"Jinyoung, boss is calling you to come to his office room."
Jinyoung looked up at the secretary, who was standing beside his desk and had said those words.
"Now?"
"Yes, immediately."
For what he was called, Jinyoung had no idea, but if he was not much mistaken, there was a tone of worry and tension in the secretary's voice. He stood up to follow her as she led the way to the CEO's room.
The first thing Jinyoung saw when entering the room was Mark's deep frown while looking at a file in his hands.
"Sir, he's here."
Jinyoung stood in front of the table, sensing already that this was not a good atmosphere.
Mark spared a glance at him before throwing the file to the front of Jinyoung, it sliding across the table.
"Look at it."
Jinyoung looked at Mark, who was red with anger; and with confusion, he took the file and just standing on the spot, read it.
It was a file of montly sales but there were notes of differences in figures reported by one of the salesmen, Nan Joonseok. Jinyoung analysed the figure differences and the undeniable conclusion was that this salesman was cheating the company money.
"What do you want to say? He's manipulating the figures, you see? The money he took from the company with the claim that he had to meet the customers at restaurants. But all lies."
Jinyoung could understand that but why did Mark seem furious with him?
"He's been doing that for almost one month already. And you, did you have no knowledge of that? What were you doing the whole time?"
Jinyoung could find no answer to that question. Mark judged him and when no words replied, he continued, "Do your duty as an HR manager! Don't you perhaps have no more interest in the current staff? Trainees day, trainees night, spending all time with them?"
"This should be more concerned with the financial sector," said Jinyoung. He never wanted to dodge the blame on him to someone else; but now he wanted to point this fact out matter-of-factly.
This time there were not only two of them in the room; the secretary was there too, standing beside Mark, worriedly looking at Jinyoung. And he felt ashamed by Mark's questions to him, concerned with the trainees. Everytime he had already tried to explain to the CEO that everything he did related to the trainees, was according to his duty. And something he had done wrong, why should the blame lay on the way he treated the trainees?
"So you want to say that it has nothing to do with you? What a nonsense," said Mark, his eyes daring Jinyoung to contradict him.
"I don't mean it like that. But I have no hold of financial figures."
Jinyoung knew that he should just listen to Mark whatever the latter had to say, especially in such a situation in which Mark was obviously furious with him. Yet Jinyoung always felt his own anger whenever Mark accused him of something.
"Are you giving me reasons, Mr. Park?"
Jinyoung looked away from Mark's questioning and heated eyes, and determined that he would try to end this conversation as fast as possible, said, "If it is my fault, then I'll be more careful going forward. I'll talk to him as soon as possible, sir."
"Go then. Let's see what you really can do," said Mark, his challenging tone did not go unnoticed by Jinyoung.
When the latter left, Mark sighed in frustration. Why was he being like that? Mark asked himself.
"Was it too much?" asked Mark to the secretary beside him, not looking at her.
She was quite hesitated to say the truth but could see the CEO was confused about himself as well.
"It was, sir, frankly speaking. Actually, it cannot be said his fault," she paused, afraid that she might have already crossed the boundry; but no word came out from Mark. Feeling somehow secured, she continued, "His main responsibility is, actually, to solve such kind of problems but whether knowing it beforehand or not, is not an important duty for an HR manager."
He knew it. He knew it was not Jinyoung's fault, at least, not entirely his. But why was he always sensitive whenever it came to Jinyoung? Why were his logical thoughts always afflicted when it was something concerned with the HR manager? Now he could not understand himself anymore.
Jinyoung sat down on the chair before his desk, placing the file he had taken from the CEO on the desk.
Shame and anger were mixed inside his mind, never in his life as an HR manager in this company, had he been called for the warning so many times within just a month. What was going wrong, with himself or with the new CEO, Jinyoung did not know anymore.
He opened the file and read everything in detail, at the same time, taking the mental notes of the facts he should say, when he had a talk with the salesman.
When the secretary left to her own room, Mark walked out of his room, with his mind unsteady. What he wanted or for what reason, he did not know, but yet his legs were taking him to the place the HR manager was.
Mark stopped at a place where he could see Jinyoung but from afar, and where Jinyoung might not notice him.
The HR manager was reading the file at his desk, with the careful attention; and seeing him, Mark started to feel bad for criticising him and nearly shouting at him a while ago.
Everyone who passed by Mark, bowed at him but he had not taken notice of anyone of them nor cared them. Now in his eyes, he only saw Jinyoung, who did not realise he was being watched this whole time.
