Do Not Feed Recklessly - Chapter 3. Part 1

Jia struggled to carry two oversized suitcases, almost as big as she was, as she made her way through Sydney’s busy airport. Her parents caught between sadness and pride at her return to Korea, wiped away tears as they said their goodbyes.

“When you land, your aunt will be there to pick you up. Make sure to get a SIM card right away and contact her, okay?”

“Mom, I’m not a kid anymore. Stop worrying so much.”

After a quick farewell in the bustling terminal, Jia boarded the plane just in time. It was only then that the reality sank in.

‘I’m really leaving…’

She smiled wistfully as she gazed out the window, taking in the view below. A mix of emotions stirred inside her—excitement at the thought of living on her own, nostalgia for returning to her homeland after so many years, and nervousness about starting her first job.

So far, everything has gone smoothly.

The flight to Incheon Airport had been uneventful, dinner with her aunt—whom she hadn’t seen in ages—was heartwarming, and seeing her new apartment for the first time felt like the start of something fresh.

Thanks to her relatives in Korea, finding a place to live had been simple. While it wasn’t a spacious house with a large yard like the one in Australia, her small apartment near the subway station suited her just fine.

The tiny two-room apartment was a far cry from her old home, but being a new building, it was clean and modern, something Jia appreciated.

After unpacking her suitcases, she started hanging her clothes in the wardrobe, carefully organizing her new space.

Not wanting to leave it too late, she decided to head to the nearby supermarket to pick up some essentials for her first night in the apartment.

Everything felt new, and for the first time in a long while, Jia was truly on her own.

Although the only furniture in the apartment was a queen-sized bed and a desk, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride welling up inside her—just knowing she had finally achieved her independence.

‘Well, the unpacking’s finally done…’ Jia thought, feeling satisfied.

With a few days left before starting her new job, she decided she’d spend some time exploring Seoul.

Pleased with her plans, Jia settled into bed. Exhausted from the long flight, she drifted off to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

It was a peaceful first night.

***

As soon as she woke up, Jia started sorting through the parcels that had piled up outside her door. She had placed the orders just the day before and now, thanks to Korea’s lightning-fast overnight shipping, they had arrived.

‘Korea really is fast.’ she thought with a smile, humming to herself as she unpacked the smaller parcels.

After sending her parents a few photos of her newly organized apartment, she began getting ready to head out.

Just as she put the phone down, it buzzed again. Assuming it was her parents replying, she glanced at the screen. But the moment she saw the sender’s name, her brow instinctively furrowed.

[Ethan: Jia, did you go on a trip?]

It had only been two days since Jia left Sydney, and yet Ethan had already sent her a message. Thankfully, from the tone of it, it seemed he still hadn’t discovered that she had moved.

Jia hesitated for a moment, debating whether to reply. But then, shaking her head, she quickly tossed her phone onto the bed, deciding to ignore it for now.

‘I don’t have to pay attention to him anymore, so I don’t care about him.’  Jia thought to herself.

Despite a few more messages from Ethan, she didn’t bother to check them. Instead, she focused on getting ready to head out.

Now that she was finally in Seoul, there were plenty of things she wanted to eat and a few more items to cross off her shopping list.

The sky was bright and clear, almost as if celebrating her return, and everything felt perfect. The only thing left to hope for was that her new job would go smoothly.

As she walked, Jia silently prayed that her first company wouldn’t be full of terrible bosses or overly strict, old-fashioned seniors.

But expectations are made to be shattered. Jia had been far too optimistic about working at a medium-sized Korean company. Although she’d seen reports and social media posts about toxic workplaces, she hadn’t fully realized how common these problems could be.

She quickly learned this on her first day. After a brief two-day orientation, she was assigned to her team—a group led by a friendly-looking male team leader with mostly male team members. It was an unexpectedly male-dominated environment.

‘Well, that’s fine.’

Jia thought. She even believed it might be more comfortable this way.

She greeted everyone politely with a 90-degree bow. The team leader smiled warmly, and her mentor, a male assistant manager, was assigned to guide her.

At first glance, everything seemed fine, and her first impressions were quite positive.

But things were about to change.

The trouble was about to begin.

“Since we have a new hire, we should all go out for drinks, right?”

“Yu, do you drink?” 

“Oh, yes, a little.” 

“Great. Hey, should we book the same place as last time?” 

“Yes, go ahead and book it. And you know the place for the second round, right? The one we went to after the Toronto deal. Call them in advance and make sure they have plenty of pretty girls ready. Yu, you can leave after the first round.

The team leader whispered with a sly grin. He probably thought he was being discreet, but Jia caught every word.

The mention of pretty girls and a second round made her feel uneasy. Suspicious thoughts began to creep into her mind, but Jia shook her head, trying to brush them aside.

‘No, it can’t be…’ she thought, pushing away the unsettling feeling.

‘There’s no way… In this day and time? Could they use company money for something like that?’

Jia forced an awkward smile, attempting to brush off her discomfort. However, as the welcome dinner progressed after work, the unsettling conversations persisted, causing her unease to deepen with each passing moment.

“Yu, what are you doing? Hurry up and pour the team leader a drink first.”

“You know, it’s tradition for women to pour the drinks. You said you grew up in Australia, right? Maybe that’s why you’re not as… attentive as we’re used to.”

“But finally, we have a woman on the team! Don’t you think it brightens up the atmosphere? I, for one, love this new vibe!”

Jia felt an increasing sense of discomfort as the men around her laughed and exchanged words that left a bitter taste in her mouth. She poured her drink in silence, her smile gradually fading as the evening went on.

Jia felt a strange discomfort, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why. The team leader and her colleagues kept urging her to pour drinks while engaging in conversations she struggled to follow—likely about an ongoing project.