Chapter 28
Chapter 28
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Scouting Jo Yi-ruk
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jo Yi-ruk.
Age 35.
Your run-of-the-mill long-term student grinding away at his eighth attempt at the Judicial Exam.
In his first year, he'd rationalized it as just beginner's luck running out, and resolved to head to Seoul for top-tier lectures and really buckle down.
With his parents' rock-solid support, it'd been seven years now since he'd set up shop in Noryangjin.
These days, even his parents' check-in calls were few and far between, and every month he trembled in fear, wondering if the deposit might not come through as he checked his bank account.
Just like that, day after day.
After forcing down text that had been hammered into his eyes from endless reading... he'd return to his pitiful excuse for a bed.
-Our Jo family firstborn. I named you 'Yi-ruk' hoping you'd achieve great things in everything.
Tossing and turning sleeplessly, his father's frail voice—now laced with far more white hairs—echoed in his ears.
-Don't worry too much even if things aren't going well. Okay? You're just in the cocoon stage right now. Someday, you'll spread your wings and soar.
Every time, Jo Yi-ruk wanted to strangle himself.
He'd always been top of his class in their rural backwater village, basking in praise from the adults. When he got into a university in Seoul, his parents slaughtered the family's prized cow for a village feast, or so the story went.
After studying law at Korea's top university, graduation naturally funneled him straight into the Judicial Exam rat race.
And just like that, eight years of wasted time had slipped by.
Out of habit, Jo Yi-ruk pulled out his books—only to suddenly hurl, slamming them shut.
'Guess I'm not feeling well today. Sigh... If I get up early tomorrow, can I catch up? Or skip lunch this weekend and grind through this week's goals somehow...'
Lying on his sleeping mat and closing his eyes, darkness swallowed him. For a moment, Jo Yi-ruk thought it mirrored his future.
He'd aged out of even entry-level corporate jobs.
No more paths to retreat.
Yeah. Either rot away here forever... or pass.
The thought made his head throb. Jo Yi-ruk yanked the blanket over his head.
His exhausted body dragged him into sleep soon enough.
The next day, another soul-crushing routine began. At the study room, he flipped open his books, but all he felt was white paper and black ink.
'Damn. Can't focus for shit.'
Finally, Jo Yi-ruk shot up from his seat. Skipping breakfast had left him peckish.
He shuffled to the street food stall in front of the study room.
"...One fish cake, please."
Chewing sloppily on the fish cake, his eyes drifted to the glowing PC cafe sign.
'...Maybe start fresh tomorrow? Today's already shot; can't concentrate anyway.'
Self-justification crept in. He'd just finished the fish cake and slurped down the broth when—
"Excuse me."
"?"
He turned to see a woman he'd never laid eyes on before.
She'd been standing at one end of the stall from the start, but who expected her to strike up a conversation?
"What? Who are you?"
His tone came out snappish by reflex. He wondered if she was from some religious group.
"Nice to meet you, Jo Yi-ruk."
The woman said his name.
"...."
Jo Yi-ruk blinked, thinking it over.
*Am I dreaming right now?*
Otherwise, this made no sense. A random woman chatting him up at a street stall was weird enough—let alone knowing his name?
At first, he wondered if she was hitting on him, but no way did he look the part. He knew what he looked like in the mirror.
Unreal disbelief washed over him.
*Whoa, no way?*
Jo Yi-ruk recalled all the media he'd consumed.
Situations like this usually boiled down to one thing.
With a solemn expression, he asked,
"...Am I destined to save the Earth?"
"Pardon?"
"Or, uh, maybe I have some secret heritage...?"
"Yes?"
"N-No, forget it."
Her face screamed, *What's that about, you otaku?* and heat flooded his cheeks.
No, but come on—if a stunning stranger suddenly shows up saying, *I've got a job for you,* doesn't it usually go like this...?
"Then how the hell do you know my name...?"
"It's written on your book."
"Ah."
Jo Yi-ruk glanced at the book sticking out of his bag. His name, *Jo Yi-ruk*, scrawled boldly in marker.
His face burned. *Mortifying.*
'Guess years of exam hell tanked my social skills. Blurting out crap like "secret heritage"?'
He wanted to crawl into a hole.
