A Chairman Who Has No Regrets - Chapter 8



Only Krnovel

The Chairman Who Doesn’t Regret Episode 8 – The First (5)

Kim Gyu-il, the children who were playing with the spoons again, also seemed not to pay much attention to me.

It’s been a while since I’ve had this kind of rice cake.

The refreshing feeling of having people who dare to give me a look wasn’t a bad feeling.

Well well.

While chewing on the rice that had become moderately warm and the anchovies that had become soft enough to the right temperature, I became lost in thought about what a friend is.

To be exact, it was an idea of ​​what the guys and I had together.

‘There isn’t any.’

No matter how much I search my memory, I don’t remember doing anything with them. I even went to and from school alone. I don’t remember anyone being by my side and doing anything with me.

The reason I remembered Kim Gyu-il’s face and name was simply because he was the son of Mrs. Hwang, a tailor.

“Hwang Dong-su?”

At my call, Hwang Dong-su glances at me.

“Do you live in Sanggye-dong too?”

Hwang Dong-soo puts his spoon in the lunch box as if he is upset.

“The house with the black gate slightly below your house is our house.”

Well, wasn’t that the house where the old bachelor Mr. Choi lived?

“Hehe, you didn’t even know where Kongnamul lived? Weren’t you guys desk mates your entire freshman year?”

Honestly, I don’t even know the name of the guy who was nagging me.

Hwang Dong-soo points with his finger at the guy who just scolded him with a face that looks completely dumbfounded.

“Then what about this kid? Does he know?”

“Hmm, the kimchi is well-fermented.”

Changed the subject.

Then, the old man who had been nagging me hardened his expression.

“Hey! It’s the green gatehouse!”

Aha, that’s the guy who lives in that Western-style house. The side dishes seem to be quite varied, so he must be well off.

“What about him?”

Hwang Dong-soo’s finger points to the biggest and most distracting one among the children.

“The anchovies are here, sweet.”

“Don’t I know either?”

I had nothing to say.

Kim Kyu-il continues to laugh and giggle.

“He is the only son of the owner of the supermarket in our neighborhood.”

Aha, you seem to have grown up eating well. Are you the son of a supermarket owner?

I thought he was doing well because he was the only one among the children who brought sausages, but now I understand that he is the son of a supermarket owner.

“Do you know their names?”

“Oh my, you’re already eating it all.”

“Kukukukuk.”

Kim Kyu-il laughs so hard he almost loses his breath.

Hwang Dong-su shook his head and told the children’s names.

“That guy, the one who looks like an old fart is Kim Seong-hak, and this pig is Jo Sang-geun.”

Oh, I see.

“There are four kids like this living in our neighborhood?”

Hwang Dong-soo shakes his head.

“There’s more, the rest will eat amongst themselves, right?”

I wanted to ask why, but held back.

Looking at the children’s eyes, I thought I had a rough idea. Even now, a child named Jo Sang-geun and a child named Kim Seong-hak are looking at me with disapproving eyes.

“Hey, Kim Gyu. Is it okay for a human being to eat here?”

Kim Gyu-il, who had been laughing for a long time, suddenly loses his smile at Kim Seong-hak’s question.

“We live in the same neighborhood.”

“No, Tanaka, it seems like he doesn’t even know our faces or names.”

“Do you know now?”

“Oh, I don’t know why that bastard Kim Gyu keeps taking care of Danaka like this.”

Jo Sang-geun nods his head as if he sympathizes.

“Yeah, I’ve never played with Tanaka before, and I think it’s the first time we’ve talked.”

I almost nodded my head to Jo Sang-geun’s words without realizing it.

I also thought it was my first time talking to the guy.

I had nothing to say about the karma I had accumulated. If I wake up from this dream, I think I’ll look for those guys.

If you gave me a car as a gift, I guess that would be a way to repay the favor of having lunch with me, a spiteful person, every day.

“Hey, guys, last winter and this winter. Did anyone fall on the ice?”

The children shake their heads at Kim Gyu-il’s question.

“So, have you guys ever sprinkled coal briquette ash on the icy roads? Since last winter?”

The children shook their heads again.

“So just eat it.”

