m e e t i n g t h e d e v i l
the devil intern
CHAPTER ONE: M E E T I N G T H E D E V I L
Who is Jung Jaehyun? Jung Jaehyun is Jung Jaehyun.
Jung Jaehyun is 23 years old.
Jung Jaehyun has never been in love before, nor dated, nor been kissed.
Most would say that's sad. Jung Jaehyun doesn't mind much though because Jung Jaehyun is a simple man. He entertains only simple thoughts and simple actions and simple solutions to simple problems.
Should his car break down? No time to wait for a repair, let's just buy a new one! Should his air conditioner break down? Nope, no money to buy a new one (spent it on the new car) — let's just open the windows! Should his parents nag him about getting a GF? "Sorry, mom, dad — I'm gay now."
Some might scold him for being lazy, but Jung Jaehyun is not lazy.
No, he's far from lazy. He's just flexible.
Being so flexible is what earned him a job at a decent, large-scale company and earns him about 35,000 USD per year as an average.
It's not a job that one can brag about, but it's a job. It pays the bills, it puts food on the table and since he's already got an apartment as a graduation gift, that's all that matters as far as Jung Jaehyun is concerned.
Is it a fun job? No, but Jung Jaehyun does not care much for fun. Not as much as he cares about eating beef for dinner or shopping. Jung Jaehyun loves beef, and shopping, but mostly beef.
Beef is great.
In fact, beef is so great that it's the only thing on Jaehyun's mind as he rushes from house to house under the scorching sun, using smooth words to persuade strangers to buy his cosmetics company's products. From suncreen to BB creams to eye creams to body soap — you name it, Jung Jaehyun's got it. Except for foot oil, he ran out of it this morning.
Jaehyun's been a door-to-door salaryman for about a year, five months, three weeks and four, no five, hours now. The extra exercise is great but the Summers are horrible, it gets hot as damn and Jaehyun turns into a sweaty mess.
He would not mind if he could run right back home once he's done, but he needs to drop by the office in the evening to type up reports. He also stops by the office in the mornings to work on new sales methods, contacting potential buyers via email and phone, and what not. Basically everything the rest of his team are too lazy to handle.
His job is very demanding to be honest. He doesn't get paid even nearly enough.
He's been dropping hints about wanting a promotion, or at least a raise in salary, to his team leader Johnny for months now.
Unfortunately, the Korean-American is goddamn slow unless you spell it right out for him. And Jaehyun doesn't want to do that either. Johnny broke off a serious engagement recently and he's still bitter as hell about that, even if he's trying to mask his annoyance with a big smile.
Jaehyun knocks on the last door of the day. A couple of seconds later, an old lady opens.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Jung Jae—"
"— Leave me alone, you bastard of a salaryman!"
And so she's shut the door in his face.
"Welp, I tried." Jaehyun sighs, too tired to be bothered by this minor obstacle right now. He's had great sales today otherwise, so all in all it's been a succesful day even without this woman's as a customer. "It's not as if I could have sold her any anti-aging bb cream anyway."
"I CAN STILL HEAR YOU!"
Jaehyun rushes off her lawn and to the car. , that grandma is insane!
Jaehyun's just grabbed a seat when his phone rings. He picks it up, quickly answering once he reads the number ID.
"Hey, man, what's up?"
Jaehyun knows it's wrong to speak so informally to one of his bosses, but Johnny's always been chill about this stuff as long as they are off office grounds.
The two go long back, since Johnny used to be his high school senior back when Jaehyun was just a freshman. He's only 3 years older but he's already secured a decent spot at the company. He's going to go far, maybe.
"What's up, man? How's the scorching heat?" teases Johnny.
"Scorching."
"And?"
"It ."
"And?"
Jaehyun frowns. "Man, I have no idea. What more do you want me to say?"
"Just playing, dude. Just playing." Johnny laughs; Jaehyun can vision the elder shaking his head on the other side of the phone. "Okay, so here's what up. I've got a meeting booked for you, it's a big deal."
"What kind of meeting?" Jaehyun inquires.
"It's an intern interview."
"Okay, can you schedule it for next week? I have plans this weekend." That include watching re-runs of Descendants of the Sun with chicken on one side and beer on the other, don't judge. "If you absolutely must schedule it this week, I expect to be paid over-time. I'm no corporate slave, never was and never will be."
"But I was thinking more like today?"
Jaehyun fights the urge to scream at his team leader. "What do you mean today?!"
Whoops, seems the urge could not be maintained. Sorry not sorry.
"Look, you've just got to be there in 30 minutes and hang around for like 5. This interview is just for formality's sake — this Doyoung dude's got some real strong backing from his fancy, smancy uncle so I'm going to approve his application regardless of the interview's results."
"Then why do I have to go?"
It's not even Jaehyun's job to conduct the interviews, it's Johnny's! He's just too goddamn lazy. Or too busy sending desperate stalker messages to his ex.
"Don't get all whiny on me, Jung Jaehyun. It's not going to take that long."
Jaehyun sighs. He supposes it could be worse, at least he's now got an excuse for returning to the office early. "Alright, since you insist, I'll go. Which conference room at the office? I think number 5's free."
"About that," Johnny starts, and Jaehyun already knows he's going to be mad about what Johnny has to say next, "his uncle insists that the interview should be taken at his place."
Holy moly, what a spoiled brat. Jaehyun hates him already.
"Text me his adress," Jaehyun says, starting up the engine.
"Really?" Johnny beams, too happy. "You're not mad?"
"Oh no, I'm pissed! But a salaryman's got to do what a salaryman's got to do."
Knock. Knock. Knock.
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