Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Bom composed her thoughts.
It’s just a professional setting, and I’m in front of the kids right now, she reminded herself.
“Let’s say hello. This is the CEO of JK Power Energy.”
Having steeled her nerves, Bom gave a formal greeting alongside the students.
“We are Greennarae, the Green Energy Club from Shinsu High School. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today.”
“Hello!”
Jae-gyu, whose gaze had been fixed solely on Bom, finally turned his eyes toward the children. As they greeted him in a chorus, his eyes crinkled into pleasant crescents.
“Wow. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I am Seon Jae-gyu, the CEO of JK Power Energy.”
He spoke with a genial air as he looked around at the students, but when he said, “I am Seon Jae-gyu,” he stared intensely at Bom. Uncomfortable under his burning gaze, Bom subtly averted her eyes.
Just then, the office door opened.
“Uncle, I bought some ice cream for us to eat later. I’ll go put it away.”
It was Han-gyeol, returning right on cue. Now, everyone involved in the field trip was gathered in one place. Jae-gyu watched Han-gyeol put the ice cream in the freezer, then beckoned him over to stand by his side.
“I also happen to be the uncle of Seon Han-gyeol, a member of this club. Since I’m your friend’s uncle, I’ll speak comfortably with you all. Is that alright?”
The students answered vigorously.
“Yes!”
“Um, you’re the one who did the Parental Gourd Smashing Game at the sports festival, right?”
Dong-pyo pushed up his glasses, his eyes sharp. Jae-gyu scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and asked how he knew.
How could he not know…? It would be stranger if he didn’t.
“Since the company is technically closed today, there are no other employees here. Manager Philip Gu, who drove the van, is in charge of sales. He’ll be assisting with the tour today.”
At Jae-gyu’s nod, Philip Gu gestured from the doorway, calling everyone over.
“Alright, students. Please come over to this Field Trip Room.”
The place Philip led them into was the office directly opposite. The sign that said ‘Breakroom’ had a piece of paper with ‘Field Trip Room’ taped over it, making it obvious it was a last-minute setup.
Still, Bom felt grateful. After what had happened between her and Jae-gyu, he could have found this a nuisance, yet he had prepared everything so thoughtfully.
Bom had the children sit on folding chairs and took a quick photo. Philip Gu, who had wheeled in a whiteboard, began the session immediately.
“Friends of Greennarae. Once again, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Philip uncapped a black marker and began drawing arrows as he explained.
“The order of the tour is as follows. First, in this Field Trip Room, I will briefly introduce what kind of company we are. After that, I’ll teach you about what renewable energy is.”
There was something about the cadence of Philip Gu’s voice that commanded attention. Jae-gyu had certainly recruited the right person for sales.
“We’ll provide lunch here, and after we eat, we’ll move to the actual installation site to take a look. Got it?”
“Yes!”
It was a simple but solid itinerary. However, one thing bothered Bom.
“Um, Mr. Jae-gyu. What do you mean, you’re providing lunch?”
Bom whispered to Jae-gyu, who was standing beside her. She already felt bad that he was giving up his weekend for free; providing a meal on top of that felt like too much. She felt burdened.
“Of course they have to eat. Did you think I’d let them starve?”
“No, it’s just that we can buy lunch using the club budget.”
“How much is the budget?”
“Six thousand won per person.”
“What can you get with that? One bowl of jajangmyeon each? Kids that age could eat a horse.”
Well, maybe only you could.
“That’s only because you eat so much, Mr. Jae-gyu. For the kids, even just jajangmyeon would be…”
Bom, who had been glaring and arguing, suddenly trailed off and stared at Jae-gyu.
So this is why he looks so different.
Seeing him this close, it was clear he had lost weight. The most significant change was his jawline, which had always been lean but was now incredibly sharp.
That wasn’t all. His nose seemed higher, and the thick, diagonal collarbones leading down from his neck were more prominent.
Look how thin he’s gotten. It’s because of the strange things I said that day…
Bom clenched her fists and lowered her eyelids.
Jae-gyu, wearing a three-piece suit, having lost his muscle mass, and speaking in a Seoul dialect.
This unfamiliar version of him was all her fault. A wave of guilt washed over her for driving a person to this state.
In that moment, her resolve to set up a dinner date and apologize after the tour grew even stronger.
I’ll have to buy him something expensive.
Meanwhile, Philip’s presentation continued.
“As I just explained, solar power has clear limitations. If the panels become unusable, wouldn’t that just be another headache?”
That was true. Spent panels could become another form of waste. Bom stopped her wandering thoughts and listened to Philip.
According to Philip, JK Power Energy was conducting research on recycling those unusable panels. They had already successfully commercialized some methods and obtained several technical patents.
She found herself naturally impressed by the meaningful nature of the business.
“Mr. Jae-gyu. The business is larger than I thought. How many employees do you have in total?”
