65. It Was a Complete Disaster (2)
Kim Junho and Lee Yunjung left the conference room, their determination firm.
Choi Hyena opened her eyes, full of curiosity.
"Why did you accept it? No matter how hard those two try, I feel like their result will only be diocre. I'm not underestimating their abilities, but isn't it just the limitation of the item?"
I nodded.
"I'm not expecting much either. But when they have so much motivation, I think a leader's job is to accept that. Also, I want to see what they can accomplish through collaboration. That's how it is."
Choi Hyena fanned the letter she was holding.
"Honestly, the story I picked is way better."
"That's right. Let's save that story for if Junho-nim and Yunjung-nim fail."
"Okay, understood."
"Hyena-nim, there's sothing you need to tell Junho-nim and Yunjung-nim."
Choi Hyena turned to leave the eting room, then looked back.
"Are you planning to give the two a present or sothing?"
"It's not a gift, just a little advice."
"That still sounds like a gift to ."
"It's that it won't have enough impact if Kyungjun just says he 'wants to change.' You need to weave a story that organically links what kind of future he wants with who Kyungjun is as a person."
She nodded.
"True, that point was lacking. But why won't you deliver it yourself, division director?"
"Hyena-nim, please don't deliver it right away either. Wait until the two seem stuck, unable to move forward. At that point, you can casually ntion it."
"Is there a reason?"
"I want them to use everything they have and arrive at an original answer. If I set the direction from the beginning, they won't be able to help but be conscious of it."
"Hm! I'm curious what result will co out."
She stood there for a mont, tilting her head. I looked at her, wondering why she was acting like that.
Suddenly, she clapped her hands with a loud smack.
"The division director is a warm person who desires the growth of their people. Truly soone destined to be the Murim Alliance Leader. But to enemies, you're rciless as a heavenly demon."
As expected, she's deeply into martial arts novels these days.
But rciless with my hands... when did I ever...?
Was she stopping to analyze my actions, or just to think up that joke?
***
Kim Junho and Lee Yunjung t not in the Reform Division eting room, but in the cafeteria.
There was no grand reason. They just wanted to show their resolve to work independently on the project.
The two engaged in heated discussion, but didn't find any breakthrough.
Lee Yunjung, chewing on her pen, glanced around before making a face.
"Everyone's heading ho now. What are we even doing here?"
Kim Junho clenched his fist.
"We can't be saying weak things. Didn't we agree to work overti if needed?"
"That's right. Let's do this with our own strength."
"In any case, the division director values intent and a special point. We have to figure out how to create that."
"And it needs to tie into the values Next Planet aspires to, as well. Hm... this is really hard."
"The division director has always handled these difficult things so swiftly. Like a Sword Sovereign."
"Sword Sovereign? What does that an?"
"It ans 'supre master of the sword'—a nickna given to one of the top experts in martial arts novels."
Lee Yunjung tilted her head, completely unfamiliar with these genres.
Suddenly, she ran off and ca back with her signature strawberry juice in both hands.
"Let's drink this and cheer up. Junho oppa, please call my strawberry juice Bear Sovereign too."
"It's not Bear(곰) Sovereign, it's Sword(검) Sovereign. And that title's for people, not juice. You give off the vibe of an only daughter from the Namgung family."
"Oh! Namgung family. I don't know what that is, but it sounds cool."
"And by the way, your strawberry juice is unusually good. If Kyungjun was special like you, that would be nice too."
Suddenly, Lee Yunjung's face darkened.
"I thought student Kyungjun was special, but when you categorize him, he's just an introverted kid without friends. There must be hundreds like him nationwide."
"I empathized over him not having friends. Looking back at my old self, I guess I wasn't special either."
"Kyungjun is a boy, but he watches won's ani. Should we lean on that as his defining trait? Ah! I know that's completely wrong, so why am I even saying it?"
Lee Yunjung grabbed her head in frustration, and the two of them sighed deeply at the sa ti.
At that mont, Choi Hyena appeared and sat down next to Lee Yunjung.
"Might be good to try thinking in reverse."
"Hyena-nim, what do you an by that?"
"Don't look for sothing special to guide him. Instead, decide first what kind of change you want for that kid. Then look for the 'special' within that process."
Kim Junho's expression turned serious, and Lee Yunjung tilted her head.
"Unni, do you an we should force a conclusion?"
"Of course not. Do that, and the division director will really scold you."
"I still don't get it."
"What makes soone special doesn't only co from their past. It can co from the future they envision too. In other words, there's more than one way."
Lee Yunjung began jotting down notes enthusiastically.
Then Choi Hyena pointed at her and Kim Junho.
"What you two need right now may be to find a different approach. And what makes that possible?"
"Unni, that was cool. You sounded just like the division director."
Choi Hyena angled her head 45 degrees, nose high.
"Execution. Whether it's inspiration or luck, it doesn't co to soone who just sits around waiting. When the division director convinced your parents, what did he do?"
"Oh! He flew to Japan the very next day."
"Exactly."
Choi Hyena looked over at Lee Hyunmin, half-hidden around the corner. A signal that the mission was complete.
Lee Hyunmin gave a thumbs-up.
'He seems like he wants to toughen up the staff, but he actually has a soft heart.'
