Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Pork Cutlet... Is Delicious? (1)
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“Haaah!”
A moment later, I opened my eyes to find myself in my bed, in my room.
Beads of sweat had formed on my forehead.
“What a weird dream.”
I glanced at the clock. It was 2 PM. I let out a deep sigh and got up.
I had to be at Gangnam Station by 4, so it was time to get ready.
I washed my face, styled my hair, put on some clean clothes, and left the house.
“Damn it, to think I’d see their faces even in my dreams.”
It seemed that ever since my clash with Lee Hyeonho, I’d been so on edge that it was seeping into my subconscious.
What an unsettling feeling, especially since I was on my way to meet Ms. Rokhui after so long.
I took a taxi and arrived at Gangnam Station, where I could see Ms. Rokhui standing in front of the subway entrance.
‘There she is.’
Ms. Rokhui, with her cat-like eyes, was looking around.
She looked sophisticated in a neat long coat, holding a mini bag.
She hadn't spotted me yet, so a mischievous thought came to mind. I carefully approached her from the side.
Then, I whispered right next to her ear.
“Hello, Ms. Rokhui.”
“Gasp!”
Startled, Ms. Rokhui took a small step back.
She looked so much like a surprised cat that I found it adorable.
Feeling a little sorry, I scratched my head and bowed my head slightly.
“What was that? I didn’t expect you to play a prank like that, Mr. Hyunsoo.”
“Haha, I figured we’re close enough for this kind of thing now.”
At my playful remark, a slight smile formed on Ms. Rokhui’s lips.
It seemed she wasn't offended by the prank.
“I know we made plans rather suddenly, but what should we do now? I fell asleep right after.”
“Don’t worry, since I was the one who called you, I’ve already thought about it. Have you had lunch yet?”
“Um, no? But isn’t 4 PM a bit too late for that?”
“I figured as much, so I haven’t eaten either. I know a great place nearby, let’s go together.”
Holding her smartphone, Rokhui confidently led the way to a spot she had researched beforehand.
Since it was a weekday and only 4 PM, the streets were relatively empty, making the walk quite pleasant.
After walking in silence for a moment, I thought of a topic and broke the silence.
“Oh, congratulations again on passing the review. You worked really hard this time.”
“Phew. I know, right? I was incredibly nervous this time. I’d been rejected three times already, so I was worried I’d never get serialized and have to quit being a webtoon artist.”
“If someone like you can’t be an artist, Ms. Rokhui, then who can?”
“Oh, you’re flattering me.”
It might have sounded like blatant flattery, but I meant every word.
In fact, while working on *Forgotten Andersen's Story*, I drew a lot of inspiration from her previous work.
And for my current project, *Pass On Dream*, I was helped by the stories Ms. Rokhui shared when we went to the Van Gogh exhibition together.
They say artists often have a muse for inspiration; for me, Ms. Rokhui was something very close to that.
“Oh, and this isn’t much, but please think of it as a congratulatory gift.”
I handed her a diffuser I’d bought at Olive Young on the way here, which cost around 30,000 to 40,000 won.
I had picked a scent that I liked, but since I didn't know her preference, I was worried she might not enjoy it.
“Wow, thank you, Mr. Hyunsoo! Mmm, this smells amazing!”
Rokhui lightly brought her nose to the diffuser's packaging and bloomed into a sunflower-like smile.
Seeing such a smile on her usually chic face, to be honest...
‘My heart skipped a beat.’
In many ways, Ms. Rokhui was a charming person that anyone would be drawn to.
We chatted idly as we walked for about ten more minutes.
“Here we are! <Jeongdon>! It’s a Japanese pork cutlet place that’s supposed to be amazing.”
“Pork cutlet, huh.”
“Oh, do you not like pork cutlet?”
“No, I really, really love it.”
We went straight inside and ordered our food.
Even though it wasn't dinnertime yet, most of the tables were occupied, proving that it was indeed a popular spot.
A short while later, a thick, tenderloin pork cutlet served on elegant tableware was placed before me. I took a bite.
Crunch!
‘What is this? How can pork cutlet taste like this?’
At the end of the crispy texture was the rich, moist texture of the tenderloin.
It was definitely a taste worth traveling for.
“So, how is it, Mr. Hyunsoo?”
“It’s incredibly delicious. It makes me wonder if the other pork cutlets I’ve had were even the same dish.”
“Hehe, right? My friends recommended it, and they all said it was great.”
We talked about the delicious pork cutlet for a bit before returning to our usual conversation.
“By the way, how are things at work these days?”
“Hmm, about that.”
Hmm, work talk.
Passing the prototype evaluation, picking team members… just talking about the mundane stuff would be boring.
As for the more interesting parts, ah, there was that.
“Recently, a famous PD in the industry joined another department. We happened to have a drink together, and…”
Without revealing his name, I explained the incidents and the conflict between me and PD Lee Hyeonho.
From Seo Donghyuk’s declaration of war to the interference during the prototype meeting.
Rokhui’s eyes sparkled with interest as she listened intently, seemingly finding the story quite entertaining.
“Wow, office life is no joke. I thought that kind of stuff only happened in dramas. Since I work alone at home, I never really have conflicts with people.”
“Haha, it’s my first time clashing with someone so intensely too.”
That was a given.
Throughout my time at the game company, I had lived a life of doing what my superiors told me to do, jumping when they said jump.
It would be strange for an employee who openly defies orders and speaks their mind to be doing just fine.
“You’re really cool, Mr. Hyunsoo.”
“Pardon? In what way?”
