Chapter 548. Peaceful (3)
Ju Yeong-Gi tutted loudly. “You think I'm running this place for you two to come and get free pizza?”
Munch, munch...
“We need tables for customers, so you freeloaders taking up space like this is stressing me out, you know that? Why can't you…”
Munch, munch, gulp, munch...
“...What the hell! Hey, pay attention when someone's talking to you!” Ju Yeong-Gi yelled loudly. However, that triggered the adverse reaction of everyone in the pizzeria switching their attention to him. Ju Yeong-Gi's face quickly reddened from embarrassment.
“Sorry about that. My bad.” Ju Yeong-Gi hurriedly bowed deeply toward other patrons, then called out to one of the waiters. “Hui-Chaaan! One free salad per table!”
The customers erupted in much fanfare.
“Whoa!”
“Thank you so much, Manager!”
Ju Yeong-Gi ably sorted out the poor customer service crisis in the blink of an eye, then coldly glared at Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min. “And you two!”
“Ow, come on!” Park Yu-Min raised his head in irritation. “You're not supposed to disturb people having meals!”
“You were eating like a pack of starving dogs, though!”
“Really? Should I bite you, then?! Like a real dog?”
Ju Yeong-Gi was taken aback just then.
'What the hell is wrong with this kid?'
Even Buddha would have offered a round of applause to Park Yu-Min when it came to matters of kindness. In fact, Park Yu-Min's kindness was so bottomless that Ju Yeong-Gi often wondered if his friend had the 'Loose Screws in the Brain' disease! Being too kind couldn't be a normal behavior, after all!
But now, that kind and meek Park Yu-Min was... shooting a fiery glare in Ju Yeong-Gi's direction.
“You two... Were you stuck in hell until now or something?”
“...Being in Hell would've been preferable, actually,” said Park Yu-Min. He one-shotted the remaining cola, then grunted loudly in satisfaction. “Finally, some decent food. I feel alive again.”
Ju Yeong-Gi looked weirdly at Park Yu-Min and Kang Jin-Ho. “Didn't you say you were going to a PC Room yesterday?”
“Yeah, we did.”
“So... What are you two doing here at this time of the day? When did you leave the PC Room?”
“Not too long ago,” said Park Yu-Min while patting his bulging tummy.
“Huh? When?”
“Not too long ago.”
Ju Yeong-Gi turned his head to look outside the window.
'Right, the sun's already set, so...'
It was now after sunset, but these two left the PC Room not too long ago? Which could mean...
“...What the hell? You were playing computer games for twenty-four hours straight?!”
“It's a pretty common thing, though?”
“...Listen, Yu-Min. Your concept of what's common and what's not has been corrupted! You gotta wake up, dude! You gaming junkie!”
Park Yu-Min smirked. “I'm a pro gamer. Remember?”
“Dang it. I was praising you, huh? I wanted to insult you, though!” Ju Yeong-Gi helplessly shook his head. “Okay, so... You two have been playing computer games until now and didn't even get a decent meal between your sessions. Am I right so far?”
“Yup.”
“And now that the marathon gaming session is over, you feel sleepy and tired, but your hunger has overridden your priorities for now.”
“Yup. On the money again.”
“Since your friend runs a pizzeria nearby, you figured you'd drop by to say hello and get free food on the side, too. Is that how it is?”
“You should be a psychic, Yeong-Gi.”
“I see. I get it now. I understand what the problem is. So, the root cause of my issues has always been my friendship with you two! Fine! We're cutting our ties, right now! You bastards!”
Park Yu-Min smirked again. “Why do you want to cut ties over something so minor, dude? Isn't it okay to feed a couple of your starving friends every once in a while?”
“You think money grows on trees?! Can't you see how full we are! Because of you two occupying this table, we're not making any money off it right now! It's not only about the free pizzas you are hoovering up, you dummies! You just killed our opportunities to make a profit on side orders!”
