Evenstar

27. A Walk in the Park

Dae Eun woke up the next day and wondered if it was all a dream. She had met some of the tallest, most handsome or even beautiful men she had ever seen in her life, and she survived it. Her Taehyung-oppa had been sweet and kind to her all throughout the past two days. And last night, he brought her straight to her apartment after buying them all food for dinner. He didn't come up, giving her space to relax after a long day. He was very considerate.

Today she was going to show him the apartment she had selected for him to invest in. It was in Jongno-gu, a 7-minute walk from the Seoul Station. It was a charming house and so accessible, a little pricey but she knew he could afford it. She knew from experience that it could be rented out all year round, since it was near the Namsan Park. It was small enough to be cozy and large enough for a family of five. She was wondering if he would like it when her phone rang suddenly. The number was registered to Jo Iseul, from Seoul Comfort Food.

"Yeoboseyo?" Dae Eun wondered why he had called.

"Dae Eunssi? This is Jo Iseul, good morning. Are you still here in Seoul? I was wondering if you changed your mind."

"I'm sorry, no. The terms remain the same."

"I see. Maybe we can talk about it over lunch or dinner today, if you're free."

Dae Eun was taken aback by the offer. Where did that come from? "I'm sorry, but unless you're willing to order and resell using our brand, I don't see what more we can discuss."

"Come now, all businessmen must learn to be flexible, especially someone who's just starting out. You don't want your produce to rot, do you?"

Now he was getting on her nerves, and so early in the morning. "Of course not, Ajossi. But we've sold all the products we brought and have already gotten a consignment agreement with a cafe from Seoul. Thank you for your interest. Please get in touch with us again if you wish to order our brand."

She hung up. She didn't want to ruin her day, and she still didn't know how he had gotten her number. He had called her personal phone, not their business number. She dismissed the concern and got ready for her day. Nana was already up and about when she entered the small kitchen.

"Do you mind eating leftovers, Eun-ah? That boy of yours must think we eat like a small army, there's so much food left."

"It's okay, Nana."

"Can I have some more chicken, Nana?" Baek-Hyeon asked.

"No! They're all mine!" Sunhee answered.

"There's enough for everyone." Nana eyed the two, thinking that there was the beginning of another possible romance. Why was love in the air, she wondered. Maybe it was contagious.

"I'm going to show Taehyung-oppa the apartment today, Nana. Can I take Baek-Hyeon and Sunhee with me? We'll use the van. Please let Uncle Jun-Ho rest before we leave for home later." Her Uncle Jun-Ho was very critical of Baek-Hyeon's driving and always insisted that he himself drive her whenever her appa did not require his presence. He was a very irritating back-seat driver whenever Baek-Hyeon took the wheel. They had planned on leaving by 2 PM in order to be in Geumsan before dark. She would return again by Friday to meet her family at Incheon.

"Go ahead and take these two, Jun-Ho and I will go out on a date."

Dae Eun laughed. But both of them were single and had been with their family almost all their lives. It would make her happy if they spent the rest of their lives together.

"Thank Taehyungssi for me, Dae Eun. And tell him to finish the tonic because I'll have a new flask ready for him by Friday." She thought that if Taehyung only knew that the tonic was from the most aged ginseng that grew in the wild, he would drink it bottoms-up. It was from Kyubok's own stock, which he himself found in the surrounding wilderness of his home and had dried to perfection over the years. Nana never thought Kyubok to be so generous, but maybe he saw that Taehyung needed it.