Kim Junho thumped the table with both hands and stood up.
"Yunjung-nim, let's go to the division director right now. Let's ask for permission to take tomorrow afternoon off so we can et student Kyungjun."
"Yes, let's go!"
The two jumped up and ran off determinedly.
Choi Hyena saw that Lee Hyunmin's startled reaction had been caught. He hadn't realized they'd head straight for him.
Lee Hyunmin raced to the office faster than anyone.
'He'll be sitting there like nothing happened, but honestly, he's kind of cute.'
***
Kim Junho and Lee Yunjung visited the middle school Kim Kyungjun attended. With the school's cooperation, they got to interview him.
"Uh... hello."
Just like described in the letter, Kim Kyungjun was quite small for a third-year middle schooler.
His fra was even a bit feminine.
For a mont, Lee Yunjung was disappointed.
'I was hoping for a sickly beautiful boy with baby-like charm.'
There was nothing to be done. Appearance is the most intuitive content, after all.
He wasn't ugly. Just looked even younger than he was, his face a little above average.
Lee Yunjung shook her head.
'Get it together. I'm not here to turn a kid's looks into content.'
Kim Junho calmly started the interview.
Twenty minutes later, they fell into complete despair.
'I'm in the Marketing & PR Team, and I still can't find anything. This student just doesn't shine in any way. No intense points, nothing to make a "kick;" it's like bland soybean paste stew without even mixing the paste in properly. Is this a total failure?'
Kim Kyungjun bowed his head. He could read what the two were thinking from their expressions.
He spoke, tears welling in his eyes.
"I'm sorry you ca all this way because of . I knew it wouldn't work. Who am I to go and try a challenge like this? It'd be weird for to get that kind of luck anyway."
He stood up and bowed at a 90-degree angle.
"Still, I really appreciate your concern. I'll go now."
"Student Kyungjun, wa... wait a mont."
Kim Junho tried to stop him.
But Kim Kyungjun quickly ran out of the cafe. Only the traces of his tears remained on the table.
Lee Yunjung grabbed her head with both hands.
"Uaaah! Oppa, it's a complete disaster, isn't it? I feel so sorry for student Kyungjun."
"I guess we couldn't keep our expressions in check."
"I'm sorry, Kyungjun. Your unni is just incompetent. What do we do now? The division director gave us three days, right? Does that an until tomorrow, or the day after?"
"Hold on."
Kim Junho imdiately checked the deadline with Lee Hyunmin.
"Until... tomorrow, it seems."
"Ah! The division director's so harsh. The first day shouldn't count, it was already evening."
"Even preparing materials for the division director tomorrow is going to take a while."
At that mont, Lee Hyunmin called Kim Junho.
He answered on speaker.
[Please listen to people around him as well. I asked student Kyungjun's horoom teacher to find classmates willing for an interview. All students who help will get a gift card, so don't worry about wasting their ti.]
"Thank you for your help."
Lee Yunjung made a bowing motion.
"Division director, I'm really bowing to you right now! If you don't believe , switch to video call and check for yourself."
[That's not necessary... Anyway, if you don't produce a result by tomorrow, we'll cancel the challenge for Kim Kyungjun.]
"Oh... you really like keeping us on edge."
When Lee Hyunmin hung up,
Kim Junho looked awkward.
"Looks like we'll have to co for more interviews again tomorrow."
"Luckily, I'm free tomorrow, so I can go with you. I won't let you be alone, oppa. Don't worry."
"That's a relief... though, I'm starting to worry if my work can handle this."
"Ah...."
"We'll have to do whatever we can. I'm confident about pulling an all-nighter."
"Is there anything I can help with? I don't know much about Marketing & PR Team work, but if there's anything, I'd like to help, even just a bit."
After thinking for a mont and scratching his cheek, Kim Junho replied.
"I'd never ask a team mber like you for this under normal circumstances, but I'll ask this ti."
"Of course! We're one team right now."
"Could you help with research and organizing the materials?"
"Sure! Let's go back to the office."
They finished work at 4 a.m.
And t again at the office at 9 a.m.
Lee Yunjung waved as she spoke.
"Oppa, we sure see each other a lot."
"We'll be together all day today too. There are more than 20 interviewees."
"That many? That's unexpected—I thought about five! Why are students so generous these days? Things must be different from when I was in school."
Choi Hyena walked up to the pair.
"We're giving out thirty-thousand-won gift cards just for the interview. Of course it's popular. It's not from the departnt's budget—division director paid out of his own pocket."
The two looked at each other and clasped hands.
"Yunjung-nim, let's succeed no matter what."
"Yeah, I don't know when we'll get to sleep today, but let's go."
Choi Hyena handed them a card.
"Take this. The division director said Junho-nim is too tired to drive safely, so take a taxi."
"From here to Daejeon? Wait, is this a corporate card?"
"It's his personal card."
"Oh..."
The two were moved.
Lee Hyunmin, watching from behind the wall, got caught by Choi Hyena.
Fuelled by determination, the two energetically began conducting interviews.
By the ti they finished 15 of them,
Lee Yunjung spoke, close to tears.
"Oppa, now it's really a complete disaster, isn't it?"
"I think... so."
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