Chapter 21 · 8 min

Chapter 21

21. Director Park Sure Works Hard!

It goes without saying, but people really should have lots of money.

Especially when they're flying like I am now.

With only a little exaggeration, first class is comfortable enough to feel like home.

The private space and service are on an entirely different level from economy, where you have to fold your shoulders in like you're packed into a chicken coop!

Even the in-flight meals rival high-end course cuisine.

They pile the caviar up like a mountain, and even liquor that would cost hundreds of thousands of won a glass at a bar is all free!

“Would you like me to prepare your meal?”

“No, thank you.”

But I didn't eat.

I needed to keep my stomach pure(?).

Only three hours remained until Incheon Airport.

If I held out a little longer, I'd finally get to taste the authentic Korean food I'd been waiting for. No way was I filling myself up with some halfhearted airplane meal!

I'd even prepared a list of everything I wanted to eat after landing.

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Pathological Liar Gallery

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[General] Food list for the next 3 days.txt

HotelMan | 2027.05.28. 09:36:41 | Views 74 | Likes 1

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Yeongyeong Home-Style Meals: 2 set meals, rolled omelet, soju

Mrs. Park's Cheonggukjang: Cheonggukjang, grilled mackerel

Wang Pujim Gamjatang: Hangover soup

Great Wall: Large gan-jajang, small sweet-and-sour pork

Daom Milmyeon: Cold milmyeon, king dumplings

Gimbap Paradise: Rice-cake ramen, tuna gimbap

People Who Sell Jeon: Assorted jeon, chestnut makgeolli

···

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└ Anon(39.7): BRING PART 2 OF THE FEMALE SINGER STORY!!

└ Anon(211.36): Why the hell are you posting this in the Liar Gallery?

└ HotelMan[OP]: Using it as a memo

└ Anon(211.36): Argh! You lunatic

└ Anon(175.223): With no mod around this bastard really uses the gallery for everything;;

└ CaptainChoiThePipe: You know Daom Milmyeon? This guy knows his stuff

└ 2YearsOnFluoxetine(58.140): Are you broke or something? Why is everything you want to eat so depressing...

└ CutieCoco: Lmaoooo

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This was the first time since my hundred-day leave as a private that I'd made an actual schedule around food.

But if I missed even one item, who knew when I'd be back in Korea again?

It's not like I could eat ten meals a day like a mukbang NewTuber.

While I stared at the food list with my mouth watering,

(Ladies and gentlemen, our aircraft will shortly be landing at Incheon International Airport. Please return your seatbacks and footrests······.)

Along with the crackling announcement, the familiar sight of densely packed apartment buildings spread outside the window.

I'm finally here!

I dragged my suitcase straight toward the taxi stand.

On one side were obviously expensive deluxe taxis, while on the other stood ordinary taxis in all their raw glory.

Take a deluxe taxi or luxury sedan here?

That's something amateurs visiting Korea for the first time do.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do,

and when you're in the land of hurry, hurry, you naturally take a fast taxi.

The method for finding a fast taxi is surprisingly simple.

Pick the oldest one.

If it's survived this long, that means it's strong.

“Welcome. So, where are we headed?”

“Yeoksam Station, Exit 5, please.”

“Right. Yeoksam Station, Exit 5.”

And then,

- Vroooom.

Before he'd even finished speaking, the taxi shot out onto the main road.

Yes! This is it!

Pedal-to-the-floor driving that you could hardly believe was happening inside a city.

That thrilling sense of speed you could never experience in Hawaii!

Now it finally feels like I'm back in Korea.

***

About an hour after getting into the taxi.

- Screeech.

“We're here.”

Already?

This taxi really was the right choice.

I'd arrived a full fifteen minutes earlier than the estimated time.

After getting out at Yeoksam Station, I headed straight for a home-style restaurant I used to frequent.

Yeongyeong Home-Style Meals.

The menu consisted of nothing more than a ten-thousand-won set meal, rolled omelet,

four side dishes that changed daily, soup, and rice.

But when it came to taste, nothing nearby could compete.

And right now it was 11:15.

Perfect timing.

Five minutes later and I'd have been rushed through my meal by the flood of office workers.

- Rattle.

When I slid open the old metal door, a familiar face came into view first.

“Hello, Mother.”

“What the? You're still alive?”

The owner—or rather, Mother—greeted me with her usual warmth.

“Two set meals, one rolled omelet, and a bottle of soju, please.”

“Someone else coming?”

“No, I'm just hungry.”

“Good grief, why's a young man skipping meals! Sit down. I'll have it ready in a minute.”

How long did I wait after ordering?

- Thud.

At last, a neatly prepared home-style meal and a green bottle of soju were set on the table.

“Tell me if you need more.”

“Yes, thank you for the meal.”

Now this is it!

Hot rice, napa-leaf doenjang soup, and even a drink on the side!

