By Zephyria 
There was a time when the word “workshop” made his heart flutter. It was thanks to the pride of feeling like a real corporate employee and the excitement of going on a short trip with colleagues with whom he had built rapport through work.
Once that number passed three, Yi-ho began to face workshops with the feeling of a returning student who had accidentally joined a freshman MT.
The person more plagued by mannerism than Yi-ho was the team leader of the adjacent team. From the moment he waited for the elevator today, Min-gyu had a look on his face that said he wanted to go back inside his house.
“Do you hate it that much?”
“I feel like I’m going back to reserve forces training.”
“…Is it really that bad?”
He answered that while time felt like it stood still on reserve training days, spending an entire day at a workshop evoked a similar sentiment.
It was understandable; Min-gyu had participated in workshops twice a year from the moment he joined as a new employee until now. In total, it must have been nearly twenty times.
The elevator that opened before the two of them was empty. Unlike other days when they were mixed in with the crowds commuting to work and school, today’s schedule called for gathering in front of the company by 10 AM, so the departure was leisurely.
Yi-ho pressed the button for the first basement level where the parking lot was located. The greed of hoping no one else would board kept his fingertip resting on the close button.
A hand with slightly thicker knuckles landed atop Yi-ho’s hand. It was then that he felt the body heat suddenly approaching from behind. The reflection of two men overlapping appeared on the silver elevator doors. Min-gyu was almost glued to Yi-ho’s back. And Min-gyu’s hand enveloped Yi-ho’s.
“…!”
What is this, what’s going on? Why are you holding a strange man’s hand first thing in the morning? Are you planning to propose in an elevator on the day of a workshop?
“Song-i.”
“…Yeah. Why, why?”
“…….”
Glancing down at the stiffened Yi-ho, Min-gyu pulled Yi-ho’s hand and pressed two buttons in succession.
Basement 1 canceled.
1st Floor.
“Ten cases of soju are waiting at the training center. Twice as much beer.”
“…?”
“How are you going to drive your car back after drinking?”
“Ah.”
Having changed the elevator’s destination, Min-gyu stepped away from Yi-ho.
“Why are you so startled? Your eyes were bigger than that button just now.”
“…Then I guess I’ll have to call a taxi.”
“Yep, our Song-i is smart.”
Min-gyu showed him the phone screen. Much faster than Yi-ho’s realization, a taxi app was already open on Min-gyu’s screen. The matched taxi was only one alley away from arriving. If the two of them got off the elevator and went to the apartment’s main gate, the timing would be perfect.
He felt frustrated, impressed, annoyed, and fond. The floating sensation of the descending elevator visited Yi-ho’s chest as well. Today, too, the emotions filling the angular space were directed toward Min-gyu.
The two sat side by side in the back of the taxi. The road heading toward the company was also quieter than usual. The asphalt, reflecting the sunlight to look pale yellow, was dazzling. It was weather fitting for the end of spring, where summer was palpably approaching. On a day when news of massive crowds flocking to amusement parks would likely break, the adults had scheduled a trip to a training center deep in the mountains via a group bus.
“This is Cha Min-gyu.”
Min-gyu answered a call inside the quietly running taxi. After listening for a moment, Min-gyu replied.
“I was notified that those were loaded in the morning. Would you like to check? Yes, I understand.”
After finishing the call, Min-gyu met Yi-ho’s eyes and shrugged. The content of the call was about the workshop they were heading to.
Because the marketing team had received a lot of help from the support team during the previous incident, they helped with the overall preparation of the workshop—half as a reward and half as a tacit disciplinary measure. It seemed this was part of that task.
“Did it end well?”
“I didn’t do much. Deputy Manager Kang volunteered and suffered through it. Still, I think it was good for him to clear his head while doing other work for a while. It worked out well.”
“…….”
Was he being cold, or was he taking good care of him…?
Yi-ho suddenly wondered what would have happened if he and Min-gyu had met as boss and subordinate rather than as friends. He concluded that his unrequited love would have been far more grueling. The professional distance would be closer than now, but he would be scolded, coldly evaluated, and enjoy none of the privileges of being a friend.
