NOVEL NEXT 23
As I opened the door with a soft swish, Jung Da-on, who was busy with closing cleanup, looked up.
“I’m sorry, we’re closed for the day… Oh!”
Yu Sol, who turned around belatedly at Da-on’s voice, also looked slightly surprised to see me.
“What brings you here, Woo-yeon?”
“Sol-unni. Is the boss inside?”
Sol nodded. He’s probably organizing ingredients in the back. I couldn’t see him in the open kitchen.
“Wow, I heard the branch is incredibly busy. How’s work going?”
“It’s manageable. Busy, but doable.”
“Of course~. Woo-yeon is like a one-person army!”
Da-on chirped, trying to strike up a conversation. He’s just turned twenty, making him about my age, which might be why he keeps trying to act friendly.
‘We might look the same age on the outside, but inside…’
While I appreciated his friendliness, it was incredibly awkward for me.
“Da-on. You’re making Woo-yeon uncomfortable.”
Sol stepped in to mediate. A year older than Da-on and me, Sol was unusually calm for her age, making her much easier to deal with than Da-on.
She’s also meticulous and efficient with calculations. I might consider bringing her to The Song’s office when it’s established…
“Huh? Really? Am I making you uncomfortable, Woo-yeon?”
“……”
I waved my hand dismissively, trying to ignore Da-on’s eager eyes.
“Don’t mind me, just finish closing up. I’m here to talk to the boss about something.”
“You’re always whispering with the boss. What on earth do you talk about?”
I paused at Da-on’s question. Not wanting to create any discord, I had deliberately avoided mentioning anything about franchises or my relationship with Lee In-cheol.
They’d find out eventually, but there was no need for it to be now.
“I’m just updating him on the branch’s situation. We only opened recently, after all.”
“Ah~. Is that it? I thought it was some secret only you and the boss knew!”
“It’s nothing special. I’m going in now. You two head home after closing. My talk with the boss might take a while.”
“Okay. Got it.”
“Alright.”
After briefly explaining to Da-on and Sol, I stepped into the kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, in the ingredient storage area, I found In-cheol, as expected, wracking his brains over something.
“Hmm. We’ve used this much already? That’s strange. Why does it seem like we go through onions at the same rate whether I buy one bunch or two…?”
“That’s because you’re not following the recipe.”
“Gah?!”
In-cheol jumped in surprise when I suddenly spoke. Why such a strong reaction?
“I-In-seok! Make some noise when you walk! Whew, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Why are you so startled? Like someone with a guilty conscience. Ah, is it because you’re not following the recipe?”
“Oh, shut it. You think I don’t know you’ve been having those part-timers check the taste now and then?”
Tch. He caught on.
Since I couldn’t come and check as often as before, I had asked Da-on and Sol to verify the cooking process and taste.
“How did you find out?”
“You think that chatterbox Da-on could keep his mouth shut? He spilled everything to me ages ago.”
I didn’t expect him to stay quiet. Well, just the sense of being watched is enough to prevent slacking off, so it doesn’t matter much.
“Have you finished closing the branch? What brings you all the way here?”
“I asked the boss to handle closing today. I have something to discuss with you.”
“…When you talk like this, it terrifies me. You know? I’ve lived my whole life without fear, but when I see you, my knees go weak.”
“They don’t look weak to me.”
“It’s just a figure of speech.”
For someone saying that, your legs look far too steady.
In-cheol pulled up two chairs, offering one to me and sitting in the other.
“You seem to be busy with the branch these days.”
“I was. Still am.”
“But you must be quite something. Setting up two shops like this…”
In-cheol looked at me as if seeing something strangely unfamiliar. I deliberately smiled.
“What’s wrong? Suddenly realizing you’ve taken in a tiger cub?”
“Tiger cub? If you were that cute, I wouldn’t say a word! You’re more like a full-grown tiger. Tiger cub, indeed. I can’t believe this.”
In-cheol snorted, repeatedly slapping his knee.
“So. What did you come all the way here to talk about?”
“I have a favor to ask you, boss.”
“From me?”
In-cheol’s face turned uneasy again. He seemed to want to demand, ‘What are you up to?’ but couldn’t quite bring himself to.
“…Is it difficult?”
“It’s difficult if you think it’s difficult, and easy if you think it’s easy.”
“What kind of riddle is that?”
I think that’s enough build-up. I spoke directly.
