Jiang stared at Ma Ri, confusion evident on his face clearly.
"Why did you send the resignation letter so soon? I had a project on my hand I needed to finish before handing in my resignation! Do you know, they're short of people right now? If I don't complete it by the end of this month, it will be delayed forever!" Ma Ri's voice grew louder, clearly frustrated that Jiang had acted without informing her.
"Whoa! Relax! Wasn't it your idea? To transfer here? I was just helping you! And if you care that much about that damn company, then feel free to go and work there! I don't want any eyesore in my company anyway." Jiang's tone was harsh, feeling justified in his actions. Her constant praise of VersaCraft only irritated him further.
"That's not what I meant! Why're you getting mad? I just said, it's too early and you didn't even get me access to the company system. So…how am I supposed to work here without an employee ID?" Ma Ri, shocked by Jiang's reaction, felt her annoyance growing. What a jerk! Was it wrong of me to try helping him? Nevermind! Judging his situation, I'd just help him eventually anyway. She thought in her mind.
"Oh, right. That slipped my mind. You've worked here before, haven't you?" Jiang looked at her and noticed her annoyed expression.
"Uhm." Ma Ri replied with a poker face, her rage subsided a little.
"Then make do with your old ID for now. I'll order a new one for you," Jiang said, turning back to his screen.
"But…" before Ma Ri could say anything, Jiang started again,
"Or you could just take a vacation for the time being if VersaCraft already kicked you out," he added, scoffing at her.
"What?" Ma Ri clenched her fists, fighting the urge to punch him. But for her dad's sake, she took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
"I'll use my previous ID for the time being. At least, until my new card is ready." She gritted her teeth to suppress her anger.
"One more thing! I don't want to work in the sales department again. This was the main reason behind my visit here today." Ma Ri remained standing in front of Jiang's desk. As he found her disturbing in the first place, he didn't even offer her a seat.
"Why are you being so picky? Work is work. Just do your job properly, whatever the position is," Jiang said, glancing at her before returning to his papers.
"That is what I'm trying to say! Work is work! And I can do any job assigned to me. It's just…I have my reason for not wanting to work in the sales department." Her voice grew low while she was implying her thoughts.
"Fine. Then, which department do you want to work in? Too much greediness won't be granted. You know what I'm saying, right?" Jiang put the papers on his desk aside and looked at her, crossing his fingers as if he was doing some interrogation.
"No, no! I won't be greedy, hehe" Ma Ri said while smiling cutely, causing Jiang to avert his gaze.
"I wanna work in HRM!" She bounced closer to the desk, her excitement palpable. Watching her, Jiang was reminded of his mother's similar antics. He had a bad feeling about what might come next.
"Huh? Are you even qualified for that? Didn't you always work in sales?" Jiang was flabbergasted as he couldn't even guess she was gonna choose the HR department.
"I can do it! I told you, I can handle anything. It might take me a few days to get the hang of things, but I'm confident!" Ma Ri assured him, hoping to gain his trust.
"Fine! But I'll be watching your every move. If I see even the slightest bit of negligence, you'll be kicked out right that instant. Got it?" Jiang remained skeptical, his tone was harsh.
"Assaa!" Ma Ri threw her hand in the air, as if she'd just won the lottery. Jiang turned back to his computer, trying to stifle a laugh at how cute she looked.
"Um-hm! So, can I start tomorrow?" she asked, standing up straight, realizing she'd been acting giddy in front of the man who had just annoyed her.
"Do as you wish. If you have nothing else to say, I'll show you out." Jiang made himself clear that he wanted her to leave as soon as possible.
"Oh, right! Would you be home this weekend? Please! Pleeeease! Pleeeeeease, say you won't!" She pressed her hands together, pleading dramatically.
"Yes, I will!" Jiang said, deliberately telling the truth just to see her reaction, keeping a poker face despite the urge to laugh.
"Whyyy? I could've escaped if you were busy!" She pouted, slumping her shoulders. This time Jiang couldn't hold himself back, but laughed as her reaction seemed too funny for him.
"Omo! You can actually smile? I never knew!" Ma Ri exclaimed, pretending to be shocked as if it was the rarest thing in the world.
At that moment, he heard a familiar knock. As he assumed who it might be, he stopped laughing and sat still.
"Come in!" he called out, focusing on his computer as though too focused on his work.
"Good morning, sir!" Ryu Gil entered, bowing politely as he gauged Jiang's mood.
"Morning. Did you check these papers before putting them on my desk?" Jiang asked, returning to his professional demeanor.
"Yes, sir. Why?" Ryu Gil asked with a worried face.
"I need the head of management to make some changes. I've already noted them. Take these files and get them to him. Tell him to submit them before the weekend." Jiang handed over the documents.
"Yes, sir!" Ryu Gil replied, taking the files. He glanced at Ma Ri, puzzled by her appearance. Since he was new, he didn't recognize her. He wondered if Jiang had a meeting scheduled that he wasn't aware of.
"Anything else?" Jiang asked Ma Ri, noticing she was still standing there.
"No," She smiled, but there was something strange hidden behind her smile which Jiang couldn't catch.
"Then why are you still here? You can leave," Jiang acted as if he wanted to chase her away as fast as possible.
"Oho! I get it! I get it! You guys can have some quality time ahead. I won't butt in." She giggled weirdly which caught Jiang off guard. He considered guessing what she meant, but didn't bother thinking as he had too much on his plate.
"Oh, right! Contact the head of the HR department. Tell him to meet me." He looked at Ryu Gil, who was standing a little far from Jiang's desk.
"Okay, Sir!" Ryu Gil replied and noticed Ma Ri was trying her best to resist her giggle. He had mixed feelings about the lady. Who was she? Why was she there and how come he had no idea about it? Moreover, she was laughing in front of Jiang, the most uptight person in this world. Ryu Gil was confused though he couldn't just ask about her identity.
"Then, I'll take my leave, Mr. Seok!" Ma Ri said, covering her mouth to hide her grin. As she left, she glanced back. Jiang was giving more instructions to Ryu Gil, but their eyes met. Ma Ri grinned widely, giving him a thumbs-up and an "OK" sign as if he'd just won a prize. Jiang stared at her, utterly confused, before shrugging and turning back to his work.
Meanwhile, Ma Ri came outside and couldn't stop but giggled while stomping on her heels with excitement. All of her frustration washed away with the scenery going in her head. She tried to peek in, but couldn't see anything.
"So, they're real!" she whispered triumphantly. Then she composed herself, acting serious again.
"I'll help them! I have to! They're really cute! I can't let those two hearts break!" Ma Ri determined that she was gonna help them no matter what it takes. She giggled again and ran away from there.