“Are there team activities at the workshop today?”
“Yeah. Same as last year. In the afternoon, we form groups by mixing departments, listen to lectures, cook dinner and eat together….”
Min-gyu casually draped an arm over Yi-ho’s shoulder.
“Ah, if I end up in the same group as Song-i, the workshop might actually be a bit fun. Right?”
Before Yi-ho could struggle with his own hidden feelings, Min-gyu abruptly uttered the words he longed to hear.
Song Yi-ho was having the most luxurious of all unrequited loves. This point was clear whenever he looked at it.
∗ ∗ ∗
The beat of idol music thundered across the lush green lawn of the training center.
For this game, dance excitedly to the music, and when the MC shouts a number, say, ‘Four people!’—
If it’s four, you must huddle in groups of four; if it’s six, in groups of six. This group recreation activity would likely be exhibited as a photo of a traditional Korean game in a museum a thousand years from now. It was a historic game that had persisted since at least the time Yi-ho attended his first kindergarten sports day.
The game itself was a boring event for adults worn down by society, but the story changed if the prizes were wireless earbuds, tablet PCs, or smartwatches. Once the prize list was revealed, people’s movements became aggressive.
Despite this, there was still a group whose eyes lacked vitality. Serving as the shadows of the green lawn, the development team stood isolated on one side.
When it came to devices, developers were incarnations of greed and the only group that never missed the latest trends. In other words, they already had everything.
Furthermore, the development team was provided with the subsidiary’s smartphones and PCs for free for development purposes, and the majority of team members owned a full set of devices from a certain fruit-logo company in the US. They had nothing to regret even if they missed the prizes, so they were told to hug other people? They were the type of people who would rather choose to be eliminated early.
Yi-ho, in his corner, looked around the wide lawn. Faces he saw every day and was familiar with were wearing unfamiliar clothes, gathered in a space that wasn’t gray.
His gaze shifted to the area behind the MC. The marketing team was not among the participants. Min-gyu was also acting as a game assistant.
Perhaps already feeling the heat, he had taken off his zip-up and rolled up the sleeves of the short-sleeved T-shirt he wore underneath up to his shoulders. The muscles revealed beneath were infuriatingly toned. The white top, now turned into a sleeveless shirt, and the jeans blended well with Min-gyu’s long frame.
Moreover, whenever he lifted luggage onto the stage, his waist would occasionally be exposed. What is this, exhibitionism? Why is he showing skin in front of so many people?
Now, let’s observe the teamwork of our DL Division. Music, please!
Among the people who began to dance in their own ways, Yi-ho stood blankly. He intended to just drop out in the first round. While he was planning to just watch the sleeveless Cha Min-gyu from the corner, Min-gyu looked this way.
Meeting Yi-ho’s eyes, Min-gyu raised an eyebrow and approached the MC to say something.
Ah, I forgot to mention something important. Aside from the game winning prizes, since this is a joyful game, we will also select a Best Dance King. The prize for the Dance King is none other than the latest graphics card! The model name is, uh… how do you read this? It’s the MOA-7070i!
“……!”
The eyes of the development team members, who had sworn to remain outsiders together forever, changed. Tae-gyung and Mi-so were already rushing to the center.
No, graphics cards have become so rare and hard to find, so how on earth did he get one! Yi-ho thought of his own personal computer, which had been glitching lately, and the PC games he had bought during a Black Friday sale….
Deputy General Manager Yoon and Manager Kim were also clumsily moving their bodies. Yi-ho also cautiously clenched his fists and alternately bent and straightened his elbows. He hesitantly stepped and tried spinning around once in his spot. Since he had human dignity, he remained in the corner, making very small movements…. But hoping this desperation would reach the MC…. This was the first time he had danced since becoming an adult; shouldn’t that earn him extra points?
Six people!
“Yi-ho nim, come quickly! Yi-ho nim!”
The team members pulled Yi-ho in and hugged him. Due to the urgent encounter, Yi-ho was powerfully pulled into the center of the team members. However, the outsider team members who remained in the corner didn’t even reach six people….