Park Yu-Min cocked an eyebrow while scanning the pizzeria's interior. “Huh? Looks like you don't have a problem with revenue, what with how full this shop is?”
“You think the profit earned is mine? That dang Mister Investor takes a huge chunk of it away every month, you know? That leaves me with some pocket change. Sometimes, my pay is even less than what the staff members get!”
“Really?” Park Yu-Min looked puzzled while alternating his gaze between Ju Yeong-Gi and Kang Jin-Ho. “Then... Why are you still running this store?”
“Running one store is like that, but wait until we get more stores under my belt. Pocket changes coming from various places will snowball into a big chunk of cash in the end. That's what running a business is like, Yu-Min.”
“Okay. Then, do it. What's keeping you?”
This was when Ju Yeong-Gi gave up on conversing with Park Yu-Min. “...Just finish your damn food and leave, okay? Get out of here.”
Park Yu-Min shrugged, then addressed Kang Jin-Ho next. “What do you think, Jin-Ho? This pizza is delicious, right?”
Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “No. It's a little underbaked.”
“Eh?”
“It should've been baked for ten seconds longer.”
Ju Yeong-Gi's expression crumpled at Kang Jin-Ho's unforgiving critique. “What are you on about? We bake these pizzas according to your recipe.”
“Humid days will soften the dough quicker.”
“...Got it. Ten seconds longer,” Ju Yeong-Gi sourly muttered. Although dissatisfied, he'd never refuse free advice on improving his business. “Now that you're here, though... Can you taste all the pizzas on the menu and check out their quality? Regulars have been complaining about how our pizzas don't taste the same anymore.”
“Mm? People's appetite and palate can change depending on the weather, though?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.
“That's why I'm asking for your objective evaluation, okay? Try out our new additions to the menu, too. I'll be bringing out the smallest size we have, but will you be able to handle them all? There's gonna be a lot of pizzas to eat, you see?”
That was when Kang Jin-Ho arrogantly flipped his hair back and sat up straight. “Who do you think you are talking to? I'm Kang Jin-Ho. To proudly announce myself as the eldest son of the Kang family, I need to empty three bowls of rice and polish off half a kilo of pork belly every morning with a smile on my face.”
Park Yu-Min was dead serious about this. He had never, ever seen Kang Jin-Ho overflowing with confidence like this before. But the thing he was most proud about was... being able to eat a lot? When it was far inconsequential compared to, say, his academic records, fitness level or wealth? Something about that sounded so weird, but it also fit Kang Jin-Ho's character to a T.
However, Ju Yeong-Gi was less charitable with his evaluation. “What are you, a literal pig?”
“...”
“Gee whiz. What an inhuman bastard. Gimme a break...” Ju Yeong-Gi shook his head in dismay while heading toward the kitchen.
Park Yu-Min took this opening to scan the pizzeria's interior, then whispered to Kang Jin-Ho in excitement. “This place looks so much better than before, right?”
“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho nodded in agreement.
For sure, a lot about the pizzeria had changed from when the three of them worked there. Ju Yeong-Gi talked about remodeling and stuff, and he did a great job replacing the previous bizarre-feeling interior décor with something much more modern and sensible.
It was no exaggeration to say Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min had zero sense in this sort of thing, but they could still notice the difference. They might run for the hills if someone asked them to come up with creative ideas, but evaluating the finished article was easy enough, even for these two men.
“And the store is packed with customers, too.”
“Mm. You're right.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded again.
One could guess whether a restaurant was doing okay or not by looking at the number of empty tables.
'The pizza tastes pretty good, too...'
Although it didn't boast the same level of subtle, delicate taste Kang Jin-Ho used to create while he was here, no one would say this pizza tasted bad or bland. Indeed, this pizza was excellent. The kids at the Seongsim Orphanage enjoyed pizza, so Park Yu-Min often had to eat takeaway pizzas at home. So, he was confident enough about evaluating pizzas, and it felt like Ju Yeong-Gi's pizza tasted the best. Of course, there could be a difference between eating in-store and having the food delivered, but Park Yu-Min didn't think he'd change his mind about this.
