A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 175

46. Still Just in the Process (2)

The next day, early in the morning.

Ji-seop was visiting his regular dry cleaner located in the apartment complex.

“Let’s see, unit 405, unit 405, unit 405… Ah, here it is! Unit 405!”

The dry cleaner owner took out Ji-seop’s suit and slowly walked out.

Ji-seop received the suit from him and took out his card from his wallet.

“Thank you!”

The owner inserted the credit card he received from Ji-seop into the old POS machine.

Ji-seop stood still, waiting for the calculation to be completed, when the owner raised his magnifying glasses and asked.

“By the way, unit 405, is there anything special going on today?”

“Excuse me?”

Seeing Ji-seop tilting his head, the owner continued.

“If you had waited at home, I would have brought it to you myself. Why would a busy person come all the way here? Especially this early in the morning.”

“Ah, you mean that?”

Ji-seop scratched his cheek with his finger.

“The company told me very firmly yesterday. They told me to dress as nicely as possible and come to work today.”

“Really? Oh, is there some important event at the company today?”

“Yes, something like that.”

To be precise, he was visiting the KH Group headquarters representing the Cannons staff, but Ji-seop didn’t go into that much detail.

“Honestly, they’re all pretty much the same, but this is the most expensive suit I have…”

“Ah, is that so?”

The dry cleaner’s face was filled with a triumphant expression after hearing Ji-seop’s words.

“Hehe, when I look at it… I think I have some foresight, too?”

“Excuse me?”

“Actually, I put unit 405’s suit through the ‘premium course’ this time.”

“Premium… course?”

Ji-seop’s eyes went to the price list on the wall of the dry cleaner and then back.

“Isn’t that a bit expensive?”

“Of course, it’s expensive! It’s a course that incorporates almost all of my 30 years of dry cleaning know-how!”

The dry cleaner boasted a little.

“But don’t feel burdened. Last time, unit 405 got me Jang Dae-woo’s autographed ball from the Cannons, right? Our grandson was so happy then.”

The dry cleaner laughed heartily.

“I was so grateful for that, so I specially put it through the ‘premium course’… It worked out well! I guarantee it, your company people? They’ll never notice!”

“Excuse me?”

Ji-seop tilted his head.

“They won’t notice, what do you mean?”

“What else could it be, my friend.”

The dry cleaner poked Ji-seop’s side with his elbow.

“That your suit, top and bottom, doesn’t even cost 200,000 won [approximately $150 USD].”

The dry cleaner smiled brightly.

However, a slight embarrassment was evident on Ji-seop’s face as he smiled along.

‘I thought I bought this for over 500,000 won [approximately $375 USD] at my brother’s friend’s store…’

Who is the culprit?

My brother? Or my brother’s friend?

It seemed necessary to have a sincere conversation with human Kim Ji-chang in the near future.

* * *

He did regret it.

That he had readily believed his brother’s words that he would ‘help him buy a suit.’

That he hadn’t looked into his eyes throughout the entire process of buying the suit in question.

And that he ended up buying a suit that cost less than 200,000 won in total for an expensive price.

‘Ugh, I swear… this guy…’

What was fortunate was that this suit had been dry cleaned in the ‘premium course.’

Whether the dry cleaner’s words were true or not, Ji-seop received compliments from all over the place when he came to work that day.

“Wow, Special Assistant Kim! You could go on a blind date today! You look so radiant?”

“What, what? Did you buy a new suit to commemorate entering the headquarters?”

The Cannons front office staff showered Ji-seop with compliments as he headed to the team manager’s office.

‘Hey, why are you doing this?’ Ji-seop waved his hand as if embarrassed, but on the other hand, he was relieved that ‘I won’t get criticized for my clothes’- but-

“…”

Exactly 30 minutes later.

Ji-seop realized that it was all his delusion.

“Hey, Qingdao [Ji-seop’s nickname]!”

“Yes, Vice Chairman.”

“You, you rascal, the salary I raised for you… Where did you spend it all?!

It was ‘Sakhalin Park’ Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo.

When Ji-seop entered the team manager’s office, Vice Chairman Park, who had arrived earlier and was waiting, suddenly shouted like this.

“Didn’t you hear from Team Manager Seo yesterday? Since it’s the day you’re entering the headquarters representing the baseball team, I told you to pay special attention to your clothes, didn’t I?”

And then, the next word.

“Where did you pick up some kind of rag and come waddling in here!”

“A, a rag, you say?”

Ji-seop was slightly taken aback.

“Vice Chairman, aren’t you going too far? Still, this is…”

“This is what? Did you think I wouldn’t know if you ironed it nicely?”

Sakhalin Park replied bluntly.

“Just by looking at it, I can tell it’s a suit made by some unknown guys trying to rip off young people just starting their careers. Did you give them about 200,000 won for the top and bottom?”

“…Excuse me?!”

“Or what is it? Don’t tell me you fell for the clothing store owner’s words? And bought it for over 500,000 won?”

“…”

Ji-seop was speechless.

Do people who have been in the trading business since they were young become sharp in this way too?

While Ji-seop, who had been completely hit in the bullseye, hesitated without being able to refute properly, Sakhalin Park turned to Secretary Yang, who was standing next to him.

