On the day before Chuseok, a holiday known for massive migrations, the office was busy as usual.
However, in Lee Hyun-woo’s eyes, things were running in an orderly manner.
The R&D team was discussing websites that would run smoothly during the Chuseok holidays, while the sales team was already saying they were overwhelmed with the thought of handling all the orders that would pile up during Chuseok.
Despite this, they divided up the sales tasks and categorized them.
“Things are falling into place quickly.”
The efficiency exceeded expectations.
But one person, Kang Dong-ho, seemed a little different.
He was unusually quiet.
When Lee Hyun-woo noticed this, Kang Dong-ho reported with a troubled expression.
“The media is dragging their feet.”
“When you say dragging their feet, do you mean they will eventually do it but can’t provide the news service right now? Is that what they said?”
“Something like that.”
“Got it.”
“Then I’ll keep pestering them.”
“First, enjoy Chuseok. Rest up and let’s talk after the holidays.”
“Yes….”
He couldn’t just tell him to have a good Chuseok.
After confirming that Kang Dong-ho had left, Lee Hyun-woo prepared to go to the bank.
The reason he was going to the bank today was to withdraw money, and that money was to give generous bonuses to the employees.
“Thinking about their surprised faces when they get this bonus makes me feel good too.”
He planned to give substantial bonuses this Chuseok.
With cosmetics sales going well this month, it was certain that they would hit a monthly profit of 400 million won.
Naturally, exceeding the target meant it was appropriate to reward the employees who had worked hard.
But was it okay to spend so much like this?
Lee Hyun-woo believed there was no problem.
He was more than confident in the future.
“I’m spending money, but like a snowball, I’m earning more and more.”
He had hired more people whenever he had the chance, increased servers, and even contracted a second research lab after the first one.
Despite the increasing operational costs aside from the deposit and rent, the income was greater, so he felt abundant.
When he went to the bank, he was even guided to the VIP room, and the deputy branch manager greeted him there.
He had just come to withdraw money, but being treated so preciously made him realize once again how much his company had grown in a short time.
Lee Hyun-woo shared this sense of accomplishment with the employees when leaving work.
“I’ll try to give you even more next time.”
Giving bonuses in envelopes rather than transferring them directly to accounts had its own charm.
He thought again, but perhaps later, they would take it out and be surprised by the amount.
He had put 200% of their monthly salary into the envelope for each employee.
Soon after, the unusually candid Kang Dong-ho expressed his gratitude to Lee Hyun-woo with a much brighter expression than earlier.
“At first, I thought it might have been a mistake.”
“Did you double-check it?”
“I was curious and checked in the bathroom… I don’t know how many times I counted. But looking at the expressions of others, it seemed the same.”
“Really? Hahaha.”
“Thank you very much.”
“It’s only natural. You’ve all worked hard. Have a great Chuseok.”
“No, I actually plan to meet someone during Chuseok.”
“Huh? Who?”
“I think we only need to get through one media company. So….”
“Team Leader Kang.”
“Yes?”
“Chuseok is meant to be enjoyed. Come back to work after Chuseok.”
“But….”
“This is a direct order from the CEO. Got it?”
“Yes…”
Lee Hyun-woo repeatedly warned against being a workaholic.
Hence, he didn’t want any of his employees to become one.
“At least while I’m running this company, no employee should ever die from overwork.”
With this renewed determination, Lee Hyun-woo welcomed Chuseok.
Finally, it was a happy Chuseok.
A smile blossomed on Lee Hyun-woo’s face.
No matter how he thought about it, the path ahead seemed smooth after returning to the past.
He wasn’t the only one happy.
Unlike his previous life, his younger brother felt this path was his calling and worked joyfully, while his parents were very pleased to hear about the successful business their two sons were building.
Of course, they sometimes expressed doubt about whether things were really going well.
Especially during this Chuseok.
When they went to their uncle’s house for the ancestral rites, the gathered relatives asked,
“I don’t really know. They do something on the internet, but I can’t understand it at all.”
“I’m just relieved that they’re earning their keep.”
“That’s right, just thinking that they’re making a living.”
They gave a frugal answer.
Honestly, the other adults didn’t really understand the nature of Lee Hyun-woo’s business either.
Fortunately, Lee Hyun-woo’s cousins stepped in to explain.
“These days, if you don’t know 【Jungle】 at our school, you’re a spy.”
“Right, right. I even created an account and joined the ‘Candy Boy’ fan club.”
“I created a blog and use it like a diary.”
The younger they were, the more they expressed themselves well, and those around Lee Hyun-woo’s age talked about the business prospects.
“A lot of people buy stuff through 【Jungle】.”
“What about the auctions? My friend listed some stamps and sold them for 20,000 won. Jung-woo, they take a commission, right?”
“They used to for items over 10,000 won, but now it varies depending on the user grade and subscription plan.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, we need to keep evolving because new competing sites are constantly emerging. Of course, that’s all thanks to oppa’s ideas.”
“Hyun-woo oppa has always been exceptional. Even as a kid, he was different.”
