I Have Too Many Money-Making Talents - Chapter 145

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Too Many Profitable Talents – Episode 145
Yeouido Officetel.
Waking in my actual home for once instead of a hotel, I stumbled into the living room with sleep still clinging to my eyes.
Then I threw myself onto the sofa and gazed down at the Han River beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The water flowed in quiet stillness.
Along the bridge, vehicles and subway trains crossed without pause.
I loved this moment.
Starting my day here, taking in this view—there was something irreplaceable about it.
Though the schedule kept me away most days, whenever I stayed, I made a point to enjoy this hour.
It was healing, and at the same time, it was motivation I gave myself.
“……So this is why people chase success.”
A laugh escaped me unbidden.
After rolling around for a while longer, I picked up my smartphone.
I typed a name into the search bar.
Kim In-ha.
My name, so common that even just the surname brought up autocomplete suggestions.
And alongside it, a string of related searches.
Kim In-ha Chess
Kim In-ha Baduk
Kim In-ha Quotes
Kim In-ha Bank Security Guard
Kim In-ha Masked Singer Checkmate
Kim In-ha Compound Bow
.
.
Everything was there—from my past to my present, all recorded in that digital trail.
Seeing my footprints laid out like that stirred an oddly nostalgic feeling.
Then one unfamiliar search term caught my eye.
“……Kim In-ha’s girlfriend?”
For a moment, my mind went blank.
My girlfriend—someone I didn’t even know about.
‘Did someone get a photo of me or something?’
Several scenes flashed through my head.
The time I spent with Yu Jeuh-ha in Japan.
Visiting the Bang Bang with Sarah Linova in London.
Attending meetings alongside Jung Soo-yeon.
Though it was a while ago, I even recalled the times I’d eaten with Yeon-hee.
My pulse quickened.
Had I somehow caused trouble for someone without knowing it?
I steadied my breathing and tapped the search button, and articles flooded the screen.
And the first name that caught my eye.
“……Actress Jeong Si-a?”
I blinked.
Below, a cascade of headlines.
My name and hers were listed side by side beneath the article titles.
-[EXCLUSIVE] Actress Jeong Si-a Cast as Female Lead in Film “God’s One Move”…… “To Become Kim In-ha’s Woman”
-Jeong Si-a Confirmed for Role of Mina, Zainichi Korean…… Special Connection with Kim In-ha
-“Wants to Become Kim In-ha’s Reliable Supporter”…… Jeong Si-a Shares Her Thoughts on “God’s One Move”
“Ah…… it was about the film.”
Jeong Si-a.
Not a household name, but she was known to almost everyone in the industry.
Always mentioned in entertainment news with an image of likability.
Recently, she’d gained popularity through the drama “Phantom” alongside Kang Seung-hu, where she delivered a compelling performance.
And now she was appearing in a film based on my story.
It felt strange and unsettling in a way I couldn’t quite name.
“……But seriously, they really played it fast and loose with how they wrote that. Probably intentional, though.”
I laughed awkwardly, scratching my cheek.
A promotional tactic that blurred reality and fiction together in subtle ways.
Whether to call it clever or irritating, I wasn’t sure.
But it was certainly good news that production was rolling along smoothly.
Without reason, my spirits lifted.
“I should send a coffee truck to the filming set… it’s something I’ve always wanted to try.”
I rose from my seat and headed to the kitchen.
I took out a tea set and opened a packet of tea leaves.
A gift Yu Jeuh-ha had sent from Japan not long ago.
Inside the packet, her careful handwriting still filled a letter, untouched.
I steeped the tea with a small smile and returned to the sofa, savoring the warmth of it.
In that moment, a message arrived.
It was from Jung Soo-yeon.
Jung Soo-yeon: The Chess Federation reached out. They’re reviewing favorably for a special Wild Card invitation to the Chess World Cup. They’re asking if you can coordinate your schedule.
At this point, it was as good as confirmed.
They called it “under review” on the surface, but the fact that they’d already brought up schedule coordination meant it was all but settled.
‘It’s a win-win situation, really.’
The World Chess Federation would naturally want to leverage me actively for Asian promotion.
For me, it meant I could skip the mid-tier tournaments and step straight onto the international stage—saving both time and opportunity.
Jung Soo-yeon: I don’t think I’ll be able to stop by the officetel today because of a meeting about the Kim In-ha Baduk Tournament. Getting sponsorship from local governments is proving to be quite complicated.
