Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: Tears After the Exam
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Haa.
White breath rose into the air. Baek Jaeha blankly watched it scatter into the void.
'
Winter had arrived, shortening the days, and the second foreign language exam had dragged things out even longer.
'
His circumstances had flipped completely in just a year. Back then, he hadn't even dreamed of it—his family wouldn't pay the exam fee, let alone college application costs.
Baek Jaeha probably would have withered away on that tiny island village, endlessly exploited.
'
Baek Jaeha smiled faintly without realizing it.
"Mommm!"
Just then, someone shouted loudly and dashed forward. Baek Jaeha's attention, lost in thought, snapped toward the voice.
A middle-aged woman pulled the child into a hug.
"Oh, my girl. You did great!"
"Mom... I bombed the first period, Korean! What do I do? Do I have to retake next year?"
Her whiny voice brimmed with affection and trust for her mom.
Come to think of it, she wasn't the only one. One by one, kids spotted their parents amid the strangers and rushed over.
The parents soothed their hard-working children, telling them they'd done well.
Students with young faces brushed past Baek Jaeha, who stood there dazed, on either side. Some wore grim expressions from a bad exam; others grinned with the relief of it finally being over.
Once again, Baek Jaeha felt like he was floating in the air.
'Ah.'
The feeling of being an outsider. A dizzying sensation, like he couldn't plant his feet firmly on this land.
Deprivation always left Baek Jaeha feeling so alone.
Wounds like this would suddenly poke at him. Even in trivial conversations, the word 'family' always stung.
That's why, even in high school, he had no real close friends.
Sure, living in that palm-sized village where everyone knew his situation and viewed him through colored glasses played a part. But Baek Jaeha himself just couldn't handle friendships.
Any glimpse of a happy family felt like a burn.
Whenever kids he occasionally hung out with chatted about their monthly allowance or nagging parents at home, a hollow ache gnawed at Baek Jaeha's chest.
'
Maybe because he hadn't run into peers since leaving the island and joining The Song.
Or maybe because, unlike before, he now had at least one person claiming to be his protector.
Things hadn't hurt like this in a while.
But resignation was all too familiar to Baek Jaeha. Just as he swallowed down the rising sadness—
"Jaeha!"
His name rang out clearly amid the murmur of the crowd. It wasn't even that loud.
Baek Jaeha whipped around.
There she was, waving her hand vigorously and staring right at him.
It was the same as always. Amid countless people, she alone seemed bathed in radiant light.
Even with a hat and mask on, Baek Jaeha recognized her instantly.
Song Wooyeon.
The very person he'd never dreamed would come pick him up, knowing how busy she was.
"...Sis!"
Baek Jaeha bolted straight to Song Wooyeon. Like a puppy spotting its owner. If he had a tail, it'd be spinning like a propeller right now.
Song Wooyeon chuckled and ruffled his hair.
"Now it's just 'sis'? Fine, I'll let it slide today. I'm not here as the boss, after all."
"H-how'd you come?"
"Headed straight here after work. With your tutor."
Song Wooyeon pointed behind her. The car window slid down smoothly, revealing Jeong Daon.
"Hey. How'd the CSAT go?"
"Eh, so-so."
"That's my student."
Baek Jaeha let out a small laugh at Jeong Daon's words.
"Get in. Time for dinner. You worked hard—wanna do meat?"
"I've been eating so much meat developing new menu items, I'm sick of it. Something else this time."
"Oh? You probably had a light lunch, so something hearty sounds good. Korean food?"
"...How'd you know?"
"Hm?"
"About lunch."
Song Wooyeon blinked wide-eyed at Baek Jaeha's question.
"...? I made your lunch bento."
"You did?"
"What? Jeong Daon, you didn't tell him properly?"
"Whoops. I delivered the bento fine! Just forgot to mention you made it. Haha. Got caught up nagging him about his exam ticket."
"Jeez."
Song Wooyeon shook her head.
