"I understand. If you change your mind, you can send me a text and I'll arrange a ride for you."
Kim Dokja wanted to sigh again.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," he said. "I'll see you later, then."
"Yes, see you later."
"Bye-bye, Dokja-yah!"
"Bye," Kim Dokja said and removed the phone from his ear, ending the call quickly and turning his screen off before anyone could read it.
"Sorry about that," he told the crowd in the large elevator. "And thank you."
He got treated to a bunch of 'It was nothing's and 'No problem's.
The workday was done and Kim Dokja wanted to jump up from his seat and rush out of the office, but since he couldn't do that, he had to reign it in.
Acting like he was chill and not desperate to get away from this place at all, Kim Dokja packed his bag slowly. When he stood up from his chair, he stood around his desk, checking his phone leisurely and only a few minutes later did he leave his office, muttering quick, polite goodbyes to his team members.
He let out a sigh of relief only when he found an empty seat to sit down on the subway.
He hadn't even done anything that day and he was tired already.
He really wasn't meant for this. Yoo Joonghyuk didn't know jackshit and Kim Dokja was a fool for ever falling for his words.
He rang the doorbell just as a heads up that he was there, and then punched in the code and unlocked the door. Even as he closed the door behind him and made to take off his shoes, Yoo Joonghyuk appeared.
He waited patiently for Kim Dokja to put his shoes away, shrug off his coat and hang it on the coat hanger, then slip his feet into the pair of house slippers and step inside.
"How was your day?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked and Kim Dokja could tell he was excited.
"I can't believe I let you convince me into this," Kim Dokja grumbled.
"Did you have a bad first day?" Yoo Joonghyuk said, trailing after Kim Dokja who had made a beeline straight to the sofa and plopped down onto it.
Kim Dokja let out a heavy sigh that seemed to rattle all of his bones on its way out.
"Was it a lot of workload from the start?" Yoo Joonghyuk said, taking a detour towards the kitchen.
"Not really," Kim Dokja said. "There wasn't a lot to do, not yet. . .And I'm getting my debrief tomorrow, all I did today was get used to the place."
"What's troubling you then?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked as he returned with a plate in his hands.
Kim Dokja mulled over his words in his head. He had just been really nervous the whole day. He didn't think he was cut out for this at all.
"Is this a bribe?" Kim Dokja said when Yoo Joonghyuk gave him the plate with a beautifully garnished omurice and a spoon.
"You didn't sound too pleased when you said you had something to talk about," Yoo Joonghyuk said simply, sitting down next to him.
"Damn right, I wasn't," Kim Dokja grumbled. "I have to wash my hands," he muttered, reluctantly getting up from the sofa with the plate and spoon balanced on a hand.
They moved to the dining table.
"I'll chew you out less because this is delicious," Kim Dokja said sharply and Yoo Joonghyuk smiled from his seat across him at the table. It really was excellent food.
Kim Dokja finished a quarter of his food and then began laying down the things that had been annoying him.
"You didn't tell me the HR has a copy of my CV. I don't remember submitting one at all," Kim Dokja said crossly. "And personal issues? You really took that weird talk we had here as my official interview and submitted its transcript to HR?"
"You did say you didn't want any rumours at work, Dokja-ssi," Yoo Joonghyuk responded simply. "And I thought we all agreed that the so-called weird talk was your interview."
"But you didn't tell me any of this," Kim Dokja snapped. "I didn't know I had personal circumstances due to which I had to go through the interview process in a remote setting until HR mentioned it. You could have at least given me a heads-up before I went in."
Yoo Joonghyuk's response to it was getting up from his chair at the dining table and heading towards the refrigerator. He poured Kim Dokja a glass of peach iced tea he had taken a liking to a while back and placed a glass next to his plate.
"I'm not done," Kim Dokja huffed. "You're still hearing all of it."
"Worth a try," Yoo Joonghyuk shrugged and took his seat again.
"Do you remember what you told me when I signed the contract?" Kim Dokja started again.
"I remember everything we've spoken about, Dokja-ssi," Yoo Joonghyuk nodded.
"Good," Kim Dokja said icily. "Then you do know that you lied to me about the team. You said it was a small team, not more than ten people, nothing that would be too difficult to handle. We have eighteen people in our team, are you serious?"
A flash of guilt passed through Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes for a second before he regained composure and as calm as ever said, "It was the plan at first, however, to make your workload easier, we had to expand the team."
Kim Dokja shoved a spoonful of food into his mouth before he said some very colourful words to Yoo Joonghyuk. He sure was good at coming up with excuses, huh?
