BYB 5

Chapter 5

Ha!

It was a statement so shameless that it left her speechless.

She wanted to snap back that his face wouldn’t help business at all, but Jiwoo couldn’t bring herself to refute it, and her face turned red for no reason instead.

It was really unfair, but there was a clear connection between good looks and sales. Wasn’t Ju Minhyuk, the weekend worker, living proof? However, because she didn’t want to admit that fact obediently, Jiwoo kept her mouth shut. Looking at Jiwoo like that, the man let out a low laugh.

“It seems you like my face.”

It was a sly tone mixed with playfulness. Although it was a voice that strangely drew people in, she tried hard to ignore it and continued her thoughts.

Why is he trying to work here?

Let’s say he could quit his job overnight. Since I’m also a case where I threw my job away and left. But don’t people usually get re-employed in a similar field?

“By the way, why did you play around with money that day?”

When Jiwoo asked as she suddenly got curious, he ruined his expression.

“Let’s forget past talk. Since I can’t do that even if I want to now.”

Jiwoo, who read an incomprehensible resignation from the man, stared at him blankly.

“…I think it would be better for you to get a job at a company rather than a place like this.”

She spoke her honest mind. Even though he was wearing a tracksuit and three-striped slippers, she couldn’t really picture him wearing an apron and serving.

“Looking at you before, it seemed like you worked at a good company, so wouldn’t it be better to go into a similar field? For us, even if we call it an employee, it’s completely the same as looking for a part-timer.”

The man was quiet for a moment, then soon let out a crooked smile.

“Is that advice?” “It’s a suggestion. Fearing you might waste your life for no reason.” “Manager.”

The man, who tapped the table with his fingers, spoke as he hung a smile on the corners of his lips.

“Giving advice on someone else’s life is just being pushy.” “!” “In your eyes, does it look like I’m wasting my life? I’m in the middle of struggling fiercely.”

A genuine feeling passed through his slightly frowning face. Feeling that her comment had crossed the line for a moment, Jiwoo’s eyes shook. Did I give advice about someone else’s life too easily?

It was right when she was about to apologize, saying her remark just now was careless.

Jingle.

The door opened. Cha Wonchul, holding a grocery basket, came into the shop and looked back and forth between Jiwoo and the man.

“An interview?” “Yes. Hello, Owner.”

The man stood up from his seat and greeted Cha Wonchul. Cha Wonchul wore a nice, warm smile, shook his hand lightly, and patted the man’s shoulder twice.

“He’s a handsome young man. Do you know how to lift heavy things?” “Of course.” “Is your house close?” “Yes.” “Alright, nice. Can you start coming to work right away?” “Yes.” “Come starting tomorrow.” “Dad!”

Jiwoo stood up from her seat, extremely shocked. It was the moment all her efforts to defend against the man up until now disappeared like bubbles.

What kind of interview is this?!

“How can you decide in less than a minute?!” “Using someone who can start fast is good for both of us. Since his looks are good, customers will definitely grow quickly.” “No, even if that’s true, how…” “Thank you, Owner. This shop’s tteokbokki was so delicious. I fell for the taste. I will work hard and definitely want to learn it.” “Good. You just need to come to work by three o’clock. Opening is five o’clock.” “Dad!” “Your dad’s waist is getting worse and worse.”

Cha Wonchul took out a pile of cabbage and carrots, placed them on the counter, and sent a tired look toward Jiwoo. It was the most effective weapon to shut Jiwoo’s mouth.

“Get a copy of this young man’s resume.”

Cha Wonchul, who appeared suddenly, left just as suddenly as his appearance. Left alone in the awkward space, Jiwoo bit her lip inside.

—I’m in the middle of struggling fiercely.

Yeah. Wherever and in what form he works, it is a life he chose himself. How dare I act pushy? That part was a clear mistake in her words.

Should I apologize? As she pondered, she looked back at him. But the man was looking at her. And with a bright grin, too.

“Manager, give me a cup of coffee. You made me smell only onions the whole time during the interview.”

A relaxed tone that felt like a request, yet also like a command. Somehow feeling her mind go distant, she turned her head away, but his smooth voice followed her.

“Hmm? Coffee.”

Ah, in the end, she got mixed up with him. Sweat came from her hands.

Looking at the back of the woman approaching the water purifier with instant coffee, Eunho recalled his life over the past week where he almost starved to death. He suffered so much because even ordering delivery food was hard. The person who completely stole his peaceful daily life away was none other than his own father. Thinking about it made him grind his teeth again.

The day after the site visit ended.

—Did you try it? —Yes. —Your thoughts?

Song Dongyoung asked with cold eyes. His father, who didn’t give an inch of warmth, didn’t even drop a greeting asking if he had a good trip.

Eunho gave a textbook answer.

—Because it was a beer pub, I had a prejudice, but unexpectedly, the taste was good.

Song Dongyoung nodded his head with a satisfied face.

—That shop is my old regular spot. We need to discover hidden delicious shops like that. Leave immediately.

