Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Ji Sang-woo's Tearful Gratitude
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“Wow~!”
Park Sang-won gaped.
“It’s super shiny!”
“Three times? Four times bigger than the old office!”
Yang Ji-ah chimed in excitedly.
Everyone seemed thrilled with the new office. I smiled contentedly as I glanced around the room.
It was clean, conveniently close to the directly managed stores, and now carried the dignified air of a proper company.
“From now on, this is where we’ll be working. I know the sudden move caught you off guard, but as you’re aware, our workload keeps growing while we’re short-staffed. We had to relocate in a hurry.”
No sooner had I finished than everyone piped up.
“I’m all for it. Totally!”
“Right. We’re in the middle of new hire interviews anyway.”
“Haha. If we hadn’t moved soon, the newbies would’ve been working without desks.”
That couldn’t happen.
Fortunately, the timing worked out perfectly.
“Our headcount’s going to grow a lot from here on out. Jo Team Leader and No Team Leader, keep handling that steadily. Especially you, Jo Team Leader—you’ve basically been doing it all solo up till now.”
Team leader in name only, since there’d been no actual team under him. Sure, in our small company without real divisions, we all pitched in for each other.
“This time, let’s build a proper team.”
“Yes, got it.”
That should ease Jo Yi-ruk’s burden some. Managing the expanding franchises would be smoother too.
“Alright, everyone—let’s get unpacked.”
“Yes~!”
I’d come early last night and sorted all the desks, so I had nothing left to do.
I was thinking of giving the reports another once-over when...
Murmur murmur.
“Hm?”
The building entrance looked rowdy. What was going on?
Peering out the window, I spotted someone arguing with the building manager.
“Huh?”
The face looked familiar...
“It’s Ji Sang-woo.”
“!”
I jumped at the voice beside me and turned. Jo Yi-ruk had sidled up and was peering out too.
“Jo Team Leader, shouldn’t you unpack?”
“Not much to do. More importantly, what brings Ji Sang-woo all the way here?”
That’s exactly what I wanted to know.
I’d been trying so hard to put him out of my mind. Why show up now and rattle me?
‘I’d just convinced myself not to jump the gun on something that hasn’t even happened yet.’
It had been a big decision on my part. He didn’t seem hooked on booze yet, for one. And more than that...
‘Like how Kim Jong-chun changed, maybe this guy can too.’
Everything’s got two sides, right? I’d pulled so far ahead of my past self that Kim Jong-chun got restless and evolved. Ji Sang-woo might veer off in a whole different direction from his pre-regression path. I’d clung to that slim hope.
‘Plus, there’s no real red flags yet—dumping him on a hunch wouldn’t be fair.’
It was a call weighed from every angle. So why barge in here causing a scene, making me second-guess myself?
“...How’d you know it was Ji Sang-woo? We’ve got way more than one or two franchise owners.”
“Tracking them’s basically my job. I keep tabs. Especially after Park Seung-jae.”
Ah, the sundae gukbap owner.
That mess must’ve rattled him bad. Just like Kim Jong-chun shook me, Park Seung-jae probably felt like a trusted franchisee’s betrayal to Jo Yi-ruk.
“Besides, didn’t you take note of him yourself?”
“Huh?”
“During the training program. You showed up out of nowhere and kept eyeing Ji Sang-woo.”
When did he catch that? Felt like my inner thoughts got exposed—my chest twinged.
“So I made a point to watch him. ...Looks like he’s got business. Tell him to come up?”
“Hm... We’re swamped unpacking inside, so I’ll head down.”
No clue what he wants, but if he’s this desperate, better meet him.
“But how’d Ji Sang-woo even know this address? We just moved in today.”
“Oh, the relocation was locked in by training time. We told folks to come here if needed.”
“Aha.”
“I’ll tag along.”
“You too, Jo Team Leader?”
I tilted my head. I could handle it solo.
“Can’t risk an incident. The Song’d be sunk if you keeled over.”
“Haha. What won’t you worry about.”
Ji Sang-woo wasn’t that type right now.
“Eh, whatever.”
Everyone was busy unpacking anyway—no real work vibe. Jo Yi-ruk’d just be twiddling thumbs here.
