Save a Failed Idol’s Life - Chapter 125
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Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: NicoleTempest
Chapter 125 Entering the Tiger’s Den on My Own
It wasn’t because of my swollen liver that I came out of my shell. They were people I had to meet sooner or later, now that I was living as Cheon Ise.
I wondered if they were potential allies who could be swayed by the ‘miraculous Cheon Ise’, or if they were hopeless cases who had to be cut off without any expectations. It was better to find out by meeting them in person.
I took a short breath and got out of the car. The light came on at the elevator that led to the ground floor.
‘If they had money to spare for this place, they should have supported the kids more.’
A brief thought of discontent crossed my mind, but then I remembered Cheon Ise’s past actions. Well, what could I do?
Considering how much money Cheon Ise and Climax had wasted on WePlanet, I shouldn’t have high hopes or deep regrets.
When Cheon Ise first joined WePlanet as a new boy group debut candidate, he received billions of won in investment.
In five years, he had burned through five albums, not to mention the failed singles and activities.
Even after that, Mrs. An Jung-hee seemed to have supported him personally, but it all resulted in a bottomless pit.
‘That doesn’t mean he wasn’t a problem for blowing all that money and not making it.’
Cheon Ise’s flashback before he killed himself showed that he was considering suing WePlanet.
He wondered if there was some kind of embezzlement.
That must have made him feel even more bitter about the money going to Cheon Ise.
He should have just lived off his allowance and stopped embarrassing himself as an idol.
Some might think that was a dream come true, but for Cheon Ise, who had never lacked anything materially since he was young, it felt like an insult.
He was a rotten guy who couldn’t make it no matter how much money he poured in.
That’s why I understood why his eyes sparkled at this success.
He had finally succeeded after failing so much, so they must have wanted to hear his story.
‘So I have to get my act together.’
I had to cover up my past failures and present my future vision. Until now, anything I said would have sounded like an excuse, but now I had a half-baked achievement to show.
I felt my heart pounding like when I first stood in front of the investors and gave a presentation to attract investment.
‘I can do this.’
I clenched my fist and took the elevator to the ground floor. The manager was waiting for me.
“Welcome, young master.”
If I was the young master, then… my brother would be the big master. I nodded lightly and greeted him.
“Hello.”
I smiled lightly and answered. The middle-aged female manager looked shaken as if she had seen a ghost.
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“Is there a problem?”
I asked in surprise. The manager answered with a noticeable sign of panic.
“No, no. The chairman is waiting for you. I’ll take you to the restaurant right away.”
As I walked through the corridor that connected directly from the elevator, I saw a spacious space that I couldn’t tell if it was a house or a gallery.
They could afford to use such a large building as a private residence on this expensive land. Cheon Soo Group must have a lot of money. I tried not to look around and followed the manager.
Then I heard the other staff whispering behind me.
“What’s going on? The young master greeted Manager Yu properly?”
“Last time he came, he ignored him and showed how much he hated him…”
Snicker, snicker. I heard the stories that pierced my ears and realized… Cheon Ise had done something I didn’t know. That’s when I understood the manager’s reaction.
I guess the manager didn’t ignore the fact that he was working for my dad’s money and complaining about it. He probably looked down on me as a mere caretaker.
Well, that won’t happen anymore. I ignored the piercing gaze on the back of my head and entered the restaurant. Chairman Cheon was sitting at the head of the table, facing me.
“So, you’re here, Ise.”
As I turned the corner and walked inside, I saw a long table with a luxurious tablecloth and decorations that I had only seen in hotels.
“Yes, I’m sorry for not visiting sooner. How have you been?”
“Fine, fine.”
‘This is the kind of style that people use at home, not at a wedding hall.’
As a former food service worker, I instinctively calculated how many main dishes and side dishes could fit on this long table.
‘Maybe up to eight people can sit together.’
Unless they had a family gathering or something, there would be no chance of filling up all the seats. I quickly scanned the tableware settings and figured out where I should sit.
The head of the table was obviously taken by Chairman Cheon, and his sides were occupied by Mrs. An and his right-hand woman, my sister Cheon Jisu. The next seats down were for my brother Cheon Osu and me.
“Jisu and Osu are running late. They told me to start without them. What are they so busy with, huh? Your mom will be down soon. She’s making a fuss over seeing her son’s face after a long time.”
He said that, but he seemed a bit awkward and avoided eye contact.
“Sit down.”
Anyway, Chairman Cheon didn’t seem to be in a bad mood. I thought for a moment and quickly sat down at the side seat next to Chairman Cheon, which was probably Jisu’s.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“Inviting? What are you talking about? It’s not like you’re a stranger who came into the house. You’re my son who came back home.”
Hmph, Chairman Cheon coughed and gulped down the water in front of him.
Did he have something to say? I wondered why he was so hesitant about Cheon Ise, remembering how he hung up without getting to the point last time we talked.
‘Does he not know how to deal with me when he’s not yelling or scolding me?’
It didn’t matter to me.
