Chapter 01
It was, truly, insane weather.
It was the kind of weather where even an air conditioner on full blast felt insufficient, but inside the Eunhasu (Milky Way) Cafe, an old fan rattled noisily, endlessly blowing out hot air.
Jangmi, wearing a stretched-out cotton t-shirt and elastic short shorts, was slumped over the counter. She frowned at the drops of sweat trickling down her spine.
“Ugh, I’m dying of heat. Seriously…”
When the company she worked for went bankrupt, leaving her with nothing to do, she’d had no choice but to come back down to her hometown, Dongchon-ri. It was as peacefully quiet as ever, and damnably, unbearably hot.
Her mother, Yeongran, the cafe owner, had said she’d rather earn some wages than mind the empty cafe, and had gone off to work at a peach farm. So Jangmi was the only one in the cafe.
Jangmi took a few ice cubes from the ice maker, popped one into her mouth, and figured there was no one around to see. She tucked a couple of ice cubes between her breasts, grabbed the hem of her t-shirt, and flapped it to blow air into her stomach.
It was her own personal technique for enduring the stifling heat without air conditioning.
Shivering as the ice touched her skin inside her clothes, she flinched like a shaman in a trance.
“Brrr, that’s cold!”
Just as she was trying to beat the heat with ice, the door opened with a cheerful *ding-dong*.
Jangmi, her private moment interrupted, lazily gazed toward the entrance.
In this heat, a man wearing a perfectly tailored three-piece suit, from head to toe.
A man in a black suit that looked suffocating just to see came into her view.
‘What the? Who is this guy?’
The sound of his flawlessly polished shoes, not a speck of dust on them, stepping on the old cafe floor felt strangely out of place.
In her experience, there were only two types of people who showed up in a backwater place like this, dressed so flashily.
Either a real estate scammer, or a health supplement peddler who sweet-talked the elderly into buying overpriced products.
Which one was this guy?
The man, as if he had an appointment or was looking for someone, swept his gaze across the cafe interior.
His eyes passed over the old sofas and dusty artificial flowers, and landed on Jangmi, who was sprawled across the counter.
‘This is a rural cafe, sure, but what is she wearing?’
To the man, Jangmi looked like the absolute peak of slovenliness.
Her hair tied up haphazardly, a t-shirt with a stretched-out neckline that looked like something she’d gotten second-hand, and elastic shorts she’d clearly just grabbed whatever was within reach.
The man looked at Jangmi with an expression of pity, then finally opened his mouth.
“I came to see the owner. Is she here?”
Kwon Woo asked, cutting straight to the point.
He came to see her mom?
“She’s not here right now.”
“When will she be back?”
He glanced at his watch, which looked expensive at first glance, to check the time.
“I don’t know.”
Kwon Woo found her indifferent answer absurd and frowned.
It had been a long time since anyone had answered him so nonchalantly.
If she knew who he was, she probably wouldn’t be acting so arrogantly.
But since the person wasn’t there, there was nothing to be done. He’d just have to wait until she came.
Kwon Woo decided to wait until the owner of the Eunhasu Cafe, the person he was there to see, showed up. He went to sit at a table directly facing the counter.
Seeing the man, who was definitely either a real estate scammer or a peddler, settle in as if ready to wait, Jangmi openly showed her displeasure.
“I told you, I don’t know when the owner will be back.”
She said this meaning he shouldn’t waste his time and should just leave, but Kwon Woo ignored her and turned his gaze toward the air conditioner.
“Is that air conditioner broken?”
“No.”
“Then turn it on. Isn’t maintaining a proper indoor temperature in the summer a basic part of running a service establishment?”
*Heh!* Look at this guy’s tone.
Jangmi’s pride was instantly stung by his tone, which sounded like he was scolding a subordinate.
What’s this, he’s not even a customer, and he’s telling me what to do? Coming into someone else’s shop.
“That’s the owner’s policy here. No air conditioner until we have at least five customers. Besides, you’re not even a customer, mister.”
He was the type of man who made people uncomfortable just by being in the same space, for no reason.
