Chapter 30: The New Manager

The rooftop apartment was small, just one room and a living room, but it was kept neat and clean, a testament to the owner’s good hygiene habits.

Although Yoon Nam-hyuk had never done any cleaning in his life, he liked people who were clean.

“Besides seaweed, is there anything else you don’t eat?” Qi Huai asked.

He flexed his hands. The minor cuts were no big deal, and as long as he didn’t make any large movements, his sore and swollen back wasn’t much of an issue either. Cooking a meal was easy for him.

The refrigerator contained shrimp, beef, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as energy snacks like protein bars and nut bars—just enough for two people.

The System held back for as long as it could, then burst out:

 【I’m not trying to criticize, but why weren’t you this diligent the day the protagonist shou came over? If you had cooked for him then, he wouldn’t have resorted to snooping under your bed while you were out!】

Qi Huai said flatly, “I was planning to cook, but he wouldn’t eat instant noodles or chicken fried rice. What could I do?”

System: 【You had a full fridge of ingredients, and you offered the protagonist shou that? I wouldn’t have wanted to eat it either. Couldn’t you have made a few more dishes?】

Qi Huai frowned. “How many dishes did you want me to make? Do you know how many bowls I have to wash to cook for two people? I had just been in a fight. I was tired.”

【You didn’t get in a fight today? You’re not tired today?】

“I’m in a good state today.”

【You’ve only been eating one meal a day for two weeks straight, and all you had this afternoon was a seaweed soup set meal! What kind of state is that? A mental state?】

Qi Huai, thinking the System was being noisy, turned its volume down. The System yelled with what little volume it had left:

 【Such double standards! Hypocrite! Hypocrite!】

In the living room.

Faced with Qi Huai’s question, Yoon Nam-hyuk was momentarily at a loss for words.

To be honest, he had quite a few dietary restrictions. He didn’t like kelp, wakame, or nori. He didn’t like any organ meats. He didn’t like anything with cream or butter. He didn’t like overly salty side dishes…

But these seemed to be common dishes on a Korean family’s dinner table. It seemed impolite to be so picky as a guest at someone’s house, so he frowned, deeply conflicted.

Seeing Yoon Nam-hyuk’s tormented expression, Qi Huai leaned against the refrigerator and laughed out loud. “Forget it. I’ll ask the questions.”

“Do you eat shrimp?” he asked. “I’m in the refeeding phase, so I won’t make it too greasy or use spicy sauce. How about a simple pan-fry with basil, parsley, and black pepper salt? With olive oil.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk breathed a sigh of relief. “Light on the salt.”

Great, not butter-fried shrimp.

Qi Huai smiled and nodded. “Okay. Do you want a main course?”

Yoon Nam-hyuk glanced at the instant noodles on the shelf. “Ramen? Anchovy broth noodles are fine. The Jin Ramen in the blue package is also okay.”

When he was stressed from working overtime, he would have Assistant Yoo cook it for him. Junk carbs bring happiness.

Qi Huai suppressed a laugh. “You want ramen? I was actually going to ask if you wanted fried rice. It has egg, green onions, dried shrimp, carrots, and cucumber.”

“Oh…” Yoon Nam-hyuk felt embarrassed for jumping the gun. He pursed his lips. “Could you leave out the carrots? Thank you.”

Qi Huai laughed again.

Yoon Nam-hyuk started to glare. “What’s so funny?”

Qi Huai’s voice was laced with laughter. “Laughing at your childish taste. Do you eat cabbage and okra? What about steak?”

Yoon Nam-hyuk was annoyed. “Yes… Just don’t use butter to cook the steak.”

Oh, so he doesn’t like butter.

Qi Huai: “Got it.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching Qi Huai cook. He noticed that the stainless steel chef’s knife, a common household item, inexplicably resembled a deadly weapon in Qi Huai’s hand.

The blade was cold and hard, its lines smooth, elegant, and alluring, as charming as its owner.

An hour ago, the image of Qi Huai, face spattered with blood and expressionless, holding a steel pipe, began to merge with the Qi Huai now before him, holding a chef’s knife.

A few days ago, the image of Qi Huai smiling brightly as he confiscated Yoon Nam-hyuk’s small, ornate knife in the storage room began to merge with the Qi Huai now deveining shrimp.

Last month, the image of Qi Huai in the hotel room, his eyes sharp as he ruthlessly threw Yoon Nam-hyuk into the bathtub, also began to merge with the Qi Huai now tossing shrimp into the pan, his aura gentle.

“You’re complex,” Yoon Nam-hyuk suddenly said in a low voice.

“What?”

