The Manager Is a Gangster

13 – Who Found Whom (6)

1.

Clank. Squeak.

At the sound of the door opening, Choi Ha-an, who still had a firm expression, withdrew her head from the kitchen and stood in front of the bathroom door.

As she untied her hair, water droplets remained on her shoulder-length bob, and her properly bathed milky-white skin seemed as moist as milk.

She was already beautiful when seen from outside. After bathing, she looked even more beautiful. Does it make sense?

Reality always exceeded one’s imagination, and it was true for the current Ha-an. The freshly bathed and moist Ha-an was even more beautiful than the lady from seven years ago, who was considered somewhat radiant.

Moreover, wearing cute pajamas that seemed comfortable added a touch of cuteness that was lacking due to her cold impression, making her a square-faced beauty in itself.

How can she be so pretty? If she becomes an idol, she will definitely take the top spot in domestic visuals.

Driven by the determination to recruit Ha-an as an idol due to her beauty that surpassed imagination, I spoke in the kindest voice possible.

“If you’ve finished bathing, would you like to have a meal? I tried making a warm fish cake soup. It’ll make you feel better.”

It was my first time cooking in seven years, but surprisingly, my skills hadn’t died. Thanks to that, the hot and clear fish cake soup that the lady liked the most among the dishes I used to make was reproduced in the same place after seven years.

It’s a fishcake soup that even the lady, known for her picky taste, couldn’t resist. It’s bound to be delicious.

Of course, there was a risk that hahahahan might dislike fishcake soup, but fortunately, it seemed she didn’t.

The moment she heard the words “fishcake soup,” her eyes widened for a brief moment. Of course, in the blink of an eye, hahahahan’s expression returned to its usual impassiveness.

Expression control is truly amazing. The more you see it, the more impressive it is.

How many talents does she possess as an idol?

While the most crucial aspects like vocals and dance were yet to be confirmed, if her stamina displayed earlier is any indication, even if lacking, it could be covered through practice.

So, the talents hahahahan was showcasing right now were making it even harder for me to give up on her.

“Please have a seat at the table. Let’s eat together.”

“······Yes.”

hahahahan momentarily hesitated, then nodded, accepting the offered kindness while concealing her displeasure.

It seemed she decided that resolving hunger was better than drawing a line against me.

As hahahahan sat at the dining table, a pot of steaming fishcake soup was placed in front of her.

At that moment, I witnessed it once again.

······Gulp.

hahahahan, facing the fishcake soup, was not just eating; she was practically swallowing her saliva.

Well, considering how cold it is, she must have been outside for quite a while. Having been chased by unknown individuals, she must be quite hungry.

Just imagining eating freshly cooked fishcake soup on an empty stomach was enough to make my mouth water, let alone being in the actual state of hunger. I wonder how hahahahan feels right now.

Anticipating hahahahan’s cold expression melting with the warmth of the fishcake soup, I scooped a ladleful into her bowl before my own.

Next, since it would be obvious if I ate alone, I poured some fish cake soup into my bowl and sat in the chair across from Ha-an.

“Well then, let me try it…”

Afraid that I might refuse after telling me to go ahead, I purposely exaggerated my words and picked up the spoon before Ha-an.

Just as I was about to scoop up a spoonful of the steaming fish cake soup, Ha-an called out to me in a stern voice.

“Excuse me, Manager.”

“Oh, yes?”

“Please switch our tableware. Your tableware and mine.”

“What? The bowls?”

“And the utensils too.”

“Um…”

What’s going on? Why? What does this mean?

Unable to understand why Ha-an would say something so bizarre, I compared the fish cake soup in my bowl with the one in Ha-an’s.

Upon closer inspection, I could see that there was slightly more fish cake in my bowl.

Even though Ha-an had also put a lot in his bowl. Maybe he put less because the young lady wouldn’t eat a lot at once?

Certainly, if that’s the case, I understood why he wanted to switch. The number of fish cake pieces in the bowl is an important matter.

But why does he want to switch the utensils too…? What’s the reason behind it?

Upon comparison, I realized that my utensils were made of iron, exclusively for me, while the utensils I gave Ha-an were wooden, exclusively for the young lady.

They say iron utensils give a metallic taste. Anyway, because of that reason, we switched to wooden utensils. It seemed like Ha-an, unlike the young lady, preferred iron utensils.

Yes, just like how the young lady dislikes iron utensils, Ha-an might also dislike wooden utensils. By the way, I didn’t expect his determination to be this strong. The more I see, the more charming he becomes.

With this, I once again felt a liking towards Ha-an.

Am I really falling for her? Han-an’s every action and appearance had quickly captivated me to the point where I found myself contemplating it.

Of course, I’m her manager. Falling for the idol I’m in charge of would never happen.

I gathered my restless heart and obediently swapped my utensils with hers, just as Han-an wanted.

“Here.”

“······Thank you.”

As I made the exchange as requested, Han-an’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if something was different from what she expected.

At the same time, the atmosphere seemed to grow a bit heavier, so I tried to lighten it up by making a light joke.

“But you noticed it.”

“······What?”

