Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Baek Jae-ha
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“......”
“......?”
Peeking out slightly from the silence to check his face, I saw tears welling up in Ji Sang-woo's eyes.
“?!”
Why? Why is he like that? Did they catch it early, but the treatment isn't going well?
There was no hiding my panic when Ji Sang-woo blurted it out in a voice on the verge of tears.
“My mom... she had surgery this time.”
“!”
“It was a partial hepatectomy, and they said it went off without a hitch. ......If they'd been even a little later, it might've progressed from stage 2 to 3, and then they'd have needed chemo too. They said with her age, her stamina might not have held up.”
Lucky they caught it early. Phew. I got a real scare thinking something bad had happened since he was choking up like that, but it was just overwhelming gratitude.
“Glad to hear the surgery went smoothly.”
“It's all thanks to you, President!”
“Oh, no, no. What did I do? It was just a passing comment, but you took it to heart and took good care of your mom—that's all you.”
“No way! After that, I quit drinking completely. Even when my buddies push me for a drink, I go and just have cola!”
Music to my ears. It seemed Ji Sang-woo was taking another step away from alcoholism.
“And working hard's paying off—the store's sales are doing great. Haha.”
Ji Sang-woo scratched the back of his head, embarrassed to bring up sales. No need to be shy about it. The upward trend was real.
“I checked before coming. New opens usually spike on opening day hype, then dip. But yours didn't crash hard, and it looks like it's bouncing back lately?”
“Huh? Yep! You saw all that?!”
“Not everything. Just happened to check before stopping by. Was gonna give you an earful if sales were bad.”
We burst out laughing, and he joined in.
“Just kidding!”
“Hahaha.”
“......It is a joke, right?”
I grinned and changed the subject.
“Oh. Veggie prices have shot up lately. You good on stock? I hear some owners mess up portions and scramble to nearby markets for extras.”
“Oh man, we're ordering just right~. Last time we ran short and grabbed some from the local mart in a pinch—nearly passed out at the price!”
“Right? Don't buy at markup—tell us. We'll hook you up with more.”
“Thank you, President Song!”
He bowed deeply in thanks, so I waved him off.
“Whoa, cut it out. Gonna start 'Song bullies staff' rumors.”
“Ah! Haha. Yeah, could happen.”
“Yeah. Unless you wanna see tomorrow's headlines screaming 'Song Woo-yeon Abuse Scandal' in huge letters, no need.”
“Got it. Won't happen again!”
“Alright, head in. Gotta be busy prepping for open—I held you up.”
“No, no! Grateful you made time to check on me like this.”
Ji Sang-woo beamed. Other franchise owners might find it overbearing, but he seemed genuinely touched, which made it all the more rewarding.
“Catch you next time when you've got a moment.”
Clunk.
Sliding into the truck driver's seat, I heard Ji Sang-woo bow and call out.
“Sure thing! Drive safe~!”
As I started the engine and pulled away, a glance in the rearview showed his silhouette waving wildly until my truck vanished from sight.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
'Yeah. Not only do I know the future— I can change it too.'
Was it too much to say I'd found hope in Ji Sang-woo's turnaround?
Kim Jong-chun had veered off course but got straightened out. With Ji Sang-woo, I'd rewritten a bad future and set him on the right path.
Keep tweaking things bit by bit, and eventually, I could alter even the core events of the future I knew.
'Re-writing it with my own hands.'
A new future.
To make it happen, there was somewhere I had to go first. I steered the truck onward.
Joy Look, No Se-hee. Off to scout the next talent.
Splashhhh.
The sea air filled my lungs. I breathed it in deep, then let it out slow.
The salty tang tickled my nose.
- President, before I came here, I lived in a real backwater village. How rural? No bridge to the mainland—you took a boat that ran three times a day.
Her lively tone had this magnetic pull that made you listen. She preferred coffee over booze, but that night, she wheedled me into buying drinks anyway.
Next thing I knew, I was swept along to my usual cocktail bar.
-Can't picture it, right? Me, always chasing the trendiest, most cutting-edge stuff in the world. Maybe I hated that old version of myself.
That was the first time she opened up about her childhood.
A tiny island far south. Nights alive with crashing waves, swimming with the sea as her playground since kid days.
Sun-darkened skin that felt right, drawl and all, laughing, "Don't I sound totally Seoul?"
Talking about her hometown, her face mixed regret, longing, anger—hard to pin down.
-I shed my name to escape that place. Because I...
Her soft voice faded in my memory.
“Hey!”
A voice called from afar. I turned to see a villager waving frantically.
“Don't stand there! Tide comes in fast here!”
Whoops. Got lost in memories, lingered too long on the pier.
I bowed and hurried off.
“Young fella, what's up? Scared us half to death. Not thinking dark thoughts, are ya?”
The villager closed in right after. Classic rural warmth. I waved it off with an explanation.
“No, nothing like that. Just admiring the view—sorry for the worry. Thanks. Didn't know the tide rolled in here.”
“Watch it next time. New face—visiting kin?”
Not a tourist spot, this village, so straight to business. Figured I was here for relatives.
Not wrong.
I was looking for someone. Keeping casual, I replied.
“Came for Baek Jae-ha.”
“......Jae-ha?”
His expression shifted. Makes sense.
“Why him? Thought he had no other family. Who's the lady looking for Jae-ha?”
Suspicious glare met my friendly smile. No point riling locals here.
“Here—want to talk to his parents.”
I handed over a pre-made business card. The villager squinted, reading it piecemeal.
“[The Song]'s... scout?”
Tweaked company name on the fake card.
“Yeah. Saw Baek Jae-ha's internet posts—real talent. Hoping to meet the parents in person if possible?”
Ready excuse.
Nothing odd. In a few months, he'd get an offer from another company's scout who stumbled on that humble blog and head to the city.
Just advancing the inevitable future by a bit—no big change.
“......Well, I'll be.”
The villager scratched his head, face a mix.
“Kid's been odd since little—figures. No parents, lives with aunt. Only kin she's got, they say. Good thing they adopted him like their own, huh.”
“Oh, really?”
I'd heard it from Baek Jae-ha before. But acting surprised to avoid suspicion.
“Follow me.”
“Thanks.”
I bowed politely and trailed him. Unpaved paths stretched on.
Up a rocky trail, a house came into view—decent height on the island.
Big main building, small annex like a shed. Yard cluttered with junk.
“Here. Hold on.”
Villager knocked naturally.
Thud thud thud!
“Woo-jun's mom! Woo-jun's mom! Come out a sec!”
Calling someone unfamiliar inside. No answer.
“Where'd she go? Tch. Wait here—she'll be back soon. Got my own work, so I'll head out.”
“Sure. Thank you.”
“Yep~.”
Watching the elder's back till he was gone.
I approached the annex by the main house.
Worn down, mouse holes everywhere, ants marching in lines.
But through a tiny gap, something glinted.
“Hi?”
A boy looked up, eyes mixing fear and curiosity.
Just past twenty? Hard to believe—looked way younger.
The innovative ideas, bubbling genius that'd make him top pick for new menu dev teams in the food industry...
Built career at , then jumped to [The Song], my long-time partner.
Baek Jae-ha.
'You were always so dazzling.'
The boy before me now looked nothing like the man I knew—skinny, pathetic.
But those sparkling eyes burned just as bright as before regression.