The shrimp hit the pan with a sizzle. Between that and the hum of the exhaust fan, Qi Huai didn’t catch what Yoon Nam-hyuk was mumbling.

Yoon Nam-hyuk glanced at him, then turned his head away and went back to the living room, only his ears were red.

Qi Huai: …
What an annoying habit. I really want to drag him over here and give him a beating.

Yoon Nam-hyuk walked around the small living room, looking but not touching. This habit greatly pleased the System, which was circling around him.

He passed by the bedroom door but, with great propriety, did not take a single step inside. His gaze lingered on the small, ornate knife on the bedside table for a long, meaningful moment before he turned and walked away.

I thought he had thrown it away.

Yoon Nam-hyuk’s eyes crinkled in amusement.

---

Yoon Nam-hyuk hadn’t been a guest in many people’s homes growing up. His mother was not a social person, especially after his grandfather, the former president, committed suicide. She became even more reclusive after that.

Her entire life’s work was devoted to Woosan Entertainment and Yoon Nam-hyuk. It was just a pity that the accident had come so suddenly…

If it was indeed an accident.

With his mother’s early death and his father’s strictness, Yoon Nam-hyuk had hardly ever visited the homes of his peers since then. He hadn’t even visited Kim Min-kyung’s house much, as they weren’t particularly close friends to begin with.

Come to think of it, I don’t seem to have any friends, Yoon Nam-hyuk thought. Does Assistant Yoo count? Probably not. Although we interact a lot, it’s still a superior-subordinate relationship, and we rarely chat casually. I only found out he likes his hazelnut latte with extra hazelnut syrup because I overheard some employees talking.

Then what about Qi Huai?

Does he count as a friend?

“Dinner’s ready.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk snapped back to reality. “Mmm.”

It was a lavish late-night meal.

Steaming hot and very homey.

Because the house was small and had no dedicated dining room, the dining table was in the kitchen. The small square table was pushed against one wall, with three IKEA folding chairs on the other sides. The chairs had soft, dark gray cotton cushions. Behind them was the small refrigerator.

The kitchen was warm and cozy from the recent cooking, the smell of food still lingering in the air, creating a homey atmosphere. Although the space was small, it was just enough to fill one’s heart.

“You made ramen?”

Yoon Nam-hyuk was slightly surprised, looking at the two small bowls of anchovy broth ramen on the table, topped with perfectly soft-boiled eggs, their yolks a translucent orange.

“Mmm, didn’t you want to eat ramen?” Qi Huai smiled and sprinkled some crushed seaweed and black sesame seeds on Yoon Nam-hyuk’s egg.

Suitable for a child’s palate.

Qi Huai’s lips curved.

The nutritional value of the seaweed and sesame seeds was negligible; they were mostly for garnish. Yoon Nam-hyuk stared at the soft-boiled egg, suddenly remembering that his mother often did the same.

Although the daughter of a president lived a life of glamour, she wasn’t born into the same kind of wealth as the chaebols. So, although Yoon Nam-hyuk had been a picky eater since childhood, he was fundamentally different from his father and brother, who only ate expensive, refined foods.

Whether it was ramen or pasta, Wagyu beef or regular beef tenderloin, lobster or dried shrimp, bluefin tuna or shisamo…

In Yoon Nam-hyuk’s eyes, there had never been a distinction of class or taste, only whether he liked it or not.

The shrimp was sweet and springy, with the fragrance of black pepper and garlic powder. The sweet and sour cabbage was made in the Chinese style, a perfect accompaniment to the egg fried rice. The dressed okra was refreshing and zesty. Eating the steak with the runny egg yolk and ramen broth was a strangely good combination.

The meal was very much to Yoon Nam-hyuk’s taste.

Qi Huai watched as Yoon Nam-hyuk finished the ramen in his bowl and then polished off a small bowl of fried rice, the smile on his lips growing wider.

So well-behaved.

He’s more well-behaved when he’s not throwing a fit. When he is throwing a fit, it’s harder to say. A different kind of interesting, perhaps?

He handed Yoon Nam-hyuk a wet wipe.

“Thanks,” Yoon Nam-hyuk said, taking it to wipe his mouth. His lips, rubbed by the wipe, took on a faint rosy hue. Qi Huai tilted his head and stared at his lips for a moment.

“Today’s incident—besides me and Choi Min-jun, do you have any other suspects?” Qi Huai asked.

Yoon Nam-hyuk thought for a moment. “Before I saw those thugs, I had suspected my older brother was the mastermind. After all, bribing Choi Min-jun, while troublesome for him, isn’t impossible. But with my brother’s connections and abilities, he probably couldn’t command thugs of that caliber.”

