Chapter Text
“Dear SQD Financial Group,
I am emailing you in relation to your job opening for personal assistant/secretary. I would describe myself as a very organised, professional individual, who works well both in teams and independently. I think I would be a good fit for your company’s position.
I have attached a copy of my resumé and I am also available for an interview if required.
You will see that though I lack experience as an official assistant/secretary, I have managed schedules and many clients previously for Dragon Motors, who were very happy with my performance and I have included them as a reference.
I hope to hear from you soon,
Thank you,
Seong G.”
Gi-hun sighed at his computer, resting his head in his hands.
“Please, please let this one work out,” he muttered under his breath.
He had been trying to find a new job for sometime now. It had only been getting harder since his previous employer had gone into liquidation, though at least they were still offering references for the staff.
He jotted down some notes in his book, simple scribbles of jobs he’d applied for, skills he believed he had, and possible corrections he could make to his applications if needed.
His phone buzzed on the table, he quickly reached for it, paying no mind to the caller ID.
“Hello?,” he answered optimistically, “oh.. hi mom, yeah.. yeah I’m still looking. No, I don’t think so. Well, I’m just tired of breaking my back working with cars all day, I’m getting older y’know? No.. no mom I didn’t mean.. no you’re still young.. aha… okay.. yes mom.. I’ll let you know..”.
He ended the call, letting out a sigh.
His mother was hovering, she had been since he’d lost his job, and according to her, his best efforts weren’t good enough.
Gi-hun’s mom believed that Gi-hun simply didn’t want to work hard, and he was wasting his years of experience as a mechanic.
For Gi-hun, it meant maybe he wouldn’t come home covered in oil and grime, his back aching and his neck stiff. The smell of engine oil and burnt exhausts no longer sticking to him.
He thought he could do better at his age.
A day or so later, he scrolled through more job listings online, applying to a variety of positions, each one seeming further and further out of reach.
“Hm.. barista..,” he considered, “nah.. too complicated. Dog walker? Maybe not… Garbage man.. eww… not for my weak stomach,” he scoffed.
He sat back on his chair swirling around lazily. He stared up at the ceiling, wondering what he was going to do if he was stuck in this position forever.
“I don’t think I can take much more of this..,” he sighed. “Either I apply with nothing or apply with rejection. What do these people want from me?”
A ding from his computer echoed around the room, startling him slightly.
“Huh?,” he swirled around promptly looking at the computer, “What pinged..? Where.. where..? Oh email!,” he gasped.
He clicked on his inbox scrolling to see an unread message. His eyes widened.
“SQD?! Already?,” he gasped, “Breathe Gi-hun, breathe”, he soothed himself.
He closed his eyes, clasping his hands together. “Please, please, please, please,” he begged.
He clicked open the email, almost terrified to read the contents. “Please don’t be a rejection email,” he whispered to himself.
“Dear Seong G.,
Our position for secretary/assistant is in fact still open. After looking at your resumé, we would normally deem you over qualified for the position, though due to our previous employee retiring early, we are in need of someone to start soon. Would you be available to come in on Monday 10am? No interview necessary, as long as you are aware of the fact there is a standard probationary period. We can discuss this further if you are still interested in the position.
Kind Regards,
Cho Hyun-Ju, HR,
SQD Financial Group.”
Gi-hun’s jaw practically hit the floor. His heart thumping excitedly in his chest. “Success!,” he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. “A job, finally a real job!”.
He cleared his throat after a short victory dance and focused on his reply.
“Dear Cho Hyun-Ju,
Thank you kindly for your email. I would gladly come in on Monday, I look forward to working with you. The probationary period is no object, I aim to impress and work diligently.
I appreciate the opportunity.
Yours sincerely,
Seong G.”
He spent far too long grinning at his computer. Immense pride at the fact he’d finally bagged a job after the long search.
“Take that unemployment!,” he chuckled, rubbing his hands together. “An office, what could possibly go wrong in an office,” he sighed optimistically.
He sat back smiling smugly at his computer, stretching his arms out and relaxing into the seat.
“I’ve got a good feeling about this..”