"I see," Kim Dokja put his spoon down. "Because I have no recollection of you informing me about it. Since you have excellent memory, you'll also know that you didn't tell me about it."
Yoo Joonghyuk was looking in his direction, but not at him, avoiding his gaze.
"You said it was a new team," Kim Dokja inhaled sharply. "A new team does not mean yanking people from the different teams and putting them together into a new one."
Yoo Joonghyuk leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms across his chest.
"And did you send Noona to check on me?"
Yoo Joonghyuk stiffened.
"I saw her walk past our department at least three times today," Kim Dokja said. "She's the CEO's personal assistant. She literally has no business in the product planning department."
"In my defence," said Yoo Joonghyuk. "I only asked her to go there once. If you saw her more than once, take it up with her, I had no hand in that."
Kim Dokja levelled him with a flat look.
"It was the only way," Yoo Joonghyuk said, a little indignant. "You wouldn't have liked it if I turned up. I had no choice but to send Uriel."
"Joonghyuk-ssi, am I a five-year-old you're sending to school for the first time?" Kim Dokja said incredulously.
"You did act like one until a week before," Yoo Joonghyuk said without missing a beat and Kim Dokja had never been called immature in such a way. It pissed him off so much.
The cool peach iced tea was the only reason he wasn't swearing in Yoo Joonghyuk's face.
"Where is Uriel Noona anyway?" Kim Dokja asked.
"At home," Yoo Joonghyuk answered. "She asked me to call her when you arrived."
"Why aren't you calling her then?"
"I will," Yoo Joonghyuk said. "In a bit, after you finish your food."
"Do you want to take a walk, Dokja-ssi?" Yoo Joonghyuk said once Kim Dokja washed the dishes he had used and put them away.
"A walk?" Kim Dokja considered it.
"You'll feel refreshed after it," Yoo Joonghyuk said. "And the weather report says the fine dust is low tonight."
Kim Dokja found himself in the elevator with Yoo Joonghyuk, heading to the ground floor.
"How are you planning on getting home?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked when the doors opened and they stepped out.
"Bus," Kim Dokja answered.
"Do you want me to get a ride for you?"
"No, that's alright," Kim Dokja refused. "I'll get home just fine."
The chill of the previous month remained and the night was cold. Kim Dokja stuffed his hands into his coat pockets to keep them warm as they walked around the compound as they usually did every time Yoo Joonghyuk suggested a walk.
A few other occupants were walking around, brisk walking and getting some exercise into their busy lives. Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk kept a leisurely pace, feeling the cool night air on their faces.
"Tell me about your day," Yoo Joonghyuk's voice broke the silence between them.
"It was fine mostly," Kim Dokja said. "Nothing much happened. Just introductions, greeting superiors, getting familiar with the computer set-up and all that."
"And how did you find your team?"
"The team's nice. We had lunch together. . .I forgot all their names, but I guess, I'll get used to it," Kim Dokja shrugged.
"No trouble with your superiors?" Yoo Joonghyuk said. "While they are competent, people are not often pleasant."
Kim Dokja smiled wryly. He knew that much.
"I've only been there for a day," Kim Dokja said. "I haven't had the chance to get into any trouble yet. . .The Deputy Department Head, Mr Jang, he gives major asshole vibes, though."
"What makes you say that?" Yoo Joonghyuk said, trying to recall who that was. He knew there was someone who filled the position, but he wasn't personally acquainted with them.
"For starters, he was yelling at his assistant when I went to introduce myself to him," Kim Dokja said simply. "And then he got pissed that I didn't come to greet him immediately after arriving at the office. I went after lunch, you see—Is it a rule that you have to introduce yourself to everyone?"
"Not exactly," Yoo Joonghyuk shook his head. "It's mostly courtesy. . .You don't have to greet everyone, just your department heads would do."
"That's what I thought too," Kim Dokja said. "And should I have done that the second I stepped into the building?"
"No," Yoo Joonghyuk told him. "It's your first day, you wouldn't even know where you could find them. . .You went to see them anyway, you did just fine."
"Right?" said Kim Dokja. "But this guy's got some issue with something. Oh, well, whatever. He's loads better than my previous supervisors."
Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't say that was a great improvement. From what Kim Dokja had told him, he could tell that all of his previous superiors were complete trash. Being better wasn't very good.
Yoo Joonghyuk was going to look into the Deputy Department Head Jang. . .That reminded him, he had to let Uriel know that Kim Dokja was there.
