WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 102: Live Café
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A man interrupted their conversation.
Producer Kim Seung-jun smiled falsely as he casually continued.
“On that note, Miss Eugene, how about appearing on the show while working as a waitress? You know, as a second job or side hustle.”
“...
Partner, I made a mistake. Come to think of it, a waitress only needs to be good at serving.”
“It’s good that you realize it now.”
Rimon clicked his tongue at Eugene’s sincerely repentant attitude.
Kim Seung-jun, on the other hand, looked like he was about to die.
His expression had changed so drastically that it was hard to believe he was the same man who had been smiling, however falsely, moments ago.
“Please, think it over just one more time.”
“Producer, persistent men aren’t popular, you know?”
“I don’t care! What does it matter that I’ve been single my whole life when the program’s about to be axed?”
“...
If you’re going to say it that boldly, at least wipe away the tears. You’re breaking my heart.”
[You can say that again...]
Even as he swallowed back tears, Producer Kim refused to give up persuading them. Rimon and Yoo Na-gyeong could only shake their heads.
When they had rejected his casting offer at the restaurant, they had thought that would be the end of it.
But that had been a miscalculation, born of knowing nothing about the man called Kim Seung-jun.
At the small cable station KTB, Kim Seung-jun had held out until every other producer fled. He was a stubborn bastard who had maxed out persistence and grit.
“Producer Kim, there’s something I’m really curious about.”
“The Music Challenge assignment? That’s a secret. But if you agree to appear, I can at least give you a hint...”
“Not that. If you wanted to cast us that badly, why did you introduce her to this waitress job?”
If he wanted to cast Eugene as a singer, it would have been far better for her to remain an unemployed drifter. Why make such a self-defeating move?
Rimon tilted his head slightly.
Kim Seung-jun replied with a practiced smile.
“Ha ha ha, naturally, I wanted to show my sincerity. People should help one another, and if I show Miss Eugene some kindness, might she not change her mind?”
“Oh, you know how the world works.”
Rimon nodded once.
Then, wiping the impressed look from his face, he rested his chin on his interlocked hands and bluntly asked,
“So what’s the real reason?”
“If it comes to it, I’ll use random casting as an excuse and film here!”
It was certainly bold.
Yoo Na-gyeong’s mouth fell open at Kim Seung-jun, who clenched his fist and proudly exposed his scheme. Rimon was briefly at a loss for words.
“...
You really are persistent.”
“Anyone turns out this way after crawling their way up to producer at a station with average ratings no better than the national anthem!”
“Come to think of it, why do you even work at a company that crushes people’s spirits like that?”
“KTB doesn’t only have downsides. It has advantages too!”
“Such as?”
“There are so many people quitting that promotions come quickly. That’s how even a rookie producer like me got put in charge of such a crucial project.”
“...
Well, that is an advantage.”
Rimon looked at Kim Seung-jun with pity. In these peaceful times, Kim was saying in complete earnest the sort of military joke told when commanders died like flies on a battlefield.
Kim Seung-jun did not care.
He simply kept pressing them.
“Mr. Lee, would you reconsider once more?”
“My answer remains the same even if I do.”
“Please think about it a little longer! The fate of an entire cable station depends on whether the two of you appear!”
“Honestly, I think that spirit-crushing place called KTV or KTB would be better off disappearing.”
“Please, do something about that!”
Kim Seung-jun clung to Rimon as though he were ready to grab his trouser leg.
Just as Eugene frowned at the sight, a tray swung through the air.
Clang!
“Hey, you. What do you think you’re doing to our valuable customer? If you keep getting in the way of business like this, get out.”
“Senior! How can you tell me to get out? Who do you think introduced an amazing part-timer like Miss Eugene to this place?”
“You should be grateful I didn’t crack your head open because you introduced her, you punk.”
The rough-looking middle-aged owner, who had somehow come over and smacked the back of Kim Seung-jun’s head, wore an embarrassed expression.
“I’m sorry about this. Seung-jun has always been the type to charge straight ahead without regard for anything else once something catches his interest.”
The owner of this café.
Kim Seung-jun’s university senior.
And Eugene’s employer.
At Manager Jeong’s words, Rimon and Eugene shrugged.
“Well, having a junior full of passion isn’t a crime.”
“The producer’s sins are the producer’s sins. Boss, you don’t need to apologize.”
“Ha ha ha, right. Thanks for letting it go. I’d be even more grateful if you used polite speech with me while you were at it.”
Despite being spoken down to by two people who looked young enough to be his nieces or nephews, Manager Jeong merely laughed it off.
Not because he was a saint.
If that had been the case, his smiling face would not have twitched while asking them to speak politely.
Still, Manager Jeong did not turn red.
He only cleared his throat lightly.
“Ahem. By the way, Miss Eugene?”
“What is it, Boss?”
“The customers keep asking when the live performance will start. How about starting it a little early today?”
At Manager Jeong’s cautiously probing question, Eugene held up her tray.
“It’s still my serving shift.”
Eugene tilted her head, wondering what would happen if she left when the part-timer due to relieve her had not even arrived yet.
Manager Jeong shouted as though he had been waiting for that.
“I can serve!”
“You? Serving?”
