Chapter 1: The Life of a Grunt (1)

“Mr. Yoon, why’s that call taking so long?”

I was accosted by the shrill voice of a woman as soon as the receiver clicked back into place. Rather than answer her immediately, I buried my head under a pile of documents on the table in front of me and tried to appear exhausted. I knew who this voice belonged to, and her appearance could only mean one thing: there’d been some sort of trouble.

“Mr. Yoon, stop pretending to be tired and call line three already. He’s looking for you.”

I knew it. Which son was line three again...?

“All right, I’m on it. I’ll call him soon,” I muttered.

“Hurry. It seems urgent.” Her tone had a bite to it, one as cold as the wind blowing outside. Without another word, she turned around and left.

Once she was out of sight, I quickly grabbed the receiver again and dialed three for the hotline. After a few rings, a man picked up. For someone who was supposedly in a hurry, he sounded pretty indifferent.

“I parked a car at Nonhyeon. Clean it up.”

That was all he said before hanging up.

What a rude piece of shit.

Despite my inward grumbling, I made another call right away.

“Mr. Choi, the car’s at Nonhyeon. Find it this instant.”

“Yes, sir.”

Mr. Choi didn’t even ask how he was supposed to find the car in such a large neighborhood. Then again, all he had to look for were cops and a crowd of onlookers swarming like bees. The car in question belonged to the son of the vice chairman. It was obvious enough what that scoundrel had done: he had either gotten high or drunk and hopped behind the wheel, in broad daylight no less. He must’ve ended up crashing into a shop or some roadside tree. Or perhaps it was a streetlight this time. Regardless of what exactly he had hit, I was certain he’d left his car behind and run off before calling me. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, so Mr. Choi knew the drill.

While silently hoping he hadn’t leveled up to hit-and-runs, I quickly sent a text message to a group chat.

Mr. Yoon: This is Hyeonwoo Yoon from Soonyang Corporation. The accident at Nonhyeon just now is nothing important. I trust you know what this means.

The reporters in the group chat, all from the local press, knew exactly what my message meant. Depending on the severity of the accident, they might get an extra wad or two of hush money for their “compliance.” Well, even if it was just a minor crash, they’d still be rewarded handsomely just to keep them in line.

The fancy imported car that crashed into whatever might be the talk of the town for a while, but only on social media among local citizens who had witnessed it themselves. Not a single word about the accident would make it into any of the papers.

Half an hour later, Mr. Choi messaged me back.

Mr. Choi: He rammed into a furniture store. They’re demanding 70,000,000 won for repairs and damage to their goods. Please take care of it accordingly.

That son of a gun. Whatever his reason for crashing, his short temper cost the salary of a general manager.

Well, whatever. It’s not even my money, so I don’t care.

With this situation seemingly under control, it looked like my hectic day was coming to an end. Would I actually be able to clock out on time today? I’d dealt with more than enough trouble for one day, but to top things off, it was my wife’s birthday. Our relationship was already in shambles; if I didn’t get her a present, it was only going to get worse. But, of course, things never went the way I hoped. As if on cue, the phone rang.

After clearing my throat, I picked up the receiver. It was the chairman’s Chief of EP.

“Mr. Yoon, the madam is going shopping. Go and assist her.”

“Sir, the department store has its own staff. Must I really go...?”

“Hey! Are you complaining right now? She’s going to L Department Store, for Christ’s sake, not ours,” the Chief of EP snapped.

Again? Why the hell does the wife of the chairman adore our competitor’s store more than ours?

“Oh, I see,” I said quickly. “My apologies.”

“L Department Store just got a new Italian brand in stock. That’s what she’s after, so wait for her there. And make sure you restrict public access.”

“Yes, sir. Everything will be carried out smoothly.”

I hung up the phone, barely resisting the urge to hurl the receiver across the room. I didn’t study and beef up my resume just to become a grunt carrying shopping bags for a stuck-up old lady or cleaning up after spoiled, bratty sons. But it wasn’t like I had the courage or pride to turn down these ridiculous tasks either.

I let myself cool off before rushing to the department store. I had to be on standby before the madam arrived.

***

Two cars entered the VIP parking lot of the department store. Both stopped at the same time, and an old lady more than seventy years old stepped out of one. In spite of her age, she had a slim figure and smooth skin—both made possible thanks to her wealth, a slew of doctors and health professionals, and rigorous effort on her own part. It was all for show, though, by someone who viewed her appearance as an investment. She also proudly wore a short, tight dress and boots. Other seniors her age were envious, but younger people found her a grotesque sight to behold.

