Chapter 62

:
Translator:
 –
 
Editor:
 –
Park Youngsu, the manager of the purchasing team, had been changed into someone who was totally different from the past. He was full of confidence, encouraged by his mastery of his own work, and didn’t harass his staff.
But his sense of authority was still there. Whenever he found someone who didn’t follow his instructions, he gave them a good scolding on the spot, regardless of anyone’s presence there. In particular, he didn’t like those who were too slow. He had the mindset that if anybody was ineffectual, he or she must be hard-working to make up for it.

Everybody, come together.

His team members quickly gathered around him as soon as he said that.

As you know, we go to an orphanage at the end of the year for a charity event. We’re having one this year, too. We have decided to visit the ‘House of Happiness’ on Dec. 29.

The House of Happiness was one of the biggest orphanages in Ansan city. Though he had never done volunteering work there, he had heard some things about its location and activities.

You don’t have to participate in the event like before. Accordingly, we don’t have anyone assigned for that event. Only those who really want to go willingly will be there. So, volunteer if you want it,
said Park.
Hyunwoo got interested suddenly.
Actually, he had helped lonely old men and students in financial stress in his neighborhood in the past, but he had never done any volunteer work by visiting an orphanage.
‘How do I offer my services at a place like that?’
Thinking like that, Hyunwoo slowly raised his hand.

I want to volunteer.

Park smiled brightly because he had been worried about it in his heart.
If it was mandatory to have two or three from each team assigned to the event, obviously there would be some volunteering in one way or another, but there was a strong possibility that nobody would come forward if it was voluntary. So, he was looking at his staff with sharp eyes to pick someone if nobody volunteered.
As soon as he said that, however, Hyunwoo raised his hand. Almost at the same time Minsu did so as well.

I’m going to volunteer, too,
said Min Suji.

Oh. you, too, Suji?

Originally, Park wanted two volunteers, and if there were no volunteers, he was determined to single out two of them by himself. However,, as two had already volunteered, Park was more ambitious now. He looked around other team members and fixed his eyes on one. His target was Oh Sangsu, the new hire with Min Suji and Jang Hyunwoo.

Anybody else? If you volunteer on an occasion like this, you get noticed by the president, don’t you? How about you, Mr. Oh?


Me? Yes, you’re right, but I’ve got to fly to the United States then…


To the United States? I understand your parents are here in Korea. Do you have a secret sweetheart there?


No, sir!
said Oh hastily.
As his relationship with Minhye, the president’s daughter and manager of the PR team, was going sour these days, any strange rumor could give him a big trouble.
Oh just felt troubled at the thought of her.
When Oh got hired by Aurum, Minhye was almost like his wife. She listened to anything Oh said, and they shared a hotel room a couple of times at least every week. But recently, he hadn’t dated her, and it was more than one month that he hadn’t had an intimate relationship with her.
He just presumed that she must have been disappointed at his failure to outperform Kim Yonggu or Jang Hyunwoo.
In a situation like this, a rumor like a secret sweetheart was something terrible.

Why are you flying there then? I don’t think you’re going there for travel, right?

Actually, Oh’s purpose was travel. He already made an appointment with his college alumni. If he could meet a pretty girl during travel, he could enjoy a one-night stand. He was planning to travel secretly without informing Minhye, and as he was in an icy relationship with her anyway, he could fly to the United States freely.
Now, as the team manager had come to know it, it looked like Oh had to cancel his trip appointment, and Park was now explaining why he had to volunteer.

Minhye is also supposed to visit the orphanage. Aren’t you a couple? I think you’ve got to act together.

If Minhye goes there, Oh would have to. Oh felt that might be a good occasion to mend fences with her.

Alright, sir. I can postpone my travel plans until next year. I’m going to volunteer, too.


Okay, then. Anybody else?


Me, too,
said Yonggu. His volunteering was only natural because Minhye was his wooing target. It would be like giving her up if he was absent from such an occasion.
Park seemed satisfied. He might have invited misunderstandings from others if he had singled out new hires only, but with the addition of Yonggu, his volunteering team was a good mix now.

Very good. I think the teamwork of the purchasing team is the best.

Dec. 29.
The volunteering members of Aurum gathered before a company bus bound for The House of Happiness. There was a total of 17 including president Park Daebong and three senior managers.
Manager Park publicly announced in the morning that he would participate but changed his mind in the afternoon, with an excuse of an important appointment.
The volunteers from the purchasing team were four, more than the PR team that included Park Minhye.
They got on the bus to head to the orphanage.
There was much more stuff they had to do than they had thought. There were a lot of piled-up laundry and repair work at the old orphanage. They decided to repair outdated chairs, desks, cabinets, etc, as they were from a furniture company. And as for those broken beyond repair, Aurum decided to exchange them with new replacements.
But there was a small problem out there. In the past, not only volunteers but also field workers from Aurum were also mobilized for the job. But this time, there were only volunteers, with not a single field worker. And that was the start of the problem.
They knew more about the furniture than ordinary people but not as much as the field workers. Field workers could have solved the problem in ten minutes while the volunteers could not even for an hour.

Phew.. why can’t I pull out this screw?


Wow, this screwdriver doesn’t get anything as the screw has been worn out completely. What should I do?


I don’t know.

They were just confused until the morning when some problem popped up. But in a couple of hours, the atmosphere began to change. They knew there was a troubleshooter among the volunteers.

Assistant manager Jang, I can’t unscrew this.


What is it?


The screw head has been too worn out.

