Chapter 4

The following day

DaJung’s POV

Getting myself dress up formally, I checked the outfit before heading to the living room. Inside the kitchen, breakfasts were already to be served. I drank up the yogurt in one gulp and cleared the plate.

“I’m off now!” Being accustomed, I called out every time leaving the house. I hailed a cab to get myself to the J. Crown Company mentioned by Kris and Ahjussi. Standing outside the building, there was already a crowded in front of the reception. Moreover, the traffic of people was still getting inside the building and it can be told for sure that they were all here to recruit.

“Excuse me, I’m here for the recruitment!” I weaved my way through the crowd and went to line up. Waiting for about ten minutes, it finally my turn. As I reaching to the front desk, I handed out my resume to the receptionist, that two young lady shared glares after taking peeks on my portfolio.  

“Here is your number for the interview, have a seat over there and wait till your number be called. Next in line!” Feeling attitude from that receptionist, I grabbed the number sticker that handing over from the receptionist without saying thank you. Soon then, I took one empty seat on the couch set inside the hall that for designer candidates.

“Nam Da Jung, am I your servant? Always have me to extra follow-up for you!” at the time waiting in the hallway with other interviewees, Lay sent me a message and making a complaint. Finding no clue toward his dispute, I replied him back for explanation of his word as soon as I read the message.

“Your plate!” With the two words reply, I figured out that he once again proved himself a small-minded guy. As I prepared to retort, I heard a sound of door open from not far away and then I craned forward to look more clearly since people sitting next to me blocked my vision.

“Number 31,32, 33, 34, 35, please come in!” It was the staff of the company; he was holding the clipboard and called out five numbers in a row. I heard my number being called, which was number 32. I finished the sentence and sent back the message back to Lay speedily before getting up from the couch.

After the long awaited, I followed behind the number 31 candidates as we all entered the interview room. There were five chairs placing in the center of the room.  Facing the managers, five of us took the seat one followed by one in a very polite way.  I found that Kris didn’t join the recruitment interview as I skimming through the judges from the left to the right. They had a total four interviewers there.

As one interviewer asking question, the rest of them were looking over the resume from the recruiters, included mine: yet, during the interview, not even one question addressed to me and I turned out to be the outcast the whole time. The interview came to the end as times passing by.

“Just a moment, I would like to know the reason why am I not getting any questions. Why isn’t anyone asking me anything?” Being ignored throughout the interview, I spoke up for myself before the interview was dismissing. The judges looked at each other eyes to eyes before answering my question.

“Ah, since we are looking for jewelry designer, after looking at all the applications, Ms. Nam doesn’t really fit-“

“I don’t think that there were any prerequisites. All of the people here didn’t’ major in this field either. More than that, I’m applying for the trainee designer, experience or other qualification won’t takes into account, is not it?” However, their response was just way too ridiculous as they telling me that I’m not the one for their company by saying so. Right then, I threw out a smirk as I speaking up to interrupt the interviewers who talking to me out of this time.

“It must be because of my education level, I did not graduate from any university, but that wasn’t in the prerequisites. It wasn’t stated that only those from prestigious schools could come for the interview right? Since you guys are finding designer, shouldn’t the design technique be the top priority?”

My word led all the candidates looking at my side and the interviewer speechless. Even though I sensed the resentment eyes on me, but I never mind doing things causing strange eyes of others. Besides that, I bounded to work at this company under Ahjussi’s command.

“It sounds interesting!” All of sudden, a voice reverberated from behind and I found that voice sounding so familiar. Just then, my doubts got cleared up as everyone turned around to the back and I saw that person was nobody but Kris. He made his way to the judge zone with his left hand inside his pant pocket.

The interviewers all stood up from siting on the chair and they all bowed to Kris. But then, Kris held up his hand in front of his chest for one second and had some conversation with the interviewers. I saw they forced out some smile and nodded their heads repeatedly after the discussion with Kris.

“Good morning my potential candidates, my name is Kris Wu and I’m in charge of the design department. At first, I would like to say thanks for interesting in your company. So for helping you to increase your chance to be hired, I add one assignment impromptu.” Before the candidates giving out their reactions, one staff walked in the interview room and stood next to us. Then, she passed out some white paper and pencil to each of us and we all looked up to Kris with questions popped out our heads.

