Chapter 25

When Jin Yunho saw the luxurious apartment provided by the company, fully equipped with all kinds of facilities, he decided on the spot to move in that night.

This left Shen Donghai in a tough spot. Jin Yunho dragged him along to move and clean, and they didn't finish until around 10 PM.

Shen Donghai, who was starving, complained, "Boss, if you were a businessman, you'd definitely be a ruthless one. Even though I'm your subordinate, you can't treat me like an animal. I'm so hungry I'm about to faint."

On the bus, Shen Donghai grumbled. The SUV provided by the company was left at the apartment; they didn't have the nerve to use it for personal purposes before officially starting their jobs.

Jin Yunho was also starving and responded weakly, "I know, I know. I'll let you order two more plates of meat later."

Shen Donghai thought carefully and countered, "Then, I'll eat those two extra plates of meat by myself."

"Alright," Jin Yunho said, then leaned against the window to rest. He was both tired and hungry. He hadn't eaten lunch and had been busy all day, which even a strong person couldn't handle.

He had thought about ordering takeout earlier, but Shen Donghai strongly disagreed, fearing that they wouldn't get to eat the barbecue if they did.

How could this oddball guess my plans so accurately this time?

Jin Yunho closed his eyes for a moment, and soon they arrived at the barbecue restaurant chosen by Shen Donghai.

The restaurant was a bit out of the way but well-decorated and very clean. Jin Yunho quickly scanned the menu and found that the prices were much cheaper here compared to other places.

Expensive items: 180 grams of Korean beef for 40,000 KRW; 180 grams of imported beef for 20,000 KRW. A serving of Korean beef ribs for 20,000 KRW; a serving of imported beef ribs for 20,000 KRW.

Cheaper items: A small platter of pork and vegetables, about 1 kilogram, for 30,000 KRW; a large platter of 2 kilograms for 60,000 KRW.

Jin Yunho concluded that the prices here were roughly the cost of the ingredients, and the restaurant probably made money from drinks.

He ordered two servings of imported beef, a small platter of pork, a bottle of low-alcohol soju, and two servings of jajangmyeon, with a total cost of about 90,000 KRW.

Although it was much cheaper than other places, spending 90,000 KRW on a meal still made Jin Yunho feel a bit heartbroken. 90,000 KRW could buy dozens of servings of jajangmyeon.

Jin Yunho, feeling both the pain of spending and hunger, and Shen Donghai, feeling only hunger, were both listless.

But when the barbecue arrived, they immediately perked up, busy grilling and dipping the meat.

Jin Yunho and Shen Donghai arrived at the barbecue restaurant at 11 PM. By the time they were halfway through their meal, it was already late at night, and they were the only customers left in the restaurant.

Jin Yunho took a bite of grilled pork skin and said, "Pig King, let's eat faster. It seems we're the only customers left, and we might delay the restaurant from closing."

Shen Donghai, eating beef ribs, mumbled, "Don't worry, this place usually stays open until 2 or 3 AM. It's still early."

Jin Yunho was surprised and asked, "But there are no other customers in the restaurant. How can it stay open so late?"

Shen Donghai took a sip of soju and began to explain, "This is the Tongjeong District, which borders the Yongdungpo District to the west. Yongdungpo is home to two of Korea's three major TV stations, KBS and MBC.

The work at the TV stations is a bit special, with many programs recorded late at night. So, after work, some employees pass by here and grab a late-night snack."

After listening to Shen Donghai's explanation, Jin Yunho nodded and thought to himself: No wonder this barbecue restaurant has such an unusual operating time; it's to cater to those people.

"Have you often come here to eat?" he continued to ask.

Shen Donghai replied regretfully, "How could I? It's so expensive here. I can't afford to come often. But for gatherings, we usually come here. As for the reason..."

He leaned in and whispered mysteriously to Jin Yunho, "Boss, let me tell you a secret. This place has a good reputation and is often visited by celebrities. We used to come here to see them."

Jin Yunho was confused and asked incredulously, "Are you kidding? Celebrities would come to a barbecue restaurant at this price level? Wouldn't they go to very high-end, very private places?"

Shen Donghai rolled his eyes and said helplessly, "Boss, please pay more attention to other things. You're like a Martian.

Celebrities who aren't very famous may look glamorous on the outside, but their income isn't high. Most of them have a middle-class income in Korea. How could they afford to go to high-end barbecue restaurants?"

"Ah, I see. It seems that life is tough for Korean celebrities," Jin Yunho sipped his soju and sighed.