Even members of illegal organizations had a hierarchy. The thugs today were strong and smart, not the kind who would be thrown away as scapegoats. If Qi Huai hadn’t arrived in time and been so skilled, Choi Min-jun might have already been dumped in the Han River.

“Although the police can help, the methods they can use are probably nothing new to people like that,” Yoon Nam-hyuk sneered. “A pity, this is a society ruled by law.”

He looked up at Qi Huai. “Where did you get that GPS page? Did you put a tracker in Choi Min-jun’s phone?”

“Not a tracker. I had a friend help out.”

“A friend?”

“A hacker friend.”

“Oh.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk didn’t press further, and Qi Huai didn’t elaborate. They both fell silent for a moment.

Qi Huai changed the subject. “Was the hotel incident your brother’s doing? Was Choi Min-jun involved in that too?”

No wonder Baek Soo-kyung was in that break room. Choi Min-jun must have been pulling the strings.

“Perhaps,” Yoon Nam-hyuk said, looking down and taking small sips of his iced lemon water. “I’m also very curious who was waiting for me that day. I originally thought it was you. It seems not.”

The CCTV footage in the corridor had all been tampered with. Nothing could be found.

Qi Huai raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I told you. I was just a passerby who happened to be there.”

“Ha, just happened to save me, just happened to sign with Woosan, just happened to be passing by the storage room, and just happened to be washing your hands…” Yoon Nam-hyuk cut himself off and let out a huff. “Only a ghost would believe you. I’m still going to investigate you. Don’t think I trust you.”

Bastard.

He’s likable most of the time.

But he’s annoying even more often!

Although he hadn’t had Assistant Yoo do a deep dive into Qi Huai, he could do so at any time if he wanted!

Qi Huai shrugged nonchalantly.

If you said that after actually doing a deep dive into me, he thought, I would thank you. At least it would prove that the original owner’s identity can stand up to scrutiny.

【By the way, Host Oppa, you can make your second wish now!】

Qi Huai sighed internally. Then let’s get the identity sorted out first. As soon as possible.

He had no desire to end up in prison like Choi Min-jun.

【Okay~】

Yoon Nam-hyuk suddenly cleared his throat.

Qi Huai looked up at him.

“For what Choi Min-jun did, the company will fire him.” Yoon Nam-hyuk glanced at Qi Huai. “I will reassign his artists to new managers. You… will be handled by Assistant Yoo from now on.”

Qi Huai paused.

He hadn’t expected the thing they had argued about this afternoon to come true after all, albeit in a roundabout way. Although he hadn’t actively chosen Yoon Nam-hyuk and Assistant Yoo, with Choi Min-jun in prison, as an employee, he had no choice but to follow the company’s arrangements.

Yoon Nam-hyuk said coolly, “I said it just now. Don’t think I trust you. I’ll have Assistant Yoo monitor you. You need to think carefully about what you should and shouldn’t do. Got it?”

Monitor?

Qi Huai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What exactly do I have to do to prove I’m innocent?”

Yoon Nam-hyuk snorted. “We’ll see how you perform.”

How else can I perform?

He had been diligently filming, had rushed off to fight those thugs, and had even sent Choi Min-jun to prison. Wasn’t that enough?

Qi Huai sighed. “Then, Baek Soo-kyung…”

Qi Huai looked up and saw Yoon Nam-hyuk’s dark eyes staring straight at him, as if he wanted to bite him. “Actor Qi, the President hasn’t finished speaking.”

“…” Is he going to lose his temper again? Qi Huai licked his lower lip, closed his mouth, and raised an eyebrow, signaling for President Yoon to continue.

President Yoon lifted his chin, his back straight, his tone steady and confident. Ignoring the surroundings, his posture made it seem like he was sitting at a negotiating table. “According to company rules, if no manager actively requests these artists, the company will assign them fairly based on seniority. Assistant Yoo is very busy and cannot handle two artists. I hope you understand.”

“As for Baek Soo-kyung…” He watched Qi Huai’s expression, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow on his cheeks. “On account of someone who happened to have helped me a few times, I will arrange for a good manager to handle him. This manager may not be as experienced as Choi Min-jun, but she is capable, has a clean background, and is one of the artist managers the company is planning to cultivate. She has a bright future. Are you satisfied?”

“Finally, the company does not allow internal dating,” Yoon Nam-hyuk added, enunciating each word and emphasizing, “Not allowed. External dating is also not allowed.”

They stared at each other for a dozen seconds.

“…I don’t have those kinds of feelings for him. He’s only nineteen. In my eyes, he’s just a kid,” the 22-year-old Qi Huai said, finding Yoon Nam-hyuk completely unreasonable.

It’s only a 3-year difference!

