A Surprise Encounter at the Hermitage
Seeing that Hwigyeom showed no reaction, Jeong Hye reached out for support.
“Yeong-ah, right? Your grandfather said he’d never arrange another marriage. But even with someone like Hwigyeom, he still throws a fit and brings in another match. You should be grateful.”
Yeah, from the various media articles that had been buzzing with heat not long ago, the marriage market looked completely blocked.
That was why Yeong-a had been quietly worried. But according to Jeong Hye, it was actually a blessing that Hwigyeom was so accomplished.
“I guess so. Manager. Really, it’s great.”
Although she felt a little sour inside, Yeong-a wiped it away in an instant. Those kinds of feelings belonged to family.
Accepting them too straightforwardly as an excuse to treat subordinates well was reckless, something that lacked any sense of gratitude.
“If you want to see that commotion again, I won’t stop you.”
Hwigyeom rose from his seat with an unchanged displeased expression.
“Hey, really now!”
Jeong Hye’s loud exclamation woke the sleeping Bokdol in her arms, making the puppy startle and perk up his head.
“Time to put Bokdol to bed. Everyone, please head home.”
Soon Bokdol was yawning again in her arms, and Hwigyeom carried him out without hesitation toward his own bedroom.
***
The next morning, Kim Gye-tae, who had met in Yanggu, looked a little uneasy. The small cafe he had chosen was completely empty of customers, yet Kim Gye-tae kept glancing around nervously.
But once Hwigyeom confirmed his identity and started speaking, Kim Gye-tae immediately loosened up and chatted away as casually as anyone else.
“Since you said time is urgent, I’ll do my best. If you prepare the contract, I’ll grab my boss’s seal however I can.”
Kim Gye-tae, whom the site manager had looked up, revealed that he was a close hometown friend of Jangmi.
“Can’t we meet in person and sign the contract?”
Hwigyeom’s question made Kim Gye-tae wave his hands frantically.
“That guy has a pathological fear of strangers. Even the neighborhood bathhouse is too much for him to enter with me.”
“I see. How long do you think it will take?”
“Even if it drags, it won’t be more than a week. Actually, the man is sitting on quite a bit of money in stocks right now.”
Kim Gye-tae shot a quick glance at Hwigyeom before continuing.
“So, I suggest you give him an advance on the contract to show off to your brother-in-law. That’s what everyone usually does.”
Hwigyeom nodded cheerfully and agreed without hesitation.
“I don’t have cash ready today, but I can transfer it tomorrow?”
“Sure. It’s not a huge amount.”
“Give me your account number. Thanks to you, we’ll start the construction tomorrow.”
Hwigyeom smiled and handed over a single sheet of paper. Kim Gye-tae’s face looked strangely excited as he wrote in the numbers.
“So construction really starts tomorrow? But that guy seems a bit off, doesn’t he?”
After parting ways with Kim Gye-tae and getting back in the car, Yeong-a asked Hwigyeom.
“He’s a scammer. It’s been ages since I’ve seen someone like that.”
“Manager, how did you know?”
As expected, he had already sensed something strange.
“At the time, the high-class guesthouse that only welcomed top-tier guests was still there. The owner, who ran it for two generations, was famous for her cunning. One day, she suddenly sold the guesthouse off completely and donated the land to the temple. That owner is Grandma Jangmi.”
Yeong-a snapped her fingers.
“Ah! Then the public bathhouse won’t be open for us either, huh? Not even my brother!”
“That guy’s not as clueless as he seems. Now that I’ve taken his account, he’ll be behind bars soon.”
Hwigyeom grinned, twisting his lips.
“You’re a scary manager.”
“I have to pay the price for using up half my day. I never waste even a single second of my time.”
“Ah……”
Instantly, Hwigyeom noticed Yeong-a’s gloomy expression and asked, “Why?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Isn’t there enough time to visit Mukwol Hermitage before we go to Andong?”
Hwigyeom sometimes seemed to peer into Yeong-a’s heart. Every time he did, she felt oddly unsettled.
“I guess so.”
Hwigyeom strode ahead and said, “Walk faster. Time is wasting.”
Before getting into the car, Yeong-a called Grandma Jangmi. Since it was a business trip with her boss and nearby, she would stop by briefly, and Grandma Jangmi immediately started worrying.
- So you’re going on a trip together? I really have to see your face.
After passing through the city and driving up the mountain road for over thirty minutes, they finally reached Mukwol Hermitage. Grandma Jangmi was waiting at the entrance.
“Grandma! How long have you been waiting?”
“Did you have nothing to do? I just came out.”
Hwigyeom got out of the car and greeted Grandma Jangmi.
“Grandma, this is our Manager Sa.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Sa Hwigyeom.”
Hwigyeom bowed properly with respect. But Grandma Jangmi received the greeting as if she were reluctantly tolerating it.
“……I see.”
