Kim Jongin 2.0
Kim Jongin 2.0
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Jongin is early.
He looks up at the facade of the skyscraper - a sea of tainted glass towering over him, looking imposing next to the other smaller office buildings on the block.
Shinhan Bank.
He checks his watch for the fifth time in half an hour. 9.41am. His interview isn’t until 11 o’clock, but Jongin has a tendency to be late, so this morning he hadn’t taken any chances and had left his cousin’s apartment at 9 am sharp.
Someone bumps into him. “I - sorry,” he tries to apologize, but the man is already out of earshot, disappearing into the quickly moving crowd on the sidewalk. Jongin turns on his heels and barely avoids walking into a young woman clutching a Starbucks cup and a snakeskin laptop bag. She slips around him, expertly holding up her drink to keep it upright. “Watch where you’re going, idiot.”
Jongin stumbles back, nearly tripping over some businessman’s feet until his back finally hits the cool marble of the building and he’s no longer blocking the pavement.
Throngs of people walk by, some entering the bank through entrances left and right of Jongin. To him, they all look the same: impeccably dressed, an unmistakable air of success around them. He looks down at his own outfit: a dark grey off-the-rack suit that stretches uncomfortably tight around his shoulders and black patent leather dress shoes with hot pink heels and soles (Jongin had borrowed those from Jongdae, his ‘fashion-forward’ cousin, since he only owned sneakers himself).
Jongin cringes at the thought of having to buy more suits and appropriate footwear if the bank accepts his application for an internship. Then again, adding a successful internship at Shinhan to his resume would open a lot of doors and the investment would pay back itself in no time (at least that’s what he had told his mother when he left Jecheon for Seoul two weeks ago).
He checks his watch again. 9.44 am. Two hours and sixteen minutes left before his interview. Jongin takes out his phone, pressing number 9 on speed-dial.Jongdae.
Jongdae’s caller tune,Fantastic Baby, rings loudly in Jongin’s ear. His cousin’s gruff voice cuts through the second repetition of the chorus.
“You better be on fire because that’s the only good excuse for waking me up before noon.”
“I’m too early.”
Jongin can hear a dull thump and Jongdae’s groan over the rustling of sheets on the other end of the line. “...So?”
“Well, what do I do? People are looking at me,” Jongin squeaks.
“How the am I supposed to know. Act natural?”
Jongin tries to lean casually against the wall. He feels the fabric of his vest bunching up awkwardly as he slouches a little. “Okay, I’m doing it,” he mutters under his breath. “Now what?”
“Jongin, if you think I’m going to talk you through this for the next hour, you greatly overestimate my love for you.”
“Come on Jongdae, help me out here.” Jongin whines.
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Wait!” Jongin begs. “There are at least four different entrances, how do I know which one is the right one?”
“Well you’ve more than an hour to figure that out, don’t you? Good luck, bro,” Jongdae replies with a sneer before he ends the call.
ლ(´﹏`ლ)
As it turns out, all four entrances lead to the main foyer, where Jongin gets a visitor’s badge and is led through a metal detector before being waved through, a small card in hand with instructions to head to the 12th floor, office 127. The whole process takes only a few minutes and when Jongin steps out of the elevator, it’s barely ten o’clock.
From the hallway he’s standing in, he can see rows of cubicles and a few large offices taking up most of the space. Jongin doesn’t see a reception or waiting area and he feels anxiety building up in his belly again, urging him to run back to the safety of Jongdae’s apartment.
Act natural.
Jongin tries to imitate the casual lean he’d done earlier.
That’s right. I belong here. I can stand here all day long. This is perfectly acceptable behavior.
Jongin spots a young man peeping over one of the cubicles to stare at him.
. Play it cool, Jongin.
He does a hair flip.
The man laughs (barks?), showing a terrifying amount of teeth.
Jongin notices there’s a restroom a little further down the hall and flees.
(๑⁺᷄д⁺᷅๑)◞՞
997.
998.
999.
1000.
Jongin sighs as he closes the app. 1000 points on Pong, if he doesn’t get the job, at least he’ll have a shiny new highscore to boast. He checks the time again. 10.48am. Jongin shifts, running his hands nervously over his thighs. His legs are getting a little numb after sitting for 40 minutes on the closed toilet seat. Maybe I should freshen up a little before going in.
