Psst! We're moving!
A Certain Revenge
As Kang-joo had said, the incident with Min-cheol did not cause any significant problems.
She had worried. What if Kang-joo ended up being sued? What if headlines like “Chaebol Third Generation’s Violent Private Life!” flooded the media, with his face plastered all over the news?
Jae-hee scrolled through articles, clicking through with her mouse. She typed in search terms to check competing companies’ coverage, then searched for articles on Seongang Beverages, her heart pounding slightly. Soon, a small smile tugged at her lips.
The promotional campaign carried out by the task force was a success. The synergy created through the collaboration with the tennis queen, along with smaller viral events aimed at spreading awareness, was hitting its mark. The campaign was achieving its goal of transforming Seongang’s outdated image into a more stylish one.
Jae-hee finished gathering the articles and stretched. From behind her, Kim Manager’s gruff voice rang out.
“Hey, Yoon Jae-hee.”
When she turned around, she saw the manager’s furrowed brow. Ever since Team Leader Jung’s demotion, his face had been stuck in that sour expression. Without someone to lean on, it must be weighing heavily on him.
Kim Manager tossed a CSR event proposal onto her desk.
“Hey, sort out the target demographics for this and send it up right away.”
“It’s not ‘hey,’ it’s Assistant Manager Yoon, if you please.”
Jae-hee replied curtly as she began reviewing the file. The CSR proposal, aimed at supporting underprivileged youth, was something she was already familiar with. Sorting out the target demographics would only take a few days.
“First, I’ll need to make some calls to gather the participant pool…”
She murmured to herself as she prioritized her tasks, but Kim Manager, still standing nearby, kicked the leg of her chair.
“Hey, what’s with that tone of yours?”
“...”
Here we go again. Jae-hee placed the file slowly back on the desk. When she looked up, Kim Manager’s face was red with anger, glaring down at her.
“You can’t even watch your tone? ‘Call me Assistant Manager Yoon’? Are you giving me orders now, you punk?”
Despite his senseless shouting, Jae-hee’s expression didn’t so much as twitch. She responded in an even voice.
“Then why does the manager call me ‘hey’? Shouldn’t you address me as Assistant Manager Yoon, too?”
“...”
The veins on his neck began to bulge. Unable to contain his anger, they pulsed visibly as his face turned increasingly red. Placing his hands on his hips, he looked up at the ceiling, as if trying to compose himself, before lowering his gaze again, grinding his teeth.
“So now you think I’m a joke, huh?”
At his words, Jae-hee let out a faint laugh.
“Yes.”
“…What?”
Kim Manager asked sharply, as if he hadn’t quite understood her response, his face momentarily frozen in surprise.
Jae-hee’s smile deepened.
“Yes, Manager, I think you’re a joke.”
It was her first direct counterattack.
Up until now, she had endured countless humiliations and dirty tricks. For Hyojeong’s sake. For money. Because of her subordinate position in the workplace. But she had reached her limit. She could tolerate being belittled and insulted, but she could no longer endure him stealing her ideas and shamelessly taking credit for them.
“Hey, Yoon Jae-hee!”
“It’s Assistant Manager Yoon.”
“……”
Kim Manager’s lips quivered. He was so incensed that he couldn’t even find the words to say. This only made him angrier. Jae-hee glanced up at him coolly.
“If you have something to say, let’s discuss it somewhere else. Yelling here will be a problem.”
“……”
Kim Manager turned sharply and stormed off. Through gritted teeth, he muttered something akin to, “We’ll settle this later,” like a villain from a cheap drama. Jae-hee watched his retreating back, let out a sigh, and placed her hands back on the keyboard.
Enduring it made her furious, but fighting back left her feeling uneasy. Such a prickly supervisor he was.
________________________________________
“So, I heard something happened?”
Kang-joo’s mother, Yoo Yeonghyeon, asked with a serious expression. Kang-joo replied nonchalantly.
“Yes.”
“How did it happen?”
“Well, it just happened.”
It wasn’t much of a conversation. Kang-joo’s replies were brief, implying the incident wasn’t worth elaborating on.
Yeonghyeon sighed inwardly. This reminded her of something similar from a few years ago. That violent incident that had eventually led him to leave for the United States. Why was her son like this? Kang-joo, whom she thought had grown up upright, why?
