Cafe Date (1)
Kim Chirok watched Bang Mihee as she ate, taking his time. The thought crossed his mind: if he married this woman, would they actually live happily together?
She's not going to be the meek and obedient type, that's for sure.
And she had already laid down her terms—don't interfere with her work. She would do whatever she pleased. As for sharing the housework, he could pitch in a little. He could even handle the dishes.
But she would need to get along with his mother. If she told people not to meddle and then ran around doing as she liked, his mother would be frowning in no time.
Still, this woman clearly had ability. She had taken notes on what the Chairman said, invested in stocks, and bought a five-billion-won apartment.
Five billion won. That was more money than he, a Seoul National University graduate, would earn in a lifetime. Unless he rose all the way to president of an affiliate company, it was out of the question.
What if I married her and we lived together in that Banpo apartment?
Then his old classmates wouldn't look down on him anymore. He would be on their level.
Kim Chirok spoke with a touch of envy.
"You'll be resigning once you get married, won't you, Ms. Bang? What kind of work are you planning to do after that?"
"President Jeong-hee suggested I start a company that supplies uniforms to the group. She said I have a good eye for design."
"That sounds about right. The outfit you're wearing right now looks incredibly stylish."
"Oh my. Does it?"
The ice-princess of a woman laughed aloud for the first time, a small sound escaping her.
Kim Chirok felt a little lift—she had actually laughed at something he had said. He took a long pull of his iced Jim Beam highball.
"I think you'd do well in business, Ms. Bang. You've attended to important people, so your sense of service should be excellent. And from what I hear, you're quite the investor as well?"
"Investor?"
"There's a rumor going around that you took careful notes whenever the Chairman spoke and used them to invest in stocks. People say you made a killing."
"Director Jang must have told you that."
"W-well…"
"I didn't make all that much. I did buy a five-billion-won apartment in Gangnam, though."
Whoa—so it was true! She really had made that kind of money!
"Wow. That's incredible. I truly respect that."
The news that an unmarried dance major had made five billion won left Kim Chirok's feelings in a tangle. He himself, a Seoul National University business school graduate, hadn't even managed to save fifty million.
"So you'll set up your newlywed home there? Even a wealthy man would have a hard time living in an apartment like that right after getting married."
Kim Chirok smiled and said, half-joking,
"I-I'll throw my hat in the ring, then."
Bang Mihee seemed pleased; she threw her head back and laughed. Then she recrossed her legs and said,
"You must have plenty of people who like you, Mr. Kim. Why would you say something like that?"
"I-I don't have anyone."
"Oh my. The women at H Chemical will be in tears."
"I really don't. I'm not smooth enough to have ever had a girlfriend."
"You seem quite articulate today."
"I'm not good with words. By the way—have you met all three of the people the company recommended?"
"I met two of them. I refused to meet the third."
"Why?"
"I saw him once, and I just didn't like him."
"Did you like the ones you did meet?"
"Well…"
"I hope I win the lottery."
At that, Bang Mihee only smiled.
Kim Chirok gathered his courage again.
"Ms. Bang!"
"Yes?"
"Let's see each other often. We met in Bongcheon-dong this time, so next time let's meet in Sillim-dong. That's where you live, after all."
"I-I'll be moving to Banpo next month. My parents will stay in Sillim-dong. I'm going alone."
"Then we'll meet often in Banpo. There must be plenty of nice cafes near Gangnam Terminal."
"I'll think about it."
The cafe owner came over carrying a plate.
"On the house."
The complimentary snack was crackers.
Just as their drinks ran out, Bang Mihee ordered another Suntory highball.
Kim Chirok considered asking about Jeong Chan-young, then decided against it. He hesitated over whether to suggest going somewhere outdoors next weekend.
But if they went outdoors, he didn't have a car. He would have to use Bang Mihee's. A woman driving while the man tagged along like a freeloader—that was just embarrassing. So he hesitated.
If only I had a car. If I could pull up in front of Bang Mihee's place, pick her up, and take her out…
Then his odds of beating Jeong Chan-young would be much better. But it wasn't the stage for saying something like that yet.