He unlocks the door and walks out of his stall. The sound of the running water splashing on smooth porcelain reverberates through the empty bathroom as Jongin washes his hands once, twice. The door to the office opens and a man walks in, heading straight for the sinks. Like everyone else on the floor he is dressed impeccably - a dark blue tailored suit fitting snugly on his lean frame, the jacket tapered at the man’s small waist.
They make eye-contact so Jongin makes an awkward half-bow.
“Are you new here?” The man asks before he turns on the faucet on the sink next to Jongin’s.
Striking up light-hearted conversations with possibly future co-workers was not something Jongin had mentally prepared himself for and he finds himself momentarily lost for words as he looks at the man next to him.
He’s nearly a head shorter than Jongin but he feels frumpy and a little intimidated standing next to a stranger who is so obviously dressed for success. He can see the man’s eyes raking over him, fleetingly - as if he’s sizing him up. Jongin wonders if he’s the kind of cold-blooded businessmen who eats interns for dinner.
“Um. Yes. No. Not yet, I mean - I have an interview for an internship.” The scrutinizing look on the man’s face changes into something softer, kinder, and Jongin can’t help but notice how handsome the man is when he isn’t frowning.
The man rolls up his cuffs and starts washing his hands. “You’re not from Seoul, are you?”
Dammit. Jongdae always makes fun of his accent. This man probably thinks he sounds like a peasant, too.
“Jecheon. I just moved here.”
The other man hums, quickly lathering up his hands. Jongin spots the glimmer of a small golden wedding band on his left hand. “Are you still in college?”
“Yes. But I’m not taking any classes this semester.” An approved internship would gain him some credit, and Jongin had saved up for months waiting tables to afford his Seoul trip.
“Why didn’t you apply at our Jecheon branch?” The man asks as he rinses off the soap suds.
“Seoul always looks better on a resume.”
“Ambitious, huh.” The man smiles and reaches for the towel dispenser. “Minseok will like that. Are you nervous?”
“A little.”
The man chuckles. “Just a little? You’ve been rinsing off your hands for at least two minutes now.”
Jongin hurriedly turns off the faucet.
“Don’t worry. Minseok is a clean freak. Mentioning you like to spend your break time washing your hands might give you a head-start,” the man adds with a wink, making his whole face contort in a decidedly unattractive way (although Jongin thinks it’s rather cute). He walks towards the door before turning on his heels again. “What’s your name?” he asks just as Jongin is reaching for the towels and accidentally pulls out a dozen all at once. Jongin fumbles and bows again.
“Kim Jongin, nice to meet you sir.”
“I’m Kim Joonmyun, senior financial analyst. Good luck. We might meet again, if you get the job.”
Joonmyun turns and leaves, the door shutting behind him with a soft click.
Jongin checks his watch again. 10.54 pm. Showtime.
(▰˘︹˘▰)
“I’m telling you, it was awful! They kept asking me all these irrelevant questions,” Jongin whines.
“It’s an interview, what did you expect?” Jongdae mumbles around a mouthful of chips.
“That woman was nice enough but the manager barely even looked at me. I don’t even think he read my resume, and he left after two minutes. And then this other guy who came had huge, round eyes and I wanted to hide under the table because I felt he could see right through my clothes.”
“Well, letting him see you might work in your favor. If he plays for your team.”
“... You disgust me.”
“I’m a free thinking spirit.”
“Yeah, I used that line in the interview today. I’m not sure that came off the right way. The guy kept asking me to clarify my statement.” Jongin sighs and reaches for the bag but his cousin curls his arms around them protectively.
“Hey, no job, no chips.”
“Don’t be a , Jongdae. Besides, what job do you have?”
“I’m babysitting you, on top of my busy student life.” Jongdae anticipates the punch and scoots over to the far side of the couch, out of reach of Jongin’s swinging fists. “Geesh, you young folk are so violent these days.”
“You’re only 13 months older than me.”
“Odd how that somehow equals infinite wisdom, doesn’t it?” Jongdae smirks. There’s a chip in his hair. Jongin decides not to tell him.
“You became completely insufferable since you started majoring in Philosophy, you know.”
“Hence why I switched to Sociology,” Jongdae says.
“Sociology? When the hell did this happen?”
