Real Man

Chapter 322:

Chapter 322:

Chapter 322

Yoo-hyun left the factory early and looked back over his shoulder.

He saw the Ulsan 4th factory, where he had worked every day.

He had experienced many things and gained a lot here.

The most important thing was the people.

The people he had worked with would be a great help for his future choices.

“I’ll see you again soon.”

He said his last farewell and turned around. A man who was waiting for him at the door spoke.

“Why are you so sentimental?”

A black sedan was parked next to him.

“It’s my last day here.”

“Are you not coming back?”

“I’ll come back sometimes. Thank you for waiting for me, Driver Ok Jong-ho.”

Yoo-hyun smiled and said. Ok Jong-ho shrugged and replied.

“I’m just doing what I’m told by the company. Get in. I’ll take you.”

“It’s an honor.”

Ok Jong-ho started the car and stepped on the accelerator.

The car slid and ran on the road.

He saw a factory building that was under construction.

It was the factory that Apple had invested more and doubled its size.

Ok Jong-ho asked Yoo-hyun, who was looking out the window.

“Your luggage has already left. You know that, right?”

“Yes. Thank you for taking care of it.”

“It’s not me. It’s the company. But this is the first time I’ve seen something like this in my life.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, why does the company care so much about your transfer?”

Yoo-hyun’s transfer was supported by Yetae-sik, the executive director, and a cooperative company of their company.

And the company also provided a car for Yoo-hyun’s transportation.

There was no reason to refuse such an offer, so Yoo-hyun accepted it.

Yoo-hyun chuckled at Ok Jong-ho’s words and answered politely.

“Well, it’s a very nice company.”

“Yeah, nice to you only.”

“But isn’t it nice to go with me? You said you had something to do in Seoul.”

“Well, it’s not bad to kill two birds with one stone.”

“I’ll buy you a nice meal at the rest area.”

“Then I couldn’t ask for more.”

The two looked at each other and smiled as if they had made a promise.

Vroom.

The car that carried Yoo-hyun headed straight to Seoul.

Yoo-hyun’s life in Seoul was not much different from a year ago.

He lived in the same house, ate the same food with his mother’s side dishes.

Except for the shortened bus route, his commute was also the same.

The only thing that changed was the bag he carried.

He held his bag as he sat on the bus seat.

It was a bag filled with the hearts of the people he had worked with in Ulsan.

It felt more special because of that.

And there was another thing that changed.

Beep.

He tapped his card as he got off the bus and looked at his watch on his wrist. He snickered.

-It’s your birthday, so I splurged on it.

Han Jae-hee, who was about to graduate, took out some of her savings and bought him a watch.

She didn’t wear it herself because she said it was annoying, but she gave him a rather expensive watch.

And she didn’t just give it to him, she sent it by a 2,500 won delivery service because she was busy.

He couldn’t help but wonder what was in her head.

“What on earth is in Jae-hee’s head…”

Ring. Ring.

As Yoo-hyun was shaking his head, his phone rang.

It was too perfect timing that he laughed as he answered it.

“Did you put a bug in the watch or something?”

-Oppa, that’s not important right now.

His voice was very serious, and Yoo-hyun’s eyes sank.

He thought it was strange that he called him at such an early hour, something that would never happen normally.

“What’s going on? Tell me.”

-Haah, haah. My heart feels like it’s going to burst. My vision is yellow, and my head is dizzy.

“Did Yang Woo-chan escape from prison or something?”

-No. It’s more serious than that. Hoo, hoo.

Han Jae-hee’s voice became more and more strained.

He was even gasping for breath.

Yoo-hyun hid his rising anxiety and tried to calm him down.

“Okay. Don’t worry and tell me. I’ll solve anything for you.”

His sincerity for his sister was in his words.

Han Jae-hee slowly opened his mouth.

-I’m so nervous, can you pray for me?

“What?”

-It’s my last exam. If I mess this up, I can’t graduate.

“Ha.”

Yoo-hyun let out a hollow laugh.

He was too speechless.

He remembered what Jang Hye-min, the senior, no, the manager, had said on the phone a while ago.

-Jae-hee’s graduation? If you become a Hansung scholar, you have an advantage, so you can do it with your current grades. Even if not, the school won’t stop a student who was recognized by Apple’s designer from graduating.

He didn’t tell her because it might make her complacent, since she was working hard.

Yoo-hyun wondered if he should tell her now, but he swallowed it again because of his sister’s words that it was her last exam.

Instead, he teased her pride a little bit.

“You can fail the exam. I’ll give you part-time jobs for life.”

-Are you crazy? I have a bright future ahead of me if I graduate. Why would I depend on you?

“Why? I’ll give you more than the minimum wage. And I’ll pay for your four major insurances too?”

-It’s my fault for asking you seriously. Haah.

Han Jae-hee’s voice seemed to lose some strength.

It was much better than being tense, so Yoo-hyun pushed him a little more.

“If you can’t graduate, I’ll sell your watch and shoes and give you money. You can survive for a year.”

-Get lost. I’ll definitely do it. When I graduate, I’ll barge into your house right away. Bye.

Click.

In the end, Han Jae-hee got angry and hung up the phone.

Yoo-hyun smiled as he looked at the screen that ended the call.

“That’s more like my sister.”

When Yoo-hyun entered the Hansung Tower building, he heard greetings from everywhere.

“Mr. Han, hello.”

“Yoo-hyun, congratulations on your promotion.”

Yoo-hyun greeted them back warmly.

“Thank you very much.”