Me: I’m sorry. I always seem to ask you to handle all the tedious matters.
An amateur Baduk tournament bearing my name.
We were preparing it with the aim of holding it in spring, with the goal of promoting Baduk, generating interest in the game, and discovering new talent.
Throughout the process, Jung Soo-yeon had been handling everything—sponsor acquisition, local government budgets, all of it.
Jung Soo-yeon: Why apologize? That’s your job, after all. Just keep doing what you’re doing. You create the work, and my role is to manage it and provide the support. That’s how it works.
‘…Support.’
The word had an odd resonance, but it wasn’t wrong.
She handled all the operations of Inhabunsik, managing even my personal affairs.
I wondered if I could focus the way I do now without her.
As that thought continued—
Ding-dong!
The entrance bell rang.
I checked the intercom and opened the door. Jeong Hae-sung stepped in.
“Hello, Representative.”
“You’re here?”
In his hands was a set of clothes that appeared to be sponsored merchandise.
“I brought food. Should I set it out?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Let’s eat together.”
Jeong Hae-sung unpacked a lunchbox of salad and poke and laid it out.
Then, as he sat down at the table, he spoke.
“You should be able to head out right after eating. I’ve already booked your hair and makeup.”
I nodded.
The leisure was over now.
I sipped the tea once more in silence, feeling the weight of it—that soon I would need to move for my schedule.

* * *
Suwon Ingye-dong.
Na Hye-seok Street.
The street was named after a female painter and women’s rights activist who had lived through the Japanese occupation and the liberation period.
“It’s just ahead, Representative.”
Jeong Hae-sung, at the wheel, pointed in the direction with his fingertip.
A street lined densely with commercial buildings.
In the middle of it all, a familiar storefront caught my eye.
[Inhabunsik Suwon Ingye Branch]
The opening day of the first location.
On both sides of the restaurant, celebratory wreaths stood in rows.
A recipe my mother had perfected over a lifetime, that I had refined—ice cream tteokbokki—was now stepping into the world as a franchise at this very moment.
The sight alone made my chest swell.
Jeong Hae-sung slowed the car and opened the rear door.
I steadied my breath and stepped out.
In that instant, the eyes of all the customers standing in the waiting line turned toward me at once.
“Isn’t that Kim In-ha?”
“Huh? I think it is. Wow, running into her here of all places. Wow…”
“Really? Come on, get your phone out!”
“Who is that?”
“You don’t know? That person who plays Baduk and Archery! The one who was on Masked Singer!”
“What…… seeing her in person, she’s got such a presence, doesn’t she? What kind of aura is that?”
Amid the murmuring, some waved their hands, others began to clap.
I smiled calmly and gave a light bow in greeting.
I’d stood on official event stages many times before, but this was my first time meeting the public face-to-face on the street like this.
And perhaps it was thanks to the youthful, vibrant energy that a food like tteokbokki carried with it.
The eyes of those who’d learned about me through online communities shone with genuine warmth.
As I entered the shop, there was a corner table marked with a wooden nameplate that read “Reserved.”
A middle-aged man sitting in the reserved corner booth caught my eye and raised his hand in greeting.
“Ah, Kim Kuksoo! Welcome, welcome.”
“Representative Jang?”
My eyes widened in surprise.
He was an entrepreneur I’d come to know through the Baduk club Giwoohoe, which I’d been introduced to by the Branch Manager.
He was also the steadfast partner who’d taken charge of our Inhabunsik franchise operations.
I hadn’t expected him to show up for a franchise opening like this in person.
“It’s been a long time. I heard the news—didn’t know you’d picked up Chess so well! But you’ve got to keep playing Baduk with us too, you hear? Ha-ha.”
“I’m simply doing my best each day, sir.”
A hearty laugh spread across his face as we shook hands.
“That’s the spirit—that’s how you should be when you’re young. Oh, if you get a chance, drop by Giwoohoe sometime. Branch Manager Gwak said he’s been waiting eagerly for you.”
Ah, now that he mentioned it, I realized it had been quite a while since I’d seen the Branch Manager.
The person who’d been my greatest pillar of support to get where I am now.
I made a silent vow to reach out to him soon.
“Yes, I’ll definitely make time to visit and pay my respects.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
As we chatted, the tteokbokki and fried items we’d ordered arrived, neatly arranged along with several side dishes.
“Come on, let’s eat.”
I picked up a fork and speared one of the glossy rice cakes, then took a bite.