“Five days ago. The chicks at Sociology were way hotter and the lads bring better booze to parties.”
Jongin slouches back, too strung out to deal with his cousin’s antics right now. “My mom was right, this was a terrible idea. I should never have come here.”
Jongdae sits a little straighter and dusts a few crumbles off his chest. “Hey, don’t give up yet, kiddo. Damn, your generation has no patience at all.” Jongdae tosses the bag of chips in Jongin’s lap. “There, cry-baby, eat a chip. So what if the interview didn’t go well? There are plenty of banks in Seoul who’d be happy to hire an eager Finance major. You know those interns are nothing but glorified coffee-makers. Even a peasant like you could pull that off.”
Jongin tries to fit a fistful of chips into his mouth while listening to his cousin rant. “... and I won’t let you give up just because you weren’t hired on the spot. They might actually call you back.”
“You are the worst possible person ever to take career advice from, you know. And I have to ask, are you saying this to keep my spirits up because you care about me or because you’re worried you won’t find another roommate who wants to cough up half the rent to share this oversized closet with a nutbag like yourself?
“I don’t see why those options would be mutually exclusive,” Jongdae quips. “But seriously, you have to work on your attitude if you want to make it in the big city. Seoul eats little fish like you. It’s time to channel your inner shark.”
“My inner shark?” Jongin asks.
“You know. Find your brand. Figure out your strong points. Sell yourself - show them the new and improved Kim Jongin!”
“You called me a peasant fifteen seconds ago.”
“Details! I’ve forgotten all about that already.”
“But I haven’t.”
Jongdae throws his arms in the air in exasperation. “Work with me, okay?”
“Look, I came to Seoul to swim with the big fish. But I’m still a shrimp.”
Jongdae huffs. “Technically you’re not even krill right now.”
“Exactly. I don’t have anything to sell yet.”
“Nonsense! You may not have my exceptionally good looks or my social skills but you’re pretty as long as you keep your mouth shut. And you’re the math genius of the family. You wrote your first program when you were 13! I know because I’ve had to hear about it every Christmas for the following five years.”
“I’m hardly a genius. And that program was a prehistoric looking version of tic-tac-toe.”
“Well, grandma thought it was Nobel Prize worthy. Besides, you’re missing the point. You’re a bright kid, someone will see that eventually. But it’s up to you to convince them. Let them all scramble to get a piece of Kim Jongin 2.0 - the hottest item on the intern market.”
“...”
“...”
“Do you have to make everything sound so cheesy?”
Jongdae leans over and plucks the bag out of Jongin’s lap again. “Cheese is what I do best, baby.”
“I’m gonna take a nap,” Jongin says as he slides off the couch and pads towards his room.
“I’m serious! Kim Jongin 2.0! You should get started on a blog!” Jongdae yells after him.
＼（＠￣∇￣＠）／
Dear Kim Jongin,
Thank you for your application at Shinhan Bank - Finance and Asset Management division SEOUL. We are pleased to inform you your candidature has been accepted and we look forward to working with you in our Trainee & Internship Program.
Please contact Mrs. CHOI Yeeun (+82 2-749-0381) as soon as possible for more information.
Kind regards,
LEE Sungyeol
Shinhan Bank Seoul
“I told you it would all work out.” Jongdae says triumphantly.
“I still don’t get it…” Jongin says, reading over the email for the twelfth time. “I was so sure they wouldn’t be interested.”
“Will you please stop questioning yourself. You got in! Did you put this on your blog yet? We should celebrate this properly after my Biology exam next Thursday. There’s a club Tao and Sehun have been wanting to go to for weeks now.
“Who are Tao and Sehu- wait, Biology? Why is a Sociology major taking biology?”
“I switched majors again.” Jongdae says flippantly.
“You switched - again? When? Is that even possible?”
“Hey, don’t judge me for living my life. There’s a real future in biotechnology.”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.09.28
Tomorrow I start working at Shinan. Woot.
Had spaghetti for lunch.
(•ิ_•ิ)?
“Did they set you up downstairs? Got your own badge and code?”
“Yes sir,” Jongin says, a little out of breath as he tries to keep up with the smaller man as he strides through the long hallways of the 12th floor.
