| Episode 53. Collaborating with a Hu(man Dis)aster (3)
The beginning of the meeting was a skit in and of itself.
Yu Hansu smoothly explained the materials he’d made me research all night as if they were his own work. The contents didn’t stray a single inch from the script-like explanation I’d written for him.
The ideas I’d racked my brains to come up with became Yu Hansu’s own plan in an instant with just a few words from him. He was practically an alchemist of language.
I couldn’t help but marvel at Yu Hansu’s shamelessness, his confidence, and the way his acting went beyond that into something downright natural.
‘So this is why there are reviews saying the employees had all their ideas stolen by Yu Hansu.’
Thank goodness my job was idol. If I’d been on the same team as Yu Hansu, my insides would have already twisted themselves into knots.
The atmosphere changed when the CEO briefly interrupted the presentation and threw out a question.
“Can the graph really come out like that? The section with the highest proportion there—is that the year before last?”
At the CEO’s question, Yu Hansu was visibly flustered.
“The numbers are missing, but the graph itself should be correct, sir.”
No. That graph was wrong from top to bottom.
It had happened because Yu Hansu had completely misidentified the point.
‘To make the materials you asked for, we’d need a complete survey, but that’s realistically impossible, PD-nim. Unless we’re a statistics agency, it’s hard to investigate every idol who debuted domestically.’
‘Just inflate it roughly. Take out all the units and numbers from the graph.’
I knew it would end up like this from the moment he started spouting that nonsense.
In an idol market where trends change depending on the period, did he think multiplying a few figures would produce meaningful data? If he didn’t know, he shouldn’t have tried to scam his way through it.
If this had been at Hanpyeong Industries, I would have stayed up all night, begged Yu Hansu with tears of blood if I had to, and put proper data in place.
Even if Department Head Nam cursed me out, as long as it passed at the executive level, I’d get cursed at a little less that day.
But this time, I had no intention of doing that.
Because the moment I gave him a chance and he didn’t listen, I became certain I couldn’t work with that man.
Sitting at the far end of the conference room, I watched just how much trouble Yu Hansu was in.
Then my eyes met Yu Hansu’s.
Having spotted me, Yu Hansu abruptly put on a stern expression and said,
“Iwol, did you check these figures?”
Oh. So this is how you’re going to shift the blame?
It wasn’t an unexpected choice.
Department Head Nam had been an absolute pro at slipping out of things like this.
Thanks to him, I’d gotten a very thorough taste of society’s bitterness.
Here…
‘Ah, yes. I definitely did it the way you told me to, PD-nim…’
…if I said that, Yu Hansu would obviously play innocent.
‘When did I ever—ha… I’m sorry, sir. There seems to have been a mistake. Iwol, you and I need to talk separately later.’
As if he had never given such an instruction even once.
Stay calm.
“Ah… I’m sorry. I think I entered it incorrectly.”
Don’t panic. Stay calm and ‘act like you’re flustered after discovering your own mistake.’
“There were some changes, but I failed to reflect all of them. I’ll correct it.”
While slipping in words that were more than enough for someone to seize on.
Of course, it was best not to make mistakes.
But as long as someone was human, mistakes could happen.
Moreover, externally, I was a twenty-year-old who hadn’t even started social life. A mistake from someone like me could be tolerated to some degree.
Then what about Yu Hansu, who was plus or minus twenty years older than me, had worked in the field for a long time, was in a position to manage me, and was the one who brought the item in and was giving the presentation?
“Fine, Iwol, correct the data after the meeting. PD Han-su.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You can proceed as long as it’s to explain the general flow, right? Continue.”
“Yes?”
There was no way he could.
Because Yu Hansu wouldn’t have obtained any meaningful conclusion from the raw data.
If he had read the data, that garbage argument couldn’t have come out.
‘He can’t read the file even if I give it to him, rejects ideas even if I give them to him, and doesn’t even review the materials after I make them…’
As a superior, he was a zero. A zero.
I watched Yu Hansu break out in a cold sweat with interest.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to continue?”