“Hey, Secretary Yang! What time do we have to go to headquarters today? Was it 2 p.m.?”

“Yes, I said we would go by 2 p.m., but… adjustments are possible. I had scheduled it with plenty of time to spare from the start.”

“That’s good. Then let’s postpone it by an hour.”

Sakhalin Park glanced at Ji-seop with a displeased expression.

“Park Hong-joo has his face to save. How can I take such a guy as my subordinate? Whatever the inside is like, at least the outside has to look decent.”

“Yes, Vice Chairman.”

Honestly, at this time, Ji-seop was muttering inwardly, ‘You’re going too far.’

It was true that he was wearing a cheap suit, but his reflection in the mirror didn’t look that bad.

‘Everyone else said it was okay, why is only that old man making such a fuss…’

Ji-seop was grumbling inwardly like that, but it didn’t last long.

“Then let’s get going. Team Manager Seo, have a good time at the executive committee.”

“Leave it to me, Vice Chairman.”

When Sakhalin Park greeted Team Manager Seo Chang-ki and turned to Ji-seop.

Ji-seop heard it very clearly.

[Hehe, things are going smoothly.]

It was Sakhalin Park’s inner thoughts.

[I wanted to buy Qingdao a suit, but I didn’t have a reason to bring it up… A good excuse came up at the perfect time?]

Hey, what?

Was that what it was?

Ji-seop, who noticed Vice Chairman Park’s intentions, unknowingly raised the corners of his mouth.

Of course, Vice Chairman Park looked at such Ji-seop with a displeased expression.

“What, why are you suddenly grinning?”

“No, I’m just happy to be going out with the Vice Chairman after a long time.”

“Going out together… you’re happy?”

Oh my, this clueless guy.

Sakhalin Park, who was dumbfounded, ‘tapped’ Ji-seop’s butt.

“Let’s go quickly, you rascal.”

Sakhalin Park began to stride away.

“It’ll take quite a while to replace that rag.”

* * *

It was around 3 p.m. that day when Ji-seop arrived at the KH Group headquarters located in Gangnam, Seoul.

“…”

It was Ji-seop’s first time visiting the group’s headquarters building.

No, it was Ji-seop’s first time seeing the space of a large corporation’s headquarters building itself.

A scale that couldn’t be compared to a baseball stadium, a marble floor that shone as if it reflected his face, and people in neat suits walking busily through the hallways.

All of those scenes could have been quite interesting to Ji-seop, who had lived his whole life just throwing balls.

“Wow…”

In fact, at this time, such scenes were not in Ji-seop’s field of vision.

His mind was entirely taken over by the suit he had gotten from Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo’s regular tailor shop just 30 minutes ago.

“Vice Chairman, I think I know now what the saying ‘clothes make the man’ means… Hehe.”

In fact, Ji-seop had never had any complaints about the suits he had worn until now.

As long as the dress shirt didn’t have any stains, and as long as the jacket had buttons properly attached.

Ji-seop couldn’t understand why people kept saying ‘it’s not good, it’s not good.’

However, after receiving a suit from Sakhalin Park, he had a sense of what ‘good clothes’ were.

“The fabric is so soft, and there are no parts that bother me when I move… Wow, I guess this is why people need to make money.”

“Stop it, you rascal.”

Sakhalin Park raised his pot lid-like hand and ‘thumped’ Ji-seop on the back of the neck.

“It’s not like it was tailored to your body, it’s just something I picked up that was left over in the tailor shop… How can you be so grateful for that? Why are you so petty?”

Sakhalin Park was clicking his tongue on the outside, but he seemed to be quite pleased with Ji-seop’s happy appearance.

While suppressing the smile that was about to bloom on his lips, he casually threw out a word as if passing by.

“Just be quiet. I’ll set a date sometime soon. Let’s go back to the place we went today… and get a proper one made.”

“Excuse me? Again?”

Ji-seop blinked his eyes.

However, Sakhalin Park was nodding to the employees in front of the elevator with an indifferent expression.

“Have you forgotten already that I haven’t seen you much lately? I’m the kind of person who definitely treats those who do their job properly.”

“…”

“Team Manager Seo told me yesterday. The first solo first place in 13 years… He said your contribution was very big.”

Then I have to get you a suit.

Sakhalin Park had an attitude as if it were natural, but Ji-seop was tilting his head slightly.

“I appreciate your kind words, but…”

Ji-seop scratched his head.

“If you’re going to get me a suit separately later, why did you buy me this suit today? I thought this was a reward for being the sole first place winner.”

“Oh, that rascal. You talk too much.”

Sakhalin Park continued.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s to give a good impression to the person we’re meeting today. Can’t you figure that out right away, you rascal?”

“…The person we’re meeting today?”

There was no need to ask who that was.

He had a vague sense of it from Vice Chairman Park’s attitude.

Ding-

Above all, when he got on the ‘executive-only’ elevator that he had only heard about in rumors, Secretary Yang pressed the button to go to the 27th floor.

According to what Team Manager Seo had once told Ji-seop, on the 27th floor of this building-

The chairman’s office,

There is the office of KH Group Chairman Joo Young-eun.