“Okay, we’ll still need to get you form H-9, that’s the one you have to submit to your university and -”
“Lee Sungyeol from HR already gave me the extra documents I need for school, sir.”
Jongin looks down at the plastic file in his hand. It contains a copy of his contract, three different applications to be sent back to university, some Shinhan folders and a shiny new badge with his picture on it.
Do Kyungsoo halts suddenly and Jongin almost walks right into him. “I see. Let me show you your new workspace then - Park Chanyeol can show you around on the floor, you’ll be assisting him most of the time. I’ll mail you a list of the assigned accounts that are up for review next week.” Kyungsoo keeps talking as he briskly starts walking again, saying something about a task list and Jongin strains his ears as he awkwardly jogs after him.
“.. but we won’t let you work on those until after you’ve finished your one month trial period anyway. Now, you are to work together with Chanyeol but you report directly to me. You mentioned in your interview you have experience in programming, right?”
“Yes, sir,” Jongin says as he steps aside to make way for a group of businessmen coming down the hall. Kyungsoo keeps walking straight and they part for him, exchanging polite bows.
“Which languages have you most experience with?
“Um, C++, Java and MATLAB.”
“Good. That’ll get you some extra work - Joonmyun will be glad to hear we won’t have to call in IT everytime he needs a model tweaked.”
“Joon - Joonmyun, sir?”
“That’s Kim Joonmyun to you. Supervisor of our Financial Analyst Team. I’m his assistant. You report to me, I report to him, he reports to Minseok. Don’t worry, you’ll figure out the chain of command soon enough. Here we are,” Kyungsoo says as they walk into a cubicle close to one of the larger offices. “Chanyeol, this is Kim Jongin, our newest intern.”
Chanyeol spins his chair around and claps his hands excitedly. “New recruits! How exciting.”
Jongin recognizes him as the one with all the teeth from the day of his interviewer. Chanyeol shakes his hand enthusiastically. It’s a sharp contrast with Kyungsoo’s stiff posture but if the assistant is fazed by Chanyeol’s behavior, he doesn’t show it.
“Show Jongin around, if you will. I’ll send you a worksheet later this afternoon with next week’s schedule. Where are you on the Wakefield file?”
“Nearly finished sir, just waiting for them to get back to me with the revised reports of this quarter to make some final edits.”
“Joonmyun wants it on his desk before 4pm.” Kyungsoo says.
“But sir-,” Chanyeol splutters. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it before then.”
Kyungsoo’s jaw tightens. “Unfortunately for you, I am sure about what will happen to you if you don’t.”
Chanyeol gulps audibly.
Kyungsoo nods towards Jongin. “If you need anything else, I’m right across the hall, by Joonmyun’s office. Welcome to the firm,” he says before walking out of the cubicle. Jongin sees him enter the large glass-walled office, and the small figure behind the large mahogany desk in the center of the room. Sure enough, it’s the same guy he’d met in the bathroom before his not-so-disastrous-after-all interview.
We might meet again, if you get the job.
( 。•_• 。)
Jongin sinks down into the office chair opposite Chanyeol’s, who still looks a little shaken up from his encounter with Kyungsoo.
“Alright - Jongin, was it? I’m afraid proper introductions and our tour of the premises will have to wait until I can get someone at Wakefield to send me those damn reports. Uh, there’s your desk, all office supplies are in the room behind that-,” Chanyeol points, “green door over there - take whatever you need to get set up. Did HR give you a login already?”
Jongin holds up the file he’d received downstairs.
“Good, good. Well, boot up your computer and check if everything works. I’ll ask Hongbin later to show you where to find everything on the server, I really can’t waste time on it right now.” Chanyeol says as he starts typing away on his own keyboard.
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Jongin asks tentatively.
Chanyeol looks up and pulls out a file labeled “WKFLDX14”. “Our contact’s name is Han Woohyun. I know he’s out of the country so try to get hold of an assistant or junior manager - anyone who can send me those reports right away,” he says as he hands the file to Jongin.
“I’m on it.”
“Great. Thanks.” Chanyeol focuses back on his monitor.
Jongin cranes his neck to take another look at the small figure of Kyungsoo, standing hunched over Joonmyun’s desk. “Hey… is Kyungsoo always that intense?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah, you don’t want to mess with him. We call him the Butcher.”