“What are you talking about, Kim Gyu?”

“Just eat something. I have to play soccer.”

Although Kim Gyu-il omitted a detailed explanation, I think I got the general idea.

Kim Gyu-il, who seemed to be the leader of the group, must have come forward and asked me to eat with him. And the reason for that must have been my younger sister, not me.

The neighborhood people’s gratitude to my little sister who spread coal briquette ash on the hillside road every winter. I guess that included my school life. My little sister’s good influence, sacrifice, and consideration. It was helpful to me.

Why didn’t I know this?

‘That’s amazing.’

Still, I felt that the child named Kim Gyu-il was particularly special.

In this era, she was so different from me, and she was really upright. Mrs. Hwang definitely seemed to have raised her children well. Looking at that strong-willed lady, I wished my mother was like that.

In my memory, my mother was always bowing her head to someone. I really hated that back then, but I tried to make her not bow her head to anyone.

‘These are all just excuses.’

This self-justifying, useless piece of shit.

Perhaps it was thanks to Mrs. Hwang that the child named Kim Gyu-il remained in my head, even if only a little. Kim Gyu-il and I grew up with the same single mother.

But the paths he and I took were quite different. He gained popularity, and I gained solitude.

It was bitter.

Looking at him and thinking like this, what’s the use of reflecting on myself now? It was such a stupid thing to live my life using my family circumstances as an excuse to comfort myself for my selfish choices.

‘Let’s eat.’

I put a handful of stir-fried anchovies and a handful of sizzling aged kimchi into my mouth along with some warm white rice.

“Wow.”

It’s a taste that makes you exclaim in admiration.

It’s also the taste I’ve been missing so much in America.

By the way, is my little sister enjoying her lunch box? A satisfied smile appears on my lips for no reason.

It might be a little disappointing not to hear the younger sister’s characteristic grumbling when praising her younger brother.

“Tanaka, this is really weird today.”

I paid no attention to Kim Gyu-il’s words and continued my meaningful meal.

Kim Gyu-il was the first to finish his meal.

He said this while looking at Jo Sang-geun, who was still holding a spoon.

“Hey, aren’t you eating too much? If you lose to those guys from Junggye-dong today, you’ll have to eat 12 servings of Jajangmyeon.”

Hwang Dong-soo opens his eyes wide.

“What? Why?”

Kim Seong-hak and Jo Sang-geun also seem surprised.

“Oh, they keep excluding us, saying that our skills are different.”

“So you accepted the bet? Jajangmyeon costs 500 won per bowl… 6,000 won? That’s crazy!”

Hwang Dong-su speaks while frying bean sprouts.

At that time, 6,000 won was a huge amount of money. If I remember correctly, textbooks were around 200 to 300 won each.

Kim Gyu-il is very determined.

“That’s why we have to win today! So stop that pig! He’ll say he’s too full to run again.”

Kim Sung-hak and Hwang Dong-su quickly put down their spoons. They quickly grab Jo Sang-geun from both sides to stop him from eating.

“Oh, why! I’ll eat it all! And I can still run!”

“Stop it, stop it!”

At first glance, Kim Kyu-il’s thoughts are understandable.

Jo Sang-geun’s lunch box was twice as large as others’, and it had twice as many items.

“Oh my god!”

As Jo Sang-geun shook his shoulder, Kim Seong-hak and Hwang Dong-su seemed to be flying in the sky, adding a little more lies.

‘Is that a balloon doll?’

The children swayed every time Jo Sang-geun moved, just like the balloon dolls installed outside for advertising purposes.

Kim Gyu-il also hurriedly stops Jo Sang-geun from behind.

“Hey, let’s eat after we’re done? Okay? How delicious would it be if we won the bet and got to eat Jajangmyeon for free?”

“Jjajangmyeon?

Jo Sang-geun suddenly stops struggling.

I wondered if that kind of persuasion would work.

Because just a moment ago, it was Jo Sang-geun who was kicking as if he was going to catch a cow.

“Yeah, Jjajangmyeon!”

“Hmm.”

“You’re telling me not to eat my lunch box now, but you can eat it after soccer game is over. You’re going to be hungry after 5th period anyway, right? You always say you’re hungry.”

