Handling the Tattooed Pig and the Mackerel Man
Jeong Ho-cheol, the tattooed pig, and Bae Ho-min, the mackerel man, realized something was off.
Did this old lady have a grandson like him?
The black guy who looked like a bodyguard gave off an immediate vibe. Even three or four of their level rushing him might not be enough to win. More than anything, he reeked of danger.
This guy's got the aura of someone who's killed a bunch of people for real, right?
It wasn't just a scary face. There was actual killing intent. Their bodies shivered involuntarily, and naturally, both men started glancing at Derek Coleman.
"Let's go."
They couldn't resist those words.
"Ahem."
"Uh…."
Pulled along like magnets—yet somehow convincing themselves—they shuffled out on their own. Since no food or side dishes had been served, the only trace they left was a single water glass they'd sipped from.
This isn't right….
No, how did things end up like this?
Overpowered by Derek Coleman's presence, Jeong Ho-cheol and Bae Ho-min stepped outside. They exchanged glances. It was embarrassing, but fear outweighed it.
"Um… there must be some misunderstanding. We're not bad guys."
Bae Ho-min, stepping up as the older one, tried to talk. Of course, Derek Coleman had no need to listen.
"……I've never heard a bad guy admit they're bad."
"No, I mean, we're really not bad guys!"
The tattooed Jeong Ho-cheol thumped his chest, sounding indignant.
"And I've never met an honest person who says 'really' like that."
"Hah, come on. This guy's frustrating."
Jeong Ho-cheol was burning up inside. Was conversation impossible, or was it just Derek's stare that had him cowed? Still, they had to explain.
"Hey, man. Hear us out. We…."
"No. Nothing to hear."
Talking to a rock might go better. Derek shut down their attempts.
"Fine, fine. We'll leave. Happy now?"
"Can't do that. Who knows what you'd do out of my sight. Stay here."
"But…."
This was pure nonsense.
What's his deal?
They were fuming, but powerless to act.
Can't do this, can't do that.
Jeong Ho-cheol ignored it and pressed on. Fortunately, Derek didn't interrupt, just listened.
"See, there's this girl working there, right? We lent money to her parents…. We gotta get paid back, yeah or no?"
"……."
No reaction, no response.
"Frustrating. Of course we do. So we went to collect, and her parents ghosted us?"
"…."
Such details weren't Derek's concern. Still, Jeong Ho-cheol kept spilling his side.
Then their adult daughter showed up. They asked about her parents' whereabouts.
"End of story. The end. That's it."
That was Jeong Ho-cheol's claim. But Derek didn't fully buy it.
Looking at how that woman glances over here….
The woman's anxious eyes flicking toward them now and then. They'd probably threatened her. That explained why the restaurant owner, Park Sun-ok, had stood up to them to protect her.
But he didn't speculate further. He just waited for his boss's next orders. That was enough.
"We're really not doing anything bad, I swear!"
Jeong Ho-cheol thumped his chest again.
While the three bickered outside, three inside carried on their conversation.
"Oh my! Isn't this my Jaewoo? Jaewoo-ya, when'd you get here?"
Park Sun-ok's attention, stolen earlier by the thugs, shifted back to Shin Jaewoo. She patted him down with a heartbroken expression.
The broken engagement news—she'd heard.
"You eating okay, at least?"
Park Sun-ok wasn't originally from Chungcheong Province. Even after decades running the place, her dialect was milder than Jeong Ho-cheol's. Still, she had a mixed grandma way of talking.
"I've eaten."
"We're eating now. Over there."
Shin Jaewoo pointed to his seat.
"Right, right. Sit and eat up. Eat plenty. Got cold?"
Park Sun-ok sat him in her spot, eyed the soup, and spoke. She grabbed the earthenware pot in front of him and stood.
"Grandma!"
"I'll reheat it."
"It's fine…."
"No such thing. Soup's gotta be piping hot."
Without listening, Park Sun-ok bustled off. The woman called Yubin hurried after her.
"Grandma, I'll handle reheating. You stay with your grandson—it's been so long…."
"No. I'll do it. Yubin-ah, you sit and chat with your oppa."
"Huh?"
For her, it sparked a Why me? But to Park Sun-ok, it was obvious(?). The reheating excuse was just that—an excuse.
"You two sit."
She wanted to introduce them. One was her blood kin, the lineage left by one of her two daughters. The other, a sweet young thing she treated like a granddaughter.
Handsome pair they make.
That's how it looked to her. She'd heard Shin Jaewoo had split with his girl. No word of a new one, so why not nudge these two together?
"Sit tight."
With that, she vanished into the kitchen.
Shin Jaewoo and Yubin both looked awkward.
"…Shin Jaewoo."
Following grandma's orders, he introduced himself first. The woman, looking awkward too, responded after hearing it.
"Oh, I'm Seong Yubin. Um… Jaewoo oppa…? I've heard about you from Grandma lots."
That "oppa" tickled something inside him. Men were helpless creatures, huh.
Didn't feel this way hearing it from Minseo.
For reference, the "oppa" from girl streamers sounded like Kim Minseo's too. But on screen, it never stirred his chest like this.
And it always felt so calculated….
Pure sales pitch. Hearing it in everyday life hit different.
But now that they were seated, what to say next?
"…When'd you start working here?"
He grasped at a topic.
"About a month. I came sometimes, and Grandma took a liking…."
Even as she spoke, she eyed him cautiously. Guilt showed on her face.
Thinks she got Grandma in trouble with those thugs because of her?
After pondering, Shin Jaewoo spoke.
"Thank you."
"Huh?"
Seong Yubin looked shocked at his words. She'd never expected thanks.
Why…?
But Shin Jaewoo meant it sincerely.
"For staying by our grandma's side."
"Oh… that…."
Seong Yubin finally got it. But that was it. If anything, she felt she'd received more from Park Sun-ok.
If not for Grandma, I'd have been in real trouble.
Her parents had vanished, just like the thugs said. She was an adult, but still young. This situation was tough to bear alone. Park Sun-ok had been her lifeline. Having an adult nearby was reassurance enough—and Park Sun-ok had even faced down burly men for her sake.
"Actually, I've been helped by Grandma a ton…."
So her words now were genuine too.
Shin Jaewoo smiled.
"We helped each other."
"…I hope so. I wanted to help Grandma too, but those guys scared off customers…."
She glanced outside. Anxiety lingered on her face. Derek holding the thugs might be stirring it up. And guilt too—business had dropped because of her.
Hearing that, Shin Jaewoo understood.
Those guys were the reason.
Come to think of it, the restaurant was emptier than he remembered. It used to bustle with regulars and occasional visitors. Now, numbers were limited. Even loyal customers who might recognize him were absent.
Of course, no issue for Shin Jaewoo.
Better this way.
He had the money. Better Grandma idle than slaving away. Flies buzzing around? No problem.
But can't leave it like this—Yubin'll keep worrying.
Time to fix her issue. Shin Jaewoo said,
"No worries. It'll all work out. Those guys won't bother you again."
"Huh?"
He'd thanked her sincerely, after all. No need to handle it himself—just instruct Derek.
"Handle those guys."
Truth was, Shin Jaewoo planned to pay off Seong Yubin's parents' debt. That was his style.
Derek Coleman received the order.
Yes, my boss.