If it were like before, he would have felt awkward, but Yoo-hyun acted rather friendly.

That change continued in the 12th floor office.

After Yoo-hyun had greeted everyone pleasantly,

Cho Chan-young, the director who always hung around the product planning team office, spotted Yoo-hyun and brightened up.

“Oh my, Mr. Han, you’re finally back.”

“Haha. How have you been?”

Yoo-hyun smiled.

He looked natural without any awkwardness, and the team members who were watching blinked their eyes.

Cho Chan-young patted Yoo-hyun’s shoulder and asked,

“Did you become more reliable?”

“It must be thanks to your care, sir.”

“You’re good at talking. Well, now that you’re here, you have to run again, right?”

Cho Chan-young looked at him with expectation.

He had seen Yoo-hyun’s achievements from the side, so he couldn’t help but hope for more.

But Yoo-hyun’s answer was slightly different from his expectation.

“I’m trying to take it easy now.”

“Take it easy?”

“Yes. Now that you are an assistant manager, you should have some leisure and look at the big picture, don’t you think?”

Yoo-hyun spread his arms and made a big gesture.

Jo Chan Young, the director who was slightly taken aback, burst into laughter belatedly.

“Haha. That’s right. That’s a very good attitude. Yeah, there’s no need to push yourself too hard. Sometimes taking it easy is also a way to go.”

“Since you say so, I will rest as much as I can.”

“Good. I got it. If you need anything, I’ll support you.”

“As expected. You are so straightforward. I’ll contact you right away when I need something.”

As soon as Yoo-hyun said that, Jo Chan Young, the director who flinched, soon chuckled.

“Haha. You. That’s the way to do it.”

His laughter lasted until he left the seat.

Kim Hyun Min, the team leader who was watching him, poked Yoo-hyun’s side.

“Kid, you’ve become more cunning, haven’t you?”

“I went on a business trip and I had to learn something.”

“What? Did you only learn how to be cheeky?”

“Yes. But I definitely learned that for sure.”

“Puhahaha. You learned that well.”

He laughed loudly, but he also felt curious.

He was too different from the Yoo-hyun of just a few months ago.

After that, Kim Hyun Min, the team leader, observed Yoo-hyun.

He didn’t seem to shrink at all among the busy team.

He looked relaxed in every light movement.

He also spoke well with people and walked with confidence.

He wasn’t like that in the past either, but he clearly changed.

Kim Hyun Min, the team leader who was watching him with curiosity, grabbed Lee Chan Ho, the assistant manager who was passing by, and asked him.

“Lee assistant manager, don’t you think Yoo-hyun has changed a bit?”

“Why?”

“Well, he used to make a fuss about everything and now he’s too quiet.”

“He suffered a lot during that time. He needs to rest when he can.”

Lee Chan Ho, the assistant manager who shrugged his shoulders, walked away quickly.

Kim Hyun Min, the team leader, asked Hwang Dong Shik, another assistant manager.

But the answer he got back wasn’t much different.

“What’s wrong with him having some fun? Yoo-hyun gave me a lot of money for my wedding gift.”

“What?”

“Anyway, I think he looks good.”

He left those words and turned away.

Kim Hyun Min, the team leader who watched him go, muttered to himself.

“Don’t other people see it?”

He left a meaningful remark and tilted his head.

That evening, the members of the product planning team gathered at a small meat restaurant near the company.

It was a team dinner to celebrate Yoo-hyun’s return.

While the beef was being grilled, Yoo-hyun placed the beer bottles and glasses on the table.

Then he started to open the bottle caps at a fast speed.

Pop pop pop pop.

Yoo-hyun held the beer bottles with both hands and quickly filled the empty glasses.

Then he moved to the side with a soju bottle tilted over a glass.

Glug glug glug.

His movements were fast and precise like a robot, and the height of the alcohol in each glass was perfectly matched.

What was more amazing was that the soju bottle was emptied exactly when he filled the last glass.

The beer bottles were also empty.

It was a performance that could not have been done without calculating from the beginning.

“Wow.”

The team members exclaimed at his trivial action.

Yoo-hyun didn’t stop there and mixed the glasses with his fast hands and handed them to the team members.

As soon as the plates were set, Yoo-hyun volunteered to stand up from his seat.

“Ooh. Han Yoo-hyun.”

Along with Lee Chan Ho, the assistant manager’s voice from across the table, people’s eyes gathered on Yoo-hyun.

Yoo-hyun scanned the team members with a smile on his face and opened his mouth.

“I’m Han Yoo-hyun, who has returned home after a long business trip. How have you all been?”

“Of course. We’ve been fine.”

It was a sudden action, but there was no awkwardness at all.

Even the people who were sitting far away spat out their voices to welcome Yoo-hyun.

Ignoring the greetings from here and there, Yoo-hyun lifted his glass.

“Well, then I’ll offer you a drink to celebrate my return.”

“Ooooooh.”

“When I say ‘Yoo-hyun’, you say ‘congratulations on your return’.”

“What? Puhahaha.”

Yoo-hyun said without hesitation, putting strength into his stomach.

“Yoo-hyun.”

“Congratulations on your return.”

It was a greeting that blew away the awkwardness in front of the whole team for the first time in a long time.

It was also a light atmosphere that he couldn’t see from Yoo-hyun in the past.

Clang clang clang clang.

Among the people who clinked their glasses quickly, Kim Hyun Min, the team leader, shrugged his shoulders.

He kept chuckling to himself, wondering what was so funny.