Chapter 13: Are You Depressed?

Since waking up at the Team Leader’s house that day, there haven’t been any particularly dramatic changes in my daily life.

I’m still the carrot, and the Team Leader is still the stick.

“Hngh…”

“Hey, don’t cry over something like that. Stop it.”

However, how should I put it? It feels like there are more and more situations where I should be giving out carrot cake instead of just carrots.

“It’s natural for new recruits to make mistakes. And it wasn’t even that big of a mistake, was it? I made a lot of mistakes and got a lot of Verbal Lashing when I was a newbie.”

“But the Team Leader, the Team Leader…”

Recently, a new employee joined the department.

Her name is Han-byeol. She graduated at the top of her class from Yonsei University and boasts an impressive resume that makes you wonder how she ended up in a place like this.

On top of that, she’s quite passionate and enthusiastic about her work, a rare and solid sight in this day and age, making her a highly anticipated new employee.

“If you’re just going to rely on your own head and do it like this, you might as well just do everything your superior tells you from A to Z…”

The problem is… her mental fortitude is a bit weak.

I had a feeling from the first time I saw her that she was a bit unstable, but I didn’t expect her to break down like this.

Still, the fact that she managed to stay out of the Team Leader’s sharp gaze for a month means she’s quite capable. I got ripped apart in just a week.

“The Team Leader doesn’t mean to say those things with bad intentions. It’s just that… she doesn’t have a filter when she speaks, so don’t take it too hard.”

“Hngh… Isn’t she trying to discourage me…?”

Of course, I didn’t burst into tears like this fragile new employee when I received my first Verbal Lashing. My mental state was shattered, and I was completely dazed, though.

“It’s tough, right? I know because I’ve been through it all. And I’m still going through it. Of course, the senior colleagues are the same.”

“Sniff… Hng…”

Seeing her already in tears like this, I had a feeling that her future work life wouldn’t be so smooth.

But what can I do? I’ll have to shove carrot cake into her mouth as much as possible.

Since joining this company, I’ve seen a lot of people. I’ve witnessed countless people with difficult personalities, lacking abilities, or even useless people who fit both categories.

Han-byeol is one of the best talents among the colleagues and juniors I’ve seen so far. Her weakness of having a fragile mental state will improve as I coax and soothe her.

“Um… will I get scolded often in the future…?”

“Um…”

I want to say something positive and hopeful if possible, but I can’t bring myself to do it.

“…Hang in there, Hanbyeol. I’ll try to block as much as I can from the middle.”

All I can do with nothing is to be a flimsy shield for her.

…Should I talk to her about it during lunch break?

――

“Seo Hanbyeol, would you like to have lunch with me today?”

Since that day, I started having lunch with the Team Leader again. Just like before.

“Yes, what’s on the menu today?”

If there’s anything different, it’s that my attitude has become a bit more brazen, or rather, more friendly?

“Well, I haven’t decided yet.”

“How about Korean food? I’ve been eating too much pasta, and I’m starting to get tired of it.”

“Sure.”

After declaring that I wanted to be friends with the Team Leader, and after the Team Leader didn’t show a negative reaction to it, I no longer feared the Team Leader’s lunch invitations.

In fact, I was severely burdened by the relationship of being her ex-girlfriend and direct superior, but unless her intentions were to harass me, there was no reason for me to avoid the Team Leader.

The Team Leader isn’t that petty of a person. Rather, she’s one of the fairest people I know. So, I decided to accept the Team Leader’s goodwill as it is.

“Half and half again, Dutch pay, right?”

Of course, since I’m even interfering with the menu, I can’t just freeload like before, so I suggested Dutch pay to her.

“…I could just pay for it…”

“Then I’d feel uncomfortable eating. Getting it for free… makes me a bit uncomfortable.”

The Team Leader seemed to regret that, but what can I do? That’s just my personality.

I can’t just live by receiving from others. Give and take, if someone gives me something, I have to give something back in return.

That’s how I feel comfortable. You could say it’s just pointless pride… but I’ll humbly accept that kind of evaluation.

“Then… how about Yukhoe Bibimbap?”

“…Sounds good!”

Of course, I had to accept that my wallet would be emptied.

Because there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

――

There seem to be a few criteria that the Team Leader, Cha Hyewon, has when choosing a restaurant.

The first is, of course, the taste, and the second is… hygiene, maybe?

