Chapter 84 – Reaction – Part 12

Chapter 84 – Reaction – Part 12

Choi Gicheol was the first to react to Woojin lifting the plastic bag.

“What is that?”

Woojin put his hand into the plastic bag.

The first thing he pulled out was,

“Woojin, why a knife….”

Choi Gicheol blinked.

“I washed it.”

Woojin took out apples, pears, and disposable plates, and began to peel the fruit in earnest.

Kim Taehyun and Choi Gicheol just stared blankly at him.

Because the sight of him peeling fruit didn’t suit Woojin at all.

No, Woojin’s fruit-peeling skill was excellent.

The peels being peeled off were very thin.

He was truly only peeling off the skin.

It didn’t seem like he had peeled fruit just once or twice, so Kim Taehyun asked,

“Woojin, why all this fruit…? You seem like someone who has peeled a lot of fruit, Mr. Cotton Swab?”

“It’s my first time. I learned by watching videos.”

Starting with that, Woojin continued to peel fruit and speak.

“It’s good to work hard, but I wish our Detective Kim would be careful. You’re not alone. Your family must be worried, and how great would it have been if Detective Kim had a different ordinary job? Don’t move alone from now on…”

Kim Taehyun felt a strange delusion.

It felt as if he was being nagged by family.

It even brought to mind a scene from a drama.

“Catching criminals is good, but if your body gets hurt, you can’t do anything. That’s what I think.”

“Oh, oh. Yes, yes, I’ll be careful next time. But Woojin, you’re really worried about this elder brother, aren’t you?”

Woojin nodded, putting the peeled fruit onto a disposable plate.

“Yes. I said it because I wish Detective Kim well. Please eat.”

Kim Taehyun smiled.

“Oh dear… This incompetent elder brother made our younger brother worry. I was wrong!”

Soon, Kim Taehyun picked up an apple and brought it to his mouth.

Chewing.

Woojin’s eyes sparkled as he asked,

“How is it?”

“It’s delicious. Maybe because Woojin peeled it for me, it’s delicious… No, it’s just damn delicious! Hahahaha!”

Choi Gicheol, who was eating a pear, also chimed in.

“Oh, it’s refreshing and tasty.”

Woojin nodded, a satisfied expression on his face.

“Woojin, but what you said you wanted to try… Is it this? Peeling fruit for your senior?”

“It’s similar.”

Woojin took out something else from the bag.

“I went to a few places, but they didn’t sell them well.”

It was Canned Peaches.

Woojin immediately opened the can.

“I wanted to try it, and now I finally get to.”

“If you wanted to eat it, you could have just bought it, couldn’t you?”

Woojin shook his head.

“A conditional situation to try eating it hadn’t been created until now.”

While Kim Taehyun and Choi Gicheol were interpreting Woojin’s words in their heads, Kim Taehyun was the first to let out a hearty laugh.

It was a truly unexpected thought, typical of Woojin.

However, he fully felt Woojin’s concern for his well-being.

This was true of secretly chasing and catching the criminal without anyone knowing, and even coming to visit him in the hospital.

“You wanted to try eating it in the hospital, right?”

“Yes. Please try one each.”

As Kim Taehyun and Choi Gicheol brought the peaches to their mouths, Woojin also picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of a peach.

“Hmm…”

The taste was very sweet.

With each chew, it felt like the texture and grain of the fruit were more apparent than eating it raw.

They ate fruit and canned goods and filled their stomachs.

“Could I perhaps catch a few winks on the cot? I’m a bit tired since I stayed up all night yesterday.”

Woojin had indeed stayed up all night.

There was only one reason.

Kim Taehyun, who had been lying at an angle, sat up.

“Come here. Come up here and sleep.”

Woojin stopped him and shook his head.

“Not on the hospital bed. On the cot.”

“Perhaps…?”

When Kim Taehyun asked, Woojin nodded.

“Yes. The cot.”

Choi Gicheol let out a hollow laugh and Kim Taehyun gave an awkward smile.

“Here’s a pillow.”

Woojin immediately lay down on the cot and closed his eyes.

And he thought.

He’d caught the criminal, and Detective Kim Taehyun, who was recovering, was safely by his side again.

Peace had returned.

That peacefulness became a blanket, covering Woojin as he lay on the cot.

Woojin’s expression looked comfortable, no, he even seemed to be subtly smiling.

What Woojin truly wanted to see, not do, when he came to the hospital was…

to see Kim Taehyun and Choi Gicheol smiling.

Woojin’s chest swelled and receded repeatedly, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

Kim Taehyun and Choi Gicheol looked at Woojin and said,

“He’s amazing, as always.”

“Because it’s Woojin.”

***

Two days later.

Woojin stood in the middle of the city with Jessica.

Jessica had an intrigued expression at the sight of plants growing without soil and sunlight.

“It’s really possible.”

Woojin nodded.

“The sun is replaced by LEDs, and nutrients are automatically sprayed by a machine according to a schedule.”

“If we cultivate like this, it seems like it wouldn’t be affected by the environment or natural disasters, and there would be no pests, right? No pesticides either.”

“Exactly.”

Jessica shook her head and smiled.

She had thought Woojin was an industrial spy. But that was her own misconception; Woojin was running a small business called Brain Food.

However, his ideas were very innovative and forward-thinking.

We’ve also secured the patent.

At Woojin’s words, Jessica, who loved adventure, or rather, had certainty in her eyes, nodded.

There was no such system yet in the Middle East, which is vulnerable to plant cultivation.

As Woojin said, it would be good to place them in luxury hotels or restaurants.

Yes. After emphasizing the high-end image, it would be good to build a factory. So that mass production becomes possible and others can easily purchase it too.

