18. I Go My Own Way (2)
“Chief! I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
September 29.
In other words, Bak Minseok had arrived in Yeongdong one day before I met Gim Heungsu.
They had occasionally coordinated their schedules via international calls, but I had been anxious about whether everything would actually align.
“Is that true? That you missed me?”
Bak Minseok looked at me, his eyes dancing playfully.
“You have no idea how long I waited for our Director Bak.”
At those playful glances, I gently embraced him. He had worked hard.
I had truly missed him.
Because he was the hidden blade given to me.
As pre-instructed to Bak Minseok in Japan, they had added a bit more gochugaru to the soup powder of several packets among the sample chicken ramen. It was a temporary modification to suit Korean tastes.
“The machines go over here!”
“Hey. Not that side!”
Bak Minseok shouted at the workers moving the ramyeon machine that had arrived with him. He seemed a bit overexcited, but I smiled and helped him.
“But why did you tell us to add gochugaru to the ramen?”
“It’s not ramen, it’s ramyeon.”
“Yes. Ramyeon. But why the gochugaru?”
“Gochugaru is to give it a spicy kick that suits our palate, isn’t it?”
“We’re going to remake it here anyway, aren’t we?”
Bak Minseok asked, tilting his head.
“Because there’s someone I need to show the taste to in a hurry.”
*
Recalling the previous day’s events, I boiled water in a pot at a corner of the tearoom.
While under the surveillance of Central Intelligence Agency agents.
“Don’t even think about pulling anything.”
One of the silent Agency agents spoke to me threateningly.
“······.”
They were probably watching to see if I might poison my own food, but I didn’t answer.
What else would I do while making ramyeon?
As a Korean who had lived past forty, it was something I had boiled thousands of times.
Without answering, I watched the boiling water, then tore open the packet and dumped in the noodles and soup powder all at once.
“It’ll take ten minutes.”
“...Ten minutes. Your future depends on those ten minutes.”
As I waited, watching the boiling ramyeon, my eyes stung.
Some of the blood that had spilled seemed to have gotten into them.
Whew...
I roughly wiped around my eyes with my arm to clean the blood. It was fortunate that Yi Dongho was such a tough bastard; otherwise, I might really not have been able to walk.
Remembering what had happened earlier, I checked that the noodles were cooked, then brought the pot as-is to Gim Heungsu.
“So this is ramyeon?”
Gim Heungsu looked at the steaming ramyeon.
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“It’s made of flour?”
“Yes.”
“Then isn’t this just noodles?”
Gim Heungsu turned his eyes from the ramyeon back to me, and his gaze had softened considerably.
Probably because he felt I could be of great help, and because he sensed I had no ulterior motives.
“Please try it first. It’s best eaten before it gets cold.”
At my urging, Gim Heungsu picked up his chopsticks.
*Slurp*
“Hm?”
*Slurp slurp*
“Mm...?”
Gim Heungsu’s hands, which had moved slowly at first, gradually sped up. Yesterday, I had torn open one sample packet with gochugaru and tasted it; it wasn’t incredibly delicious, but the flavor wasn’t bad for our palates. Since that was my standard, I figured it would at least pass muster.
“Hah.”
“Please try the broth too.”
As if entranced, Gim Heungsu lifted the pot with both hands and brought it to his mouth.
*Gulp*
Still wearing a strange expression, he stared at the pot he had set down, then lifted it again and drank the broth.
*Gulp gulp*
“Ha-ah!”
Finally setting the pot down on the table, Gim Heungsu looked at me once more. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
“...You. What on earth is this?”
Gim Heungsu’s eyes had shifted to extreme favor.
And to question as well.
Meeting those favorable eyes, I spoke.
“Please provide me with flour.”
Now the initiative had passed to me.
“Are you confident?”
“Yes. I’m certain.”
Confidence overflowed within me.
In the era I had come from, ramyeon had been a reliable friend that let a broke college student living alone fill his stomach cheaply, and a food anyone could enjoy deliciously at any time.
Since I had already experienced that, I couldn’t possibly lack confidence.
“Is there nothing else you need?”
Gim Heungsu asked me. It meant he would supply flour in abundance, and the talk regarding Director Heo Munhoe had already been left far behind.
It was time to settle the price.
“I need to purchase ramyeon manufacturing equipment. I’ve brought it in on the condition of paying later, so please provide support.”
I had already paid the sum, but my capital wasn’t a bottomless spring, so I was beginning to show the bottom.
“How much do you need?”
“Thirty thousand dollars.”
“It’s hard for me to decide that alone.”
Gim Heungsu evaded instead of refusing outright.
It meant he wanted me to present justification.
“In one month, I will show His Excellency a properly made prototype.”
“Hmm... Then let us decide that in a month. What else?”
“Please give me one company of my choosing later. It will absolutely not cause harm to the nation or the company.”
Because I was going to acquire a failed company.
But because that matter required government permission, I made the demand.
