After Story 123

“The audience is saying that your voice is really good. Mr. Maru. The documentary that aired a while ago was narrated by you, right?” Suyeon said.

She said she’d give him opportunities to talk, so it naturally came to be about the documentary. Maru appreciated that. He responded.

“Yes. I was actually quite worried when I recorded it. As the documentary had such good content, I was worried that my voice might have a negative impact and that I might not live up to it.”

“Contrary to your worries though, the documentary had extremely good reviews. Not to mention the content, there were praises about you, the narrator as well. I also watched the documentary inside the car when I was on the move. At first, I was just planning to watch the first episode, but I found myself on the last episode when I came to. It was a documentary that gave me a lot to think about.”

“The producer for that program displayed what could be a frustrating and heavy topic as plainly as possible. I think that it was the best choice to make the audience decide for themselves.”

Suyeon turned around to look at the monitor. “The reason the stories inside the documentary don’t feel like someone else’s problem is probably because it’s the story of many youths who had just joined the frontlines of the battle known as corporate lifestyle. In that sense, why don’t we talk about the stories of our younger audience today? The article that just came up caught my eye. Mr. Maru. Would you like to introduce us to this story?”

A message popped up on the window to the right. Looking outside the booth, Maru saw the producer create a circle with her fingers.

“I’m a bit nervous because it’s my first time, but here we go. This one is from 7882. Hello, Ssu-D[1]. I’m a woman in my twenties who just started working in Seoul. I’m getting by every day listening to your voice.”

He paused there to look at Suyeon. Suyeon spoke when she received the signal,

“Thank you too for liking my voice.”

He waited until Suyeon to finish before continuing.

“The excitement of my first job only lasted a short moment. A month into my employment, I’m seriously considering quitting my job. The problem is not with the intensity of my workload, but quarreling with my superior.”

He paused for a moment to take a breath before speaking again,

“An assistant manager, who’s been here for three years, hates me so much. I’d feel better if I knew the reason at least, but I feel like I’m going to cry since I don’t know the reason at all. Once, something like this even happened.”

The event that happened was then written in a conversation format. He changed his voice slightly to liven up the sound.

“You can’t even do this properly? It’s been a month since you’ve joined, but you can’t do anything? – said the assistant manager. I was rebuked without even knowing why. But it was strange to me. The assistant manager didn’t give me any work nor did I do anything wrong. So I asked what I did wrong.”

The scroll went down.

As he chased the words with his eyes, he pictured the situation in his head so that the listeners could think about the situation rather than having him simply read out the text.

“Then the assistant manager said to me – Oh, right. This was for someone else. But why did you keep listening like that? You’re quite pathetic.”

Maru stopped there. He had listened to Kim Suyeon’s radio programs a few times before he came here. Suyeon would always speak at a moment like this.

“That sounds like a really bad person. If it was me, I would’ve even cried a little, feeling wronged.”

He immediately followed up by continuing the story so that there were no big pauses.

“That assistant manager didn’t even apologize to me. In fact, he got angry at me. This didn’t happen just once or twice either. I would get called during lunchtime to be scolded, and he would give me work near the end of the day. I got this job after much difficulty, so I want to hold on, but my resolution keep falling apart. Ssu-D, what should I do?”

It was a story that any newly employed workers could sympathize with, which was probably why the production staff went with it.

Suyeon said, “Miss 7882. It must’ve been hard. There’s nothing more agonizing than being hated for no apparent reason. I mean, if people told me why they hate me, then I would at least try to fix it, but if they keep swearing at me without telling me why, it just feels frustrating. Have you had an experience like this, Mr. Maru?”

“Although it was not as bad as the person who sent us this story, I do have experience getting scolded for no reason. I’m sure those listening to our radio must have experienced it in one form or another. It’s really frustrating.”

“This is a really big problem. As you said in the documentary, the gateway for employment is getting smaller and smaller. I’m sure it must take an unimaginable amount of resolve to quit a company you joined after much difficulty.”

“I’m sure it takes even more when you think about the sense of achievement you had when you successfully joined. Moreover, considering quitting not because of your own circumstances but because of others is a really heart-breaking matter.”

“Normally, this is where I swear at the superior, but I think we need a more heartfelt conversation today. Let me call the person who sent us this story.”

The producer on the other side of the window pointed upwards and spun her finger around. Following that, a phone connection ringtone could be heard. It was a sad ballad.

“The ballad sounds even sadder today.”

When Suyeon’s words ended, the call connected.

-Hello?

“Hello. It’s Kim Suyeon.”

The person on the other side fell silent for a moment. Suyeon put on a gentle smile and carefully called for the person.

“Is it fine for you to be on the phone right now?”

-Ah, yes. I was out of it because I was so surprised. Unni, you have a great voice.

“Thank you. What should we call you? I don’t think we can use your real name.”

-Call me Luna. It’s a nickname of mine.

“Okay then, Miss Luna. Are you on your way back home from work?”

-I just got off the bus and am going home. I was listening to the radio while walking, and I was surprised to have my own story featured.

Suyeon nodded. Her eyes looked affectionate as though she was talking to the person right in front of her. She was probably a very affectionate person and was someone who easily sympathized with others, considering that she was making that expression despite the fact that this wasn’t a video-radio simultaneous broadcast.

“We just read your story. Things are hard because of your superior, isn’t it?”

