Sun-young's eyes filled with disbelief. A sigh slipped out of her, heavy with a kind of pity she didn't intend to show.
"Most people join at twenty-five or twenty-six. But twenty-one? You should've taken some time for yourself. Maybe gone abroad for a bit—language school or something."
"I'm fine."
Living abroad? The thought had never appealed to her. To Yoojin, becoming an employee at a major company as soon as possible—and proving her ability—was far more important. Age had stopped meaning anything to her a long time ago.
They walked around the back of the building, where several cafés lined the street. Sun-young briskly entered one called Coffee 1 Liter, a cheap place known for oversized drinks.
Inside, about a dozen people in semi-formal office wear were gathered in the back.
"Hello, Manager."
From a distance, Sun-young bowed. Manager Lee Hyuk lifted his head with a curt "Mm," and his sharp eyes immediately zeroed in on Yoojin.
"Well, well. The ultimate old-soul, Miss Han Yoojin."
He smirked lightly, almost teasing her. Across from him, Yoon Dong-ha turned his head toward her.
Dong-ha pushed back the hair falling over his forehead, revealing a face cut in deep, clean lines—handsome enough to cast in plaster without alteration. And yet, there was no reading his expression at all, as if an invisible mask had been slipped over him.
"Hello, Manager. And hello, Mr. Yoon Dong-ha."
When Yoojin greeted him formally, Dong-ha gave a slight nod. "Hello, Ms. Han."
From where Yoojin stood, the employees gathered around Lee Hyuk and Dong-ha looked anywhere from their twenties to their forties.
Lee Hyuk introduced Yoojin to the group.
As she bowed, several people studied her with open curiosity. Stunning male and female interns had joined their department at the same time—it was enough to ease even a Tuesday's worth of accumulated fatigue. Already, they could imagine the flood of messages that would hit office chat once work resumed.
After Yoojin's greeting, the team leaders spoke.
"Hello, I'm Team Leader Kim Se-hee from Purchasing."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Team Leader Woo Ji-hoon from Production Management."
"Hi, I'm Section Chief Park Chan-hee, head of the logistics team."
Yoojin bowed deeply each time, both hands politely placed together.
The employees exchanged glances—people don't bow like that anymore.
"Here's the company card. Go buy coffee with Sun-young."
Yoojin received the card with both hands and followed Sun-young to the counter. Behind her, whispers rose.
"Did he say she's twenty-one?"
"She's way too formal. Weird."
"I told you—she called herself 'the ultimate old-soul.' Introduced herself like that."
"Wow…"
Everyone muttered their thoughts, except Dong-ha, who remained silent.
A moment later, Yoojin held an iced Americano—far too bitter for her usual taste—and returned to the office with the others.
Yoojin and Dong-ha's desks were set up right in front of Lee Hyuk's partition. Each station had a desktop, dual monitors, and office supplies—perfectly prepared, as if the company had been waiting for them.
Before they could even turn on their computers, they were ushered into a department meeting.
Nearly twenty employees opened their company notebooks around a large round table. Lee Hyuk entered last and took the head seat.
As introductions circulated, people kept sneaking glances at the two new interns.
We should download their badge photos and send them to the overseas factories.
If Sales comes yelling again, we'll call these two to greet them at the door. Let's bring them to the next development meeting—maybe then the pointless requests will stop.
Every employee had their own fantasy.
Lee Hyuk finally summarized the interns' roles.
"Interns Han Yoojin and Yoon Dong-ha will support all sections—Logistics, Purchasing, and Production Management. Team members may request their assistance with their team leader's approval."
Younger staff brightened immediately.
Finally—someone below them.
Maybe they could go home an hour earlier for once.
But the next words froze them.
"All updates and issues related to tasks assigned to the interns will be reported directly to me."
A collective internal groan.
Everyone knew the truth: their team leaders avoided reporting to Manager Lee Hyuk at all costs. Any misstep brought harsh criticism sharp enough to injure a person's pride for days.
Now, working with the interns meant becoming tangled in that nightmare.
The meeting moved to each team's operational issues.
Logistics: delays due to heavy fog in China, pushing back customs clearance.Purchasing: late issuance of new-season orders.Production management: a strike slowing productivity at the Vietnam factory.
Faces around the room paled with each report.
Yoojin's eyes widened.She had only heard of simultaneous crises in production, delivery, and procurement. But to see it all at once—wasn't this an emergency?
Lee Hyuk, however, sounded bored.
"Sort the delayed containers and have Production Management review them. I'll call the Sales Director about the order request. And the factory strike… well, nothing we can do. I'll report that to Executive Director Park."
Then his gaze slid toward the far end of the table—toward Yoojin and Dong-ha. His lips twisted faintly.
"The delayed shipments—let the interns sort it out."
Team Leader Park from Logistics looked alarmed.
"That's extremely urgent. The interns will handle it?"
"Then they'd better sort it quickly. Right? Han Yoojin, Yoon Dong-ha?"
"Yes!"
Their voices overlapped precisely.
Yoojin flinched—not from the assignment, but from the speed and force of Dong-ha's reply. It was firm, certain… almost reassuring.
Must be the military training, she thought.
Suddenly, Dong-ha didn't feel like a kid brother—he felt dependable.
But the rest of the team stared at the interns with dread.
The amount of data and information they'd soon drown in was enough to crush anyone.
The meeting ended after thirty long minutes. People rose with exhausted groans.
"Sun-young."
As employees filtered out, Lee Hyuk suddenly called her.
Annoyed but hiding it, she turned. "Yes, Manager?"
"Train the interns. Teach them the overseas purchasing system."
"Me? Why me?"
Her sharp, hysterical tone slipped out before she could stop it.
"You're always the one who leaves earliest. Didn't you go home at eight yesterday?"
His low voice pressed down on her like a weight.
Unfair.
She'd used the restroom once all day and eaten lunch at her desk while working. Thanks to the morning coffee time and this meeting, she already knew she'd be leaving past nine. And now she had to train two interns?
"I'm really busy."
Her lips jutted out unhappily.
"I know you're busy. Teach them while you work. I'll reflect it positively in your year-end review."
Sun-young's chest tightened.
Year-end review? She couldn't care less.
As a non-public-recruit hire, she wouldn't be promoted until her years-of-service requirement was met anyway.
Maybe she should talk to Team Leader Kim Se-hee? But with her pregnancy and volatile mood lately, she would never contradict Lee Hyuk. She'd only tell Sun-young to accept it.
There was no escape. She shut her mouth.
"I booked the room until noon. Use it for as long as you need."
Her vision flashed white—like a dizzy spell. Shipments were piling up, factories were reporting issue after issue, and her inbox had over a hundred emails stacked like loan debts.
She could clear three in ten minutes if she focused.
And now this.
And two interns on top of that.
Ridiculous.
Shouldn't the manager be their direct trainer?
Two of them, at that.
Still, Sun-young's narrow eyes managed to hide the rage pulsing behind them.
She made up her mind.
Fine. I'll teach them every trick I know.