LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 3
Chapter 3 – Park Da-Hye
—–CROW—–
Taking a deep breath, okay, okay, let’s check this KakaoTalk!
[Beloved Manager Park: Kwon, sorry, but you need to come in tomorrow.]
Damn it. What a load of crap.
I should just delete this KakaoTalk.
[Me: But I used my vacation day?]
[Beloved Manager Park: Didn’t you hear? Assistant Manager Kim is down with the flu.]
“That flu” again?
[Me: Even so, I already used my vacation day…]
[Beloved Manager Park: Hey, I’m asking you because it’s you. You’re just going to play games all day anyway.]
Damn it.
Right, I should always watch my mouth at work.
The manager knew everything about my lifestyle, including my game login times.
At the company dinner, I got so excited when the manager mentioned playing games that I blabbed about my hobbies…
It’s my own fault.
[Beloved Manager Park: In exchange, you get four days off starting tomorrow, including the weekend. What do you say? Will you do it?]
[Me: Should I head over right away?]
[Beloved Manager Park: Don’t overdo it. I’ll send you the files, so please check them in the morning and have a meeting. She’s an artist I personally picked, so please take good care of her. Use the company card to buy her a nice meal.]
[Me: Yes, sir!]
Still, I’m so lucky it’s Manager Park, the king, god, emperor, Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and Your Majesty, all rolled into one.
Constantly dealing with those human masses, overwhelmed by schedules… if it weren’t for the manager, I would have quit this company a long time ago.
I’ll go to work this time, just for the manager.
Looking at the clock, it was already past midnight.
Time just disappears whenever I’m in Billion Saga.
It’s a shame, but if I have to go to work tomorrow, gaming ends here for today.
Even if I lie down now, I don’t know how many hours I’ll be able to sleep.
I have severe insomnia.
[Me: Hey, it happened just like you said ㅠㅠ]
[KimPokDaughter: lolololololol I knew it from the moment you were excited about using your vacation day. There’s no paradise at the end of an escape.]
[Me: Still, I think I’ll leave work early tomorrow? Let’s raid again at 2 o’clock, okay?]
[KimPokDaughter: Good good. But I have an appointment tomorrow, so I might be a little late.]
[Me: *You* have an appointment?? What are you, a normie? That doesn’t make sense?]
[KimPokDaughter: I have business too! I’m going to make some money!]
[Me: Alright lol Acting like a real person for once. See ya, take your time.]
KimPokDaughter having an appointment?
It’s strange, but I don’t really care.
Tomorrow, we’ll be together again.
I checked my email as soon as the day broke.
The email contained the meeting location and time, and the attachment had the other person’s personal information.
Calling it “personal information” sounds a bit strange…
It wasn’t a resume or a cover letter, just basic personal information.
*Name: Park Da-Hye, Age: Twenty? No experience? That’s it?*
No photo, just name, age, address, and two image files.
Even this seemed to be written directly by the manager, not sent by the artist herself.
What’s going on…
Anyway, I’m short on time, so I’ll check it on my way.
Current time: 11 a.m. 30 minutes before the appointment.
I arrived at the cafe near the company, the meeting place.
Our company is a relatively mid-sized game company.
I’m an assistant manager in the HR department.
I manage and hire freelance illustrators and 3D modelers.
Five years of experience this year.
But this was the first time the manager personally picked someone who hadn’t even sent a resume.
*The manager must have really liked her.*
It felt forced, but I quickly realized why the manager was going full throttle.
*Wow… This is why the manager went crazy.*
The two attached images explained everything.
While using our company’s game style, the quality far surpassed the original.
The subtly reinterpreted human anatomy was captivating… a truly mesmerizing illustration.
A special avatar illustration for [Rosanne of the Unemployed], a popular character from our company’s flagship game, [Eternal Princess Crown].
*Is the theme a forest fairy?*
Rosanne sitting in the middle of a forest, surrounded by phantom beasts and small animals.
The light filtering through the trees, reflecting off the dust, added a mystical atmosphere.
Animals, leaves, flowers, countless shadows, and light.
Despite the complexity of the illustration, my senses were completely fixated on Rosanne.
That must have been the artist’s intention.
So-called “inner strength.”
*The manager will cry if we can’t sign this artist.*
Phew, it’s a lot of pressure, but now it’s my turn.
My job is to sweet-talk her into joining our team as an illustrator.
For the record, I’m pretty good at this. Unless the heavens fall, I can lure an artist with the salary I want.
It sounds like bragging, but it *is* bragging.
The manager knows this, which is why he dragged me out on my day off.
*A twenty-year-old. It’s my first time dealing with someone so young…*
No matter how talented she is, she won’t stand a chance against me.
If she shows any weakness, I’ll pounce in an instant.
*Ding!*
Just then, a woman entered the cafe and started looking around.
Late morning, the time when coffee is desperately needed.
There were so many customers that I couldn’t tell if she was the artist.
Especially since I didn’t have a picture.
But artist or not…
I found myself completely captivated by her.
Just like I was when I saw Park Da-Hye’s illustration.
Because…
*Wow, Rosanne is alive.*
Skin as white as snow.
Alluring eyes.
