Good Night, Brother! - Chapter 7.8

Choi Min-kyu stopped abruptly at Eun Hyun’s desk. Startled, Eun Hyun hastily stood up and bowed. Choi, still catching his breath, irritably loosened his necktie and slammed the report he was holding onto Eun Hyun’s desk. His booming voice reverberated through the spacious office.

“Hey! Rookie! You compiled this, didn’t you?”

“Pardon?”

Choi flipped through a few pages of the report. Eun Hyun recognized it immediately—it was the raw material pricing data he had compiled and sent last Friday. If Choi was yelling, there must have been an error. Eun Hyun’s heart began to race. Trying to gauge Choi’s mood, he cautiously replied,

“Yes… I compiled it.”

“You know you’re supposed to update it whenever there’s a price change, don’t you?”

“I do.”

Did I miss a price change? No, that’s impossible—I confirmed there were no changes before sending it. Thoughts raced through Eun Hyun’s mind as he tried to recall the meticulous checks he’d done.

“Do you have any idea how much embarrassment you caused me?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Whether or not there had been an actual error, Eun Hyun didn’t have the courage to argue. As a new employee, he could only lower his head under Choi’s scolding.

“Damn it… Just reprint the whole thing and have it on my desk in an hour.”

With that, Choi Min-kyu stormed off, anger still simmering, yanking a pack of cigarettes from his pocket as he went. Frozen in place like he’d been doused in ice water, Eun Hyun stared blankly at Choi’s retreating back before collapsing into his chair, drained.

As the tension eased, the sound of furious typing filled the office once more. Most people had returned to their work, though some were likely gossiping about Eun Hyun’s scolding through messenger apps. The shame of being chastised in front of his colleagues began to sink in.

Eun Hyun was still reeling when Su-ah cautiously approached his desk.

“Eun Hyun, are you okay?”

“…Yes, I’m fine.”

What else can I say? Eun Hyun thought, forcing a weak smile despite his pale complexion and slumped shoulders.

He opened his email and quickly found the one he’d sent Choi on Friday:

Subject: [Reply] Updated A&B Raw Material Prices

To: Purchasing Team 1, Manager Choi Min-kyu

CC: Assistant Manager Eun Su-ah, Purchasing Team 2

Attachment: [A&B_May_Raw_Material_Prices_20XX050X_ver3.xlsx]

Body:

Dear Manager Choi,

This is Jung Eun-hyun from Purchasing Team 2.

Attached is the raw material price list for A&B as requested. The data reflects the latest updates as of yesterday.

Please review the attached file.

Opening the attached Excel file, Eun Hyun cross-referenced it with the report Choi had thrown on his desk. The numbers were different.

This isn’t my mistake, he thought, his stomach tightening.

Choi Min-gyu was notorious for blaming others when things went wrong but taking credit when things went right. His fiery temper made even senior colleagues avoid crossing him.

Should he email Choi to point out the discrepancy? After a long moment of hesitation, Eun Hyun decided against it and instead began correcting the report himself.

Once the revised report was printed and placed on Choi’s desk, lunchtime had arrived. Feeling too nauseous to eat, Eun Hyun declined Su-ah’s invitation to join her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat? You must be hungry…”

“No, I just want to rest a bit. I’ll grab something later if I get hungry.”

“…Alright. Take it easy, okay?”

Once Su-ah left, Eun Hyun rested his head on his desk. But no matter how hard he tried, sleep wouldn’t come.

By 12:45, he gave up on resting and headed to the restroom. After splashing cold water on his face, he stared at his pale, tired reflection in the mirror. Sighing, he dabbed his face dry with paper towels and returned to his desk.

When he sat down, a new email awaited him. At the same time, a hand rested on his shoulder, making him flinch slightly. It was Lee Sang-jin from Purchasing Team 3.

“Hey, Eun Hyun. Perfect timing—you’re reading emails already.”

Eun Hyun skimmed the email, his brow furrowing as he read the details.

“…Isn’t this Team 3’s responsibility?”

“Well, yeah, but we’re swamped right now. You seemed free, so I thought you could help. It won’t take long, maybe two hours tops,” Sang-jin said with a grin.

While it was true the task wouldn’t take long, Eun Hyun knew it would delay his own work, likely forcing him to stay late. Today of all days, he wasn’t in the mood.

“…I’m sorry, but I’m busy as well,” he replied hesitantly.

“Come on, Eun-hyun. I know 2 Team’s workload. You’ve got time. How about this? I’ll buy you a coffee later.”

When Eun-hyun didn’t immediately agree, Sang-jin’s smile stiffened, and his tone turned sharp.

“Wow, you’re really something, aren’t you? Got a lot of guts for a rookie.”

“…”

“Fine. Have it your way, you arrogant little brat,” he muttered under his breath before storming off.

As the tension hung in the air, Eun-hyun leaned back in his chair and sighed.

What is it with today?

Unable to bear sitting at his desk any longer, he decided to head up to the rooftop for some fresh air.

The moment he opened the rooftop door, he was greeted by a blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds.

Of course, the weather’s perfect today.

Through the glass railing, he could see the tangled streets of Jongno below. The sidewalks were bustling with people, and he found himself wondering what they did for a living to have the luxury of walking around in the middle of a workday.

Some people found fulfillment and purpose in their jobs, but for Eun-hyun, work was merely a means to earn a paycheck. He had drawn a firm line, refusing to let work consume his emotions. Investing feelings into his job felt like a losing game.

Letting out another sigh, Eun-hyun leaned against the railing, letting the breeze wash over him.

But even someone like Eun-hyun, who tries to stay detached, finds days like this hard to bear. He tells himself it’s inevitable, but as a human being, it’s impossible not to feel hurt. Like rust spreading on a metal door with a small scratch, melancholy seeped through his mind.

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