The Prodigy's Reluctance and Yeon Ramen's Dismal Debut
Oh Sejun blinked in disbelief. Among the children in his class, one had aced the early admission exam with a perfect score.
Her name was Han Seoyeon, right? The girl who breezed through that notoriously tough aptitude test in just ten minutes. The granddaughter of the Hansung family, Korea's chaebol of chaebols. Even as their only daughter, she struck him as remarkably well-mannered. He never imagined she'd end up in his class.
After grading her test, he'd learned a valuable lesson: never judge by appearances or background. Judge people solely by their abilities and attitude. And that lesson would remain his guiding principle as long as he stood at the podium.
Taking a deep breath, Oh Sejun paused at the classroom's front door. It was eerily quiet—far quieter than expected. Kids this age should be buzzing with excitement over the new environment and friends, the room alive with chatter. But it felt like someone had doused them with cold water; the silence was uncanny.
Dr-r-rk! He eased the door open carefully.
Through the narrow gap, he spotted a girl. The one whose test he'd graded himself—Han Seoyeon.
What on earth is she doing? And why were all the other kids staring in the same direction? It sent chills down his spine.
He crept forward, holding his breath to muffle even his footsteps. When he finally peered down at her desk...
"Gasp!"
He nearly fainted in shock. On a sheet of white paper lay a full English technical book. Words so arcane they were beyond any school curriculum—even he, a Korean university graduate, had never seen some of them.
Emulsification? (Emulsification) Homogenization? (Homogenization) Pasteurization? (Pasteurization) Extrusion? (Extrusion)
His jaw dropped. He'd known from the aptitude test she was smart, but this smart? Unimaginable.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
"Oh? Hello, sir. Just studying a bit."
"Studying? You were reading this?"
"Yes. It's pretty interesting and fun. Want to give it a try, teacher?"
He almost blurted, No way! But that would've made him look like a petty adult throwing a tantrum in front of a child. Swallowing his words, he cleared his throat awkwardly.
"...It's the first day, so don't push yourself. Just take it easy and look around."
"Yes, sir! I'll tour the school after class."
"R-right."
He tried to play it cool, but the shock hit him like a truck. Were all chaebol kids like this? Dragging his feet, he reached the teacher's desk and glanced at another genius in the room—not quite on Han Seoyeon's level, but already the talk of the school. Jeong Haewon from the Hyundai family.
Even she was tackling advanced workbooks, sneaking peeks at Han Seoyeon now and then. Clearly sizing up her rival.
"Ahem. Any class president yet?"
"No!"
Of course not—it was the first day. He decided to hold elections.
"Anyone want to be class president? Since it's the first day of the semester, we'll do it democratically."
But seconds ticked by with no hands raised. Everyone just stared at those two girls. Whispers spread like wildfire through the room.
"Teacher, can I make a nomination?"
"Huh? A nomination? Sure, go ahead."
A boy with particularly dark skin stood from his chair.
"I'd like to nominate Han Seoyeon! Because she's the smartest in our class. And, um..." He trailed off, face flushing as he bowed his head. "And... the prettiest..."
Oh Sejun shook his head with a wry smile. It was practically a love confession.
Han Seoyeon. She was more composed and thoughtful than most kids her age. Even on exam day, she'd taken his gruff words in stride without so much as a frown—unlike the others.
He wrote Han Seoyeon on the board and marked a 一 (one) beside it.
"Anyone else to nominate?"
"Teacher, me!"
A girl in a pink shirt and white lace socks, her hair in twin braids, shot up her hand energetically.
"I nominate Jeong Haewon!"
"Why?"
"At the entrance ceremony, I saw her comfort a kid who fell and was crying!"
"Woooow!"
Jeong Haewon's nose lifted proudly.
"Hmph, hmph! That was nothing."
A few more nominations followed, but none stood out. Only Jeong Haewon and Han Seoyeon dominated the votes.
As he tidied the desk, Oh Sejun announced, "Now, come up one by one and share your resolve as class president—what's your vision for our class?"