"Indeed, competition in Korea is very intense, especially in the entertainment industry," Shen Donghai agreed.

As they were talking, the door to the restaurant suddenly opened, and a gust of warm air blew in.

Jin Yunho and Shen Donghai turned to look and saw a group of about ten girls rush in, their legs flashing in the light.

These girls were dressed strangely, wearing masks, baseball caps, and scarves, completely covered up.

Jin Yunho was curious, but Shen Donghai was excited.

"Haha, Boss, we have great luck today. I actually saw Girls' Generation here," Shen Donghai whispered excitedly to Jin Yunho, occasionally stealing glances at the girls.

"Girls' Generation? What do they do? That's a strange name," Jin Yunho asked, having lived in Korea for years but only knowing about legal knowledge and the prices of foods like jajangmyeon.

"Ugh," Shen Donghai was speechless and explained helplessly, "They are a group of nine members. Girls' Generation is the name of their group. They were very popular before, but they've had some bad luck recently and things aren't going well for them."

"Ah, I see. But if they're having a hard time, how can they afford to eat barbecue? Can they really afford it?" Jin Yunho asked, thinking back to their earlier conversation.

To be honest, Jin Yunho didn't mean anything by it; he was just curious about the living standards of celebrities in the entertainment industry. But to the members of Girls' Generation, his words sounded like a direct insult and mockery.

Jin Yunho's ears had been bothering him lately, and they were still ringing from the excited shouts of Zheng Daqin and Jin Yunxi. His hearing was a bit worse, so his voice was slightly louder than usual.

But in the quiet of the barbecue restaurant, his words were very clear, and every word he said was heard by the members of Girls' Generation.

The nine girls were really angry.

They were already in a bad mood, having recently faced a "silent protest" at a Dream Concert. At an average age of 19, the nine girls were under immense pressure.

After a few days of adjustment, they decided to come out and relax, having a big meal at this familiar barbecue restaurant. But here, they encountered Jin Yunho and Shen Donghai and heard Jin Yunho's words.

Not knowing the name "Girls' Generation" or recognizing them, they could accept. But Jin Yunho's last words, "If they're having a hard time, how can they afford to eat barbecue?" deeply hurt the nine girls.

Jessica, with a cold face, said softly, "If they're having a hard time, they can't eat barbecue? If they're having a hard time, they can't afford a meal of barbecue?"

Technically, Jessica had lowered her voice, but it was unlikely that Jin Yunho, who was nearby, didn't hear anything. But Jin Yunho really didn't hear it; his ears were bothering him, and he was rubbing them.

But this action, seen by the members of Girls' Generation, made them misunderstand and become even angrier.

Covering his ears? What does that mean? Not even bothering to argue with us?

Jessica was already in a bad mood and was now even more furious, her face dark.

Jin Tae-yeon quickly pulled Jessica aside and whispered, "Calm down, Jessica. Let's pretend we didn't hear it. We've already faced criticism for 'rudeness.' If we get into an argument with that customer and it gets reported, it will be even more trouble."

Jessica silently shook off Jin Tae-yeon's hand, gave Jin Yunho a dirty look, and huffed, saying nothing more.

The other members also glared at Jin Yunho.

Only the last member, Sulli, remained calm, thinking: If they're having a hard time, they should be more frugal. Maybe he was trying to advise and teach us.

The nine girls found a secluded spot to sit, keeping the farthest distance from Jin Yunho to avoid being hurt by his words again.

On the other side, Shen Donghai noticed the hostile looks from Girls' Generation and realized the inappropriateness of Jin Yunho's words.

But he knew that his boss had no intention of looking down on anyone; he was just talking about the facts. Besides, he had started the conversation, so he could only blame himself for saying too much to Jin Yunho.

After Shen Donghai stopped talking, the two of them ate much faster.

After finishing, Jin Yunho called out, "Boss, please bring the bill."

"Sure, you've spent a total of 92,000 KRW. I'll round it down to 90,000 KRW," the owner, an auntie, said briskly and efficiently.

When Shen Donghai saw Jin Yunho hesitating to take out his wallet, he thought Jin Yunho didn't have enough money and quickly grabbed the bill, "Boss, I'll pay for this meal."

Jin Yunho hesitated because he had never eaten such an expensive meal in his life and had never spent so much money on a meal. It was just a moment of reflection.

But seeing Shen Donghai insist on paying, he immediately understood his intention, "Stay put. I said I'd treat you this time. If you want to treat me, do it another time."

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