Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Their Way of Thinking is Different from the Start
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Ryu Seoha.
She was deep in the greatest dilemma of her life.
"To think the editor... is a woman..."
For the first time since tuning into Cosmo's stream midway, she sat on her bed, striking Rodin's Thinker pose as she paced back and forth anxiously.
She never imagined that the editor Cosmo had decided to hire this time would be a woman—a completely unforeseen variable.
Of course, it was just a professional relationship, nothing more. But the world didn't always turn out so straightforwardly.
They might meet alone, starting with work as an excuse, only for feelings to develop—that was how relationships between men and women worked.
In that sense, as a woman harboring a crush on one man, her true desire was for anyone she'd have frequent contact with through work alongside him to be a man, if possible.
But she couldn't openly reveal such a petty desire, as she and Kang Wooju had no relationship whatsoever.
She was just a streamer and one of his fans.
That fact tormented Seoha.
'Right, whether Cosmo works with a woman or not, I have no right to interfere.'
She had to accept it magnanimously.
There was no guarantee something would spark between him and this editor from the start. Fretting alone in this situation would only make her seem petty and narrow-minded.
"Ugh...!"
Roll. Roll.
But could the human heart ever be so easily controlled?
Having flopped onto the bed to continue her fretting, she rolled around on the queen-sized mattress like it was a playground, groans escaping her lips as if she were running a fever.
'They seemed pretty close.'
Others might not have noticed, but when he mentioned his prospective editor on stream, Seoha had sensed an odd intimacy. He'd even said they knew each other already.
That meant they could interact more casually than a typical employer-employee pair. Which, in turn, raised the chances of their relationship developing further.
"Haa..."
The more she dissected it, the more everything bothered her.
Just how had they met? Close friends? If so, how did this woman view Kang Wooju? Could she, like Seoha, be harboring feelings for him deep in her heart—a rival in love?
As wild delusions began to spiral, she could bear it no longer and shot up from her spot.
After much agonizing, the conclusion she reached was utterly simple.
'I want to know.'
At the very least, she wanted to know what their relationship was—and if there was any chance of it turning romantic.
The problem was finding a way to uncover that. Ask Cosmo directly? No way that would work.
She was the heir to a massive conglomerate like Cheongsung Group. Naturally, she had the objectivity to gauge how her actions would appear to third parties.
So she could easily predict his reaction to such a question.
He'd think inwardly, 'Who is she to meddle when we're not even dating?' and see her as a clingy, jealous woman.
Or, given his kind nature, maybe not that harshly—but she'd at least end up in the "burdensome person" category. That would be the worst outcome for her.
'There has to be a way, some way.'
If only there were a method to observe their relationship and conversations without seeming like she was prying into his private life.
And so, she racked her brains harder than she ever had even while managing the company, firing up every neuron.
Then, one word flashed through her mind.
"Daon... right?"
Yes.
It was definitely the name of the beef place he'd recommended on today's stream.
She'd brushed past it at first, but that spot might just let her stage the scenario she wanted.
'Yeah, this isn't surveillance or anything.'
She was simply curious about the kind of person this editor was—the one who'd be working with her favorite streamer for the first time—and whether she had good character.
With her rationalization complete, the moment the idea struck, she grabbed her smartphone and called someone without delay, intent on acting immediately.
The call connected almost instantly, without even a ring or two. That was the biggest reason she trusted and relied on this person.
"Ah, Secretary Kim. Are you free to talk right now? Yes, it's about..."
After wrapping up the brief call, she finally smiled in satisfaction, as if she'd accomplished something major.
It was one such night.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Daon.
A beef restaurant located along a roadside in Hanseong-gu district. Though on the pricier side, it had earned a reputation as a top eatery thanks to its attentive service and high-quality meat.
The owner, Park Sungtae—a 45-year-old middle-aged man—was manning the counter himself today, idly watching the scenery outside.
It was still early, so the kitchen was busy with prep work and no customers had arrived yet. Having finished cleaning ahead of time, gazing at passing clouds was his sole amusement.
Then,
"...Hm?"
A sleek luxury sedan pulled up in front of the shop beyond the window. A man who looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties stepped out from the driver's seat and approached the entrance.
Clutching what looked like a briefcase straight out of a crime thriller.
Slide.
Moments later, the shop's sliding door opened, and the very man he'd spotted strode confidently inside. The all-black suit exuded an intimidating aura.
"Ah, sorry, sir. We're not open for business yet..."
Undaunted, he approached with his trademark service smile to greet the man.
The visitor stared at him silently for a moment, murmured softly into his earpiece with someone, then finally spoke.
"Pardon the intrusion. Is the owner currently away?"
"That's me. What can I do for you...?"
Park Sungtae hesitated briefly at this sudden demand for the owner.
Was this some past customer coming back with a complaint after all this time?
Anxiety washed over him, but just as he steeled himself to ask for details—thinking he'd stepped in it—
"I've come on short notice because I'd like to acquire this place. I'm not interested in the management rights, so would you be willing to hand it over to our director?"
"Pardon? What on earth..."
This wasn't just a complaint—it was so out-of-left-field he wondered if the guy was insane.
Showing up out of nowhere to buy the shop? What kind of nonsense was this?
Sure, there were folks who opened restaurants, built up business, sold at a profit, and repeated the cycle.
He'd even transferred ownership of a few places that way himself.
But if it was business, you'd at least flash a business card before talking. This lacked any commercial courtesy whatsoever.
'A scammer?'
No, even scammers wouldn't be this blatant. They'd stage a more plausible setup to lure you in.
If this was acting for some scheme, he'd need to dissect the plotter's brain.
'And he looks pretty young.'
Glancing over the man—who seemed younger than himself—he was about to speak when—
Click.
With a crisp sound, the suited man unlocked the briefcase. Park Sungtae's expression turned to one of shock, as if struck on the back of the head.
"We'll compensate you more than fairly."
"......"
And rightly so—the case was stuffed full of stacks of 50,000-won bills.
A scene straight out of a chaebol drama left his mind reeling, questioning if this was reality.
'What is this? Hidden camera?'
Maybe the money was all fake. He couldn't accept this chaotic reality otherwise.
"All cash. If you're suspicious, we can head to the bank right now to verify."
But as the man calmly dismissed even that escape from reality, Park Sungtae blankly alternated his gaze between the bundles and the visitor.
He'd thought some nut had shown up first thing in the morning, but now the man's face seemed to glow.
Was this the halo effect?
"My apologies for keeping such an esteemed guest standing. Please, come in and let's talk."
Regaining his senses and grasping the situation, he quickly wiped his hands on his pants and extended one politely.
The sum was far too tempting to refuse.