The excited fans of The Dawn eagerly waited for the next day to arrive.
However, among them were those who were less enthusiastic—working professionals known as Noeuls.
[I don’t want to think about work, but I do want to see Seong Jiwon wearing a suit.]
[Can I see Kim Seonghyeon in a dress shirt… Sigh….]
[Ah ㅋㅋㅋ Where would you find people like that in real life… but still, if you give me this concept, I’ll totally lap it up.]
Everyone liked the office concept, but they didn’t have high expectations.
The airing time was set awkwardly at 5:30 PM, so the Noeuls, regardless of overtime, late-night studies, private lessons, or work, either turned on the TV or grabbed their phones.
[Hey, did you see the crappy CG of The Dawn Electronics building on top of the tvK building? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ As much as they tried, they couldn’t use the dilapidated Daepaseong Entertainment building…
└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I agree.]
As the blue sky reflected next to the (so-called) The Dawn Electronics building, subtitles slowly appeared.
【Episode 2 – The Lives of Slaves (feat. The Newbie) 】
[No way]
[No way, they’re idols]
The screen changed, showing a figure standing at the company entrance.
Everyone had speculated that Seo Hoyun, who appeared in the preview, was the protagonist, but it turned out to be Jeong Dajun.
【Jeong Dajun – A 2-month intern at the Strategy Planning Office
Specialty: Passed the interview with unanimous approval by showing crazy personal skills and power positivity 】
With a clean employee ID proudly hanging around his neck, Jeong Dajun tightly gripped the shoulder strap of his backpack and looked up at the company building, nodding as if making a resolution.
“Let’s do our best today too, Jeong Dajun!!”
Slightly trembling with nervousness, he swiped his company card and entered the building, where he encountered Seong Jiwon, who was smiling warmly.
【Seong Jiwon – Human Resources Team Leader
Specialty: Enchants with a gentle tone and face, making new recruits forget their salary negotiations and sign the contract. 】
“Oh, Jeong Dajun. Good morning.”
“Ah!! Team Leader Seong!!”
Seeing Jeong Dajun fall flat on his face while running, Seong Jiwon quickly but gracefully approached, helped him up, and dusted off his clothes.
“Don’t rush.”
“Ahaha, yes sir!”
“It feels like just yesterday when I saw you at the interview, and you already look like a proper company employee.”
“Really?! Oh, thank you!!”
[Excuse me, Team Leader, didn’t you just see Dajun fall?
└I don’t doubt Dajun it for a second.
└└He really passed the interview with power positivity….
└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“How are things going lately?”
“Everyone’s been very kind!”
“Ahaha, including Team Leader Seo?”
Jeong Dajun’s face turned pale in an instant.
“Well, uh… yes, I guess…”
“Really?”
“He’s quite scary sometimes though—”
Since the only instruction was to “run into Seong Jiwon on the way to work,” and without a detailed script, Jeong Dajun started to get more immersed in the situation and began to speak rapidly.
“—but no matter how busy the day is, he strictly keeps lunch breaks, and he buys us delicious meals every time… During work hours, he’s the best at scolding and sarcasm in the world…. Oh! But sometimes, when I do well, he pats my head… He’s a bit unpredictable, so I don’t really know what he’s thinking!!”
“Ah…”
“But they say he’s popular in the company because of his looks, does that make sense? If they worked in the Strategy Planning Office, they wouldn’t say that!!”
While Jeong Dajun, whose face had turned as red as a ripe persimmon, spoke passionately, Seong Jiwon, who had been watching with a calm smile, shifted his gaze slightly.
“Is that so, Team Leader Seo?”
“?”
When Seong Jiwon subtly pointed behind him, Jeong Dajun, not understanding, blinked his eyes and turned around, only to flinch at the sight of a familiar stern face.
“Hmm…”
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Ah
Dajun
What are you going to do]
It was Seo Hoyun, who was rubbing his chin while looking Jeong Dajun up and down.
“You haven’t been working here long, so you’re quite clumsy, yet you seem to know all kinds of rumors?”
“…T-Team Leader.”
“Here comes the world champion in sarcasm.”
“He’s also quite popular, I heard?”
“Ah, indeed.”
With Seong Jiwon’s support, Seo Hoyun chuckled.
“Does it seem so unbelievable to you, Jeong Dajun?”
[Ah]
Seo Hoyun’s confident face filled the screen in close-up, as if asking if it wasn’t obvious just by looking at his face.
The Noeuls went wild, pulling at their hair in excitement.
[Aaahhhhhh]
[Kyaaaaah you crazy bastard~~~~]
Jeong Dajun, his lips tightly sealed, rolled his eyes as Seo Hoyun gave him one last icy look before walking away briskly, with Seong Jiwon following.
“Hoyun, I heard Seonghyeon is avoiding you.”
[What’s up with those two? Are they colleagues???]
【※The three eldest are colleagues※】
And so, the faces of Planning Support Team Leader Kim Seonghyeon, Strategy Planning Team Leader Seo Hoyun, and Human Resources Team Leader Seong Jiwon appeared on Mount Rushmore.
[The CG is really low quality…]
As the Noeusl marveled at the poor CG, Seo Hoyun responded.
“Why? Because I called him a baby?”
“He hates being called that.”
“What can I do if I like it when he gets annoyed?”
[Wow, Seo Hoyun really has a bad personality….]
[This guy……………. But I also like it when you get annoyed….]