It would be difficult to find a place that simultaneously satisfies her picky taste, as she hates everything that comes from the sea, and her high standards, but the places she takes me to are all great restaurants.

“20,000… 3,000…”

However, the problem is that it doesn’t seem like cost-effectiveness is included in her criteria for choosing a restaurant.

It’s natural that there aren’t many restaurants that meet those demanding standards. It’s also natural that those places are generally expensive.

Moreover, based on the house I saw last time, the size of her apartment and the surrounding environment, it’s clear that her financial situation is very comfortable. I don’t know if it’s money she earned herself or money she received from her parents.

That’s why she doesn’t care about the price at all, not even a little bit, unlike other things. She can casually walk into expensive restaurants that ordinary office workers wouldn’t even dare to set foot in.

And for a crow-tit who struggles just to walk, trying to follow that stork’s stride is a level where my legs are bound to be torn apart.

That’s why, even though we say Dutch pay, she paid for most of the amount at restaurants that were too expensive for me to handle.

“…Are you okay? If it’s too much of a burden, I can…”

“No, no! This much is okay. I can pay. I can pay…”

Still, the Korean restaurant she brought me to this time was at a level that even a crow-tit whose legs were already torn apart could somehow afford. It’s still a burden, though.

Spending 23,000 won on a bowl of Yukhoe Bibimbap is a luxury that a commoner like me can’t even dare to imagine.

But that’s just based on my standards, and it seemed like that amount wasn’t even a luxury for the Team Leader.

I’m jealous. I want to live a life where I’m not so concerned about money like that.

“Does this one suit your taste?”

“I don’t think there’s ever been a time when it didn’t suit my taste… The restaurants that the Team Leader recommends are all delicious.”

The taste of the 23,000 won Yukhoe Bibimbap was definitely worth the price.

In fact, there wasn’t a single restaurant that the Team Leader took me to that wasn’t delicious. No matter what the menu was.

Shabu-shabu, pasta, gyukatsu, and many other dishes that I had never even heard of.

There wasn’t a single dish that was disappointing. I just trembled every time I saw the receipt.

“…That’s a relief.”

As if relieved by my answer, the Team Leader quietly started eating.

One thing I learned while eating together a few times is that the Team Leader’s table manners are excellent.

It’s so quiet that you wonder how she can eat so quietly, without making any noise while chewing or even clattering the dishes.

You could even feel a sense of elegance from the Team Leader’s appearance. Should I say she’s cool, or should I say she’s pretty?

…Something about me talking about someone else’s eating like this seems a bit… perverted.

Sometimes, when I see the Team Leader’s table manners, I feel like my own eating looks shabby.

Should I say it’s the difference between an educated person and an uneducated person? I’ve never been told about my table manners, either when I was young or now.

Of course, I’m not blaming my parents at all. It would be hard to find better parents than my parents in the world.

It’s just that, how should I put it, the Team Leader’s appearance… felt like something I could never imitate, no matter how hard I tried.

“…Ah.”

Ah, right, there was something I had to say.

“Team Leader, now that I think about it, about this matter…”

“What matter… are you talking about?”

I have a duty to make her a little more lenient.

“Um, you know the new employee who got scolded by the Team Leader this time. Han-byeol.”

“…..Yes, I know.”

Of course, I know that she’s not the kind of person who will change her attitude with just a few words from me, but I should still do what I can.

“She seems to have a very weak mental state, so I was thinking it would be better to treat her a little more gently than usual…”

Finding a new employee with such good specs and personality is harder than picking a star from the sky.

Especially if that person is my direct junior. I can’t let a fresh and energetic newbie who just joined wither away.

“Of course, I understand the Team Leader’s feelings, but still, since she’s a new person, I think it’s better to encourage her with carrots appropriately rather than just wielding the stick…”

“……”

The Team Leader listened to my argument carefully.

It’s strange, at this point, it wouldn’t be strange for her to start rapping at the speed of light about why she’s giving Verbal Lashing to the new employee.

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

“..Pardon?”

“I said I’ll keep that in mind. Is there a problem?”

But the words that came out of the Team Leader’s mouth were beyond my expectations.

Really? Is that Cha Hyewon, Team Leader, listening to me so obediently? Listening to the words of a mere employee?

“…..”

But how should I put it… there’s no basis for it, but…

I feel like she’s really angry, but maybe it’s just my imagination?