Chapter 82: Large Gathering
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"Director Cha told me that you used to go there very often before you left the country years ago. She was also very happy when you returned and visited the orphanage, giving the children the opportunity to see their mysterious 'Santa Clause'. I guess that is partly why all of them were so happy to see you."
Su-Jin had said all this innocently, without any hidden meaning behind her words.
In any case, she was also without parents. After learning a little bit about Ji-Won's family, she could relate with his wish of being close to a place that his mother loved so much.
If Su-Jin had expected Ji-Won would be pleased with her words, she was very much mistaken.
The moment her last words fell, Ji-Won's small smile faltered.
Like a switch had been flicked, his mood changed and the air around him became frosty and suffocating.
"I guess Director Cha said something useless." Ji-Won said stiffly.
He avoided Su-Jin's eyes and turned his head to look straight ahead.
His rather awkward and approachable attitude from earlier changed suddenly. As though his warm emotions had been doused with a bucket of cold water, he returned to his previous sharp and reserved persona. A chill seeped inside his chest and he didn't want to speak anymore.
Based on his reaction, it was clear that Ji-Won didn't want to talk about his mother, nor about his past. Therefore, Su-Jin took the hint and didn't press the subject further.
Several seconds later, Ji-Won sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
After calming down, he turned the engine on, bringing the car back on the road.
The two of them spent the rest of their journey in complete silence, with Ji-Won looking straight ahead and Su-Jin stealing glances at him from time to time.
By the time Ji-Won and Su-Jin reached their destination the sun was already high up in the sky. Ji-Won decided to go straight for the campsite and check the situation there first before dropping their luggage at the hotel.
The place they went to was already packed with people from various departments. They were all gathered into groups and chatted merrily with each other, forming quite a noisy bunch.
In the morning, the buses left everyone on top of a small hill, close to the hotel. Then, they all went down the slope, stopping at the side of the campsite.
At that moment the Administration department was taking the roll, making sure everyone was there.
Perhaps it was because they had been responsible for organizing this event, but Su-Jin noticed the Administration department members looked rather harassed and tired. Five women and five men were running around, giving everyone a tag to put around their necks, containing their full name and department.
When she received hers, Su-Jin stared down at the paper for a full minute before finally placing it around her neck. She felt excitement growing inside her chest at the thought that she was finally taking part in such an event.
"We should go and find the others." She heard Ji-Won speak.
While she was lost in thought, he had gotten close to her. He was standing to her right, putting on his name tag, while looking around with his eyes narrowed. He never liked being surrounded by people and was now beginning to feel the pressure of so many individuals assembled in one place.
The two of them went around the site, craning their necks to see beyond the crowd.
They eventually found the Planning Department gathered into a single group, standing to the side slightly apart from the others.
Since the area was situated on the mountain slope, there were trees all around them. They looked like tall pillars, circling a large open space where the competitions were going to take place. That area in the middle was flat. The grass was cut evenly, ensuring a proper space for running.
The moment they arrived in the midst of their colleagues, Ji-Won and Su-Jin were greeted with cries of surprise.
"Su-Jin, are you alright? What happened?" Yeon-Ah inquired, looking worriedly at her friend.
"I'm alright. I just overslept and missed the bus." Su-Jin replied with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of her head.
"Ah, so that's what happened. I got worried when I didn't see you on the bus this morning. I tried to call you, but no one answered." Yeon-Ah continued to speak, pulling her friend closer.
"I'm sorry." Su-Jin said, bowing her head.
Soon, a look of mortification appeared on her face. It appeared that she had really caused a lot of trouble to her friend.
"It's lucky Director Kang could take you with him." Yeon-Ah continued to say.
As she spoke, the young woman subconsciously glanced in Ji-Won's direction only to feel stumped for a second. The man was silently standing to the side and it seemed that, for some reason, he found his shoes to be very interesting because he kept staring at them intently.
"Yes, indeed. It was very lucky that Ji-Won decided to act kindly and come pick you up." Seo-Jun suddenly intervened, giving his friend a scrutinizing look.
Seo-Jun's eyebrows were raised and a playful smirk was tugging at his lips. He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to tease Ji-Won, but still fought hard to refrain from doing it.
Meanwhile, Su-Jin had already stopped listening to the conversation. She was now glancing around, her eyes wide with astonishment.
All the departments in Kangji Tourism were gathered there. All the employees were mingled together, creating a compact mass of people.
After a short attempt at figuring out just how many there were, Su-Jin ultimately had to give up trying to count them. Nevertheless, simply based on her intuition she could be sure there were at least a hundred people there.
Just then, something occurred to her.
The open space between the trees was indeed large enough to host the competitions, but what about the resting place?
"Uhm, where are we going to sleep?" she asked Seo-Jun, who was standing right next to her.
"There." He replied, raising a hand and gesturing towards a thick group of trees to their left.
"We're going to sleep in the forest?!" Su-Jin asked, looking positively mystified.
"No, you silly." Seo-Jun chuckled. "Beyond those trees there is an inn. The company made a reservation for the entire place.. We will be staying there overnight."