Eunho looked at his father, who spoke in a cold voice, with a calm, expressionless gaze.

He was a perfect man who was born as the eldest son of Chairman Song Jongui—who was in charge of the entire Songhwa Group—and grew up lacking nothing. The only flaw in Song Dongyoung’s life was probably himself, Song Eunho.

The piece of shame, the child born outside of marriage, Song Eunho.

—Get hired at that shop and get the trademark rights no matter what.

While throwing out unreasonable words, there was no explanation at all.

He said he prepared everything, so go down to Hanju City, get hired at that shop, and win their hearts. Working as an employee for two months to steal the recipe, or revealing his identity after two months to make a deal to contract with Songhwa.

—Still, there’s no need to stay in a small studio apartment, is there? —It’s stranger for a job seeker to commute from a hotel. It’s a small town. Rumors spread fast. Don’t argue with my words.

Is he really going senile? His father was way too serious about this undercover employment. He got a small studio apartment and tied up his assets, too. Throwing just one million won into his hands was all. Threatening that if he brought in personal money to live luxuriously, he would take away everything he had.

Thus, Eunho came to stay in a small studio apartment on the 2nd floor of this building.

And after doing that, what did he say as if showing generosity?

—You may take one car.

He was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t reply.

Since it was a path he chose himself, he tried to endure it as much as possible, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Should I cancel even now? At the end of his troubled thoughts, he barely opened the door. Then, a woman who was preparing cabbage while smiling softly appeared in front of his eyes.

In an instant, his heart moved.

Let’s just… do it.

Considering it as if his steps got caught on her smile and he stumbled over.

The incomprehensible impulse was funny. The situation was so awful and annoying, yet why did things feel so ticklish like this?

While he was thinking like that, a paper cup appeared in front of his eyes. The moment he reached out his hand and received the cup, his fingers touched the woman’s. The woman stepped back and spoke dryly.

“Drink it and then leave. And come to work by three o’clock tomorrow.”

The coffee was sweet enough to make his eyes pop open. A gentle smile hung on the corners of Eunho’s lips, which erased his dark thoughts. The warmth passed through his fingertips was soft like a spring breeze.

“It’s warm.”

First of all, the coffee.

Even if everything was a mess, if he could drink coffee tomorrow as well, wouldn’t it be nice for a short moment? If they could touch just a little bit longer than today, Eunho thought that alone could make things okay.

The next day, the man came to work.

Jiwoo had no sense of what she should order him to do. In the first place, wasn’t this her first time employing a worker? Since Minhyuk did well on his own, there was nothing to order him to do, but with this man, she had to make rules one by one from the start.

“What should I do?” “I’ll go put the cabbage down, so first put this on.”

As she handed over the apron, their fingers touched. The man’s fingers were bigger and firmer than she thought. They were even warm, so her fingertips felt ticklish for no reason.

“!”

She hurriedly ran to the kitchen and started organizing dishes with big movements for no reason. Hoping her hectic actions would calm her reddened nape, she acted noisier on purpose.

After organizing the ingredients like that, she came out again, but the man was still standing while holding the apron.

“Why are you just standing there?”

The man, who scratched between his eyebrows, spoke in a low voice.

“Because I don’t know how to wear it.” “!” “It seems several strings are attached.” “Have you never worn an apron before?” “What reason would I have to wear one?”

It was Jiwoo’s side whose mouth was blocked by his rather confident answer.

“Ah… I see.”

Yeah. Well, that could happen. He said he had no experience with kitchen work.

“Then I’ll do it for you.” “Sure.”

Chuckle.

With a light laugh, the apron passed into Jiwoo’s hands again.

“First, this part here goes over the neck…”

Jiwoo, who spread the two strings attached to the apron to the left and right to make space for his head to enter, raised her head and looked at the man. Wow. But he’s way too tall.

As she looked up at the smile hanging lazily on the corners of the man’s lips and his eyelashes moving up and down, her heart, which barely calmed down, began to feel strangely ticklish again.

“So, here…”

Jiwoo, who was barely over 160 cm, found the neck of the man—who lived breathing air far above her reach—way too far. Still, since she decided to do it for him, Jiwoo clenched her mouth shut and tried hard to stretch out both arms high up.

“Uh… Woah!”

She mustered up courage and even stood on tiptoes, but the apron couldn’t hang over the man’s neck and fell with a plop. Losing her balance in a split second, Jiwoo tumbled down hard and collapsed into the man’s chest.

At the same time, the man lightly supported Jiwoo and picked up the dropped apron.

It was an impossibly broad and firm chest. From the tracksuit that was clearly cheap, the scent of peach fabric softener—which was also clearly cheap—floated gently, tickling the tip of her nose softly as if it were the highest-grade wood scent.

The man looked down slowly and spoke:

“Because you’re small, it doesn’t go in well.” “!” “Because the Manager’s height is short, the apron is.”

Jiwoo’s face turned completely red. Seeing that, he let out a low laugh.

“Is it because it’s my first time?”