Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: A Man Impossible to Read
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He was a man utterly impossible to read.
That was Song Woo-yeon in Jo Yi-ruk's eyes.
"Why entrust such a heavy responsibility to me out of nowhere, someone with basically zero experience?"
Far from agonizing over such doubts, the tasks assigned to Jo Yi-ruk fit him perfectly.
Analyzing locations and market areas proceeded so smoothly it was as if he'd never done anything else.
He was good at it, so it was fun, and because it was fun, he worked harder, creating a virtuous cycle that led to even better performance. In the midst of it all, Jo Yi-ruk felt an unprecedented sense of accomplishment.
After that, he witnessed Song Woo-yeon's steady growth firsthand.
The office, once just the two of them, had become bustling before he knew it. It wasn't enough, so they even relocated and hired a large batch of new employees.
It had reached the point where the growing number of franchises could no longer be managed by a small team.
"It's not just the vibe of a successful businessman."
How to put it? He always seemed two steps ahead of everyone else. Jo Yi-ruk had never met anyone who gave off that impression.
It was a first in his entire life.
He'd graduated from a decent university and seen plenty of so-called geniuses who soared there.
Even the child prodigies who'd skipped years of school to enter university via special tracks hadn't been like this.
Watching Song Woo-yeon made everything feel so distant that his vision blurred.
"To catch up to him—no, to even stand beside him—how much effort would that take?"
He didn't aspire to surpass or lead Song Woo-yeon.
Jo Yi-ruk had just one wish: to walk side by side right next to him.
That's why Jo Yi-ruk closely observed Song Woo-yeon, trying desperately to gauge his intentions.
"But I failed every time."
Song Woo-yeon seemed to mock those efforts, always responding in ways that exceeded Jo Yi-ruk's expectations.
"How on earth?"
It felt like facing an insurmountable wall. Jo Yi-ruk was barely keeping up with Song Woo-yeon's footprints.
"Until when?"
Lost in that sense of despair, staring blankly at Song Woo-yeon's back.
"Team Leader, you need to see this."
"What's going on, Deputy Yang?"
"It's... Kim Jong-chun, the franchise owner. You said he was close to President Song, right? But the results from this undercover inspection..."
His mouth tasted bitter.
So bitter it reminded him of the cigarettes he'd quit. If he could, Jo Yi-ruk wanted to ask Song Woo-yeon.
"How do you feel?"
His downcast eyes captured Song Woo-yeon's profile.
"You paved the highway for them with your best efforts, and now they're lying down, oblivious to their own good fortune. How does it feel?"
Jo Yi-ruk dared to think this time, finally, Song Woo-yeon would waver.
Who wouldn't? The person you'd trusted betrays you. Even Jo Yi-ruk, who had no personal ties to Kim Jong-chun, was shocked.
"President Song. Actually..."
Song Woo-yeon seemed momentarily surprised. But what crossed his face soon after was a deep sense of resignation.
And somehow, through some kind of magic, Kim Jong-chun soon changed his mind and started working diligently again.
That alone was a huge shock to Jo Yi-ruk.
He was on the office rooftop, staring blankly at the sky without even lighting a cigarette.
Clunk. The rooftop door opened, and No Se-hee stepped out. She spotted Jo Yi-ruk and looked mildly surprised.
"Oh? Team Leader Jo. Smoking?"
"Yeah, well. I quit for a while, but started again recently."
"That's unusual."
"Should I step aside if it's bothering you, Team Leader No?"
"No. It's fine."
Thud.
The two leaned halfway against the railing in silence. Whoosh. Only the sound of exhaled smoke echoed.
It had been a while since he'd had time alone like this with No Se-hee. Before her team members joined, there had often been moments when they were the only two left in the office while Song Woo-yeon was away.
"Got something weighing on your mind these days?"
"...Does it show?"
"No. Just that you're smoking again after quitting."
Jo Yi-ruk looked down at his hand quietly, then stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.
"I'll head back in first."
"It's about President Song, right?"
"...!"
"Haha. I've been there too. Us ordinary folks standing next to an overwhelming genius all think the same things, more or less."
As she said that, tucking her hair behind her ear, No Se-hee's face showed faint traces of fatigue, self-doubt, and resignation. It somehow carried a bitter scent.
"I've never heard anyone say I couldn't cut it anywhere else. But watching President Song makes me question myself. He whips up new menu items overnight, manipulates the media like it's in his palm. His PR and marketing are just too brilliant."
