Chapter 150
Chapter 150
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Middle School Reunion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Heavy?!”
Hyun Ye-won shot back sharply.
“How would you know if I’m heavy or not? Do you even know how many kilos I weigh?!”
“Whoa, whoa. Hyun Ye-won, calm down a bit…”
“It’s not about the kilos!”
“Then what is it about?”
Zzzzt!
Their glares clashed in midair, complete with the hallucinated sound of sparks flying.
Had these two always been on bad terms? They’d hardly ever crossed paths before.
‘And above all, Jae-ha isn’t the type to snap at people like that…’
She’d always been so sweet it worried me. I’d feel a pang of bitterness every time, wondering if it was scars from the abuse she’d suffered since childhood.
Had she grown so much in the meantime that she’d erased those old traces?
I tilted my head, but stepped in to mediate before the argument escalated.
“Both of you, calm down first. Jae-ha, I know you meant well out of concern, but that could come off rude, so apologize quick.”
At my words, Baek Jae-ha dropped the snarl like it had never happened and offered her apology.
“I’m sorry.”
Even as she bowed politely, Hyun Ye-won looked ready to explode.
“You, always acting like a lamb in front of the owner…!”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head, and Hyun Ye-won started to speak but clamped her mouth shut. Her gaze drifted oddly to the side… toward Baek Jae-ha.
“?”
Puzzled, I glanced that way too, but there was only Baek Jae-ha beaming innocently. What? Was it my imagination?
Turning back to Hyun Ye-won, I caught her face twisted like a demon’s before it smoothed out in an instant.
“??”
Was I seeing things?
Now she was blinking up at me with big, innocent eyes and a cute expression, like nothing had happened. I figured I must’ve had some weird hallucination.
Me and my imagination. Must be running low on energy lately.
“Sorry. I think I misspoke.”
“…No, I was the one overreacting.”
“How about a handshake to seal the peace?”
“Sure.”
Crunch.
Their clasped hands gripped so tight it hurt just to look at. It was a level of power completely beyond a fake twenty-something like me.
Youth really is something else. I nodded to myself, and Baek Jae-ha let out a small groan first.
“Ugh!”
“Jae-ha, you okay?”
“…I’m fine.”
Plop.
Finally, they ended their intense reconciliation handshake and let go. Hyun Ye-won looked even more smug, while Baek Jae-ha seemed a bit miffed.
“Heh heh. Back in school, I was on the archery team, you know.”
Hyun Ye-won drew a V-sign with her fingers as she said it.
“My grip strength doesn’t lose to anyone.”
“…? I see.”
What’s with the sudden bragging? But she looked so proud with her nose in the air that I decided not to pry.
“Anyway, Owner. I’m still feeling wiped—could you give me one more big hug…?”
“We’ll burn all the meat at this rate. Let’s finish eating.”
Oh no.
While I’d been soothing Hyun Ye-won, Baek Jae-ha had been grilling. Most was on our plates, but the pieces at the edge of the grill were visibly drying out, losing their juices.
No way! I couldn’t let delicious beef go to waste like that.
“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s eat first and talk over the meat?”
I snatched up my chopsticks in a hurry. Even the greatest mountains are best after a meal. Hungry or not, better to chat while eating.
“Come on, dig in. You must be drained from all that crying. That’s exactly when you need to eat well.”
“…Okay.”
Hyun Ye-won hesitated a moment before starting to chew her beef bite by bite. Seeing her eat heartily made me proud.
‘Her grudge against Hyunmu seems solid, so no need to worry about that.’
I’d had a slight unease about possible betrayal, but this incident had dispelled most of it.
Those tears earlier didn’t look fake.
‘At this point, just keeping her around makes her our spy in Hyunmu.’
Not immediately, but if Hyunmu made any suspicious moves, she’d notice and tip us off.
Hyunmu wouldn’t suspect a spy in the owner family.
Chairman Hyun Jeong-hoo would probably see her working at The Song as a brief rebellion or spoiled whim.
‘That alone is a huge win for us.’
Was I being too coldly calculating, weighing pros and cons with Hyun Ye-won? Maybe.
But in a situation where we could be attacked anytime, call it basic preparation.
“Sticking with The Song will wash away a lot of that other coloring and dull it down. We’ve got pretty strong colors of our own, after all.”
