying than a ghost, Kang Hyung-seok stared at the sign and stepped out of the car.
“Manager, isn’t this place a bit too expensive?”
“What, is the price a problem? Let’s go in. It’s freezing out here.”
Gwak Young-ho hurried into the restaurant, and Kang Hyung-seok and Shin Jung-ah exchanged glances.
Very expensive, then?
When Kang Hyung-seok held up nine fingers to show Shin Jung-ah, her expression became similarly troubled.
That was when it happened.
“What are you doing? Come in!”
Gwak Young-ho poked his head out and shouted, leaving us no choice but to head into the restaurant.
Despite its somewhat shabby exterior, the interior was immaculate and exuded a professional atmosphere that drew admiration.
There were almost no open tables.
Most of the space was divided into private rooms like a high-end Japanese restaurant, giving the impression of a place for entertaining clients or formal meetings rather than casual dining.
“Owner, I have a reservation under Gwak Young-ho.”
“Please follow me to the back room.”
Gwak Young-ho followed a server in a traditional Korean-style uniform toward the private room in back, while the rest of the team glanced around the interior before following.
Once everyone had entered the room, which resembled the inner chamber of a traditional Korean house,
“Manager, aren’t you overextending yourself?”
Shin Jung-ah asked with a tone of genuine concern, and Gwak Young-ho pulled out a tissue and laughed reassuringly.
“I brought a corporate card. A corporate card.”
“Really? A corporate card?”
Gwak Young-ho nodded and lowered his voice so only Kang Hyung-seok and Shin Jung-ah nearby could hear.
“I had a conversation with Director Shin. I picked up the corporate card while I was at it, so let’s eat without worry today. It’s the end of the year, after all.”
“Still, though…”
“Come on, it’s fine.”
Just then, the door opened and a server entered carrying charcoal and basic side dishes.
This was an expensive place.
Because of that, even though the banchan were served in the style of Korean set meals, they couldn’t compare in appearance to those from the Company Cafeteria.
Clink.
With porcelain-like bottles filled with traditional liquor gracing the table, Namgoong Min-ah was busy snapping photographs.
“Come on, let’s toast first! Manager Kang, would you like a drink?”
“Yes, I’ll have one.”
Kang Hyung-seok lifted his glass with a smile, and Gwak Young-ho poured a drink for each team member.
In the meantime, the meat arrived.
Sizzle!
“Wow, it’s the charcoal that makes the difference. Or maybe it’s the quality of the meat. Even the sound is different.”
“Hey, Manager.”
It was after Gwak Young-ho, holding the tongs, looked at Kang Hyung-seok sitting across from him.
“I’m always grateful. Thank you for looking out for us.”
“What are you talking about? What did I do?”
“You’re always so considerate to us.”
Not just Kang Hyung-seok, but Shin Jung-ah, Namgoong Min-ah, and even Lee Jin-pyung wore similar expressions.
“What’s this? Don’t make me uncomfortable.”
“Manager, we’re always grateful!”
Namgoong Min-ah shouted, and Lee Jin-pyung suddenly began clapping.
Lee Jin-pyung was quite good at this sort of thing.
Clap, clap, clap.
Shin Jung-ah joined in the applause, and soon Namgoong Min-ah and Kang Hyung-seok were clapping too, causing Gwak Young-ho’s face to flush crimson.
He looked like someone who never expected to experience something like this.
“Enough, enough. Why are you embarrassing me?”
Gwak Young-ho waved the meat tongs around and busily turned the innocent meat over.
Thus the Sales Team 1 members continued their meal in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
Alcohol and grilled meat in a space isolated from the outside by paper-thin doors.
With the addition of warm air, it truly felt like a proper year-end company dinner.
“Ahh, this is perfect!”
Gwak Young-ho, who had toasted with Kang Hyung-seok, sipped his drink and then dipped rare beef with a hint of blood into salt before eating it.
He then set down his chopsticks and looked at each team member in turn with a pleasantly flushed face.
“You’ve all worked so hard. And the year is almost over, right? Soon it’ll be next year, and the next quarter will start again.”
Lee Jin-pyung nodded silently while staring at the beef grilling over the charcoal, and Namgoong Min-ah blinked her large eyes while gazing intently at Gwak Young-ho.
