Chapter- 3

The Overachiever vs. The Bare Minimum

Ahn Jihun's work philosophy was simple: if you look busy enough, people will assume you're doing something important.

For years, he had perfected the art of typing nonsense into a document, switching tabs when someone walked by, and occasionally nodding as if deep in thought. It was a beautiful system—until Yoo Taesung came along to ruin everything.

Jihun sat at his desk, staring at the project file like it had personally wronged him. Across from him, Taesung sat upright, fully focused, pen in hand, looking like the human embodiment of "I thrive under pressure."

"So," Taesung said, flipping through the file, "I've already outlined a plan. If we divide the workload efficiently, we should be able to submit a draft by Wednesday."

Jihun blinked. "Today is Monday."

"Exactly. That gives us enough time for adjustments."

Jihun resisted the urge to scream. "Or… hear me out… we could wait until Thursday and submit it right before the deadline, like normal people."

Taesung frowned, as if Jihun had suggested arson. "Why would we do that?"

"Because," Jihun said slowly, "deadlines exist for a reason. It's a line. That we don't need to cross until absolutely necessary."

Taesung exhaled through his nose, clearly trying to process Jihun's existence. "So… you prefer to procrastinate?"

"I prefer to efficiently manage my energy."

"That's just fancy wording for doing nothing until the last minute."

"Exactly!"

Taesung massaged his temples. "I can already tell this partnership is going to be painful."

Jihun grinned. "For you? Probably."

After what felt like an eternity (realistically, 15 minutes) of Taesung explaining their "strategy," Jihun decided he needed a break. He spun in his chair and nudged Nayoung's desk with his foot.

"Psst. Let's get coffee."

Nayoung didn't even look up. "You're in a meeting."

"Am I? Or am I being held hostage by an efficiency-obsessed work robot?"

Taesung sighed. "I can hear you."

"Good," Jihun said. "Then you understand my suffering."

Taesung shot Nayoung a pleading look. "How do you deal with him?"

"I don't. I just let him fail at life on his own."

"Rude," Jihun muttered.

Taesung closed the file with a decisive thud. "Alright. Clearly, we work differently. But we have to finish this project. So let's compromise. We'll work at a steady pace and—"

"Or," Jihun interrupted, "we can do what I do best: wing it and hope for the best."

Taesung stared at him, visibly trying to suppress his urge to strangle a coworker. "You are… genuinely terrifying."

Jihun beamed. "Thank you."

After barely surviving two hours of "productive work" (which, in Jihun's case, was 90% zoning out and 10% making sarcastic comments), it was finally time for lunch.

As he stepped out of the office building, his phone buzzed.

Haejin: Lunch? Or are you busy pretending to work again?

Jihun smirked and replied: Excuse you. I am very committed to my role as an underpaid corporate ghost.

Haejin: Proud of you. Let's eat.

At their usual food stall, Jihun dropped into a seat across from Haejin, sighing dramatically.

Haejin raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"

"Worse. I'm partnered with a workaholic."

Haejin gasped. "No. Not a responsible employee."

"Right? It's a nightmare."

Haejin shook his head. "How are you even still employed?"

Jihun sighed. "Honestly? I think they just forgot to fire me."

Haejin clapped him on the shoulder. "A true inspiration."

Back at the office, Jihun returned to his desk and found Taesung waiting, looking disturbingly determined.

"I made a schedule for us," Taesung announced.

Jihun blinked. "A… what?"

"A schedule. For the project. With clear tasks, deadlines, and—"

Jihun immediately turned to Nayoung. "Nayoung. Help. He's trying to make me productive."

"Tragic," she said. "But I refuse to get involved."

Taesung crossed his arms. "Ahn Jihun, we're working together whether you like it or not."

Jihun sighed. "Fine, fine. But let's be clear—I will not be putting in any extra effort."

Taesung smirked. "That's fine. I already expected that. I accounted for your inefficiency in the schedule."

Jihun squinted. "…Did you just pre-plan my laziness?"

"Yes."

"…That's kind of impressive."

Taesung grinned. "I thrive under challenges."

Jihun leaned back. "Great. Because I thrive under avoiding challenges."

Taesung sighed. This was going to be a long project.

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