At the sight of Jong-pal’s appearance, Hong Soo-cheol immediately fell to his knees. Life was a battlefield, and one’s life was precious.
“P-please spare me.”
In that regard, Hong Soo-cheol could be considered quick-witted. He quickly explained the circumstances of the incident with a desperate mindset.
A moment later, Jong-pal questioned him as if confirming a kill.
“So, let me get this straight. You intentionally ate the bugs.”
“…Yes.”
“And you planned to pretend to discover it while editing?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Putting bugs in was obviously something you planned to edit out.”
“I-I’m really sorry. I’ve committed a sin… b-but please spare me!”
Trembling, Hong Soo-cheol lay flat on the ground. His appearance was akin to a thoroughly squeezed cabbage.
Whether he should act or not, Jong-pal exchanged glances with Jong-sik.
This wasn’t the Elden Continent. It was the Republic of Korea, and this was his brother Jong-pal’s shop. Therefore, Jong-sik needed to confirm Jong-pal’s intentions.
“So, what are we going to do about this?”
“….”
“Sob!”
Jong-pal, who had released his hand from the knife, wiped his dry sweat. Why did he behave like that? His neck was stiff. With a deep sigh, Jong-pal asked.
“Do you know?”
A hesitant nod.
“But why did you come to my shop and cause trouble? Huh? Were you planning to extort money or something?”
“N-no! Absolutely not! It was never about that. I, too, was threatened. Would I have done such a thing if I knew the bosses were hunters?”
“Threatened?”
“Yes! Eating bugs and all, it was all planned by the boss of Paradise . He said there’s a crappy store and…”
Hong Soo-cheol interjected, presenting himself. When you think about it, he was also a victim. In an instant, he transformed into a pseudo-victim, rambling on about Hong Taek-gi’s identity without being asked.
“He’s been a scumbag since he was young. A real villain…”
On the other hand, Jong-pal was incredulous. It hadn’t been a week since the opening, not even a month. Just a few days. He couldn’t understand why anyone would do this when there were plenty of customers coming in.
“These guys are a joke. Seriously?”
Jong-pal’s eyes flashed with a stern look. In the intensified atmosphere, Hong Soo-cheol pleaded through tears.
“I’ll-, I’ll apologize sufficiently. I won’t set foot here again. So please, just this once, can you overlook it? I’m begging you.”
“That’s difficult.”
“Well, my brother’s right. Let’s just let it go.”
“No, hyung. Don’t think like that. It’ll just dirty your hands for nothing. And if someone has to do it, I’ll do it.”
“Wow, you’ve grown up a lot, Jong-pal. So what’s the big deal?”
At Jong-sik’s question, Jong-pal turned his head and stared intently at Hong Soo-cheol.
“You’re a YouTuber, right? What’s your channel name?”
“Soo-cheol ‘s Slang.”
“It seems like this isn’t your first time doing something like this.”
“….”
“Answer.”
“Yes! That’s correct. I-I’ve done it a few times.”
“Is that so? Well, here’s what I think. A dog doesn’t stop pooping.”
“P-pooping?”
“Try it one more time. That title sounds good. ‘Eating bugs and revealing ‘Paradise’ boss’s true face.'”
“What are you saying!”
Hong Soo-cheol suddenly perked up. His eyes sparkled as if he had found an oasis in the desert.
“H-Have I got your permission? Bosses, I feel Taken advantage of!”
“We’ll see from the video that’s uploaded.”
If he messed with Hong Taek-gi, he could survive. Hong Soo-cheol quickly understood and suddenly shouted, bowing deeply.
“I’ll do my best with a repentant heart!”
“Just in case you’re wondering, don’t even think about trying to erase your identity. I’ve already transferred the video you shot onto my phone, and I’ve taken pictures of your ID too.”
A moment later, Jong-pal finished the post-processing and opened the shop door.
Click.
“Go on, just so you know, my brother and I aren’t very patient. So let’s make this quick.”
“Yes, y-yes!”