Perhaps because it was such an unexpected answer, Eugene looked surprised. Then she tilted her head the other way, adding another question mark.
“With that face?”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
“A face where honestly describing it could get me sued for defamation?”
“...”
Manager Jeong had reflexively tried to object, only to have a nail driven straight into his chest. He clutched at his heart.
Kim Seung-jun stepped forward indignantly on behalf of his senior.
“Miss Eugene! Our senior may look fierce enough to make mountain bandits weep, but how can you say that so honestly?”
Was that a defense?
Or a finishing blow?
Manager Jeong clenched a fist that screamed to beat this foul-mouthed junior to death, then smiled.
“Ha ha ha, yes. I do look a little intimidating.”
“A little? Senior, where did you sell your conscien...”
Squeeze!
“But I am the owner of a café. Do you think I can’t handle serving? So don’t worry about that and decide at your leisure.”
From his gentle smile to his voice, Manager Jeong had the bearing of a true gentleman, utterly unlike that fierce face.
Though one hand was tightly gripping his damned junior’s neck, squeezing hard enough that Kim Seung-jun’s face had gone pale from lack of air.
“Okay, if you put it that way, Boss, I’ll stop working now. But you know about the allowance, right?”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
Manager Jeong nodded.
Then, with a hearty smile, he boldly declared,
“I’ll pay you only your part-time wages. Your performance fee will be treated entirely as unpaid volunteer work.”
“Okay! As expected, Boss, you understand me perfectly.”
With his frightening smile and those words combined, Manager Jeong had said something that would have gotten him reported to the Ministry of Employment and Labor as an abusive employer.
Yet Eugene smiled in satisfaction and even gave a thumbs-up.
[No matter how many times I hear it, those employment terms sound like someone’s missing a couple of screws.]
‘What does it matter? The people involved are happy with it.’
[That reasoning only worked in the days when you could make people work eighteen hours a day without paying minimum wage.]
‘Wasn’t that back when we were at the PAB?’
[No, it wasn’t. We worked twenty-four hours a day too, but at least we got minimum wage. At the high-level Player rate, no less.]
‘...
That must have been nice.’
Yoo Na-gyeong puffed out her round belly and bragged that she had been a slave wearing golden shackles.
So Rimon should not compare her to workers wearing shackles of dirt.
Rimon was debating whether to poke that belly with a finger when Manager Jeong cleared his throat.
“Ahem. By the way, the accompaniment machine in our café is in rather poor condition right now. At this rate, Miss Eugene will have to both play and sing by herself.”
Manager Jeong rolled only his eyes, cautiously glancing at someone as he continued.
“It would be nice if someone could accompany her so that Miss Eugene could focus on singing...”
That someone was Rimon.
Rimon snorted at Manager Jeong.
“For some reason, this café’s accompaniment machine seems to break down every time I come here.”
“Ha ha ha, sorry about that. It’s a very old model.”
“So, since I happen to be here, happen to be close with your waitress-slash-singer, and happen to play pretty well, you want me to pick up a guitar?”
“I would be grateful if you did.”
“Do you normally ask a customer to perform?”
“Your juice is completely free today! I’ll throw in a bagel and sandwich too!”
“Those are some incredible employment terms.”
Rimon laughed for a moment.
But he ultimately rose from his seat.
Manager Jeong’s shameless request was one thing, but he could not ignore Eugene’s earnest gaze.
“By the way, Manager Jeong, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What? Is something missing?”
“It’s not important, but if you don’t take your hand off his neck soon, he’ll die.”
“...
Huh?”
Kim Seung-jun, age twenty-nine.
This was the moment he barely escaped death after being forgotten while strangled by his university senior, nearly crossing into the next world.
* * *
‘A windfall just rolled in.’
Manager Jeong watched Eugene take the stage and grasp the microphone while Rimon began tuning the guitar, a pleased expression on his face.
Just seeing those two prepare for a live performance was enough to make him feel full.
“Senior, wasn’t that too much? At that point, it was attempted murder. Attempted murder.”
“What an exaggeration.”
“You call this an exaggeration even after seeing this? Huh?!”
Manager Jeong discreetly looked away as Kim Seung-jun demanded an answer while pointing to the clear handprint on his neck.
Rimon had told him in time, which was why Kim Seung-jun had survived.
But it was true that a little later and he would have been clearing away a corpse.
“Seung-jun, how did you find those two?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“No, I’m genuinely curious.”
Manager Jeong was serious.
At first, when Kim Seung-jun had said he would introduce incredible talent, Manager Jeong had wondered what all the fuss was about.
Even when Eugene had volunteered to go onstage and perform live in her spare time, he had only thought she was an aspiring singer with a little talent.
But after Rimon came to visit, reluctantly joining Eugene onstage at her request.
Manager Jeong realized something.
This junior, who charged forward like a wild boar with his eyes fixed ahead, had not brought in a somewhat useful part-timer.
He had brought in a chunk of gold.
“Do you know how much our café’s sales rise on days those two perform live?”
“I don’t know. Around 300%?”
Kim Seung-jun answered with a playful smile.
Manager Jeong replied with the solemnity of delivering a death sentence.
“Put a one in front of that, and you’ll be about right.”
Footnotes:
[1] National anthem ratings: Korean TV slang for near-zero viewership.
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