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"Director Cha told me that you used to go there very often before you left the country years ago. She was also very happy when you returned and visited the orphanage, giving the children the opportunity to see their mysterious 'Santa Clause'. I guess that is partly why all of them were so happy to see you."
Su-Jin had said all this innocently, without any hidden meaning behind her words.
In any case, she was also without parents. After learning a little bit about Ji-Won's family, she could relate with his wish of being close to a place that his mother loved so much.
If Su-Jin had expected Ji-Won would be pleased with her words, she was very much mistaken.
The moment her last words fell, Ji-Won's small smile faltered.
Like a switch had been flicked, his mood changed and the air around him became frosty and suffocating.
"I guess Director Cha said something useless." Ji-Won said stiffly.
He avoided Su-Jin's eyes and turned his head to look straight ahead.
His rather awkward and approachable attitude from earlier changed suddenly. As though his warm emotions had been doused with a bucket of cold water, he returned to his previous sharp and reserved persona. A chill seeped inside his chest and he didn't want to speak anymore.
Based on his reaction, it was clear that Ji-Won didn't want to talk about his mother, nor about his past. Therefore, Su-Jin took the hint and didn't press the subject further.
Several seconds later, Ji-Won sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
After calming down, he turned the engine on, bringing the car back on the road.
The two of them spent the rest of their journey in complete silence, with Ji-Won looking straight ahead and Su-Jin stealing glances at him from time to time.
By the time Ji-Won and Su-Jin reached their destination the sun was already high up in the sky. Ji-Won decided to go straight for the campsite and check the situation there first before dropping their luggage at the hotel.
The place they went to was already packed with people from various departments. They were all gathered into groups and chatted merrily with each other, forming quite a noisy bunch.
In the morning, the buses left everyone on top of a small hill, close to the hotel. Then, they all went down the slope, stopping at the side of the campsite.
At that moment the Administration department was taking the roll, making sure everyone was there.
Perhaps it was because they had been responsible for organizing this event, but Su-Jin noticed the Administration department members looked rather harassed and tired. Five women and five men were running around, giving everyone a tag to put around their necks, containing their full name and department.
When she received hers, Su-Jin stared down at the paper for a full minute before finally placing it around her neck. She felt excitement growing inside her chest at the thought that she was finally taking part in such an event.
"We should go and find the others." She heard Ji-Won speak.
While she was lost in thought, he had gotten close to her. He was standing to her right, putting on his name tag, while looking around with his eyes narrowed. He never liked being surrounded by people and was now beginning to feel the pressure of so many individuals assembled in one place.
The two of them went around the site, craning their necks to see beyond the crowd.
They eventually found the Planning Department gathered into a single group, standing to the side slightly apart from the others.
Since the area was situated on the mountain slope, there were trees all around them. They looked like tall pillars, circling a large open space where the competitions were going to take place. That area in the middle was flat. The grass was cut evenly, ensuring a proper space for running.
The moment they arrived in the midst of their colleagues, Ji-Won and Su-Jin were greeted with cries of surprise.
"Su-Jin, are you alright? What happened?" Yeon-Ah inquired, looking worriedly at her friend.
"I'm alright. I just overslept and missed the bus." Su-Jin replied with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of her head.
"Ah, so that's what happened. I got worried when I didn't see you on the bus this morning. I tried to call you, but no one answered." Yeon-Ah continued to speak, pulling her friend closer.
"I'm sorry." Su-Jin said, bowing her head.
Soon, a look of mortification appeared on her face. It appeared that she had really caused a lot of trouble to her friend.
"It's lucky Director Kang could take you with him." Yeon-Ah continued to say.
As she spoke, the young woman subconsciously glanced in Ji-Won's direction only to feel stumped for a second. The man was silently standing to the side and it seemed that, for some reason, he found his shoes to be very interesting because he kept staring at them intently.
"Yes, indeed. It was very lucky that Ji-Won decided to act kindly and come pick you up." Seo-Jun suddenly intervened, giving his friend a scrutinizing look.
Seo-Jun's eyebrows were raised and a playful smirk was tugging at his lips. He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to tease Ji-Won, but still fought hard to refrain from doing it.
Meanwhile, Su-Jin had already stopped listening to the conversation. She was now glancing around, her eyes wide with astonishment.
All the departments in Kangji Tourism were gathered there. All the employees were mingled together, creating a compact mass of people.
After a short attempt at figuring out just how many there were, Su-Jin ultimately had to give up trying to count them. Nevertheless, simply based on her intuition she could be sure there were at least a hundred people there.
Just then, something occurred to her.
The open space between the trees was indeed large enough to host the competitions, but what about the resting place?
"Uhm, where are we going to sleep?" she asked Seo-Jun, who was standing right next to her.
"There." He replied, raising a hand and gesturing towards a thick group of trees to their left.
"We're going to sleep in the forest?!" Su-Jin asked, looking positively mystified.
