You Promised Me, Mr. Lee San-ha - Chapter 71



Only Noblemtl

Episode 71: Even a rice thief can be a thief (1)

I am in danger of being murdered right now.

‘It really looks like he’s going to kill someone.’

Have you ever felt this level of death threat before?

I looked back at the past while scanning the flashlight, but… … I have never encountered this level of murderous intent.

‘First, I have to say something to get out of the situation.’

I said, bowing my head.

“I’m sorry… … Please, just my life… … .”

But still no answer.

I raise my head slightly and look at the person across the table.

Bae Eun-ji.

She was looking down at me with her arms crossed.

“If it ended with an apology, there would be no need for police or lawyers in the world, right?”

“I didn’t ignore your calls on purpose. You know that.”

I slowly raised my upper body and said.

Bae Eun-ji turned her head away.

Thanks to that, I can’t see your face at all now.

Deep-cropped baseball caps, masks, and hoods.

With her entire face covered, she thoroughly hid her identity.

Current idol.

He is also the center of Once, who took first place as soon as they debuted.

This level of ironclad security is a given.

While the sluggish Cold War was continuing, my mom brought me some tteokbokki.

“Pretty daughter~ Mom brought you tteokbokki!”

“I told you I’d bring it. You must be busy, but you can still stay in the kitchen―”

Mom cut me off and turned towards Bae Eun-ji.

“Who came to see you? You came to see our pretty Eunji. Right?”

“Wow~ Mom, I love you so much!”

Bae Eun-ji and her mother hugging affectionately.

It’s a chemistry that could never happen with the real-life beauty, Da-in Lee.

Mom said, patting Bae Eun-ji’s head.

“If there’s anything you want to eat, don’t be afraid to tell me, my daughter~.”

“Okay, Mom!”

I asked, puzzled.

“Since when did you become so close to my mom?”

Bae Eun-ji answered with a laugh as if she found it funny.

“Since you started living alone, don’t you come help your mom on the weekends?”

“I told you. There was someone I needed mental care for recently―”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. There’s no way the people of South Korea wouldn’t know about Mr. Im Se-yeol’s drug abuse incident. But I came to see my mom every week while I was working, right? And did you see that? It’s our members’ autographs. Everyone came and ate and praised it.”

“… … That’s why Mom likes you more.”

These days, the influence of idols is directly linked to the success or failure of a product.

The impact is especially huge among teenagers.

Even though it was already a popular SNS restaurant, there was always a bit of a wait, but now it has gotten to the point where you have to wait for 1 to 2 hours.

‘By the way, if you come here so often, is there any point in covering your face now?’

Anyway, it’s a blessing.

The moment I was about to express my gratitude, Bae Eun-ji spoke.

“Of course, during all that time you never contacted me.”

The stinging sensation only lasts for a moment.

Soon, the corners of her eyes droop sadly.

“… … Even so, I thought you would contact me around the time of my debut.”

This is something I can’t explain even if I had ten mouths.

I couldn’t celebrate the day my childhood friend achieved his long-time dream.

I looked down again, feeling sorry.

Bae Eun-ji said, pressing my nose with her fingertips.

“Now you look really sorry.”

She continued with a smile.

“But you wrote all the articles? From the teaser video promotion, to the debut news, to when you won first place on a music show.”

“Well… … That’s my job.”

“You were the only reporter who wrote an article about the reaction to the release of the music video?”

“We’re friends, so we should do that much.”

The arms are supposed to bend inward.

It’s natural that I would work harder to write articles about my friends than about strangers.

‘When I wrote that article, I didn’t know it would turn out this well.’

At that moment, Bae Eun-ji suddenly took something out of her bag.

“I hated you so much that I didn’t want to give it to you! But since you wrote the article so well, I’ll make it a special forgiveness this time.”

chin-

What came up onto the table was a glass bottle.

It was filled with black, murky matter, as if… … .