‘……Hmm.’
My expression froze subtly as I chewed slowly.
It was definitely almost identical to my mother’s taste.
But something indefinable was missing.
There was a hollowness—as if the depth of flavor had been left out.
“What’s the matter?”
Representative Jang noticed and asked.
“Ah, the taste itself is fine. But…… something seems subtly off.”
I picked up another rice cake, dipped it generously in sauce, and tried again.
The same flavor, exactly as before.
Most customers probably wouldn’t notice the difference, but on my palate, it left a distinct sense of incompleteness.
I glanced to the side and saw the open kitchen bustling with customers.
The owner was swamped with guests, while the cooking was being handled by staff dispatched from headquarters.
‘I can’t just let this slide—it keeps bothering me.’
The plan was to open Inhabunsik branches 2 and 3 in the coming months.
Small details have a way of accumulating, making a restaurant taste different from the original.
And Inhabunsik carried my name and my mother’s flavor.
I couldn’t overlook even a small difference.
“Representative, would it be alright if I went into the kitchen for a moment?”
“Of course. You’re the one who created the recipe—who would say anything?”
I nodded and put on an apron, a sanitation cap, and a mask.
Then I went to the tteokbokki griddle and tasted the sauce once more.
My uncertainty crystallized into certainty.
I turned to one of the headquarters staff.
“Do you have minced garlic and corn syrup?”
“Yes? Oh, yes, we do!”
“Could you bring them to me, please?”
The staff member retrieved the ingredients from the refrigerator, and I adjusted the consistency, then tasted the sauce again.
The sweet, full-bodied flavor bloomed across my palate, and the umami came alive.
‘This is it.’
I ladled out the tteokbokki and returned to my seat.
Representative Jang took a bite and his eyes went wide.
“Amazing, really. It was already quite good, but the flavor just came alive.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“Make sure our staff knows about this kind of detail. That’s what keeps a franchise thriving.”
“Yes, sir.”
I smiled quietly.
A few customers nearby were capturing the moment on their phones, but I didn’t mind.
It was publicity, in its own way.
And it was simply what I ought to do as the person who’d created the recipe.
About halfway through the tteokbokki, Jang Ju-young casually shifted the conversation.
“Speaking of which, I heard you appeared on Masked Singer?”
“Yes, I became a Gawang in the shortest time possible.”
I answered with a smile, and Jang Ju-young added teasingly.
“Well, what does the timeframe matter? The point is you reached the top. That’s no small feat. Not everyone can do that.”
Then he continued in a playful tone.
“So tell me—what if you sang us a song? We’ve got customers here.”
“Here?”
“I think everyone would love it. Everyone, wouldn’t you like to hear it?”
Before he could even finish, the customers erupted in applause and cheers.
“Yes!”
“We’d love to hear it!”
“Sing ‘Where It Touches Like First Snow’!”
“Kim In-ha! Kim In-ha!”
The customers’ faces glowed with anticipation.
In truth, this was a planned event.
For a new store opening, the most crucial thing was publicity.
We needed a ‘moment worth talking about’—something to spread across social media and shorts, something to trend.
I simply hadn’t taken the lead myself; Jang Ju-young had artfully set the stage.
I shrugged hesitantly, playing modest.
“Oh, I’m sorry, but what can I do? I haven’t warmed up properly, and I don’t have an MR prepared…….”
Disappointment flickered across the customers’ faces.
At that moment, Jeong Hae-sung perceptively pulled out his phone and started playing the MR.
Following the melody that poured out, I took a breath and began the first verse.
No microphone here.
No reverb, no echo.
And yet my pitch held steady as I poured feeling into the melody.
“……The days I lived before I knew you felt like just another season…….”
As my voice filled the shop, everyone’s eyes fixed on me.
Forks stopped mid-air, and customers scrambled to turn on their cameras.
With each phrase, the air itself seemed to shift.
As the song reached its peak, even the people waiting outside the windows stepped briefly into the shop to listen.
When the final note faded, the space fell silent for a moment, as if everyone had stopped breathing.
Then the shop erupted—cheers and applause thundering from wall to wall.
In that roar, someone murmured softly, as if entranced.
“Is she… really just an amateur?”
“……And she’s not a singer?”
“Chills.”
Expressions of disbelief, mouths hanging open slightly.
Some rubbed their forearms, goosebumps visible on their skin.
Standing in the center of countless gazes and smartphone lenses, I smiled calmly, saying nothing.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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