"No, you silly." Seo-Jun chuckled. "Beyond those trees there is an inn. The company made a reservation for the entire place.. We will be staying there overnight."
"Director Cha told me that you used to go there very often before you left the country years ago. She was also very happy when you returned and visited the orphanage, giving the children the opportunity to see their mysterious 'Santa Clause'. I guess that is partly why all of them were so happy to see you."Su-Jin had said all this innocently, without any hidden meaning behind her words. In any case, she was also without parents. After learning a little bit about Ji-Won's family, she could relate with his wish of being close to a place that his mother loved so much. If Su-Jin had expected Ji-Won would be pleased with her words, she was very much mistaken. The moment her last words fell, Ji-Won's small smile faltered. Like a switch had been flicked, his mood changed and the air around him became frosty and suffocating."I guess Director Cha said something useless." Ji-Won said stiffly.He avoided Su-Jin's eyes and turned his head to look straight ahead.His rather awkward and approachable attitude from earlier changed suddenly. As though his warm emotions had been doused with a bucket of cold water, he returned to his previous sharp and reserved persona. A chill seeped inside his chest and he didn't want to speak anymore. Based on his reaction, it was clear that Ji-Won didn't want to talk about his mother, nor about his past. Therefore, Su-Jin took the hint and didn't press the subject further. Several seconds later, Ji-Won sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. After calming down, he turned the engine on, bringing the car back on the road.The two of them spent the rest of their journey in complete silence, with Ji-Won looking straight ahead and Su-Jin stealing glances at him from time to time.By the time Ji-Won and Su-Jin reached their destination the sun was already high up in the sky. Ji-Won decided to go straight for the campsite and check the situation there first before dropping their luggage at the hotel.The place they went to was already packed with people from various departments. They were all gathered into groups and chatted merrily with each other, forming quite a noisy bunch.In the morning, the buses left everyone on top of a small hill, close to the hotel. Then, they all went down the slope, stopping at the side of the campsite.At that moment the Administration department was taking the roll, making sure everyone was there. Perhaps it was because they had been responsible for organizing this event, but Su-Jin noticed the Administration department members looked rather harassed and tired. Five women and five men were running around, giving everyone a tag to put around their necks, containing their full name and department.When she received hers, Su-Jin stared down at the paper for a full minute before finally placing it around her neck. She felt excitement growing inside her chest at the thought that she was finally taking part in such an event."We should go and find the others." She heard Ji-Won speak.While she was lost in thought, he had gotten close to her. He was standing to her right, putting on his name tag, while looking around with his eyes narrowed. He never liked being surrounded by people and was now beginning to feel the pressure of so many individuals assembled in one place.The two of them went around the site, craning their necks to see beyond the crowd. They eventually found the Planning Department gathered into a single group, standing to the side slightly apart from the others. Since the area was situated on the mountain slope, there were trees all around them. They looked like tall pillars, circling a large open space where the competitions were going to take place. That area in the middle was flat. The grass was cut evenly, ensuring a proper space for running.The moment they arrived in the midst of their colleagues, Ji-Won and Su-Jin were greeted with cries of surprise."Su-Jin, are you alright? What happened?" Yeon-Ah inquired, looking worriedly at her friend."I'm alright. I just overslept and missed the bus." Su-Jin replied with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of her head."Ah, so that's what happened. I got worried when I didn't see you on the bus this morning. I tried to call you, but no one answered." Yeon-Ah continued to speak, pulling her friend closer."I'm sorry." Su-Jin said, bowing her head. Soon, a look of mortification appeared on her face. It appeared that she had really caused a lot of trouble to her friend."It's lucky Director Kang could take you with him." Yeon-Ah continued to say.As she spoke, the young woman subconsciously glanced in Ji-Won's direction only to feel stumped for a second. The man was silently standing to the side and it seemed that, for some reason, he found his shoes to be very interesting because he kept staring at them intently."Yes, indeed. It was very lucky that Ji-Won decided to act kindly and come pick you up." Seo-Jun suddenly intervened, giving his friend a scrutinizing look.Seo-Jun's eyebrows were raised and a playful smirk was tugging at his lips. He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to tease Ji-Won, but still fought hard to refrain from doing it.Meanwhile, Su-Jin had already stopped listening to the conversation. She was now glancing around, her eyes wide with astonishment. All the departments in Kangji Tourism were gathered there. All the employees were mingled together, creating a compact mass of people. After a short attempt at figuring out just how many there were, Su-Jin ultimately had to give up trying to count them. Nevertheless, simply based on her intuition she could be sure there were at least a hundred people there.Just then, something occurred to her. The open space between the trees was indeed large enough to host the competitions, but what about the resting place? "Uhm, where are we going to sleep?" she asked Seo-Jun, who was standing right next to her."There." He replied, raising a hand and gesturing towards a thick group of trees to their left."We're going to sleep in the forest?!" Su-Jin asked, looking positively mystified."No, you silly." Seo-Jun chuckled. "Beyond those trees there is an inn. The company made a reservation for the entire place.. We will be staying there overnight."