“Here you are! Dig in!” Ju Yeong-Gi suddenly began placing beautifully baked pizzas on the table. It was as if he had these already baked ahead of time. “You two better give me a proper evaluation, though. I had to spend my own hard-earned moolah to pay for all these, okay? You give me wishy-washy evaluations, and I'm gonna bake you real good, too.”
“Why did you pay for these when this is your store?” Park Yu-Min suspiciously asked his friend.
“Listen here, dammit! My kitchen staff is here to cook for the customers, not bake pizzas for the owner's friends! I can only ask them to do things that are stipulated in the contract, okay? Which means you two needed to be treated as customers.”
“...Whoa.” Park Yu-Min couldn't help but be impressed by Ju Yeong-Gi's dedication.
Ju Yeong-Gi looked like the type to lump all the minor things together and handle them with as minimal fuss as possible, but that wasn't true at all. He had an unexpectedly attentive side to him. If Kang Jin-Ho or Park Yu-Min was in his shoes, they would've never handled things this way.
“Anyway, eat! Now!”
“Yessir.”
Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min didn't stand on ceremonies and began hoovering up the pizzas. As different pizzas continued to reach their table, these two men wordlessly, endlessly, and cleanly finished the food.
Park Yu-Min only cut a small piece off each pizza with a knife so that he wouldn't get too full. However, Kang Jin-Ho seemingly had no trouble gulping down the entirety of a small pizza by himself. It was as if he was out to prove what he boasted about earlier.
'Well, being able to polish off one pizza after another is a talent, alright...'
Kang Jin-Ho didn't look troubled at all as he finished the last pizza. After taking a large swig of cola, he put the cup down and muttered in his trademark expressionless face. “That was pretty good.”
Ju Yeong-Gi's expression became crumpled. “...”
Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “I thought they were all fine?”
Unable to hold it back anymore, Ju Yeong-Gi furiously flipped the bird. “Good sir...! I'd like to hear the impression of a pizza professional, not a full-bellied customer. You get what I'm saying?”
“Hmm, I see. Honestly, they were tasty.”
“You trashy son of a...!”
Just before Ju Yeong-Gi could lose his temper, though, Kang Jin-Ho chuckled and said something else. “They were all good, except for...”
“Except for?” Ju Yeong-Gi leaned forward in anticipation.
“You changed the cheese, didn't you?”
“...How the hell did you figure that one out?” Ju Yeong-Gi frowned a little. “Well, the cheese you used was way too expensive for us. We wouldn't be able to keep the production cost down to where we want.”
“Hmm? A bit different from what you told us earlier, isn't it?”
“Come on, man. You really want me to live off the wage of a part-timer?” Ju Yeong-Gi tutted unhappily.
Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head. “You know you don't need to reimburse me.”
“You tryin' to make fun of me or something?” Ju Yeong-Gi scowled in anger. “You can't just change the contract because you feel like it, you dumbass. Besides, I signed the contract because I thought it was reasonable for both sides, you know? So, stop trying to play the bigger man here, okay? Fine! I got it, you dummy. I'll swallow the loss this time. However, you better believe me when I say Imma open hundreds of stores one day and make more money than you.”
Park Yu-Min tilted his head. “Huh? Doesn't that mean Jin-Ho will also make a ton of money?”
“...!” Ju Yeong-Gi held his head in despair. “F***ck… And I wanted to laugh at Jin-Ho's face at least once, too...! If I do great, this punk will also do great, but that doesn't mean I should back out now, so what the hell...?”
Ju Yeong-Gi looked genuinely tormented by this new dilemma, but Kang Jin-Ho couldn't hold his laughter from this sight.
'I haven't felt this in a long time...'
And that feeling was being at peace. And a sense of joy, too, that he and Park Yu-Min alone couldn't really create.