Jeong Haewon went first, brimming with confidence.
"Ahem! If I'm class president, I'll chip in from my allowance for classroom supplies once a week. And I'll treat everyone to hamburgers every week!"
"Woooow!"
Each promise was a bombshell. Hamburgers—rare luxuries found only in city centers—were especially extravagant in this era. Jeong Haewon's popularity skyrocketed.
Oh Sejun was certain: she'd be class president. The kids' eyes were already on her.
"Next, Han Seoyeon."
"Okay~"
She approached the desk with dainty steps.
"I..."
The room fell silent as jaws dropped.
"...prefer vice president. So I'll yield class president to Haewon unnie. Hehe~"
Like a bolt from the blue, the air froze—except for Jeong Haewon, who stomped her feet in shock.
"Wh-what!?"
The classroom buzzed louder than before.
Truth be told, being class president would've added a line to my resume. But I had far more pressing matters: developing Hansung Cheongmyeon, monitoring Changbong Foods' trends and acquisition. My schedule was so packed, one body wasn't enough.
Above all, I had zero intention of wasting six years in elementary school. My plan was to graduate early in three years and jump to middle school.
Since I'd gotten help with Changbong Foods anyway, handing class president to Jeong Haewon felt fair. Honestly, having her was a godsend. Without her, I'd be juggling ramen development and school chaos, getting squeezed from all sides.
In the end, Jeong Haewon became our class president. My unexpected concession left her swarmed by kids peppering her with questions.
Oh, I still called her "unnie" like before. Everyone at Yeonhwa Elementary School knew I'd entered early anyway.
Chairman Jeong Munju heard the news and immediately mobilized his secretaries to shower our classroom—no, the entire Yeonhwa Elementary School—with hamburgers.
"Woooow!"
The kids cheered like it was a festival, chanting one girl's name. Selling their souls for a single burger.
Phew...
I chewed a bite of mine, grabbing the milk beside it. Kids paired burgers with milk, not cola. The nanny always said plenty of milk for growth.
In a month, Changbong Foods will launch a certain ramen.
Yeon Ramen. Their first ramen—and first flop. Starting with that, I'd slowly take them down.
Another late night at work. Before heading home, Jinsu stopped at the supermarket, pulling out his wallet for ramen.
"Huh?"
His eyes widened at the ramen aisle. The shelves were completely bare—everything sold out.
"Auntie!"
"Oh, Jinsu?"
"...Where'd all the ramen go?"
"Well..."
The shopkeeper sighed.
"Probably none left today. They sold out fast—might restock tomorrow."
"What? What about my ramen?"
"Today... none."
Jinsu was crushed. After a grueling day, his ultimate stress-reliever was Hansung ramen. Spicy broth, chewy noodles, mixed with kimchi—a perfect combo. Ahh, paradise, he thought, swallowing hard.
"What to do? Oh, wait—one left. Yeon Ramen, I think?"
"Yeon Ramen? What's that like?"
A ramen fanatic, Jinsu cheered at the news.
"Yeah, new stock a couple days ago. Weirdly, no one's buying it..."
"A couple days? How'd I miss it?"
"You always go straight for Hansung."
"Haha, true. I'll take the Yeon Ramen today. But save mine tomorrow, okay?"
"Got it. I'll hold one for you."
"This is why I only shop here!"
Humming, Jinsu climbed the rickety stairs home. He washed up, filled a pot with water for the perfect portion, and set it on the gas stove.
Sizzle... bubble bubble...
Yeon Ramen was dirt cheap. Probably a budget contender, he guessed.
"Let's taste it."
Chopsticks in hand, he topped the noodles with kimchi. Ramen couldn't possibly taste bad. Oil-fried noodles soaked in umami-packed broth, plus kimchi? Unbeatable.
Slurp! Chew chew...
His eyes bulged.
"Wh-what is this?"
Face scrunched, he bolted to the sink and spat it all out.
"Wh-what kind of ramen is this?!"
Jinsu's scream echoed through the neighborhood.