Chapter 18

Chapter 18Old steel(8)

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A taxi stopped in a shopping area near Yeouido.

After paying and getting off, Song Boyeong looked around and pointed to a chicken and beer place with a sign that read The End of the Pig.

There, thats where the team dinner is.

Jeong-woo, who followed behind her, asked, Can I join in?

Of course. Dong-gil Senior said to bring Parachute.

I see, if the team leader called you, it means he trusts you.

Song Boyeong hesitated, What trust?

There is a senior colleague at the research institute who, whenever they ask to follow them, strange problems arise that I havent thought of.

Oh?

Uh, is that senior you?

Feeling Jeong-woos sharp gaze, Song Boyeong avoided his eyes and opened the door to the chicken and beer place.

Jeong-woo followed in, smelling the savory fried batter and feeling his appetite stir.

Theyre in there.

Inside, about twenty people were sitting around a large table.

They all seem to have high seniority.

It was understandable since this gathering was a meeting of the flagship project team and the top researchers from Research Room 1 of the central research institute. Jeong-woo greeted them with a straightened waist since he had not had the opportunity to have a proper conversation with any of his senior colleagues.

Hello, Im intern Han Jeong-woo!

Everyone who had been chattering away with full force turned their heads to him.

Isnt that the intern from the news earlier?

Thats right, that intern.

Amidst the murmurs, Team 1 leader Lee Dong-gil raised his hand.

Song Boyeong! Come quickly with Han Jeong-woo!

Sure thing, Mr. Parachute.

Jeong-woo, who had ended up sitting next to Dong-gil, cautiously looked around wondering what was going on. Research Room 1 director Oh Seung-ju was also sitting next to him.

Why did they call me? There arent even any public recruits.

Dong-gil, who was smiling slyly, gave off the feeling of looking at someone who had followed an elite course and had steadily risen to success within the upper class.

Jeong-woo had heard rumors that he had even earned a PhD from a famous American university.

Dong-gil asked Jeong-woo, who had taken a seat, Soju? Beer?

Oh, I havent eaten yet, so

Then just get beer. We dont force anyone to drink at our gatherings, so drink within your limit. What about Boyeong? A bomb?

I need to fill my stomach first. Ill just have beer too.

Jeong-woo was taken aback by Boyeongs appearance, which made it seem like she should be drinking carbonated juice instead.

While staring blankly at the beer being filled in his glass, Dong-gil asked, Did you work well with Yujin Chemical?

Yes.

I know Director Yoon Jae-gil a little bit. It couldnt have been that easy, could it?

Since Dong-gils question was directed at Jeong-woo, he answered without much thought, It wasnt that difficult.

Dong-gil chuckled and took a sip of soju before turning to Oh Seung-joo sitting next to him. What do you think about Seung-joo senior? You were really surprised earlier.

A man in his late thirties with shaky eyes looked at Jeong-woo once and casually replied, He did well.

Wow, youre cool. If this intern had made a big mistake, wouldnt Seung-joo senior have been in trouble too?

Jeong-woo was taken aback by the mention of trouble. Oh Seung-joo put down his soju glass and turned his head to Dong-gil.

Dont scare the intern with unnecessary words. Boyeong must have taken care of it properly. She didnt do the research alone.

Song Boyeong looked out the window and took a sip of beer, pretending not to hear anything. Despite her claim of being helpful, she had only followed Jeong-woo around.

Mr. Han Jeong-woo, listen without misunderstanding.

The warm smile on Dong-gils face suddenly turned cold as he spoke.

What you did today was a pretty risky thing to do. Even if we ignore the absurd assurance you made at the press conference, there must be a clear reason to put KG Chemicals name on it. But I didnt see that justification in you.

Youre saying I shouldnt do anything that I cant take responsibility for, right?

Thats right. You catch on quickly. I hope you will be more careful in the future when you do something like this.

Jeong-woo nodded his head.

Despite whatever reason there may be, he was somewhat confident that he had worked with Yoon Jae-gil today.

With the eyes that can see the microcosm, he can push forward with confidence no matter what he does.

I can see things that they cant see comfortably.

This is a tremendous power for a chemist.

The atmosphere of the company dinner became deeper as it approached 8 pm.

Senior research colleagues had also joined Jeong-woo at his side.

Jeong-woos story during the weekly meeting was really funny.

Team Leader Jungs temperament is no joke, but he becomes a yes-man in front of Dr. Shin.

Jeong-woo laughed along with his seniors and took a sip of beer. He had probably drunk four bottles without realizing it due to the intoxicating atmosphere.

They say that company connections start from company dinners.

He now somewhat understood the complaints and bragging of his university classmates who had successfully landed a job this summer.

However, the good thing was that his senior colleagues in the company seemed to have little prejudice, unlike the new hires who had kept an eye on him.

Perhaps the fact that they had successfully finished their work with Yujin Chemicals today had shown that he was a reliable researcher.

Hey, Boyeong is drunk. Someone stop her. She was carried out last time.

Jeong-woos gaze turned to Song Boyeong as his senior colleague next to him mentioned her. She was chatting happily with female researchers around the table and seemed to have drunk quite a bit.

