Leveling Up Through Eating

PR: MattForgenti

At that moment, everyone in the room was frozen. They were not surprised that they were coming to visit, they were surprised that Minhyuk, who seemed like he wanted to hide from everything, was finally trying to get back out in the world.

“Minhyuk-ah……!”

Changwook grabbed Minhyuk’s hands with a delighted expression on his face. The others also had the same expression on their faces. To them it felt like ‘My child is finally changing for the better!’ or something like that.

“I can’t stay alone in my room forever!”

When he attacked Rumad back then, he had finally decided.

Let’s be confident from now on.

Changwook nodded his head.

“That’s right, you punk!”

“Wait. This is not the time for us to do this!”

His diet manager, Hyejin, almost ran wildly.

“Minhyuk-ah, let’s decorate the place and fix you up! You’re going to meet with your friends, is the place going to be like this?!”

“Aha!”

Everyone began to move busily.

***

A sports car stopped between two white vans in front of a hair salon in Cheongdam-dong.

“Hey, hey. Isn’t that sports car the one made by Bentel Corporation? The one that has only 200 of its kind?”

“Heok? That single car is worth over 1 billion……”

No matter how rich the people who lived in Cheongdam-dong were, they would still admire someone who owned a spectacular car made by the Bentel Corporation.

A woman came out of the car. She was at least 165cm tall, with sunglasses covering half of her face and a voluptuous, sexy body.

Once she took off her sunglasses…

Pure.

Beauty.

All of the men in the vicinity couldn’t keep their eyes off of her.

“W, wait. That person. Isn’t she……!”

“Legend Guild’s master?!”

The users in the area had recognized her. Right now, the rankers had more popularity than the celebrities. And she was the person that was currently most talked about these days.

It was Genie or Im Jihye.

“Kyaaaaa! Unnie, you’re so pretty!”

“Wow. She’s really pretty!”

“She has a lot of money, a pretty face, the master of Legend Guild… she even plays well… she has everything in the world. How envious.”

She promptly entered the hair salon.

Even though the hair salon was frequented by celebrities, Jihye still drew the attention of most of the people inside as she sat down on one of the chairs.

“What can I do for you?”

She tapped her lips with the tips of her sunglasses and gave a small smile.

“I’m going to meet someone special today.”

“Ah. A sseom guy?”

“......Yes.”

The woman smiled at her as she moved her hands to arrange her hair.

Jihye made sure to ask Minhyuk to meet outside of the game before they logged out.

‘We just want to hear your story…… Minhyuk-ah, we even forgive you for hiding from us for all these years.’

Minhyuk, who looked like he thought about it deeply, finally nodded his head.

‘It’s a bit difficult for me to go out right now. So… would it be fine for you guys to go to my house?’

‘Your house?’

‘Yup.’

‘Is that so. Okay.’

‘If you meet me there then you will know my story.’

So Minhyuk gave them his address.

As her hair was being fixed, Jisoo and Seoktae came inside.

Jisoo, who sat down on one of the chairs, said…

“Do it like Kang Dongwonbin.”

“Ka, Kang Dongwonbin……? T, that…… Customer-nim…… you know…… you’ll need plastic surgery for that.”

The hairdresser was left in an embarrassing situation.

She even had a nervous expression on her face!

“How can they turn you into Wonbin when your face looks like a stone on the street……”

“Sh, shut up!”

The two of them were quarrelling again…

Then, Jisoo said…

“But Minhyuk’s house address…… It’s in Gapyeong in Gyeonggi-do? Isn’t that a very remote place?”

“......I know right? Does he have a lodging business?”

Then, Jisoo said…

“Isn’t Minhyuk’s house condition a bit on the difficult side?”

“......Yeah.”

“Ah. That’s right……”

“Uhmm……”

There was only one reason why they thought that way. The reason was because they saw Minhyuk entering an orphanage before. In addition, there were many classmates who saw Minhyuk going to class with the children from the orphanage before. And Minhyuk did not even wear any of the commonly made shoes. They even heard that his mother died before. When Jisoo, Seoktae and Jihye heard about what their parents were doing compared to Minhyuk, they were a bit humbled. They believed that his parents were gone because he was always seen in the orphanage. It was completely unexpected but Minhyuk had told them that he had a father. So they thought that due to Minhyuk’s family’s financial difficulties, he was staying in an orphanage while his father was working hard. When the story about his father and his work came out, Minhyuk looked at them with a solemn look and told them seriously…

“He does this and that. He does a bit of construction work, selling food and he also sells electronics. It seems like he’s also selling milk these days……”

The three of them finally realized…

Ah! Minhyuk’s dad is doing everything to make a living!

