# Chapter 2. Café Jinju

[Junhui Kang

Haerang May Forest Beach Hotel - CEO]

Jinju lifted her head.

***

"So, to sum things up, you're interested in buying the land this café is located on, even if that means paying two or three times its current value?"

Initially, Jinju had been bothered by Junhui's proposal, but now, her expression had changed.

"Yes."

Junhui nodded, looking quite at ease. Meanwhile, Jinju leaned back in her chair, lost in thought. It was a two-story building on a hill by the beach. She remembered the day she had first come here, hand-in-hand with her mother.

They had moved here after living in a rundown shack, and she could still recall her mother's bright face, bright as the sun, as she declared that the beautiful two-story building was their new home.

"My daughter, are you happy?

"Yes, Mom. I feel like a princess. It’s like a princess’s palace!”

"Jinju, let's live happily here from now on.”

"Yes, Mom."

For a while, Jinju felt like she was living in a dream. She finally had a beautiful house, pretty clothes, and shoes. Nevertheless, dreams were just dreams, and she soon realized that they would always shatter someday.

Following the accident happened at that time서, she began to hate everything: the café, her mom, her dad, Haerang… and even the ocean. Jinju finally stopped thinking and looked out of the window. The sun was setting, painting the sky red, and the ocean was calm and serene. She turned to Junhui.

"That's not a bad proposal, but..."

As he mentioned earlier, since parents and children share ownership, she couldn't dispose of it as she wished. If she could do as she pleased, honestly, she'd feel like giving this place away for free right this instant. .

“This property doesn’t belong to me.”

Despite the coldness to Jinju's words, Junhui was surprised to see such a positive reaction. His face lit up as if he had grasped a glimmer of hope.

"Still, I'm glad you seem to be thinking that way. Perhaps I should meet your mother and discuss the matter with her."

"My mother isn't here, and I can't even contact her."

Junhui flinched, not quite understanding her words.

"I’m not sure if this question is an appropriate question, but don’t you live here?"

"Well, no… it’s my mom’s house."

He listened intently as if he was afraid to miss a single word of hers.

"Anyway, I think it’d be faster to check with the real estate agents. Maybe she's already put it up for sale."

'She said she was leaving Haerang. Maybe she's finally given this place up… I hope so.'

"Well actually, based on the report from my staff, it seems that the owner of this place has indirectly declined a trade."

"Oh, I see."

Jinju frowned.

‘Why would she do that? This is the perfect opportunity. Mom, you love money. Why would you refuse? Don't tell me that double the price isn't enough for you. What more could you possibly want?’

“Haaah,” Jinju let out a sigh, feeling inexplicably tired.

"Yes, that's why I came here by myself to discuss this matter."

"But is this really that important? Important enough for the CEO of May Forest Beach Hotel to come here himself?"

The small café on the outskirts of the seaside village had been her mother's place for almost twenty years, so Jinju couldn't understand why they were suddenly trying to buy the land.

"I need this spot for business purposes. I can't say anything more than that."

"Oh, well…"

It wasn't a satisfying answer, but of course, everyone had their own reasons. Jinju just nodded with a bitter expression on her face since she didn’t really have to know the reason why.

"If you're able to get in touch with your mother, please let her know. It would be best if you could convince her. Even if she asks for double the price or more, we'll gladly accept."

"I’ll be sure to tell her if I manage to reach her, but I'm not sure when that will be."

"Okay, thank you."

Junhui smiled, pleased with her response, and grabbed his coat from the nearby chair.

"Oh, dear."

As he stood up and put his coat on, he noticed the paraffin heater and exclaimed,

"Looks like there's no fuel left. Do you have more?"

"Oh, I'm not entirely sure, but there should be some around here somewhere. Don't worry about me."

"The temperature drops quickly by the seaside once the sun sets."

Jinju didn't bother responding to Junhui's excessive worry, simply opening the café door and gesturing for him to leave. As she appeared to be pushing him out, Junhui gave her a faint smile, nodded, and exited the café.

"Phew..."

After she sent him off, Jinju realized that the café was completely devoid of warmth. She hurriedly searched both inside and outside for some more fuel, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find any.

It was a bit disheartening that she had returned to Haerang after seven years only to be left cold and hungry. With that, she grabbed her purse and headed off to buy paraffin.

"What kind of village closes all its stores after sunset?!"

Jinju wandered around the small seaside town, but there was nowhere to buy what she needed. She had no choice but to return to the café with a heavy heart. She really didn't want to sleep on the second floor, so she sighed, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly… knock, knock!

Hearing a knock on the door, Jinju raised her head to see Junhui Kang standing there.

‘Does he have something else to discuss?’

Upon opening the door, she saw him standing in a clean, elegant suit, looking flawless.

However, contrasting his impeccable appearance, he was carrying a couple cans of paraffin in each hand, his skin reddened from the cold. When their eyes met, he gave her a faint smile. Jinju was startled but managed to hide it.