“Oh my, Mr. Yoon! You’re here early!”

The chairwoman’s wife wore a beaming smile. I gave a curt nod but didn’t say anything in return. Experience had taught me she could go from zero to a hundred at any moment. She was the sort of short-tempered hag who would turn the department store upside down if the new, extra-small Italian dress didn’t fit her.

Three male bodyguards and a female secretary followed her out of the car.

I walked to the secretary’s side and said, “I’ve never seen him before.” I flicked my eyes toward one of the bodyguards. “Who is he?”

“Shh.” The secretary shook her head and winked.

“Aha,” I replied knowingly.

That dirty old witch of a woman is at it again.

She’d found another man already. You’d think she would have run out of steam, being over seventy and all, but her libido was as strong as ever. No doubt the family’s womanizing tendencies came from her side.

Thankfully, the VIP elevator was ready to take us up. But when we stepped into the store, the lecherous madam scowled.

“Why is the store open to the public? Didn’t these idiots know I was coming?”

Her grumbles were purposefully loud enough for me to hear.

For Christ’s sake, I just got here myself. How was I supposed to find the time to clean up?

That was what I wanted to say; instead, I bowed my head.

“I’ll take care of it right away, ma’am. My apologies.”

I rushed out of the elevator with the madam’s attendants on my heels and began to give the store’s staff hell. As soon as the manager showed up, I really laid into him.

“Did you not hear who’s coming today?! Have you lost your mind?!”

“Excuse me, but who are you...?”

The store manager looked frightened. It was no wonder why: a gang of burly, suited men were standing in the middle of the store, positioned around a haughty old woman who looked ready to spend money like no tomorrow.

“You’re talking to General Manager Yoon of the Office of Future Strategy Planning. That lady there is the most elite VVIP of our department store and the wife of the chairman of Soonyang Corp. I’m the one who gave the order to restrict public access. Are you seriously telling me you didn’t know?”

This always did the trick. One mistake with a VIP, let alone a VVIP, was career-ending. Any bigshot willing to spend as much as a hundred customers could easily ruin a department store manager’s life.

The manager stopped asking questions and bowed his head.

“Forgive me, sir. I’ll see to it right now.”

The manager didn’t even consider the fact that I was the general manager of the Office of Future Strategy Planning for Soonyang Corp. He’d just assumed I was some senior member of L Corporation, the company which owned this store. In the end, all the staff were told to restrict public access. When that was done, our madam finally smiled in satisfaction and began looking around.

From here on out I could take a breather. It was the secretary’s turn to be on red alert. She had to watch the madam’s gaze and every gesture while she went from outfit to outfit, in order to decide which were her favorites.

Ten minutes later, the secretary had exactly three sets of clothing in her hands.

“What do you think? Do they look okay?” the madam asked.

“The color’s a little intense...” The store manager began to speak, but was quickly cut off.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” The madam turned to the newly-hired man. “Mr. Kim?”

The hunky guy, whose name I now knew, showed her a plain smile.

“I’ve no eye for these things, but anything looks fashionable on you, ma’am.”

What? Fashionable? I had to hold myself back from snorting out loud. How is a seventy-something hag dressed in bright colors fashionable? It only hurts my eyes.

The hag chuckled, delighted by the man’s flattery. Young or old, a compliment from a handsome man always made a woman smile.

“Try it on,” he suggested. “I think it’ll suit you.”

“Shall I?” The madam took the outfit and stepped into the fitting room.

“Mr. Kim, could you lend me a hand for a second?” she called. “The zipper’s too stiff.”

I almost choked. What? She’s calling a man over while she’s changing? Not her secretary?

My suspicions were confirmed. Rather than a bodyguard, Mr. Kim was her latest plaything.

As for Mr. Kim, he smiled and entered the fitting room. Soon after, the madam let out a soft moan.

“Mm, stop… You’re tickling me…”

The store’s staff, who’d been gathered in case the madam needed anything, began to snicker. Meanwhile, the secretary’s face turned red from shame. Even I felt like I was about to die of embarrassment.

Damn it. I can’t believe I’m escorting this hag on my wife’s birthday!