Jongin’s stomach clenches uncomfortably. “..the Butcher?”
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He looks up at the facade of the skyscraper - a sea of tainted glass towering over him, looking imposing next to the other smaller office buildings on the block.
Shinhan Bank.
He checks his watch for the fifth time in half an hour. 9.41am. His interview isn’t until 11 o’clock, but Jongin has a tendency to be late, so this morning he hadn’t taken any chances and had left his cousin’s apartment at 9 am sharp.
Someone bumps into him. “I - sorry,” he tries to apologize, but the man is already out of earshot, disappearing into the quickly moving crowd on the sidewalk. Jongin turns on his heels and barely avoids walking into a young woman clutching a Starbucks cup and a snakeskin laptop bag. She slips around him, expertly holding up her drink to keep it upright. “Watch where you’re going, idiot.”
Jongin stumbles back, nearly tripping over some businessman’s feet until his back finally hits the cool marble of the building and he’s no longer blocking the pavement.
Throngs of people walk by, some entering the bank through entrances left and right of Jongin. To him, they all look the same: impeccably dressed, an unmistakable air of success around them. He looks down at his own outfit: a dark grey off-the-rack suit that stretches uncomfortably tight around his shoulders and black patent leather dress shoes with hot pink heels and soles (Jongin had borrowed those from Jongdae, his ‘fashion-forward’ cousin, since he only owned sneakers himself).
Jongin cringes at the thought of having to buy more suits and appropriate footwear if the bank accepts his application for an internship. Then again, adding a successful internship at Shinhan to his resume would open a lot of doors and the investment would pay back itself in no time (at least that’s what he had told his mother when he left Jecheon for Seoul two weeks ago).
He checks his watch again. 9.44 am. Two hours and sixteen minutes left before his interview. Jongin takes out his phone, pressing number 9 on speed-dial.Jongdae.
Jongdae’s caller tune,Fantastic Baby, rings loudly in Jongin’s ear. His cousin’s gruff voice cuts through the second repetition of the chorus.
“You better be on fire because that’s the only good excuse for waking me up before noon.”
“I’m too early.”
Jongin can hear a dull thump and Jongdae’s groan over the rustling of sheets on the other end of the line. “...So?”
“Well, what do I do? People are looking at me,” Jongin squeaks.
“How the am I supposed to know. Act natural?”
Jongin tries to lean casually against the wall. He feels the fabric of his vest bunching up awkwardly as he slouches a little. “Okay, I’m doing it,” he mutters under his breath. “Now what?”
“Jongin, if you think I’m going to talk you through this for the next hour, you greatly overestimate my love for you.”
“Come on Jongdae, help me out here.” Jongin whines.
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Wait!” Jongin begs. “There are at least four different entrances, how do I know which one is the right one?”
“Well you’ve more than an hour to figure that out, don’t you? Good luck, bro,” Jongdae replies with a sneer before he ends the call.
ლ(´﹏`ლ)
As it turns out, all four entrances lead to the main foyer, where Jongin gets a visitor’s badge and is led through a metal detector before being waved through, a small card in hand with instructions to head to the 12th floor, office 127. The whole process takes only a few minutes and when Jongin steps out of the elevator, it’s barely ten o’clock.
From the hallway he’s standing in, he can see rows of cubicles and a few large offices taking up most of the space. Jongin doesn’t see a reception or waiting area and he feels anxiety building up in his belly again, urging him to run back to the safety of Jongdae’s apartment.
Act natural.
Jongin tries to imitate the casual lean he’d done earlier.
That’s right. I belong here. I can stand here all day long. This is perfectly acceptable behavior.
Jongin spots a young man peeping over one of the cubicles to stare at him.
. Play it cool, Jongin.
He does a hair flip.
The man laughs (barks?), showing a terrifying amount of teeth.
Jongin notices there’s a restroom a little further down the hall and flees.
(๑⁺᷄д⁺᷅๑)◞՞
997.
998.
999.
1000.
Jongin sighs as he closes the app. 1000 points on Pong, if he doesn’t get the job, at least he’ll have a shiny new highscore to boast. He checks the time again. 10.48am. Jongin shifts, running his hands nervously over his thighs. His legs are getting a little numb after sitting for 40 minutes on the closed toilet seat. Maybe I should freshen up a little before going in.
