Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Such Impudent Words
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I slid the door open, and Jeong Da-on, who had been busily cleaning up for closing, lifted his head.
"Customer, we're closed now.... Ah!"
At the sound of Jeong Da-on's voice, Yoo Sol turned around belatedly and gave a slightly surprised look upon seeing me.
"What brings you here, Woo-yeon-ah?"
"Sol unni. The owner's inside, right?"
Yoo Sol nodded. He was probably organizing ingredients in the back. I couldn't see him from the open kitchen.
"Wow, I heard the branch is super busy. How's work?"
"It's manageable. Busy, but."
"Well, yeah~. Woo-yeon's basically worth a hundred people!"
Jeong Da-on chattered on, striking up a conversation. He was just twenty, same age as me, and maybe because we were peers, he kept acting overly familiar.
'He might look my age on the outside, but inside, he's not....'
I appreciated the friendliness, but it was a burden for me.
"Da-on-ah. Woo-yeon's uncomfortable."
Yoo Sol stepped in to mediate. A year older than me and Jeong Da-on, she was calm beyond her years and much easier to deal with than him.
Meticulous with calculations and capable—when [The Song] office opens up, it might be good to bring her along....
"Huh? Really? Woo-yeon-ah, am I bothering you?"
"......"
I ignored his bright, eager eyes and waved him off.
"Don't mind me and finish closing up. I came to talk to the owner."
"You two always whispering secretly. What on earth do you talk about?"
I fell silent at Jeong Da-on's question. I hadn't brought up the franchise stuff between me and Lee In-cheol to avoid creating awkwardness.
They'd find out eventually. No need to rush it now.
"I'm just updating him on the branch situation. It's only been open a short while."
"Oh~. That's it? I thought you two were scheming some secret just between you!"
"It's nothing much. I'll head inside. You guys go home first after closing. Our talk might run long."
"Okay. Got it."
"Yeah."
After roughly explaining to Jeong Da-on and Yoo Sol, I stepped into the kitchen. Further back, in the ingredients storage area, sure enough, there was Lee In-cheol, scratching his head in frustration.
"Ugh. Already used this much? That's weird. Whether I buy one bunch of onions or two, they seem to disappear at the same rate...."
"It's because you're not following the recipe."
"Heek?!"
When I casually replied, Lee In-cheol jumped in shock and whipped around. Why was he so startled?
"Y-you punk! Make some noise when you walk! Whew, thought my soul was leaving my body."
"Why so jumpy? Like you've got a guilty conscience. Oh, is it because you're not following the recipe?"
"Quit it. You think I don't know you're having those part-timers taste-check everything?"
Tch. Busted.
I couldn't check as often as before anymore. So I'd asked Jeong Da-on and Yoo Sol to monitor the cooking process and flavors.
"How'd you know?"
"That blabbermouth Da-on? You think he'd keep his mouth shut? He's been spilling to me for ages."
I hadn't expected him to stay quiet. Still, just knowing he was being watched was enough to prevent slacking off, so no big deal.
"Branch closing done? What brings you all the way here?"
"I asked the old man to handle closing today. Got something to discuss."
"...You saying that scares me half to death. Me, who's lived without fearing anything my whole life. Just you make my legs shake."
"Doesn't look like they're shaking."
"I'm speaking figuratively."
His legs looked perfectly steady for someone saying that.
Lee In-cheol pulled over two chairs, handing one to me and sitting in the other.
"You've been swamped with branch stuff."
"Was. Still am."
"Guess you really are something. Standing up two shops like this...."
Lee In-cheol looked at me like I was some strange creature. I deliberately flashed a grin.
"What? Regretting bringing in a tiger cub or something?"
"Tiger cub? If you were that cute, I wouldn't say a word! You're a house-sized tiger acting all cub-like. Tiger cub, my foot. Ridiculous."
Lee In-cheol snorted and kept slapping his knee.
"So. What'd you come all the way here to talk about?"
"Got a favor to ask the owner."
"Of me?"
