Chapter 52 · 9 min

Chapter 52

Chairman’s Memories

The alley entrance where Jin Myeong Gak is located.

One highest-grade sedan stopped.

Beyond the deeply tinted car window, Chairman Seo’s sharp gaze headed toward the crowd filling in front of the restaurant.

“······.”

Long lined waiting line.

But in Chairman Seo’s eyes it was just a common neighborhood’s ordinary restaurant scenery.

Old sign and dim alley.

A restaurant in a provincial village corner with nothing special anywhere.

Chairman Seo who quietly watched that appearance furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue tsk.

“Made that fuss and was chased against just one such worn-out neighborhood restaurant. Tsk tsk, pathetic fellow.”

At that time, the female secretary riding in the front seat looked back and carefully opened her mouth.

“Chairman, I’ll go inside first and bring the chef.”

“No, stop.”

“But chairman going in directly···.”

“The chef fellow is arrogant. So the possibility of not listening to words is high.”

“Still...”

“Then if he stubbornly says won’t come out. Squabbling on the street. Tsk tsk. There is no matter that loses face as much as that.”

“...”

“I’ll go in directly and meet directly.”

“Understood, chairman.”

Cheolkkeok.

The secretary quickly got off the car and opened the back seat door.

Chairman Seo got off the car in a dignified appearance.

The female secretary followed closely behind him.

Chairman Seo broke through the people glancing at them as if curious, and began moving his steps toward Jin Myeong Gak’s entrance.

But someone blocked his front who was about to open the restaurant door and enter.

A young man of large build.

It was Bong-gu.

“Just coming in is difficult. Please line up like other people.”

At the attitude like a club bouncer Chairman Seo clicked his tongue.

At that time the female secretary approached Bong-gu.

“Excuse me. Our chairman came because there are words he must give meeting the chef here directly.”

“Chairman?”

“It is Chairman Seo Woo-jin of Seowon Group.”

‘Seowon Group?’

At the words of the head of a huge company only seen on news Bong-gu also flinched.

Bong-gu who pondered for a moment maintained a stern expression and said.

“Please wait a moment.”

Bong-gu entered inside.

Inside the kitchen, Jin Myeong who was boiling the broth of meat jjamppong even hearing Bong-gu’s talk said with an indifferent expression as usual.

“Busy.”

“Hyu, hyung, it’s a conglomerate chairman?”

“...If there’s talk tell to come after business ends.”

“Understood!”

A moment later, Bong-gu who came outside the restaurant lightly threw one word indifferently to Chairman Seo and the female secretary.

“If there’s talk he says come after business ends.”

“...!”

The female secretary’s face distorted with absurdity.

The chairman came directly and telling to come after business ends.

“No, what kind of···!”

Chairman Seo quietly blocked the mouth of the female secretary who was about to question.

“Stop. Then let’s eat.”

Chairman Seo looked around, then signaled with his eyes to the female secretary toward the people lining up.

The female secretary immediately took action.

She handed one 50,000 won bill each to the people standing in front of the waiting line and politely said.

“We have a bit urgent circumstances, can you yield the order for a moment? Instead though small this...”

The sudden appearance of 50,000 won bills.

People were startled yet soon nodded readily and yielded the seats without lingering.

Thanks to that they entered inside the restaurant immediately without waiting time.

“...”

The interior was also no different from what was seen outside, just the scenery of an ordinary neighborhood Chinese restaurant.

Chairman Seo’s gaze scanning the menu board roughly stuck on the wall before taking seats stopped dead at the price tag.

[Jajangmyeon – 18,000 won]

[Meat jjamppong – 20,000 won]

[Tenderloin steak – 100,000 won]

A strange sneer brushed the corner of Chairman Seo’s mouth.

‘Chinese restaurant but tenderloin steak? Completely as he pleases.’

When they sat facing at the empty table, the female secretary carefully asked.

“Chairman, what shall we order?”

“Jajangmyeon.”

The female secretary nodded, and raised her hand toward Bong-gu going back and forth busily in the hall.

“There, here one jajangmyeon please.”

Chairman Seo who heard that order furrowed his brow.

“You also order.”

“Ah, I’m fine.”

