Until just a moment ago, they were acting like punks.
But then.
"Do you have business with my friends?"
At Tennessee's one word, they immediately closed their mouths.
Flinch.
They even parted ways like the Red Sea.
It's no wonder they were a bunch of Cal Bernstein's lackeys…
As soon as a stronger force appeared, they immediately lowered their tails.
"If you have no business, could you step aside?"
"What?"
"Do I need to repeat myself?"
"Ah, no. Let's go, hurry up."
After they scurried off like the ebb tide,
Tennessee approached with a neutral expression and said,
"You said we should exercise. Were you trying to set up a conversation between juniors and seniors?"
Instead of answering, I looked back at Jack.
He had brought up family, talking about blood ties.
I was worried he might rush over and confront them, so I checked on him.
But Jack's expression was calmer than I expected.
"Once deceived, twice deceived?"
"…?"
"In military studies, they say when the enemy makes reckless provocations, the first thing you should suspect is an ambush."
I never imagined he'd use military strategy for mind control!
"Let's pay them back with rugby."
Nice, Jack!
Great job, Jack!
Ah, but anyway.
I had called him to work out together.
"...."
The workout had already ended by then.
'He came out with determination, so it would be a shame to just let him go, right?'
I said to Tennessee,
"Want to step out for a bit?"
"Where to?"
Since we were gathered for socializing anyway,
it didn't have to be about exercising; we could do something else.
That being said,
Tennessee is the type who can't move a step without a reason.
"There's something you need to learn if you want to be a business partner."
***
The place we headed to was a comic book store.
I had been amazed to find such a place in London and made a note of it.
But I never imagined I'd come here with Jack and Tennessee.
While I was lost in strange thoughts, Jack had already found a spot and sat down.
In contrast,
Tennessee was in a panic, as if he had come to the wrong place.
"Why? What's the problem?"
His face showed he didn't have the mental energy to respond.
I guessed he was worried about rumors spreading if anyone found out he was here.
"So what? We're here for work."
"Work?"
"Running a game company requires studying stories."
And among them, comic books, which are the source material, are a must to conquer!
"This is work, work."
"...."
"Sit down."
Reluctantly, he bent his knees.
"I said sit down."
Only then did he finally slump into the sofa, but he fidgeted like a dog that needed to go outside.
"We'll focus on Japanese comics. Any genres you're interested in?"
"I… I don't know. I've never read comics."
"Then let's start with the most popular shonen comics."
"What's shonen?"
Why is he speaking like that?
"You'll figure it out as you read. This is work, so stop talking and just look."
"...."
"What do you want to eat?"
"Huh?"
"Since we're at a comic book store, you should have some snacks."
Tennessee, who had been looking around, scratched his head.
"Anything."
"Really, anything?"
A little while later,
I brought a stack of Japanese comics.
If they're translated into English and published, they're obviously all hits.
And I picked the absolute best of the best, the ones that would go on to sell over ten million copies in the future.
'He'll get hooked after reading just one volume.'
And that's not all.
"Eat this when you're hungry."
"This is junk food, though?"
"You like junk food."
It's the kind of potato chips that's famous for being impossible to stop once you open the bag—so much so that you end up eating the whole thing!
"Damn, if this weren't work…"
Tennessee, looking utterly miserable, picked up a comic book.
He said he'd never read comics before.
Surprisingly, the one he chose was the latest volume of
Crunch.
Perhaps because of his noble background, Tennessee initially tried to be neat.
Crunch.
Every time he ate a chip, he would wipe his hands with a wet wipe.
Thanks to this, there was a pile of used wet wipes neatly folded on his table.
But maybe he started focusing on the comic,
Crunch.
Eventually, he stopped wiping his hands after eating chips.
About two hours later, there were bits of crushed potato chip crumbs scattered across his shirt.
Once he finished reading the stack of comics, it seemed like his mind had come back to him.
"Definitely, this is the right kind of study. Studying the needs of the public."
He muttered something I hadn't even asked about.
His shameless expression lasted for a moment.
"Yikes!"
He noticed the remnants of the chips and quickly grabbed a wet wipe.
"You should've told me!"
"I thought you were so absorbed in your studying."
"..."
"It's not noticeable."
He must have felt a bit relieved since there was no one else around.
He quickly brushed the crumbs off his shirt and stood up.
"Shall we start heading back?"
"Heading back? It's just getting started."
The next stop was a soccer field.
Apparently, the aristocrats look down on soccer, calling it a sport for the common people.
But if you're talking about a sport loved around the world, it's definitely soccer.
"Watch this."
"...."
Since the season had ended, there were no professional team matches.
Thankfully, there was a friendly match between the youth teams.
***
Maybe it was because it was a matchup between England and Brazil,
Or maybe because soccer is such a big deal in these countries,
The stadium was packed with spectators, even on a weekday night.
In England, the golden generation of Manchester United was on the field,
And in Brazil, the famous Ronaldo was playing as the starting forward.
To borrow a cliché, it was truly a match you couldn't see even if you paid for it!
"Do you see Brazil's number 9?"
"...."
"Just watch how he moves. That alone will be entertaining enough."
At first, Tennessee didn't react much.
He couldn't focus on the game, constantly worrying if others would recognize him.
But as Ronaldo from Brazil got the ball more and more,
Swipe! Boom!