They thought that the construction work he was doing was manual labor, and that the selling of food was him selling meat in the corner of the food section. They also thought that his father had a part-time job as a salesperson and a milk delivery boy in the morning.

Ahhhh! He’s the most sincere house head! His father will do everything just to make ends meet!

And Minhyuk was someone who grew up with such a father. And because they were friends, they never ignored Minhyuk who was poor(?).

“Can we just bring an expensive and foreign car like this?”

Seoktae came near Jihye as he asked this.

Because they haven’t seen each other for a long time so she wanted to present her most beautiful self to him.

“I, is that so? If we came out so fancy…”

“Hey. But Minhyuk made a lot of money this time right? He would be rich if he sold that.”

“He even said that he was going to buy something delicious.”

“Hmm……”

Jisoo tilted his head in thought then nodded his head in agreement. Then, Jihye spoke…

“That… I’m sorry unnie.”

“Yes.”

“Can you do it less fancy…… What do you call it? Normal look?”

“......?”

“Just make it look like I will go for an interview.”

“Yes? B, but you’re going to meet with your sseom guy?”

“L, let’s just do it this way.”

Even if she did not look that beautiful, Jihye thought that it would be better if he felt comfortable with them. Would they even drag a foreign sports car and a fancy look just to dig on their friend’s sore spot? There wasn’t any need for that.

Then, Jisoo also spoke.

“Shit. Do it like I’m someone who’s unemployed. Please.”

“Y, you already look like……”

“OMG? Noona! Why do you think that I look like I’m unemployed……!”

Jisoo looked at the mirror with a shocked expression as he nodded his head.

“I don’t need makeup.”

“He, hehe……”

This way, all of them changed their makeup to look like they were a bit poor just for the sake of Minhyuk. The people, who had their makeup done in a normal way, moved out of the salon.

“Well then, shall we go?”

“Ah. What about the car?”

“Let’s just call for a taxi.”

“Yeah.”

At the same time, a text message came in Jihye’s phone.

[Minhyukie: I’m sorry. Can we change the meeting place? My father wants to see you all and he also wanted to talk to you so he’s going to pick you guys up.]

“Guys. The meeting place has changed.”

“Really? More than that, I’m a bit nervous to meet with Minhyuk’s father.”

“Yeah. A man like Minhyuk’s dad is a cool man.”

He’s the one who raised Minhyuk while doing all the hard work alone! He was a truly great and awesome dad. They had quite a good idea on how he would look, they believed that he would be a not so rich but cool person.

Soon, they got in a taxi.

“Ahjussi. Can you please take us to this address?”

The taxi driver took the address.

[The route navigation has started.]

The destination appeared on the navigation app.

‘Ilhwa Group Headquarters.’

“Ilhwa Group Headquarters? Isn’t that the largest building in the country? Why are we going there?”

The three of them were quite confused.

Then, Jisoo said…

“Usually, when you go to Gangnam, wouldn’t you say ‘Let’s meet in front of Ilhwa Group.’ right? I guess they chose it because it’s easy to go meet there?”

“Aha.”

Jihye nodded her head along.

The three of them moved along in the taxi without knowing about who was waiting for them.

***

Minhyuk made a ‘Hmm……’ sound.

It was clear that his Hyejin noona had fixed him up nicely. She trimmed his hair and even sprayed perfume on his wrists. She even dressed him up in a nice suit. But when he looked in the mirror, all he saw was a fat guy in a suit.

As he looked in the mirror, his eyes brightened as if he was reminded of something.

“Ah, that’s right. I’m not fat anymore, right? I’m just chubby so let’s be confident. Let’s go!”

He still believed that fact as he looked in the mirror.

Then, Changwook whispered to Hyejin…

“What kind of coordination is that? Why are there octagons in his suit…… Why didn’t you put on those sunglasses over there……!”

“......”

Hyejin, who was filled with guilt, was left speechless.

Then, Minhyuk grumbled…

“Aaaaah. Wait. Father too! My friends are just coming over, why is he making such a fuss?”

He didn’t know how, but his father immediately contacted him when he learned that his friends were coming over. Currently, Minhyuk, Lee Jinhwan, Oh Changwook and the others were living in his house with a total area of 500 pyeong in Gapyeong. They recently moved here since they believed that this was a good place for a better treatment.

“Haha. I’m sure your father will like them. After all, Minhyuk is finally meeting with his friends after 5 years!”

Minhyuk nodded at Jinhwan’s words.

He lived those days of his life alone and trapped in the darkness because he did not know when he would die. He believed that he had no more hope. But now, he was slowly letting himself know the outside world again. He was even willing to meet with his friends again.

As a father, Kang Minhoo would definitely be delighted.