“And this time, it was because of Jae-hee, wasn’t it? That girl seems to get involved with you a lot. What happened this time? Was it just a coincidence?”
Yoon Jae-hee. The Jae-hee Yeonghyeon knew was a polite, cheerful young woman. She hadn’t interacted with her much, but her first impression had been positive. Still, Jae-hee was nothing more or less than the daughter of the housekeeper they’d hired.
“She’s my subordinate. She was part of the task force I led recently. That’s why we got involved.”
“Is that so? What an interesting coincidence. Were you with her until late that night?”
“No, it wasn’t a big deal. You don’t need to worry about it.”
“…I see.”
Yeonghyeon nodded quietly. With Kang-joo firmly drawing the line and telling her not to worry, what more could she say?
The child who once seemed so young and innocent had grown up without her noticing, now taking care of everything on his own. From time to time, he would gently but firmly push her away, as if to say not to interfere in his life.
Was it because she hadn’t been able to give him her full love when he was young? The guilt weighed on her, like a thorn stuck in her heart. He was, as the saying went, her “aching finger.”
Yeonghyeon sighed, stirring her cup with a teaspoon. She pondered deeply, wondering how she might find a way to squeeze herself back into her son’s life.
A lively buzz filled the modest bar. It was the dinner party for Strategic Marketing Team 2. Despite their team leader’s recent demotion, the atmosphere was more cheerful and harmonious than ever, with drinks flowing freely.
Clink! Im Assistant Manager and Jae-hee clinked their glasses and giggled.
“…So I went to catch that movie at the earliest morning show last weekend, and I was the only one there.”
“That movie got bad reviews, didn’t it? I heard a lot of theaters pulled it from their screens.”
“It felt like I rented out the whole theater for myself. You know those rich families? They apparently have rooms set up like actual movie theaters with giant screens. I felt like I was living the chaebol life.”
“Really?”
Jae-hee crunched on her fried food as she recalled the mansion of the chairman of Seongang Group. Back when she lived in the annex. She remembered helping her mother there occasionally. She didn’t think there was anything resembling a movie theater in that place.
This time, she pictured Kang-joo’s house. It seemed like an ordinary home. Well, apart from being exceptionally luxurious and uncomfortably spacious. The large living room with a lone bed in the corner was peculiar, though.
Her neck slowly grew warm. A bed. Thinking about Kang-joo’s bed inevitably brought back memories of that day. The image of the two of them tangled up together was still vividly clear.
Jae-hee fanned herself with her hand to cool down, shaking her head to banish the thought. She reached for her glass of iced water to quench her suddenly parched throat.
“Enjoying yourself? Having a great time?”
A sharp voice interrupted from beside her. Jae-hee set her glass down and turned toward the source of the provocation. It was Kim Manager, who had been glaring since earlier. Judging by the lineup of soju bottles on his table, he’d been drinking heavily by himself.
Kim Manager twisted his lips into a grotesque sneer as he fixed his hostile gaze on Jae-hee.
“Team Leader Jung ended up like that, and yet you’re all laughing it up? Damn it, what kind of team spirit is this?!”
Bang! The sound of a fist slamming on the table silenced the room instantly. The lively atmosphere froze as everyone hesitated, unsure how to react.
In truth, no one genuinely mourned Team Leader Jung’s absence. He had spent his time currying favor with higher-ups, dragging extra work from other departments onto his team, and shirking his responsibilities. His demotion was more of a relief. To be honest, they felt liberated.
“Especially you! Yoon Jae-hee! You, damn it, you should be the last person acting like this!”
Slurring his words, Kim Manager shouted.
‘I was wondering when he’d get to me.’
Jae-hee sighed and rose from her seat.
“Let’s take this outside, Manager Kim.”
“Oh, you think I’ll back down just because you said so? Sure! Let’s go! As you wish, oh-so-high-and-mighty Assistant Manager Yoon!”
Kim Manager stumbled to his feet, his chest heaving, and followed Jae-hee as she calmly walked out of the bar.
“Shouldn’t someone follow them?”
Worried murmurs spread among the remaining team members.
Outside, Jae-hee turned a corner into a narrow alley and leaned against the wall. She waited silently as Kim Manager staggered after her.
It was Kim Manager who spoke first.
“What the hell are you, huh?”
“What do you mean?”