“The Dawn Electronics” was a reality plot crafted by Lee Jihyeon, who knew well that fangirling was more attractive because it was based on reality but impossible in real life.
She had created this scenario through countless meetings and discussions (or rather, Seo Hoyun’s unilateral grilling) with the Strategy Planning team.
This was bound to be a hit.
Lee Jihyeon was confident, staking it all on her bias.
[Wait, Seo Hoyun hasn’t touched the mouse once until now;;;; He’s doing everything with shortcuts]
[No way, this has to be a lie]
[Why does an idol know PPT and Excel shortcuts…]
When Seo Hoyun entered the Strategy Planning Office office and began working, her prediction hit the mark.
During his days as a PD, Seo Hoyun was always on the brink of being buried under his workload, but it hadn’t always been that way.
He used to work as efficiently as possible, driven by the urgent need to grab every minute and second just to have dinner with Seo Hojin.
[But this PPT is fucking clean thoughㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ but the contentㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Seo Hoyun typed away madly, fully focused.
【Proposal on Preventing Jeong Dajun’s Cavities】
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Are you salary-leeching or whatㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
He listed Jeong Dajun’s current cavity situation, identified the problems and causes, and offered countermeasures according to the 5W1H method, but all of it got either edited out or blurred, leaving only a fleeting scene.
Even in that brief moment, though, the Noeuls were quick to take screenshots and talk about it.
[No, why does it look so professional? It’s just a few lines but it seems legit]
[It already smells like a well-done job. Did the planning team help with this?]
No, they didn’t.
Seo Hoyun, with nothing better to do, made it in 30 minutes just to show Jeong Dajun.
While Jeong Dajun, oblivious to his fate, explored 3D designs on PPT, the door swung open behind him.
In walked Kang Ichae, wearing a white dress shirt and gray slacks.
[ThXm BrXwn?????????? Ah seriously, what’s going on????]
Kang Ichae, who usually stuck to hoodies or casual looks unless performing or attending schedules, was seen in semi-formal attire for the first time even by his fans.
【Kang Ichae – New Employee of the Strategy Planning Office】
[Ah, the new employee is making my heart race]
But everyone burst out laughing at the following introduction.
【Specialty: Nepotism.】
“Hi~.”
With a mischievous grin, Kang Ichae greeted as he opened the office door, and the clock zoomed in beside him.
11:20 AM.
Without even looking up, Seo Hoyun asked,
“Did you come to eat company food?”
“Haha, I wanted to have a meal paid by the team leader. Right, Dajun?”
“Uhm…”
As Jeong Dajun hesitated, Kang Ichae took an Americano from the drink carrier and pressed it against the nape of Dajun’s neck.
As Dajun screamed, Kang Ichae chuckled and approached Seo Hoyun.
“Ah~, have this, Team Leader.”
“What is it?”
“I got you a venti Java Chip with chocolate drizzle, five pumps of mocha syrup, and four pumps of hazelnut syrup.”
“…”
“Isn’t it exactly to your taste?”
With a sly smile, Kang Ichae thrust the drink forward.
Only then did Seo Hoyun tore his eyes away from the monitor and took a sip through the straw.
“Kang Ichae.”
“Yes!”
“I was thinking about why you were late.”
Holding the straw lightly between his front teeth, Seo Hoyun peered at Kang Ichae over his glasses.
“Did you perhaps get caught in a gust of wind while paragliding this morning?”
“…What??”
“I thought you crash-landed.”[1]
Kang Ichae’s mouth slightly opened as he caught on to the joke.
Seo Hoyun was teasing him about being a nepo hire.
Seo Hoyun didn’t miss Kang Ichae’s moment of fluster.
“Why not find love while you’re at it and have lunch in North Korea?”
A skull exploded next to Kang Ichae, accompanied by the caption:
【Nepotism 1:0.】
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
But Kang Ichae wasn’t one to back down so easily.
Quickly regaining his composure, he grabbed a tissue and dabbed at the corners of his eyes.
“Ha, it was so hard leaving my love behind… I rushed over to have lunch with the team leader and our intern.”
“What?! You wanted to eat with us?!”
Jeong Dajun, who was pretending to be busy by clicking aimlessly on a blank PPT screen, suddenly stood up.
“Of course, Dajun. If I don’t take care of our intern, who will?”
“Whaaat…”
Moved, Jeong Dajun covered his mouth with both hands, eyes wide.
Kang Ichae gave him a warm smile and tapped Seo Hoyun’s watch, grinning broadly.
“Shall we go for Pyongyang cold noodles then?”[2]
“…”
This time, a skull exploded next to Seo Hoyun’s face with the caption:
【Team Leader Seo also loses 1:0.】
Seo Hoyun adjusted his glasses and glared.
There would be plenty of chances to get back at him in the future.
For now, he decided to take a step back so that he can advance two steps later.
The scene transitioned to a restaurant serving Pyongyang cold noodles with a peaceful BGM.
[The power struggle between the team leader and the nepo hire is legendary, but now they’re fighting over whether to get cold or spicy noodles.]
[They’re even arguing about whether to add seasoning and mustard…
└Hoyun.. He’s such a typical old-school boss, it’s almost like PTSD from office life]
“Excuse me, we’re ready to order!!”
At that moment, Kim Seonghyeon appeared, wearing a red apron over a clearly expensive, fitted dress shirt.
“Yes, I’ll take your order.”
“…?”
[1] I can’t 🤣 As a nepo hire, he parachuted in into the company so…
[2] Crash Landing on You featured Pyongyang.