I nodded readily and headed down to the first floor with him.
“Ehey, come on, President! You can’t do that!”
“Just once! No, can’t you at least pass on my name? I’m desperate!”
“Look, I don’t have the authority, I keep telling you.”
“Or just my name one time...!”
Thud, thud.
Sensing the footsteps, Ji Sang-woo slowly turned my way. Spotting me, his eyes went wide as I gave him a bright smile.
“Long time no see, Ji President. What brings you here?”
“Gasp! S-Song President!”
“Ah, he’s our customer—let him in.”
At my word, the manager flung the door open like he’d been dying to.
“Song President!”
Before I could get a word out, Ji Sang-woo dropped to his knees right in front of me.
Huh?
Flustered, I crouched down to meet his gaze—and he went full prostrate, eyes brimming.
“Thank you!!”
“Uh, yeah?”
What the hell?
I was too stunned to reply properly when he clutched my pant leg and bellowed.
“Thanks to you, my mom got treatment!”
“Ah.”
“Just like you said, we took her to the hospital—and get this, my mom has l-liver cancer...! Huhuh!”
Mid-sentence, he broke into heaving sobs. Now it clicked.
‘The offhand hospital advice.’
He’d taken it straight to heart, gotten her checked—and caught the liver cancer way earlier than before.
‘Dodged a bullet there.’
Great for her, and good news for me with him as a franchisee.
Count that as one less trigger for his downfall.
No matter how diligently you live, illness strikes without warning. He must’ve crumbled thinking, Why my mom of all people?
Nipping that early shot his odds of thriving as a solid franchisee way up.
“I-I’ll never forget this debt!”
He gazed up at me, face set like steel. Tricky spot.
“I’ll turn Shanghae Banjeom into Korea’s top Chinese franchise! No matter what! I’ll repay you with my sales!”
“Hm. Your words alone are plenty.”
“I’ll make it happen!”
He reared back to kowtow again, so I quickly stopped him.
“Yeah yeah, thanks noted. If you’re repaying with sales, shouldn’t you hustle back and drill the menu? Right?”
Please not here. Multiple companies shared this building—lobby wasn’t just us. I felt eyes glancing from everywhere. Embarrassing enough, but this could paint us as headquarter bullies.
“Hup! Right!”
He sprang up at my words, swiped tears with his sleeve, then bellowed with veins popping in his neck.
“I! Will! Nail it!”
Then he whipped around and bolted... leaving me with nothing but a wry chuckle.
“Heh.”
“Hmm. Quite the spectacle.”
Oh right—Jo Yi-ruk was here.
“Since when are you moonlighting as a doctor?”
“Doctor? Hardly.”
“Come on. I’ve never even seen his mom. Diagnosing blind like that? Might as well call it divine possession.”
Every word cut sharp. I felt his eyes narrow on me.
“President, did you...”
Did I?
“...actually get possessed or something?”
Yeah. ‘Fair enough. Someone asking if I’m from the future would be the real nutcase.’ That would need a psych eval. Jo Yi-ruk’s take might be the sane one here.
“Well... close enough.”
No spirit, but I did peek at the future. I tacked on playfully.
“So watch it, Jo Team Leader. No secrets from me, got it?”
He let out a short laugh.
“Fair enough.”
Phew—think that landed? Screw up, and I’d be the office shaman. Gotta watch my mouth from now on. ‘...Still, saved his mom in the end. Worth it.’ I grinned to myself.
“Let’s head back up.”
“Ah, mind if I grab a smoke first?”
“Didn’t you quit?”
“Haha.”
Jo Yi-ruk laughed awkwardly. He’d picked up smoking lately, it seemed. Not ideal for someone bouncing between eateries. Couldn’t nag him to quit, though—I just shrugged and headed upstairs.
Jo Yi-ruk watched Song Woo-yeon’s figure vanish up the stairwell, then pushed through the door to the outside.
He tucked an unlit cigarette in the corner of his mouth in a shadowy spot and pulled out his phone.
Tick. He tapped someone in his recent calls. A dial tone hummed briefly. Click. “Hello?” “Yes, Jo Yi-ruk speaking.” He continued in a low whisper. “Hyunmu’s... Director Seo Si-hwan, correct?”