This was the real Korean food I'd been craving.

I knocked back a shot of soju and immediately stuffed a thick piece of rolled omelet into my mouth.

“Ahh. This is heaven!”

The other dishes were the same.

Every side dish carried that deep savory flavor I could never find in Hawaii.

After thoroughly enjoying the slightly frosted soju and the meal I'd dreamed of, I was just about to get up when,

- Rattle.

“Ah, no seats. Huh? Isn't that Manager Kim?”

“Huh? Director.”

It was Director Park Tae-hwan.

The man who'd gotten rid of me at my old company.

“Wow, how long has it been! Hey, say hello! This is Manager Kim Woo-jin, who used to be the ace of our company.”

“Hello.”

“And this is Assistant Manager Yoon, our real ace who joined us recently.”

“I'm Yoon Chae-won.”

“Now that everyone's introduced, you don't mind if we join you, right?”

And just like that, the two sat across from me without waiting for permission.

Still, Director Park hasn't changed.

Eating on the company card, yet deliberately taking only pretty female employees out with him.

Maybe generosity really does come from a full granary.

Seeing him again like this, I felt more pity than hatred.

Once you have about a trillion won in your account, even Director Park, who used to seem so imposing, just looks like some neighborhood middle-aged man.

A slightly pathetic one.

Still, it was nice seeing him again.

“Hey, why were you so impossible to reach? Busy?”

“I'm overseas now.”

“Huh? Where overseas?”

“Hawaii.”

“Hawaii? What are you doing there?”

“I work at a hotel.”

I handed Director Park my business card.

He glanced over it casually and slipped it into his pocket.

“Still, you've gone far away and you're working hard. Would've been better if you'd just stayed at our company. Ah! No, then our ace Assistant Manager Yoon might not have been able to join us, right?”

“Hoho, I suppose so.”

“Wahaha!”

Yeah, it's pitiful, but he does look happy.

“Well, I'll be going now. Enjoy your meal. Mother, the check please.”

“No, Manager Kim. Things must be hard these days. Just go. I'll cover yours.”

What? He's even buying my meal?

Hell yeah, thanks!

“Yes, thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Take care!”

All right, now that I'm full, should I head to my hotel?

Ah, almost forgot.

I can't keep this joyful news all to myself!

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[General] Yo, something hilarious just happened to me lmaoooo

HotelMan | 2027.05.28. 12:58:01 | Views 130 | Likes 0

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Was craving Korean food, so I flew to Korea in first class

and ran into my old boss at the home-style restaurant I used to frequent lmaoooo

He even brought a female employee with him

He's the director who fired me back then

but seeing him again like this, I wasn't mad. It was honestly just nice lmaoooo

Maybe because the gap between us is too huge now?

He even bought my lunch, so I ate well and left lol

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└ Anon(290.31): (Translation) Took a premium bus to Seoul and got someone else to buy him lunch

└ CaptainChoiThePipe: She pretty?

└ FittingMachine: Out of all that, you're curious whether the female employee's pretty? lol

└ CaptainChoiThePipe: No, the director

└ FittingMachine: ↑Dude...

└ 2YearsOnFluoxetine(58.140): ↑...

└ Anon(175.223): ↑...

└ CaptainChoiThePipe: What? What's wrong?

└ HotelMan[OP]: Nah our hotel's barista is prettier

└ CaptainChoiThePipe: Than the director?

└ HotelMan[OP]: Damn it, the director's a man!

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***

After Woo-jin left, back inside the restaurant.

“Tsk, tsk. He walked around with his head held high after quitting, and look at him now.”

“You mean that Manager Kim who just left?”

“Yeah. You saw him too, Assistant Manager Yoon, right? Dressed all shabby and eating alone while everyone else is at work. He's basically half unemployed.”

Though his words were full of concern, the corners of Director Park Tae-hwan's mouth were raised high.

“Didn't he say he worked at a hotel?”

“A hotel?”

Only then did Director Park pull the business card back out of his pocket.

【Hale Makani】

『Kim Woo-jin Woojin Kim

+1 (808) 2923-···』

‘No title, so he's probably just an intern. Must be trying for a work visa. He's probably getting worked to death as a foreign laborer.’

Just as that thought crossed Director Park's mind, something flashed through his head.

“Right! Now that I think about it, don't we have an overseas workshop in the second half of the year? Why don't we push for Hawaii?”

“Oh my, with that many people, can we really do that?”

“Why not? Do you know how much revenue we made this year? Once the executive director approves it, we're going.”

“Hoho, I'd love that! I've never been to Hawaii before!”

“Really? Wait, I should contact Manager Kim and have him arrange our accommodations and itinerary in advance.”

【The number you have dialed is currently restricted from receiving calls at the customer's request. If you wish to contact······.】

“He's not answering?”

“Uh, he must be busy. Let's eat.”