“This whole damn mess is because of someone like you! Team Leader Jung told us everything! You went and tattled to the Executive Director, didn’t you? You’re the reason he got demoted! All your doing!”
He leaned in, his alcohol-laden breath hitting her face. Jae-hee grimaced and pulled back.
What he said wasn’t true. Team Leader Jung’s downfall was his own doing. He had stolen ideas, barked orders to cover up the truth, and exposed his ugly self to the Executive Director. It was all on him.
Jae-hee fiddled with the phone in her pocket before looking up at Kim Manager, whose hand pressed firmly on her shoulder.
“What’s your deal, huh? What makes you so confident all of a sudden? What are you relying on, exactly?”
“I’m not relying on anything. I just couldn’t tolerate your verbal abuse anymore.”
Her calm reply left Kim Manager grinding his teeth. He stared at her slightly flushed face, his eyes narrowing as a sly smile spread across his lips.
“Be honest. Did you sleep with the Executive Director?”
“…What did you just say?”
“That’s your only card, isn’t it? Your face. You’re not bad-looking, I’ll give you that. But no, no way the Executive Director would go for someone like you.”
Kim Manager didn’t actually believe there was anything going on between Jae-hee and Kang-joo. Nor did he think she’d seduced the Executive Director to oust Team Leader Jung. He was simply throwing out hurtful words, aiming to bruise her pride and humiliate her. Watching her confident composure crack would satisfy his own petty resentment.
Jae-hee’s brows furrowed.
This was blatant sexual harassment. Disgusting and vile. But what stung even more was his claim that her only asset was her looks.
Do you have any idea what I’ve endured to survive here? Sleepless nights working on ideas, running everywhere to make things happen, cleaning up the messes you made, and even having my own ideas stolen by you. And yet you dare stand there, acting so self-righteous?
Jae-hee clenched her teeth. A fire ignited inside her.
“Hey.”
Her low voice called out to him. Kim Manager blinked, not quite grasping what he had just heard.
“Did you just call me ‘hey’?”
“Yes, I did. Hey, you. I called you ‘hey.’ You call me names and throw insults, so why can’t I do the same?”
“…Ha! Unbelievable…”
Kim Manager let out a hollow laugh, rubbing his neck. Jae-hee’s expression grew even colder.
“How does it feel? Feels terrible, doesn’t it? That’s exactly how I feel. I’ve hated it all this time, and I hate it now.”
“Are you done talking?”
“No, I’m not. I have more to say. What makes you so confident to treat me like this, huh? Team Leader Jung is gone. What do you have left? What gives you the right to be so smug after stealing someone else’s ideas?”
“You! Damn it! You—”
Kim Manager’s trembling hand pointed shakily at her. He was too flustered to come up with a proper rebuttal, resorting to wild gestures instead. Jae-hee swatted his hand away as it came dangerously close.
“Stop it. Who do you think you are? So you’re a manager—big deal. That’s all you’ve got.”
“You—acting all high and mighty—how the hell have you survived this long?”
“I’ve survived by waiting for the day someone like you would end up on their own. That’s how. Why?”
“Ugh, damn it!”
In a fit of anger, Kim Manager stomped his foot. His violent outburst didn’t faze Jae-hee in the slightest. After all, she had faced worse threats before. Just days ago, she’d nearly been attacked by Min-cheol. What was this compared to that?
“If you’re done talking, I’ll leave now.”
She turned her back on him, clutching her trembling phone tightly in her pocket. Tomorrow, she would make sure Kim Manager got what he deserved.
9th Floor, Audit Team Office.
Jae-hee placed two items on the desk in front of the employee sitting across from her. One was a formal report documenting all the inappropriate actions Kim Manager had directed at her. The other was a USB drive containing the conversation they had yesterday.
With a blank expression, Jae-hee played one of the audio files.
“Hey, be honest. Did you spread your legs for the Executive Director?”
Kim Manager’s recorded voice echoed throughout the office. The employee across from her looked visibly flustered. Meeting their eyes, Jae-hee asked,
“What’s the process for reporting workplace verbal abuse and sexual harassment?”
"Uh... well, since you’ve submitted these documents, the next step is..."
The audit office staff nervously fumbled with the papers. Though he worked in the department responsible for anti-sexual harassment policies, he had primarily focused on training sessions, not on handling actual cases like this. Watching from behind, the department head stepped forward, gently nudging the staff member aside before sitting across from Jae-hee.