She'd clearly thought about this a lot; her words flowed without hesitation.
"How should I put it? It feels like I'm a downgraded replacement for President Song. Like if he had multiple bodies, he'd handle all this effortlessly, and he's only limited because there's just one of him."
"..."
"At my old company, I thought the opposite a lot. Having a boss who's too slick with the details has its own headaches."
Jo Yi-ruk carefully studied No Se-hee's face. He was calculating that losing a key talent like her would be trouble.
"Of course, it's a first-world problem. At my old job, I was constantly worried about my achievements being stolen, getting caught in office politics, or offending some higher-up and getting demoted. Now there's none of that—just worries about self-actualization. My friends would curse me out of jealousy. So no plans to leave this rare good gig. Don't look at me like that."
"Ah, sorry."
"I didn't think you had these worries, Team Leader Jo. You're a genius yourself, in my book."
"Not really."
Jo Yi-ruk silently lowered his gaze. Anyone standing next to Song Woo-yeon would feel the same.
"I'll head in now. I'm pretty satisfied, all things considered. Just need to let go of a bit of greed."
No Se-hee said that with a bright smile. Jo Yi-ruk watched quietly as she turned and trudged off the rooftop.
Thud.
The rooftop door closed,
And the two never brought up the topic again. That rooftop conversation became an unspoken agreement to pretend it never happened.
And right then.
The offer from Hyunmu came.
The timing was so perfect it was uncanny, almost as if planned. It was tempting enough to make even Jo Yi-ruk waver for a moment.
"So. What did you say?"
Looking at Song Woo-yeon's face as he asked, Jo Yi-ruk barely suppressed a hollow laugh.
Yeah.
"The conditions were so good it'd be weird not to accept."
"I bet. They'd promise top-tier treatment in the industry."
Song Woo-yeon spoke as if he'd received similar offers himself.
Jo Yi-ruk replied calmly.
"But I turned it down."
"...Didn't you just say it'd be weird not to accept?"
"I did."
"And yet you refused?"
Song Woo-yeon blinked, utterly baffled. He had no idea why Jo Yi-ruk was directly contradicting his own words.
Jo Yi-ruk finally let out a dry chuckle.
"Yes. Others would call me crazy. How could you turn down treatment like that?"
"..."
"But I think they can say that only because they don't know."
He was certain.
"Because they don't know you, Song Woo-yeon."
If they worked with Song Woo-yeon, they'd change their minds too.
"...Haha. Team Leader Jo, you can say things like that?"
"I'm not good at empty flattery. Doesn't suit my personality. So everything I say is sincere."
Jo Yi-ruk continued with a face devoid of any smile.
"Yes. The President Song I know isn't perfect to work with on the same team. He's too much of a lone wolf, and even dictatorial at times. I've followed orders plenty without understanding the reasons."
Take the Ji-hyang Township deal. A major issue, yet Song Woo-yeon signed the contract alone without any meetings.
"But the results were always top-notch."
"..."
"That's why I'm afraid."
Jo Yi-ruk looked straight at Song Woo-yeon's face.
"Of becoming your enemy."
Even facing the same direction felt intimidating and overwhelming. Standing on the opposite side?
Jo Yi-ruk couldn't even imagine it.
The Song Woo-yeon he'd seen so far wasn't cruel or sadistic as an opponent, but he wasn't compassionate or warm either.
As a fundamentally shrewd businessman, he could coldly assess situations and cut out rotten buds.
"Kim Jong-chun's the perfect example. If he hadn't turned over a new leaf, would he really have let it slide?"
Jo Yi-ruk didn't believe so for a second.
So, if Jo Yi-ruk stabbed Song Woo-yeon in the back and jumped ship.
He'd have to pay dearly for it.
In ways he couldn't even fathom. That was the scariest part. Song Woo-yeon was unpredictable.
"Haha... You're seeing me as way too scary, aren't you?"
Song Woo-yeon smiled faintly but didn't deny it.
"That's why I wanted to confirm."
Jo Yi-ruk gazed at the still-pattering rain.
"That you weren't wrong. ...To prove my choice was right. To anyone."
"Don't worry."
Song Woo-yeon whispered lowly.
"I won't disappoint."
Ruuuush...
The rain showed no sign of stopping.
It seemed it wouldn't cease until the river overflowed and swept away the nearby crops.