“Manager, are we going somewhere else?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“Huh? Are we really going?”
The others were just as startled as Gwak Young-ho, who looked taken aback.
“Manager, is it true?”
At Shin Jung-ah’s question, Gwak Young-ho gave her a look that said ‘why didn’t you know?’ and took another sip of water.
“Well, you see, we unexpectedly received an incentive bonus.”
“An incentive bonus?”
This time Gwak Young-ho nodded emphatically at Kang Hyung-seok.
“Yes. They said it’s only for our Sales Team 1.”
“Wow….”
“Of course, the two managers working together to secure that crucial contract made a good impression, but like I said earlier—the higher-ups have taken quite a shine to our Sales Team 1.”
Gwak Young-ho smiled broadly and cast a grateful glance toward Kang Hyung-seok and Shin Jung-ah.
“So this time, the bonus came in quite generous. They said we should all go somewhere comfortable and rest up. Everyone’s fine with that, right?”
“I think that’s wonderful!”
Namgoong Min-ah answered first, and Gwak Young-ho beamed in satisfaction, while Kang Hyung-seok and Shin Jung-ah exchanged glances with each other.
“What about you two? Why the hesitation? Do you have other plans? Places you need to be?”
“No. Not at all.”
Kang Hyung-seok spoke hastily, forcing his lips upward into a smile.
“It’s just a bit sudden.”
Even in that brief moment, Shin Jung-ah and Kang Hyung-seok had exchanged looks asking if the other was alright.
It brought back memories of that trip to the Valley.
In the dead of night, Kang Hyung-seok, Shin Jung-ah, and Shin Yoseph had raced around searching for the possessed Gwak Young-ho.
“Do you have a particular place in mind, Manager?”
“For me, the Valley is always an easy choice….”
Shin Jung-ah, alarmed, widened her eyes and cut into the conversation.
“I don’t want to go there.”
“Huh? Why?”
“We’ve been there before. Why would we go again?”
“But it’s winter now, so wouldn’t it be different?”
“Either way, the Valley is out of the question. Isn’t that right, Manager Kang?”
Kang Hyung-seok also laughed awkwardly and mentioned it would be too cold, prompting Gwak Young-ho to purse his lips and let out a groan of frustration.
Where on earth should they go?
The entire Sales Team 1 fell into deep thought, and as the silence stretched on uncomfortably, Kang Hyung-seok turned his head toward Namgoong Min-ah.
“Hm? Manager, what is it?”
Kang Hyung-seok shook his head and passed his gaze to Gwak Young-ho.
It was a suggestion to hear the opinion of their youngest member, Namgoong Min-ah.
“Ah, that’s a good idea. Min-ah, is there somewhere you’d like to go?”
“Me?”
All the team members focused their attention on Namgoong Min-ah, and after a moment of hesitation—”Um, uh”—her eyes sparkled as she opened her mouth.
“There’s actually a place I’ve been dying to visit. Is it okay if I mention it?”
“Of course! Where? Where do you want to go?”
“Please don’t laugh?”
“Overseas is off the table.”
“I have at least that much sense, Manager….”
Namgoong Min-ah fidgeted with her fingers, gathering her thoughts and composing herself.
Then, carefully gauging Gwak Young-ho’s reaction, she opened her mouth.
“I’d really like to try a rural getaway.”
“Huh? What?”
“A rural getaway—like a staycation, but at a Rural House where we can go and rest properly.”
“…Why go to the countryside when you’re supposed to be resting?”
“These days, young people deliberately seek those places out.”
“Ah, so it’s a trend among young people…?”
Gwak Young-ho, unable to grasp the concept, asked again, while the others thought it was a typical choice for Namgoong Min-ah and raised their glasses.
“I just don’t understand—isn’t there nothing to do in the countryside?”
“There’s plenty to do. If you go in winter, you can sled, roast marshmallows over a bonfire, and there are places where you can ice fish too.”
“Huh? Fishing?”
“That’s right. You enjoy fishing, don’t you, Manager?”
“I do… enjoy it, yes.”
“Then why not try a real rural getaway?”
Gwak Young-ho shifted his gaze to the other team members instead of answering.
I found myself wanting to go on a rural getaway too.
That was the look in his eyes.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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