-Yes. I didn’t think I’d seriously consider quitting like this. I got employed after much difficulty, so I boasted to my family and had my friends congratulate me, but in just a month, I…

“It’s making me feel frustrated too. Miss Luna, do you not have an idea why that superior is acting that way to you?”

-Not at all. I don’t have a single clue. We are in the same department, but there’s another assistant manager who looks after my work. That person is really good. He’s the only reason I can last in this company.

“It’s great that you have at least one ally.”

-Tell me about it. The assistant manager who hates me doesn’t even meet me that often for business, but he rebukes me every time. I’m so frustrated that I even once cried by myself on the toilet.

“Did you ever talk about it with another superior?”

-I really want to, but you know how it is with companies. Once rumors start floating around, it makes life really difficult. An employee from another department that entered the company around the same time as I, quit the company already after getting involved with bad rumors like that.

“That’s true. It must be even harder because you can’t talk to anyone about it.”

-I’m sick and tired of venting it out on my friends all the time. I feel sorry too. Mom consoles me and tells me I am doing a good job whenever I get home, and I really can’t bear to tell her that I want to quit work when she says that to me.

“I can sympathize with you, Miss Luna. I feel sorry. I want to help you, but I can’t help you.”

Suyeon was clenching her locked hands.

-Not at all. I feel better just listening to your radio, unni. Especially when I listen to this segment. It makes me think that others are going through the same stuff as me and that it’s hard to earn money from other people’s pockets.

“I feel like you’re more mature than me, Miss Luna. I would’ve run away already if I was in your shoes. I’m proud of you.”

-Not at all.

A chuckle was sent over the phone. Suyeon was showing that resolving the problem was not the only thing they had to do. Listening to them, understanding them, and sympathizing with them — her words caressed the listener so that they didn’t make the emotional injuries worse.

-Can you say a word to that assistant manager in my place?

“Of course, I will.”

Suyeon cleared her throat.

“Mr. Assistant Manager who keeps bullying Miss Luna!”

Her voice sounded agitated. Her eyes were tense as well. Putting her mouth up against the pop filter, Suyeon’s lips moved without hesitation.

“Let her be while I still say it in good words. If you keep bullying her, I’ll!”

That was then followed by a continuous beep.

The listeners might catch onto Suyeon’s intermittent voices throughout that bleep, but from right next to her, Maru got to hear all sorts of cuss words raw. She sounded cute, honestly. Though, those words weren’t suitable to be aired.

“Anyway, you should do things properly. Stop bullying other people.”

-Unni, you really say stuff like that? I always thought that it was bleeped out for convenience and you didn’t say anything.

“I’m an honest DJ. I say what’s on my mind when I’m pissed.”

-It might sound funny, but you sound so cute. It doesn’t suit you.

“I get that from time to time. But I am practicing, so it’ll probably get better.”

There was a signal from outside the booth to end the call. Suyeon put her hand on the headphones and spoke,

“Miss Luna. Thank you for submitting your story today. I hope you feel a little better now.”

-I feel refreshed thanks to you.

“Okay. I can tell that you’re someone who can endure hardships through your voice. Do your best from now on. Don’t lose to that bad assistant manager.”

-Yes! I’ll do my best.

The call ended after notifying her that there will be a call from a writer of the program to send a small gift.

“I hope Miss Luna becomes happy. Well then, let’s read a few short messages. Hello Ssu-DJ.”

Just as Suyeon was reading the texts, Maru saw the door to the studio open. A group of people, along with a camera, came inside the studio. This seemed to have been arranged beforehand as the producer welcomed the people with a smile.

Maru could see the camera scanning the surroundings. The camera shot inside the booth as well, but Suyeon did not respond. She only focused on reading the text messages.

“Many people are asking for your opinion, Mr. Maru. Since we’re at it, what would you do in her shoes? Is there anything that might be helpful to Miss Luna?”

He turned around to look at Suyeon.

“I don’t know if I can be of big help, but if it was up to me, I would think about it for just ten minutes.”

“Think about what for ten minutes?”

“I believe Miss Luna already knows the answer. And I’m pretty sure this applies to many other people as well. The one who knows best about the situation you’re in is none other than yourself. That’s why you have to think about it seriously. If that assistant manager’s actions are seriously intolerable, then it’s only right to take action. Whether that comes in the form of quitting work or an official protest.”

He lowered his voice a little deeper.

“It’s a bit of an extreme analogy, but when a big fire breaks out at your house, there is only one thing you must do. You must escape that place. Whether you’re in your pajamas or totally naked, it doesn’t matter. A big problem makes all other trivial problems irrelevant. If that assistant manager is really a big fire, then avoiding it is one method. But if he’s not, you should pick up a fire extinguisher and put it out. That’s the way to protect yourself after all.”

Maru stopped and calmed his breathing for a moment.

“What I said is totally obvious so I’m not sure if that helped or not.”

“Sometimes, the obvious is what’s necessary. I also nodded after listening to that.”

While Suyeon responded, the door to the booth opened slightly.

Two people, alongside a cameraman, entered the booth. They were the girl idols he saw in the lobby.

Suyeon took off one side of the headphones and spoke,

“We’ll now play a song for Miss Luna: ‘Mind Your Own Business’ by Han Gyung.”

As soon as the song started playing, the girl idols bowed to Suyeon. The producer also came inside the booth.

“Suyeon, I told you about it, right? It’s Hot-Blooded Youth shoot,” said the producer.

[1] Suyeon + DJ