TCBW C32

Chapter 32

Because of his nerves, their murmured whispers rang in his ears like tinnitus, and in an instant his vision blurred. His legs lost strength on their own, his body tipping backward.

He ended up collapsing backward, and while the startled security guards rushed to catch him, someone coming up from behind reached him first and caught him in their arms.

Instinctively, Suhoe thought the one who had caught him would be Dowoon, and he lifted his head—but the person standing there was a stranger.

With yellow‑dyed hair tied half‑up, a check shirt, and ripped jeans, he was a broad‑shouldered man whose height looked to easily top 190 centimeters.

“Hey… why are you guys grabbing our new recruit?”

In a light, teasing voice, he addressed the guards. One of them echoed back:

“New recruit?”

Smiling so his eyes curved into crescents, the man asked Suhoe directly:

“Yeah. They said an omega rookie was starting today. Guess you were too nervous to speak properly. Right? You’re here to work as a cleaner?”

When Suhoe nodded repeatedly, the man took him by the arm to help him upright.

Standing face to face, Suhoe could now tell for certain—he was an alpha male around his own age.

“Ah, I see.”

While Suhoe was still feeling awkward, the guards eased their stiff expressions and stepped aside.

Leaning on the stranger’s arm, he entered the lobby.

Only when the interior of the building came into view did he let out a long sigh of relief.

Normally, coming into such a luxurious space would only have made him feel just as tense, but for some reason this place felt different.

Was it because the vast expanse of marble flooring, the soft glow of golden lighting, reminded him somehow of the atmosphere in the Balhwa‑dong residence?

The orderly air, the quiet flow, the tidy silence with no unnecessary noise—

And the fact that everyone was neatly dressed in suits also made Dowoon come to mind, which in turn put him at ease.

Not, of course, that he himself was at ease with Dowoon—only that thinking of those things right now was oddly calming.

Then he happened to glance down at his own shabby appearance. In that moment, he understood why the guards had stopped him for loitering outside the building.

“Ah—thank you, by the way.”

“No problem. Thing is, the cleaners’ break room used to be in the basement, so most of the janitorial staff use the back door that leads straight there. It’s still a habit, so they come and go that way. Probably the only reason you got stopped was that it’s rare to see a young guy not in a suit just standing at the main entrance.”

“Th‑then how did you know I was the new guy starting today?”

“Hm, just a hunch. ‘Could be, if not, oh well.’”

When the man walked past the lobby into the elevator, Suhoe quietly followed.

Seeing him trailing behind, the man curved his drooping eyes again in a crescent‑moon smile and asked:

“You can talk casually. You look about my age. Oh, right—what’s your name?”

“Huh? Ah… yeah. I’m Suhoe.”

“Suhoe?”

When he answered shyly, the man gave him a curious look.

“Wow, really unusual.”

That look, full of interest, made Suhoe tense again.

Would he notice he had no surname, or ask about the meaning of his name because it was unusual?

If those questions came, what would he say? Just the thought his heart give a heavy thump.

It felt like his fever might rise again.

“Wh‑what?”

“Me too…”

Gulp.

“I’ve often been told my two‑syllable name is unusual, so you must have gotten plenty of grief over yours.”

“Huh?”

“Right? It’s a name people don’t often use. I get it. My name’s Seo‑jun, and it doesn’t even have a meaning. Just picked because it sounded nice. So when someone asks ‘what’s your name mean?’ it’s really awkward.”

Seo‑jun smiled.

At that smile, the tension in Suhoe’s shoulders eased without him realizing. Since none of the sharp questions he’d feared had come, he felt relieved.

From then on, Jun skillfully skirted any topics that might make Suhoe uncomfortable, as if treading carefully around landmines.

Meanwhile, in the cleaning department office, manager Jang Gyu‑beom’s face wore a complicated expression.

It was because of what Haeeon, the president’s secretary, had said a few days earlier.

Polite in demeanor, he had told him:

“This is a bit of a delicate request, but a new employee will be joining the cleaning team soon.”

“Was the hire made directly by the company?”

“You could say that.”

The ambiguous answer had left Gyu‑beom momentarily speechless. Until now, all cleaning‑team hires had been his business. Yet here was the president’s own secretary saying he would be placing someone—in this department of all places.

Cautiously, he’d asked why.

“It’s hard to explain. Just… please keep an eye out for him.”

“Should I maybe give him easier tasks?”

“No. Treat him exactly the same as the others. Frankly I’d prefer he ended up quitting.”

That answer only made things murkier. Usually “parachutes”ⁱ were dropped into cushier posts higher up—so why here, and why this way?

“Oh, and don’t let him work alone.”

And why couldn’t he be left alone?

Summed up, Haeeon’s request was: Closely monitor him but don’t make it obvious, work him hard enough to push him out, yet never leave him unattended.

It was a paradoxical instruction that made Jang’s head ache just remembering it.

A pat on his back pulled him from his thoughts—he turned with a start to find Seo‑jun looming close.

“Chief! Where should Suhoe go?”

“Huh?”

“His name’s not on the board yet.”

He pointed to the whiteboard where the weekly schedule was posted; cleaning staff were split into day and night shifts, and the roster changed weekly.

Until the moment of Suhoe’s first day, the chief had been debating what tasks to assign him, and so hadn’t written his name down.

“Oh… I haven’t decided yet. Wait, how do you even know the new guy?”

“Met him out front.”

Seo‑jun thumbed behind him, where Suhoe stood awkwardly.

“Ah… hello.”

“Turns out we’re the same age.”

Watching the new hire glance around uncomfortably while Jun chattered at his side, the manager felt a sudden clarity.

That’s it!

“Alright then. You can take him with you for now.”

“Huh? Take him where?”

To Gyu‑beom, Seo‑jun was a dependable worker—sociable, efficient, mild‑tempered.

Originally the chief had planned to train Suhoe himself, but face‑to‑face he realized that hovering over him might seem overbearing, and would draw the eyes of the other staff.

Better to pair him with someone naturally friendly like Seo‑jun; it would look ordinary, and if the work proved too much, Suhoe might bow out on his own—which was precisely what Haeeon seemed to want.

“Stick with him for now and show him the ropes.”

“Sure, why not.”

Jun smiled his easy crescent‑eyed smile, and Suhoe gave a small smile in return.

“Good, good, that’s better.”

Scratching his head, the manager looked to Suhoe.

“Ah, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Jang Gyu‑beom, the chief here, so if you have any questions, come to me.”

By way of greeting, Jun piped up in mock complaint:

“Hey, Chief, how come you’re talking so politely to him?”

“Can it, kid.”

His tone to Jun was curt by contrast. The younger man teased him to treat him the same, and got shoved away for his trouble. Then the chief spoke up for Suhoe’s benefit:

“Everyone, our department has a new hire—this is Mr. Suhoe.”

Staff who’d been watching their banter began approaching to say hello.

“You’re new? I’m on the morning shift.”

“I’m on mornings too, so we probably won’t see each other much, but nice to meet you.”

Greetings and small talk came tumbling at him, layered over the bickering between the two men. In moments the office was bustling, and Suhoe was too busy nodding responses to say anything himself.

“Geez, but shouldn’t you be in college at your age? How’d you end up here?”

When someone abruptly asked about his circumstances, the office fell quiet as if none of them had been talking at all.

It was clear everyone was curious how someone just barely an adult had ended up here. Even the chief stopped scolding Jun to listen.

Knowing these questions couldn’t be dodged forever, Suhoe hesitated, then began cautiously:

ⁱ “Parachute” hire – Korean slang for someone dropped into a position through nepotism or connections, usually landing in a cushier or more prestigious post.