Chapter 4 - Mr Kim
Tae-hyun last saw Mr Kim a long time after he dropped him off at his apartment.
When the ceremony was almost over, and the students threw their hats in the air, they were happy. Parents who have come to the hostel to adopt their children come up to Tae-hyun as he leaves the graduation ceremony. They congratulate Tae-hyun on his success and admire that he is the only student in Korea with the highest grades.
The old man said, "I don't believe it." "I'm sorry I didn't see your talent and brilliance because you look different from everyone else."
Tae-hyun smiles, but he is a little annoyed on the inside. He remembers how hard it was growing up, feeling like an outcast and being rejected by others because of her appearance.
"It's okay," said Tae Hyun.
The older man nodded and looked at Tae-hyun with newfound respect and admiration.
"You really are an amazing young man," said another old man. "I think you'll keep doing great things in the future."
Mr Kim, the assistant driver, walks up to Tae-hyun. He has come to pick him up and take him home.
One of the parents there asked if the news that Tae-hyun would be sent to the U.S. to continue his studies as a successor was trustworthy. Before Tae-hyun could answer, his assistant took over the conversation.
"Yes, that's right," the assistant said, trying to settle things down.
The kids there were both surprised and impressed by Tae-hyun. "Wow, that's really cool. It makes sense that someone with your skills would choose you for this chance."
Tae-hyun gives an awkward smile because he doesn't know what to say. He felt he was being left out and was uncomfortable with the situation. The assistant quickly moves Tae-hyun away from the parents who have gathered because he thinks that their questions might make people suspicious. People saw Tae-hyun as a respectable young master and treated him that way. They get into the car, and Tae-hyun listens closely as the assistant and driver give him instructions. They told him that from that day on, he would have no more contact with them but that the money he would get for his work would align with what he did in the future.
When they arrive at the apartment, the assistant and driver leave Tae-hyun at the door and give him a paper box. Tae-hyun is surprised that it's a gift from Mr Kim to celebrate his graduation.
Even though he was poorly treated, Tae-hyun couldn't help but be thankful. He didn't think he'd get anything in return, so Mr Kim's kindness moved him.
When Tae-hyun opens the box, he finds it is not a gift. Instead, it was full of papers and instructions that explained his new job and duties. Tae-hyun feels disappointed, but he knows he will be treated like one.
A few days later, Tae-hyun looks great in a black suit. He bought the case because Mr Kim didn't give him any formal clothes for his new job at a well-known company.
Tae-hyun is determined to make an excellent first impression on his first day on the job. He had taken the initiative to buy a good suit, which showed his dedication and ambition. Tae-hyun goes to the address that Mr Kim gave him in the box's contents and gets on the bus right away. As he sat down, the bus driver greeted him with a smile.
"How are you? You seem happy and full of life, "said the bus driver.
Tae-hyun smiled, and the friendly greeting made him feel better. "How are you? I'm looking forward to my first day on the job "He answered.
The bus driver nodded to show that he got it. "I can still remember my first day at work. It was always both exciting and nerve-wracking. But I know you'll do fine."
Tae-hyun smiles as if he is getting advice and support for himself. Tae-hyun stops at the designated place and leaves at one of the closest bus stops. Since his destination is close enough, he decides to walk there.
As Tae-hyun walked, he saw that the area wasn't what he had thought it would be. Instead of an impressive office building, he found himself in front of a factory.
He thought there might have been a mistake, but he decided to go inside and check. When Tae-hyun walks into the factory, he sees many busy people. The head of the factory goes up to Tae-hyun and asks if he is the person Mr Kim sent to work. Taehyun nodded slowly. The factory director looked him over from head to toe and was impressed with how clean he was.
"You look too clean for this kind of work," said the head of the factory in a slightly annoyed tone. "Can you really do the job, or are you just going to sit there and listen?"
This makes Tae-hyun feel a little bit of shame and anger.
"I can do the job," Tae-hyun answered, trying to keep his voice steady. "Tell me exactly what needs to be done."
The head of the factory doesn't believe Tae-hyun, but he gives him a list of things to do. Tae-hyun gets to work, determined to show his capability and prove himself to the head of the factory and his colleagues.
Tae-hyun is shocked when he is forced to remove his neat clothes and put them in a locker. The truth of the situation makes Tae-hyun feel like he was tricked. He wants to work in a corporate office, not a factory.
Tae-hyun thinks about leaving and looks for another job. But he soon realized that he had spent all his money on the suit and didn't have enough money to get home.
Tae-hyun takes a deep breath and makes himself do his job, even though he feels trapped. Tae-hyun can't help but feel sad and let down. The factory was loud and overwhelming, with machines and workers' voices echoing. Tae-hyun is in charge of moving heavy items, including broken and rusty home appliances.
The damage will also hurt. He sometimes cried, and he was sweaty from all his work. His body felt tired and tense like it had been crushed under the weight of work.
As the day ended, Tae-hyun breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the long and hard hours, he made it through. Just as he was about to sit down and take a break, the head of the factory called out to him.
As Tae-hyun walks toward the office, he worries about what will happen to him. The head of the factory hands him a fairly thick envelope.
"That's your pay," said the factory boss harshly. "You've got it."
Tae-hyun is happy when he opens the envelope and sees the money he worked hard for. He thanked the head of the factory and went back to his locker to get dressed for work.
As Tae-hyun walks home with the thick envelope, he wonders if he is getting paid on the first day of work as usual. He was afraid that this would make the other workers, who might have been there for a long time, unhappy.
Tae-hyun doesn't want to make trouble or make people mad, so he keeps his worries to himself. Tae-hyun adds up how much money he made that day.
Tae-hyun is happy with how things turned out. He doesn't care and tries to get along with it. As Tae-hyun continues to work at the factory, word starts to get around that the manager treats him better than the other workers. There were rumours that he got a more significant amount of money and that he got extra rights and benefits.
Tae-hyun has to decide what to do. He didn't want to start trouble or make his friends angry, but he didn't want to deny that the rumours were true.
One day, while Tae-hyun is working on the factory floor, one of his coworkers walks up to him.