“I’m sorry. The numbers suddenly got mixed up in my head…”
He lied incredibly well without even wetting his lips. As if there was anything in his head to begin with.
The CEO propped his chin on his hand and tapped the desk a few times with his fingers.
“Hmm…”
A hellish silence flowed through the conference room.
How many seconds passed like that?
The CEO, watching Yu Hansu keep his mouth firmly shut and only shuffle through the materials, called me.
“Iwol.”
“Yes.”
“Do you roughly remember the data that’s supposed to go in here?”
At the same time, Yu Hansu’s gaze turned toward me.
Don’t worry. I have no intention of acting like a brilliant, competent trainee with outstanding memory here. I can’t act anyway.
“I don’t remember it off the top of my head, but I brought all the files I used when making the materials.”
“Good. Give me those.”
The CEO held out his hand toward me.
I immediately walked over to him and handed over the printed Excel documents.
The CEO flipped through the file, reading it, then asked,
“Why is there an ‘approx.’ in front of the number of summarized cases here?”
“Because it’s… an approximation.”
I answered in a tone that sounded even more cautious, as if the mistake from just now was weighing on me.
“Approximation? Didn’t you say it was a complete survey?”
“That’s…”
When I hesitated, the CEO wore an expression as if he had no idea what was going on.
I worked hard to keep my gaze from moving past the CEO’s shoulder toward Yu Hansu, who was turning pale.
And while firmly holding down the corners of my mouth that were trying to rise, I said,
“It’s because I arbitrarily increased the sample survey values, so I processed it that way for PD-nim to check.”
“Arbitrarily? Is that how statistics are normally calculated?”
“……”
The CEO’s brow furrowed.
Even without turning my head, I could tell. The atmosphere in the conference room was becoming unsettled.
It was up to the CEO’s judgment who would get roasted here.
Even if they decided I had inflated the data all by myself, it could still leave the impression of, ‘PD Yu Hansu didn’t even check the contents when it was his own plan?’ That much would be enough.
The best outcome would be if they concluded, ‘It’s still a little too early to give PD Yu Hansu full authority.’
And since rumors were going to spread through the company anyway, it would be even better if it reached the vocal teacher’s ears too.
That teacher had been watching me carefully every class ever since I used my lacking brain a little during the monthly evaluation.
It seemed like he wanted to guess just how far ahead I was seeing the situation…
So I sincerely hoped that, through this, he’d hear my shameful tale of a self-inflicted mistake and think, ‘That Iwol, really. Making such a beginner-level mistake—he’s still just a kid after all.’
In any case.
I put on the most apologetic expression I could and waited for the CEO’s next words to fall.
“Iwol.”
“…Yes.”
“Can you leave these materials and step out first? The staff will continue the meeting among ourselves.”
On the surface, it looked like an order to leave, but this was the same as an acquittal.
It meant, You go on back, and we’re going to roast Yu Hansu. That’s what it meant!
There could be no more satisfying verdict.
Smiling joyfully only in my heart, I said in a sunken voice,
“Yes, I understand. I’ll be careful so this doesn’t happen again.”
Then I quietly left the conference room and fully savored the feeling of cool relief washing over me from head to toe.
It felt as though the dark circles built up because of Yu Hansu had been washed all the way down to the basement practice room.
* * *
Not long after the meeting ended, I was called up to the rooftop.
The atmosphere wasn’t much different from the day I’d been called to the pantry, so I politely clasped both hands and stood straight.
Yu Hansu made me stand there while he lit his second cigarette. Then he took a deep drag.
“Hey.”
“Yes.”
“You’re good at answering, huh?”
‘Assistant Manager Kim.’
‘…Yes.’
‘Our Assistant Manager Kim is very good at answering. Right?’
How is it that our elders all have the exact same repertoire?
The only difference from my days at Hanpyeong Industries was that I’d been called to the pantry instead of the rooftop. The conversation that followed wasn’t much different.
Next, he’d probably say, Assistant Manager Kim… no. Kim Iwol, did you set out to screw me over?
“Iwol, do you know you almost completely screwed me over?”
