Hyena, who’d spent a sleepless night tormented by self-loathing and greeted the morning, checked her reflection in the mirror. 

With the single-minded determination to show Gunwoo the image of a proper career woman, she’d squeezed into a suit she normally wouldn’t wear, and it felt uncomfortable, like wearing clothes that didn’t fit.

But she could endure that much.

Hyena whispered to herself in the mirror with her haggard eyes.

“From today on, I’m going to show the image of a mature and confident working professional.”

After resolving this several times and coming outside, a note on the dining table greeted her.

<Eat breakfast before you leave. Don’t make food waste.>

Hyena read and reread the harsh vocabulary that didn’t match the neat handwriting and let out a hollow laugh.

‘I didn’t predict this situation at all.’

It was the moment when she felt ridiculous for waking up earlier than usual and preparing herself just because of his one request to eat meals together.

“I went out of my way to be considerate, knowing full well he hates eating alone.”

Tsk. Hyena clicked her tongue and sat down. Then she combatively pulled the food toward herself and started putting it in her mouth like she was venting her frustration.

She barely avoided being late and entered the office. Heejin, who spotted her first, pulled out her chair and spoke to her.

“What’s the occasion today? You’re all dressed up in a suit you don’t normally wear.”

“Tell me about it.”

A sigh naturally mixed into her voice.

‘These were clothes I’d spent over thirty minutes picking out in front of the mirror to show Do Gunwoo the image of a “career woman,” but all I got was uncomfortable movement.’

‘No, wait. I can show him in the evening, right?’

As she activated her happiness circuit like that and approached her seat, Heejin spoke to her again.

“But will you be okay in that outfit?”

“What do you mean?”

“We have a company dinner today.”

Hyena’s eyes widened at the completely unexpected news.

“What? A company dinner?”

“Manager Lee has been forcibly pushing for it since a few days ago, saying we need to stick together before the new team leader comes.”

She vaguely remembered hearing something about it. What stuck in her memory more was Manager Lee’s image, venting his resentment about having to serve a boss younger than himself.

“That was really something to see.”

The words slipped out thoughtlessly.

Whether she didn’t hear Hyena’s words or not, Heejin spat out in an annoyed voice.

“I’m already dying from being short one person, and I don’t know why we need a company dinner.”

“Right. It’s been chaotic since Yeongju suddenly quit.”

It had been a week since Yeongju, who’d been a contract employee, suddenly submitted her resignation. She’d worked well and was so pleasant that they’d thought she’d smoothly get her contract extended, so it was surprising when she submitted her resignation first. 

She’d declined even the farewell party the female employees wanted to throw for her, and there’d been no contact from her since.

“She probably got into another good company. She was so sharp.”

“I hope so.”

“Will we get a new hire in this round of personnel changes?”

“Only heaven knows about personnel matters.”

“Stupid question, wise answer.”

Heejin, who’d even given a thumbs up as she spoke, returned to her seat. And so began a workday no different from usual.

On the rare evening when she left work on time, Hyena sat in a restaurant thick with charcoal smoke.

All while questioning why she had to spend her precious evening time with work people—Manager Lee, no less, who enjoyed tormenting his subordinates.

Hyena’s face was colored with fatigue. The other employees’ situations were no different.

It was the point where she became curious about who’d said the absurd thing that company dinners were an extension of work.

In the gloomy atmosphere, only Manager Lee, who’d forcibly pushed for this dinner, was excited and repeatedly proposed toasts.

“Come on, everyone raise your glasses. Cheers.”

Hyena clicked her tongue.

She had no idea what he kept proposing toasts for.

Unlike the employees who weren’t pleased about the dinner, the excited Manager Lee literally drank nonstop.

It would be fine if he just drank alone, but he kept offering and offering again.

Employees who feared the consequences of refusing appropriately humored Manager Lee. Of course, there were contrarians even in that situation.

Someone who drank but absolutely wouldn’t drink when Manager Lee offered. For instance, someone like Yoon Hyena.

She’d felt bloated from lunch and only sipped alcohol on an empty stomach, so she got drunk quickly.

“The saying about the rolling stone pushing out the embedded stone is all old talk. Let’s stick together among ourselves. We’re overwhelmingly superior in numbers too…”

Even while thinking she should stop drinking, listening to Manager Lee’s nonsensical claims made her naturally crave alcohol.

“If we all cooperate with the new team leader, we’ll be able to get even better results.”

Deputy Manager Woo, who was usually quiet, unusually cut off Manager Lee’s words. Manager Lee’s gaze instantly turned sharp.

“Our honest Deputy Manager Woo doesn’t know again. That’s why you always make so many mistakes. Even today…”

Manager Lee’s nagging bomb poured out.

The decisive reason Deputy Manager Woo kept making mistakes was Manager Lee. Of course he would when work due today was suddenly assigned to him.

‘Endure. Endure. Blessed are those who endure.’

She was diligently drawing the character for “endure.”

“That’s why you can’t keep a woman, can you?”

Manager Lee picked at Deputy Manager Woo’s painful situation. She couldn’t endure anymore.

“From what I hear, there’s nothing wrong with what Deputy Manager Woo said, though?”

Hyena casually tossed out the words with an innocent face. As expected, Manager Lee raised his eyebrows.

“What?”

“Teams 2 and 3 have been climbing up since the team leader position became vacant.”

‘Because of a certain acting team leader who’s been slacking off.’

She subtly covered her true feelings with a business smile and spat out different words.

“Since someone capable is coming, we should all work together to flatten the other teams’ noses.”

“Well, that’s…”

“It’s someone that Executive Director Han himself picked.”

