Side Story 2-1: Our team leader-nim became trash! (1)

This place that is simply called the 'company'…

Team 1, which is said to be the most militant even in this place…

Jang Sejong, the new employee and therefore the newest to this team, was walking past the employee break room with a lot of files in his hands.

He could hear some whispers through the slightly opened break room door.

"Don't you think that team leader Kim Rok Soo has become a bit weird?"

Flinch. He stopped walking.

Although the voice was so quiet that regular ability users would not be able to hear, this newbie, Jang Sejong, could hear it because he had a sensory-related ability.

"Mm."

"Seriously, don't you think that is the case? It looks like he might be burnt out, but… it also looks like… he might have gone crazy… Drinking at work-"

"…You talk like this is the first time that bastard Kim Rok Soo has been weird. He's always been a crazy bastard."

The brusque voice was Park Kyung Ho's voice.

He had joined the company at the same time as team leader Kim Rok Soo and was the Team 2 leader right now. However, he was said to be promoted soon.

"No, he is a crazy bastard, but… He's never been a crazy bastard in this way. Something, something seems weird."

"I thought you were busy? Stop being nosy and focus on your own work."

Screeeech. Park Kyung Ho stopped talking and the break room door opened immediately.

Jang Sejong flinched after making eye contact with Park Kyung Ho. Team 2 leader Park Kyung Ho, who was called the Spearman of Thunder, scowled after looking at Jang Sejong.

Flick.

However, he simply motioned with his head for Jang Sejong to move along and Jang Sejong bowed while curled up in fear and quickly walked past the break room to his office.

"Haaaaa."

Jang Sejong let out a light sigh.

He could not brush aside what he had heard in the break room.

"…Somewhat-"

As the person talking to Park Kyung Ho had said…

Team leader Kim Rok Soo…

"He really has somewhat become weird."

Jang Sejong thought about Kim Rok Soo's odd changes that the whole company was talking about and then recalled the moment two weeks ago when it had started.

* * *

Two weeks ago was the first time that Kim Rok Soo missed work at the company without notice.

"What? Team leader-nim is not here yet?"

Assistant Leader Kim Min Ah, who had been dispatched in the morning, frowned while looking at Jang Sejong. Jang Sejong looked a bit scared as he nodded his head.

"Yes, yes ma'am. The team leader-nim has not come yet."

"Wasn't his time off until yesterday?"

A Support Agent, Jung So Hoon, chimed in as well.

"Yes, ma'am. It was until yesterday and he should have been back at work today."

"…Something is weird."

Agent Jung So Hoon immediately picked up his coat.

Assistant Leader Kim Min Ah quickly scribbled something and handed it to Jang Sejong.

"Hand this to Agent Cha. I'm going to go see the team leader-nim."

Jung So Hoon and Kim Min Ah… The looks on their faces were quite serious.

Jang Sejong could clearly hear their extremely quiet whisper as they left the office.

"Do you think the team leader-nim fainted after pushing himself too much these days?"

"Agent Jung, have you ever seen the team leader-nim faint? He's the type of person who would call first even if he was going to faint. This… Something must have happened."

"…Do you think one of the illegal guilds attacked the team leader-nim's house?"

Agent Jung So Hoon's voice was slightly shaking from anxiety.

"Or maybe an assassin dispatched from overseas abducted the team leader-nim. Ah, I have a bad feeling about this. Doesn't the team leader-nim live in the outskirts of the city? I'm sure the security there isn't good either. Should I contact the Team 2 leader?"

"Calm down. We will decide after going to the team leader-nim's house."

"Haaaaaaaaa. Okay. But why does someone like the team leader-nim who makes a ton of money living in the outskirts of the city?"

"Who knows? He said he needs a lot of money to become a farmer later."

Jang Sejong looked around after watching two of his company seniors leaving.

There was nobody in the office.

Jang Sejong was the only newcomer this year.

"Mm."

He looked at team leader Kim Rok Soo's seat with an anxious look on his face. There weren't even many office supplies in that empty spot.

Kim Rok Soo.