Every time he made a fake move and the defender stumbled like he was dancing,
"...!"
Tennessee slowly started showing interest in the game.
Then, suddenly, when Ronaldo broke through three defenders and took a chip shot,
"Wow—Ah!"
He let out a huge gasp, as if he had thrown national pride aside.
Maybe aware of the eyes around him, he quickly pulled his cap down, but still.
Even after that, he couldn't take his eyes off the game for a while.
Once the first and second halves were over,
Tennessee hid his excitement and returned with a blank expression, as if nothing had happened.
"Is it all over now?"
"We should eat before heading back."
"Eat? I don't think there's any decent restaurant around here."
A restaurant, huh!
"How about McDonald's?"
When I asked, Jack nodded in agreement.
"...!"
(By Devon's style) By majority vote, dinner was decided to be hamburgers.
Hesitant.
Once again, Tennessee seemed very uncomfortable.
Looks like it was his first time at McDonald's.
Well, you have to learn about McDonald's from adults!
Jack quickly went ahead to grab a table, while Tennessee and I stayed at the counter.
"What do you want to eat?"
"...."
"If you don't know, should I just order for you?"
He answered in a very quiet voice.
"It looks really unhealthy."
"It's really good for your mental health."
"What?"
"It tastes good. So it makes you feel great."
He looked like he wasn't too keen, so I pulled out the magic words.
"This is also part of the job."
***
Finally, the guy raised the white flag.
"Then… I'll go with the basic."
"Okay."
Tennessee and I walked up to the cashier.
He pulled his cap down low again, like he'd committed some crime.
But whatever.
"Three Big Mac sets, and add three large fries, please."
He had a look on his face, as if asking, 'Why add fries when you already had chips?'
'Does this even compare?'
Just wait until you try it.
You'll be losing your mind, saying it's a taste you've never had before.
"Also, milkshakes, please. And can you put extra salt on the fries?"
It wasn't even five minutes after we ordered when the food arrived, and Tennessee's eyes widened.
"Why is it so fast?"
"Why do you think they call it fast food?"
We each took a tray and headed to the table where Jack was sitting.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Jack was the first to grab some fries and dip them into his milkshake.
Tennessee's face twisted strangely.
"Th-those are a sin."
"What's a sin?"
"The sin against your body. If you're going to eat that, you must have a massive amount of salad along with it…"
Hey, buddy.
Have you ever thought that living your whole life without knowing this deliciousness might be the real sin?
"But really, is this part of the job?"
"I told you it is."
Ten minutes later,
Tennessee had a deep, contemplative look on his face.
He must have been used to eating only pure, clean foods.
But how could his body, which had been so meticulously clean and well-maintained, suddenly crave such intense food like this?
His eyes showed utter confusion.
What do you do when you can't understand something?
You chew and think.
It seemed like Tennessee really liked the combination of fries and milkshake.
He was eating so enthusiastically that the milkshake was nearly gone.
But then, as if he'd snapped back to reality,
"Making money is not easy."
Tennessee suddenly blurted out something completely random.
Eventually, though no one asked, he stubbornly continued speaking.
"To run a company, you have to constantly eat things you don't want to…."
Jack and I didn't even acknowledge it.
"...."
It didn't seem like Tennessee was saying it for our benefit either.
He was just talking to himself, probably trying to convince himself.
Anyway, the unexpected outing was coming to an end.
***
Meanwhile, in Chairman Park Yong-hak's office.
"So, the first and second years are going to compete in rugby?"
Chairman Park Yong-hak asked as he closed his magazine.
"Yes. It seems they're planning to document the entire process and maximize the promotional effect."
"Well, that's not going to be just for selling a few clothes."
He was probably thinking of acquiring the company.
"Do they have enough money?"
"They have quite a bit of tied-up funds, so it won't be enough."
"Still, what's that thing called…"
"CapsuleMon."
"Right. Isn't that doing well these days?"
"Yes. With the North American launch coming up, expectations are skyrocketing."
"If he leaves that to his grandfather, I might be able to lend him some money."
"That's true, but with his temperament…"
"He won't share the profits with anyone, right?"
Does that really make him so happy?
Chairman Park Yong-hak gave a very pleased smile.
Then he turned his attention back to the magazine and said,
"Book a business trip to the UK."
"…Pardon?"
"Ji-hoon's really getting serious about this. Don't you think grandpa should go and see it in person?"
"Ah, yes. Understood."
But the lingering question remained.
If it was simply to visit his grandchild, he wouldn't have used the word 'business trip.'
Did he read the confusion on the secretary's face?
"Since I'm going anyway, why not take a look at the UK car market while I'm there?"
"Ha, but Chairman, the car business is gradually being downsized…"
"Uk-hwan."
"Yes, Chairman."
At the deepened tone of the voice, the secretary responded with surprise.
"Have I ever come back empty-handed from a fishing trip?"
"...!"
"When there's no bite, I drain the reservoir and force the fish to bite. That's how Park Yong-hak works."
Gulp.
Overwhelmed by the giant's command, the secretary hurriedly responded.
"Y-yes, I'll schedule it right away."
After bowing deeply, he quickly left the room.
TL/n -
You can buy the complete novel (up to Ch500) at ko-fi.com/inkbound