Not knowing what to do exactly, and feeling too embarrassed to ask someone for help, Su-Jin bravely faced the printer as if it was a terrible enemy.
In the spur of the moment, she decided to open all the side doors of the troublesome printer, hoping she would be able to find the paper that was causing the problem, and pull it out.
Sure enough, the corner of a sheet was visible right at the back of the copier.
Rolling up her sleeves, Su-Jin went elbow-deep inside the machine, struggling to pull out the piece of paper.
That is how Ji-Won found her, ten minutes later. The paper was still stuck, and she had ink all over her hands. Not even her face had escaped the battle. Su-Jin sported a blotted nose and a smudged left cheek. It appeared that the outcome was one point for technology, zero for Su-Jin.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Ji-Won suddenly roared, making everyone around the office turn their heads in shock.
"I... I'm... A paper got stuck and I was trying to..." Su-Jin stuttered.
The moment she looked up, her words instantly. At the sight of Ji-Won's rising anger, she couldn't bring herself to utter a single word.
He really looked quite scary. His black eyes were flashing with blazing fury, and his face looked livid. Even his dark hair seemed to emit electricity.
His voice, however, seethed with sarcasm.
"And you decided to take matters into your own hands? Quite literally I see." he mocked. "Why didn't you call the maintenance team?"
"I thought it would be quicker this way."
"What if you had done something to it or..."
Ji-Won stopped speaking for a moment, looking her over carefully. His face slowly scrunched up in disgust.
"Just look at you… So dirty. It's like you had taken a dive in the mud. Go wash yourself this instant!"
Then, he swiftly turned towards Jung Seok.
"Call the maintenance team and tell them there's an issue with a printer here." Ji-Won barked, making the poor man flinch.
"Yes, Director Kang." Jung Seok replied in a small voice.
After giving that order, and making sure it was obeyed, Ji-Won once again turned his attention towards Su-Jin. His voice had retained the same degree of anger from before.
"Honestly, I have never seen anyone like you before in my life."
"Then you must have met some pretty lazy people until now." Su-Jin blurted out before she could stop herself.
"What?!" Ji-Won snapped, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Nothing. I will go and wash myself. If you'll excuse me, Director Kang." Su-Jin bowed her head.
By the time Ji-Won snapped out of his daze, Su-Jin had already turned on her heels. She was now hurrying to get as far away from him as possible.
Ji-Won stood rooted to the spot, staring after her in bafflement. As soon as she was out of his sight, his feelings turned complicated. He slowly raised a hand, pinching the spot between his eyebrows.
'This person is getting too cheeky for my taste.' He thought resentfully, while exhaling deeply.
Meanwhile, Su-Jin kept walking hastily. She didn't stop until she had finally reached the bathroom. Once there, she tried to clean her hands and face with water and soap, but the ink proved to be quite difficult to remove.
To add to her misfortune, Su-Jin was soon discovered by Miss Jung. The woman inquired about what happened, and Su-Jin told her everything.
A couple of minutes later, Miss Jung's crystalline laughter exploded in the bathroom, making Su-Jin blush from embarrassment.
"Don't worry, dear." the woman said, still chuckling. "That printer has been having issues for a while now. Director Kang wanted to have it changed sooner, but the Acquisition Department told him to wait. They sent the maintenance team to take a look at it, but it appears they did a poor job repairing it. Perhaps this is why he was so upset. Don't take it personally." Miss Jung finished, while shaking her head.
In hopes it will make the young intern feel better, Miss Jung advised Su-Jin to take a trip to the twentieth floor.
The rooftop of the Kangiji Tourism building was meant to be a recreational place for employees. Anyone could go up there in order to take a breath of fresh air during work hours. It also offered a great view over the neighborhood.
"It's definitely something you need right now." Miss Jung said with a knowing look. "Go there and relax for a few minutes. You'll feel refreshed. Also," she added in a low whisper. "If there is no one around, try yelling at the top of your lungs. It does miracles."
Miss Jung shot the baffled Su-Jin a playful wink, then left the bathroom.
Taking Miss Jung's advice, Su-Jin took the elevator, stopping at the twentieth floor. As she slowly walked towards the door that led to the rooftop, Su-Jin began to feel nervous all of a sudden. She stood in front of the door for several seconds. After taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
The sight that met her eyes was something she had not expected.
There were small trees scattered all across the rooftop. A small labyrinth of paved alleyways winded between the trees, so people could walk without ruining the grass. At least fifteen wooden benches were spread here and there, offering the employees a place to sit and relax.
Su-Jin walked towards the edge of the building, all the while gaping around her with her mouth slightly open. The railing reached her waist, and she could see the city spreading in front of her eyes. Without a doubt, the view was truly magnificent.
She inhaled deeply, basking under the summer sun, slowly breathing in the scented and refreshing air.
Su-Jin stood there for a while, admiring the beautiful way in which the sun rays reflected onto the buildings surrounding the neighborhood. Whenever the light touched the glassy surfaces of the windows, golden glitters exploded, causing Su-Jin to squint her eyes.
"This is so beautiful." She whispered.
Su-Jin began smiling despite herself, forgetting for a moment all about stress or worries.
Walking around more, she soon discovered a small group of trees, with a bench placed right in front of them. The place was situated close to the railings, at a short walking distance from where she stood.
There weren't many people on the rooftop at that time, which made Su-Jin sigh in relief. She really wanted to be alone for a while.
Looking down at her phone, Su-Jin realized there was still half an hour left until the meeting began. It was more than enough time for her to enjoy the scenery a little longer.
As she headed for the trees, Su-Jin couldn't help but think about Miss Jung's advice. Even though she wouldn't shout, she could still grumble out loud to her heart's content.
"Stupid jerk!" Su-Jin huffed loudly, throwing herself onto the bench. "He really is an insufferable, rude and obnoxious human being, with eyes like a demon. I have never seen anyone glare so much in my entire life!"
Su-Jin stopped abruptly, taking a short break from her noisy rant in order to suck in a breath of air. Afterwards, she continued to voice her complaints even louder than before.
"Gosh, he makes me want to gouge his pitch-black eyes out and put them in a jar!"
"Well that's a bit extreme." A deep voice suddenly came from behind her, making Su-Jin jump in fright.