Jang Sejong had not really known that name prior to coming here. In fact, Team 2 leader Park Kyung Ho was the famous one while the name, Kim Rok Soo, was unfamiliar.

However, gathering information about the company after deciding to come here, he was able to learn that Kim Rok Soo was quite famous not just in the company, but also throughout the industry and with the government and guilds.

Although he had not known the name because this person doesn't show himself in the media, he was the leader of Team 1, the greatest force in the company, as well as implicitly the leader of the company's battle agents in the 'Body.'

Furthermore, even the people in charge of the 'Head' were said to be unable to hold in their admiration at Kim Rok Soo's abilities.

One of the nicknames they had for Kim Rok Soo was cold-blooded.

Jang Sejong had thought that this was a negative nickname for him.

However, he couldn't help but gasp after learning the reason for this nickname.

Team 1's mortality rate was 0% since Kim Rok Soo became team leader.

They had also not failed any of the missions they were assigned.

Kim Rok Soo was said to come up with a thorough plan and complete the mission under any and all circumstances, even if he was lacking the resources to do so.

Furthermore, many people's abilities developed even further when they were in his team.

That was why he was said to have received this evaluation.

'Kim Rok Soo truly is the person to follow after Lee Soo Hyuk.'

That was what they were saying.

Jang Sejong could feel Kim Rok Soo's amazingness after hearing the name, Lee Soo Hyuk.

Lee Soo Hyuk.

That was a name that was brought up every time the history of Korea after the cataclysm was mentioned. Furthermore, that person was the foundation of this company and the source of its creation.

Of course, he has passed away now.

Team leader Kim Rok Soo was said to be the person who survived the battle where Lee Soo Hyuk passed away.

"Mm."

Jang Sejong recalled that moment when he heard that Kim Rok Soo truly is the person to follow after Lee Soo Hyuk. Team 2 leader Park Kyung Ho had said something when he heard that.

He had been mumbling as if he was discontent about something. Jang Sejong had been the only one to hear it.

'…There were two people who were supposed to follow after Lee Soo Hyuk.'

Jang Sejong wondered if Park Kyung Ho was talking about himself, but it did not sound that way. It sounded more like there was someone else in addition to Kim Rok Soo.

"…Anyway, I hope it is nothing serious."

Jang Sejong tried to suppress the worry in his heart.

When he was assigned to the cold-blooded Kim Rok Soo's Team 1… Jang Sejong had been quite nervous. However, Kim Rok Soo had been a bit different from what he had expected when he met him in person.

'Nice to meet you, Mr. Jang Sejong.'

"Hello, Team leader-nim! Please speak informally.'

'Okay then.'

Kim Rok Soo had called him by name and greeted him as soon as he saw him, even though Jang Sejong had not introduced himself.

He had a cold look on his face and had a mysterious aura about him. He gave off the aura of a leader who had gone through many life-or-death situations and successfully completed missions?

A somewhat relaxed yet sharp aura was surrounding him.

'Let's survive here a long time, make a lot of money, and retire.'

However, there was at least a little bit of warmth in the words he nonchalantly said to this new employee.

'What about food? You must make sure to eat.'

'Go home. Newbies can slowly learn.'

'You're living on your own? What about your meals? You just eat whatever?'

In his cold and nonchalant face with his stoic voice… Kim Rok Soo looked after Jang Sejong, completely unlike his cold-blooded nickname.

Jang Sejong was still in his probationary period and could not be a part of the strategy meetings or go out to mission, making him not work with the team leader yet, however…

Kim Rok Soo had said the following to Jang Sejong after stopping by the office a few days ago, completely covered in blood after a mission.

'There's a side dish shop not too far from here. I paid for a few side dishes there. Make sure to take them when you go home.'

'You need to eat properly. I heard you were a support but wanted to be in the field? Fitness is a basic requirement for that.'

Kim Rok Soo seemed like a good leader.

That must be why all of Team 1 follows Kim Rok Soo.

Jang Sejong prayed that there weren't any issues with the team leader.

"…Assistant Leader-nim?"

