I'll Tell You Your Original Death Day
Cha Hyun-seok dropped to his knees and shifted into a proper seated posture. Then he clung on with desperate eyes.
"What—what do I have to do, sir?"
Information only Park Su-hwan could possibly know poured from his mouth without hesitation. There was simply no way Cha Hyun-seok could refuse to believe him.
"Before that, let me ask you one thing."
"What is it…?"
"You think just protecting your own achievements will be enough?"
"What do you mean by that…?"
If the project he was running simply stayed his, wouldn't the whole game be over? Then he could avoid the forced resignation he'd been dreading.
Park Su-hwan clicked his tongue at the vacant look on the man's face.
"You idiot. That's exactly why a bastard like a demon got his claws into you."
One glance is enough… He's the type who survives on office politics alone, with zero real skill.
A guy like that was never going to be competent. If he had been, he wouldn't have needed to steal someone else's results in the first place.
The scathing words landed like a thrown dagger; Cha Hyun-seok flinched hard.
"You thought if you just kept your mouth shut and worked hard, someone would take care of you? Give me a fucking break."
In the ledger of the dead, the man had looked more diligent and loyal to his company than anyone. That was precisely why Director Im had been able to fleece him again and again.
Bad people always had an uncanny nose for it—exactly who would make an easy, manipulable mark.
"You really think Director Im is just going to leave you alone?"
The way he had called HR without a second's hesitation and started the forced-resignation process already told Su-hwan everything he needed to know about the man's character.
That bastard would never leave Cha Hyun-seok alone once the man had fallen out of favor.
"…!"
The forgotten reality hit Cha Hyun-seok like a punch; he sucked in a sharp breath.
He had been so fixated on protecting his results right now that he hadn't even considered the storm that would come afterward.
"Then what do I…"
He pressed a hand to his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut as if in pain. Protecting the results was a problem. Sitting there and watching them get stolen was also a problem.
"What the hell am I supposed to do?"
Watching the man's face darken, Park Su-hwan let a crooked smile curl his lips.
"That bastard. He's been lining a side pocket, hasn't he?"
He dropped the bombshell without a shred of hesitation.
"…Excuse me?"
The fatal weakness Director Im had failed to hide completely.
"The stench of rotten money is so thick I can barely stand it. My nose is going numb!"
Park Su-hwan twisted his entire face into a grimace and waved a hand in front of his nose, looking for all the world as if he had just caught a genuine reek of something foul.
"The stench of rotten money… Are you saying he's been taking bribes?"
"He can't let the program you developed get adopted. He only gets the three billion if they have to rebuild the entire facility."
"Th-three billion? A-are you insane?!"
Park Su-hwan hadn't immediately realized it was a side contract either. He had simply been drawn to the absurd figure written on the documents.
But the more he read, the more suspicious details piled up.
Separate agreement. Confirmed order for a new production line. Performance bonus. And finally—
the clause about scrapping the existing equipment.
The decisive blow had been the crisp imprint of Director Im's personal seal on the signature line. That had been enough for Su-hwan to be absolutely certain.
The man was taking kickbacks.
"Even a slippery snake like him won't be able to wriggle out of this one. With this, we can take his head clean off."
So why hadn't Director Im hidden such an important document properly?
The answer was obvious. Cha Hyun-seok, upon learning his work had been stolen, had stormed in without any warning.
"Then how am I supposed to find that evidence? If all I have is empty accusations, I'll just look like a lunatic. If I'm unlucky, he might even sue me!"
The lukewarm attitude from a few minutes ago had vanished without a trace. He now trusted Park Su-hwan completely.
"So you steal it, obviously."
Park Su-hwan spat the words out with a look that said the answer should have been self-evident.
"H-steal it…?"
"Yeah. It's not in your hands, is it? Then go get it. Isn't that obvious? Why are you even asking?"
"Huh…"
At the exact hour the incident was going to unfold, he would have to use any means necessary to get that bastard out of the office. Then, in that window, he had to secure the side contract no matter what.
"So write this down."
A sly grin tugged at the corner of Su-hwan's mouth.
"I'll tell you when your original death day was."
The day after he sent Cha Hyun-seok on his way, Park Su-hwan received a single phone call and bolted straight for a beef restaurant.
"Hello."
"Ah, yes. Good to meet you."
That was right. The moment Jung Jin-hyuk offered to buy him beef as thanks, Park Su-hwan's eyes had spun like a slot machine.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten to hang a charm pouch stuffed with coarse salt, red beans, and Byeokjomok from his belt.
No matter how important "food" was, you still needed a "life" attached to your body before any of it would go down your throat.
"This is my younger sister."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Jung Jin-ah."
Jung Jin-hyuk's sister stole a quick glance at Park Su-hwan and bowed her head.
"Yes. Jin-ah."
"I'm sorry. My sister kept throwing a fit about how she absolutely had to meet you once…"
"It's fine. Shall we head inside first?"
Park Su-hwan couldn't have cared less who Jung Jin-hyuk's sister was. The intoxicating aroma of meat leaking through the door cracks—
getting into that high-end-looking beef house right this second was the only thing that mattered.
— Sniff sniff.
That smell is absolutely insane.
"Ah, of course. This way."
They followed a staff member to a table that had been reserved in advance.
"Whoa…"
Park Su-hwan's jaw dropped as he looked around the private room. Soft indirect lighting, elegant traditional paintings—
everything about the place screamed that serious money had been spent.
"Thanks to you, I get to come somewhere like this. I appreciate it."
"I do have good taste, don't I?"
Jung Jin-ah shrugged and held out the menu. Clearly she had been the one who found the place.