See?
What is the system even doing? Why isn’t it giving me some hidden task like, ‘Guess your superior’s psychology!’
Honestly, I’d been half expecting it, but the system didn’t show so much as the tip of its nose.
“That wasn’t my intention. I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t sorry at all, but well.
Still, since it had ended up embarrassing him in front of several people, I apologized nicely.
Then Yu Hansu tapped ash from his cigarette right in front of my shoes. Should I be grateful he didn’t blow smoke in my face?
“You’re still young, so I guess you don’t know, but when someone asks you to do something, you have to check it really thoroughly before handing it over. Got it?”
He was right. So, did he even pretend to listen to my suggestions?
Did he know how much agony I must have gone through to commit an intentional mistake when, during my short time at Hanpyeong Industries, I had never once made a mistake in review?
I overcame my instinct to refuse such stupid work and did exactly what he asked, yet he had so much to say.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“Yes, I’ll keep it in mind.”
“See? You’re good at answering again.”
He made a fuss whether I answered or didn’t answer.
I’d thought this for a long time, but I really had no idea what people like this wanted me to do.
“If I hadn’t cleaned it up, you would’ve been seriously fucked. Be grateful.”
At that moment, I almost applauded at his claim that he had cleaned it up. He really was something else. I was simply curious how he had managed to get through that chaos.
‘Still, it feels like it got brushed aside too easily.’
Since he was a man who had maintained his career entirely through office politics, I figured he must have escaped somehow, but one corner of my mind still felt uneasy.
Whether I was lost in thought or not, Yu Hansu kept smoking hard and said,
“The CEO likes you, so I’m letting it slide this time. But if you make a mistake again, there’ll be no mercy. If you don’t want your lifeline cut, get your head on straight.”
“Yes.”
I wanted to refute the part about the CEO liking me.
Rather than liking me, I had earned a very tiny bit of trust. About as much as the raise in my salary last year.
Perhaps he found the sight of me with my head lowered quite pleasing, because Yu Hansu added,
“If you don’t think you can do both, take your hands off early.”
I could tell without looking. That bastard’s mouth was probably twitching at the corners.
I jerked my head up as if discipline had been drilled firmly into me.
Sure enough, I saw the corners of Yu Hansu’s mouth quivering.
“Yes, PD-nim. I’ll work hard!”
“Good. Take it to heart, and go back in and practice.”
Yu Hansu patted my shoulder a couple of times as if encouraging me, then gripped it hard.
This level of grip strength was laughable.
After all, I was someone who had watched Choe Jeho crack walnuts barehanded live in real time.
After giving Yu Hansu, who hoped this kind of check would work, a pitying look, I left the rooftop with a light heart.
A few days later.
Holding the piping-hot breaking news I’d received from the planning team, I threw open the door to the practice room.
“Our concept is staying as is!”
“Really?!”
Behind Jeong Seongbin, who had shouted uncharacteristically loudly, Lee Cheonghyeon went wild.
I had no particular intention of stopping Lee Cheonghyeon.
+
[SYSTEM] ‘Task’ has been completed.
▷ Reward: EXP (20)
▷ Accumulated EXP: 20
▷ Accumulated Points: 0
+
As long as my experience came in properly, that was enough.
While I was enjoying the deeply satisfying feeling, Lee Cheonghyeon approached.
“I seriously felt like I lost ten years off my life. Right?”
“That might be a bit much.”
You guys disbanded after seven years, never mind ten. Are you messing with me?
“It’s not too much. The debut group’s even been confirmed, so when I go home this time, my mom’s going to ask if preparations for debut are going well… Ugh, with that concept, I absolutely couldn’t confidently say things were going well.”
Lee Cheonghyeon looked disgusted.
“It’s confidential anyway, so you wouldn’t be able to tell her properly.”
“Still, it’s about how I feel!”
Then Lee Cheonghyeon grinned. He seemed extremely excited.
“More importantly, you’re going home? When?”
“What do you mean, when? Chuseok is the week after next.”
Chuseok?
Time… when did it get to that point?