Hyunwoo was a walking dictionary. Whenever they had a problem, he came up with the proper solution very easily.
Hyunwoo brought a rubber band and then put it above the screw head. He then slowly spun it with a larger screwdriver. Finally, the screw head came out as it had not been tightly screwed down. The volunteers clapped their hands.

Wow! What a nice way to do that!

Hyunwoo twisted it with a long nose plier and pulled it out, saying,

If it’s tightly screwed down, you can’t pull it out even if you put a rubber band. In this case, you have to use the screwdriver reserved for this type of thing.


Ah, you used to work a lot in the field, didn’t you? Now I understand why you’re so nimble when doing it.

Now, they just called Hyunwoo when they had a problem.

Mr. Jang, which direction should I pull it out?


Damn it. The wheel was pulled out. How can I put it back? Call for Mr. Jang.

Because of their constant requests, Hyunwoo couldn’t take any time for a break. Even before he solved one problem, someone had already arranged for him to solve another problem in advance.

Can you stop that and come here to help me?


I’m ahead of you, man.


Then, after you…

Though Hyunwoo was becoming busier, other volunteers were not. If they ran into any problems, they just waited for him to come over to fix it. They didn’t initiate to find out any other work to do. In fact, they were there half-heartedly because they knew at least one member of their team should be assigned for this event, even though the management had said that it wasn’t mandatory.

What time is it?


Noon.


It’s only noon? Phew… when can we finish this?

Most of them just wished that the day would pass by quickly.
In the meantime, there was some friction between the orphanage staff and them. The disciplined staff of the orphanage didn’t allow them to idle away gossiping.

There are a lot of work to do. What are you doing here? If you can, please help us. There is so much laundry stuff,
said one staffer.

Do you want to do laundry?


You’re here to volunteer, right? Then, just help us with laundry.

The staff was tough. He assigned them to various work as if the boss was ordering his men. They followed his orders reluctantly but with blatant complaints.

Why is he so strict to us?


You bet. He had better treat us well since we’re volunteering with a good heart like this.


Isn’t he paranoid?

But Hyunwoo had a different take. He could understand the feelings of the orphanage staff more than enough. In fact, this was only a stop-over place for volunteers, but this was their own house. Who would love the idea of some stranger visiting one’s own house? And some of the volunteers just make a simple visit to show-off, not for genuine ‘volunteering.’ They pretended to volunteer by doling out some stuff and then taking fake pictures with the orphans before returning.
While going through such experiences, sometimes the orphanage staff had an unfavorable perception of the volunteers.
Oh was one such type. He slipped out of the place before they knew it and was chatting with Park Minhye.

Why are you so mean to me?
demanded Oh.

What did I do?
said Minhye.

You don’t take time out for me and try to avoid me when I ask to meet you. Are you upset about me over something?


Nothing like that. I’m just busy. As you know, we’re trying to expand our market in Japan.


Is that the only reason?


What are you talking about? Do you wish I had some other reason?

The more they talked, the sharper Minhye’s tone was becoming. Though Oh had come here to reconcile with her, it seemed his feelings toward her had become even worse.
Oh dusted his hands as if he wanted to stop arguing with her.

No, that’s enough.


By the way, what are you doing here? Don’t you see that the other volunteers are busy?

Oh turned his eyes to the side Minhye was pointing.
The volunteers were hanging a large blanket on the clothesline.
Oh opened his eyes wide, asking,

Do you want me to do that kind of work?


Then, why did you come here? For play?


Because of you. I didn’t want to send you alone here. How could I do that work? I don’t even do that at home.

Minhye stared at him sharply.
At the moment, both heard one volunteer talking to Hyunwoo.

Assistant manager Jang, didn’t you finish that yet? Please come this way.


Yes, I’m almost done. I’ll be there in a minute.


Mr. Jang. This is urgent. Come here first.

Minhye pointed her finger to the place their voices were heard.

Do you think they’re living like that at home everyday? They’re offering a service because they’re here. Don’t you feel any responsibility like them?


I do feel it, of course.


Then, don’t stand still like that and move. Just go and help them like Mr. Jang.

Minhye sharply turned back and then walked away as if she was upset.
Oh scratched his head, talking to himself,
‘Damn it. Why should I do that?’
But he could not stay idle. He had to do something to prove to Minhye that he was involved.
‘Okay, let me pretend to help them.’
Oh visited Hyunwoo. Nobody was seen around. Only Hyunwoo was busy, holding a hammer.

Can I help you?

Hyunwoo thought he had come at the right time. Actually, he was about to pull out a large wood table, and he wanted someone else’s help because he couldn’t move it alone.

Oh, you came at the right time. Let’s hold it together. We need to move it outside.

Suddenly, Hyunwoo felt a bit worried. ‘Hummm… this is rather heavy.’
But Oh was already holding the other end of the table. It was too late for Hyunwoo to say,
Hey, this is so heavy. Let me ask for someone else’s help.

Hyunwoo lifted the table suddenly, holding the opposite end of the table, and then Oh also lifted it on his end.
At that moment, Oh’s face became distorted. Though he lifted the other end of the table, he felt that he couldn’t hold it long enough. Only then did Hyunwoo ask him to step aside.

I’m afraid you can’t do this. Just put it down if you feel it’s too heavy. Let me ask for someone else.

Oh’s face was all the more distorted because he saw Minhye looking at him. Now, this was a matter of pride.

No problem. Let’s move it.

His voice trembled a lot because he was flexing his arm with all his strength.
Hyunwoo got worried all the more.
‘He has to move it to a place far away from here.’