“Right, right. I used to get upset because I was always compared to Hyun-woo oppa. But these days, when people find out that the CEO of 【Jungle Soft】 is my cousin, they want to be close to me. A lot of people ask me questions.”
“He’s even been in the newspapers a few times, right?”
“Talking about the top bachelor, right?”
“There was even a scandal with Kim Yoon-sun.”
“But they both denied it, didn’t they? Ah, oppa, that’s not true, right?”
“No, Hyun-woo oppa and Kim Yoon-sun are just friends.”
“I asked Hyun-woo oppa, not you, Jung-woo.”
Before he could answer, the chaotic conversation made Lee Hyun-woo just smile.
Soon after, he made his presence known.
He handed out envelopes to his relatives.
“Uncle, it’s not much. Here’s something for Aunt as well.”
He gave an allowance to his uncle, who retired this year, but he couldn’t leave out the others, so he handed over thick envelopes filled with money.
As a result, his uncle, aunt, and the rest, including his younger uncle, younger aunt, and older uncle, praised Lee Hyun-woo’s parents with wide eyes.
“It’s more than just making a living.”
“Indeed. Look at how thick the envelope is. How much is in it?”
“Can I open it?”
“I sneaked a look earlier. I don’t know if I should be receiving this much.”
“Brother, I’m envious. Having successful children is the best.”
“Oh, it can’t be that much. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
“Hahaha….”
Lee Hyun-woo’s parents beamed with pride.
Seeing this made Lee Hyun-woo smile as well.
When they finally left their uncle’s house, everyone came out to see Lee Hyun-woo’s car.
“The new car is so shiny.”
“He bought a car at that age. Impressive.”
It wasn’t expensive, but the compliments started again.
Lee Hyun-woo’s parents were so addicted to the continuous praise that they lingered for a long time.
They talked outside for a while before finally getting into the car.
As they started driving, Lee Hyun-woo’s mother casually brought up this topic.
“I heard earlier… I am a bit concerned. You’re really not involved with Kim Yoon-sun, right?”
“Oh, mom? Don’t I know oppa? He said they’re just friends.”
“Did I ask you? You always answer for your brother.”
“We’re just friends. I’m just a fan.”
“Really? I just find celebrities a bit…”
“What’s wrong with celebrities?”
Lee Hyun-woo’s father interrupted.
Naturally, Lee Hyun-woo’s mother explained why she thought celebrities were not suitable, and his father countered.
“The person you’re talking about isn’t even considering it, but you two are already making assumptions.”
Thinking this to himself, Lee Hyun-woo chuckled.
But he was a bit surprised when he received a call as soon as they got home.
It was Kim Yoon-sun, whose name had been mentioned all day.
“Hello?”
(Hello?)
“Oh?”
(It’s Yoon-sun.)
“Yeah, I recognized your voice.”
It was her first call since they decided to stay friends.
Her tone was ambiguous, but it was certainly casual.
(I called to wish you a happy Chuseok.)
“You too.”
(And don’t worry too much if strange articles come out after Chuseok.)
“Huh? What do you mean?”
(I heard that some reporters who visited our filming location last time were there again.)
“Oh….”
He didn’t remember what expressions he had when talking to Kim Yoon-sun back then, but recently, his face hadn’t shown any signs of distress.
If so, there was a high chance of another article hinting at romance.
(My manager oppa is trying to block it, but there’s a limit, so I wanted to let you know just in case.)
“Oh, I’m not worried. Should I be? We’re friends, right? It would be a big deal if you became too cautious and things got awkward because of those articles.”
(No, no. That won’t happen with me.)
Lee Hyun-woo thought that she might have called more out of concern for the articles than to wish him a happy Chuseok.
“That’s good then. Don’t worry and enjoy Chuseok. Got it?”
(You too.)
“Eat a lot of delicious food. You seemed like you needed to gain some weight last time.”
(Haha, you have no idea how much weight I’ve gained in places you can’t see.)
Kim Yoon-sun’s unique laughter echoed.
Imagining her natural expression made Lee Hyun-woo smile too.
But after hanging up, he briefly hardened his expression.
“The media…”
Even before Chuseok, Kang Dong-ho had expressed frustration with the media.
At that time, he tried to understand.
Why? Because the media couldn’t ignore the influence of relatively large companies like PC communication.
Perhaps PC communication had asked the media to delay their partnership with the 【Jungle】 portal site.
He didn’t know what kind of deals were made behind the scenes, but he could guess.
“They must have had some exchanges. Even after going back in time, the media hasn’t changed.”
Korean media was gradually losing its function.
In the future, they would prioritize profitable news over truthful reporting.
He wanted to understand that in a capitalist society.
But the gap between understanding with the head and the heart sometimes made him choose the latter.
That’s what Lee Hyun-woo did now.
“How can the media ignore the power of a portal site?”
They might think they have that power now.
But they would gradually realize how foolish that is.
With this thought, Lee Hyun-woo turned on the computer in his room and created a new account and blog.
He immediately chose a meaningful name.
<Nostradamus’ Blog>