However, Assistant Leader Kim Min Ah's face looked quite weird after returning from going to see Kim Rok Soo.

She had a serious look on her face but also seemed to kind of be blanking out while also having an oddly iffy look.

Jang Sejong called out to her again.

"Assistant Leader-nim?"

"Huh? Ah, ah. What is it?"

"Is the team leader-nim okay?"

"Ah."

Kim Min Ah smiled awkwardly.

"Yes. He's fine. I think he was just tired from pushing himself too much."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really."

"Then will he be coming to work tomorrow?"

Kim Min Ah had an odd look on her face after hearing that question before shaking her head.

"No. I think he will be resting for about a week."

She then left the office saying that she needed to check how much PTO the team leader-nim had left.

Jang Sejong heard about it later, but this was the first time Kim Rok Soo ever used over a week's worth of PTO at once.

Jang Sejong was able to hear the things Kim Min Ah was mumbling extremely quietly as she left the office.

"…My goodness, it makes no sense."

She did not say anything else after that.

However, Jang Sejong was certain that although Kim Min Ah was saying the team leader was fine, something more serious than he had expected must have happened to Kim Rok Soo.

That had to be the case.

One week. Something was different about team leader Kim Rok Soo when he came back after his time off.

"Team leader-nim! Welcome sir!"

Jang Sejong unexpectedly jumped up and greeted Kim Rok Soo because he was happy to see Kim Rok Soo.

At that moment…

Smile.

Kim Rok Soo smiled at him.

Jang Sejong couldn't help but flinch. He had seen Kim Rok Soo smile coldly a few times, but he had never seen him smile like this before.

He had a hard to approach aura just like before, but something seemed different.

He was cold and rational before but now, he seemed a bit different.

'…He seems elegant?'

Jang Sejong's mind blanked out after having that thought about Kim Rok Soo's smile.

'No.'

Rather than elegant-

'Class-'

It seemed full of class.

Kim Rok Soo's smile seemed extremely noble.

"Long time no see."

Although it was definitely Kim Rok Soo's voice and he was greeting him the same way as usual…

The tone was a bit different.

It was still cynical but somewhat elegant.

'What the hell?'

Jang Sejong pupils were shaking. He looked around.

Team leader Kim Rok Soo who had returned to work after a week off… The reactions from the team members were the same as Jang Sejong's if not worse.

All of their pupils were shaking.

Team leader Kim Rok Soo sat down on his chair.

Screeeech.

"Ho."

Someone gasped.

Kim Rok Soo leaned back on the chair almost as if he was lying down. It was different from how he usually sat up straight because he needed to take care of documents as soon as he got to work.

Shhhhh.

The way Kim Rok Soo slowly reached his hand out to grab a payment document oddly caught people's attention.

Kim Rok Soo looked around the office at that moment. He frowned.

"What are you all looking at?"

Jang Sejong wondered if this expression was right, but the way he slightly frowned seemed a bit trashy unlike Team leader Kim Rok Soo's usual stoic and cold expression.

"Are you not going to work?"

However, his slightly annoyed tone of voice, the movement of his hands, and his gestures all seemed full of class. This was the only way to describe it.

'What the hell?'

Jang Sejong subconsciously turned toward the two people who came to work with Kim Rok Soo.

Assistant Leader Kim Min Ah and Agent Jung So Hoon.

The two of them smiled awkwardly as Jang Sejong and the other team members turned to look at them.

That was the beginning.

"Delicious."

"Excuse me?"

Jang Sejong blankly watched as Kim Rok Soo sliced a piece of tonkatsu. Everybody else had left for work and only Jang Sejong and team leader Kim Rok Soo were in the office.

That was why the two of them ended up eating lunch together.

"This is new."

"Excuse me?"

"Mm. I won't have to worry about it suiting my taste."

"Excuse me?"

Slice. Slice.

Kim Rok Soo looked extremely relaxed and experienced as he sliced through the tonkatsu as if it was steak.

The way he wiped his mouth with the napkin was so overflowing with class that it seemed too much.

—
Translator's Comments

And now we see what happens when Kim Rok Soo acts with nobility!

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]