Chapter 05
Regardless, he needed to convince Yeongran now.
Kwon Woo quickly composed his expression, switching back to his usual face as the Executive Director of Taesan Development.
“Hello. My name is Cha Kwon Woo from Taesan Development.”
Kwon Woo took a new business card from his case and placed it respectfully on the table.
Yeongran barely glanced at the card on the table, keeping her arms crossed as she replied.
Her eyes were clearly wary of outsiders.
“What business could a distinguished gentleman like you have with a country cafe owner like me?”
“Sell the site of this Eunhasu Cafe to us. We’ll meet your price as best we can.”
Kwon Woo spoke with unwavering eyes.
In a capitalist society, there’s nothing money can’t solve.
He was confident that especially a country cafe owner like her wouldn’t refuse an offer that was practically a blank check.
But the answer that came back was different from his expectations.
“I’m not selling. I’m not interested, so just go.”
Yeongran waved her hand dismissively, like shooing away a peddler, without even pretending to consider it.
Treating the great Executive Director of Taesan Development like a peddler.
This was a level of disrespect he hadn’t experienced in recent memory.
“Owner. It seems you may not have understood what I said…”
“Oh, I told you I’m not selling! If that’s all you came to say, just go. Before I bring a handful of salt to sprinkle around.”
Since joining the Taesan family, this was the first time he’d been treated like this.
As that stirred Kwon Woo’s stubbornness, he saw Jangmi, who had been watching the conversation, mouthing something to Yeongran.
‘See? I told you. A con artist.’
Seeing that, Kwon Woo’s brow furrowed even more.
This was beyond absurd and frustrating.
It was no different from showing someone a top-quality diamond, only for them to mistake it for a piece of glass and try to throw it in the trash.
Since joining the company, he’d handled many difficult contracts, but it had been a long time since he’d faced a negotiation that couldn’t be solved with money. No, maybe this was the first time.
Maintaining a deliberately calm expression, Kwon Woo explained again to Yeongran.
“I think you may be misunderstanding me because I came so suddenly with this proposal. I am indeed the person named on that card.”
It was the first time in Cha Kwon Woo’s life he’d had to prove his own identity.
“Even if you were the Chairman of Taesan, not just the Executive Director, I’m telling you I’m not selling. Money and all that nonsense is useless, so if you’re going to talk about selling this place, just go.”
But Yeongran’s answer didn’t change.
As he was pondering how to convince Yeongran, Jangmi added another comment from the side.
“Mister. Just give up. My mom, once she says no, she means it even if it kills her. And if you keep impersonating a big corporation executive, I might have to call the police.”
The police. He should have brought the Taesan Development legal team along, not the police.
Normally, he would have just said ‘fine’ and left, but this wasn’t the situation for that. He desperately needed this land where the Eunhasu Cafe was located.
The ‘Forest Dongchon’ project.
A project he absolutely had to complete successfully to secure his position as the heir to the Taesan Group.
He’d already acquired all the surrounding land, and smack in the middle of where the signature garden—the heart of the resort—was supposed to go, this dilapidated cafe was stuck like a rusty nail.
So he had to acquire this land by any means necessary.
Kwon Woo silently surveyed the old cafe interior.
The faded menu board.
The creaking fan.
And Jangmi, still standing behind the counter, glaring at him as if he were a con artist.
Kwon Woo let out a long breath.
“…I’ll leave for today.”
At those words, Jangmi curled the corners of her mouth as if she’d expected that.
But contrary to Jangmi’s thinking, Kwon Woo wasn’t the type to back down so easily.
—
The next morning at nine o’clock. Jangmi yawned widely as she raised the cafe shutter.
Jangmi had protested, asking who would drink coffee in a backwater place like this at nine in the morning, but her objections fell on deaf ears with Mrs. Na Yeongran.
Whether there were customers or not, opening at this time was supposedly a promise to the villagers.
Then she should do it herself, or hire an employee.
No matter how much she was a freeloader who’d come back down after quitting her job and lazing around, it was too much to boss her around without even paying her allowance.
