7. The Ultra-Rich Seo Mina's Lesson to Protect the Man She Loves.
7. The Ultra-Rich Seo Mina's Lesson to Protect the Man She Loves.
'Ha... It was so dizzying for a moment that I wanted to cut him off sharply...'
Min Seon-a had spent about half a month in desperate regret.
What kind of regret?
It was regret for having kept more distance than necessary, out of a premature sense of burden regarding the reality of a penniless Geum Tae-yang.
'No matter how I look at it, that combination of face and physique is hard to find...'
After drawing a line with Geum Tae-yang, Min Seon-a had tried looking for decent boyfriend material through various other channels.
But unexpectedly, so-called Geum Tae-yang Syndrome had occurred for her.
Every time a guy entered her radar, they were all compared to Geum Tae-yang's looks and physique.
'Especially since he doesn't even manage himself or dress up, and he's still at that level. He's beyond celebrity-tier.'
That was the comparison between an un-styled Geum Tae-yang and a fully-styled scan-target.
As a result, his future value was calculated into the mix, and Min Seon-a's sense of loss exploded.
'Myeong-ho oppa also says Tae-yang is a very reliable younger brother and he'll be with him for a long time... If that's the case, even if he doesn't have money now, he could be fine later...'
While being introduced to Geum Tae-yang by Yu Myeong-ho,
Yu Myeong-ho's perspective on Geum Tae-yang naturally accumulated in Min Seon-a's mind as well.
Yu Myeong-ho said he planned to inherit his father's business,
And that as long as Geum Tae-yang didn't cause any trouble, he planned to promote him gradually and use him as his right-hand man.
Of course, what Yu Myeong-ho wanted to emphasize with this was ultimately, "Geum Tae-yang is below me!"
He must have wanted to make Min Seon-a aware of that.
'Right, let's keep Geum Tae-yang around me. If he succeeds following Myeong-ho oppa, then I can catch him. No, actually, that's more rational.'
However, believing Yu Myeong-ho's words was just a possibility, and isn't possibility a gamble?
So, Min Seon-a, who absolutely didn't want to suffer a loss, concluded her half-month of deliberation with fishing.
'Ha... Is he hurt because his pride was wounded?'
However, the ambitiously planned roadmap didn't go as expected.
Unlike before, Geum Tae-yang didn't reply to her texts immediately.
Even the messages that did come were cliché and one-word answers.
Since the nuance of Geum Tae-yang's texts had originally been on the quite kind side,
Min Seon-a thought that Geum Tae-yang was showing a defense mechanism because his pride was hurt after being dumped like a dog.
'Things like that can happen in life, don't be so petty.'
She got annoyed. She had a class consciousness too.
Thinking that Geum Tae-yang, who was lower class than her, was putting up a defense mechanism made her venom rise.
"Oh really? Then I'll have to step in! You know! Tae-yang listens to me well."
Min Seon-a's brain worked fast.
Dragging in Yu Myeong-ho,
[I feel so sorry for Tae-yang... I didn't mean for it to be like that...]
"I know. How long have we known each other? That's why I introduced you two. Don't worry. This oppa will solve it."
[Thank you, Myeong-ho oppa...]
The method wasn't difficult.
She pretended to feel guilty for hurting Geum Tae-yang's feelings, stimulating Yu Myeong-ho's desire to step in.
[I understand, but do you have to avoid texts like that? Seon-a is a nice girl. Anyway, let's see each other there the day after tomorrow. Hyung will buy you something delicious. You know Hyung's choice.]
[Okay. I understand, Hyung. See you that day.]
Seo Myeong-ho, wanting to act as the fixer oppa to Min Seon-a and feel a sense of superiority as a dignified hyung to Geum Tae-yang, jumped into the fray immediately, like a dog that found a bone with meat still stuck here and there.
"Kk...! This is tricky... I didn't think they'd use their hands so directly."
Honestly, I thought we would meet as a trio someday since he's Myeong-ho hyung's acquaintance.
But at this timing.
And the nuance of what Myeong-ho hyung is saying,
It seems like I've gotten caught up in something troublesome in many ways.
"They're going to keep you on the hook. Could our Tae-yang become Min Seon-a's fish?"
"Quiet. I know."
"What should we do...? Caught fish aren't attractive... You'll be trained to the fullest and then dumped, won't you?"
"I won't get caught. Who says I'm getting caught?"
Seo Mi-na's prophecy came true. And since it came true on the very day she delivered the oracle, Mi-na was triumphant.
Look at her scratching away, insisting on emphasizing a story that both she and I already know.
"But Mi-na, do you know where this is? Even if I search for it, the description comes out vaguely."
However, I couldn't counterattack with anything more than saying she was noisy.
Because I needed her help.
I made it a habit to learn information about the meeting place in advance, especially when the three of us—Myeong-ho hyung, Min Seon-a, and I—were meeting.
Since we meet at so-called high-class places, if I act dumb, it creates a situation where I get sweaty on my back in many ways.
