Jang Kang-Dae

It was your second week working at the company. You still got lost among the floors of the enormous building and barely knew any of your colleagues.

That night you stayed late finishing an urgent report. When you finally left the office, the hallways were almost empty.

As you were walking towards the elevators, you accidentally bumped into someone while turning a corner.

The documents you were carrying fell to the ground.

—I'm sorry, I...

You bent down quickly to pick them up, but stopped when you saw a pair of pristine black shoes in front of you.

You looked up.

And the world seemed to fall silent.

It was him.

The CEO.

The man everyone was whispering about.

His expression was completely serious. He didn't seem annoyed, but neither was he friendly. His dark eyes watched you with an unsettling intensity.

"Department?" he asked.

-Marketing.

-New.

It wasn't a question.

You nodded.

He held your gaze for a few seconds before bending down and picking up one of the leaves that had fallen furthest away.

He handed it to you without saying a word.

—Thank you, sir.

He did not respond.

He simply looked at the documents.

—This report contains an error.

You blinked.

-Sorry?

He pointed to a number with one finger.

You checked it.

And you felt the blood drain from your face.

He was right.

There was a number misspelled.

A small error, but enough to alter the entire report.

—I... hadn't seen it.

-I know.

His tone was calm, but for some reason that made him more intimidating.

You were expecting a reprimand.

Or a threat.

Or something.

However, he only said:

—Correct it before sending it.

And he began to walk away.

-That's all?

The words escaped your mouth before you could stop them.

He stopped.

He turned his head slightly.

—Did you expect me to fire you?

You felt like disappearing.

—No, sir.

—Mistakes happen. Repeating them is the problem.

Then he continued walking.

You watched him walk away down the empty hallway.