Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: First Time on a Talk Show
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"...Ji-min? Are you mad?"
Two people sitting at the restaurant.
Lily was gauging Ji-min's mood.
For some reason, everything around Ji-min seemed shrouded in gray.
Ji-min sat still, lost in thought.
'Were they always flat?'
'Were they always flat?'
'Flat?'
'Kyaaah!'
She forced the corners of her mouth up and looked at Lily.
"No, sis. I'm not mad. It's just that realizing I'm a total flat-as-gum-under-a-desk, washboard, no-jiggle comfort machine with zero pressure when lying face-down means my hormones are straight-up slacking off like a useless bitch. Not. Mad. At. All."
Lily jumped at Ji-min's rapid-fire, rap-like retort.
"Ah... No, Ji-min! I never said it that harshly...? I just meant you were cute."
Lily's clumsy consolation burst Ji-min's tear ducts.
"Waaah! Sis! That's not consolation~! Every woman wants to hear she radiates sexual appeal and that animal allure! Waaah! Mine didn't grow enough! My hormones are total trash... they don't work at all... waaah."
Indeed, as the saying goes, innocent kids can be the cruelest.
Lily had unwittingly triggered a mishap because she didn't know about the unspoken grooming women do to protect each other's self-esteem.
"Idiot... dung beetle... no boobs..."
When Ji-hoon got home, Ji-min was mumbling gloomily to herself in the corner of the living room.
Ji-hoon whispered to Lily with a puzzled look.
"What happened today? Why's she acting like that?"
Lily whispered back quietly.
"Earlier... I said Ji-min's chest was cute... and she got mad, honey. What do I do?"
What to do? Pity her, that's what.
What can you do about what's not there?
Ji-hoon had always lived knowing his little sister wasn't exactly glamorous.
'Jeez, what's the big deal?'
"Hey."
Ji-hoon called out to Ji-min.
"Your bro's home, and you're not even gonna acknowledge me?"
Ji-min, with her sullen expression, glanced at Ji-hoon before dropping her gaze back to the floor.
Perfect ignore.
'Where does she get off ignoring her own brother?'
One of Ji-hoon's eyes twitched, and one corner of his mouth curled up.
The precursor to harsh words when Ji-min wouldn't listen.
And as a veteran shit-stirrer, Ji-hoon's burns were next-level.
He deliberately rubbed salt in his sister's wound.
"A flat chest is a mirror to the heart. If your heart's fucked up, your chest can't be pretty."
Aaah.
He'd done it.
A trashy community drip, lowbrow as hell.
"......"
"......"
"......"
A heavy silence settled over the living room for a moment.
Lily tilted her head at 'flat chest?'
'What's a flat chest?'
She'd learned Korean, but never heard that term.
Ji-min slowly turned her head again.
She saw her pissy brother's face.
Tears welled up in her eyes...
"Waaaaaah! You psycho bastard! Total psycho! Waaah!"
Ji-min burst into tears and ran straight into Lily's arms.
"Waaah! Sis! That bastard's crazy! Waaah!"
Lily patted Ji-min's back with a bewildered expression and asked,
"D-don't cry, Ji-min! But... what's a flat chest?"
"Waaaaaah! Why are you two ganging up on me like this! Waaaaaah!"
Deeply wounded, Ji-min bolted to her room and slammed the door.
The living room fell quiet.
"...Why's she crying, honey?"
Lily looked at Ji-hoon with still-confused eyes.
"Huh?"
Ji-hoon hugged Lily and said nonchalantly,
"She's bummed 'cause she ain't got 'em to begin with. Don't worry about it, Lily."
"Okay~"
The oblivious Lily was just happy her husband was home from work.
A few days passed after that.
Ji-min had been sulking over the hurt from her brother.
But her anger had already melted away thanks to the business-class ticket and fat pocket money he'd given her.
She was simple like that, really.
"Whoooaaa. My followers are going nuts!"
Ji-min gasped at her SNS.
The one person Lily followed.
That was Ji-min herself.
A mega-influencer with millions of followers.
The effect of her sole follow was enormous.