“I purposely put an extra fishcake in my bowl to eat more than Han-an, but you took it.”

“······.”

“You must really like fishcakes, huh?”

At that, Han-an’s face slightly flushed.

※※※

While eating the fishcake soup, Han-an observed my every move closely.

Her gaze was sharp and persistent, as if she felt the urge to tear my throat apart the moment I showed even the slightest vulnerability.

But it was impossible to let someone who had only such a fierce gaze, no more than a mere threat to my life, affect me. I had survived by eating razor-sharp knives all this time.

However, when she asked me to switch the fishcake at the beginning, and even when we finished the meal and she asked to switch the cup I was going to drink from… Could it be that Han-an has a complex about other people’s food looking bigger?

Well, Han-an did say she had no one to protect her and no place to call home.

On top of that, she had been chased by those who harbored ill intentions towards her, and she had even asked for help from a complete stranger like me, who she had just met. It’s no wonder she’s backed into a corner.

If that’s the case, anyone would pursue the maximum benefit they can gain from that situation. Otherwise, they wouldn’t survive.

As someone who had also endured a difficult childhood, I could understand Han’s hunger and greed to some extent.

Hunger and greed can be a good foundation for endless growth. The satisfied cannot defeat the hungry.

Having personally proven that fact, I know better than anyone else how much of an advantage understanding hunger can be.

Han, even when I first saw her, I thought she was an essential talent. But the more I got to know her, the more she became incredibly irritating.

Thinking about how far Choi Han could grow when he became an idol, I started doing the dishes.

Ssoaaa! Scrub scrub.

“Washing dishes with hot water on a cold day is really nice.”

※※※

At the age of seventeen, Choi Han, who had lost her parents in an accident and lived with relatives, received truly harsh treatment.

Receiving constant scrutiny, she was subjected to insults, verbal abuse, and violence every day.

But even in such a difficult process of growth, her beauty could not be hidden.

At the age of nineteen, Choi Han became famous as the most beautiful woman in the city, if not in school.

But her shining appearance was more like a curse to her, as she had no one to protect her.

Because of her radiant beauty, she almost fell victim to her drunken uncle while she was asleep. Fortunately, she was able to escape because she was an adult. But what awaited her was the terrible side of a society where there was no one to protect her.

The saying that there is no paradise in the place you run to fit Choi Han perfectly.

The debt that Choi Han’s parents had three years ago had grown exponentially, and she didn’t even know that she could refuse the inheritance. So she had no choice but to bear that debt completely.

It was easy for her to find part-time jobs because of her beauty, but that was as far as it went.

Because of the obsession of the employees, the boss, or the debt collectors, she couldn’t stay long at any part-time job.

In the process, she faced numerous crises, and she overcame all of them through luck or her own skills.

And today, too, Choi Ha-an thought it would be just an ordinary day among the numerous crises she had overcome so far.

She was certain of it, but…

“Why is nothing happening?”

While Kang Jin-hyuk was doing the dishes happily, Choi Ha-an sat on the living room sofa, hugging her knees.

Despite the sofa being so spacious that it could be used as a bed, she minimized the space as if trapped in a small room, a habit developed from spending her childhood in narrow places.

It wasn’t good for her back, and it would be much more comfortable to sit or lie down with her legs stretched out, but Choi Ha-an had no leisure to entertain such thoughts now.

Because.

What is it? Why, why isn’t he doing anything?

What Choi Ha-an had anticipated, all the mischief Kang Jin-hyuk would cause, had turned into her own imagination now that the meal was over without any incident.

The food was fine, the water was fine, the dishes were fine, and the utensils were fine. No medicine was applied, and nothing burned.

Therefore, Choi Ha-an couldn’t understand it even more.

In her experience, someone who converts an entire floor of an office building into a home, especially someone freely wandering around in such a spacious place, would not hesitate to use an easy method.

No matter how much he wanted to loosen up, this was too much.

Even during the most vulnerable moments like taking a bath, or just like with meals, Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t do anything.

… Instead, he was unusually kind. He acted as if genuinely caring for her.

Even the pajamas he handed her to wear comfortably were incredibly soft.

There was no exposure, just a literal comfortable nightwear.

“Why?”

Choi Ha-an couldn’t comprehend all his actions that were meant for her well-being.

No one in Choi Ha-an’s life had ever treated her so well.

Therefore, Choi Ha-an could not acknowledge it.

His favor was a simple response, as he didn’t ask for anything real. No, it was a favor that only sought a tiny acknowledgment, just as he had said, whether he could genuinely think seriously about a mere idol.

Yeah, if you can’t understand, you can check it yourself. That’s how it works.

Choi Ha-an turned her head towards Kang Jin-hyuk, who was drying his hands on a towel after finishing the dishes, lifting her face from her knees.

And then, she uttered a sentence that she had never tried before in her life, something she didn’t want to do.

“Manager, can we talk?”

Nervous, Choi Ha-an swallowed dry saliva unexpectedly, and in a tone as awkward as when she gave Kang Jin-hyuk a back hug, she concluded her words.

“Just the two of us. Privately. On this sofa.”