Ramen... Wanna Eat Some?
Park Woojin thought, 'It probably won't happen for real, but just imagining it is fun enough.'
Kim Sohyeon thought, 'A place like that... I'd kinda want to visit again.'
Moon Sojeong thought, 'Why the hell is this guy having such delusions...!' She'd gone to all the trouble of dolling herself up nicely, and it had all been for nothing.
Shin Jaewoo was only interested in carrying on the delusion with Park Woojin, bantering like bros. 'But what's this? It doesn't feel like just a delusion...'
It was because of Shin Jaewoo's expression. Park Woojin and Kim Sohyeon might've said it jokingly, with a playful glint in their eyes. But Shin Jaewoo took it a step further—he was dead serious.
"If we build a water park... it'd be busiest in summer anyway, so maybe students could work part-time during break to earn living expenses and tuition? Could be good."
Kim Sohyeon's words came out flat. Since it was never going to happen anyway, she just piled on a little extra.
Shin Jaewoo nodded at that. "Oh? So students can make money for living costs and tuition during break... Nice. But it's a shame it's only usable in summer, so what if we make a winter version too? Like a ski slope or sledding hill."
"Damn, that sounds awesome, hyungnim! If a school really had that, I'd wanna go there so bad..."
"Right? But can a school even run a water park or ski slope?"
It was a question basically asking why he was seriously pondering something like that in the first place.
Park Woojin kept it simple. "Eh, if we wanna do it, we can. With enough money, what couldn't we?"
Law-wise, it could get complicated. He was just learning about it now himself, and a foundation that wasn't a for-profit corporation had its limits. 'Still, if we really wanted to... it might be doable.'
This was something he'd have to discuss further with Lee Jinmyeong. But for now, Shin Jaewoo committed every word Park Woojin said—every idea—to memory. Not just memory; he even took notes.
That was why Moon Sojeong was staring at him like he'd lost his mind. 'Why is this guy jotting all this down?'
Was he planning to write a novel or something? Come to think of it, she vaguely remembered hearing something like that. On the night she'd slept with Kim Minseo, Minseo had mentioned it.
—Oppa used to write webnovels back in the day.
That made a bit of sense now. 'Ah, so that's why he came here? For research... something like that?'
Just then, Park Woojin turned to Shin Jaewoo. "By the way, hyungnim. Mind if I ask what you do?"
Park Woojin had already gauged a bit of Shin Jaewoo's wealth. That's why he was bold enough to ask.
Shin Jaewoo racked his brain at the question. 'Yeah... what do I do?'
The most accurate answer was already set: foundation director. But saying "foundation director" just sounded old. So he went simple.
"Rental business."
"Huh? You mean... like...?"
Landlord—above even the Creator. Kim Sohyeon's eyes changed.
"Whoa."
And admiration spilled from Park Woojin's mouth too. 'Knew he had money, but a landlord...'
In the midst of it, Kim Sohyeon's gaze toward Moon Sojeong shifted too. 'Look at her? Where'd she snag a guy like this?'
Handsome face, real skills. The perfect man. Suddenly, it clicked why Moon Sojeong was clinging to him.
'A catch like this is prime stock. Waste. If it weren't for Sojeong, I'd give him a shot.' Her inner evaluation of Shin Jaewoo soared that far.
Still, she wasn't ruthless enough to steal her friend's target (even if she could). "...That was fun."
By then, Shin Jaewoo and Moon Sojeong had finished eating. The other two still had food left, but Shin Jaewoo stood up. Moon Sojeong had seemed eager to ditch them for a while now.
"Ah, oppa. All done?"
See? She lit up, signaling him to hurry and go.
Shin Jaewoo wasn't oblivious enough to miss that. He rose from his seat.
"Well, we'll head out first then."
"Aw, too bad. See you again sometime?"
"Yeah, hyungnim. So glad I met someone like you."
Shin Jaewoo just smiled at the two students. No extra words. Even if he told them he was the director, he didn't plan to show his face much anyway.
'They might figure it out eventually.' His name would be on the director title, after all.
"See you next time."
With that, Shin Jaewoo left the school cafeteria. On the stairs out, Moon Sojeong sidled up and spoke.
"Lunch... okay?"
She glanced at him nervously as she stuck close. Shin Jaewoo thought at her words.
"Oh right, there was food too."
"What?"
"The school. What you said hit the nail on the head. Doesn't seem like great quality for the price."
Moon Sojeong pouted at that. "That's why I said let's eat somewhere else."
"Nah, it was good. Got to meet some students thanks to you."
And he'd heard a lot about what the school needed. Clubs and all.
Scholarships, meals, library conditions. And even job worries he couldn't fix directly.
'Whatever it takes...'
Shin Jaewoo's eyes sparkled. He planned to elevate it to rival top Seoul universities. Not just matching facilities.
'Matching won't beat the capital pull.'
He aimed to make it a dream university. The best in the country. That meant pouring in several times more money than Seoul schools.
"What're you thinking about?"
Moon Sojeong asked while he sketched that vision. He shrugged at her question.
"Who knows."
He hadn't revealed he was the university director yet. Best to hold off.
'What the heck is oppa hiding?'
Moon Sojeong picked up on it too. Why he'd come here. He was hiding something.
'Definitely not just 'cause he wanted to see the school...'
If that were it, he wouldn't have bothered with Baekje University specifically. But he had.
'Should I... ask why?'
The most suspicious was novel research. But that wasn't from him. She hadn't even heard about his webnovel days directly.
For her, though, the real part started now.
"So, oppa, what now?"
"Wanna check out some other spots?"
Classrooms, library. He wanted to scope everywhere. That was his stance—see it all.
"Can't."
"Figured."
"Classes are probably going on. Our school doesn't have enough rooms anyway—no empties."
That's why Park Woojin mentioned club rooms earlier. Classroom shortage. Even with professor shortages.
"...Means we need more classrooms too."
"You really sound like some inspector touring our school, oppa."
Shin Jaewoo just shrugged at that.
Vroooom!
Touring Baekje University was important. But there wasn't much to see anyway.
'It'll change later, but for now, it's just an empty shell—nothing but lacks.'
A hollow university. And the surroundings were worse—barren fields everywhere.
Shin Jaewoo's Ferrari cruised those roads.
"Gotta go pretty far to Gongju city center?"
"Not that far... but yeah, like 15 minutes by car."
That was far. All that empty land in between.
Shin Jaewoo eyed it all. 'Buy up all this land first...'
His mind wandered elsewhere. Moon Sojeong bit her lip, glancing at him.
'This won't do.'
She'd dolled up for this. She recalled the salon owner's words.
Shin Jaewoo had inspected Baekje University and its outskirts like it was a real audit. Looked like he was scouting land. That's what she'd thought since leaving campus.
At this rate, the day would end meaninglessly. 'I got all dressed up for nothing...!'
He hadn't even noticed. Couldn't let him go like this.
"...Let's head back. I'll drop you. Dinner in Daejeon?"
"Jeez. This was supposed to be my dinner date... No guy on a date with a cam girl ignores her this much but you, oppa."
"Sorry."
He apologized, but zero sincerity. And it was just perfunctory anyway.
"Sigh. No, it's not your fault to apologize for..."
She sighed. True. He didn't owe her an apology.
'We're not even like that...'
So now was key. She bit her lip hard.
"Oppa."
This wouldn't cut it. The salon owner's advice echoed: If he's not interested, don't push—pull him in.
"...You know."
But in the moment, she blanked on what to say. She'd never confessed first to a guy.
'But today...'
She steeled herself.
"Wanna... have ramen for dinner at my place...?"