“I mean, it’s truly amazing. Most office workers—even I—can’t say a peep even if I have complaints or face unfairness from my editor or a webtoon platform PD. They say the one who steps up first gets shot down, and I’m scared of the repercussions.”
“Ah, so artists get stressed out by things like that too.”
“I think I’m particularly sensitive to it. I’m the type to avoid situations if a conflict arises.”
<<Your understanding of Seol Rokhui has increased!>>
Understanding: E- ▶ E+
- Seol Rokhui dislikes conflict and often avoids situations where it might arise.
A message from God Game Maker appeared, and a new line was added to Ms. Rokhui’s understanding window.
She dislikes and avoids conflict. That was unexpected; she seemed like someone who would handle such things well.
“That’s surprising. I thought you’d be really good at handling things like that, Ms. Rokhui.”
She shook her head.
“Absolutely not. It stresses me out a lot. That’s why I admire people like you, Mr. Hyunsoo, who are firm and say what’s on their mind.”
Saying what’s on my mind.
I guess, from another person’s perspective, that’s how I might appear.
And in reality, that’s how I’ve been living since gaining the power of God Game Maker.
Not compromising, pursuing my dream even within the company, and resolving problems by clashing with those who get in my way.
It felt natural now, having grown so used to it, but my former self wouldn't have even dreamed of it.
Feeling a bit awkward, I scratched my head and replied.
“It’s not always a good thing. You make a lot of enemies.”
“But you’ve also gained many good colleagues who are on your side, haven’t you?”
“Is that so? Haha, I hope so.”
“I’m always on your side, Mr. Hyunsoo.”
Ms. Rokhui probably just said it to be nice, but hearing her say she was on my side made my face feel strangely hot.
*My side.* The words alone were enough to make me feel good.
I hoped that my team members felt the same way about me.
“Thank you.”
“In return!”
Suddenly raising her tone, Seol Rokhui speared a piece of her pork cutlet and moved it onto my plate.
“Hehe, so you have to be on my side too, Mr. Hyunsoo.”
She was sharing hers since I had already finished my plate.
I grinned and chewed on the piece of pork cutlet Ms. Rokhui gave me.
“Of course. Anything for you. We’re on the same side.”
We talked our hearts out while eating, and before we knew it, it was around 5:20 PM.
It was a little early, but we headed to a nearby lounge bar to have a drink and a deeper conversation.
“A toast to your prototype passing the review, Mr. Hyunsoo, and to my serialization getting approved! Cheers!”
We sipped on sweet cocktails and chatted away.
“Did you see that new movie? The one by the director of that other film.”
“Oh! I love that actor. I like their acting style, and their look has a very mysterious vibe.”
“Right, right?!”
When we ran out of recent updates, we talked about movies or comics we’d seen, and then moved on to old stories, stories about friends, and so on.
The conversation flowed endlessly.
It wasn't that the content itself was fun, but rather that the act of talking with Ms. Rokhui was enjoyable.
One cocktail turned into two, then three, and just as we were starting to feel the buzz…
*Vrrrrrr!*
[Caller: Yoon Byeongjong]
As if on cue, a call came from Yoon Byeongjong.
I excused myself to Ms. Rokhui and answered the phone at my seat.
“Hello?”
<<Hey, Jo Hyunsoo, what are you up to? Your big bro is craving a drink. Wanna go for one tonight?>>
“Ah, I’m with Ms. Rokhui at Gangnam Station right now.”
<<What? Artist Rokhui? Are you two dating?>>
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
Yoon Byeongjong was always like this whenever the topic of the opposite sex came up.
Worried that Ms. Rokhui might overhear, I bowed my head slightly and stepped outside.
“It’s not like that, so if you’re done talking, I’m hanging up.”
<<Hey, hey, hey, don’t hang up! This big brother has something to say.>>
“What is it?”
<<Do you have feelings for Artist Seol Rokhui or not?>>
“If I had to say, I suppose I do.”
Yoon Byeongjong sighed in frustration and continued.
<<Agh, then confess already! Artist Rokhui is super popular among webtoon artists. Rumor has it that several guys have already made a move on her. If you dilly-dally, you’re gonna be crying your eyes out, you hear me?>>
He had a point. It was only natural for someone like Seol Rokhui to be popular.
Personality, looks, skill as an artist—she was a person who seemed perfect in every way.
Heck, even I, who'd been so focused on work I’d forgotten what romance felt like, was getting butterflies.
But I found it difficult to take a step like confessing.
‘Even if we started dating, could I balance work and a relationship afterward?’
I was pouring most of my waking hours into game development.
It might be different if I were still a solo developer, but now I had nine team members on the same boat as me.
If I neglected my work because I was dating, this ship would sink, taking them all down with it.
“I don’t know. I’m too busy with work, and now I have subordinates to look after.”
<<Hey! You just do it, and things will work themselves out, you punk!>>
“I’ll handle it myself.”
<<No! What do you mean you’ll handle it?! Just listen to me! Listen to me—>>
“Ms. Rokhui is waiting, so I’m hanging up.”
<<Heyyyyyyyy!>>
*Click.*
After ending the call, my mind suddenly became a jumble.
‘Dating, huh.’
Honestly, it wasn't that I hadn't thought about it.
In fact, I felt a very strong desire to be with Ms. Rokhui.
My dream of developing games, and Ms. Rokhui… I honestly didn't want to lose either.
‘What’s the point of thinking about something with no clear answer?’
I closed my eyes for a moment, then shook my head and went back inside the bar.
And at that moment.
“Who’s that guy?”
My eyes fell on Ms. Rokhui, who was sitting at the bar, talking with a handsome man in a suit.