“In order to treat every applicant equally, I want you guys to play your creativity and design one piece of jewelry here. Any kind of jewelry is completely up to you and you will have twenty minutes to complete your work piece. With one more proviso, you guys must proffer a brief presentation of your design to me.”

The staff bowed her head to Kris and left the room afterward. Kris explained himself crystal clear enough to the candidates. As he talking in front of us, our eyes interlocked for few seconds, but he broke the contact by rolling his eyes to the other candidates and continuing to speak.

“Keep in mind, you guys are recruiting as a jewelry designer. That will be one of your job duties after advancing through the ranks of that occupation and becoming an official designer. You all may start now!” Wrapping up his word, Kris pushed the crown on the side of his watch on his left wrist. All candidates started to work on the design assignment and the atmosphere got tense up due to this. In the corner of my eyes, I noticed two candidates getting stuck and became nervous on the spot.

“Ok, times up! Pens down!” Twenty minutes passed, Kris rise up his voice to stop the candidates to continue the drawing. Before the domestic time come, I already got my design done but with the pencil in my hand during the awaiting time. However, the two candidates who struggling with the task led out some noise of grumble from my left and right side.

“Let’s start from the left! This gentleman, can you show my your finished work?” As Kris saying, the guy with his number 35 opened his mouth to explain his design to Kris. At the whole time, I just looked to the front and zoned out as the voice of the other candidates reaching to my ears.

“Agassi, now’s your turn!” Even though the voice didn’t identify clearly, but I was unable to acknowledge I was that Miss in someone’s mouth. Since the voice belonged to Kris. It been few times that I heard he called me Agassi couple days before today.

I shifted my vision up from the floor and adjusted my position by straightening my body a bit. I flipped around my paper away from me to the public and unveiled my design for the improvisation. It was a simple sterling sliver necklace with a slice stone pendant.   

“A stone pendant? Agassi, I'm not trying to be rude, but do you think that stone necklace accord with the aspiration of our company's product concept?!"

"Typically, I dislike these stones, such a rough texture! I would more likely prefer some kind of diamond" Before I can say something, the two members of the interviewers group began to make some criticisms about my design. Without anyone telling, I could feel the offense and prejudice against me. How snobby!?Why people always like to look down on others?!

"What wrong with the stone pendants?! I don't feel like there is any difference between stone and diamond, not a single one. Diamonds are anything but an “investment”. They will be treasured as gemstones after cutting and polishing. Compared with stone, diamonds are philistinism and gimcrackery because it is nothing but represents the deepest dark in the humanity nature.”

“People are willing to go on a spending spree just for a piece of diamond and in which to possess a diamond; even let their family at stake without any hesitation regardless what kind of story behind that diamond. When you put on a high-value jewelry the vanity will blind you. You won’t think of its past or its future. All your fear is gone.” Straightaway, I retorted upon the two interviewers, saying they were to blame for perpetuating a stereotype with excessive emotion. A long dormant memory stirred in my mind. However, this was just temporary agitation as soon as I noticing that I released my emotion unconsciously and then backed to the usual me.

Averting my eyes downward, there was the silence in the room and I sensed all eyes on me, astonished looks from everyone. I realized that I’ve saying something that was not supposed to be expressed. Yet, the interview carried on few moments later as Kris speaking up. After the last candidate next to me finishing his part, the interview was thus brought to a close and all of the candidates including me exited the interview room.

Hope I didn’t screw up the plan. Thinking to myself, I walked down the hallway to the lobby with my eyes looking down at the floor. Nam Da Jung, you still unable to control your feeling whenever it comes to that annoying memory. Suddenly, I felt someone blocked my way to merge forward as I looked up from the floor and found out the person who standing in my way was Lay. Why is he here?

“Don’t tell me you come to recruit?” Looking Lay from head to toe, there was no other reason for him to dress up that formal. What has happened? Ahjussi didn’t inform me that Lay would be getting involved in this plan.

“Wuli Da Jung yi, why you look so shock to see me around here?!" Once again, Lay approached me with his asymmetrical smile which one-sided of his mouth is raised and it appeared fake to me. Then, he whispered something to me that not impressed much as expected because I know that was Ahjussi's command, but not his own decision undoubtedly.