But it's hard to find proper information about the restaurant for this appointment.
"Let's see... Since Tae-yang asked for a rescue, I should exert my power diligently, right?"
"Uh, please do."
"It feels good... Our Tae-yang has become a gentle lamb... Hehehe..."
I handed my phone to Mi-na,
And she showed enthusiasm, as if she was happy to have received my phone.
"La Serene,"
After checking the restaurant name, Mi-na
"Ha...!"
She sighed, raising the corners of her mouth subtly.
It was like, "Here?"
"Looking at the text, it seems Min Seon-a chose La Serene. What a nasty friend."
"Huh? Why? Is it a strange place?"
"Rather than strange, it's a place with a clear intention."
For a moment, Seo Mi-na scanned the content above the texts.
Roughly, Min Seon-a said she would buy a meal at La Serene under the pretext of apologizing to me,
And it's structured so that Myeong-ho hyung, having his pride, decided he would pay for it.
"Anyway, if the situation continues like this, you'll be in trouble too, Tae-yang. Because it's hard to refuse if Myeong-ho hyung gets involved. Besides, won't once become twice, and twice become three times?"
"That's true."
"Then."
Mi-na returned my phone.
The force she had while returning it? Unlike when she was teasing me, she seemed genuinely pissed off.
"I'll solve it. Very cleanly."
There's no doubt.
Looking at Mi-na's eyes right now, it looks like she intends to carry out punishment disguised as a solution.
"I'm such a scatterbrained guy too."
"Hey, that can happen, oppa."
Two days later, Monday, the day of the appointment, was a public holiday.
So Seo Myeong-ho and Min Seon-a set it as a lunch appointment, not dinner.
But the two of them are waiting for Geum Tae-yang outside, not inside the restaurant La Serene.
"I'll buy Tae-yang's jacket."
"No~ I'll buy the jacket too. I'm in a situation where I made a big mistake, so it's only natural."
"Even so, that's too much. It's enough for you, Seon-a, to just set up something else."
As expected, La Serene was a very high-class restaurant.
The problem is that the class is above a certain level.
The dress code is strict.
In other words, no matter how much Geum Tae-yang cleans himself up, the moment he enters, he becomes a monkey in a zoo.
"Seon-a, you're really kind. You're considerate, too. Tae-yang had a serious misunderstanding about you."
However, Yu Myeong-ho, who doesn't care about others, naturally didn't keep in mind the situation Geum Tae-yang would face.
Min Seon-a, who met Yu Myeong-ho before Geum Tae-yang at the meeting place today, reminded him, so they are belatedly preparing countermeasures.
'There is a financial hemorrhage, but I have to think of it as an investment. It's also the price for enjoying the sight of Tae-yang being flustered and relying on me. Hehehe...!'
She met him first on purpose.
Because it's a situation Min Seon-a induced.
People call it that—the French contemporary fine dining restaurant La Serene, located in the alley inside Dosan Park in Cheongdam-dong.
[The place in Cheongdam where people's class is most quietly divided]
Even the sign is small and quiet, so it's easy for first-timers to pass by.
But among the Gangnam upper class, it's a quite famous space among their own circles.
'What will he look like when he comes? He'll probably come wearing a navy jacket that looks like it was bought at a SPA brand, and inside, a black knit to look neat? He'll be wearing jeans as always. It'll be fortunate if he doesn't come wearing New Balance sneakers.'
A jacket is essential.
Sneakers are practically forbidden,
Shorts and hoodies are the same.
Excessive casual attire is restricted,
Moreover, for men, watches are also important.
And the core that encompasses all of that is that he must have a vibe accustomed to that world.
'The jacket should be Burberry or Gucci, and the shirt... Saint Laurent? Something slim-fit that reveals the body line. For bottoms, Gucci slacks would be appropriate. Shoes... let's go with Christian Louboutin.'
There's no way Geum Tae-yang would come dressed appropriately for high society, nor would he even know such a concept.
Min Seon-a's plan is to invite him, fluster him, and then present him with a 1 million won shirt, 800,000 won slacks, and 1.5 million won shoes to cast the bait for fishing.
'If it were just me, I don't know, but if Myeong-ho oppa blows the wind, he'll never be able to refuse.'
Naturally, it was Min Seon-a's meticulousness that even calculated that Geum Tae-yang would refuse,
So that, too, would be solved if she used Yu Myeong-ho.
'The watch is... hmm, later. When Geum Tae-yang shows the possibility of doing better?'
Seo Myeong-ho had just declared a moment ago that he would buy the jacket.
So Min Seon-a thought about a watch.
A Rolex, her standard, is appropriate, but around 15 million won seems like too big a bait, so she thinks she should hold off.
"He's a bit late, oppa."
"Is this guy walking here because he thinks taxi fare is a waste? He probably doesn't even know the location well."
To be precise, it wasn't appointment time yet.
However, Geum Tae-yang usually comes out and waits about 30 minutes early when an appointment is made.
"But what kind of person is the friend Tae-yang has? Have you seen her since then?"