He unlocks the door and walks out of his stall. The sound of the running water splashing on smooth porcelain reverberates through the empty bathroom as Jongin washes his hands once, twice. The door to the office opens and a man walks in, heading straight for the sinks. Like everyone else on the floor he is dressed impeccably - a dark blue tailored suit fitting snugly on his lean frame, the jacket tapered at the man’s small waist.
They make eye-contact so Jongin makes an awkward half-bow.
“Are you new here?” The man asks before he turns on the faucet on the sink next to Jongin’s.
Striking up light-hearted conversations with possibly future co-workers was not something Jongin had mentally prepared himself for and he finds himself momentarily lost for words as he looks at the man next to him.
He’s nearly a head shorter than Jongin but he feels frumpy and a little intimidated standing next to a stranger who is so obviously dressed for success. He can see the man’s eyes raking over him, fleetingly - as if he’s sizing him up. Jongin wonders if he’s the kind of cold-blooded businessmen who eats interns for dinner.
“Um. Yes. No. Not yet, I mean - I have an interview for an internship.” The scrutinizing look on the man’s face changes into something softer, kinder, and Jongin can’t help but notice how handsome the man is when he isn’t frowning.
The man rolls up his cuffs and starts washing his hands. “You’re not from Seoul, are you?”
Dammit. Jongdae always makes fun of his accent. This man probably thinks he sounds like a peasant, too.
“Jecheon. I just moved here.”
The other man hums, quickly lathering up his hands. Jongin spots the glimmer of a small golden wedding band on his left hand. “Are you still in college?”
“Yes. But I’m not taking any classes this semester.” An approved internship would gain him some credit, and Jongin had saved up for months waiting tables to afford his Seoul trip.
“Why didn’t you apply at our Jecheon branch?” The man asks as he rinses off the soap suds.
“Seoul always looks better on a resume.”
“Ambitious, huh.” The man smiles and reaches for the towel dispenser. “Minseok will like that. Are you nervous?”
“A little.”
The man chuckles. “Just a little? You’ve been rinsing off your hands for at least two minutes now.”
Jongin hurriedly turns off the faucet.
“Don’t worry. Minseok is a clean freak. Mentioning you like to spend your break time washing your hands might give you a head-start,” the man adds with a wink, making his whole face contort in a decidedly unattractive way (although Jongin thinks it’s rather cute). He walks towards the door before turning on his heels again. “What’s your name?” he asks just as Jongin is reaching for the towels and accidentally pulls out a dozen all at once. Jongin fumbles and bows again.
“Kim Jongin, nice to meet you sir.”
“I’m Kim Joonmyun, senior financial analyst. Good luck. We might meet again, if you get the job.”
Joonmyun turns and leaves, the door shutting behind him with a soft click.
Jongin checks his watch again. 10.54 pm. Showtime.
(▰˘︹˘▰)
“I’m telling you, it was awful! They kept asking me all these irrelevant questions,” Jongin whines.
“It’s an interview, what did you expect?” Jongdae mumbles around a mouthful of chips.
“That woman was nice enough but the manager barely even looked at me. I don’t even think he read my resume, and he left after two minutes. And then this other guy who came had huge, round eyes and I wanted to hide under the table because I felt he could see right through my clothes.”
“Well, letting him see you might work in your favor. If he plays for your team.”
“... You disgust me.”
“I’m a free thinking spirit.”
“Yeah, I used that line in the interview today. I’m not sure that came off the right way. The guy kept asking me to clarify my statement.” Jongin sighs and reaches for the bag but his cousin curls his arms around them protectively.
“Hey, no job, no chips.”
“Don’t be a , Jongdae. Besides, what job do you have?”
“I’m babysitting you, on top of my busy student life.” Jongdae anticipates the punch and scoots over to the far side of the couch, out of reach of Jongin’s swinging fists. “Geesh, you young folk are so violent these days.”
“You’re only 13 months older than me.”
“Odd how that somehow equals infinite wisdom, doesn’t it?” Jongdae smirks. There’s a chip in his hair. Jongin decides not to tell him.
“You became completely insufferable since you started majoring in Philosophy, you know.”
“Hence why I switched to Sociology,” Jongdae says.
“Sociology? When the hell did this happen?”
