Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: The Twin New Hires
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"Hello!"
I was momentarily taken aback by the deep bow. A face I'd never seen before. Who was this?
But that surprise didn't last. Given the location, I could roughly guess who they were.
This was the massive kitchen that Baek Jae-ha usually commanded. The white dress shirt and slacks didn't fit the space at all. And they were even wearing dress shoes.
Their hair looked slicked back with wax, so their outfit was completely out of place for the situation.
They weren't a chef helping Baek Jae-ha in the kitchen. That narrowed down the possibilities considerably.
"New Menu Development Team newbie?"
"Yes, that's right! I'm the new hire starting today, Han Hae. Please take care of me!"
"Nice to meet you. And you next to him?"
When I asked the person standing awkwardly beside Han Hae, she hurriedly bowed as well.
"Yes! I'm the new hire, Han Byeol!"
"Ah, got it. ...Your names are pretty unique, though. Are you by any chance...?"
"Oh, yes. Spot on."
Han Hae gave an awkward smile as he answered.
"We're twins. Fraternal, so we don't look that alike."
"Ah ha."
Just as I'd guessed. Hearing their names jogged my memory.
>-Should we hire some more newbies?
>
>-More?
>
>-Yeah. Right now, it's just Jae-ha on the New Menu Development Team. We definitely need more hands.
>
>-True enough. I'll post a job listing then.
>
>-Thanks. Oh, before finalizing, could you send me the resumes and cover letters? I want to take a look.
>
>-Sure thing.
That conversation had happened not long ago.
Soon after, a stack of selected resumes landed on my desk.
There were about fifteen applicants, and I'd personally picked these two out of them.
It was my first time seeing their faces in person, so I'd almost missed recognizing them. I'd only heard rumors floating around.
"No need for introductions, right?"
At my words, both Han Hae and Han Byeol nodded vigorously.
"Got it. Looks like the team leader's too swamped to pass along the proper briefing. She's not coming in today."
"Gasp. Really?"
No senior to properly greet them. If I hadn't shown up, they'd have been left high and dry.
There must've been some communication mix-up.
"Good thing I came out, then. I was checking on a recipe test anyway—perfect timing. You'll be seeing a lot of me from now on."
I'd been in and out of here constantly while filming [Alleyway Secrets]. I'd be seeing these two plenty.
"Please take care of us."
"We should be saying that to you!"
"It's an honor!"
They bowed deeply again, like malfunctioning robots. No need to overdo it.
Well, from a newbie's perspective, facing the CEO would be nerve-wracking.
"Want me to show you around the kitchen? Han Byeol seems familiar, but it might be new for you, Han Hae."
As I smoothly transitioned, Han Byeol's face lit up in shock.
"...! Y-you know our resumes?"
"Of course."
I'd picked them myself.
But they looked utterly surprised. I chuckled and replied.
"The company's not that big yet. I review new hire resumes myself. Especially for the New Menu Development Team—it's a department I keep a close eye on."
"I see...!"
"Of course, I didn't review them from the start. Just the ones that made it to final interviews."
Han Hae and Han Byeol exchanged glances, nodded as if resolving something, then looked at me with eyes full of eager anticipation.
What was this? Just then, Han Hae spoke up.
"Is there a reason you hired both of us at the same time?!"
"Usually, they don't hire siblings together! We applied as a pair, but we never dreamed we'd both get in!"
Ah. Yeah, that might seem odd.
"Well, as for why I hired you both..."
I smiled.
The biggest reason? I'd already seen how much they'd grow in the future.
The Han twins, Hae and Byeol.
Their duo was pretty famous in the food industry.
'Known as the unbeatable strategy combo.'
They'd job-hopped multiple times, but every place they'd landed had hit it big with their hit products. Like clockwork.
'We at [The Song] had tried to recruit them too. We'd emailed back and forth, conditions nearly settled. Just needed to meet and sign...'
A wry smile crept up. That cursed connection again.
'Hyunmu's headhunter swooped in and snatched them up.'
Hyunmu must've wanted them bad too. I didn't know the details, but they hadn't lasted long there before jumping ship again.
But I couldn't say that to their faces. Even setting aside my history with them, there were plenty of reasons to hire them.
"I figured the synergy would really shine if I hired you together. Sure, there's some risk, but the rewards outweigh it."
Simple reason.
They complemented each other perfectly, like two halves of a whole.
"Han Byeol, you graduated from hotel culinary arts and worked as a chef at a high-end restaurant, right? Won various cooking competitions too."
"...!"
"You're creative with menu development, handle diverse ingredients, and know all sorts of cooking techniques. Exactly the profile we wanted."
"Thank you!"
Han Byeol bowed again. How many times was that? Her back must ache.
I naturally turned to Han Hae.
"On the flip side, you graduated from food service management, right, Han Hae? Did two years in marketing and trend analysis at a food startup. Led several consumer research projects too?"
"Gasp."
"And that latest trend analysis in your portfolio, the competitor menu breakdowns and market research? Fascinating stuff. No company would pass up a marketer who knows exactly what the market wants."
Han Hae's hands trembled. His face beamed with emotion.
"Han Byeol handles the technical menu side, you do trend analysis—the synergy seemed huge. So I hired you both. Satisfied?"
"Yes...! Perfectly!"
"It's more than we deserve. To think you reviewed us that closely. We still have so many rough edges..."
Han Hae mumbled, blushing shyly. But that report had been sharp as a tack.
"So please do your best from now on. With Baek Jae-ha joining in—today's an exception—you three will produce amazing results."
It felt like acquiring an army. Pre-regression folks would faint. Teaming these three up? They'd roll on the floor clutching their stomachs.
All thanks to foresight from someone who knew the future. Obviously.
"Right! I heard the team leader handles all those new menu spots on [Song Kitchen ~Today's Menu~] solo?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Wow~. I was dying to meet her. She really makes all that alone? Is that even humanly possible?"
Han Byeol muttered in disbelief.
Fair enough. [Song Kitchen ~Today's Menu~] swapped menus every couple months. Each one fresh and fun, still blowing up on SNS.
New menu reveal days? YouTubers flocked to film—it was routine.
And the star behind it all? Just one person: Baek Jae-ha. Mind-blowing.
"She's a total workaholic. I have to hold her back sometimes."
"Whoa. Elite level."
"I'll learn hard under her!"
As they fired up, Han Hae tentatively raised his hand.
"Um, CEO. If she's such a workaholic, why's she out today?"
"Business trip? She's on one, right?!"
"Nah, not that..."
I scratched my cheek, looking awkward. How to explain this?
No point hiding it. They'd figure it out working together soon enough.
I paused, then lowered my voice.
"Truth is... she's taking the college entrance exam."
"...."
"...Pardon?"
"Haha. My ears must be off today."
"Mine too."
As Han Hae and Han Byeol poked their ears, I explained again.
"You heard right. She's at the CSAT."
"...High school senior? A minor?!"
"Nope. Twenty years old."
"Twen-tieeee?!"
Their jaws dropped. They must've assumed a 'team leader' was older.
Well, technically team leader, but she'd been solo until recently.
"I suggested she give college a shot. Broadens your experiences, fuels creativity and all. So she's balancing work and exam prep."
It came out sounding defensive.
'Hope they don't dismiss her for being young and cause issues?'
Just then—
Han Hae and Han Byeol clapped, eyes sparkling.
"Awesome! She's a genius!"
"Working under a genius? Lucky Byeol strikes again~!"
Yeah.
No worries there.
I smiled silently, sending mental cheers to Baek Jae-ha, probably deep in her exam now.
'Knock that CSAT out. Fighting...!'