NOVEL NEXT 107
After the New Year’s holiday, on the first day back at work.
Thud.
The document folder placed in front of me had large letters written on it.
“New Franchisee List?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Team Leader Jo I-ruk, said as he pushed up his glasses.
“The recruitment of new franchisees has recently been completed. This time, the recruitment scale is the largest ever, so a large-scale franchisee training program is scheduled to be held. This is a report on related matters and the required budget.”
“Wow. Throwing work at me starting from January 2nd.”
“You have to work, CEO.”
Who’s the CEO and who’s the employee here? I picked up the report with a slight smile.
“Did you have a good New Year? I think I heard you were spending it with your parents.”
“Yes. I had a good time.”
Jo I-ruk hesitated for a moment, then continued.
“They are… very grateful.”
“Pardon?”
Not understanding who or what he was talking about, I tilted my head. Jo I-ruk calmly added:
“For taking in someone who couldn’t behave like a proper person and making me into one.”
“Haha! Your parents think that way, Team Leader Jo?”
“They consider you a lifesaver.”
Pfft, I couldn’t hold back my laughter. As I openly laughed, Jo I-ruk’s face reddened, seemingly embarrassed.
“I barely managed to stop them from inviting you over to express their gratitude grandly this time too.”
“Ahahahah!”
“Is it funny……”
“Of course it’s funny, how could it not be? Ah, of course, I don’t mean the sentiment is funny~.”
I said as I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes with my sleeve.
“It’s because the reality is the complete opposite.”
“……Opposite?”
“Yes. Completely opposite.”
I winked at Jo I-ruk.
“You’re my lifesaver, Team Leader Jo.”
“……”
“Why? I’m serious.”
That’s what I thought.
“You believed in and followed me when all I had was the title of ‘CEO’. Haha. Your face when you saw the empty office back then was truly a sight to behold. I almost wish I hadn’t seen it alone.”
“Ugh. Back then, I was a bit shocked….”
“Exactly.”
I added with a grin.
“You believed in and joined me when I had nothing and was completely broke. I know you’ve been through a lot.”
Even now, he’s performing roles as my secretary, general manager, and almost department head. Although he doesn’t show it, his workload must be no joke.
I am compensating him with incentives accordingly, though.
“I brought you in saying I’d train you as a location expert, but I didn’t know much myself. You stayed up nights studying on your own. You’re still heavily involved in selecting locations for new franchises.”
He could be said to be one of the indispensable, important cogs of
“I’m always grateful.”
As I smiled gently, Jo I-ruk avoided my gaze and fiddled with his glasses. Perhaps he finds it embarrassing.
Well, it’s good to give recognition and praise immediately. As I was about to turn my attention back to the report, Jo I-ruk belatedly responded.
“……I should be the one saying that.”
“Hm?”
“I’m the one. I was just a civil service exam student with nothing.”
Of course, that’s true.
“When you keep tasting failure for years, you eventually get used to it. You embody failure, and resignation seeps into your body. I often thought my life was ruined.”
Wearing thin-framed glasses, with a well-groomed hairstyle, and a neatly pressed suit.
Behind Jo I-ruk, who looked every bit the proper office worker, I could see the image of the hunched-over civil service exam student Jo I-ruk in his dirty shirt overlapping.
“Even now, I can’t fathom what potential you saw in me back then, but you always see things that we can’t see.”
Jo I-ruk’s voice was filled with deep trust.
“Not just my parents, but I too think of you as my lifesaver, CEO.”
“……”
“If the opportunity arises, I’d like to arrange a meal together. If it’s not burdensome for you.”
“Ah, any time is fine. If anything, I should be the one treating you to a meal, shouldn’t I?”
For nurturing and taking in such an excellent talent. How much benefit is this to our company.
Although I said it jokingly, a considerable part of it was sincere.
“Set a date sometime. You know my schedule well, Team Leader Jo.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Jo I-ruk nodded.
“How did you spend yesterday, CEO?”
“Hmm…….”
I let out a long breath.
“I visited my parents too.”
“Ah.”
“Though their faces are blurry now.”
Fortunately or unfortunately, their faces haven’t changed from before or after my regression. Still, they looked familiar when I saw the photos.
The me before regression was older than the parents in the photos.
Seeing Jo I-ruk’s face struggling with what to say, I deliberately smiled brightly and said:
“Since I’m doing so well, they must be happily watching over me from there.”
“Yes. I’m sure they are.”
