At the sudden question, Sooah asked, “Korea? Why all of a sudden?”
Since Lee Taeseong wasn’t the type to beat around the bush, he answered plainly, “I met with the head of the Trees Japan branch today.”
“…What? W-What did you just say? You met the branch head? H-How? No, why?”
Even Sooah, a manager under the Trees Japan branch, had never seen the branch head in all her time working there.
But it wasn’t just her—most managers were the same.
Taeseong spoke casually, as if he had met some neighbourhood acquaintance, but even team leaders rarely had one-on-one meetings with the branch head unless something truly special happened.
The highest-ranked managers who occasionally encountered the branch head were those of Beta grade or higher, and even they didn’t meet often.
“He offered to grant me anything I wanted if I agreed to become a manager under the Japan branch.”
Sooah stared at Taeseong with her mouth agape. She already understood in her head how powerful he was and what he had accomplished, but facing the reality of it was something else entirely.
But now, there was no denying it. No less than a branch head had personally tried to recruit him.
As someone who had been with Tree for longer than Taeseong, Sooah knew just how significant this was.
“S-So what did you say? What was your answer?”
“I told him I’d think about it.”
“What is there to think about?! You should’ve just said yes on the spot! The branch head himself made the offer! He said he’d give you whatever you wanted—why would you even hesitate?”
“Because it’s not me who’s desperate—it’s them.”
Sooah was amazed by his sheer nerve.
‘Is he seriously trying to negotiate with the branch head right now?’
“But is there even a reason to hesitate over a deal like this? Ah… wait, is it because of the managers from Korea?”
Taeseong didn’t answer. He couldn’t give a clear one even to himself.
Like Sooah had pointed out, the conditions the branch head had proposed were more than reasonable from his perspective—he had no real reason to refuse. Anyone else in his position would’ve immediately prostrated themselves in acceptance.
And yet, Taeseong had asked for time to think. There was something about it that made him hesitate.
‘Is it patriotism?’
In the past, as a soldier of South Korea, Taeseong had taken pride in protecting his country. Even if it sometimes meant taking lives, he had firmly believed that everything he did was for the safety of his homeland.
But that didn’t mean he had been exceptionally patriotic or blindly loyal to the state. He had simply done his duty—nothing more, nothing less.
Seeing the greed of the corrupt elites had often disgusted him. Watching his cherished subordinates get discarded like mere tools had made him question everything.
Perhaps the only reason he had managed to endure a military career filled with disillusionment and hatred was due to a lingering sense of obligation.
He wasn’t sure.
In some ways, it seemed like his parents had taken more pride in his service than he had. Maybe the reason he had continued for so long was because he liked how they looked at him with pride, as if their son, the soldier, was their greatest source of honour.
To a child, their parents are their entire world. If his only world had accepted and affirmed him, then perhaps he had done his best simply to protect that world in return.
“A nation must exist for its people to thrive. Take pride in what you do, Taeseong. This father of yours is proud of you. Never forget—you are our pride.”
“Thanks to you, your mom and dad can sleep soundly at night. Always take care of yourself, and look after your subordinates. That’s how you should live, okay?”
Looking at it that way, maybe his patriotism had been something forced onto him by external influences. There were still remnants of it within him, but in truth, the country itself no longer mattered much to him. He wasn’t even a soldier anymore.
‘Now that I think about it… if my return becomes public, my old unit will probably try to find me.’
He doubted that South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense could stand against Tree’s influence, but that wouldn’t stop some idiots from acting on their own.
“…Oppa? What are you thinking so hard about? I asked if you’re hesitating because of the managers from Korea.”
“Hmm… To be honest, I think they do play a part in it.”
Saying he hadn’t grown attached to them would be a lie. Even though he tended to be more indifferent than most due to his lost memories, he was still human.
From the moment he returned to Earth until now, he had been with them. They had faced death together multiple times. Each time, they had protected one another—Or rather, Taeseong had done most of the protecting, but that wasn’t the point.
Before he even realized it, he had come to see them as trustworthy ‘comrades.’ Though he had also formed bonds with some of the Japanese managers like Yato, Ito, and Xiao Yun, it wasn’t quite the same.
If he hadn’t cared about them, he wouldn’t have gone all the way to Aokigahara after hearing that a Beta-grade manager had died.
Without even realizing it, they had become quite precious to him.
“Judging by your expression, you must be really attached to them. Well… I guess it makes sense. They’re the ones who’ve been with you since you returned to Earth. So they’re all decent people, huh?”
“They’re not bad.”
“Then take your time thinking it over.”
Taeseong shook his head.
“It’s true that I’ve grown attached to them. But my top priority will always be you, Sooah. If you choose to stay here, then I’ll stay as well.”
Sooah hesitated for a moment before responding.