Does that make him a child?!

The 28-year-old Yoon Nam-hyuk held his breath, finally managing to say resentfully, “Remember what you said. I hate it when people lie to me. Otherwise, I won’t make things easy for you.”

“???” Qi Huai asked the System in his mind: Why is he angry again?

The System yawned: 

【If Oppa doesn’t understand, how would the System know.】

What does it have to do with me?

---

The next day, the news of Choi Min-jun’s imprisonment spread quickly.

The huge gossip about him secretly filming Qi Huai and Yoon Nam-hyuk, only to be robbed by thugs who then sent the video to the media, was a story that even the cleaning ladies could recite by heart.

“Such bad luck. Is Manager Choi’s career on a downturn?”

“What bad luck? Are you stupid? This is Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, Seoul. Robbed by thugs? Do you think this is America?”

“Daebak, no wonder the finance department suddenly started auditing the accounts. This is about to…”

“Shh! You’d better stuff your mouth with a banana latte, madam. Smart people know to talk less and be more observant, understand?”

Rumors swirled within Woosan Entertainment, with different versions emerging constantly. People soon stopped caring about why thugs would be robbing people in Seoul, and their focus shifted to “Why did Choi Min-jun film Yoon Nam-hyuk and Qi Huai?”

Was it to blackmail President Yoon for money?

They did look very intimate in the video. Could they really be in a relationship?

So President Yoon really is gay?

Yah… the current president of Woosan Entertainment is gay. Won’t this affect the Yoon family’s succession?

Will the stock price fall even further???

The office workers were in a panic. The relationship between Qi Huai and President Yoon became the main topic of conversation during their breaks. Even Baek Soo-kyung, who had joined the company at the same time as Qi Huai, was surrounded and questioned.

“Soo-kyung, are Qi Huai and President Yoon really in that kind of relationship? You have the same manager and get along well, you must have noticed something, right?”

“Please, give us some inside information. The lives of us small shareholders are on the line…”

Baek Soo-kyung fiddled with his zipper and shook his head awkwardly. “I’m sorry, I really don’t know much about this.”

Although he had asked Choi Min-jun a few times, the other had always been vague and mysterious, diverting his attention elsewhere with just a few words.

But Baek Soo-kyung didn’t consider himself a fool. Choi Min-jun was an opportunist who loved to scheme. The reason he had sent him to get close to Yoon Nam-hyuk and Park Seok-jin was undoubtedly to get leverage on powerful people.

At the hotel, his target was originally Yoon Nam-hyuk. But for some reason, Choi Min-jun had suddenly and angrily shelved the plan. Then Qi Huai appeared, and Choi Min-jun had even asked him to plant a listening device in Qi Huai’s home.

Even without a definitive answer, and even though the bugging plan had failed, Qi Huai must have some kind of relationship with President Yoon, right?

Just like in the video, very intimate…

Baek Soo-kyung’s mind was a mess. He felt that from Qi Huai’s behavior, the other seemed to like him, to have feelings for him. Otherwise, he would never have said something like offering to pay off his debts. But from Choi Min-jun’s series of actions, Qi Huai must indeed be involved with Yoon Nam-hyuk.

Perhaps, like him, the other was just using these seniors and powerful figures as a ladder?

But they were both ladders. President Yoon and Park Seok-jin, one a chaebol and the other an actor, were worlds apart in terms of assets. Why couldn’t such a good thing happen to him?

Qi Huai is so lucky…

Baek Soo-kyung thought with envy.

With Choi Min-jun gone, Baek Soo-kyung had lost his closest support at Woosan Entertainment. They would be assigned new managers. Given Qi Huai’s relationship with Yoon Nam-hyuk, he would definitely be assigned a very good one.

If, Baek Soo-kyung thought, if Qi Huai really does like me even a little bit, if I go and ask him, would he help me get a better manager?

He wasn’t asking for a new manager as experienced as Choi Min-jun, but at least someone who had some say in the industry, preferably with a bit of a name, who could take him out and introduce him to more directors and industry resources. That way, he would have more opportunities to make it big.

With this in mind, Baek Soo-kyung quickly sent a message to Qi Huai: 「Qi Huai hyung, I’m at the company now. If it’s convenient, I’d like to come and see you now. Is that okay? Please.」

This was why he had arranged to meet Qi Huai this morning. As long as the other was willing to introduce him to a good manager, he didn’t mind giving him a little something in return, even agreeing to more outrageous conditions.

「Qi Huai: Come to the cafe. I’ll be waiting for you at table A037. Coffee?」

「Baek Soo-kyung: I’m on my way now. Lemonade is fine. Thank you, Qi Huai hyung ^^」