"Order whatever you want."
Park Su-hwan checked the prices.
Huh…
Just like the lavish interior, the beef prices had a frankly ridiculous number of zeros attached. This was a completely different league from any meat he had ever eaten.
Prices that his destitute circumstances could never have touched in a million years.
Good thing I ran out here in my socks.
In that moment his priorities shifted a little. Food might actually be more important than life after all.
"Still, this is a bit too expensive…"
And money was more important than food.
Honestly he wanted to scream that he wanted everything on the menu. But the tiny scrap of conscience he possessed held him back.
Besides, the man paying was a firefighter—famous for not making much money.
"Just…"
Before Jung Jin-hyuk could even finish, Jung Jin-ah cut in.
"It's fine. I'm paying."
"Jin-ah."
"You stay out of it, Oppa."
Jung Jin-ah grinned and added,
"No, what I mean is—"
"Shh! Quiet!"
Crushed by her decisive energy, Jung Jin-hyuk finally shut his mouth. Park Su-hwan found the two of them rather pleasant to watch.
"You're the benefactor who saved my brother's life. This much is nothing. And for the record, I actually make pretty good money, you know?"
"That's impressive."
"Oh, stop. But if it makes you too uncomfortable, should I just order for us?"
Park Su-hwan hesitated for a second.
The undisputed kings of special beef cuts—hanging tender and outside skirt. He desperately wanted to try them once.
Ahh… Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. Damn.
"Sounds good."
He casually pointed at the hanging tender and outside skirt with a finger as he handed the menu back.
Catching the blatant signal, Jung Jin-hyuk and Jung Jin-ah both burst out laughing at the same time.
"Right? Those are the best ones."
So Jung Jin-ah ordered the cuts Su-hwan had indicated, plus tenderloin and chuck flap as well.
A short while later, charcoal and beautifully marbled meat arrived. Once the grill was properly hot, the staff member laid the meat on top.
— Sizzle…!
True to the expensive restaurant, the staff grilled everything from start to finish.
Thanks to that, Park Su-hwan could stuff meat into his mouth without a shred of self-consciousness.
It just melts in your mouth.
Explosive umami and rich nuttiness. It was so good he could have cried tears of pure emotion.
Watching him, Jung Jin-ah let out a soft laugh.
"What is it?"
"Ah, nothing. Just… it's nice watching you enjoy it so much."
Only then did Park Su-hwan, who had been devouring meat like a man possessed, realize how undignified he must have looked.
"Haha, sorry. It was just so good my hands kept moving on their own."
Come to think of it, the two of them had barely touched the meat at all.
"Not at all. Is there anything else you'd like?"
There was. After all that oil, a bowl of cold noodles for a clean finish was practically mandatory.
But first he should earn his meal.
"Ahem."
Park Su-hwan wiped the grease from his lips with a napkin.
"You've got something on your mind, don't you?"
He looked straight at Jung Jin-ah as he asked.
"The way you researched the restaurant yourself and insisted on paying… this doesn't seem like an ordinary visit."
He had already figured out long ago that she wanted a reading. But since he was a fraud shaman with zero real spiritual power, he planned to handle it lightly.
"Don't overthink it. Just be honest."
"Your instincts are ridiculously sharp. You're right. Something really messy happened at work recently. I wanted some advice on how to deal with it…"
She glanced sideways at Jung Jin-hyuk as she spoke.
"I was the one who threw a tantrum about having to meet you. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. But this isn't a shrine, so I can't give you a proper reading. I'd still like to do a simple one for you, though…"
Park Su-hwan thought of his specialty: rice divination. It wasn't that the readings were especially accurate. That wasn't why it was his specialty.
It was because he was most confident he could put on a spectacular performance. When you scatter rice with a dramatic flourish, people always get impressed.
— Ding-dong.
He pressed the call button and a staff member hurried over.
"Is there anything else you need?"
"Could I get some raw rice, please?"
"Raw rice?"
The staff member repeated the words as if double-checking his own ears.
"Yes. Raw rice. Just one rice-bowl's worth. I'll return it completely clean."
The employee hesitated, clearly debating whether to treat Park Su-hwan as a problem customer.
"Please, just this once? Pretty please?"
Jung Jin-ah used a cute little voice, and the staff member nodded as if entranced. He sprinted to the kitchen and returned with raw rice at the speed of light.
"Here you are."
Damn it. Looksism at its finest.
Park Su-hwan wanted to call it out, but he swallowed the comment and accepted the rice with thanks.
"All right. Shall we begin?"
He casually swept the side dishes to the edge of the table, clearing a space.
— Shrrrk, shrrk.
He ran his fingers through the rice for a moment. Then—
— Shwaaak!!
He scattered the grains in a dazzling, theatrical arc.
"Whoa."
"Oh…"
Jung Jin-hyuk and Jung Jin-ah both gasped in admiration as the rice fanned out across the table like an opened folding fan. Park Su-hwan felt a quiet surge of pride.
This is what practice looks like.
Now then, let's see…
It was nothing more than rice messily strewn across a table, yet Park Su-hwan nodded with grave weight, as if he could see something profound.
And right as he was about to launch into a full stream of nonsense, a strange sensation hit him.
Why does my mouth suddenly itch so badly?
It was the exact same feeling as wanting to spill a secret a friend had sworn you never to tell—so badly you thought you might explode.
Uuuugh…
"At the company…"
I can't hold it.
"You're being bullied, aren't you?"
In the end Park Su-hwan couldn't stop himself from opening his mouth.
Because only then would the pressure in his chest finally ease.