When the name of Executive Director Han, the company’s real power, came up, Manager Lee, who’d been grimacing, relaxed. They said the person he respected most in the company was Executive Director Han, and that apparently wasn’t empty talk.

“Let’s drink to that.”

Hyena extended her glass for the first time. Deputy Manager Woo, sitting next to her, gave her a thankful look. It seemed to wrap up warmly like that.

Her glass was refilled the moment it emptied. She’d barely eaten any snacks and only drank, so the alcohol gradually melted her brain into mush.

‘I should stop drinking.’

She decided that and pushed her glass aside, but Manager Lee moved his seat right in front of Hyena.

“Assistant Manager Yoon, do you have a boyfriend by any chance?”

Hyena narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t understand why he was curious about her love life.

“No. I don’t.”

“Really?”

Manager Lee, who’d drawn out his words, stared at Deputy Manager Park sitting across from them.

“Deputy Manager Park doesn’t have a girlfriend either, probably?”

“Huh? No.”

Hyena stared at Deputy Manager Park, who smiled awkwardly.

Deputy Manager Park, Park Joohwan. The model son praised among female employees for his looks, personality, and abilities—nothing he couldn’t do.

But Hyena didn’t agree with that assessment. She knew a man whose looks and abilities were on another level.

‘Do Gunwoo.’

Gunwoo’s image automatically played in her head. Tall with a perfect inverted triangle body, a face that rivaled celebrities. Plus a wonderful voice.

Hyena was naturally comparing Deputy Manager Park in front of her with Gunwoo. The conclusion was, of course, Gunwoo’s victory.

This was exactly the problem. Having seen the world’s amazing Do Gunwoo her whole life, all other men looked like squids.

What could she do when if the face was decent, the personality wasn’t; if the personality was decent, the ability wasn’t; if the ability was decent, something else seemed lacking? 

Hadn’t even Deputy Manager Park, who was in the TOP 10 of female employees’ preferences throughout the entire company, just been eliminated a moment ago?

Hyena swallowed her bitterness and raised her glass. That’s when it happened.

“How about you two give it a try?”

At first, she thought she’d misheard.

“I can read faces a bit. You two are a perfect match.”

Manager Lee, who normally became desperate to match up unmarried employees when drunk. She’d already witnessed it several times, but she’d never imagined he’d extend his clutches even to her. Because Yoon Hyena was the number one employee he disliked.

“Honestly, our Deputy Manager Park is a bit too good, but it works out better when the woman’s side is a bit lacking.”

Thud. Hyena set down her glass loudly.

“Why are you trying to match lacking me with Deputy Manager Park? Making Deputy Manager Park feel bad.”

“Ah, no. Assistant Manager Yoon, I don’t feel bad at all…”

She shot a sharp look at Deputy Manager Park, who was butting in without reading the room. Deputy Manager Park, startled, quietly closed his mouth. Even in that moment, the oblivious Manager Lee continued spouting nonsense.

“Hey, the truth always hurts. Knowing how to accept it is what makes you a mature adult.”

‘Should I just ram into him?’

Hyena, who’d been contemplating, shook her head slightly. She couldn’t ruin the already depressing company dinner atmosphere any further.

“I’ll find my match somewhere else. Not at work.”

“Where would Assistant Manager Yoon go to meet a man like Deputy Manager Park? When I’m connecting you, just pretend you don’t know and…”

Hyena immediately cut off Manager Lee’s words.

“‘Not dating within the company’ is my principle.”

“Ah, you had that kind of thinking?”

Anyone who’d experienced Manager Lee would know the meaning contained in his downcast gaze. Of course, Yoon Hyena wasn’t one to yield to that.

“Yes.”

“That’s what you call bravado. You don’t even know how things will turn out, yet you put forward such an absurd principle. Put it forward.”

“Ah, bravado… That’s a word that matches someone I know so perfectly.”

When she smiled brightly and shot back, Manager Lee’s face twisted slightly. He seemed to have perfectly grasped the situation. Hyena looked at Manager Lee crookedly. That’s when Manager Lee raised the corners of his mouth in a fishy smile.

“Dressing up like that today, wasn’t it actually your intention to look good for someone? I can see it all.”

His gaze, looking her up and down, was blatant.

‘To be treated like an attention seeker just for wearing a suit once. This was all because of Do Gunwoo.’

“Seeing how you can’t answer, I’m right.”

The anger she’d suppressed and suppressed finally exploded.

“I’m just flustered that I have to be suspected of having intentions over wearing clothes once. From tomorrow, I should get prior approval from you, Manager, for the clothes I’ll wear the next day. So I won’t be suspected of having intentions.”

Hyena deliberately cast her gaze downward. She’d imitated Manager Lee’s usual behavior exactly. Manager Lee, who understood perfectly well when he was being insulted, couldn’t have missed her intention.

“Are you dissing me right now?”

“Oh my, dissing? How could I do that to you, Manager, who’s like the heavens?”

‘It’s rewarding that you understand so perfectly.’

Hyena didn’t hide her true feelings and showed them on her face.

‘My win.’

As she inwardly cheered and gladly observed Manager Lee’s face turning red and blue, her cell phone on the table vibrated. Hyena habitually checked the screen.

<Where are you?>

It was just a message, but Gunwoo’s voice seemed to be heard right nearby.

<At a company dinner.>

<Where is that?>

“Would you know if I told you? How many chains does this place have?”

Hyena, who’d muttered grimly, typed in just four characters.

<Myeongjin Charcoal>

The messages stopped like he’d been waiting. Only then did Hyena take her gaze off her phone. 

Manager Lee had been staring at her intently with narrowed eyes since who knows when. His pupils were completely unfocused—who knows how much more he’d drunk while she was exchanging messages with Gunwoo.