Thus, Song Yi-ho was eliminated in the first round after experiencing a deeper physical contact with his team members than ever before. Still, the strong embrace of the team members, who seemed determined to die together with their team leader or live together, was slightly touching.
As he stepped aside, rubbing his chest where they had collided, his eyes met Min-gyu’s again before drifting away. What was that? It felt like he just frowned. Maybe it’s too bright because he’s near the stage.
The graphics card was received by the Dancing Queen of the sales team, who had a look on her face that said, ‘What is this?’
After the three-legged race, treasure hunt, and other outdoor programs, and following lunch, the remaining events took place indoors to avoid the midday sun. At a very opportune time after the meal, they were called into a dim audiovisual room.
Hello, employees of Taejang Electronics DL Division. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Kim Myeong-rang, in charge of the ‘Getting Close to Myself’ lecture.
Deputy General Manager Yoon, sitting next to Yi-ho, wore his button-down shirt inside out across his chest. He had prepared well in advance and covered himself with a blanket. Yi-ho, who was not close to philosophical themes, also let his waist slide down from the backrest.
Every romance that exists in this world is a scam.
It was an intro that captured the attention of the office workers sitting with bored expressions. The lecturer, who looked like a veteran of the podium, looked around the audience, welcoming the murmurs.
Everyone, when you think of the word ‘romance,’ what scenes come to mind? Yes, the moment of falling in first love, the agonizing unrequited love, the fiery push-and-pull. All are correct.
On the left of the large screen was an image of a couple shyly holding hands, and on the right was a wedding photo of two people.
But, strangely, don’t you find that you only recall the images prior to the ‘happily ever after’? In fact, everything until then is just the ‘process’ of heading toward love; true love begins after that.
Yi-ho’s eyes blinked in curiosity. Oh….
“Yi-ho nim.”
“Yes?”
Deputy General Manager Yoon gave Yi-ho a thumbs-up.
“If we have to submit a lecture reflection paper, I’m counting on you.”
“…Yes. Please sleep.”
The lecture, which failed to attract the attention of the entire staff, continued.
That is because we generally feel the most excitement at that moment. Why? Because we meet the partner for the first time? Because love has just begun? No. Because we don’t know the partner, we imagine them in the most ideal form in our heads. ‘That person will love like this,’ and ‘If that love is directed toward me, it will surely be like this.’
The screen behind the lecturer moved to the next slide.
Only the words ‘LOVE?’ were clearly floating in the center. Soon, an X was drawn over the words.
That is not love for another person, but a desire to date and be loved by someone as wonderful and beautiful as that. We must not mistake that point in time.
Aha.
For now, he understood half of the lecture’s intent. He had wondered why they were talking about romance in a company lecture. It was basically telling them not to get ahead of themselves over someone’s kindness, to stop with the office romances, and just work hard….
Before creating a ‘romance’ with someone, we must take the time to understand ourselves and identify what our own way of loving is. Today, we will talk about that. First, what kind of personality do I have?
If romance wasn’t something made of guesses about the other person, Yi-ho had something he wanted to ask. Then, what should he call a form of emotion where he knows the other person very well and doesn’t particularly wish for it to be fulfilled?
The feeling Yi-ho held was, in itself, a betrayal of a long friendship. Therefore, it was a terminal unrequited love that he had to keep to himself and extinguish on his own when it could no longer be sustained.
So, for Yi-ho, worrying about his own way of loving was a luxury. Because even just watching the other person in silence until the moment of giving up would be a waste of time.
If someone were to package this pathetic thing with words like ‘Song Yi-ho’s romance,’ he would snap and tell them not to scam him.
“Ah, that’s right.”
Just as the lecturer said, all romances in the world were indeed scams. At least, the romance in Yi-ho’s world would start with selfish feelings toward Cha Min-gyu and end with the same.
So, what on earth should he call this emotion that didn’t even receive the name of a scam romance?
The rest of the lecture passed by as he moderately solved the aptitude test questions. In the end, he couldn’t find the answer to his question until the very end of the lecture. Listening to the lecture while Deputy General Manager Yoon beside him fell completely asleep, Yi-ho felt restless.