Chapter 25: The way of thinking is different.

Ryu Seo-ha.

She was caught in a once-in-a-lifetime dilemma.

“An editor… was a woman?”

Sitting on her bed while watching Cosmo’s broadcast for the first time, she adopted the pose of Rodin’s Thinker,

filled with anxiety.

It was beyond belief that the editor Cosmo had decided to hire this time was none other than a woman; it was an

unforeseen variable she hadn’t anticipated.

Of course, it was merely a professional interaction, but the ways of the world are rarely so straightforward.

They might meet alone, and while initially using work as an excuse to meet, romantic feelings could easily develop

between a man and a woman.

In that sense, as a woman secretly in love with a man, her true desire was that the person she would frequently

interact with while working alongside him would be male.

However, her and Kang Woo-joo’s relationship was nothing more than that of a streamer and a fan.

This fact left Seo-ha in distress.

‘Right, it’s not like I have any justification to meddle in Cosmo’s choice of a female collaborator.’

She had to accept it boldly.

She couldn’t even guarantee that the woman he would work with as an editor would have any romantic feelings for

him. In such a situation, moping around would only make her seem petty and disgraceful.

“OO…!”

Tumble. Tumble.

But can human emotions really be controlled so easily?

Lying back on the bed, she continued her troubled thoughts, rolling around on the queen-sized mattress like a

playground. She let out a moan as if suffering from a fever.

‘It really felt like we were close.’

Others might not have noticed, but when he mentioned the prospective editor during his broadcast, Seo-ha felt a strange sense of intimacy. He even said they were originally acquaintances.

This meant that they might interact more comfortably than other relationships where they merely met as employer

and employee. This could lead to a greater chance of the relationship developing.

“Haa…”

The more she analyzed everything, the more troubled she felt.

What kind of circumstances led to their acquaintance? A close friend? If so, how did the other party see Kang Woo-

joo? Perhaps she was a rival who, like Seo-ha, secretly harbored feelings for him.

As her mind spiraled into various delusions, she couldn’t bear it any longer and jumped out of bed.

The conclusion she arrived at after much contemplation was incredibly simple.

‘I want to know.’

At the very least, she wanted to know what kind of relationship the two had and whether there was a possibility for it

to develop into a romantic one.

The problem was that finding out how to gather this information seemed like an impossible task. Ask Cosmo

directly? That was out of the question.

She was a notable figure running a massive corporation called Changseong Corporation. Therefore, she possessed

the ability to objectively assess how her actions would appear to a third party.

Thus, she could imagine how Cosmo might react to such a question.

Internally, he’d probably think, ‘What kind of interference is this when we’re not even dating?’ Treating her as a

bothersome woman would be the least of it. Given his kind nature, he might not be harsh, but she would certainly fall

into the category of ‘a burdensome person.’ That was, for her, the worst possible outcome.

‘Is there any way, any way at all?’

It would be great if there were a method to observe their relationship and conversations without making it seem like

she was intruding into his personal life.

With that thought, she ignited brain cells that she hadn’t activated even while managing the company, pushing her mind to work faster.

Amidst this, a word flashed through her mind.

“Daon… that’s it, right?”

Indeed.

That must have been the name of the beef restaurant he recommended during today’s broadcast.

At first, she hadn’t thought much of it, but perhaps there she could create the situation she desired.

‘Yes, this isn’t for surveillance purposes.’

She was merely curious about what kind of person the editor who would work with her favorite streamer was and

whether they were decent.

Having rationalized her thoughts, she picked up her smartphone and immediately contacted someone.

It didn’t take long before the other party quickly answered the call. This was the most dependable factor she had.

“Ah, Secretary Kim. Are you available now? Yes, it’s just that…”

After finishing that brief conversation, she smiled in satisfaction as if she had accomplished something.

It was one night.

Daon.

It was a beef restaurant located along a roadside in the Hanseong-gu district, known for its high prices but excellent

service and quality meat, making it a popular dining spot.

The owner, Park Seong-tae, was a middle-aged man who had turned 45 this year. Today, he was standing at the

counter, gazing at the scenery outside.

Since it was still early, the kitchen was busy with preparations, and there were no customers yet, so his only joy was

finishing the cleaning and watching the clouds pass by.

At that moment,

“…Hmm?”

Through the window, a luxurious sedan pulled up in front of the store, and a man in his late thirties got out of the

driver’s seat and started approaching the shop, carrying a briefcase that looked like something out of a crime movie.

Drrr.

Right after that, the sliding door of the shop opened, and the man he had just seen confidently walked in. The

overwhelming presence emanating from his all-black suit was quite formidable.

“Ah, I’m sorry, sir. We’re not open yet…”

However, undeterred, he approached the man with a smile, exhibiting his unique service spirit.

The other man stared at him silently, then, after a quiet conversation through his in-ear device, finally spoke.

“Excuse me. Is the owner currently unavailable?”

“I’m the owner, but is there something you need…?”

Park Seong-tae hesitated for a moment at the unexpected inquiry about the owner.

Could it be that a previous customer had come back to lodge a complaint?

Anxiety washed over him, but just as he decided to ask for the details, the man continued.

“I urgently want to acquire this shop. I’m not interested in the management rights, but could you pass this shop over to our director?”

“Pardon? What on earth…?”

This wasn’t just a complaint; he was utterly bewildered by the outrageous words of the stranger who appeared out of nowhere.

To suddenly say he wanted to acquire the shop—what on earth was that about?

Of course, there are people who, after running a restaurant for a while and making some profit, sell it at a reasonable

price and then repeatedly start new ventures.

In fact, he had also transferred ownership of several shops in that manner.

But if he were going to talk about business, at least he should have shown a business card before speaking; this was

completely lacking in common decency.

Is he a con artist?

No, even con artists usually have some decorum. They create plausible scenarios to deceive others more skillfully and

stage convincing situations.

If this was all an act for some kind of scheme, then the mind of the person orchestrating this play would need to be dissected.

He looks quite young too.

Glancing over the man, who seemed younger than himself, he was about to say something when…

Click.

With a crisp sound, the lock on the briefcase the man in the suit was holding clicked open, and Park Seong-tae’s

expression changed as if he had been struck on the back of the head.

“I’ll ensure the compensation is more than adequate.”

And he was not mistaken; the briefcase was filled to the brim with stacks of 50,000-won bills.

It was a rare sight that one would expect only in a chaebol drama, causing a moment of confusion in his mind as to

whether this was reality.

What is this? Is this some kind of hidden camera show?

He couldn’t help but think that all this money might be fake. Without that thought, he was unprepared to accept this chaotic reality.

“It’s all cash. If you have any doubts, we can go to the bank together right now to verify.”

However, the other man’s words continued, indifferent to any escape from reality, and Park Seong-tae gazed blankly

between the bundles of cash and the man.

He had said a madman had appeared out of nowhere since the morning, and now it seemed like a glow was

emanating from his face.

Could this be the halo effect?

“I’m sorry for making you stand for so long. Please, come in and let’s discuss.”

Having normalized his thoughts and grasped the reality of the situation, he quickly wiped his hands on his pants and

extended a polite hand.

The money was far too significant to refuse.