"Hello, I’m Ma Jinhee, the department head of the Audit Team. You’re Assistant Manager Yoon Jae-hee from Marketing Team 2, correct?"
"Yes."
"I think it’s best if I personally handle this matter. Have you informed the person in question or any related team members about the report in advance?"
"No, today is the first time I’ve submitted this material."
"In that case, how far are you willing to go in making this issue public?"
Ma thoughtfully flipped through the documents as she asked. Sitting upright, Jae-hee calmly responded that while she didn’t intend to keep the matter concealed, she also didn’t want to escalate it unnecessarily. She simply wanted a sincere apology and for appropriate disciplinary action to be taken.
Ma nodded in understanding.
"Alright, then. First, please formally send me an email, including Kim Inmoo as one of the recipients, and attach all of these materials to it."
"Okay, I’ll do that."
As Ma glanced at the several dozen pages of the complaint, her lips twitched. Oh, my… this person really…
The document outlined everything in painstaking detail, from the advances Kim Manager made during a company dinner to the harassment that began after she rejected him. It was organized clearly, adhering to the five Ws and H, with dates meticulously recorded.
The next day, Marketing Team 2 remained surprisingly calm—until Jae-hee’s email, with Kim Inmoo included as a recipient, was sent to the Audit Team.
Returning from a smoke break, Kim Manager sat down at his desk, the smell of cigarettes still clinging to him. After a few clicks of the mouse, his voice suddenly exploded.
"What the hell is this?! What is this?!"
"What’s wrong?"
Assistant Manager Lim, seated nearby, asked. Kim Manager, visibly flustered, couldn’t form a coherent response and hastily closed his email window. Then, he stormed over to Jae-hee, his breath reeking of cigarettes.
"Hey! I mean, uh... Assistant Manager Yoon, Jae-hee."
"Yes, Manager."
"Let’s talk for a second, just the two of us, okay?"
His face had turned pale as he stammered his words.
Jae-hee, however, shook her head firmly.
"No."
"What? What?!"
What he was about to do next was obvious.
He would offer an insincere apology and beg for the matter to be smoothed over. He would appeal to emotions and try to evoke sympathy. If she gave in and let the matter slide, he would shamelessly return to being the same despicable Kim Manager he always was.
It was a predictable sequence of events. But Jae-hee had no intention of dipping even a toe into the tepid waters of the scenario he envisioned.
"If you have something to say, save it for the committee meeting that will be convened later."
"……."
Kim Manager’s fingers, resting on the edge of her desk, trembled uncontrollably. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Frozen in disbelief, he lingered in front of her desk, unable to step away. Only when Assistant Manager Lim asked, "Committee? What committee?" did he snap out of it and hurriedly retreat to his seat.
An hour later, the onslaught began. Bombarded by texts and emails, all from Kim Manager. Messages flooded in with desperate pleas, claiming he was sorry and begging for a chance to apologize.
He insisted it must have all been a misunderstanding on her part, a minor incident blown out of proportion. It wasn’t intentional, merely a joke or a work-related conflict—something she must have known, he argued.
The apologies, relentless and one-sided, painted his actions as a momentary lapse of judgment, a careless mistake. A transparent attempt to downplay and cover up his behavior.
Jae-hee ignored it all. After everything she’d endured, there was no reason to entertain his excuses. Someone as despicable as him needed to fall hard—only then might he begin to understand.
Kang-joo rested his chin on his hand and glanced over the brief document. It was a page from the report Jae-hee had submitted, summarizing the transcript of the recorded remarks made by Manager Kim.
-“Be honest. Did you spread your legs for the executive director?”
-“Your only asset is your pretty face. Oh, but that can’t be right. What would the executive director even see in you?”
The "executive director" Kim Manager referred to was none other than Kang-joo himself. That was why the head of the audit team, Manager Ma, had given him a quick heads-up, concerned that he might inadvertently be implicated in an unpleasant situation.
It was a precaution, as the documents included a mention of someone he should not have been involved with, just in case things spiraled further.
Kang-joo stared at the page for a moment, then crumpled it up and tossed it into the trash can. Pressing the button on his desk, he called his secretary.
“Summon Manager Ma Jinhee immediately. Tell her to bring all the original materials she just sent me.”
A short while later.
Manager Ma entered the room, her face tense as she met Kang-joo’s gaze. Kang-joo was sifting through the file she had brought with her.