“With Master gone, I don’t really have a reason to stay here either. Do whatever makes you comfortable. You’re my only family—now’s the time to stick together, right?”
Taeseong smiled and nodded.
“Yeah. That’s how it should be.”
“But hey, Taeseong.”
“Yeah?”
“Shouldn’t you be heading out soon?”
“Where to?”
“They’re having a company dinner to celebrate the safe return of your team’s managers and those who participated in the mission! What? Don’t tell me you haven’t heard anything about it?”
Now that he thought about it, before heading to the branch chief, Ito and Oh Haeyoung had mentioned that there was a dinner today and asked him to join, even if it was late.
“A company dinner, huh…”
Memories of occasional gatherings with his unit during his military days resurfaced. It was one of those customary events that followed the completion of a mission.
“It wasn’t bad.”
“At this point, I’m starting to suspect something… What if the other managers don’t really care, and you’re the only one getting ahead of yourself?”
Seeing Sooah mumbling, ‘What if he’s the only one who doesn’t realize he’s being left out? That’d be kind of sad…’ made Taeseong feel an urge to smack her on the head.
‘Hold it in.’
There was no need to create unnecessary conflict when their relationship was finally progressing.
Still, he told himself that he’d have to reestablish order at some point when the time was right.
“Get up.”
“Huh? Why?”
“We’re going together.”
“Where?”
“To the dinner.”
“M-me too?”
“You’re a manager too, and my sister. There’s no reason you can’t go.”
“…W-well, that’s true.”
In reality, Lee Sooah wasn’t particularly close to the managers on the Japan side. Since she spent most of her time with Yukina, she had little opportunity to bond with others.
When she did meet them for work, it was a strictly professional relationship—just exchanging brief greetings.
She was well aware of this herself, which is why she reacted that way.
“If you’re being bullied, just tell me.”
“…I-I’m not, okay?!”
‘Tree’ had every kind of convenience facility within its branch.
From dormitories for employees to laundromats, karaoke rooms, PC cafés, restaurants, bars, clothing stores, gyms, and even department stores—practically everything one could need was provided.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Tree a city of its own. This was closely tied to its highly self-contained nature.
Managers weren’t outright forbidden from going outside, but from Tree’s perspective, it wasn’t exactly encouraged either.
So, as a form of “consideration,” they had established all these welfare facilities.
Moreover, prices were cheap, and the quality of goods was high, so most managers and employees handled their needs within Trees.
There was hardly any reason to go outside.
The place Taeseong and Sooah were heading to was the most famous bar in Tree’s Japan branch.
Its name was Baekilmong.
Not only managers but even employees of Tree visited this well-known restaurant, and there was often a waiting line even on weekdays.
Of course, high-ranking managers and employees in top positions were exempt from such inconveniences and could enter freely.
It might seem unfair, but that was just how Tree operated.
If you didn’t like it, the only option was to rise to a higher rank.
As Sooah glanced around, she teased him.
“Wow. You’re pretty popular, huh? People are whispering just from you walking by.”
“It’s temporary.”
As she said, people on the street were recognizing Taeseong and chatting among themselves. Most of their words were filled with curiosity or admiration.
‘I don’t get it.’
The way Taeseong saw it, Tree was a place devoid of blood, tears, hope, or anything else.
A ruthless, cunning organization that treated managers as tools while wielding immense influence over the world.
And yet, when he looked around, the streets seemed no different from any ordinary bustling district.
Even those who fought tirelessly to protect the hidden side of the world looked similar as regular civilians at this moment.
“See? You’re overthinking again, aren’t you? It’s nothing to be surprised about. People live here too, so of course, it’s going to feel similar. Just take it as it is, okay?”
Acknowledging her perceptiveness, Taeseong nodded.
After about five minutes of walking, they finally reached Baekilmong.
In front of them was a long line of people waiting to get in. From individuals dressed in black suits to those in pristine white lab coats, the crowd was diverse.
And among them, there were always those who couldn’t help but cause trouble.
“Hey! You damn part-timer! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting just to get a meal here? A whole hour! An hour! And yet, why the hell are those guys going in first? Huh?!”
A man, unable to contain his frustration, lashed out at an employee as Taeseong and Sooah entered without waiting in line, having already been registered as reserved guests.
“S-sir, those individuals had made prior reservations. Also, our boss specifically instructed us to accommodate them with extra care… We’d appreciate your understanding.”
“What? You little piece of sh*t! Are you discriminating against customers now? Do you even know who I am?! Huh?! I’m a freaking Gamma-rank manager! Gamma-rank!”
Hearing that, Taeseong paused just before entering and turned around.
A man with a shaved head dressed in a black suit.
Judging by his attire, he did seem to be a manager, but…
“You. Loudmouth. Stop whining and get back in line.”
