Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat-Chapter 382

"What? A team dinner? Are you out of your mind?!"

But surprisingly, the boss’s reaction was different today.

Normally, he would laugh off Manager Han’s antics, but this time, he scolded him sharply. Manager Han was equally caught off guard.

"Boss? What’s going on?"

"What do you mean ‘what’s going on’?! You’re trying to ruin the rest of my work life just before retirement with this nonsense! What made you think forcing a dinner was a good idea? Do you still think this company operates like it did in the past?!"

"Uh, no, that’s not it..."

"Not it? I don’t care! Come with me! I’m going to give you a proper talking-to so you don’t spout this garbage again!"

With that, the boss, still fuming, dragged Manager Han off somewhere.

The situation unfolded like a whirlwind, leaving me and the rest of the staff, equally bewildered, standing in stunned silence. I heard my junior mutter under their breath.

"Huh, looks like even the big boss can read the room sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Come on, the boss took care of Manager Han for us. Let’s get going."

And so, with a smile, my junior led me out of the office.

As we headed into the evening, the streets were bustling with people, all eager to begin their night after work. We found ourselves at a barbecue restaurant nearby. The place was packed with the noise of office workers and others out for dinner, their lively chatter filling the space. My junior sighed in slight disappointment.

"Do we really have to eat somewhere this crowded? I was hoping for a quieter place, somewhere we could talk just the two of us."

"Where do you think we could find a quiet place at this hour? You saw the streets—everywhere is packed."

Despite seeing the crowded streets, my junior grumbled.

"There is one place I know that’s always quiet."

"Really? Where?"

"The hotel restaurant nearby."

"...Rest...aurant?"

The mere mention of a hotel restaurant sent a shiver down my spine. The phrase alone conjured up images of opulence and expense far beyond my means. I had no idea how much a meal there might cost, but I could guess it would be out of my budget. Still, I had promised to buy dinner. If my junior insisted on going there...

I mentally calculated the days until my next paycheck and glanced at my bank account balance before replying.

"Well... if that’s where you want to go... I guess we can..."

Goodbye, my emergency savings. Goodbye, the chicken I planned to eat while reading my novel tomorrow night.

As I internally mourned the loss of my carefully saved money, my junior laughed.

"Really? You were seriously going to take me there? All because I visited you when you were sick?"

"...Yeah?"

"Do you know how much a meal costs there?"

"...No idea. But I was really grateful for what you did, so I figured one meal wouldn’t hurt."

I thought back to the time my junior visited me while I was ill.

"When you're sick, especially when you're alone, it can feel so much worse. There’s no one to take care of you, and it can get really lonely. I was a bit scared, too, thinking if something went wrong, no one would be there to help. So, when you showed up and took care of everything, I was really thankful."

I smiled, genuinely expressing my gratitude.

"So, pick wherever you want. I’ll buy you dinner."

My junior looked at me for a moment, almost like they were observing a child showing off for the first time, before smiling.

"It’s fine, really. I’m not that shameless to let you pay for something that expensive. Dinner here will be enough."

"Really? Well, in that case, let’s grab a seat. There’s a spot open."

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Relieved that I wouldn’t have to part with my emergency fund after all, I quickly found us a seat.