Cha Kang-joo. Who was he? Before being the executive director of the Strategic Planning Office, he was a member of the Seon Kang Group family. That made the situation all the more nerve-wracking. Of course, he would be displeased and annoyed to have his name associated with such an absurd and distasteful matter. It was only natural. Any undeserved backlash had to be avoided at all costs.
Yet, Kang-joo’s expression remained composed and smooth, showing no trace of cracks.
He dropped the file onto the desk and asked, “How far has this matter progressed?”
“First, Assistant Manager Yoon Jae-hee filed an official report, which has been formally submitted. The audit team has summoned Manager Kim Inmu for mediation. We plan to investigate the facts thoroughly and find an appropriate resolution.”
Kang-joo rubbed his temples with his long, straight fingers. The faint irritation on his face quickly smoothed back into calmness.
“It seems I’ve been mentioned in this matter. Should I also provide my input?”
So it’s come to this, Manager Ma thought, swallowing nervously. She waved her hands emphatically as she replied.
“Oh, that was just one of many complaints Ms. Yoon submitted. Manager Kim repeatedly told me, ‘The remarks involving the executive director were drunken nonsense, completely baseless. Please don’t misunderstand.’ So there’s really nothing for you to worry about.”
In Manager Ma’s view, the remarks were simply the product of a reckless tongue running wild, an unfortunate but trivial incident.
“…….”
Kang-joo stared at her silently, making her swallow hard out of tension. After a moment, he spoke firmly.
“Since I’ve been mentioned, I’ll be following this matter through to the end.”
“Y-yes, of course.”
“Make sure this isn’t swept under the rug or resolved by pressuring Assistant Manager Yoon to settle. I don’t want to hear any of that reaching my ears.”
Manager Ma nodded vigorously.
“Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes, Executive Director!”
Manager Ma replied emphatically, signaling her understanding. Situations like this often spiraled into absurd outcomes—forcing the victim to accept an insincere apology under pressure, or worse, subtly encouraging the victim to resign. These things happened all too frequently.
Cha Kang-joo, however, was making it clear that he would not tolerate such mishandling of this matter.
Kang-joo gestured dismissively, signaling Manager Ma to leave. She bowed deeply, straightened her posture, and left the office with determination, fully resolved to ensure that Manager Kim would face appropriate consequences.
Afterward, Kang-joo called in Assistant Manager Im Sunmin from Marketing Team 2. She was Jae-hee’s direct supervisor and had been the closest observer of the ongoing conflict between Jae-hee and Manager Kim.
“Hello, Executive Director. I was told you called for me…”
Assistant Manager Im hesitated, her words trailing off nervously. Why had she been summoned? She couldn’t imagine a reason for such a direct meeting with the executive director, and it made her uneasy.
Sensing her apprehension, Kang-joo offered her a faint smile and spoke gently.
“You’re Assistant Manager Im Sunmin from Marketing Team 2, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“You’ve likely observed the relationship between Assistant Manager Yoon Jae-hee and Manager Kim Inmu more closely than anyone.”
“Oh, yes. Yes, I have!”
“Their relationship wasn’t very amicable, was it?”
Assistant Manager Im’s shoulders tensed further. She had no idea where this line of questioning was leading. Why would the executive director concern himself with such matters between subordinates? How was she supposed to respond? After a moment’s hesitation, she replied cautiously.
“Well… I wouldn’t say they had a bad relationship, exactly. It’s just that they didn’t always see eye to eye, which led to some minor work-related friction… But our team’s overall dynamic has always been good! There’s never been any serious problems!”
Fearing the worst—like the possibility of the team being disbanded—she instinctively tried to defend them.
“I see. I understand what you’re saying.”
“Yes! Yes, exactly!”
Leaning back into his chair, Kang-joo regarded the still-tense Assistant Manager Im and continued.
“A disciplinary hearing for Manager Kim will soon be convened. I’d like you to attend as a witness.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll just need to speak truthfully about what you’ve seen.”
“A disciplinary hearing? I… I mean, what I’ve seen? About what, exactly…?”
“About Manager Kim’s verbal abuse and his abuse of authority to mistreat a subordinate.”
“Oh…”
Still struggling to grasp the situation, Assistant Manager Im’s voice trailed off. Seeing her uncertainty, Kang-joo reassured her kindly, as though it were nothing to worry about.