Today, a heatwave warning text had arrived again in the morning, so customers would be scarce. She was just thinking she’d catch flies and read the Spinoza book Seonho had brought yesterday when—
*Creak.*
A luxury foreign car, never before seen in this neighborhood, stopped in front of the cafe, and its door opened.
The person getting out was the con artist from yesterday.
*Heh, that old man is back again!*
Wearing a pressed grey suit without a single wrinkle, his pomaded hair combed back with no margin for error, today he was even carrying a laptop.
Since he was impersonating a chaebol heir, it seemed he even had a separate driver.
‘He’s really committed to this scam, that old man.’
The driver who had dropped off Kwon Woo bowed his head to him.
“I’ll come back to pick you up at the time you mentioned, Executive Director!”
Receiving the driver’s greeting, he turned toward the cafe.
Jangmi, who was just opening the cafe door, met his gaze and spoke first with an annoyed look.
“Mister, you’re back again? Didn’t Mom clearly say yesterday she’s not selling?”
“If you don’t like me coming, convince your mother. To sell this place to me.”
Finishing his statement firmly, Kwon Woo pushed open the cafe door with confidence, as if entering his own office.
“You’re open, right?”
“We’re open, but Mom went to pick peaches again today, so she’s not here.”
“Ah, peaches. Well, I guess I’ll have to wait again today. First, turn on the air conditioner on ‘Turbo!’ and I’ll have an iced coffee with an extra shot.”
It was as if he were giving instructions to his secretary.
Just as Jangmi was about to open her mouth to snap back—
He took out another 50,000-won bill from his wallet, just like yesterday, and held it out to her.
“This is for today’s coffee and the air conditioner. Turn on the air conditioner first.”
*What, more money?*
Jangmi scoffed.
What kind of person does he take me for? Throwing money around.
I may not have money, but does he think I don’t have pride?
She’d taken the money yesterday with the intention of driving him away, but she knew it wasn’t right.
She wasn’t so shameless as to take money again today.
But Kwon Woo interpreted Jangmi’s different reaction today in another way.
“Why? Is 50,000 won not enough? If that’s the case, I’ll give you more.”
“Really, who do you take me for? Forget it.”
Jangmi pushed his hand holding the bill away.
“Put that away. The money from yesterday is still left!”
Whatever his business was, he was a customer visiting Jangmi—no, the Eunhasu Cafe.
Jangmi spun around and headed toward the coffee machine.
Kwon Woo, who had expected to be turned away at the door, tilted his head at Jangmi’s sudden conscience-driven behavior overnight.
She’d taken it so readily yesterday, but today she’s refusing?
Kwon Woo watched Jangmi’s back as she made the coffee, with an intrigued gaze.
Having been close and then distant, the scent of laundry soap wafted strongly from her.
The scent is really nice.
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
—
Not long after Jangmi served the coffee and he drank it coolly, Kwon Woo’s eyelids grew heavy.
In his dream, he was still suffering from insomnia.
Then Jin-geol came to his house.
Saying he had a new medicine that would completely cure Kwon Woo’s insomnia, Jin-geol held out a body pillow with a large rose flower printed on it.
“Kwon-woo, this is a special ‘Rose Sleep Pillow’ made by Taesan Pharmaceuticals. It’s made with rose extract, sleep-inducing ingredients, and special fibers—just hugging it while you sleep will make your tinnitus disappear and give you a deep sleep. So make sure you keep it by your side when you sleep.”
“A Rose Sleep Pillow?”
“Yeah, they added the scent of the laundry soap produced by Taesan Chemical. The scent is amazing. It’ll be exactly your taste.”
Could it really be that good? Kwon Woo doubted Jin-geol’s words as he reached out his hand.
The silk texture that touched his fingertips was strangely warm and soft.
The cool, refreshing scent of laundry soap that tickled his nose felt familiar somehow.
Well, the scent is nice at least.
As soon as Kwon Woo pulled the pillow tightly to his chest with a satisfied face, the sharp tinnitus that had been tearing through his head completely disappeared.
“Huh. It really works. I’m getting sleepy already.”
Kwon Woo hugged the body pillow Jin-geol had given him tightly and closed his eyes.
Just as he was about to drift into a sweet sleep, a shrieking sound pierced his ears.
“Ah! Let go of me! Mister, are you a pervert?”