"Not sure about saving the Earth, but you seem destined to save *me*. Here's who I am."
Brushing off his nonsense, the woman handed him a business card.
Song Woo-yeon.
CEO of The Song.
Even if he didn't know her, the card screamed legitimate professional. Jo Yi-ruk shrank back.
And CEO? That was light-years from his world of "bosses."
Meeting someone from another realm, he straightened up politely.
"Uh, y-yeah, Song Woo-yeon... What brings you to me?"
Awkwardly, he asked. Song Woo-yeon smiled.
"Saw your book—prepping for the Judicial Exam, right?"
"...Yeah. So?"
"Perfect timing. I need someone for simple paperwork, like organizing files."
"Huh?"
"One of my staff quit abruptly for personal reasons. Need someone who can start ASAP."
Song Woo-yeon pulled cash from her wallet.
"How about a one-week temp gig? Daily pay like this?"
She fluttered five 10,000-won bills. Minimum wage barely hit 5,000 an hour. Unless it was grueling overtime, this was way above market.
Jo Yi-ruk wasn't *that* out of touch. A stranger offering big bucks for "work with me" screamed shady.
"Impress me for the week, and we could make it permanent. If you want, that is."
"...One question."
Jo Yi-ruk eyed her steadily.
"Study rooms are crawling with exam preppers. Why me?"
"Hmm, let's say I saw your potential?"
Not *I saw*, but *let's say*. She wasn't even hiding the flimsy excuse.
"A stroke of fate... enough of an explanation?"
Song Woo-yeon grinned playfully.
Jo Yi-ruk's already aching head pounded harder.
'Sure, studying's been crap lately, and yeah, I'm half-given-up...'
Still, what the hell was this bolt from the blue? He scowled, suspecting a new breed of scammer.
And yet...
*I'm tempted.*
Seven years of the same grind. Jo Yi-ruk was burned out.
Hell, getting kidnapped for a fishing boat didn't sound half bad.
He just wanted to vanish.
From the endless exam torture with no guarantees, from leeching off his parents' money.
"No worries. Want me to call the cops? Or keep 112 dialed on your phone?"
"...."
"If not, good luck with the exam grind."
Song Woo-yeon chuckled and turned to leave. Inside, she counted: *One, two, three.*
"Where to tomorrow, and by when?"
Predictable.
He looked back—shaky eyes fixed on her.
"...President."
*Jackpot.*
Song Woo-yeon smirked secretly.
"Good call. Come this way for work. By 9 a.m."
She showed a simple map. Not far from his place.
"See you tomorrow."
Before leaving, she paused, pulled out her wallet, and handed him 50,000 won.
"Get a haircut. Cleaned up for tomorrow, yeah? Or call it interview money if it's weird."
"...Yes! Thank you!"
He snatched it eagerly. She waved dismissively and strode off.
"...."
Jo Yi-ruk stared blankly at her retreating figure, rooted like a stone statue. What just happened? Even he couldn't process it.
A woman who could grace a uni magazine cover scouts *him*. Simple paperwork for 50,000 a day.
Not enough? She tosses in 50,000 for a trim.
"Thank you, President!"
Jo Yi-ruk bowed deeply to her fading back.
By the time he looked up, she was gone. The cash in his hand was real.
*Ha. What the hell is this?*
He'd braced for another hamster-wheel day.
When was the last time he tried something besides studying? He couldn't remember.
*Alright. Just one week. If it's not for me, back to books. Right?*
Focus was shot anyway. *Mood changer*, he told himself.
A strange anticipation stirred in his chest.
Song Woo-yeon chuckled without looking back.
"Thanks?"
She recalled Jo Yi-ruk's parting words.
"...I'm the thankful one."
She pictured the shaggy-haired man who'd greeted her.
Jo Yi-ruk.
In the original timeline, five years from now—his parents would pass away one after another from health issues. He'd quit the exam grind.
Floundering without direction,
he'd eventually join The Song and prove his worth.
"Let's do great things again, Team Leader Jo."
The Song's elite market analysis team—he'd led it.
"You never know with the world."
Who could've guessed?
That Jo Yi-ruk, who'd spent his life buried in text, had a true talent for reading *markets*.
But as Choi Yeo-hae said,
isn't picking up a diamond off the floor just human nature?