Jangmi crunched the ice she was rolling around in her mouth, hoping the man would leave quickly.
To Kwon Woo, she looked exactly like the type of ‘wild older sister’ aura.
He was annoyed by her indifferent and rude attitude, which lacked even a shred of customer service mentality, but he had no intention of bickering with her over such things.
There was a simple solution for this.
As if to say he was done with unnecessary arguments, Kwon Woo took out a 50,000-won bill from his wallet and slapped it down on the table.
“Consider that payment for those five customers. Now turn on the air conditioner.”
Until this hour today, only two customers had visited the cafe in total.
Seeing him put down more money than the entire day’s sales, Jangmi’s eyes immediately changed.
If five customers came and ordered 3,000-won coffee, that would be 15,000 won.
But 50,000 won exceeded Yeongran’s “five or more” rule.
His bossy tone was still grating, but even so, the power of money was undeniable.
Selling one 3,000-won Americano and getting 50,000 won for it?
Even if it were Mrs. Na Yeongran, she’d have turned on not just the air conditioner, but the air conditioner’s grandfather, immediately.
“Hah, honestly. I guess this guy thinks money can do anything…”
Well, she’d just do what he asked for now.
Jangmi pretended to give in with a sigh and picked up the 50,000 won bill from the table.
Then, her expression changed in an instant.
“That’s the attitude of a desirable customer in a capitalist society.”
“……”
Kwon Woo just listened silently, with a face that seemed to say, ‘Fine, say whatever you want.’
“We’re still one short of the owner’s policy, but I’ll turn it on for you.”
Jangmi flicked the 50,000-won bill in the air as a sign of agreement.
Seeing her change her tune so quickly for 50,000 won, Kwon Woo let out a wry laugh and said, as if teaching her a lesson.
“You should know, since this is a place of business. It’s not that you can’t turn on the air conditioner because there are no customers. It’s that customers don’t come because you *won’t* turn on the air conditioner in this heat.”
Kwon Woo glanced around the cafe, which was filled with nothing but flies, as if to say, ‘See?’
Then he fixed his gaze back on Jangmi.
“Give me one iced Americano, and contact the owner. Tell her someone came to see her.”
“That might be a bit difficult. The owner went to work on the peaches. She puts her phone in her bag when she’s working.”
Kwon Woo’s eyebrow arched sharply. It was clear he didn’t believe her.
Jangmi wasn’t entirely lying. Her mom had indeed gone to the peach orchard, and she wasn’t looking at her phone. She just didn’t feel like calling her to come back for some shady-looking guy.
She probably wouldn’t be back until around five or six. Let him wait and see.
Kwon Woo frowned at the news that he’d have to wait until the owner returned.
He didn’t seem thrilled about being stuck in a rural cafe in this heat.
But he apparently had no intention of leaving, as he let out a short sigh and said,
“I’ll wait until she comes.”
Then he added,
“I paid, so turn on the air conditioner right now.”
Jangmi had been about to turn it on anyway, since she couldn’t stand it any longer. With the money in hand, there was no reason not to.
Jangmi pocketed the money and was about to turn around from in front of Kwon Woo.
That’s when it happened.
The ice cube that had been cooling her down between her breasts and bra went *thump*, falling to the floor.
Before she could react, she watched the ice bounce off her stomach and tumble to the ground, her face turning ashen.
*Ah, damn it.*
The ice cube that fell from her chest bounced and then, as if on cue, came to a stop right on the toe of Kwon Woo’s polished leather shoe.
A moment of silence passed.
Looking at the small piece of ice that had claimed his shoe, Kwon Woo frowned and asked,
“…What is this?”
*Ah, so embarrassing.*
Jangmi stared at the ice cube on the floor, her face bright red.
But shame has a way of turning into aggression.
Jangmi decided to go full-on shameless mode and lifted her chin defiantly.
“What does it look like? Ice.”
“So why did ice…”
His gaze drifted down to her chest area.
“…fall from *there*?”
His eyes, staring at her chest, flickered as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.
Why was he making that face?
Jangmi followed his gaze and looked down at her own chest.
Ah.