“We’re a small-to-medium enterprise in our eighth year of operation, and we currently have eighteen employees in total.”
Looking at it earlier, the company was small in scale but had high revenue. The operating profit was also good. Jae-gyu explained why.
“It’s because exports to China are doing so well.”
He said that JK Power Energy placed a greater emphasis on installing solar panels in China and brokering related equipment.
She didn't know the specifics, but looking at the sales status Philip had pulled up, the proportion of revenue earned from China was overwhelmingly high.
She didn't know how he had broken into the Chinese market, but it was clearly the star performer. She remembered clutching her stomach in laughter when he showed off his nonsense Chinese before, but it turned out it was actually related to his work.
Philip’s presentation, which was mostly him talking, lasted for over an hour.
Because he mixed in questions and examples appropriately, there wasn't a dull moment. Philip exited to the applause of the children.
The next item on the schedule was lunch, as promised. Jae-gyu ordered several dishes from a Chinese restaurant along with jajangmyeon.
Chili shrimp, Rajogi, Yangjangpi, and Yusanseul.
When Bom tried to stop him, saying it was too much for the kids, Jae-gyu argued that if they only ever ate jajangmyeon and didn't know other flavors, they would grow up to be people who only looked for jajangmyeon.
“Eating jajangmyeon because it’s delicious is different from thinking jajangmyeon is the best because you’ve never tried anything else.”
He certainly has a way with words.
However, she agreed with part of what he said. She had always felt a sense of regret because she hadn't been able to experience things properly due to her strict upbringing at home. She wasn't sure if the food analogy was quite right, though.
“I’ve never tried this before.”
“Is this the Yangjangpi I’ve only heard about?”
More than anything, the kids seemed excited. Bom, sitting right next to Jae-gyu, whispered as she snapped her wooden chopsticks apart.
“Um, I’ll pay for the portion of the meal that exceeds the budget.”
“Forget it. This is all being handled as a business expense, so don't worry about it.”
The atmosphere was harmonious as they sat around eating the spread. The initial awkwardness had largely dissipated. As Jae-gyu said, it was a good idea to order like this.
He must have eaten here a lot.
She stole a glance at him, but Jae-gyu was only picking out the bell peppers from the Yangjangpi. For someone as big as Jae-gyu, who usually ate so well, this was highly unusual.
“Mr. Jae-gyu… why aren't you eating much?”
“I’m fine. Please, eat up. I could survive for a year without eating another bite at this rate.”
“…”
You’d die if you didn't eat for a year, Bom shouted internally. Even so, she pulled the plate of Yangjangpi a little closer to Jae-gyu.
“Thank you.”
Jae-gyu, putting another piece of bell pepper into his mouth, gestured with his chin toward the opposite side.
“What’s with that student?”
“Who? Oh, Dong-pyo?”
Dong-pyo was stuck like glue to Philip’s side, showering him with questions. He was guessing Philip’s MBTI and age, and then proceeded to poke at a sore spot by asking if he had recently gone through a breakup.
“Is he psychic?”
“No. He’s just very intuitive.”
“I see. He’d be good at sales.”
Fortunately, it wasn't awkward because everyone’s attention was focused on Dong-pyo. The meal, which Bom ate without even knowing if it was going into her mouth or her nose, was finished in no time.
Jae-gyu, who cleared the dishes by himself, also handed out the ice creams Han-gyeol had bought.
Sucking on those for dessert, the children went outside the building to get some sun.
“Mr. Jae-gyu. Where did Manager Philip Gu go?”
Bom also took a bite of her peach-flavored ice pop and looked around. Everyone except Dong-pyo had gone outside the office, leaving the area quiet.
“He said he was going to the warehouse to check on some items.”
“Hmm, will it take long?”
“He’ll be back soon. Let’s rest for about twenty minutes and then head out. You remember the land we went to last time? We’re going there.”
“Oh, to that land?”
Jae-gyu began to talk bit by bit about the renewable energy facilities installed there. Bom listened intently. After hearing Philip Gu’s explanation earlier that morning, she had become a bit interested in renewable energy herself.
She even thought that Jae-gyu’s serious voice as he talked about his business was a little sexy. She found herself becoming more and more absorbed in the conversation.
“You know,”
Dong-pyo, who had been sitting alongside Bom and listening to the story, suddenly spoke up with something completely unrelated.
“Yeah?”
“I’m pretty quick on the uptake, you know?”
Dong-pyo pushed his slipping glasses firmly up his nose. Before she could even ask what he meant, the words came pouring out.
“And by nature, I can’t pretend I don't notice things. Well, please understand. I just have to know if I’m right.”
Dong-pyo was incredibly serious.
“I’ll ask you point-blank. Han-gyeol’s uncle, you like our club teacher, don't you? I’ve noticed it for a while now. And it seems like Teacher doesn't dislike you either.”
Bom’s face turned deathly pale.
“Wh-what are you talking about…?”