“Five days ago. The chicks at Sociology were way hotter and the lads bring better booze to parties.”
Jongin slouches back, too strung out to deal with his cousin’s antics right now. “My mom was right, this was a terrible idea. I should never have come here.”
Jongdae sits a little straighter and dusts a few crumbles off his chest. “Hey, don’t give up yet, kiddo. Damn, your generation has no patience at all.” Jongdae tosses the bag of chips in Jongin’s lap. “There, cry-baby, eat a chip. So what if the interview didn’t go well? There are plenty of banks in Seoul who’d be happy to hire an eager Finance major. You know those interns are nothing but glorified coffee-makers. Even a peasant like you could pull that off.”
Jongin tries to fit a fistful of chips into his mouth while listening to his cousin rant. “... and I won’t let you give up just because you weren’t hired on the spot. They might actually call you back.”
“You are the worst possible person ever to take career advice from, you know. And I have to ask, are you saying this to keep my spirits up because you care about me or because you’re worried you won’t find another roommate who wants to cough up half the rent to share this oversized closet with a nutbag like yourself?
“I don’t see why those options would be mutually exclusive,” Jongdae quips. “But seriously, you have to work on your attitude if you want to make it in the big city. Seoul eats little fish like you. It’s time to channel your inner shark.”
“My inner shark?” Jongin asks.
“You know. Find your brand. Figure out your strong points. Sell yourself - show them the new and improved Kim Jongin!”
“You called me a peasant fifteen seconds ago.”
“Details! I’ve forgotten all about that already.”
“But I haven’t.”
Jongdae throws his arms in the air in exasperation. “Work with me, okay?”
“Look, I came to Seoul to swim with the big fish. But I’m still a shrimp.”
Jongdae huffs. “Technically you’re not even krill right now.”
“Exactly. I don’t have anything to sell yet.”
“Nonsense! You may not have my exceptionally good looks or my social skills but you’re pretty as long as you keep your mouth shut. And you’re the math genius of the family. You wrote your first program when you were 13! I know because I’ve had to hear about it every Christmas for the following five years.”
“I’m hardly a genius. And that program was a prehistoric looking version of tic-tac-toe.”
“Well, grandma thought it was Nobel Prize worthy. Besides, you’re missing the point. You’re a bright kid, someone will see that eventually. But it’s up to you to convince them. Let them all scramble to get a piece of Kim Jongin 2.0 - the hottest item on the intern market.”
“...”
“...”
“Do you have to make everything sound so cheesy?”
Jongdae leans over and plucks the bag out of Jongin’s lap again. “Cheese is what I do best, baby.”
“I’m gonna take a nap,” Jongin says as he slides off the couch and pads towards his room.
“I’m serious! Kim Jongin 2.0! You should get started on a blog!” Jongdae yells after him.
＼（＠￣∇￣＠）／
Dear Kim Jongin,
Thank you for your application at Shinhan Bank - Finance and Asset Management division SEOUL. We are pleased to inform you your candidature has been accepted and we look forward to working with you in our Trainee & Internship Program.
Please contact Mrs. CHOI Yeeun (+82 2-749-0381) as soon as possible for more information.
Kind regards,
LEE Sungyeol
Shinhan Bank Seoul
“I told you it would all work out.” Jongdae says triumphantly.
“I still don’t get it…” Jongin says, reading over the email for the twelfth time. “I was so sure they wouldn’t be interested.”
“Will you please stop questioning yourself. You got in! Did you put this on your blog yet? We should celebrate this properly after my Biology exam next Thursday. There’s a club Tao and Sehun have been wanting to go to for weeks now.
“Who are Tao and Sehu- wait, Biology? Why is a Sociology major taking biology?”
“I switched majors again.” Jongdae says flippantly.
“You switched - again? When? Is that even possible?”
“Hey, don’t judge me for living my life. There’s a real future in biotechnology.”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.09.28
Tomorrow I start working at Shinan. Woot.
Had spaghetti for lunch.
(•ิ_•ิ)?
“Did they set you up downstairs? Got your own badge and code?”
“Yes sir,” Jongin says, a little out of breath as he tries to keep up with the smaller man as he strides through the long hallways of the 12th floor.
“Okay, we’ll still need to get you form H-9, that’s the one you have to submit to your university and -”
“Lee Sungyeol from HR already gave me the extra documents I need for school, sir.”
