An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 349

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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 349
Part 5. A Place to Rest (2)
Time had passed.
I expressed my gratitude to Chung-geum, received treatment at the hospital and a rabies vaccination, contacted Lee Ha-yoon to ensure that the guard dog Seo Chang-seok had been caring for could receive assistance from the Animal Protection Center.
I also had a brief meeting with Cha Byung-gun, the manager at the Vinyl Factory.
Everything felt as though it had been wrapped up one way or another.
But since my corporate life continued unabated, I had to report to Daejeong Materials.
Ding.
After stepping out of the elevator, I stood before the office door but didn’t immediately open it.
It wasn’t because my thigh ached, nor was it the bandage wrapped around my arm that felt cumbersome.
I simply knew what would unfold the moment I opened this door.
My colleagues would be there, and the sensation of having returned to ordinary life would come flooding back.
“Heh.”
I exhaled a laugh and raised my hand.
Just as I was about to push the door open,
“Huh? Manager Kang?”
Gwak Young-ho’s voice came from behind me.
“You’re here early, sir.”
A faint smell of cigarette smoke wafted from Gwak Young-ho, suggesting he’d just come from the rooftop smoking area.
“Well, I have a set arrival time. Why did you come in so early?”
“Isn’t this the standard work hour?”
“Ha! Really now.”
Gwak Young-ho tapped his wristwatch with an expression of exasperation and sympathy.
The gesture conveyed that since he’d arranged the business trip schedule, it would have been fine if I’d arrived in the afternoon.
“No, sir. Since I was away, I need to catch up on my work.”
“Goodness! Anyway….”
“Has anything happened at the company?”
“Why? Would you like something to have happened?”
Gwak Young-ho’s playful smile prompted me to mirror it with one of my own.
“Not at all.”
“Coffee? If you haven’t had any, let’s grab a cup upstairs together.”
Gwak Young-ho had just come down from the rooftop.
Moreover, it was rather chilly outside, yet his eyes gleamed with the conviction that sharing a cup of coffee with me would be well worth it.
“I’ll brew a couple quickly and bring them back.”
“Let’s go together. Together.”
“Two cups won’t take long to brew.”
I set my bag down at my desk, exchanged a light greeting with Namgoong Min-ah at the adjacent seat, and brought two cups of coffee from the break room.
Creak.
The rooftop certainly had more wind than the first floor, and the air was considerably colder.
Tap tap.
Gwak Young-ho pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it while holding the coffee cup Kang Hyung-seok had handed him.
“Phoooo—!”
He exhaled a long plume of smoke, watched it tear apart in the wind, then smiled with the corners of his mouth lifting.
“Looks like things worked out on your end?”
“Yes. I even visited the hospital once.”
“The hospital? Why? Did you get hurt somewhere?”
Kang Hyung-seok unconsciously shielded the hand the guard dog had bitten so Gwak Young-ho wouldn’t see it.
“No, sir. An employee at that building passed away, remember?”
“Ah, I see.”
“Yes. We had various conversations at the hospital. Fortunately, they were satisfied with the introduction to the Shaman.”
“As if the Shaman you introduced could be just any ordinary Shaman?”
He was no ordinary Shaman.
He was the direct disciple of a renowned Shaman.
Because of this, I had to endure the subtle pressure and burden from the Honorary Director.
It was the burden of wondering if I could somehow arrange a meeting with Lee Geum-kyung.
“Sigh, it feels like things are settled, but this is giving me a headache.”
I understood what Gwak Young-ho meant and sipped my coffee without responding.
The bitter, hot coffee and the cool breeze created a striking contrast.
“What do you think about this, Manager Kang?”
“Wouldn’t it be best to just tell them the truth?”
“Sales Team 2 is handing over their clients to us, so we can’t wrap this up casually. Is this a big deal?”
I looked at Gwak Young-ho and smiled silently, lifting the corners of my mouth.
It all started with Sales Team 2’s resignations, and while I’d hoped it would end quietly, it had reached the ears of the executives.
Now that the matter was completely resolved, people who didn’t know the truth would think I was the one who introduced the Shaman.
“Tsk! I’d rather have something clean-cut like signing a contract. This kind of thing just causes mental anguish and leaves no sense of satisfaction.”
“If it’s truly resolved, won’t time tell?”
“How long will that take? After everyone forgets all the hard work you put in?”
Gwak Young-ho looked at me with regret.
As someone in sales, he knew better than anyone how difficult and taxing sudden requests could be.
That’s why he could appreciate just how significant it was that I had rushed to Lee Geum-kyung and secured a promise for the ritual right away.
“It doesn’t matter to me.”
“It doesn’t matter? You have to take credit for these things. There’s nothing more foolish than thinking that if you work hard, the company will eventually recognize you and reward you.”
I met Gwak Young-ho’s gaze with a faint smile.
Normally, this would be the moment when Gwak Young-ho would say, “Let me go take credit for this!”
But Gwak Young-ho looked troubled, like someone blocked by a massive wall.
“Is there something on your mind?”