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I preferred Chairman Cheon being awkward around ‘the good-for-nothing who finally achieved something’ Cheon Ise than looking down on me with contempt.
As time passed by, Chairman Cheon finally spoke up cautiously.
“Actually…”
And just then, Mrs. An burst into the restaurant.
“Oh, my goodness. I didn’t realize it was already time! Son, you should come by more often. Why is it so hard to see your face?”
Then, ahem, Chairman Cheon looked embarrassed and scolded her.
“Hey, don’t be unreasonable. He’s busy with his activities. You can’t expect him to come home all the time.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t you know? These days, everyone visits their home at least once a day. Besides, this place is closer to NBS than his dorm.”
I just smiled brightly and acted like a lovely son.
“I have to stop by the salon before going to the broadcasting station, so it’s not easy. I’ll try to visit more often when I’m not active.”
As I pretended to be a reliable and smart son, something I had never done before, Mrs. An grabbed Chairman Cheon’s sleeve and pulled it.
“Did you hear that? Our Ise has grown up so much. He’s not a brat anymore.”
At Mrs. An’s flattery, hmph, Chairman Cheon coughed and answered.
“Well… I heard from Hong that he’s more diligent than before.”
And so, the meal began with a superficial but harmonious atmosphere.
The first dish that whetted my appetite was pumpkin porridge. The grains were so fine. As soon as I took a spoonful, the pumpkin’s unique fiber was not felt at all and the mild sweetness filled my mouth.
It must have taken a lot of work to mash and strain it so that there was not a single shred of pumpkin. It was indeed a rich family’s dedication, with a house as big as a large gallery.
The second course was fried oysters. They had just started the season and they were fried in a thin batter. The sauce on top was mayonnaise-based, right?
It had a slightly sour taste with lemon juice, which balanced the greasiness and the oyster juice burst in my mouth, soothing my tongue.
‘It’s delicious. Really. I should come here more often for meals.’
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From thinly sliced beef tartare with crunchy radish kimchi to bite-sized dishes. There was not a single thing that was done carelessly.
“Eat slowly, slowly. You’ll get sick if you eat too fast.”
As I ate everything so deliciously, the vice president looked at me with surprised and worried eyes, as if he felt I was different from the usual Cheon Ise.
‘There’s no way I’ll get sick from eating this.’
It was natural that my stomach would digest it well when I ate something so delicious.
Delicious and greasy food was always the truth. It was a calorie bomb, but it was delicious.
‘If it’s too greasy, they’ll give me something sour right away, so I won’t have a chance to get bored.’
I wanted to see the face of the person who planned the menu. There was nothing I could do even if I saw it, but I had to express my gratitude for such a delicious meal.
“I can’t help but reach for more because it’s so delicious.”
As I laughed, blushing as if I was embarrassed, Mrs. An raised her hand and called the manager.
“If you want more, just say so. They’ll bring more right away.”
No, that was not possible. Maybe if it was omakase’s encore sushi. But the course had to be eaten according to the chef’s intention to appreciate its true value.
“No, I’m fine. I’ll let you know if I want more after I finish.”
I hurriedly stopped Mrs. An and slurped the broth of the rib soup that came out in a brass bowl, one serving each.
‘How can the broth be so clear when they didn’t even skim off the oil? Did they add some spices when they boiled the stock?’
I wanted to grab the chef and ask him how he did it.
‘Get a grip, Lim Hyun-seong. You’re not here to eat.’
I wasn’t Persephone who fell for four pomegranate seeds, but I had to remember my duty, Lim Hyun-seong, I muttered to myself, but.
‘The meat is cooked just right.’
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I couldn’t stop tearing off the ribs from the rib soup.
“It’s so nice to see you eat so well when you come home for once, right?”
“Well… it’s better to see him than a son who’s picky and fussy.”
Mrs. An was excited and showed off her cute son to Chairman Cheon, while I unknowingly emptied the rice cooked with kelp and anchovy stock.
That’s how I momentarily forgot my duty and enjoyed the meal.
When the meal was almost over.
The uninvited guest who should have met at 7 arrived.
“I was a bit late with work today.”
“I was a bit late because I came with Osu.”
It was 7:40 now… I couldn’t tell the truth from the excuse. When I raised my head stiffly and met his eyes, my sister laughed as if she couldn’t believe it.
“There’s a seat…”
That was Cheon Jisu’s seat. He must have come late on purpose, hoping that I would leave the seat near Chairman Cheon and wait awkwardly at a vague distance.
But that was only a trick that worked for someone with a thick head. Cheon Ise is twenty-four now.
And he was basically a spoiled brat who was treated like a kid.
I was young enough to be seen as cute for making a mistake like sitting next to the head seat, not knowing any better about seat etiquette. It didn’t matter if it was Chairman Cheon or Vice-Chairman An.
“What’s so important about the seat? Just sit down. You guys need to eat too.”
‘You guys too.’
The two siblings exchanged surprised glances at the changed attitude of Chairman Cheon.
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