She had no idea why he was carrying those barrels. Perhaps he was just that desperate to buy the land the café was located on. Although she was certainly happy to see the paraffin, she didn't like the idea of a stranger being so kind to her.

"Wh-why...?"

"All the stores in this village close after sunset. It's a seaside town, after all. You won't get anything even if you go out now.”

"That's my business."

"That is also part of my company's important business."

With that, he brushed past her and refilled the heater with fuel.

Pour-

The sound of liquid being poured into the heater reverberated around the café as Jinju stared at the man's broad solid back. Suddenly, she thought of something and started rummaging through her purse. After aimlessly pulling out her card and shoving it back in, she closed it with a troubled expression.

“All done.”

While Jinju had a troubled look on her face, Junhui rose with a contented expression, having completed his task.

"Look, I don't have any cash on me right now. If you submit a- I mean, give me the receipt, I'll pay you back later."

"It's fine."

"No, really, how much was it?"

Jinju remained resolute in her refusal to give in.

"Well, I thought twenty liters would be plenty, so..."

"Okay, so how much was it?"

"There you go, the receipt."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white piece of paper. His expression conveyed his satisfaction at having the receipt.

“Eight hundred won per liter. Total comes to sixteen thousand won. By the way, are you a teacher?"

His question caught Jinju off guard, making her blink.

"I sensed that you prefer it when I speak more directly, like this. Your tone reminds me of a teacher too."

Jinju didn't want to engage with his mocking attitude, nor did she feel the need to disclose her profession.

"Well, doing this for me won't make a difference."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Your kindness won't make it any easier for you to buy this place."

"Oh…"

"I don't have enough influence with my mom," she muttered while staring at the paraffin.

"I didn't do this for that reason."

He mixed a hint of resentment in with his nonchalant expression.

"Either way, thank you. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

"If that's what makes you comfortable, go ahead," Junhui replied slowly, wearing an expression that reflected a sense of resignation, and glanced around the café.

Before long, Jinju was swinging the door open and gesturing for him to get out once again.

"Well then…"

He was about to exit the café but stopped in front of the door and looked directly at her. He gazed at her as if he wanted her to remember him. Upon noticing that, Jinju's eyebrows twitched subtly.

Once he finally left, she sat there blankly, watching the heater burn red. Soon enough, the café was filled with warmth. With enough fuel, she could spend the night in there without any problems.

"Alright, now, let's eat something."

She looked inside the bag she brought back from the grocery store. Since she couldn’t be bothered to boil water, she skipped on the ramyeon, instead opening a bag of bread and a carton of milk, which was still cold despite having been left on the side.

As she munched on the bread, she looked around the café slowly. It was already dark outside, and the café was lit dimly by the heater's warmth.

So, why was it that she could see everything so clearly? The young Jinju, who couldn't wait to leave, the Jinju who lived quietly, unnoticed by everyone as she clung to her studies, and the Jinju who finally made it out of there.

"She acquired this place by selling her body, seducing a wealthy guy, and amassing a fortune. I don't know who he was, but he certainly appeared affluent. Nevertheless, she’s still beautiful. Perhaps she’s struggling now after losing her man."

Everyone spoke ill of her mother; she could hear them even when she plugged her ears. It was dreadful.

‘How could you betray my dad by engaging in such immoral behavior with another man? Did you feel satisfied after getting this house and café?’

“Jinju, your daddy wants you to bravely overcome any obstacles and live confidently, no matter how difficult things may be. Just like a white pearl that perseveres through everything. Just like your name, Jinju [1] .’

On the day before the ocean swallowed her father, he left her with those tender words that stirred her heart. If only he had shared that kind of story with her mother, perhaps things would have been different. Perhaps.

But her mother had chosen the easy path, never bravely overcoming her obstacles, and thus, she couldn’t live confidently. Jinju couldn't help but feel a sense of hatred and shame toward her mom, and wished to live as if they were strangers. At the very least, she wanted to become a daughter that her father would be proud of.

After escaping Haerang, she had hoped to rid herself of the painful memories and start anew. Yet, returning after seven years, everything looked just as it had done before. She felt strangely numb.

“Cough... cough... cough...”

She struggled to swallow her bread, pounding her chest with her fist.

***

Jinju furrowed her brow and stretched her back. She had only slouched down on the café table for a moment, but she was so exhausted that she ended up falling asleep in that position.

As she gazed out the window, she noticed that it was a bright day, and she was grateful that the heater was still on. Staring at the orange flames, she suddenly remembered the man who had poured the paraffin in there the day before.

"Oh, that's where I saw him."

She recalled seeing him on TV when she went to a restaurant with her fellow teachers. The show was called "Meet the Young CEO," and her colleagues couldn't stop talking about how handsome and charming he was.

"…I should meet him and pay him back."