“Isn’t that the Soul Crucible? Oh, no. Is that the Black Soulstone?”

“Do you really want to die?!”

All eyes are drawn to Bae Eun-ji’s angry voice.

She said, pulling her hat down urgently.

“This is the chocolate I made while doing a live broadcast. It’s precious, so don’t leave any behind and eat it all.”

“Oh… … You did a live broadcast too. When was it?”

“Don’t you know? It’s been a few months anyway.”

“… … Then don’t they usually tell you not to eat it?”

Bae Eun-ji spoke again with determination in her eyes.

“I don’t know how to cook, but I made this with the help of my members. Don’t leave any leftovers.”

You were glaring at me as if you were going to kill me, but in the end you were trying to harm me with poison.

I closed my eyes tightly and put a piece of chocolate in my mouth.

“Hmm? More than I thought―”

It’s tasteless.

But if I tell the truth now, things will get worse.

I forced a smile and continued speaking.

“More- quite, ma, delicious.”

Only then did Bae Eun-ji begin to smile brightly.

The moment when dramatic reconciliation takes place.

Chin, chin, chin.

Bae Eun-ji took out a few more bottles of Black Soul Stones and placed them on the table as she spoke.

“I’m glad you like it. I brought a few more so you can share them with your parents and Dain!”

My eyes feel dizzy.

‘What kind of cruelty is this, to threaten the lives of one’s family… … .’

I held back my tears and stuffed the black soulstones into my bag.

Just then, Bae Eun-ji suddenly lowered her voice and spoke.

“……thank you.”

“what?”

“Everything. If you hadn’t caught the stalker, I wouldn’t have even been able to debut. Because of that, I became known even before my debut through noise marketing… … I think it’s all thanks to that that I got cast on a variety show this time. And… … .”

She hesitated for a moment and then continued speaking.

“All the articles you’ve written so far have been really good. After reading them, um… … what should I say? The articles are so, so like you, that’s good.”

Bae Eun-ji continued speaking in a very serious voice.

“Your articles always seemed to be thoughtful. They were comfortable for both the subject and the reader. I felt like there was a kind of… … gentleness in them that was unique to you. I really liked that. It was like the way I used to like… .”

Having said that, Bae Eun-ji hurriedly changed the subject.

“Oh, anyway? So! You’re saying I came here to repay the favor!”

“Thanks to you, Mom’s shop is already doing incredibly well. I appreciate the chocolate you just gave me… … I’ll eat it somehow.”

Bae Eun-ji said, shaking the fork from side to side.

“Haha, that’s ridiculous. At that level, it hasn’t even reached the first stage of ‘Repaying the Superstar’s Favor’.”

‘… … Do you usually call yourself a superstar?’

Leaving aside the worry that I might already be suffering from celebrity disease.

Bae Eun-ji said.

“Do you know Mr. Baek Jong-woon?”

Even if you don’t want to know, you can’t help but know.

The most famous chef and culinary researcher in South Korea, in name and reality.

It was the name of a celebrity who was sometimes a gourmet, sometimes a godfather of the restaurant industry, and sometimes a YouTuber.

Bae Eun-ji saw my nod and continued speaking.

“Then, do you know about the ‘Golmok Gourmet Restaurant’ run by Mr. Baek Jong-woon?”

That was also a famous broadcast.

We go to a hidden restaurant and Baek Jong-woon shares his business know-how.

Since it is a regular terrestrial broadcast and Baek Jong-woon’s name value is at stake, the number of viewers is considerable.

Bae Eun-ji’s questions continued like twenty questions.

“Do you know the assistant MC, Jo Bo-yeon?”

“You’re getting married. You said you’re planning a long honeymoon to the Maldives. I guess you’re going to drop out?”

“Huh? I know. So, as an assistant MC there―”

“Is that what you meant when you said you got an offer to appear on a variety show? Congratulations.”

“Ah-! Why are you spoiling everything! Stop it!”

