# Chapter 5. Some Motive

"Oh, I just find it interesting."

"…What?"

"You must have studied hard since you're putting so much effort into making just one cup of coffee.”

"Well, that’s because I like it.”

Junhui replied with another dim smile, reminiscent of the aroma of coffee in the café.

Back at the hotel, he’d had a dominating aura, but now, he seemed like any ordinary young man.

‘I mean, his appearance is beyond ordinary, and he has such a sweet, chilled-out personality... Oh my, what the hell am I thinking?!’

Jinju was unsure of how to respond to Junhui, who kept smiling at her. Not knowing what to do, she just got up. The sunlight from the bright sky poured in through the window. She tiptoed toward the glass panes to take a look outside.

"Hey, Miss Baek, could you hand me that kettle?"

Jinju turned back to see him gesturing at the kettle on the heater with a tilted head. After a brief moment of hesitation, she handed him the kettle filled with boiling water.

"You know, Miss Baek. You seem like a kind person, but you try to pretend that you're not.”

"No, I don't. I've never heard such a thing.”

"You look like you’re annoyed, but you keep doing everything I ask.”

His words hit her like a ton of bricks. Back in school, she was known as Miss Snooty Stuck-up Ice Witch, so she didn’t understand what he was trying to say.

"Miss Baek, could you please grab that cup for me?"

She was about to automatically do what he said but stopped herself.

"It’s right next to you. You can get it yourself. I know I said you could take the beans if you wanted, but I never expected you to make a scene like this."

"Miss Baek?"

"What?"

'Why does he keep calling my name?'

"Here."

Before she knew it, Junhui approached and placed a freshly brewed cup of coffee right in front of her face.

The raw coffee beans had been scentless, but once they were roasted, ground, and mixed with hot water, they emitted an incredible aroma. It was almost surreal.

Junhui gestured for her to take a sip when their eyes met. When he smiled softly yet again, Jinju felt a bit sulky and snatched the cup from his hand.

"Be careful, it's hot."

"Oh, it's hot... you should have warned me before I took a sip."

She fanned her burning lips with her hand. Junhui had acted nonchalant up until now, but he quickly ran to the kitchen, searched for the refrigerator, and rummaged through the freezer.

‘What is this man doing in someone else's place?’

He grabbed some ice, wrapped it in his very own handkerchief, rushed back out, and placed it on her lips.

"Are you some kind of flirt?"

"An athlete? Do you mean a runner since I’m so fast?"

“Phew, even if you do all this..."

"…Do all this?"

"You won’t be able to contact my mother any sooner. I know you want to win my favor so you can buy this land, but it's not that kind of problem."

Junhui’s brows furrowed as she spoke.

"Yeah, you really are a Korean teacher."

"…What?"

"You figure out people's intentions by observing their words and actions."

"Oh, am I wrong then? You came here for that reason, right? So did I say something wrong?"

Their gazes locked in midair.

"Anyway, I want to get rid of this café as soon as possible, but my mom... I don't know where my mom is. I really don't. She used to be here all the time."

Frowning, she grimaced and set down the cold handkerchief she had pressed to her lips. and set the cup of coffee down on the table. Then, she scanned the kitchen for a takeout cup, poured his coffee into it, and handed it over to him.

"You said one cup would be enough, right? Here. Take it and go. Now."

She swung the door open wide and stood there, just like she’d done the day before.

"There's some left. Panama Geisha still tastes great when it's cold, so you can drink it whenever you want. And thanks for the gift."

Junhui calmly picked up the takeout cup, his jacket, and his bag, before making his way out of the café.

When he stepped outside, the sun was high in the sky.

Junhui took a sip of the coffee. Panama Geisha had a rich, fruity flavor. It was his favorite coffee, but for some reason, he didn't feel anything special – even though it’d been freshly roasted a moment ago. He found that odd and walked back to the hotel slowly.

He was surprised by himself when he asked Jinju if she was going to figure out his motives a moment ago. When she asked him if he had motives, he couldn't give her any answer.

She had come to the wrong conclusion, but he couldn't deny that he had some intention behind it. Unexpectedly, Jinju subtly expressed her inner thoughts to him. He’d thought that Jinju’s relationship with her mother was bad, but he’d now learned that she was also anxiously awaiting her return.

So it wasn't a complete waste of time.

He was about to call his driver, but he slipped his phone back into his pocket in the end. Desperately needing to calm his pounding heart, he wanted to take a walk.

As he walked further, he came across the pine forest.

"Junhui, look at this pine forest. Mommy used to play here when I was younger. Look at those trees. And isn't that little worm so cute?"

"Eww, no. It's gross, Mom."

"It’s a creature that lives with us, so it's not gross. Mommy will build several nice houses that perfectly match here. I believe they’ll look different from the hotel."

Junhui remembered his mother's sparkling eyes. She was so passionate and loved Haerang so much. Even when she was busy, she always found time to bring him to this forest. She had mentioned that it was her dream to build a beautiful resort there more than a couple of times.

