AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 38

by LoveCR2

edited by All-About-AAE

 

"Announcer Jin, give me just one reason why I shouldn't send you back to Seoul on the next flight!" -- London Bureau Chief Kim Bo-Nam

 

 

"Welcome, Announcer Jin," the MBS London Bureau receptionist greets Sun--Mi as she arrives five minutes early for her appointment.

 

"Chief Kim's office just around the corner... Go right on in, he's expecting you."

 

"Thank you," Sun-Mi cheerfully replies to the woman as she walks past her desk. Rounding the corner as directed, she sees an open office door with a nameplate stating: Bureau Chief -- Kim Bo Nam.

 

Approaching the door, she pauses to view her reflection in the translucent glass panel beside it. After sweeping an errant lock away from her brow, she runs a hand down the front of her recently purchase Armani suit, and checks that the jacket button is securely fastened.

 

As she scans her reflection in a final once-over, Min-Cho's brash comment comes to mind... nice legs, Sun-Mi...

 

Sun-Mi pivots on her new Ferragamo slingback heels to verify the possibility for herself, then bashfully realizes the preposterousness of her self-conceit... don't let one compliment go to your head, girl... and immediately discounts the merits of his claim.

 

Nice legs or not, satisfied that she looks as professional as possible, the nervous butterflies in her stomach flutter less. For good luck, she touches the Swarovski crystal four-leaf clover brooch -- Hyung-Chul's gift for her MBS entrance exams -- that she has pinned to her left lapel.

 

Then Sun-Mi puts a smile on her lips, steps into the open doorway, and knocks lightly on the doorframe. Looking in, she sees a man of large girth, jacketless, sleeves rolled up, and tie askew, seated behind a cluttered desk, hunched over and intent on his reading.

 

"Chief Kim?" she speaks cautiously, hesitant to interrupt his concentration, "We have an appointment..."

 

He peers over a pair of reading glasses at Sun-Mi.

 

"Ah, Announcer Jin... come in, and close the door," Chief Kim invites her in with a wave of his hand.

 

With well-practiced poise, her stride calculated to exude an air of casual self-assurance, Sun-Mi approaches his desk. Stopping a meter away, she plants her feet solidly, clasps her hands together in front of herself, and waits.

 

"Sorry about our dinner last night," he apologizes. "I trust that Mr. Atwater was a pleasant dining companion?"

 

"We had a nice meal, thank you," Sun-Mi replies, withholding the details.

 

He removes his glasses, revealing piercing eyes, like black jet, and states perfunctorily, "Shall we get down to business then?"

 

 

Sun-Mi expects an invitation to sit in the chair beside his desk, but Chief Kim just leans back, eyes narrowed and forehead creased, exhibiting a deep frown as he keeps a steady gaze fixed on her. After thirty seconds under this silent scrutiny, feeling like a bug under a magnifying glass, Sun-Mi's butterflies begin stirring again.

 

Acting before her nerves begin to fray, Sun-Mi boldly speaks up, taking the initiative: "Chief Kim, I'm really excited to be working here under your care. It's the opportunity I've waited for, and I'm anxious to get started right away. When do I get my first field assignments?"

 

He shifts slightly in his chair, and grunts a skeptical reply, "So... you're that sure of yourself?"

 

This isn't the response she'd expected, and her butterflies are becoming excitable, but Sun-Mi hides her uneasiness behind a bright smile and an enthusiastic voice, "Yes, Chief Kim, I am..."

 

Her effort to build up a facade of confidence only deepens the creases on his brow...

 

"Before you get any assignments, Announcer Jin, we first have the matter of your hiring-on interview. Then I'll be the judge if your arrogance is justified," he casts the words at her with a sneer.

 

"But... I thought the transfer was settled," Sun-Mi clarifies her expectations, surprised at this unexpected roadblock.

 

"Maybe the bosses in Seoul have that idea, but I have to run a real operation here," he asserts his independence of the chain of authority. "I can't just take in any supposedly-hotshot announcer who wins a popularity contest or two. Don't you agree?"

 

His criticism, directed specifically at her recent award as Most Popular New Female Announcer, sets Sun-Mi aback. She answers hesitantly, now not quite so sure of herself, "Er... yes... Chief..."

 

Chief Kim leans forward, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair ...

 

"Let me explain how a few things are different here than in Seoul," he begins, keeping his eyes riveted to hers so she can't look away. "This is a shoestring operation; we all wear many hats. You're expected to do everything from background research to writing scripts to field editing and producing teasers. You might even need to chip in and unload for a location shoot when we're shorthanded..."

