18.
“This place has everything.”
Everything was prepared, even though it was uncertain when a guest might arrive. There was toothpaste, a toothbrush, shampoo, body lotion, and more. Thanks to this, Haseo was able to clean himself thoroughly and fall asleep with the dawn light streaming through the window.
“Ugh, ugh.”
While sleeping, he had a dream where Director Choi Mujin cruelly abandoned him. He heard terrible words and was mistreated. Yet, strangely, he didn’t come to hate Director Choi Mujin, which made him feel miserable.
“Ugh!”
He woke up with a start, the last glimpse of dawn light gone, and birds chirping outside. He felt incredibly miserable, but oddly, his body felt great. It had been a long time since he had woken up feeling so refreshed. Then, a sudden ominous feeling made him get out of bed and search the pockets of his work uniform, which he had tossed in the corner of the room. But he found nothing.
“That’s right. They confiscated my phone at the club.”
He wasn’t allowed to have his phone while working. It could be used to leak internal information, and it was also a distraction. He would have to go back to the club to retrieve it.
Haseo rubbed his temples and looked around the room. Then he saw the clock on the wall and was startled.
“12 o’clock?”
It couldn’t be midnight, so it must be noon. This was Director Choi Mujin’s lunchtime. He hadn’t prepared any meals! Not even breakfast. He had done nothing and slept until now. Haseo jumped out of bed and rushed to the living room. There, he found Director Choi Mujin sitting comfortably on the sofa, looking at a tablet PC. He was fully dressed, and at first glance, he didn’t seem angry, but Haseo couldn’t be sure. He didn’t know Director Choi Mujin well enough. Sweat trickled down his back.
“I-I’m sorry.”
He struggled to find the right words to apologize.
“I’m sorry!”
Finally, he managed to blurt out the apology, and only then did Director Choi Mujin look up at him.
“You look terrible.”
Director Choi Mujin’s voice was calm.
“I’m sorry I didn’t prepare breakfast. I’ll make lunch right away!”
Haseo rushed towards the kitchen but tripped and fell to the floor. His existing wounds stung as they hit the ground, and tears welled up in his eyes.
“You don’t need to make breakfast.”
Director Choi Mujin closed his tablet PC.
“And for lunch…”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“We’ll eat out.”
Haseo breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the plan wasn’t to eat at home today. That meant he only needed to clean, do the laundry, and prepare dinner. Haseo struggled to his feet.
“By the way, you’re coming with me.”
“What? But we’re going out for lunch.”
“Yes.”
“Then why do I have to come with you?”
“You need to eat lunch too.”
That made sense, but Haseo still didn’t understand why Director Choi Mujin insisted on taking him along. He tried to read Director Choi Mujin’s expression but couldn’t figure it out.
“Go change your clothes first.”
Haseo was wearing an oversized, old T-shirt as pajamas. He usually wore pants to bed, but last night he had slept in just the T-shirt because of his wounds.
“Yes!”
He hurried back to his room and rummaged through an old box to find something to wear. The clothes he had worn yesterday were ruined, so he couldn’t wear them. He didn’t have many clothes to begin with, and losing a pair of pants was a significant loss. He had three decent pairs of pants: two for spring, summer, and fall, and one for winter.
He quickly put on the best clothes he had and went out to find Director Choi Mujin standing up.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
He hurried to Director Choi Mujin’s side and saw Secretary Ahn waiting by the door.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning. How are your wounds?”
“They’re fine, thank you!”
As they exchanged awkward pleasantries, the elevator arrived. Secretary Ahn was always kind to Haseo, but he remembered being dragged here the first time and couldn’t fully trust him.
‘He’ll always follow Director Choi Mujin’s orders.’
Haseo decided to keep a safe distance from Secretary Ahn.
Director Choi Mujin took Haseo to a place he had never seen before. They drove along a nearly empty road and then turned onto a mountain path. At the end of the path, they saw a white wall. The top of the wall was adorned with tiles, and it was so high that they couldn’t see inside.
Secretary Ahn parked the car in front of the wall, and Director Choi Mujin got out first. Haseo followed hesitantly. As they walked along the wall, they saw a woman approaching from the other side. She was dressed in a elegant hanbok and smiled gracefully as she stood in front of Director Choi Mujin.
“Welcome, Director Choi.”
“It’s been a while. You didn’t have to come out to greet me personally.”
“Of course, I did. I owe you a debt of gratitude from before. And I see you’ve brought a guest today.”
The woman looked at Haseo with a discerning gaze before turning back to Director Choi Mujin.
“Please, come inside.”
She turned and led the way, and Haseo followed Director Choi Mujin inside. As they walked, Haseo finally asked the question that had been on his mind.
“Where are we?”
“I told you earlier.”
“Is this… a restaurant?”
Haseo was astonished. He had never seen a restaurant like this before. He had seen traditional Korean houses in dramas, but never one of this scale. Beyond the gate was a vast estate with a beautifully landscaped garden. Haseo couldn’t imagine how much it cost to maintain a place like this.
“Please leave your shoes here.”
Haseo felt increasingly nervous. He obediently took off his shoes and followed the woman down a corridor. There were no other people in sight.
“Please follow me this way.”
The woman led them to a room and then left, closing the door behind her. Haseo sat down across from Director Choi Mujin, feeling anxious.
“What kind of food do they serve here?”
“Food. The chef here is very skilled. Pay attention to the taste.”
“You don’t expect me to cook this kind of food, do you?”
Haseo asked in alarm, but Director Choi Mujin just smiled and didn’t answer. Soon, a server brought in the first dishes: bite-sized appetizers and a light porridge.
Haseo hesitantly picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the food, trying to memorize the taste as Director Choi Mujin had instructed.
‘Hmm… I have no idea.’
The food was delicious, but he couldn’t figure out how to replicate the taste or even identify all the ingredients.
“You have a strange expression on your face.”
Director Choi Mujin laughed as he picked up his teacup. Haseo wanted to argue but held his tongue.
“Is it good?”
“It’s very good. But I don’t think I can make something like this.”
“Of course not. Your cooking skills aren’t that great. Just enjoy the meal.”
Haseo felt a surge of frustration. Director Choi Mujin had scared him and was now acting like it was no big deal.
“You told me to remember the taste!”
“Trying different foods helps you become a better cook.”
This sounded like something from Director Choi Mujin’s personal experience, even though Haseo knew he didn’t actually cook. As they finished the appetizers, the next course arrived. The main dish was Seoul-style soy-marinated beef, and it was incredibly delicious. Haseo relaxed and enjoyed the meal, and Director Choi Mujin even ordered an extra portion for him.
After eating more than he thought possible, Haseo felt stuffed.
“They have great desserts here too.”
“There’s dessert?”
Haseo wished he had known earlier so he could have saved room. But as the dessert arrived—persimmons, sweet red bean soup, and ice cream—he found himself eating every bite. He had never eaten so much in his life.
“Ugh, I’m so full.”
“You won’t burst. Want to take a walk?”
“Where?”
“The garden is right next to us.”
Haseo remembered the beautiful garden they had passed and felt excited. He struggled to his feet.
“Let’s go for a walk.”
He followed Director Choi Mujin out into the garden, feeling content despite his discomfort.
