By Zephyria 
“Executive Director Kwon. We have a new employee in the secretarial office as of today. It’s Choi Jung-woo, whom I reported about last time.”
“I saw him. Earlier.”
“Shall I have him greet you?”
“Is there a need?”
His tone was indifferent. How could he be so nonchalant after picking him himself? Well, when you think about it, Kwon Young-je didn’t even participate in the interview; he just gave his approval. It was Kim Hui-won and the other secretaries who carefully selected the candidates and put together the final list.
“He may accompany you on your schedule for training purposes for the time being.”
“Just make sure he doesn’t get in my way.”
“I will be careful.”
Before he knew it, Executive Director Kwon was seated and ready to start his morning work. Only after checking every little detail did Hui-won leave the office.
As soon as Hui-won came out of the office, the secretaries peeked their faces out. When they gestured for him to come quickly, Hui-won smiled and moved to the conference room.
“Welcome, I’m Kim Hui-won, General manager. We met once during the final interview, right?”
Hui-won shook hands with the new recruit and sat in the seat of honor.
“How do you feel on your first day?”
“Great! I will work hard!”
Secretary Choi replied, stiff as a board. The way he straightened his back and clenched his fists made him look like a newly enlisted recruit.
“The discipline is certainly in place. You don’t have to be so tense. As you’ve heard, this is a bit of a… special place.”
Unlike other departments, the secretarial office’s work process was unique. Mutual respect came before hierarchy. It was natural to support each other, and everything was focused on assisting Executive Director Kwon Young-je.
A horizontal team culture was a principle that Kim Hui-won, the General manager, adhered to. He believed that breaking down barriers between individuals and communicating freely was essential for efficient work. Thanks to this atmosphere, Executive Director Kwon’s secretarial office had a unique blend of flexibility and cooperation that set it apart from other departments. In short, there were no old fogeys.
“The other secretaries will gradually teach you the practical aspects of the job. If you have any questions, ask anything, and it’s good to develop a habit of always taking notes.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did everyone greet him?”
“Just briefly. We were waiting for you, General manager.”
Still, they couldn’t just gloss over the first meeting. Before starting the meeting, Hui-won introduced each of the secretarial staff one by one.
“Each of us has a role, and in the case of Secretary Lee Gyuna here, she is in charge of all expense processing required for the Executive Director’s activities. If it involves money, consult with Secretary Lee.”
Secretary Lee nodded slightly and made eye contact with the new recruit. The woman with a sophisticated image had an outstanding aesthetic sense at a glance. As she had been there the longest after Kim Hui-won, there was also a subtle air of composure.
“Secretary Song Yumi mainly handles overseas communication and external affairs. You can learn how to handle emails and phone calls from Secretary Song.”
Secretary Song, who had a small build and a cute impression, shrugged her shoulders and gave an awkward smile. The new recruit made eye contact with her, looking nervous.
Hui-won finally pointed to the man next to him, who was full of anticipation.
“Secretary Ji Seung-hyun is in charge of greeting guests and investigating media trends. He’s the company’s informant, so there’s no information he doesn’t know. I’m confident that if you hang around with Secretary Ji, you’ll quickly grasp the company’s ecosystem within a week.”
“Hey, General manager. Why is my introduction like that?”
Secretary Ji grumbled.
“Isn’t it true that you’re outgoing?”
“It is true, but still, please make it sound cooler.”
As if protesting, he lightly pushed the armrest of the chair Hui-won was sitting on, causing the chair to turn slightly. Hui-won burst into laughter as he turned sideways.
“Our Secretary Ji is handsome, isn’t he? He’s a former flight attendant. He has a natural talent for remembering people’s faces and names. He’s Choi Jung-woo’s mentor, so ask him a lot and learn.”
Not only Secretary Ji, whom he introduced in that way, but everyone in the secretarial office were all good-looking men and women. Even Choi Jung-woo, who was quite confident in his appearance, felt intimidated.
“And I am…”
Hui-won turned the chair back around and continued the introduction.
“As the Executive Director’s personal secretary, I manage and accompany Executive Director Kwon Young-je on all his schedules. So, please report everything that comes into the secretarial office without missing a single detail.”
“Yes!”
“Since it’s your first time, you’ll make a lot of mistakes. That’s how you learn. But I hope you’ll be as careful as possible in front of the Executive Director. That’s my only request.”
“Yes.”
The new recruit’s confident voice had lost its vigor. The thought of Executive Director Kwon made him tense again. He had only seen him briefly, but he couldn’t forget the man’s first impression of freezing the air.
Seeing this, Secretary Ji pressed down on the new recruit’s shoulder.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. And it’s okay to make mistakes. The General manager will take care of everything.”
“Secretary Ji.”
“Isn’t it? It should be, right?”
“Haa, please be nice to me.”
Hui-won rubbed his forehead and groaned. Everyone burst into laughter at that. The new recruit also relaxed a little and loosened the tension in his stiff lips. Fortunately, everyone in the secretarial office had good personalities.
In particular, Kim Hui-won, the General manager, seemed like a calm and kind person. The gazes of the people looking at him also showed unwavering trust. He, too, felt like he would follow General manager Kim.
“I will work hard!”
The new recruit expressed his ambitious aspirations. Hui-won’s eyes softened even more.
“Good, then shall we start the morning meeting?”