Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: The President's Secret Fan
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‘Whoa~. It’s exactly like what I saw on TV!’
Hyun Ye-won blinked with her eyes wide open. She was so stunned that it didn’t even feel real.
Right. At first, he was just a chef she’d noticed on . She’d tried following a few of his recipes because his ideas were so unique and fresh. That was it.
Then, when some controversies cropped up and the world got noisy about it, she paid even more attention, and the finishing touch was...
‘Mastel! Pretty much Mastel’s final boss! The owner of Mastel!’
He’d grown into the symbol and icon of Mastel, boasting overwhelming popularity and market share.
Hyun Ye-won was a regular viewer of , and after only knowing the polished, edited version of him, she dove even deeper when she saw Song Woo-yeon’s raw broadcast.
She’d checked out other contestants’ streams once or twice, but they always left her wanting more.
‘Why is this so boring? They didn’t even glance at the chat once? Ah~! If you’re gonna eat something, at least describe the taste!’
She’d grumble a few times, but she’d always end up circling back to Song Woo-yeon’s stream.
Before she knew it, the time she spent watching his broadcasts while eating had stretched longer and longer, until she finally became one of his fans.
‘This is insane...!’
Hyun Ye-won shot Song Woo-yeon a sparkling gaze. She tried not to show it, but she couldn’t hide her slightly flushed cheeks.
“Jae-ha. What brings you here?”
Song Woo-yeon first turned his eyes to the lanky Baek Jae-ha. His flashy hair color probably made him stand out even more.
Baek Jae-ha replaced the cocky expression he’d had just moments ago with the face of a gentle lamb.
“I wanted to take another look at that recipe we scrapped last time. The backups are here.”
Was it Hyun Ye-won’s imagination? His tone sounded much softer too.
‘What should I call it? A minute ago, he seemed like the type who’d ride motorcycles around, cracking cheeky jokes with guys like him. Now he suddenly looks like a cautious idol trainee. The kind who’d secretly look out for the isolated kid in class...’
In short, the sharp, edgy vibe was completely gone, replaced by the aura of a handsome student council president.
How could someone’s impression change so drastically in an instant?
“Oh, yeah? You could’ve just said so. I would’ve emailed it to you.”
“Nah. Why bother Sis when you’re busy?”
At that, he flashed a grin, and Hyun Ye-won lost herself in it.
Thwack!
The sound of Song Woo-yeon smacking Baek Jae-ha’s shoulder with a stack of documents snapped her out of it.
“Call me President. This kid used to say it properly with honorifics every time. But now that he’s grown tall, he does whatever he wants? Bantering like that?”
What?
Wasn’t that a green light just now?
Song Woo-yeon treated Baek Jae-ha like a little brother, embarrassing Hyun Ye-won. Their actual age gap couldn’t be that big, but he handled him like a much younger sibling.
You’d expect Baek Jae-ha to be exasperated by it, but he just grinned like he was used to it.
“Sorry. Forgot we’re at the company.”
He said it so casually, then spun around.
“Guess I’ll head out~. Oh, President. This sis here says OXXO churros are delicious.”
Then he slipped out the door.
Never mind the ambiguous mix of casual and polite speech—Hyun Ye-won jumped in shock at suddenly being singled out.
“Ah.”
Song Woo-yeon seemed to notice her only then. Their eyes met in midair, and his widened for a split second.
‘What?’
But before Hyun Ye-won could harbor any doubts, Song Woo-yeon smiled warmly first.
“Sorry for the late greeting. I’m Song Woo-yeon.”
“H-Hyun Ye-won!”
“Nice to meet you, Ye-won. You’re the new hire, right?”
“Yes, that’s me!”
Hyun Ye-won squeezed her eyes shut, hating how stiffly she only answered his questions.
Argh! She had so much more she wanted to say!
Whether he knew of her inner turmoil or not, Song Woo-yeon continued with a smile.
“Jo Team Leader’s been handling everything alone and working too hard. Glad to have more hands now.”
“N-No, not at all. I still have so much to learn; I’m not sure I’m helping much yet.”
“Nah. It’s just tough teaching at first. Give it a little time, and Jo Team Leader will have it much easier.”
He spoke like someone who’d been running a company for years. While Hyun Ye-won puzzled over it, Song Woo-yeon swiftly changed the subject.
“Oh, by the way, I didn’t sit in on the new hire interviews this time, so... What made you join us? Suddenly curious.”
“Y-You mean my reason for joining?”
“Yeah. Honestly, The Song is pretty much a startup, and there are plenty of solid mid-sized companies out there. So what drew you to The Song?”
Reason for applying to The Song? Hyun Ye-won had only one.
‘You. ...But I can’t say that, right?’
He’d think she was crazy. Hyun Ye-won swallowed hard and racked her brain.
The standard interview answer she’d prepared popped into her head instantly.
“I saw the growth potential in The Song and joined. I wanted to be part of the legend built by the President’s outstanding business acumen and brand consulting...”