“Why did he say that he would give them a ride……”

“He wanted to meet with your friends first. It’s your father’s care for you, I’m sure you understand.”

Minhyuk was a bit sulky but he still nodded his head.

***

The chairman of the Ilhwa Group, Kang Minhoo, was now more excited than Minhyuk.

“Secretary Park, how do I look?”

“Extremely handsome, president!”

“I’m really nervous. I’m meeting with my son’s friends. Haha!”

Kang Minhoo was smiling happily. His son was going to meet with his friends so he was feeling a bit happy. This was common for any parent of a child. For some parents they would say ‘Don’t play with them anymore, they will disturb your studies!’ but Kang Minhoo was different. His son was willing to let his friends visit him. Someone who had lived alone for how long. Was there anything more delightful than this? He even took time out of his busy schedule just for this.

Then, his phone rang.

“Ahem, ahem.”

He cleared his throat before answering the call.

[Hello. Father-nim! I’m Minhyuk’s friend, Im Jihye.]

“Haha. Yes. Hello, Miss Jihye.”

[I’m calling you right now because we’re almost there.]

“Ah. Is that so? Then, I will be right down.”

[Yeees. We’ll see you in front, Father-nim.]

Kang Minhoo hung up the phone happily as he boarded his exclusive lift and pressed the first floor. He was going down from the 78th floor, the top floor of this huge building.

***

Jihye, Jisoo, and Seoktae arrived in front of the Ilhwa Group Building. They looked up at this majestic and tall building.

“Every time I come near here, I always think that the building is so nice.”

“Is the building the only thing that looks nice? Kang Minhoo, the chairman of Ilhwa Group is also cool!”

“Kgghk! A man of integrity, the chairman who has never had any bad gossip and has never been talked badly!”

They all burst out in admiration.

Then, Jihye suddenly thought about something.

“But don’t you think that Minhyuk’s father sounded familiar?”

Jihye tilted her head in thought while Jisoo and Seoktae were struck dumb.

“Heok!”

“Ch, chairman Kang Minhoo!”

“Wow. He’s really cool. Wow, wow! Did you see that? It\'s the 6 billion dollar limousine that Benz only sold to the 50 richest people in the world!”

Jihye, Seoktae and Jisoo were all rich people but if they were compared to Kang Minhoo then they would only be able to be compared to his blood, no, his toenails.

Chairman Kang Minhoo, who got out of the building, was walking in style. He seemed to be talking to someone on his phone.

Then, at that exact same moment, Jihye’s phone rang.

Dududududu. Baby Shark~ Dududududu. Mommy Shark~ Dududududu. Daddy Shark~

“What kind of ringtone is that?”

“None of your business.”

Jihye snorted at him as she answered her phone.

“Yes. Father-nim. We’ve already arrived. Ah. Yes, yes. A description? I’m wearing some jeans and a cardigan while our other friends are wearing casual suits. Can you see us?”

Jisoo and Seoktae straightened their clothes and buttoned up their shirts to meet with Minhyuk’s father.

“Where are you?”

Jihye kept on looking around but no matter how hard she looked she couldn’t see him.

Then, Seoktae suddenly said…

“Hey, hey. Jisoo-yah. Why…… Why is Chairman Kang Minhoo coming this way and waving his hand? Hey. What is this…… Why is he smiling widely at us?”

“Heok…… W, what’s this? Did we do something wrong? O, or maybe the Chairman of Nanhwa Group is standing behind us?”

They tilted their heads in confusion as they looked around.

At one point, Chairman Kang Minhoo walked up and stood right in front of them.

“Yes. Father-nim. Where are……”

[I’m right in front of you. Haha.]

Jihye, Seoktae and Jisoo were all rendered speechless.

Kang Minhoo shutdown his phone as he smiled softly at them while reaching his hands out for a handshake.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Minhyuk’s dad.”

The three of them were frozen stiff.

Jisoo finally realized.

‘Th, the manual labor is Ilhwa Construction. The milk delivery is Ilhwa Distribution. Selling electronics is Ilhwa Electronics. And the selling of food was a restaurant franchise……? Keok?!’

***

TL’s corner!

It seems like there’s a lot of misunderstanding with Minhyuk. Kek. I know that Minhyuk wanted to be lowkey and didn’t want to flaunt his wealth but… BOY YOU DOWNPLAYED IT TOO MUCH! Even I would think about it differently. LMAO. I’m glad that Minhyuk had finally realized what he did wrong to his friends before. I hope that he could explain it to them well.

PR’s corner!

Somehow, I’m not surprised Minhyuk downplayed it like that. He probably didn’t consider it important.

Report mistakes and chat with us at: /Q3dStgu