As it seemed like it would take more time for Geum Tae-yang to arrive,
Min Seon-a brought up another topic.
The friend of Geum Tae-yang that Yu Myeong-ho saw, that is, Seo Mi-na.
Yu Myeong-ho is a person with a very loose mouth, especially among acquaintances, he is a person with no secrets.
Of course, he is tight-lipped about things that could be a problem for him.
As Geum Tae-yang avoided contact, Min Seon-a threw it out jokingly, asking if he had another woman,
And to that, Seo Myeong-ho mentioned the meeting with Seo Mi-na.
"No, I haven't seen her since then. It doesn't look like they met separately or anything? When work is over, he goes straight home, and he says he doesn't want to spend money on Sundays, so he just stays home."
Because Seo Mi-na was also an object of interest for Yu Myeong-ho.
He still doesn't understand. Why would a woman like that be with Geum Tae-yang?
So he obsessively observed whether Geum Tae-yang started meeting Seo Mi-na.
However, since Seo Mi-na is in a situation where she's holed up in a semi-basement room, Geum Tae-yang's daily movement path hasn't changed at all from before.
"You said she seems like a girl from a well-off family. How much do you think it is?"
Even though they aren't dating, a 3.5 million won investment would be a big investment even from the perspective of Min Seon-a, a daughter from a well-off family.
Nevertheless, one of the reasons she made such a bold move was hearing about Seo Mi-na's existence from Yu Myeong-ho.
The remark, "Wow~ Tae-yang surprisingly has a friend like that, too?" made Min Seon-a feel a sense of competition and crisis.
"It's just that it's like that when comparing with Tae-yang. Don't pay much attention to it. Tae-yang isn't a guy who gets swayed in that direction. That's why I like him."
"Who's paying attention. And if you're a person, it's natural to be swayed. What's strange about that."
"Hahahat! That's true!"
Yu Myeong-ho didn't tell Min Seon-a exactly what he felt about Seo Mi-na.
The only person Yu Myeong-ho talks about such raw stories with right now is Geum Tae-yang.
Because he is definitely a level lower than himself.
To other opponents, he puts on all sorts of bluffs to maintain his pride.
'She must be from a reasonably well-off family. That's why Myeong-ho oppa remembers her. I'll imprint it properly. Who the person you should look at is, Geum Tae-yang.'
Smirk...!
However, people around him know Seo Myeong-ho's tendencies very well.
Min Seon-a, who was convinced that Yu Myeong-ho's comments regarding Seo Mi-na were bluffs, raised the corners of her mouth viciously, and
"Oh...! That car?"
At that moment, Yu Myeong-ho, who turned his head in the opposite direction from where Geum Tae-yang would come, reacted with wide eyes.
"Roma!"
It was because he discovered the supercar Ferrari Roma.
It's a dark metal gray Ferrari Roma.
"Is it an expensive car?"
Yu Myeong-ho is a person who lives for pride and dies for pride.
It was a reaction rarely seen outside.
As such, Min Seon-a, who doesn't know much about cars, also showed sudden interest.
"It's expensive. Because it's a car that starts at 400 million won as a base. But in that case, you have to consider it more than that..."
The dark metal gray Ferrari Roma was trying to enter the restaurant La Serene's valet zone.
So it passed slowly in front of Yu Myeong-ho and Min Seon-a, and Yu Myeong-ho scanned the Roma very intently.
Because Yu Myeong-ho, who owns a 120 million won Mercedes, considers the Ferrari Roma his dream car in its own way.
"They put quite a few options in. At that level, it'll hit 500 million won."
"5, 500 million???"
So in an instant, he calculated the estimate including options.
Since 500 million won is close to one-tenth of her family's total assets from Min Seon-a's perspective, she stuttered for a moment.
"Roughly, it looks like she's a hospital director's daughter or a daughter of a successful mid-sized company owner..."
"It could just be a nouveau riche."
"The two valets are moving at the same time. The staff here don't move like that just by looking at a car."
As the Roma entered the drop-off space, two La Serene valet staff moved in perfect order.
It feels like they know who the car owner is.
"Huh??"
Before long, the car owner got out,
And the car owner was someone that not only the La Serene valet staff but also Yu Myeong-ho knew.
Quiet beige-tone attire,
An atmosphere where the attendant is familiar and comfortable,
It was only for a moment, but it was a gait that had been very strongly imprinted in Yu Myeong-ho's mind a month ago.
"Please take it inside."
"Yes, your seat is ready."
'Seo Mi-na???'
It was Geum Tae-yang's female friend, Seo Mi-na.
"Why? Why are you like that, oppa?"
Min Seon-a was greatly bewildered by the sight of Yu Myeong-ho, whose face became even more surprised than when he discovered the Ferrari Roma.
And her expression also changed to be exactly the same as Yu Myeong-ho's soon after.
'No, why is Geum Tae-yang coming out of there???'
Because Geum Tae-yang had gotten out from the opposite side of the Ferrari Roma's driver's seat.