NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31
Lee Sung-min is twenty-nine this year, soon to hit the big three-oh, and he’s a guy working in the marketing team of Changseong Corporation.
Previously, he worked as an editor for a streamer on YouTube, but he wasn’t thrilled with the pay and ended up joining Changseong Corporation to find a job with better compensation somehow.
Originally, he dreamt of joining Changseong Planning, which primarily handles advertising planning, but it was fully staffed at the time, so he had no choice but to come here.
Thus, he found himself going through the motions of endless monotonous days, feeling somewhat exhausted by the routine when…
“Are you… suggesting I leave the company?”
He received a discreet proposal from Kim Han-jin, the right-hand man of Ryu Seo-ha, the CEO of Changseong Corporation.
At first, when asked if he had any thoughts about working somewhere else, his heart sank at the implication of being offered a sort of voluntary resignation. However, he quickly realized that was not the case upon hearing Kim Han-jin’s following words.
“No, that’s not the proposal. I hear you were originally the editor for an internet broadcaster named Loony.”
“Y-yes, that’s correct.”
Having never disclosed this information once he joined the company, he felt a peculiar chill as the other party seemed to know his background, as if they had done some digging.
It was incredibly daunting to hear the name of a virtually unknown small-time streamer spoken by someone who was supposed to be on a different level, as if they were saying, “I know all about you.”
A mere lackey like him faced with someone he shouldn’t even meet was causing him to lose track of whether he was breathing through his mouth or nose.
As if the tension was compounding every second, he tried desperately to maintain his composure.
“I saw the videos you made back then; the quality was really high. I’ve heard you never missed a deadline.”
“Th-thank you for the compliment.”
Unable to process the praise simply as flattery, he awkwardly nodded as Kim Han-jin continued to examine the resume he held, flipping through each page with an ominous rustle.
“So, I was wondering, would you be interested in doing that kind of work again?”
“By that, you mean… editing for broadcasts?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“…”
Taken aback by the unexpected proposal, Sung-min felt utterly bewildered.
He couldn’t fathom why someone of Han-jin’s caliber, who was basically the right-hand man to Changseong’s owner, would randomly make such an offer, assuming he would just nod and say, “Sure, I’ll take it!”
While it was true that life as a corporate drone was dull compared to what he had experienced before, he wasn’t foolish enough to toss aside his current salary, company benefits, and the career he was building just like that.
How many people in modern society would recklessly turn their back on a name like Changseong?
Just the other day, when he first shared the news of his employment at Changseong Corporation, he could still vividly picture the gleeful faces of his parents and the envy of those around him.
To ask him to abandon that? It just seemed impossible.
“I’m sorry, but I really can’t leave Changseong Corporation…”
Therefore, he bowed deeply, aware of the other person’s title while declining the offer. He didn’t know what repercussions might come from this, but he could not afford to let go of the fruit right in front of him.
“…There seems to be a misunderstanding. As I mentioned, I’m not saying you should leave the company.”
“Excuse me?”
However, as he looked up, surprised, Kim Han-jin shook his head gently and added, leaving Sung-min’s eyes wide open.
How was urging him to move to another job any different from asking him to leave?
Rustle.
As he was engulfed in confusion, Han-jin slid a piece of paper across the round table.
The large letters on it clearly read “Employment Contract.”
“If you accept this proposal, your affiliation will still be with Changseong Corporation. I promise your existing salary and benefits will remain the same, and I’ll give you even more.”
“R-really?”
The offer was so sweet that it felt almost devilish, causing Sung-min’s carefully maintained formal demeanor to slip, leaving him looking dazed.
He would be paid more than before? And still be officially recognized as part of Changseong Corporation? That meant he could still bask in that glory while working?
“Please read the contract first, and if the proposal seems appealing, just sign it here. I assure you it’s not a bad deal.”
“What is this? A non-disclosure agreement…?”
As he wrestled with his confusion, Sung-min’s eyes widened even further upon seeing another paper Han-jin handed him.
What kind of work did they want him to do that they required a confidentiality agreement for it?
As he raised his head to meet the calm gaze of the man across from him, Han-jin only nodded, saying nothing.
He seemed to have an air of confidence, as if to say, “There are plenty of others who could do this too.”
Ugh.