“Even if not eating order for now. Eating alone is a bit like that.”

“······.”

The female secretary called Bong-gu again.

“Ah, sorry. Please change to two jajangmyeon.”

“Yes! Two bowls of jajangmyeon!”

Chairman Seo who finished the order crossed his arms, and scanned the restaurant interior with a slow gaze.

Then his gaze headed toward the kitchen.

Hwaaaaaaaaak!

A young chef with a young face was turning the wok with an indifferent expression.

But the youth felt strangely quiet so a strange sense of alienation was felt.

“······.”

Chairman Seo’s eyes narrowed.

‘Not an ordinary fellow.’

Just when Chairman Seo held a faint smile at the corner of his mouth as if interesting.

Tak, tak.

Two bowls of jajangmyeon were placed on Chairman Seo and the secretary’s table.

Chairman Seo blankly looked down at the jajangmyeon.

“Long time.”

A faint smile hung on the corner of Chairman Seo’s mouth.

He slowly lifted the chopsticks and began carefully mixing the sauce and noodles.

While doing so he said with a strange expression.

“Even when I was young, this jajangmyeon wasn’t cooking that could be eaten anytime. Food that could barely be tasted only on special days like entrance ceremony or graduation ceremony, or parents’ payday.”

Chairman Seo continued speaking with an expression submerged in memories.

“Why was the jajangmyeon eaten then so delicious. Poor, but at that moment felt like owning the whole world.”

“...”

The female secretary sitting beside was only listening without words.

Chairman Seo’s such human appearance was quite unfamiliar even to her who stayed by his side for a long time.

Chairman Seo stopped the chopsticks for a moment and stared blankly at her and asked.

“You... don’t have memories about jajangmyeon?”

The female secretary thought for a moment then answered calmly.

“I... don’t have particularly many memories about jajangmyeon. Just..”

“...?”

“Parents didn’t let me eat well for the reason that the appearance of eating jajangmyeon looks dirty. To me jajangmyeon is just... only the memory of food whose eating appearance is not very elegant.”

At the female secretary’s answer Chairman Seo burst out a hollow laugh with a tuk.

“Yeah? Didn’t let eat because looks dirty? Something like you, interesting.”

Chairman Seo shook his head and concentrated on mixing the noodles again.

Then after fully mixing he largely picked up a handful and pushed into his mouth.

Chairman Seo tasting without particular thought.

Umul.

In an instant, his face hardened.

“...!!”

Intense yet deep umami exploding in the mouth.

The harmony of savory chunjang and fire taste seeping the more chewed was surprising.

Deep and warm flavor.

“..."

At that moment, Chairman Seo’s mind distantly fell into old memories.

A certain cold and hungry winter day tearingly poor.

A kid and mother sitting facing at a shabby market stall facing the bone-cutting knife wind.

In front of the young kid one bowl of warm jajangmyeon was placed.

‘Our Woo-jin, eat a lot.’

‘Mom...?’

‘Mom has no thought because the stomach is not good.’

Mother who smiled brightly watching the son eating.

The warm and cozy hand wiping the jajang stuck on the kid’s mouth.

‘Mother······.’

Mother’s wrinkled smile that he lived completely forgetting running fiercely looking only ahead.

And the lonely and desperate years he had to endure living as iron-blooded without blood or tears until ascending to this huge group’s head position.

All those emotions, surged like a dam bursting together with the thick flavor of this jajangmyeon softly wrapping the mouth.

“...”

Tuk.

Ttuk, ttuk.

Tear drops continuously fell from Chairman Seo’s wrinkled eye corners.

He was the head of a large corporation who lived coldly all his life, but at this moment he had returned to a young kid.

“Cha, chairman...?! Are you okay?!”

The female secretary sitting opposite didn’t know what to do with a flustered face.

But Chairman Seo lightly sniffled and smiled faintly.

“Fine. Just··· old thoughts rose a bit.”

Chairman Seo continuously swallowing noodles with a face covered in tears.

The female secretary’s gaze watching that appearance, soon headed toward the jajangmyeon bowl placed in front of her own table.

‘What on earth taste for the iron-blooded chairman to that extent···’

The smell is good, but not particularly attractive because of memories until now.