Seeing Grandma Jangmi turn away, Yeong-a told Hwigyeom, “Manager, if you’re in the car, I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Take your time. I have a couple of hours to spare. I’ll have to review a lot of documents anyway.”
Grandma Jangmi took Yeong-a to her room and immediately showed her stern face.
“A man with such flashy outward looks—does he actually work properly? He’s not just using you as a slave, is he?”
Yeong-a smiled faintly. So that was why her expression had been so bad.
“Grandma, that person is better at work than I am. He’s a complete elite. No need to worry about unnecessary things. Just accept this.”
Yeong-a offered a neatly wrapped gift box. Before Grandma Jangmi could even unwrap it, she glared sharply.
“This is just your first month’s salary, right? What kind of money did you use to buy this?”
“It’s a bonus from Manager. And it’s only ten thousand won. Sigh, I really have to rip it open.”
Grandma Jangmi stared at Yeong-a without even glancing at the necklace.
“This is ten thousand won?”
There were times when Grandma Jangmi’s eyes held something hidden. Should she accept something she shouldn’t?
“Yeah. The sales clerk said so? This one is ten thousand won too?”
Yeong-a pulled out the necklace from her clothes and showed it to her. Grandma Jangmi’s eyes grew even sharper.
“Yeong-a, never let that man fool you. He’s not the ordinary type. And his energy is way too wild.”
Yeong-a burst into laughter. That was the reason? Well, he was wild, after all, so Grandma Jangmi’s eyes were still correct today.
“What are you talking about. I only have Oppa Suho.”
“That one is even worse. What would you do with a guy as squishy as a snail? One wrong step and he’d slip and get his skull cracked.”
Just then, Uncle Park entered the room.
“Oh no, the grandmother is blocking her granddaughter’s marriage path. Yeong-a, don’t worry about Grandma’s words. If you see a good guy, quickly snag him. Otherwise, you’ll end up like your grandma and live alone your whole life.”
“Uncle, how have you been?”
“If you’re not getting beaten, you’re doing pretty well.”
Yeong-a laughed out loud again at Uncle Park’s teasing, which she heard so rarely. Uncle Park, who had been staring at Yeong-a’s face with kind eyes full of warmth, asked, “But now that you’ve started working, your cheeks look even fuller. Is the company food that filling?”
Uncle Park had always comforted Yeong-a with warm words.
“Yes. The company food is delicious and very satisfying. Grandma, I’ve been promoted, haven’t I? I graduated from the best university in Seoul and got into a major company.”
Grandma Jangmi let out a satisfied hum and stood up.
“That’s right. So you should meet someone on your level. Not better, not worse. Eat up and go. And bring home a good match.”
“Okay!”
Yeong-a called Hwigyeom and led him to the room she had used as a child. Sometimes guests stayed over, but the desk and drawers she had used remained exactly the same.
“The meal will be brought soon.”
Yeong-a tried to help prepare the food, but Uncle Park pushed her aside like it was urgent. After waiting briefly, Uncle Park and Grandma Jangmi brought in a full table of dishes.
“At the temple, the only thing we can offer is this.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Grandma Jangmi immediately carried the table outside.
The rice table was overflowing with grains, yet even chaebol wives came to the hermitage just for Grandma Jangmi’s cooking, and her skill was truly remarkable.
But because Hwigyeom was so demanding, Yeong-a felt a bit tense.
“How is it? Isn’t it enough that I made Hong Director wait?”
Hwigyeom, who had been serving a huge portion of the namul, grinned.
“No meat on the table?”
“Yes. Grandma told me at the temple that this is the meat, and gave me mushrooms instead. I did get irritated sometimes. But Uncle Park sent me to a meat shop every market day.”
Continuing the meal as usual, Hwigyeom shook his head side to side.
“A child like you who is so behind the times. You don’t even know that macrobiotic wellness sarafo food is the current trend.”
At Hwigyeom’s teasing, Yeong-a giggled.
“What’s that?”
“We should try temple food at the Yanggu resort.”
“Oh, that’s actually a good idea?”
Since the resort was for healing, rest, and recovery, it was a wonderful concept.
“Then I’ll call you noona too?”
“I’ve been taking care of you well recently, haven’t I?”
Hwigyeom lowered his voice in a threatening tone, but Yeong-a no longer found him scary. Perhaps because he was in her own house, she felt oddly excited.
After chatting a lot, the bowls that Grandma had prepared were now all clean. Hwigyeom ate a huge amount, but since he was picky, it made sense.
As Hwigyeom was about to clear the table, he suddenly pointed at a small frame on the drawer.
“This is a photo of you when you were a baby?”
“Yes. And this is from that day. The Children’s Day when Oppa Suho saved me.”
A photograph taken right before all the chaos. Someone had captured a moment with the nun Yoseop in the middle, and several children posing against the orphanage background.
“The one on the left of the nun is him?”
“Yes. It is. …… Wait, why isn’t he wearing a white shirt?”
The child standing to the left of the nun, young Suho, was wearing a black T-shirt. No other child in the photo was wearing white.