“What company?”
Curiosity blossomed on Gim Heungsu’s face.
He still didn’t say no.
It meant this was an era where making a living was that important, and it was Gim Heungsu’s judgment that ramyeon would be a sufficient alternative.
This was the maximum I could ask for.
Even though Gim Heungsu had become extremely favorable toward me, if I got greedier, I would clearly suffer indigestion.
“I haven’t decided yet myself.”
There was already something I wanted in my heart, but I pretended otherwise.
“You’re an interesting fellow.”
Gim Heungsu, still not erasing his curiosity, spoke again.
“I’ll give you two weeks. Bring the ramyeon prototype within two weeks. If you satisfy His Excellency, I promise you both.”
*In two weeks, he’ll be thanking me instead.*
*
*Screech*
“Get out.”
I arrived in front of Yeongdong Foods in Yeongdeungpo, riding in a car driven by a Central Intelligence Agency agent in a suit.
“I apologize for earlier.”
“It’s fine. It’s your job, isn’t it?”
“Haha... Well, well. This young man has quite the backbone.”
The agent driving the car laughed.
After the promise with Gim Heungsu, the Agency agents’ attitude toward me had also changed to a favorable one.
It was funny. I didn’t harbor any feelings toward the individual agents either, but that was that.
I had been prepared, and it had been a deliberate provocation, but it was rougher than I’d expected.
*Vroom*
I stared for a long time at the rear of the Saenara Automobile’s new Bluebird that had dropped me off and left.
It was the end of September, so the days were gradually growing shorter.
The sun was setting slowly, and I stood there for a while wondering if it wasn’t night yet.
Today was a truly long day.
“Chief!”
It was Bak Minseok.
Having spotted me standing there, he ran out.
Since the factory hadn’t started normal operations yet, the employees seemed to have left on time, with only Bak Minseok remaining to wait for me.
“What in the world happened to you?!”
“It’s been tough. Let’s go to the office.”
Although the agents had at least given me hasty medical treatment, there wasn’t an unblemished spot on my face, and my clothes were torn and stained with blood.
I entered the office, supported by Bak Minseok.
“Now please tell me.”
Looking at Bak Minseok’s expression, a snicker escaped me.
“You’re laughing?!”
“It’s amusing. Your expression, Director Bak.”
“Me?”
“Looking at Director Bak, I think... I’m living properly this time.”
“Goodness. You’re only saying things I can’t understand when I ask what happened.”
It couldn’t be helped.
Looking at Bak Minseok’s tearful expression, I felt that I had set the direction of this life properly.
“It’s nice.”
“Ah. Really!”
“It’s nice to have someone who worries about me so sincerely.”
As I kept laughing, Bak Minseok grew annoyed.
“Did you hit your head? Who on earth was it! Who did this to our chief!”
“What would you do if you knew?”
“I’d have to get revenge!”
“Then I won’t tell you.”
I laughed in a truly good mood.
*Wanna grab a drink?*
*Can’t because of overtime. Let’s do it next time.*
Looking back at age forty, it had been truly hard to properly see even once the faces of friends with whom I shared my heart. Because each of us had been busy surviving day by day.
*I wonder if they’re doing well...*
No. Those guys probably haven’t even been born yet.
My reason to push a little harder had grown.
The reason that I had to make the world a little easier for those foolish guys when they were born.
“Could you please wet a towel for me? I’m asking you.”
I spoke to Bak Minseok again.
“Just a moment, Chief.”
Bak Minseok, who had looked like he wanted to do anything for me, truly made a wet towel in an instant and brought it.
After wiping my face with the towel for quite some time, the heat in my body finally subsided slightly.
“I think I’ll have to sleep at the office for the time being.”
“Why? Someone with injuries... Please rest comfortably at home.”
“I can’t. I can’t go home until I’m fully healed.”
“So why?”
“Because someone will worry if I go home. Director Bak, please tell them on my behalf. That I can’t come home for a while because work is busy.”
Who would be happy if I came home beaten?
My mother in this life—my maternal grandmother—and my mother in my previous life as well.
Better to be a little uncomfortable than to worry both mothers.
I covered my face with the wet towel once more.
This was the kind of era it was.
Government agents beating up a civilian in front of a government building in broad daylight.
I hadn’t offered bribes to the regime or flattered it.
Nevertheless, thanks to today’s meeting, I had established a good relationship with the regime, and it was clear that even if I couldn’t receive help in my future work, I wouldn’t be hindered. Because Gim Heungsu, as Bak Jeonghui’s nephew-in-law, would ultimately protect his position even if he was pushed around in power.
Even in the moment I was being beaten, I hadn’t been servile.
In an era that forced you to either soil your hands or bow your head, I had been dignified.
Because I wanted to be an older brother she could be proud of.
This was the best choice I could make right now.
*But this is the last time.*
A best choice like this, once was enough.
“It’s going to get busy.”
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