"I meant excuse me, I need to speak to you" I responded curtly, then he looked up and smiled. But it wasn't the smile you receive from a friend or the one you get from awkward neighbours, it was a cold, uninterested smile. And suddenly I didn't feel bad about eating all that sushi. In fact, Mrs. Park might be making another stop at Nobu's, I never did get my bento box. "Actually forget it, I'll figure it out myself." I smiled back and turned to the door.
"I know you work hard. I'm not blind Ho Mizuki." Unfortunately, Park Daisuke, that's debatable.
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"I'm sorry," I turned around to face Park Daisuke, who was making his way up and around his desk.
"I said, I know you work hard." He sat on his desk then he crossed his arms. Finally, he saw all my hard work. I was putting in the most effort at the office. I pulled my weight and others I went above and beyond on projects. All on my own, by the way. Hearing him say this out loud, I wasn't sure how to feel. I didn't know if I should be grateful or annoyed.
"I'm glad you see..." I began speaking, but he cut me off.
"But you don't work smart." he shook his head softly. He waited for a rebuttal, but when I didn't give one, he continued. "How could I possibly give you the task of rendering the prototype designs?" He raised his eyebrows inquisitively, then pursed his lips and continued speaking. "A job that important required an actual team, and you haven't grasped the concept of teamwork."
Honestly, I was still catching up because after he said, 'but you don't work smart,' my brain kind of went on vacation.
"What exactly do you mean?" I said in my sweetest tone.
"Let me put it in a way you might understand. This particular assignment is due in less than a month. You would need to set up a small team. Name one person you would work with?" Park Daisuke smirked and unfolded his arms to check the time.
I could name one person I could list many people; I was a team player. I knew how to work on a team. When I was assigned a role, I did my task as much as I perfectly could. What more could there be to teamwork?
"Hyeon Ki," I responded.
"You know I have read each employee's feedback so, stop lying." He paused again to listen to my response, but I had nothing else to say. "No one? Well, I thought as much." He smirked.
"I don't see the point in this. What does answering your question have to do with teamwork? I do my job, what more would you have of me?" Did I need to be best friends with my coworkers? Look at who was preaching teamwork at me; Park Daisuke. The man only trusted himself and his stupid henchmen. This conversation was almost laughable.
"The fact that you don't see a point fails to surprise me. I gave Seol Soomin that assignment because I know that before the month ends, I'll have a finished product. Despite her immediate lack of talent, she makes up for it by...outsourcing. She knows how to lead a team." We both turned to look out his glass walls. Seol Soomin was seated by her desk, surrounded by a few other employees. Outsourcing, you mean pushing her work unto others. I rolled my eyes. "My point is, big assignments like prototype renders need teams, which need leaders, which you are not." He turned around and went back to sit at his desk.
"And Seol Soomin is?" I walked towards his desk, where he had already started working again. Like all it took to be a leader was being able to 'outsource.'
Park Daisuke dropped his pen and weaved his fingers together. He then stared up at me, not glaring like he usually does. He didn't even do his signature eye-roll. He just softly stared at me and said, "What good is having the best designs if no one will work with you? If you want important roles you need to be important." Then he waved me away.
I turned and walked towards the door. Red-cheeked.
"She isn't just a pretty face, you know? After all, she's even got you doing work for her." He grinned.
I swung his door open, and it took everything in me not to slam it and cause a scene. I rushed back to my cubicle, ready to leave this damn office and go home. I must not have paid attention to my surroundings because I bumped into a dark-haired man in a turtle neck. The documents he held in his hands littered the floor.
"I am so sorry. I was in a rush. Let me help you." I reached down to assist the man as he picked up his documents.
"It's fine." He shyly smiled.
"No, really. I'm sorry. Today has been such a mess, and I'm a little all over the place." We both got up, but he paused as if he wanted to say something back.
"I know this might sound weird. But I think it was unfair for Park Daisuke to give your assignment to Seol Soomin" He clutches his documents closer to himself.
"You do? Sorry I didn't introduce myself. I'm Ho Mizuki, by the way." He reached out his hand to shake mine.
"I'm Gil Taeyang. It's a pleasure to meet you." We shook hands.
"I was going to ask you doing lunch, but you weren't at the cafeteria," he pouted. Yeah, I was busily scuffing down sushi rolls like a whale.
"Yeah, I eat out for lunch, but what did you want to ask?"
"I was wondering if you needed help for the prototype testings." he beamed at me. Could it possibly be? Was this my first office friend?
"I already turned them in." He frowned at my response. "I do have some other tests that I haven't completed. I wouldn't mind getting help on those." He smiled.
"Sure, I'm going to file this. We can talk more tomorrow." He didn't wait for my response before he walked off. Don't you feel dumb now, Park Daisuke? I do have people who want to work with me.
I turned around with a smile spread across my face, then I stuck out my tongue in jest. But my babyfaced devil manager was staring right back. Crap!