"I'm here to help you out!" As the sentence ended, Lay expressed his words without uttering any noise which I gotta use speech reading to comprehend it. After then, he winked his right eyes to me in a wicked way. I looked into his eyes indifferently as I waited for his next word. "How was it?! You might think what an amiable and obliging Oppa I am, I could tell it by your eyes."

"I might?! When have you been that diffident?" I did not make reply to his remarks directly. Instead of that, I tried to play sarcasm with him through our conversation. With no reason, the smile on his face broadened as he listened to my words. I was unable to recall since when we communicate through such ways like this. But there was one thing that I can be very determined was my emotion would be able to back in the normal temper after the time bickering with him. It probably because of my loathe of his attitude caused me forgetting about the down spirit.

"Oops, seems like our emotional management practice need to stop here. See you soon, Agassi!" Suddenly, Lay turned his heel away from me as he changed his form of address to a polite way. I got the message from him in a blink of an eye since it has been a tremendous joint effort between two of us. We probably became the spotlight. We were not allowed to let anyone got the feeling that Lay and I know each other, especially the staff here and that Kris guy. Thus, Lay acted it up like we were just stranger and walked away to somewhere else. At the time, we shouldn't put up my awareness and walked toward the entrance after picking up my feet.

Being attentive was one of the essential conditions for us. Pretending nothing happened, I prepared myself to leave J. Crown as I picked up my feet and walked toward the entrance.

It been several days passed after the recruitment event held by J. Crown. However, I still haven’t received any mails or calls from them nor Kris since they already sent Lay an offer letter. Due to this, I proved that one rotten apple certainly spoils the whole barrel. Damn it, will I become a dead fish if Ahjussi know it?

Hold on, leniency to those who confess and severity to those who resist. That was always Ahjussi’s motto. So should I? Before he found it out?

“Ahjussi, I will assume duty this following Monday.” Before dinning time, Lay bought up the conversation with the topic of him take office all of sudden which has frustrating me a bit. Then, Ahjussi made response to it and expanded the talk to our project as he exhorted Lay by saying it.

“Great! The process to complete the plan of this mission is underway, so in the interim Lay you could data-mine the interagency services for us first.” Lay nodded his head with understanding at the time he listened to every single word from Ahjussi carefully. Unexpectedly, Ahjussi turned his face to my side and asked me a question that I was not getting ready to answer.

“Da Jung ah, how about you? The design department is the core department of the company, I believe you will have a greater probability of chance to lay hand on the diamonds in the future, so show me some hard work, okay?”

“…Emm” With hesitation, I found myself becoming scarcely stammer to the words from Ahjussi I had no response. What is done by night appears by day. Looks like something should be told before it pour out. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes tightly as I preparing myself to face the music.

“Ahjussi, JEOSONGHABMIDA! I screwed up and failed to get in as I let my emotion overflow unconsciously.” I finished my sentence off the reel. Waiting for any kind of reproach, I kept my eyes shut; yet, the content of Ahjussi’s response was not something that I expected to hear as it reaching to my ears.

“What do you mean? Aren’t you being hired? And will getting into saddle this Monday as Lay does?” My eyelids flustered open and an expression of shock and bewilderment along with it. I raised my quizzical eyebrow, Ahjussi explained himself to me and exposed the person go behind my back.

“Lay imparted your acceptance to me two days ago. The Human Resources omitted to send the copy of your offer letter, so they gave you a call to inform you about the employment instead. They will mail you the notice later.” Just now, both Ahjussi and I shifted our focus to where Lay at and besides, I gave him the menacing glare. A feeling of accomplishment came with the job offer, but at the same time, I got insanely angry at being made a monkey of.

“Nam Da Jung, don’t you know that? Your attitude toward the confession just exactly what I wanted, especially the expression on your face, hahahaha!” As Lay throwing salt, it stirred up the furious inside me; yet I kept myself silence and planned to do anything further as I’m telling myself secretly: ‘Don’t worry. I’m patience. Vengeance will be mine.’

Here is the overview of the necklace DaJung designed. 

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