Ju Yeong-Gi possessed this inexplicable power to put people at ease. His words might come across as curt and disorderly, but anyone with ears could tell he didn't mean anything bad by what he said. Instead, they would start to think that Ju Yeong-Gi felt comfortable enough around them to speak so informally toward them.
Ju Yeong-Gi groaned before glancing at Kang Jin-Ho. “Fine, fine. Change the cheese. Got it. What else?”
“I'm sure you already have ideas about the rest, so I'll leave it to you.”
“I see, I see. Dear Mister Investor, I shall work to my bones to fill your coffers like a loyal dog.”
“Thanks. It'll surely come in handy one day.”
“Rotten bastard...” Ju Yeong-Gi chuckled helplessly
Even though he was hurling insults around, Ju Yeong-Gi had never forgotten that Kang Jin-Ho's assistance was the reason for his current fulfilling life. To Ju Yeong-Gi, being given the opportunity to shine in a workplace meant a lot more than receiving financial assistance.
“By the way, man... I hear you've been trying to do something weird lately. Is it true?” Ju Yeong-Gi glanced at Kang Jin-Ho again.
Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Something weird? What do you mean?”
“Something-something about setting up a foundation?”
“Oh, that. Mm. I'm in the early stages of setting one up.”
Ju Yeong-Gi tutted loudly. “I knew it. Idiots who can't even wipe themselves properly always try to meddle in other people's affairs. Listen here, you dumbass. You should put your life back on line first before starting anything else, got that?”
“...What's wrong with my life?”
“Why don't you graduate first? Huh? You unemployed freeloader.”
“...!” Kang Jin-Ho clamped his mouth shut.
One of the things Kang Jin-Ho feared the most was the unemployed bum jokes... at his expense! He might be fully occupied with various urgent matters, but the cruel truth was... Kang Jin-Ho was still unemployed, wasn't he!
“Just because you came into some money, you dare underestimate the harshness of this world? When you're a bum with no job? If you're doing it, you better think long and hard about it, then do a proper job, okay?”
“Mm... Thank you for the advice. I mean it,” Kang Jin-Ho nodded.
“I'm not joking, okay?” Ju Yeong-Gi tutted.
“I know.”
Although Ju Yeong-Gi didn't sound all too serious just now, the intent behind his words definitely was. Kang Jin-Ho took his friend's advice to heart. “I'll be more careful.”
“Good. You better.”
“In that sense...” Kang Jin-Ho slowly rubbed his chin. “Mm, right. Why don't I start with something I can actually do right now? Can you get me takeaway pizzas for the kids back at the orphanage?”
“Sure. As long as you're willing to pay.”
“That's not an issue.”
“Okay. You want them ready now?”
“Yeah.”
Ju Yeong-Gi smiled contentedly at his friend's straightforward reply. “I've got no reason to refuse when you wish to improve our revenue. So, dear customer~, which pizza would you like, and how many of them?”
“Mm, well... All the pizzas on your menu.”
“Okay, got it. And?”
“Ten of each, too.”
“...?!” Ju Yeong-Gi's cheeks twitched dangerously just then. “Ten... of each?”
“Mhm,” Kang Jin-Ho coolly nodded.
“Wait, wait. We have ten pizzas on our menu, and you want ten of each?”
“Yes.”
“...You bastard, is this your way of getting back at me? Just because I nagged a little, you wanna punk me like this?”
Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged his shoulders. “I'm just ordering takeaways as a customer. Let me help you improve the store's revenue, as you've said.”
“You! Come outside with me for a sec! You've been getting on my nerves since boot camp, you know that! We're gonna finish it once and for all today!”
“I'm not gonna say no!” Kang Jin-Ho snorted arrogantly.
Ju Yeong-Gi rolled his sleeves up. “Say your prayers!”
And so... As the price for Ju Yeong-Gi causing a ruckus again, another round of free food had to be offered to the other patrons.
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