With bowed head, Hong Soo-cheol hurriedly left, and Jong-pal spoke confidently.
“Do you know who I am? I’m Jong-pal, the younger brother. We’ll repay eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth.”
Hong Soo-cheol’s steps quickened as he walked away. He wanted to leave the vicinity of Dok’s Restaurant as soon as possible. Eventually, he was even running due to the adrenaline rush.
“Damn you, Hong Taek-gi. I’ll kill you.”
In his eyes, he saw the sign of “Eating Bugs and Paradise” shop. Instantly, his eyes gleamed with venom.
If it weren’t for Hong Taek-gi in the first place, none of this would have happened. In that sense, Hong Taek-gi was a cheap scoundrel.
“You son of a bitch. Just wait and see.”
Taking several deep breaths to calm himself, Hong Soo-cheol relaxed his rigid expression. Then, he took out his phone and pressed the record button to start his operation.
Eventually, the door of “Eating Bugs and Paradise” opened. Inside the empty shop, Hong Taek-gi was watching TV.
“Welcome… Oh, sh*t. What a surprise. Why did you come here if you knew someone was watching?”
“Well, I came all the way here to say hi to my brother. Where are the customers?”
“Somebody’s supposed to come at 4. They usually start coming out around dinnertime. Anyway, did you finish the job?”
“Yeah. But did we really have to go this far? Throwing bugs into a newly opened shop.”
Hong Soo-cheol, particularly emphasizing the “throwing bugs” aspect, lowered his voice as Hong Taek-gi squinted and reduced his voice volume.
“Keep it down. Don’t you think about people passing by outside?”
“Oh, got it. Anyway, I finished the job as you told me.”
“That kid’s quick, huh? Anyway, how’s the taste? And what about the atmosphere in the shop?”
“It seemed like you wrote the ad yourself. The taste is awful, and the ingredients are poor.”
“Hahaha. Really that bad? It would’ve failed anyway. Hehe.”
Hong Taek-gi chuckled.
‘Yeah, no kidding. It’s you who’s gonna fail.’
Hong Soo-cheol concealed his inner thoughts and smoothly changed the topic of conversation.
“I told you not to worry. By the way, is Cheol in the kitchen?”
“Yeah, he’s working on the meat. Why?”
“Why? I just wanted to see Cheol’s face after a long time. I’m also short on time, so I just came to say hi and need to hurry back to edit.”
“Alright then. But Soo-cheol.”
“Yeah?”
“Is it hot outside? Why are you sweating so much?”
His tone was subtly suspicious. Hong Taek-gi narrowed his eyes, looking at Hong Soo-cheol. It was probably due to feeling a strange sense of unease.
“Why wouldn’t I be sweating? I ate two bowls of porridge in a crowded restaurant full of customers!”
“Is that so?”
“What do you mean ‘is that so’? Wait, your gaze seems a bit strange, bro?”
In a sudden burst, Hong Soo-cheol’s tone escalated. Eventually, Hong Taek-gi let out his unknown uneasiness. Well, it’s probably just groundless worry.
“I was just looking at you affectionately, you punk. Cheol said you’d come. Go and say hi. Besides, you’re still sulking since this morning’s talk.”
So, Hong Soo-cheol was able to enter the kitchen. He took out his phone from his pocket and saved the recording file. Now was the time when he needed the video.
“Hey, Cheol, it’s been a while.”
He resumed his act.
That night,
A video was uploaded to “Soo-cheol’s Slang,” operated by Hong Soo-cheol. It was a video that hadn’t been uploaded for five months of reflection.
The title was “The True Face of Boar and Paradise Seoul Branch,” and it started with Hong Soo-cheol’s sincere confession.
“Hello, everyone. It’s been a while since I greeted you. This is Hong Soo-cheol. I know I’ve committed a grave sin. I deceived my subscribers. I even thought about retiring like this. But the reason I’m uploading this video is…”
During his hiatus, he received some kind of proposition, which was too disgusting and malicious for him to endure. Something like that.