Sure, Song Boyeong here! Ill sing a song.

No one asked you to.

One, two~ please give me a beat!

Quiet down, will you! Youre being obnoxious.

Jeong-woo bit his tongue silently. Although it was usually right that the youngest member would leave first after being forced to sing a song under the influence of alcohol, the senior colleagues here were begging them to be quiet.

Jeong-woo, how is the planning evaluation going?

At the senior colleagues question next to him, Oh Seung-ju, who had been quietly tilting his soju glass on the opposite side, also looked at Jeong-woo with interest.Findd new stories at novelhall.com

But its not. It tasted strange.

Song Boyeong tasted it again.

Oh? Its not bitter?

Youre out of your mind. Go home quickly.

Jeong-woo cleared his throat after seeing the scene. There was evidence that the molecules had indeed changed.

Once again.

He poured some soju into an empty glass and touched it with his finger before sipping it.

Cough.

Unable to swallow the bitter taste, Jeong-woo grabbed his throat. The alcohol woke him up instantly.

If soju tastes like poison, the liquor industry in our country is in big trouble.

Why are you acting like a paratrooper?

No, its nothing. Sorry, senior.

Song Boyeong looked at Jeong-woo with a puzzled expression, not understanding the reference to a paratrooper.

See you all on Monday!

The dinner ended exactly at 10 pm. As they said their goodbyes at the entrance of the pub, Song Boyeong walked out onto the street to catch a taxi.

Hey, Song. I called a driver, can I give you a ride?

As Lee Dong-gil approached her, Song Boyeong lowered her head.

Senior. I know about everything grandfather asked you to take care of. Its all just a burden, so please stop.

Wow, you only know one side Song and not the other.

What do you mean?

What the chairman said is correct, but what Im doing is not showing concern, its showing interest. You know, between a man and a woman. Cant you feel it?

Song Boyeong widened her eyes.

No way. We have a 10-year age gap.

Is that a problem?

You should date someone whos not generations apart. And why would I, who has more money than you, date an old guy?

Wow, youre straightforward.

I have no intention of dating anyone right now. Lets just forget this conversation.

Dong-gil shrugged, knowing he had been rejected.

I think youre not making a good judgment because youre drunk. Lets talk about it next time.

I wasnt that drunk. The taste of the alcohol was just weird, so I stopped drinking in the middle.

Okay, forget it. The driver is here. Im going.

As Dong-gil waved and hurried away, Song Boyeong looked at him with a puzzled expression. Then she noticed Han Jeong-woo, who was standing among the other senior colleagues.

Jeong-woo, your interview was really funny. You should have seen the other seniors faces turning stiff. They were clearly worried.

Im sorry. I was trying to be confident.

No, no. I like that kind of enthusiasm. We need researchers at Jungyeon who are that confident. Most of the others are too inactive because theyre always stuck in the lab.

Song Boyeong touched her scarf, realizing she still had it on and had not returned it.

Listen well and do well in the planning evaluation.

I received a lot of help from the senior colleagues. Thank you!

As Jeong-woo greeted with a bow, Song Boyeong approached him quietly and spoke.

You seem to have become close with the senior colleagues quickly.

Jeong-woo turned around and looked at Song Boyeong.

You havent left yet? I thought you went home because Senior Jeonghee chased you out earlier.

That was just a joke.

No, it wasnt. His eyes werent joking.

I did apologize to him when I went out.

Jeong-woo laughed and his cheeks turned red, indicating that he had had a bit too much to drink. Looking up at his tall stature, Song Boyeong spoke cautiously.

Um About that strange senior you mentioned earlier.

Oh, him.

If he asks you to go somewhere again, will you go?

Ill see.

Oh, and this.

Song Boyeong took off her scarf and handed it to him.

You used it to keep warm. Ill treat you to a cup of coffee later.

I like coffee. As long as you dont have any other intentions.

Oh, should I treat you to a meal instead? I think I should.

Coffee is fine.

Okay.

Song Boyeong had given up on asking about Dr. Cheons story by now.

As they waited for a taxi, Jeong-woo asked her.

By the way, Senior. Do you have any samples left of the preliminary coating agent? I want to paint the front gate. Its an old iron gate thats severely corroded.

There are no more in the lab, but there might be some at the Cheongju factory No, wait. I might have brought some home for research purposes. Do you want me to give it to you?

Jeong-woo nodded his head. Meanwhile, the taxi arrived and honked its horn on the street.

If you give me your address, Ill send it to you by courier. Please give me your phone number.

After taking down the number, Song Boyeong said goodbye and got in the taxi.

Where are you headed, miss?

Near Hwagae Station.

She entered the just-gotten number into her phones address book and named it Han Jeong-woo, deleting the earlier Mr. Parachute nickname she had given him.

Come to think of it, were the same age, right? Twenty-six. The generation gap wouldnt be too big

As Song Boyeong pondered to herself, she watched Jeong-woos figure recede into the distance outside the window.

code: AF-12

case: Molecular Communication Network

research: When a certain stimulus is received in the body (e.g. alcohol), particles that affect other molecules are generated at the fingertips. It is estimated to be colorless and odorless.