"I prepared that. Spent time asking around for the best stuff."
"Oh... I didn't know. Thought it was your parents who made it, Daon hyung."
"I did ask Owner Han for advice. She's the CSAT bento expert. Picked menus that digest easy but fill you up—I put in so much effort."
Baek Jaeha recalled the lunch bento. Looking back, he could see the thoughtful touches.
"...Thanks."
"Yeah. I got up at dawn to make it... ...You crying?"
Song Wooyeon couldn't hide her flustered expression as she asked.
"No."
"You're crying! Your eyes are red."
"Was the exam that tough? Heard Korean was a killer on the news. Don't worry, though. If it was hard for everyone, the grade cuts'll be lower. No need to cry!"
Song Wooyeon and Jeong Daon rushed to comfort him. Baek Jaeha replied in a slightly choked voice.
"It's not the CSAT. Just... I just..."
His throat tightened, words failing him. Baek Jaeha bit his lip.
It felt like, for the first time, he had a place in this world.
Baek Jaeha just stood there, tears streaming silently down his face. Song Wooyeon watched quietly, then gently patted his shoulder.
"...Kids are still kids."
The words slipped out before I knew it, and Jo Yi-ruk reacted right away.
"Pardon?"
"No, just lost in thought for a sec."
Yesterday, Baek Jaeha cried nonstop like a broken faucet—I was so flustered. Jeong Daon and I had to scramble to calm him down.
We figured good food would cheer him up, so late as it was, we headed to the company kitchen and cooked ourselves.
Baek Jaeha didn't say much, but I could guess his feelings. Jeong Daon seemed pretty shocked.
'
For Baek Jaeha, the CSAT was part of that normal life. Going to college after the exam must’ve felt like an unimaginable future.
Seeing my own past in him, I teared up inside.
"Focus, please."
Jo Yi-ruk stared at me like I was ridiculous. Even in this one-on-one report, I'd been too blatantly distracted.
"Sorry. Slipped my mind."
I straightened up in my seat.
"But I got the gist. You're saying we'll test-run the OHO churros at company stores first since they were such a hit?"
"Yes, exactly."
We'd put it off while prepping 'Salad Time,' but if you asked Song Kitchen's top hit menu, nine out of ten would say OHO churros.
New items after did okay too. Maybe because Shim Chae-yoon announced it, or thanks to the unique look and sweet taste—the buzz was overwhelming.
But we needed to test if it fit franchising, so start cautious at direct stores, then recruit franchisees...
"The issue's still where to put it."
"Right."
First steps are always the hardest. Location can make or break the brand.
"Our brand's first outlets were usually around here, but OHO churros targets a younger crowd. Somewhere with way more diverse ages passing through would be ideal."
Churros are more light snack than meal. The big appeal: cheap and satisfies light hunger.
"Places where you grab food on the go. Outdoor events, amusement parks, shopping malls—those environments work best."
"Busy downtowns with high foot traffic could work too."
"Rent can't be too high. Prices would skyrocket, and while tourists might buy, satisfaction drops long-term."
Cheap rent, high foot traffic, and spots where people feel like grabbing a casual bite.
Where could match all that perfectly?
"...Tricky."
Jo Yi-ruk's face darkened. Felt like dealing with a client making impossible demands.
Simple yet flashy, modern yet classic!
Not much different. High traffic with cheap rent? Even I knew it was too good to be true.
No way such a place exi—
"...!"
It does!
I shot up from my chair.
Bang! The chair scraped back, causing a racket.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
Jo Yi-ruk looked baffled. But all my focus was elsewhere—no time for polite explanations.
"No afternoon plans, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yes. Planned to scout once we pick candidates."
"Perfect. I'll head out on a field trip."
"Now?"
"Yeah. Now."
I replied firmly.
'
I clenched my fist and muttered to myself.
Snagging a cheap spot with tons of foot traffic wasn't just a pipe dream.