Yoo Joonghyuk considered getting his phone out and sending a text to Uriel, then decided he wouldn't do it. Uriel would drag Kim Dokja off the second she got there and Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to spend some more time with Kim Dokja. Uriel would get a little huffy when she found out, but she was like that most of the time. He could handle it.
"How was your day, Joonghyuk-ssi?" Kim Dokja said.
"The same as always," Yoo Joonghyuk replied. "I didn't have anything to do outside the office today. Uriel, nagging as she does every day. I wanted to come to greet you myself, but Uriel threatened to start a coup if I did that."
Kim Dokja chuckled.
"She even locked me in the office for a few hours. And I asked her to check in on you, just to see if you were settling in fine."
"I am," said Kim Dokja. "I'm surprisingly good at adapting to situations."
"Hm, you are," Yoo Joonghyuk gave a slow nod.
"When does your work end?" Kim Dokja asked.
"Essentially, my work hours are the same as you," Yoo Joonghyuk said. "Nine to five. But I still have things to do when the hours end, and I bring them home."
"Interesting, paying yourself for the work you do," Kim Dokja commented and Yoo Joonghyuk smiled faintly.
"What can I say? It's the life of an entrepreneur."
"Hwaiting, Joonghyuk-ssi," said Kim Dokja. "I'll be rooting for you."
"Thank you."
"This is a conversation that we keep having every single time," said Kim Dokja when he stood by the door, saying his goodbyes. Yoo Joonghyuk had offered to get him a ride back home again and Kim Dokja refused, again.
"I can get myself home just fine, Joonghyuk-ssi," Kim Dokja said. "Instead of a replay of the same thing every time, we should use the time to do something else."
"Something else?"
Kim Dokja nodded pleasantly.
"We could talk about something more important," he said.
"It's not very efficient, talking about important things seconds before leaving," Yoo Joonghyuk pointed out.
"More important than our same old exchange," Kim Dokja said incredulously. "Like, I wanted to say that your omurice was really delicious. And the garnishing was brilliant. You could totally go on a cooking show and win the thing."
"Thank you," Yoo Joonghyuk said, wondering why this was considered more important than Kim Dokja going home safely and comfortably.
"You'd even have that angry chef from the memes online complimenting you. . .Ah, I forgot his name."
Yoo Joonghyuk had an inkling as to who Kim Dokja was referring to.
Kim Dokja tried recollecting the name but gave up when he couldn't get it in fifteen seconds.
"I love what you've done with the iced tea," he chose to say instead. "The little ginger in it was perfect."
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded.
"I didn't think it would go that well with cold drinks, but it tasted great," Kim Dokja said and Yoo Joonghyuk's smile widened.
He didn't think he had a habit of chasing after praises and compliments, but it sure sounded nice when it came from Kim Dokja's lips. He knew Kim Dokja was doing it on purpose, but wasn't going to tell him that. He was going to let him continue.
"The cheese you put in the egg saved you from hearing a lot from me."
"I'm glad it worked," Yoo Joonghyuk said truthfully. Kim Dokja had sounded very sullen when he spoke to him on the phone that afternoon. Yoo Joonghyuk was hoping it would help make Kim Dokja's mood a little better, but he was glad it saved him from getting scolded by the younger man.
"You should have your own dinner now, Joonghyuk-ssi," Kim Dokja said. "I'll head home, I've stayed in your hair for long enough."
"Not really," said Yoo Joonghyuk. He wouldn't mind if Kim Dokja stayed longer. It was the best part of his day, no, the week actually.
Kim Dokja had been coming over frequently and as much as Yoo Joonghyuk enjoyed it, he also felt a little sorry that Kim Dokja had to travel to and fro a lot. He always suggested that he'd drive him back, but Kim Dokja always refused, saying he didn't want to bother him.
It was no bother. Yoo Joonghyuk would only take a quarter of the time Kim Dokja took to reach home if he used public transport to drop the man at his place and then drive back. Maybe he should just get Kim Dokja a car since he kept refusing to take his help.
Uriel burst in through the door, fuming when she realised that he hadn't told her about Kim Dokja's arrival, or departure.
Yoo Joonghyuk, who was still basking in the good mood that Kim Dokja's praises had left him in, did not find Uriel's threats and screams as bothersome as he usually did.
Nearly a week in at work, Kim Dokja was already making a resignation letter in his head.
It wasn't something new. He did this every time. He just never submitted the resignation because he needed the job, he had bills to pay.