Eventually, a man’s voice came out in the video. It was a recorded voice of Hong Taek-gi. But it wasn’t the original.
-I’ll give you a job if you do it.
-Huh? Hyung, I can’t! I can’t do that.
-If you don’t want to, it’s fine. I’ll just find someone else.
It was a video sending Hong Taek-gi to ruin, but at the same time, it announced his own comeback. So he couldn’t become a villain.
With that sentiment, he edited the video. And his tactic was clearly evident in the video.
“To all my subscribers. As you heard, even if I refused, he was considering recruiting someone else. In the end, it was obvious that an innocent entrepreneur would suffer. So I decided to deceive him. But this is not the end.”
The screen changed, showing a video that seemed to have been taken secretly. The angle was focused on a messy kitchen. Kimchi was piled up in a red tub, and there were unidentified meats spread out on the cutting board.
-Wow, there’s so much kimchi. Did you gather it to throw away?
-No. We have to use it for fried rice. Why would I throw it away? We’re even making sikhye with leftover rice. How could I throw away kimchi?
-He said that? Tsk, you’ve been through a lot. But you said you were in the middle of handling meat. Hmm. Is this meat from the headquarters?
-We have meat from other places. I was gluing it after receiving that.
The video turned off, and once again Hong Soo-cheol appeared. He spoke with a stern expression.
“The scene of reusing side dishes and applying glue to meat. This is the true face of ‘Boar and Paradise’. This person, who just opened a restaurant, suggested a bug terror. Even though he’s a distant relative, as he’s my family, I decided to upload this after much consideration. Please make your own judgment.”
Finally, Hong Soo-cheol shed a tear, showing his showmanship. And that’s how the video ended.
Meanwhile, at Dok-ga-ne Restaurant.
“Aaah! Conscience confession my foot. Ah, I’m so angry!”
Yeona, who watched the video uploaded by Hong Soo-cheol, screamed in frustration. She’s usually calm, but she couldn’t endure it right now. Why wouldn’t she be?
‘The comments are also full of praise for the YouTuber, even though he’s an equally bad guy and acts like he’s an apostle of justice.’
“He says he’s happy to be back, and that he’ll see you more often! What the hell? Self-employed protector? Who is he protecting?”
She slammed her phone down roughly, unable to stand it anymore. Seeing her like that, Jong-sik chuckled and asked.
“Oh, you’re really furious.”
“Yeah. It feels like a fire’s burning inside me. That person is also a bad person, right?”
“Indeed.”
“If Dad and Uncle hadn’t found out, our restaurant would have been up there! Aren’t Dad and Uncle angry?”
“What’s there to be angry about?”
“That jerk didn’t get punished! The world is so unfair…”
Too calm, it’s too peaceful. Yeona pursed her lips at the quiet response from her Uncle. Then, Jong-pal stepped forward.
“Anyway, you’re too impatient. Do you think Dad and Uncle would just let it go? It’s only natural for bad people to get punished.”
“…Hmm?”
“I’ll send you a video. Upload it to the SNS you opened. People should know the truth.”
With that, the fire burning fiercely in Yeona’s chest began to die down. She picked up her phone that she had thrown aside.
A little later.
A new post was uploaded to Dok Family Restaurant’s SNS.
-Hello, this is Dok Family Restaurant. Today, instead of menu information, we want to inform you about a hidden truth. Please refer to the attached video.
Yeona candidly recorded the full story of the incident along with the video. She revealed that the video Hong Soo-cheol uploaded under the guise of a conscience declaration was actually coerced.
-Lastly, Mr. Hong Soo-cheol, who shamelessly scraped two bowls clean and left without paying. You should have settled the bill before leaving, even if you had the courage to come back. We won’t have the chance to see you again, but we’ll leave our account details, so please make sure to deposit the payment. If not, we will report you to the police. You scoundrel!
That’s how Yeona, threw some work to the so called cyber vigilante.