Lee In-cheol's face turned uneasy again. Like he wanted to demand what my scheme was but couldn't quite bring himself to.
"...Is it tough?"
"Tough if it's tough, easy if it's easy."
"What riddle is that?"
No more beating around the bush. I cut straight to it.
"Introduce me to the president of Hando Construction."
"......"
"I've got something to say to the head of the country's 15th-largest construction firm."
Lee In-cheol clamped his mouth shut and stared at me. Probing my intentions, or maybe gauging my motives.
After a brief silence, he slowly spoke.
"...What power does a neighborhood gukbap shop owner have to set up a meeting with someone like the Hando Construction president?"
"Right. Any other gukbap owner couldn't. But you can, owner."
No escaping it.
I pressed Lee In-cheol relentlessly as he looked for a way out. Leaning forward, elbows on knees.
The pinpoint light overhead made me look like an interrogating detective, but it let me see his trembling eyes clearly.
"You're married to her. The Hando Construction president."
The reason Lee In-cheol had endured running a shop in the red for over a decade.
Anyone else would've gone bankrupt ten times over. Eaten up their savings, lost loans, and tearfully sold at a loss.
But despite those dire straits, he'd stuck to quality ingredients and kept the place afloat... because of another solid wallet backing him.
"Song Woo-yeon. How'd you figure it out?"
Lee In-cheol frowned slightly as he asked. Instead of saying we'd met at a couples' gathering before my regression, I gave a plausible excuse.
"Well... The calendar on the wall was from Hando Construction, your sales ledger had Hando Construction written in it. When your wife called your phone, it showed 'Money-Making Queen♡' loud and clear. And last time when I saw her pick you up after work, it was a Porsche limited edition model, so...."
"Stop, stop!"
Lee In-cheol cut me off, unable to take more.
"I could rattle off thirty-two more nitpicky reasons like that. Want me to make a report?"
"Enough, already! Ugh. You notice way too damn much!"
Of course, without my pre-regression memories, even all those clues wouldn't have led me to peg her as Hando Construction's president. Anyway.
"Ugh. But what do you want with my wife? You into real estate investing or something?"
"That's for when you've got big money to play with."
I'd be lying if I said I had no interest. I knew exactly which areas would develop how in the future.
But that's later. At twenty, no one cares about real estate yet, and info from this time is fuzzy for me too.
"Then why?"
I grinned at the puzzled Lee In-cheol.
"To secure some investment."
"...Investment."
Lee In-cheol cracked a dry, parched smile.
"My wife—er, Madam Choi Yeo-hae—absolutely won't invest rashly just because of my name. If that's what you're hoping, drop it now."
"She'll decide on investing. I'm not expecting extra help from you. Just set up the meeting once."
Seeing he was still reluctant, I tossed in one more line.
"Isn't Madam Choi Yeo-hae curious about it herself?"
"...How'd you know that?"
"I'd be, in her shoes."
If a husband whose account was always in the red suddenly boomed in business, you'd ask eventually.
Plus, I already knew Choi Yeo-hae well.
We clicked pretty well. Lee In-cheol was a decent chef, but that's it. Not cut out to be a businessman.
Choi Yeo-hae and I saw markets the same way—we'd invest in the same stocks without even discussing.
Hmm. Once I have some cash, stocks might not be bad.
"No, but what for? Investment for what? Branch is sailing smooth. More operating funds?"
"Who knows. I'll explain to the investor exactly where the funds go, so don't worry. She's busy, so I'll fit her schedule. Just pass the word."
I knew Choi Yeo-hae wouldn't refuse this meeting.
My confident tone drew a groan from Lee In-cheol, but he nodded soon enough.
"I'll mention it. But don't get your hopes up. She's swamped lately—I barely see her myself."
Despite his mumbling lack of confidence...
My meeting with Choi Yeo-hae happened exactly three days later.
"How dare you spout such impudent nonsense before me?"
Choi Yeo-hae glared at me with eyes blazing in fury.
"In all my years in business, I've never let a punk this arrogant walk away unscathed."
...How did things end up like this?