Bae Eun-ji continued speaking, shouting.

“Huh, then let’s check the next filming location?!”

“How would you know that? Of course it would be top secret.”

Then, Bae Eun-ji became proud again.

She said this while stretching out the cheese tteokbokki in front of her.

“Wow! The correct answer is ‘Sanhane Bunshik’!”

“Huh? Really?”

I didn’t expect it to get that far.

The competition for local restaurants is famously fierce.

First of all, as the channel name suggests, the staff personally go to ‘good restaurants’ and secretly conduct research.

There, we also check cleanliness and service, and only contact stores that pass all criteria.

That’s why the program is more popular.

Because unlike some unscrupulous mukbang programs, we don’t take any bribes.

As a result, it is famous that all the restaurants that appeared on ‘Backstreet Food’ became huge hits.

There is also Baek Jong-woon’s full support and solutions.

For those who run a restaurant, this is truly a dream opportunity.

Bae Eun-ji said, shoving the tteokbokki she had picked up into her mouth.

“I recommended it to Mr. Baek Jong-woon, and he already came and went. He said he was completely satisfied after trying it once.”

The fact that my mother’s cooking was recognized by the public brought me a sense of pride.

“My mom’s cooking is an art. … …except for soybean paste stew.”

“I admit. Do you still put things like kudzu root in soybean paste stew these days?”

“No. These days, I switch to Asahi Berry.”

“Ooh, your eyesight will get better. Cheer up.”

Anyway, this time, Bae Eun-ji’s help seemed like it would be a great help to her mother once again.

If you’re really lucky, you might be able to expand your business into something like a chain store or meal kit.

‘If our mom continues like this, won’t she become really rich? Like a tycoon in the food service industry.’

When I heard that my mom’s store was going to be on TV, all sorts of thoughts started to come to mind.

To the point where even such trivial details are a cause for concern.

I asked.

“Mom’s cooking is delicious, but if she’s going to be on TV, doesn’t she need to have something different about it?”

“What are you talking about? It’s right here! Don’t you see? This difference!”

Bae Eun-ji asked back as if she was dumbfounded.

Where her fork pointed, there was tteokbokki.

To be exact, it wasn’t your typical tteokbokki.

Mozzarella, Americano, Parmesan, and Cheddar.

It was mom’s cheese tteokbokki, topped with a generous amount of four kinds of cheese and melted with a torch.

This menu, called ‘Ddeoktteok’, was truly a devilish menu.

It is no exaggeration to say that 99% of recent customers come here to eat this.

I’m sure this menu will be very appealing.

I nodded.

“Anyway, thank you so much for telling me about the good restaurant in the alley. I think my mom would really like it.”

“Column, column. In this day and age, where can you find a filial daughter like me?”

Bae Eun-ji started moving the empty dishes into the sink.

At that time, a mother who was passing by asked me.

“Come to think of it, the pretty girl who came before hasn’t been here lately. She’s really busy, huh?”

“Oh, Hee-yeon? She’s currently preparing for employment… … .”

At that moment, something is felt in front of me.

‘This is… … living?’

That killing was right before.

When I turned my head, I saw Bae Eun-ji glaring at me with sharp eyes.

“What? Who else did you bring here besides me? A woman?”

“I brought a school friend… … No. I didn’t bring him, he came to see me?”

“Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?”

The gaze becomes more and more fierce.

While I was wondering why I had to make excuses for this.

“Ugh!”

Suddenly I feel a stabbing pain in my abdomen.

It seemed that Bae Eun-ji’s poison was only now beginning to take effect.

“I, I, I need to go to the bathroom… …!”

Even in the midst of abdominal pain, a cool chill is felt.

As if there was a sharp arrow aimed at my back.

“Ah, anyway, thank you so much for letting me appear on Alley Restaurant!”

I put my hands together and showed them to Bae Eun-ji and quickly left the place.