“I’m a fan of the President.”
“Gasp.”
Jo Yi-ruk cut in bluntly. How could he spill her secret like that? Hyun Ye-won couldn’t hold back and shot him a glare.
“Whoa, really?”
Of course, facing Song Woo-yeon’s radiant smile melted her away like it never happened.
“Or just saying that? You’re good at navigating society for someone young.”
“I’m actually older than you, President.”
“Oh.”
Song Woo-yeon let out a short exclamation and added, “Got my wires crossed for a sec.”
She had no idea what he’d mixed up, but Hyun Ye-won didn’t care.
Since her secret was out anyway, she decided to confess her fandom. When else would she get to say it to his face?
“I-It’s not just talk! I’ve been a true fan since the first episode!”
“That’s an honor. A fan of me, not my cooking?”
“Of course!”
Screw it! Half in desperation, Hyun Ye-won let it all pour out.
“Sure, at first I watched for the recipes and tried them out, but later I realized the President’s actually a really great guy! And not just that—the way you run this company is so ideal in my eyes. The businesspeople I know are all about money, money, money, always cutting costs to screw over consumers...!”
Oops.
She’d gotten too worked up. Hyun Ye-won clamped her mouth shut. Glancing around wildly, she saw everyone staring at her in shock from the bolt out of the blue.
‘I’m done for!’
How was she supposed to survive at the company now? She’d shown her foot-in-mouth side right in front of the President. She was fired for sure.
As those thoughts swirled chaotically in her head,
“...Pfft. Ahahaha!”
Song Woo-yeon’s laughter rang out.
“Ah, I’m gonna cry. Ye-won, you’re hilarious. Right? Those shady companies exist. I know one really~ well myself.”
His unexpected agreement felt like a lifeline to Hyun Ye-won.
With Song Woo-yeon stepping in to call her funny and praise her, the tense atmosphere softened right up.
Thanks to that, the crazy antics of a clueless newbie transformed into the quirky charm of a bold new hire.
‘I’m saved...!’
She barely exhaled in relief when Song Woo-yeon, who’d approached unnoticed, patted her shoulder.
“Looking forward to working with you.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Did I mention I’m joining the undercover inspection today?”
“I just heard!”
“Whoops, must’ve startled you. Sorry about that. But every now and then, I need to go myself so the franchise owners stay on their toes.”
Song Woo-yeon chuckled, then beckoned Jo Yi-ruk.
“Alright, let’s get going. Lots of places to hit.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Yessir!”
And so, the undercover trio was formed.
“Should I drive?”
“No, I’ll do it.”
“Why? I drive well.”
“It’s easier for me. Just relax in the back.”
Jo Yi-ruk said as he took the driver’s seat. Song Woo-yeon shrugged and slid into the front passenger seat.
“Then excuse me!”
Naturally, Hyun Ye-won ended up in the back.
‘Eek! My heart’s still pounding!’
Busy calming her racing heart and staring out the window, Hyun Ye-won missed Song Woo-yeon’s expression up front.
“......”
Song Woo-yeon’s piercing gaze fixed on her profile.
I stared intently at Hyun Ye-won, who was peering out the window with a slightly excited expression.
‘I was so shocked when I first saw her.’
Why was this person here?
I’d frozen up for a moment, unable to manage my face, and let my flustered look show plain as day.
‘I suspected she might have some ulterior motive. But hearing her out put me at ease.’
It relaxed me so much that I ended up laughing out loud.
‘...Even the great Hyun Ye-won had these youthful days, huh.’
She was older than me and always acted so mature. I never imagined she could look this innocent.
And a fan of mine, no less?
Sure, I’d changed a bunch of things since regressing, but I didn’t expect this to be one of them.
Those pure eyes looking at me like I was her role model...
I was so thrown off, I didn’t know what face to make.
‘Well, Hyun Ye-won had stepped away from the succession battle. Before getting dragged into Hyunmu as she got older, she did whatever she wanted. They said even the company she worked at back then didn’t know she was Hyunmu’s granddaughter.’
Looks like that company turned out to be The Song.
The Song wasn’t big enough yet for Hyunmu to send a direct family member to spy. It was probably just a wild coincidence.
‘Since it’s come to this, looking forward to working with you, Hyun Ye-won.’
I murmured to myself.
‘Who’d have thought I’d meet Hyunmu’s one and only granddaughter like this.’
I’d heard she was a wild troublemaker as a kid.
But I never imagined she was such a tomboy that she’d join a rival company like The Song while Hyunmu was still kicking around.
‘Plus, from what she said, she seems to have a real grudge against Hyunmu.’
A shady company obsessed with money and ripping off consumers. That sounded like a jab at Hyunmu.
‘Pre-regression Hyun Ye-won was... drier, more emotionless, I guess.’
How that vibrant girl turned so parched, I couldn’t know the details.
‘...I’ll have to keep an eye on her separately.’
As I thought that,
The car was already nearing its destination.
Far off, the sign for the [Shanghai Branch] glimmered.