“I already bought some bread.”

Hwang Dong-soo and Kim Seong-hak look at Jo Sang-geun, wondering what kind of thing this is.

Pick, laughter bursts out.

I wonder why I lived without knowing about such interesting sights.

“Well, how delicious would it be if you ate the bread too?”

“But we lose every time.”

Kim Gyu-il suddenly frowns.

“You lose because you always say you’re full and don’t run, you little pig!”

“Mr. Lee, are you eating?”

“I was wrong, I was wrong.”

“Can you win?”

“Hey, if you stop eating your lunch box.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure!”

It’s like he’s made some big decision.

With a solemn expression on his face, Jo Sang-geun slams the lid of the new lunch box he had just opened.

“Yeah, yeah, you really thought about it well.”

Jo Sang-geun asks Kim Gyu-il.

“But why are there 12 Jjajangmyeon? Soccer is played by 11 people.”

Kim Gyu-il nods at me with his chin. The children’s heads turn to me in a hurry.

I, who had just finished eating my lunchbox, was also in a state of confusion and panic.

Kim Seong-hak said with a displeased look.

“He doesn’t even run?”

“They were going to do it with 12 people anyway.”

Hwang Dong-soo wants to say something, but he keeps his mouth shut while looking at my expression. It’s quite effective if I give up my textbook once.

The children nodded reluctantly, their mouths watering.

The guys have a misconception that I don’t really want to eat Jjajangmyeon. I was planning on running to my mom’s restaurant as soon as school was over.

Just as I was about to say that it was okay, a loud voice was suddenly heard from the front door of the classroom.

“Hey- Kim Gyu! Our clothes are ready!”

Whoosh, the children’s heads turn.

“why?”

“Taesu got hurt while stretching! He went to the infirmary now!”

“Is it so bad that you can’t run?”

“I don’t know, it’s the first time I’ve seen Taesu in so much pain!”

“Oh my…”

Hwang Dong-soo speaks urgently to Kim Gyu-il.

“Hey, what should we do then? There are 10 of us! Let’s cancel the bet quickly.”

Kim Kyu-il bites his lower lip hard.

“no.”

“why?”

“We already gave 6,000 won for our company dinner.”

Hwang Dong-su wraps his head and sits down.

“Miss… my 500 won.”

Jo Sang-geun suddenly puts his hand on the lunch box again.

Kim Gyu-il hurriedly stopped it and shouted.

“No! We have one more!”

Hwang Dong-su raises his head and looks at Kim Gyu-il with hopeful eyes.

“who?”

“Tanaka.”

As Kim Gyu-il spoke, the children’s gaze simultaneously fell on me.

Soon, despair began to fill Hwang Dong-su’s eyes, which had seemed full of hope.

Disappointment fills Kim Seong-hak’s eyes, who had been hopeful for a moment.

Jo Sang-geun’s eyes are filled with a strong desire for appetite.

“Ahh… Tanaka is playing soccer? It would be more convincing to say that Jo Sang-geun is losing weight.”

Hwang Dong-su nods his head at Kim Seong-hak’s words.

“I’m screwed, I’m screwed… I saved up money by collecting military supplies.”

Jo Sang-geun slaps Kim Gyu-il’s hand away.

“Get out of here, let’s eat.”

“Wait a minute, guys, wait a minute!”

Kim Gyu-il desperately tries to stop the children. Soon, Kim Gyu-il’s earnest eyes turn to me.

I looked into the children’s eyes, which were a mixture of disappointment, despair, and annoyance.

It’s soccer.

I feel good when I run in the morning, but I wonder if playing soccer with those guys will be fun too.

To me, football was just a business, or a form of entertainment, but I’m looking forward to playing football with these guys.

At the moment when Jo Sang-geun finally uses force to tear off Kim Gyu-il’s hand and is about to open the lunch box.

chin.

I said, placing my hand on the back of Jo Sang-geun’s hand.

“I’ll do it, soccer.”

The children look at me with surprised eyes.

“Tanaka, you?”

“Really? You’re not studying?”

He shrugged.

“Why not give it a try?”

I think this is the first time.

A game played with those guys who are called friends.