 

Sun-Mi smiles bravely, but inwardly, doubts nag at her... It's been years since she's practiced all these aspects of broadcasting in University ... since starting at MBS, her only real job experience is handling interviews and doing announcing...

 

"So I want to be clear from the start," he stresses, "this is no place for a prima donna who puts having a perfect face, coifed hair, manicured nails, and expensive designer suits ahead of holding her nose to the grind and dirtying her hands... Got it?"

 

Chief Kim pauses to let the weight of his words sink in before going on. His direct criticism of her carefully polished appearance takes Sun-Mi's confidence down another notch...

 

... how could she have so misjudged, spending a fortune on this new outfit in the hopes of making a professional first impression, when she could just as well have worn any old thing? ...

 

Sun-Mi quells her internal debate and tries to regain the initiative. "I'll work hard, Chief, and do whatever is required," she eagerly attests to her willingness to adapt. "Just give me the chance."

 

 

Chief Kim picks up a folder from his desk and offers it to her, "If you're hired, these will be your first assignments. What do you think?"

 

Sun-Mi takes the folder from his hand and skims through the contents, then looks up, puzzled...

 

"Fashion shows? ... Entertainment gossip? ... Dining reviews? ... Is that it?" she expresses her disappointment at being relegated to handling stereotypical female subjects. "I thought I was coming on as a Special Correspondent, to do 'hard' news stories."

 

His face inexplicitly breaks into a shallow grin, as if her thinking is a complete joke...

 

"So you expected to prance in here in your high heels and start out as another Brit Hume, perhaps, or Kate Adie, covering wars and rubbing shoulders with the heads of Parliament and Fleet Street?" he scoffs.

 

"I'd hoped..." she begins, then her voice trails off as she gets his point.

 

He picks up a single sheet of paper with Sun-Mi's name printed in boldface at the top, and reads from it...

 

"Let's See the World, the Seven O'clock News, Musical Postcards, Art Club... Everyday work for a Junior Newsreader," he dismisses her brief resume with condescending scorn. "Now tell me, what do you know about being a 'real' news correspondent?"

 

His question forces Sun-Mi to reconsider, and admit, "Actually, not very much at all... Sir..."

 

"At least, we agree on that," he delivers the cutting remark with another sneer, moving right on to his next point: "Then there's the matter of English language ability. You scored the lowest in your training batch, and haven't advanced much from there. Is that a fair assessment?"

 

"Yes, Chief, it is," Sun-Mi readily concurs to her shortcoming. "But I'm willing to work hard, and improve my ability," she promises.

 

"If you haven't improved in almost six years since you entered University, what makes you think you'll do any better now?" he drives to the heart of the matter. "You're far below the level for this position, and don't have a year or two to improve until you measure up. What should I do about that?"

 

In fact, Sun-Mi had come prepared for this criticism. But piled on top of all the others, it becomes the veritable straw that crushes what is left of her self-assurance. She drops her eyes to stare vacantly at the pointed toes of her shoes, dreading where things will go next.

 

Chief Kim gets up from his chair and, in a deliberate move to add physical weight to his words, circles his desk, stopping directly in front of Sun-Mi. His190cm height and 120kg bulk dominates her slight 168cm, 48kg frame...

 

"From the beginning, though I had grave concerns about your appointment to this position, I was willing to give you a shot," he declares, then uses his next words to pound any remaining self-confidence she has into the ground: "But now that we've actually met, I can say this about you without reservation: You're the most naive, least prepared, and overconfident candidate I've seen in the 15 years since I took over this bureau!"

 

Completely deflated, Sun-Mi murmurs quietly, not daring to look up, "I... I'm sorry...Sir..."

 

"If you were me, would you hire someone like yourself for this job?" he challenges Sun-Mi to honestly assess herself. "Announcer Jin, give me just one reason why I shouldn't send you back to Seoul on the next flight!"

 

Sun-Mi doesn't answer; she has nothing to defend herself. Every word, every criticism, is painfully and obviously true. She clutches the folder tightly to her chest, shifting her weight between her feet uncomfortably, trying to keep herself from breaking down in tears, her pride completely shattered by the reality he'd forced her to acknowledge.

 

As she waits for the axe to fall, her thoughts turn to the shame she has brought on herself...

 

... what will she say when she's sent back to Seoul, and has to face the ridicule of having failed, before she'd even started ...