“I’m worried that if I slip up, the blame might fall on you instead. That’s what concerns me.”
Gwak Young-ho’s face showed he’d already calculated how the executives would react.
Manager Kang introduced that Shaman?
And the ritual happened the very next day?
Why do we help other companies but not our own?
You have to look out for your own interests. Tell Manager Kang to clear his lunch schedule today.
I was concerned that such gossip and non-work-related attention would be directed at me.
“Others might not know, but I do. Even though Manager Kang majored in folklore studies, he doesn’t go around talking about it. He doesn’t like receiving attention for that sort of thing, right?”
“…Ha ha.”
“I’ll handle all of that. Don’t worry about it.”
I smiled with gratitude, and Gwak Young-ho rubbed his head vigorously before bringing a cigarette to his lips.
“Phew! Geez, really. I need to grab a drink with the Sales Team 2 manager too. This is hectic.”
“I apologize. I feel like I didn’t handle things cleanly despite you trusting me with it.”
“What do you have to apologize for, Manager Kang? It wasn’t something you could have resolved by performing a ritual there.”
Pat, pat.
Gwak Young-ho tapped my shoulder as if telling me to shake off my worries.
Then, cigarette in mouth, he leaned against the railing, his body shaking with laughter before he shook his head.
“In any case, we’ve solidified our business partner this time. If things go well, we might even be able to compete with management performance through next quarter.”
“Through next quarter as well?”
“Of course. We’ve brought in a new business partner, so if we give the impression we’re not paying attention to it, that looks bad. The justification is good, the practical benefits are good. How good is that?”
Gwak Young-ho was certainly a department head.
I could feel it clearly in his words—how he was trying not to burden Sales Team 1 or me in any way.
“Anyway, that’s why….”
Gwak Young-ho took a few more drags from his cigarette before carefully opening his mouth.
“Manager Kang, would it be possible for you to take a day or two of paid leave?”
“Paid leave?”
“I told you. I have a lot to worry about too. And I need to keep you separate from the executives.”
Gwak Young-ho unconsciously tried to light his cigarette, but noticing it had burned too short, he put a fresh one in his mouth.
Click! Whoosh.
“Kill two birds with one stone. I’ll make sure to fill in for you however I can, so think of this as a chance to rest. Let’s take two days of paid leave—Monday and Tuesday of next week.”
“No… Manager.”
“And as much as possible, just say you went to the business partner in the afternoon and leave from there. If you have nowhere to go, go to a sauna or something. Oh, but don’t go to that sauna at the intersection over there, okay? The Executive Director goes there often.”
Gwak Young-ho said it like a joke, but it sounded like personal experience.
So I let out a rather awkward laugh, and Gwak Young-ho chuckled along with me.
“Goodness, it’s gotten this late already.”
Then he checked his wristwatch and signaled for me to go back inside first.
It meant I should finish any work that needed to be done quickly in the morning and enjoy a comfortable weekend and holiday.
“Then I’ll head back inside first.”
I bowed and was heading toward the stairs.
“Manager Kang!”
Gwak Young-ho called from behind, and when I turned around, he was smiling.
“You did well this time too.”
“Thank you.”
I answered with a smile and came down the stairs.
***
The engine rumbled.
With morning duties finished, I climbed into my car immediately.
“Oh? Manager, aren’t you having lunch?”
Namgoong Min-ah, who always rushed to the Company Cafeteria faster than anyone else, even slowed her pace to ask, and I simply told her I had something to attend to.
Then I left the office with a promise to see everyone next Wednesday.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday—four days off.
Though today’s afternoon schedule was officially listed as a business trip, Gwak Young-ho had told me to leave early, so it was essentially a half-day.
Four and a half days of rest.
The engine rumbled again.
Perhaps that’s why my heart felt lighter.
When this unexpected break suddenly appeared, the first thing that came to mind was my bed.
I couldn’t understand why the simple routine of lying in bed without a care, watching streaming shows on my laptop, felt so deeply nostalgic.
Before receiving the divine gift, I often spent my days off that way.
“Sigh.”
I really have been living at such a relentless pace.
I smacked my lips at the creeping bitterness and unconsciously checked my phone.
Under normal circumstances, someone would have contacted me by now.
But my phone simply displayed the navigation screen, which felt different from the usual barrage of messages.
“…Hmm.”
I slowed my speed and pulled the car over onto a quiet roadside.
So many people came to mind.
Lee Geum-kyung, Chung-geum, Go Se-hee.
Shin Yoseph, Yoon Sang, Lee Ha-yoon.
They were all precious connections, yet the clearest image that surfaced was my parents.
‘It’s been a while. Maybe I should visit.’
I glanced at my wristwatch and picked up my phone with resolute determination.
Then I changed the navigation’s destination to my Parents’ House and began driving without hesitation.
Life is always difficult. It’s never easy.
Perhaps because of that, I wanted to go to my parents’ side—a place where I could simply exist as Kang Hyung-seok, not as a company employee or a Shaman.
The engine rumbled.
As if understanding my heart, the car cheerfully carried me down the quiet road.

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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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