Anymore| TaeGyu

[20]

It had a been a few minutes of solid bickering. Taehyun's father and Minjun sticking to their original stance, and Mr Choi growing more infuriated by their words. This sponsorship was now a ticking time bomb, any minute now would be a huge explosion, and their chance to keep Mr Choi on board would be gone.

Taehyun couldn't let that happen. 

The man shared very similar views to his own, and if he could only get Mr Choi to back his ideas, then he might actually be able to make change within this wicked company.

"Pardon me- If I could speak for a second." Taehyun interrupted, slowly rising from his seat. "I think Minjun here has had a bit of trouble...expressing how the company truly feels about this issue. We are in no way here to victim blame, and we actually take full responsibility-"

"Taehyun! Sit down." His father snapped, turning to Mr Choi. "I apologize for my son, he doesn't know what he's talking-"

"No, he's the only one here speaking some sense. Carry on."

Seungcheol had successfully shut Taehyun's father up, something no one had ever done before.

Taehyun couldn't waste this opportunity. "Everybody hates injustice, so if we stand by and let these dangerous individuals continue working for our company, we will only grow more hated by the public. Our first act should be to remove these individuals, and do a thorough dive into the behavior of all our employees."

 "That's great and all, but I wonder why these people were not removed immediately. Countless women came forward detailing their crimes, and all though no legal action has been taken, it was your companies responsibility to protect it's female employees."

"It's a fair point, and I agree with you, action should have been taken immediately. We cannot go back, but we can move forward as a better, safer company overall."

Mr Choi nodded his head, then sat forward with intrigue. "I want to hear your plan. Not influenced by him." He gestured to Taehyun's father. "I want to hear what you would do to improve the company after this scandal."

Taehyun took a glance to his father, who looked livid, but ultimately understood that they weren't going to keep Mr Choi's sponsorship without Taehyun. So, he gave a slight flick of the hand, basically giving Taehyun free reign to say whatever he liked.

"I have three programs in mind, that I would like to implement as soon as possible. The first is a program to teach appropriate behavior in the workplace. The second is more of a system, a way to create a safe space for victims of sexual misconduct, so they can come forward without feeling shame or being penalized."

"And the third?"

"It's a program to help the community. If we want to build trust, we should break down this persona that we're some untouchable company. We want to show them that real compassionate people work here, and we want to do what's best for the community."

He didn't know where all of this was coming from. He hadn't planned anything for this meeting, yet, everything was coming out so smoothly. Maybe he was just a natural.

Or maybe he was speaking from the heart.

"This program would target people from underprivileged backgrounds. We would make it much easier for them to obtain internships and careers, providing them support, and helping them gain knowledge about the industry. It would ultimately put a lot of people on the right track and show them that they can better their lives."

"You've got your head screwed on very well Taehyun, I like these plans. If you're true to your words, I'm happy to stay on board, and fund the company."

"That's wonderful to hear Mr Choi, I look forward to working with you."

"Same here President Kang."

____

The meeting had ended five minutes ago, and Taehyun was currently filling up a cup from the water dispenser. 

"You were amazing in there Taehyun!" Yeosang squealed. "You might actually make this awful company better!"

"I couldn't just stand there and let them destroy this company. Those backwards ideas may have flown by in the sixties, but not anymore."

He couldn't believe he had done it. Single-handedly, Taehyun had stopped the companies biggest sponsor from walking. And the best part was, Taehyun didn't even have to compromise his personal beliefs. 

"I didn't take a lot of notes though, I kinda got distracted by how cool you were." Yeosang giggled, showing his almost empty sheet of paper. "Am I actually your assistant now? That's a big promotion."

"I guess so. More work but it pays well."

"Yeah that's-"

"Taehyun!"

Did his father always have to bark at him like that?

"You are very lucky that Mr Choi ate up that 'holier-than-thou' approach, or I would have fired you on the spot."

Apparently respecting victims of sexual abuse was a bad thing, who knew?

"We now have to actually go through with your plan, and since you got us into this mess, you're in charge. I want a mock up on my desk by the end of this week. Got it?" 

"Got it."

His father didn't wait around, storming down the corridor, and out of sight.

"This is going to be a long week." Taehyun gulped down his water, then threw his cup into the trash. He glanced down at his watch to check the time, but strangely noticed that it was missing. He wasn't sure where he had left it, but he didn't care to think about that right now. "I better get started." He began walking towards his office.

Yeosang followed at his side. "Hey Taehyun do you think I could have a longer lunch break today?"

"How come?"

"Oh it's just, now I'm your assistant my hours change. I normally only work Tuesday mornings so I'm free in the afternoon. That means I get to perform with my crew in town, but I won't be able to today, unless I get a longer lunch break."

Taehyun took a second to process Yeosang's explanation, which caused the male to freak out slightly.

"But it's okay if you can't extend it! Really! I'm super grateful for this promotion!"

"Sure, you can have as much time off as you want." Taehyun replied casually, shooting Yeosang a brief smile. "As long as I get to come watch."

"Of course you can! You're always welcome."

They finally arrived at Taehyun's office, but they weren't the only ones. A beautiful brunette stood lent against the door, eyes glued to the floor.

"I have a few files I need to pick up from the financial department, could you run down and get them for me?" He asked Yeosang quietly. The man nodded, quickly getting on with his task.

Now it was just the two of them, Taehyun approached the woman slowly, gently taking her hand. She flinched, and snapped her head up, eyes meeting with Taehyun's. 

She relaxed.

"Why are you here Youngmi?"