Her waist, revealed beneath a pink crop top, looked impossibly tiny thanks to the elegant curve of her hips below.
She wasn’t just pretty; there was an ethereal quality to her, like seeing a mythical creature.
The other customers seemed to feel the same, their gazes all fixed on her.
Even the women.
“Can I take your order?”
“Ah, I… have an appointment here…”
She nervously glanced around, meeting the eyes of each person staring at her.
Despite her beauty, there was a hint of fear in her demeanor.
Then, across the sea of eyes, her gaze finally landed on me.
“Excuse me…”
Oh, it’s her.
She doesn’t look it, but her voice is definitely that of a twenty-year-old.
In that case…
Get a grip, Kwon Sung-Hyeon. It’s business time.
She’s just a woman, even if she’s pretty.
Women are like dust to me.
“Nice to meet you. Are you Park Da-Hye? I’m Kwon Sung-Hyeon, assistant manager at Narrative Games.”
“Wow, really? Phew… You were here first. That’s a relief.”
Huh? Five years on the job, and that’s a first.
“A relief? Are you very busy today?”
“No, it’s just that… I’ve never ordered coffee before… I was worried I’d have to wait outside if you weren’t here.”
That’s a twist.
Even high school kids frequent cafes these days. A twenty-year-old with no cafe experience?
Judging by her looks, you’d think she’d visited every trendy cafe on Instagram.
It’s also strange that she’s nervous about her first order, unlike most young people these days.
But if she can’t even order coffee…
How will she handle a contract?
It’s a cruel thought, but maybe this will make things easier.
I see a thread of weakness! Pounce, Kwon Sung-Hyeon!
“Hahaha, I see. That’s a relief. Then why don’t you try ordering this time? I’ll help you.”
“Huh? But, I… I didn’t bring my wallet.”
“Of course it’s on me today. I have to make a good impression on you.”
“R…really? Hehehe. Then… Can I have cake too?”
“Of course! You can have two!”
Cake? She can take a whole bag of beans home if she wants.
The company card is free reign today.
Which means I’m invincible.
The menu at this business district cafe was like a novel.
But to a properly functioning adult, nothing but Americano is visible.
“Whoa… I was really worried, but this is more than I expected. There’s so much coffee. Which ones are coffee?”
“From espresso to iced cappuccino. There are also sweet things like smoothies and fresh fruit juices.”
“Hmm… I should order coffee today, not juice. So I can order by myself next time.”
“That’s brave of you. Then I’ll explain each one, so take your time and choose.”
“Okay!”
I moved away from the counter with the artist and started going through the menu one by one.
What this coffee is, what it tastes like, what’s in it.
It had nothing to do with work, but it was worthwhile.
One personal interaction like this makes things easier than a hundred persuasive arguments.
Especially when the other person is this young.
Park Da-Hye listened to my explanation with bright eyes, her jaw dropping at the steamed milk part of the cappuccino.
“Milk foam? Is it like cocoa?”
“It’s just coffee flavored. The foam becomes smooth when you drink it.”
“I, I want that one!”
“Good choice. It’s easier to start with something that has milk. Would you like to choose a cake yourself?”
“Yes!”
Park Da-Hye glued herself to the display case, drooling for a long time.
Like a puppy.
The beautiful woman who had walked through the door moments ago had completely vanished.
What… what was that aura from before?
The crop top? Puhaha, it’s funny thinking about it now.
What Park Da-Hye was wearing wasn’t a crop top, but a character t-shirt that had shrunk, revealing her belly button.
The jogger pants were just baggy sweatpants, and the vintage hoodie… wasn’t vintage style, just old.
To come to a meeting dressed like that, is she brave or just clueless?
But they say clothes make the man… or woman.
Dressed like that, she still looks more sophisticated than me in my suit.
Even without makeup.
Damn it. Why are you smiling, you average-looking guy?
“I chose! I want the chocolate mousse.”
“Then let’s order. Here’s my card.”
“Yes! What are you having, Assistant Manager Kwon?”
“I’ll also have a cappuccino… and cheesecake for the cake.”
“Okay. Two cappuccinos… chocolate mousse… and cheesecake. Order complete!”
This is practically babysitting.
She trotted off to place the order as soon as I gave her the card.
She flinched at the cinnamon powder part, but I anticipated that and was standing by to explain.
Look at her nodding with satisfaction.
How can she be so naive?
After completing the order, she puffed out her chest with a proud expression.
“Did I look like an adult?”
“Totally. You were so cool.”
“Hehe. I was super confident thanks to your kind explanation.”
Of course, I have to be kind. I’m about to offer her a salary.
This should be enough to build some internal rapport.
But there’s no free lunch. Time to collect my dues.
While waiting for the drinks, I showered Park Da-Hye with compliments about her illustrations, boosting her ego to the sky.
Then, I casually presented the contract.
The one with the lowest salary offer.
Easy peasy.
But there was a twist.
To cut to the chase, my contract was rejected.
And quite firmly, too.
The reason why artist Park Da-Hye rejected the job offer was…
“I have to play games.”
That’s it.
So, stop getting cocky, Kwon Sung-Hyeon.
He who lives by the game, dies by the game.
* * *
—–CROW—–
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