Jongin looks down at the plastic file in his hand. It contains a copy of his contract, three different applications to be sent back to university, some Shinhan folders and a shiny new badge with his picture on it.
Do Kyungsoo halts suddenly and Jongin almost walks right into him. “I see. Let me show you your new workspace then - Park Chanyeol can show you around on the floor, you’ll be assisting him most of the time. I’ll mail you a list of the assigned accounts that are up for review next week.” Kyungsoo keeps talking as he briskly starts walking again, saying something about a task list and Jongin strains his ears as he awkwardly jogs after him.
“.. but we won’t let you work on those until after you’ve finished your one month trial period anyway. Now, you are to work together with Chanyeol but you report directly to me. You mentioned in your interview you have experience in programming, right?”
“Yes, sir,” Jongin says as he steps aside to make way for a group of businessmen coming down the hall. Kyungsoo keeps walking straight and they part for him, exchanging polite bows.
“Which languages have you most experience with?
“Um, C++, Java and MATLAB.”
“Good. That’ll get you some extra work - Joonmyun will be glad to hear we won’t have to call in IT everytime he needs a model tweaked.”
“Joon - Joonmyun, sir?”
“That’s Kim Joonmyun to you. Supervisor of our Financial Analyst Team. I’m his assistant. You report to me, I report to him, he reports to Minseok. Don’t worry, you’ll figure out the chain of command soon enough. Here we are,” Kyungsoo says as they walk into a cubicle close to one of the larger offices. “Chanyeol, this is Kim Jongin, our newest intern.”
Chanyeol spins his chair around and claps his hands excitedly. “New recruits! How exciting.”
Jongin recognizes him as the one with all the teeth from the day of his interviewer. Chanyeol shakes his hand enthusiastically. It’s a sharp contrast with Kyungsoo’s stiff posture but if the assistant is fazed by Chanyeol’s behavior, he doesn’t show it.
“Show Jongin around, if you will. I’ll send you a worksheet later this afternoon with next week’s schedule. Where are you on the Wakefield file?”
“Nearly finished sir, just waiting for them to get back to me with the revised reports of this quarter to make some final edits.”
“Joonmyun wants it on his desk before 4pm.” Kyungsoo says.
“But sir-,” Chanyeol splutters. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it before then.”
Kyungsoo’s jaw tightens. “Unfortunately for you, I am sure about what will happen to you if you don’t.”
Chanyeol gulps audibly.
Kyungsoo nods towards Jongin. “If you need anything else, I’m right across the hall, by Joonmyun’s office. Welcome to the firm,” he says before walking out of the cubicle. Jongin sees him enter the large glass-walled office, and the small figure behind the large mahogany desk in the center of the room. Sure enough, it’s the same guy he’d met in the bathroom before his not-so-disastrous-after-all interview.
We might meet again, if you get the job.
( 。•_• 。)
Jongin sinks down into the office chair opposite Chanyeol’s, who still looks a little shaken up from his encounter with Kyungsoo.
“Alright - Jongin, was it? I’m afraid proper introductions and our tour of the premises will have to wait until I can get someone at Wakefield to send me those damn reports. Uh, there’s your desk, all office supplies are in the room behind that-,” Chanyeol points, “green door over there - take whatever you need to get set up. Did HR give you a login already?”
Jongin holds up the file he’d received downstairs.
“Good, good. Well, boot up your computer and check if everything works. I’ll ask Hongbin later to show you where to find everything on the server, I really can’t waste time on it right now.” Chanyeol says as he starts typing away on his own keyboard.
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Jongin asks tentatively.
Chanyeol looks up and pulls out a file labeled “WKFLDX14”. “Our contact’s name is Han Woohyun. I know he’s out of the country so try to get hold of an assistant or junior manager - anyone who can send me those reports right away,” he says as he hands the file to Jongin.
“I’m on it.”
“Great. Thanks.” Chanyeol focuses back on his monitor.
Jongin cranes his neck to take another look at the small figure of Kyungsoo, standing hunched over Joonmyun’s desk. “Hey… is Kyungsoo always that intense?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah, you don’t want to mess with him. We call him the Butcher.”
Jongin’s stomach clenches uncomfortably. “..the Butcher?”
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