The female secretary who hesitated submerged in thought for a moment, soon carefully lifted the chopsticks.

Then picked one very small chopsticks, and carefully pushed into the mouth so chunjang doesn’t stick on the mouth.

Umul.

“······!!”

In an instant, the female secretary’s two eyes widened.

‘Th, this··· is jajangmyeon?!’

The female secretary’s chopsticks quickened without realizing herself.

“Ujeok ujeok··· hururururuk!”

A moment later.

Dalgeurak.

Chairman Seo sat blankly for a long time even after emptying the bowl cleanly.

The female secretary opposite also was making a dazed expression looking down at the empty bowl, realizing what she just did.

“...”

Chairman Seo who came out of the aftertaste after a long time stared at the kitchen side with blank eyes.

The appearance of the young youth turning the wok with an indifferent expression and the hand-pulled master pulling noodles beside entered the field of view.

“...Jeong-suk.”

“Ye, yes! Chairman.”

The female secretary hurriedly wiped the chunjang stuck on her mouth with a napkin and answered.

“Seems have to meet the chef.”

The female secretary asked flustered.

“Ah, understood. I’ll immediately···”

“No, I’ll go meet directly.”

“Yes? But...”

“Fine.”

He stood up from his seat and moved his steps toward the kitchen.

But Bong-gu blocked in front.

“Customers shouldn’t enter here carelessly.”

Chairman Seo chuckled and blankly looked at Bong-gu.

“Just a moment is enough.”

“Still no...”

Chairman Seo pushed Bong-gu aside and entered inside the kitchen.

Bong-gu who felt a strange momentum for a moment blanked.

“...”

“Chef.”

Jin Myeong who stopped the wok work turned his head.

“······?”

Chairman Seo made a faint smile and opened his mouth.

“It was an amazing taste.”

Chairman Seo’s sincere praise.

But Jin Myeong was still an indifferent face.

He quietly faced Chairman Seo’s eyes and stared, then soon threw one word in a dry voice.

“Thank you.”

“······?!”

At that absurd answer, Bong-gu’s mouth who was listening beside opened to the chin.

‘Hyu, hyung thank you···?!’

Bong-gu only blinked his eyes with a flustered face.

Because he never imagined such words would come out.

Chairman Seo also made a blank expression for a moment at those words then soon burst out pleasant laughter.

“Hahahaha! Thank you. Yeah, yeah.”

That indifferent attitude of responding indifferently without any agitation even at his own praise.

The confidence of not fawning rather felt interesting and pleasing to Chairman Seo.

Jin Myeong concentrated on what he was doing again whether Chairman Seo laughed or not.

Dalgeurak!

Hwaaaaaaaaak!

Chairman Seo watched Jin Myeong’s back working interestingly for a long time, then soon cast his gaze to Mr. Kang who was pulling noodles too.

“The noodles were also very excellent.”

“...Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Mr. Kang lightly lowered his head.

Chairman Seo nodded short as if satisfied, then glanced at Jin Myeong once again and turned his back without lingering and moved his steps toward the hall.

As he stepped out of the restaurant Chairman Seo stopped in front of the owner couple at the counter.

“Seems will become a regular of this place from now.”

“Ah··· thank you.”

The couple continuously lowered their heads and greeted without knowing the circumstances.

Just when Chairman Seo entrusted the calculation to the female secretary and was walking outside the restaurant, just then Jin Myeong Gak’s door opened and Namgung Wi’s group was entering.

“Eh? Chairman!”

Namgung Wi who was opening the door and entering paused and recognized Chairman Seo and greeted.

“Oh, you are also a regular here?”

“Not to the extent of regular.”

“The taste was amazing.”

“Yes.”

“Then see next time.”

“Please enter.”

When the chairman went out, Chief Choi and Cameron following behind Namgung Wi opened their mouths wide seeing Chairman Seo’s appearance.

“Isn’t it Chairman Seo of Seowon Group?”

“By any chance··· came for Director Seo Tae-jin’s matter?”

“Doesn’t seem so.”

“...”

The three were looking at Chairman Seo getting on the vehicle outside the restaurant.