Let’s stop here with the mood-dampening talk. Come to think of it, it’s been bustling outside for a while.
I glanced outside and asked:
“Ah, have Team Leader Roh’s people all been absorbed now?”
“Yes. The entire team has completed their transfer to
It seems to have proceeded well.
“Hmm. Now that the whole team has moved, this place looks cramped too.”
We got a small office since it was a starting business.
Before my regression, it took a full 5 years to move out of this office. But now it’s already this packed.
“We’ll need to move offices soon.”
“I’ll look into it.”
“Please do.”
Having said this much, I turned my attention back to the report.
As the recruitment of new franchisees is now entirely entrusted to Jo I-ruk and the staff, there was a lot I didn’t know.
‘Still, they did a flawless job? The budget is reasonable at this level too. The number of people is certainly high. I participated in a few interview schedules too….’
It was as I was flipping through the report.
A familiar name caught my eye.
“……Huh?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Ah, no. It’s not that.”
I blinked my eyes slowly. Not that it would make the name that was already there disappear.
Ji Sang-woo.
I traced the name with my fingertip.
“……”
Fragments of the past naturally drew themselves in my mind.
-CEO. Please give me one more chance. Please?
The earnest pleading voice. It was still vivid. It was around the time when we didn’t have that many franchises yet.
Was it just as we were passing 80 franchises?
Rather than increasing the number of franchises, we were focusing on maintaining quality standards, putting great effort into franchise inspections.
I saw a lot of things I shouldn’t have seen back then.
-I’ll beg like this, like this. I’ll really change from now on, I swear!
Grabbing onto my trouser leg, crying profusely as if about to collapse.
-My mother… she’s battling liver cancer right now. My mother is counting on me alone, how can I tell her if I close down the business like this… My mother even took out her house deposit to invest here, trusting only me. How can I face my mother if this happens? What about my wife and kids? My youngest is only two years old now. How can I just leave that baby behind? Right? CEO, this isn’t right……
To the pitiful story and desperate plea.
-CEO. If I get caught just one more time, I’m not human. I’m a dog, a dog! Then I’ll withdraw without a word. I won’t even recover my investment. No, I’ll even return all the money I’ve earned so far to you! So…….
To the firm resolve and solemn promise.
-Please give me one more chance…….
I ended up making the wrong choice.
According to the three-strikes rule, this person should have had their sign taken down and been expelled.
But I’ve always been weak to the keyword ‘family’.
What sin have his ailing elderly mother and the family he’s supporting committed?
Moreover, when a person throws away all their pride and pleads so earnestly, my heart wavered.
-Sigh……. This is the only time I’m letting this slide. I’m not doing this because I trust you, but for the sake of your mother and wife. Understand?
-Huk. Th-thank you! Thank you!
Seeing him bow deeply in gratitude, I felt somewhat uneasy but also a bit relieved.
Right. When he’s jumping for joy like that. Even though people can be two-faced, and their hearts can change between going to and coming from the bathroom.
Even that pure joy and relief couldn’t be faked.
Thinking that…… I decided to give him one more chance. It was the first and last case where I personally violated the three-strikes rule.
And how did it turn out?
‘……If it had ended well, it wouldn’t have left such a deep impression.’
I don’t even want to think about what happened after. It was just another painful confirmation that people can’t be reformed.
Later, when I learned the details,
Ji Sang-woo was in a state of alcoholism, having become sick of the repetitive store work. He probably couldn’t control himself.
It was also my fault for naively believing the words of such a person.
‘Right. That’s how it was.’
I muttered to myself.
‘It’s hard to believe now.’
After finishing the self-introductions and theory lectures, it was time for the prospective franchisees to do hands-on practice. As I walked around among the applicants, I found myself standing next to Ji Sang-woo.
Under my steady gaze, Ji Sang-woo couldn’t help but ask nervously:
“Is there something on my face…?”
“No. It’s not that.”
I smiled gently and took a step back. I must have stared too intently without realizing.
“You have good skills. You’re quite dexterous.”
“……! Thank you!”
His face, beaming with joy at my single compliment, couldn’t possibly match the Ji Sang-woo in my memory.
Of course, Ji Sang-woo at this time wouldn’t have fallen into alcoholism yet.
Looking at Ji Sang-woo’s face, which appeared to be around that age, I quietly pondered.
‘What should I do…….’
Should I terminate the franchise contract with this person based on a future that hasn’t happened yet?
Or,
Should I give Ji Sang-woo one last chance this time?