“The audit team will summon you soon. When they do, you’ll learn all the details. All you need to keep in mind is one thing: don’t conceal the truth.”
“Don’t conceal the truth… Yes, sir. Understood.”
Assistant Manager Im responded blankly, the pieces of the puzzle slowly coming together in her mind. She mulled over the situation, nodding to herself as if something was finally clicking. Though much of it remained unclear, one thing was certain.
Ah, it’s Manager Kim’s turn to crash and burn. And it’s going to be big.
Jae-hee looked down, fidgeting with her fingers. Just a moment ago, she had been summoned by Director Kang-joo. The initial TF project had been successful, so the follow-up work had been transferred to the Marketing 1 team. There was no reason for them to cross paths professionally.
So why had he called her now?
‘He must know that I reported him. Since he was mentioned too.’
A chill ran down her spine. What if he got angry at her for involving him in such an unpleasant matter? As she nervously chewed on the inside of her lip, Kang-joo gestured for her to come closer.
“Come here.”
Jae-hee approached him slowly, as if she had been given an inescapable order. She stood beside his chair and opened her mouth like a robot.
“I apologize if I offended you. I didn’t tell you about this in advance because I didn’t want to involve you in it—”
“That bastard has no idea what he’s talking about.”
Kang-joo cut her off abruptly. Then he reached out, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her towards him.
Jae-hee stumbled and fell onto his lap. Kang-joo pulled her legs up onto his lap, bringing their bodies into close contact.
Jae-hee sat on his lap and took a deep breath. A faint smile played on his lips. As she straddled him, the cool air touched the exposed skin beneath her lifted skirt.
Her cheeks flushed as she felt flustered. The hard edge of his erection pressed against her through her clothing.
“I was the one who was so horny for you first.”
After their first night together, nothing much had happened. The next day, Jae-hee had left while he was still asleep. That was it. The one-night comfort was over, and she had disappeared without a trace.
She had wondered what would happen between them, but it seemed like he had made up his mind. The heavy weight pressing against her below seemed to confirm it.
Kang-joo slowly moved his hips, rubbing against her, and traced her cheek with his fingertips.
“And I was the one who seduced you first when you were crying.”
A spark ignited each time their bodies rubbed together. Jae-hee tried to suppress the growing heat. Kang-joo ran his hand down her body and grabbed her breast.
“And I was the one who sucked on these first.”
Kang-joo stared into her eyes and smiled faintly. As he kneaded her breast, he continued in a calm voice.
“So just think of that bastard’s words as nonsense.”
His hand slipped under her shirt and grabbed her bra. She moaned involuntarily as his hand tightened around her breast. Kang-joo stroked the thin fabric of her bra and licked her lips.
“I told you before, I’m just obsessed with your body, Jae-hee. So relax.”
“Ah, ugh…”
“You don’t have to worry about anything. Just let your body do what it wants. Like now.”
The sensation of his lips brushing against hers was dizzying. His low, calm voice sounded like sweet poison.
Soon after, the disciplinary hearing for Manager Kim was held. Thanks to the clear audio evidence and the precise testimony from Assistant Manager Im, the process went smoothly. His feeble rebuttal, claiming it was an accidental mistake, was not accepted.
He was placed on suspension and removed from his position. It was clear that his chances for promotion within Seongang Group were effectively over.
After the removal from his position, a reassignment to a different location was planned. Likely, he would end up in some remote department, much like Team Leader Jeong.
In the end, Manager Kim voluntarily submitted his resignation. The sharp glares from the team members, especially from Assistant Manager Im, and the fact that he was already marked by the executive director, weighed heavily on him. These various factors plagued him.
Every time he heard whispers behind his back, he would flinch, pulling his shoulders in, anxiously scanning the room. Was someone talking behind his back? Were they whispering about the humiliating event? Even if they weren’t talking to him, it had become a traumatic experience.
Even if he were to transfer to another company, he knew that if HR there called for a reference, they wouldn’t have anything good to say about him. It was a given, especially with Kang-joo involved.
In the end, he left.
Without a single farewell, he weakly packed his things and left the office. No one from his team offered a word of goodbye, and he too couldn’t bring himself to say farewell with any dignity. There was nothing he could do. Like a defeated soldier, he dragged his feet as he left.
It was a pitiful and shabby end.