The cafeteria suddenly went hush and Kim Dokja looked up from his food.
He would have usually been using his phone, but a few brown nosers were sticking to him and prevented him from enjoying his lunch break.
"My friend from Team 3 said the CEO's here," some said, showing her phone screen to the table. Kim Dokja had forgotten their name, but he didn't get a lot of time to search his memory for it because of the other pressing problem.
"Is that an issue?" Kim Dokja asked.
"I don't think he eats at the cafeteria," someone else said.
Damn it, what was her name now?
Kim Dokja wasn't bad at remembering names, but only of the people he actually cared about. He didn't give a damn about all of these people, and it had been four days, he still didn't know what all their names were.
"Is it a surprise evaluation or something?"
Kim Dokja's gut was telling him that he needed to dip right now.
. . .Oh, come on.
It can't be. They aren't that ridiculous, are they?
Surprise evaluation or check or whatever, Kim Dokja didn't care.
He held in a sigh when a very familiar man strutted into view, followed by yet another very familiar woman. Chairs creaked as everyone got to their feet to greet their superior.
Why would anyone interrupt lunch? Like show up when they were working or something, that way they'd be able to pass some time without doing any work. Besides, didn't he have to have lunch too?
Kim Dokja pretended he didn't notice Uriel's faint smirk. One would call it a polite, business smile, but Kim Dokja knew better.
Please, stop looking this way. They were making it a bit too obvious.
Of course, he didn't want to be full of himself and assume that they were there for him, but it was a little hard to find other excuses when the path they were taking seemed to wind up towards the table Kim Dokja was sitting at.
He heard Yoo Joonghyuk give some random excuse about how he had been speaking with some other company's delegations and that made him want to check on his employees.
Again, Kim Dokja would have believed it in a heartbeat, he really would have. But Yoo Joonghyuk was making it a bit too damn obvious.
If he wanted to sell the lie, why would he keep glancing this way?
He made it look like he was looking around, but for, Kim Dokja who knew Yoo Joonghyuk a little better than the others in the room, it was easy to notice.
Don't come this way. No, no, take a right. Take a damn right. . .Fuck.
Why would he do that?! And why is Uriel just letting him do it?
Kim Dokja kept his face smooth, even though he wanted to bury his face in his hands and groan in exasperation.
Kim Dokja saw the Production Planning Department Head jump to his feet and get on stand-by when he saw that it was one of his teams that had been subjected to the impromptu evaluation.
What was there to evaluate at lunch?!
Once Yoo Joonghyuk was within a couple of feet of their table, Kim Dokja realised that he was the one who held the highest position amongst the occupants of the table and hence had to open his mouth first.
He probably came off as incredibly rude right now, doing nothing but staring at his CEO, but listen, he had never been in this position before. It was his first time, cut him some slack.
"Good afternoon, sir," Kim Dokja bowed and his greeting was echoed by the rest of the team, his team now—he didn't even remember their names, what the fuck?
"Good afternoon," Yoo Joonghyuk said once he was done scrutinizing his subordinates.
Now, Kim Dokja was aware that Yoo Joonghyuk could come off as very intimidating. He himself had been scared to his wit's end when they first met, so he got it, he really did. But even so, there was no need for everyone to be quaking in their boots. It was just another human being, seriously.
Or was Kim Dokja just used to Yoo Joonghyuk now?
Hmm, probably. He just happened to know that Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't a cruel mob boss even though he very much as he looked the part, but in fact, he was a sweet, polite, kind person.
Kim Dokja stared, a little confused when Yoo Joonghyuk reached a hand out and caught the tag of his ID card between his fingers. The tag slipped through Yoo Joonghyuk's fingers and he stopped when the card reached his hand.
Kim Dokja jolted out of his thoughts when he figured out exactly why everyone was so nervous.
Oh, fuck! He was supposed to introduce himself!
He was supposed to introduce himself to the CEO, but instead of that, he kept gawking at the man.
Just kill him now.
Come on! How was he supposed to know? He had never done this before. He was used to being in a position where he had no requirement to speak to the CEO.
No, no, it's alright. He could salvage this. It had barely been five seconds. He could fucking salvage this.
Before Kim Dokja could open his mouth, Yoo Joonghyuk spoke.
"Production Planning Department, team leader Kim Dokja," he read out loud from the card.
Kim Dokja blinked, a little taken aback at the cold tone Yoo Joonghyuk was using.
"Yes, sir," Kim Dokja nodded.
His old theory came to mind; the one about Yoo Joonghyuk just wanting to screw over his life over because Kim Dokja had refused his advances once.