Sung-min felt a strange sense of determination rise within him, hastily signing the contract before even reading through the entire thing.
The moment the secretary noticed, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
*
After the sun was bright enough, I made my way to the café where my older sister Seo-ha arranged for me to meet an editor.
Unlike the neighborhood cafés I’m used to, this place was quite large and even had private rooms, making it suitable for quiet conversations.
According to my sister, it was a place that celebrities frequently visited.
Creak.
“Ah, Mr. Cosmo!”
As I entered the café and opened the door to the room on the far right as my sister instructed, I saw a strange man greeting me along with my sister’s face.
Looking good, of course she didn’t dress up just for my sake, but I’m glad I got to enjoy a visual treat.
“It’s been a while, sister. It’s almost been two weeks since we last met, right?”
Nowadays, I’ve been busy preparing to switch platforms while searching for an editor, and I heard that my sister has been quite occupied with work too, so we hadn’t found an opportunity to meet. I felt a little hesitant to bring it up first.
So, I opened my mouth with a bit of excitement at seeing her for the first time in almost two weeks, and she flashed her soft smile and corrected me with her index finger raised.
“Actually, it has been 19 days.”
“Wow… has it really been that long?”
It was surprising that we hadn’t seen each other in nearly three weeks, but I was even more amazed by how she was keeping track of the time.
She must have an extraordinary sense of time. Otherwise, there’s no reason for her to remember it so precisely.
“By the way, sister, is this person…?”
As we were enjoying the long-awaited reunion, I cautiously started addressing the somewhat awkwardly standing man whose face looked stiff.
Only then did my sister realize her delay and, with a smile, introduced the man beside her.
“Oh, I forgot to introduce. This is the editor I wanted to show you, Mr. Cosmo.”
“Nice to meet you, I am Lee Sung-min. It’s an honor to meet you.”
As soon as my sister introduced me, the editor bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle, greeting me in a manner that made me feel embarrassed.
What’s this? Do I look like some important figure to be honored so highly? Is he just naturally polite?
“I am Kang Woo-joo. I am currently active under the nickname Cosmo on Twip.”
Trying not to show my surprise, I extended my hand for a shake, but he quickly wiped his hands on his clothes and grabbed mine with both hands.
…This feels like I’m running for an election. Why is he being so humble? Even though he came here for a job hunt, we’re both in the same position.
“He’s probably the most skilled among the people I know. He has also edited for a streamer named Loony in the past.”
“Impressive, he’s an experienced individual.”
I might not know much about Loony, but my sister’s praises implied he was quite capable.
“Um, I brought some videos I worked on previously for my portfolio.”
“Oh, should we take a look at them while we chat?”
“Please feel free….”
At my suggestion, the editor propped up the tablet he had placed on the table and started playing the videos he had prepared with just a few taps.
As the video started, a strange woman could be seen laughing heartily while playing a game, coming through the stream.
– Hahaha! What are you even saying!
“Oh….”
There were a total of five videos, but even having watched just the first one for five minutes, I couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
The quality was definitely impressive.
I’m not an expert in video editing, but in terms of YouTube videos, the most important aspects are readability and how well the humor or key points are highlighted.
In those terms, this video had everything neatly laid out—from the quality of the subtitles to the smooth screen transitions and sound effects used throughout.
Wow, I thought someone like him wouldn’t want to work with a small-time streamer like me.
“Um, this might be a rude question, but… are you really okay with working with someone like me?”
Feeling a little guilty about having someone with such talent as an editor, I asked, and the editor’s face turned pale as if he had just received some terrible news.
He looked like he just heard his death sentence.
“Excuse me? Is the video not to your liking?”
“No, it’s not that… it’s just that you’re really skilled. With your talent, I would expect you to be aiming for a corporate streamer or something, so I wondered if you’d actually be okay working with someone like me.”
My slightly self-deprecating compliment seemed to ease the editor’s tense expression.
“Well, that’s absolutely not true! I’ll work like a dog, so please take me with you!”
“Wait a sec! Why are you suddenly kneeling…!”
He dropped to his knees on the cold floor, practically begging.
Caught off guard by his perplexing actions, I tried to help him up, but my sister only watched the scene with a satisfied smile and nodded.
Wait, sister. Who exactly did you introduce me to?