As he looked around the center of the forest, warm sun rays shone through the trees. These windbreaks provided such shelter that even the air felt cozy.

Suddenly he felt emotional. Memories of his childhood flooded back, along with nostalgia and feelings of guilt toward his deceased mother.

All that remained was a burning desire for revenge against his wretched father and his mistress. He was determined to reclaim Haerang May Forest from his father and fulfill his mother's dream of building a beautiful resort next to the hotel. And that woman - the one who caused his mother's death, destroyed his family, and made his life a living hell - he had to find her and make her pay. That was his life's purpose and reason.

Practically abandoned in America, he studied tirelessly to become a man who would never be swayed by personal feelings. That’s why he’d lived with a frozen heart, bearing nothing but burning revenge. But as he began to lay the foundations for his resort and searched for the woman, her daughter, Jinju Baek, returned to Haerang.

As he gazed out at the sea, while waves were moving like sea serpents, he thought to himself;

‘Jinju Baek, I'll pretend to love you and marry you. But on our wedding day, I'll leave you. I'll make sure your mother sees how love has betrayed you with her own eyes. She probably wishes she were dead.’

***

Jinju was still sitting there, savoring the Panama Geisha. She had once been a firm believer that all coffee tasted the same.

"Wow, what kind of coffee is this?"

So, with that, she was pleasantly surprised by the unique flavor of Panama Geisha.

Jinju had always thought that all coffee was bitter, but this one tasted like an orchard in a cup. It was a delightful blend of various fruity aromas, and she couldn't get enough of it.

Despite feeling guilty for judging the man who made the coffee and speaking ill of him, she couldn't deny that the coffee was amazing.

Besides, she had been quite fascinated while watching the entire process of making one cup of coffee, from the beginning to the end, despite her grumbling.

In fact, she also found the man who performed it quite amusing as well.

However…

"Damn, I was so immature."

She hunched over the table and let out a sigh. It was ridiculous to have kicked him out, and she had definitely blown her top with him for no reason. The words had spilled out without any thought.

‘Why did I say that? Why did I vent and throw a tantrum at that innocent man? He only came here for a cup of coffee…’

At that moment, Jinju realized she had been anxiously waiting for her mom. She had worried that something terrible had happened to her, but thankfully, that wasn't the case. Jinju had initially planned to go back to Seoul after repaying Junhui for the paraffin, but somehow, she found herself waiting.

When Jinju turned twenty and left Haerang, she didn't spare a single glance back. She was determined to escape that place forever. The sea disgusted her, she felt embarrassed by her mom, and Haerang had worn her out completely.

Yet, deep down, she held onto the belief that she could always leave Haerang whenever she pleased because her mom would always be there. But now, her mom was gone, and she had no clue when she would return.

"Mom, where are you, and what are you doing?"

She was just ranting to herself, but it was the first time she had spoken up to ask about her mother's whereabouts since turning twenty. Feeling frustrated, Jinju picked up her phone.

"Huh?"

A message had arrived.

[Dear Miss Jinju Baek, we are pleased to inform you that your application for the UNESCO dispatched teacher program in Laos has been successful. Kindly review the following notice and your schedule.]

She had eagerly awaited this moment. It should have filled her with joy and excitement, yet her heart was burdened with a heavy weight.

As she stared at the message, she scrolled through her contact list. Time was running out, and if her mother didn't return soon, there was a chance she might never see her again.

That was when she made up her mind to take matters into her own hands. She would sell the café to Junhui Kang, purchase a house for her mother in Haerang, and then depart once more.

Her eyes were fixed on one phone number. After hesitating for a moment, she pressed the call button.

"Hello?"

"Jinju? Is that you?"

"Hi, Auntie. How have you been?"

"Oh deary, that's not the issue. What makes you contact me? Where are you? Why haven’t you contacted me? Jinju, I know you’re intelligent, strong, and clever... so we’ve trusted you..."

"Hey, Auntie…"

"Huh?"

"Do you know where my mom is?"

"What? Isn't Eunhee in Haerang?"

"No…"

Jinju made several phone calls, but none of them gave any clues about her mother's whereabouts. Despite her unresolved feelings towards her mother, she remained resolute in her determination to find her, so she continued her search.

"Oh, my stomach hurts."

Having only consumed coffee on an empty stomach, she started feeling to feel a little unwell. She reached for the stale bread from the previous day, which had become dry and devoid of moisture, and took small bites.

However, that didn't help, so she poured some hot water from the kettle into a cup of instant noodles. After taking a few sips of the hot water, she felt a sense of fullness and couldn't finish the entire cup.

Seeking some fresh air, she stepped out into the garden.

"The sky looks beautiful."

She settled onto the swing seat and gazed up at the sky instead of the sea. Though the wind was strong, the blue sky was enough to keep her rooted outside. After basking in the sun for a while, swaying back and forth on the swing, she began to feel drowsy.

"…Jinju Baek?"

Just as she was about to doze off, someone called her name.