“…Yes!”
At my words, Hyun Ye-won finally broke into a full smile.
Good. That settles this side.
I flicked my gaze to the side.
‘The problem’s Jae-ha.’
She had her usual bright smile, but I could tell right away.
Something was subtly twisted inside.
‘Sigh.’
I let out a quiet sigh inwardly. Hyun Ye-won on my left, Baek Jae-ha on my right. Felt like getting squeezed between moody teenagers…
Was that just me?
“Thanks so much for today! I hope I didn’t cause too much trouble.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t worry about it—get home safe.”
“Yes! You too, Owner~!”
After seeing a slightly tipsy Hyun Ye-won off in a taxi, my hunched back finally straightened a bit. Weird. I’m still in my prime—why does my back feel bent already?
Turning around, Baek Jae-ha was there.
“Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“Where else? Your place. I’ll drive you. I didn’t even have a sip.”
She’d brought the car, so no beer for her. She wasn’t big on drinking anyway, hated the buzz.
“…I thought you’d send me off in a taxi too.”
Not sure what part of that she liked, but Baek Jae-ha’s expression softened.
I tilted my head as I replied.
“Well, our places are in the same direction.”
“…”
“Get in. Brr. Night wind’s chilly.”
I rubbed my arms, and Baek Jae-ha followed behind with a pout again. What was her deal? Teenage moods were impossible to pin down.
Click.
Once in the car, I brought up what I hadn’t said with Hyun Ye-won around.
“How’s studying going lately?”
Oops. Regretted it instantly.
Sounds just like a parent obsessed with grades, ignoring friendships or mental health. Hitting her with study talk right after getting in the car.
No wonder kids hate talking to their folks.
I sneaked a peek at Baek Jae-ha—fortunately, no obvious annoyance.
“Maybe Da-on hyung’s teaching well. Nothing too tough.”
Smart kid.
Even so, restudying for college entrance exams with a job? No sweat?
I wondered if it was a white lie to reassure me, but her face looked genuinely serene.
Just a bit tired.
“Don’t push too hard. It’s just a suggestion. If you don’t want to, no pressure.”
“Hmm. No, I get it now—what you meant by suggesting it.”
Really? I was touched. When did she grow up enough to read my intentions…?
“And listening to today’s meeting, I realized cooking alone isn’t everything. You need ideas that read the times and trends right to shine.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah. The salad thing shocked me at first. But hearing all the reasoning, I got convinced. Like, this could really work—and that sparked all sorts of other ideas.”
“Already? What ideas?”
At my question, Baek Jae-ha spoke rapidly, her tone excited.
“It’s salad as a main dish, right? Not a side. So, maybe use more filling ingredients. Like making it fully customizable, Subway-style, from one to ten. That’d be fun in itself. Especially since salads have divisive stuff like cucumbers or olives—accounting for that…”
Whoa. My ears are gonna bleed.
But she was so pumped, it was a sight to behold.
‘And her mood seems lifted.’
I grinned to myself.
We kept refining the salad franchise concept and design, targeting a spring launch next year. Especially focused on trendy yet timeless interiors that wouldn’t look dated.
While reviewing sales reports on the adjustable-height grills, a notification pinged.
Ding!
“Hmm?”
Who? Checking my phone, it was a text from an unsaved number.
Spam?
I brushed it off and turned back to the report—then the glimpsed content stuck in my head.
‘Kanghyeon Middle School 3rd Year Class 4, Class Reunion’
“…?!”
What was that?
Kanghyeon Middle School was where I graduated. Ancient history, memories fuzzy, but no one forgets their alma mater.
‘Not spam?’
I gripped the phone and read carefully.
「Hey Woo-yeon, long time no talk. Took courage to message. Might not remember me, but I’m Ahn Si-hun, class president from Kanghyeon Middle School 3-4. Hope you’ve been well? Saw you on TV/news a few times lately lol. Busy I bet, but we’re having a class reunion. Join if you can. Details in the link below. Bye!」
“…”
Reading it unlocked buried fragments from long ago.
‘Right. This happened. Middle school reunion.’
Even before regression, I’d gotten this and gone. Before I changed numbers.
After, I never touched reunions or alumni meets again. Because
‘It was so horrific, I never wanted to remember it.’
…But this time might be different.