Kim Dokja saw Uriel's expression and he knew she was doing her best to not roll her eyes and glare at Yoo Joonghyuk.
He turned to Yoo Joonghyuk and he saw that Yoo Joonghyuk's gaze held none of the roughness his speech did.
Kim Dokja almost sighed in relief. He would have been heartbroken if Yoo Joonghyuk had just been toying with him. He considered the man a very good friend and would be devastated if it turned out that all those months they had spent together were just a ploy to get back at Kim Dokja.
"Your ID photo came nice," Yoo Joonghyuk said, flipping his ID card and reading the back for a few seconds before dropping it with a soft scoff.
This guy, seriously!
He was there when they took that picture. It was his coat that Kim Dokja was wearing in it too.
"The photographer hired was undoubtedly skilful, sir," Kim Dokja said simply.
Uriel, the aforementioned skilled photographer, pursed her lips, looking haughtily above their heads. She would have been shaking with laughter in a more private setting. Shame, Kim Dokja would have loved to hear her diss Yoo Joonghyuk.
"Of course," Yoo Joonghyuk said, his eyes raking over Kim Dokja, then moving onto the tray of food in front of the seat Kim Dokja had been taking.
Was there anything incriminating in his lunch? He took a nice portion of the salad, he was having his greens, he was eating healthy. The absolute lack of tomatoes wasn't noticeable, so that shouldn't be a big issue. And his chicken didn't look like a monster had come and had its way with it either, he was a tidy eater.
It was a pretty decent half-eaten tray of lunch. Not too yucky to be looking at. Yeah, it was fine.
"As a new hire, give me some perspective," Yoo Joonghyuk said, bringing him out of his reverie. "How are you finding everything?"
"There is nothing to complain about, sir," Kim Dokja answered, wondering why on earth Yoo Joonghyuk was doing this. Well, maybe he was there for an evaluation after talking to an outsider or something. Maybe Kim Dokja was just being a bit too full of himself.
"And how's the food?"
"It's a very nutritious, balanced diet and delicious," Kim Dokja said. "There is nothing to complain about it either."
"So you have no suggestions?" Yoo Joonghyuk was staring down at him and Kim Dokja found it a little unfamiliar.
He pressed his feet to the soles of his shoes and resolutely continued looking at Yoo Joonghyuk.
He had gotten used to Yoo Joonghyuk standing next to him, or sitting down somewhere. And it was hard to find the man scary when he was in casual wear, smiling softly.
"Only minor things, like the water tank takes too long to get filled," Kim Dokja said. "It's mostly because there are only two on either end of this hall. It gets crowded, and there are spills. I would suggest putting a couple more."
Honestly, Kim Dokja didn't even find this an issue. It wasn't even an inconvenience in his head, but Yoo Joonghyuk had put him on the spot and he needed something to say.
Yoo Joonghyuk turned his head to spot the water station that Kim Dokja was talking about, everyone mimicked his movement and they watched a janitor nearly sprinting towards it with a mop to clean up the spills.
Oh, wow. That's quite the reaction.
"And a warning sign would probably be a good investment too. To prevent accidents at work," Kim Dokja muttered when he saw the poor man stumble a little in his hurry.
Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't that frightening. A little scary, yeah, but he wasn't a monster.
Kim Dokja moved his gaze back to see Yoo Joonghyuk frowning at the scene and he sort of got why everyone was so nervous around the man.
Kim Dokja felt a little smug. He had friendship privileges! He wasn't bothered by it all that much.
He saw his department head giving him a sharp glare, probably wanting him to shut up, but it was a bit too late for that now, wasn't it? He'd opened his mouth, and now he had no choice but to see it through.
Glancing at his team members at the table, Kim Dokja saw most of them looking at him in pity, like he was dying or something. Why? He didn't do anything wrong, did he?
"Anything else?" Yoo Joonghyuk turned his glare back to him.
"Nothing, sir," Kim Dokja said immediately.
He could think of five more issues off the top of his head, but his Department Head looked like he would skin him alive if he said anything, so he'd keep it all to himself. If it got really bothersome, he could just tell Yoo Joonghyuk about it in private.
"Hmm."
The Yoo Joonghyuk he was familiar with wasn't usually this dismissive about things. If it had been just them, Yoo Joonghyuk would have probably said something along the lines of 'Is that so? Thank you for letting me know, Dokja-ssi. I'll get to it soon'. Ah, he couldn't call him 'Dokja-ssi' at work, could he?