Like a shitcoin with a bot farm pumping it, Ji-min's followers shot straight up.
She'd posted tons of photos with Lily from their US stay.
↓ Wow~ Ji-min's in America?
↓ Jealous...
↓ Isn't that Lily next to her...?
↓ No way, she knows Lily too?
Countless comments from acquaintances.
Being buddies with a celeb bought so much envy from those around you.
'I know someone like this!'
The superiority among girls was an indescribable thrill.
But once Lily followed her, things spiraled out of control.
Ji-min hurriedly cleaned up her feed.
Deleting slightly embarrassing old pics.
'Ahem... Am I an influencer now?'
Suddenly getting sponsor DMs left her dazed.
"Ji-min~ Taking good pics?"
"Y-yeah... sis!"
"Huh?"
"Let's do Shorts together."
"Really!? Awesome!"
It was a bit overwhelming, but she needed to make memories while in the US.
You never knew when the next chance would come.
Buying ingredients in bulk always leaves extras.
Cheaper than retail.
In the food biz, that price edge is huge.
Korean food especially had flexible structures.
Tweak main ingredients slightly, and menus stay fresh.
Finally, Hansang's massive distribution network was complete.
Anyway, Ji-hoon couldn't handle the operational stuff much.
He appointed a franchise vet as CEO for Hansang.
"John! Take care of it."
Investor Mark and owner Ji-hoon.
And sitting before them was John, newly appointed Hansang CEO.
No shares, just a salaried exec, but Mark and Ji-hoon trusted his skills.
John first addressed Mark.
"Chairman, please prioritize good building spots for our branches."
Real estate investment pro Mark was the go-to for that.
And...
John turned to Ji-hoon.
"And Hoon... help us break into the school lunch market."
His eyes were dead serious.
Ji-hoon's 'hero' status and influence were crucial at startup.
'Hero who bloomed from the cafeteria.'
That became Ji-hoon's tagline.
Hansang even had a dedicated School Lunch Division.
US giants like Aramark, Chartwells, Sodexo.
They prioritized profits, naturally.
Hence the flood of cheap frozen and processed foods.
Their lobbying even classified pizza as veggies—ludicrous.
Lobbying's legal in the US.
Lobbyists exist for a reason.
A newbie like Hansang breaking their cartel? Near impossible.
But Ji-hoon was different.
He could breach that fortress.
A hero with America's top medal.
Attacking him? Insane.
So John saw him as the perfect fit.
But how?
Schools had long-term contracts with the incumbents.
Most locked in by the cartel.
How to wedge in?
John's answer was simple.
Sway public opinion.
"So... you want me on TV?"
Ji-hoon eyed John.
"You can shift opinions on school lunches, Hoon."
John's voice brimmed with conviction.
"It's all set. Just show up.
Let them see who Berkeley's hero really is."
'Sheesh, embarrassing. Overestimating me much?'
Ji-hoon nearly danced to John's praise.
He was weak to flattery.
The show John meant was
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Politics, society, celebs—a top late-night talk show with massive ratings and influence nationwide.
John aimed to put Ji-hoon right there,
and Ji-hoon accepted.
"When's the taping?"
Ji-hoon asked John.
John checked his calendar.
"Three days—Friday."
"...Wait, shouldn't they give at least a week's notice?"
Ji-hoon panicked.
"I got the call yesterday too. Original guest bailed."
"Ah, got it."
Ji-hoon nodded.
"Where's the shoot?"
John smiled.
"New York. Ed Sullivan Theater. Flights booked—leaving in two days. Company staff too, not solo."
"Cool. Whew, relief."
Ji-hoon sighed in relief.
"Never been to New York."
"Top hotel reserved. Enjoy."
John clapped Ji-hoon's shoulder.
"Our School Lunch Division's future rides on you, Hoon."
"Whoa, that's pressure."
Ji-hoon scratched his head.
"Alright, got it. I'll prep and go."
"Yes. Fighting, Hoon."
The meeting ended.
Ji-hoon's face as he left the office wasn't fully relaxed.
'Aaah, first talk show... hope I don't screw up.'
Worried, Ji-hoon headed home.