“Please arrange a meeting with the CEO of Hando Construction.”
“……”
“I have something to discuss with the CEO of the 15th largest construction company in the country.”
In-cheol pressed his lips together and stared at me silently. He seemed to be gauging my intentions, trying to figure out my angle.
After a moment of silence, In-cheol slowly began to speak.
“…What power does a neighborhood soup rice shop owner have to arrange a meeting with someone as important as the CEO of Hando Construction?”
“That’s right. Other soup rice shop owners couldn’t do it. But you can, can’t you?”
No use trying to wriggle out of this.
I relentlessly pursued In-cheol as he searched for an escape route. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees and bending my upper body.
The overhead light falling directly on me made me feel a bit like a detective in an interrogation, but it allowed me to see In-cheol’s trembling eyes much more clearly.
“It’s your wife, isn’t it? The CEO of Hando Construction.”
The reason In-cheol could hold onto a loss-making shop for over a decade.
Others would have gone bankrupt ten times over. They would have eaten through their savings, lost borrowed money, and been forced to sell the shop at a loss, crying bitter tears.
But even under such adverse conditions, he could always stick to good ingredients and keep the shop running… thanks to having another substantial source of funds.
“Song Woo-yeon. How did you find out?”
In-cheol asked, frowning slightly. Instead of saying, “Didn’t you come together to a couples’ gathering before my regression?” I made up a plausible excuse.
“Well, let’s see… The calendar hanging in the shop was made by Hando Construction, and the sales diary also had Hando Construction written on it. Plus, when your wife called your phone, it clearly displayed ‘Money-making Queen♡‘, and when I saw her picking you up after work last time, it was a limited edition Porsche model…”
“Enough, enough!”
In-cheol cut me off, unable to bear it anymore.
“I have about thirty-two more trivial reasons like this. Should I prepare a report and submit it?”
“That’s enough! Sheesh. You’re frustratingly perceptive!”
Of course, without my memories from before the regression, it would have been difficult to deduce it was the CEO of Hando Construction even after seeing all those clues. Anyway.
“Hmm. But why do you want to meet my wife? Are you interested in real estate investment or something?”
“That’s something you consider when you have a lump sum of money.”
It would be a lie to say I’m not interested. After all, I know exactly which areas will be developed and how in the future.
But that’s for later. Originally, people around twenty aren’t typically interested in real estate, so I don’t know much about that information at this age either.
“Then why?”
I grinned at the puzzled In-cheol and replied.
“I want to attract some investment.”
“…Investment.”
In-cheol gave a dry, brittle smile.
“My wife, I mean, Madam Choi Yeo-hae, is absolutely not the type to invest recklessly just because of my name. If you have any such expectations, it’s better to give up now.”
“Whether to invest or not is up to CEO Choi Yeo-hae to decide. I’m not asking you for any more help. Just set up one meeting for me.”
Seeing that In-cheol still looked unsatisfied, I added one more thing.
“Isn’t CEO Choi Yeo-hae curious herself?”
“…How did you know that?”
“If I were her, I would be.”
After all, if a husband whose bank account had been consistently in the red suddenly started thriving in business, it’s natural to ask about it at least once.
Besides, I already knew what kind of person Choi Yeo-hae was.
We got along quite well. In-cheol is a decent chef, but that’s about it. He doesn’t have the temperament to be a good businessman.
On the other hand, Yeo-hae and I had similar eyes for reading the market, often investing in similar fields without even discussing it.
Hmm. It might be good to put some money into stocks if I have extra cash.
“But why do you need investment? The branch is doing well. Are you trying to secure more operating funds?”
“Well… Don’t worry about how I’ll use the invested funds. I’ll explain that very well to the investor. She must be a busy person, so I’ll adjust to her schedule. Just pass along the message first.”
I knew Yeo-hae wouldn’t refuse this meeting.
Faced with my confident voice, In-cheol groaned but eventually nodded.
“I’ll mention it to her. But don’t get your hopes up. She’s really busy these days, even I barely see her face.”
Despite his mumbling lack of confidence, our meeting with Choi Yeo-hae took place exactly three days later.
“How dare you speak so impertinently in front of me?”
Choi Yeo-hae, with a fierce expression, glared at me with wide eyes.
“In all my years in business, I’ve never let someone as cocky as you leave my office unscathed.”
…How did things end up like this?