Should I ask her to a performance or something next week?
"Um… Ms. Bang, do you like musicals?"
The truth was, Kim Chirok had never seen a musical himself. The tickets alone were ridiculously expensive.
"I go sometimes. I majored in dance, so I also enjoy ballet and music concerts."
"Let's go see a show next week. I'll look up what's playing online."
"Next week won't work. I'll be accompanying the Chairman to an international music concert at the Seoul Arts Center."
"Ah, is that so? The Chairman must be a music lover, then?"
"The Chairman is an expert in classical music. He supports a great many musicians as well."
"Is that right?"
"That's why he's sometimes called Korea's Medici."
Medici? I feel like I've heard that name.
Kim Chirok made a mental note to look up just how much this Medici person had supported musicians.
The Chairman, an expert in classical music?
It was somewhat unexpected. He thought back to the Chairman he had seen at the villa in Seojong-myeon, Yangpyeong. Just an old man—and he liked classical music? He had assumed an old man would go for trot songs, but apparently not.
The tastes of high-society aristocracy really were different from those of ordinary people.
"I can contact you often, right? KakaoTalk is okay?"
At that, Bang Mihee only smiled, like a queen.
Kim Chirok looked at her profile. Those long eyelashes were captivating. They were almost certainly fake, but they suited the cafe's atmosphere perfectly. And those red lips were captivating too. When she brought the highball glass to them, there was something seductive about it.
When the drinks and snacks ran out, Bang Mihee said she should be going. Kim Chirok stood up with her.
"You didn't bring a car, did you?"
"No, I took the subway. It's only two stops to Sillim Station."
"At this hour you'll get a seat, at least?"
"When I use public transportation, I don't sit even if there's an empty seat."
Even sitting down, it seemed, was beneath a haughty beauty. She had no choice but to use public transit for short distances, but she had no intention of sitting among ordinary passengers.
Kim Chirok paid the bill and they left Solbeige Cafe.
"I'll walk you to the station."
Kim Chirok and Bang Mihee walked side by side down the alley of Sharosu-gil. He thought Bang Mihee was tall. He wasn't short himself, but her height was well above average too.
They were coming out of the Olive Young alley when Kim Chirok saw someone approaching and froze in shock.
It was his mother.
What? Mom? What's she doing here?
His mother looked equally stunned. She immediately covered her mouth with her hand.
Kim Chirok pretended not to see her. His mother, spotting her son walking with some woman, didn't acknowledge him either. Bang Mihee didn't notice either of them reacting at all.
They reached the subway entrance. Bang Mihee said,
"You can head back now."
Kim Chirok held out his hand. Bang Mihee shook it.
Her hand was remarkably soft.
After parting ways with Bang Mihee, Kim Chirok crossed the main road toward Bongcheon-dong Central Market. He was in an excellent mood. Bang Mihee had been quite receptive to him.
He had barely gotten in the door—hadn't even taken off his clothes—when his mother came over and asked,
"Who was that? That woman!"
"A coworker."
"Is she the one you're dating?"
"We just met for work."
"And here I thought she was your girlfriend."
"She's pretty, right? That woman."
"Pretty enough, but… I don't know why she was wearing so much makeup."
Kim Chirok considered mentioning that the woman might become her daughter-in-law, then thought better of it.
"What were you doing there, Mom?"
"A friend of mine works at a restaurant around there, so I stopped by. I'm thinking of trying some part-time work."
"You said your knees hurt. Don't overdo it."
Kim Chirok went into his room and sent Bang Mihee a KakaoTalk—a message saying it had been nice to see her today.
A reply came from Bang Mihee. No words—just a single emoticon.
The next day arrived. It was Sunday.
A KakaoTalk came from the real estate company employee he was supposed to meet today.
After sending his reply, Kim Chirok found himself wondering what these Japanese women would be like.
He was also curious how a real estate employee whose Japanese was still clumsy had even gotten to know Japanese women in the first place. The thought occurred to him that maybe Jang Min-soo had gone through one of those Korea-Japan couple-matching agencies that had been popping up lately.