People would definitely want to try the fresh vegetables that could only be tasted in expensive hotels or restaurants.

Yes.

Woojin, who had been looking at the plants with Jessica, extended his hand to her.

Investors are also making overtures in our Korea region.

I heard from Mansu that after the Room Song was released, he received calls from various places.

And Woojin had found out which companies those callers were.

Of course, many people also wanted to open chain stores.

Jessica clasped Woojin’s hand.

We will also positively review investments and consider sales channels from our side.

I think we will be good partners for each other. I believe we should move quickly.

Jessica smiled sweetly.

Of course. Because we need to enter the market first.

So the two of them went back outside, and Jessica asked.

I’m going back in two days. Can you recommend another ‘damn delicious’ Korean food?

Woojin answered without hesitation.

There’s something called Yangnyeom Chicken. You must try it.

While fried chicken came from abroad, Yangnyeom Chicken was a new creation made by coating it with Korean-style seasoning.

Jessica nodded.

Yangnyeom Chicken, I’ll have to try that.

You’ll like it.

They exchanged a few more words and then parted ways.

It wasn’t a regretful parting, but a step towards a new beginning.

Woojin immediately went to Mansu-hyung’s Shop and told him about his meeting with Jessica a little while ago.

Woojin suggested they meet together, but Mansu-hyung shook his head, saying he would only be a hindrance, and didn’t go out.

“I think it will go well.”

“Is that really true!?

At Woojin’s words, Mansu-hyung’s eyes widened.

He couldn’t believe it.

To think he would be doing business with a large corporation like Shinhwa General Trading after signing a contract…

Mansu-hyung, who had only been mouthing words, grabbed Woojin’s hand.

“Woojin, thank you.”

After meeting Woojin, his cousin’s friend, things started to go smoothly in an unusual and righteous way.

Not only did he create recipes, but he also used YouTubers and even appeared on terrestrial broadcast.

During all of that, Woojin asked for nothing.

“Woojin, let’s make you the Brain Food CEO.”

Woojin immediately shook his head.

Woojin was someone who always disliked being at the forefront.

“You’ll get some shares, I think it would be good if you just held onto those.”

Mansu-hyung’s eyes widened again as if they would tear.

Woojin replied,

“We need to go public.”

It was a dream-like statement for Mansu-hyung, who used to run a snack bar.

***

The plane Jessica was on flew through the sky at an incredibly fast speed, breaking all common sense.

Not only that, but the clouds moved quickly, and day and night passed countless times as if flickering.

The people walking among the buildings downtown moved as if the video was fast-forwarded, and so a year passed like the wind.

As Woojin, a year older, was wearing a red cardigan at home, he received a call.

The caller was Director Jo Jeonghwan.

“Yes, Director.”

-It’s two hours before filming, would you like me to send a car if you need one?

“No, I have plenty of time, it’s fine.”

-Alright, then I’ll see you on set.

As he was about to end the call, Woojin quickly spoke up.

“Is the catering truck coming on time?”

-…Yes, I’ve stressed it to them.

“Understood. I’ll see you there.”

After ending the call, Woojin went outside.

He took the bus and transferred to the subway.

Woojin looked at the people sitting on the subway, one by one.

Without asking them, he could roughly tell if they were going to work or to meet someone.

He also felt glances looking at him.

Before, he would have racked his brain to interpret those looks, but now Woojin had learned to accept them naturally.

Woojin exited the subway station and took a taxi.

Arriving at the scene, Woojin watched from a distance as various equipment and crew members moved around.

It was a location with secluded commercial buildings and alleys,

and although he had seen the movie production process in the media, seeing it in person felt particularly special.

Woojin, who had been quietly watching the scene, started to move.

As he got closer to the set, a man approached and stopped Woojin.

“Excuse me. We’re filming, so we appreciate your cooperation. Thank you.”

Woojin asked a genuinely curious question.

Are you from Footwork? Did you come from a security company? I have an appointment with Director Jo Jeonghwan.

Your name?

Just then, Jo Jeonghwan’s voice was heard.

Let him in!

As he made way, Jo Jeonghwan, who had been sitting in front of the camera, quickly approached.

You’re here? I think we need to do your makeup right away.

Woojin nodded and said,

Is the catering truck still coming at 6 PM sharp?

Jo Jeonghwan wanted to ask why Woojin was so fixated on the catering truck, but he managed a pleasant smile.

He had been watching him for a year for the movie, but he had a lot of unexpected quirks.

However, every time he touched the story and script and showed it, he surprised people.

It was truly remarkable how he made the story dominate the movie and the characters dominate the story.

When it was completed, his senior at Media Dragon praised it so much.

‘Let’s start filming right away!’

However, he couldn’t reveal that Shin Woojin’s contribution was 90%.

Not only would it cease to be his own movie, but Woojin had also requested it.

‘Don’t talk about me.’

For his own sake, and for Woojin’s sake, Jo Jeonghwan never revealed it.

Don’t worry. I’ll tell them again not to be late with the catering truck, even if there’s a typhoon.

Chanho! Do this person’s makeup!

At Jo Jeonghwan’s call, a man who appeared to be in his late 30s approached.

Do I need to make him unrecognizable?

Understood.

Woojin followed him and began to get his makeup done.

Sitting in the chair with his eyes closed, Woojin felt as if he had caught two rabbits with one stone.

I was able to eat on set, and even got to be an Extra Part-timer, which I’d wanted to try.

‘This is a huge gain…’

Woojin thought of the reporters who were called Top-tier Actors.

And he muttered to himself.

‘The best acting is lying well when there’s nothing to lie about, and even deceiving yourself.’