NOVEL WEB Chapter 5 - Peaceful Chaebol Life
Chapter 5: Peaceful Chaebol Life
“It’s quite impressive.”
Kang Woo-ju’s demeanor had completely changed.
Watching him, Kim Eun-ha quietly smiled to herself.
The intensity and pressure emanating from Kang Woo-ju, who was immersed in his acting, were beyond expectations, almost unrecognizable from the person she was conversing with just moments ago.
Especially when facing his eyes, now cold like frost, she felt a chill run down her spine.
“I knew I wasn’t wrong about him.”
She recalled Kang Woo-ju’s soliloquy on stage. Even alone, he seemed to fill the entire stage.
This changed her plan to just make a quick check and leave. She ended up completely absorbed in the play, sitting in the audience as if enchanted until it ended.
After parting with him, she had to rush around to adjust her disrupted schedule.
“I’m glad my efforts paid off.”
Even in a sudden and unusual situation, Kang Woo-ju didn’t falter but instead took a step forward.
Such brazenness isn’t something that can be acquired with brief training. It must be a natural trait.
“But… was he always this tall?”
The height of the heels she wore was always the same, so it wasn’t her issue. It didn’t seem like Kang Woo-ju was wearing anything to make him taller either.
She wondered if a change in atmosphere alone could make someone seem taller.
“Kim Eun-ha ssi.”
“…Yes?”
Her response was slightly delayed to the sudden call. Kim Eun-ha, embarrassed by her own mistake, hurriedly adjusted her expression to hide it.
Thud, thud –
In the meantime, Kang Woo-ju strode towards her. Given their height difference, Kim Eun-ha had to tilt her head up to look at him.
“May I ask for a guide?”
Heh –
Kim Eun-ha chuckled inwardly. Kang Woo-ju’s demeanor was so natural that she almost nodded in agreement without realizing it.
Why he was summoned to the department store, what they were going to do today – his attitude didn’t seem like that of someone without this information.
She was more than satisfied but didn’t want to show it openly. Kim Eun-ha replied with a casual smile on her lips.
“Of course. There’s a reason I invited Woo-ju ssi to the department store this early in the morning. Shall we start from the first floor and take our time discussing?”
“Let’s do that.”
“…Please follow me.”
Her crisp response came without a hint of hesitation. Feeling as though their roles had somewhat reversed, Kim Eun-ha bit her tongue secretly, managing her expression.
* * *
“Impressive.”
Thirty minutes had passed since I started following Kim Eun-ha around the department store. I genuinely admired her as I watched her from a step behind.
“Let’s move this product to the back.”
“Has the Rouge Volupté Shine arrived?”
“I believe Manager Seo Jun-hwan is off today…”
Kim Eun-ha personally checked each store, assessing the condition and arrangement of the products, and even the status of the employees.
There were dozens of stores just at a glance, and the fact that she was aware of such detailed aspects was truly admirable.
“The employees seem to take it as a matter of course.”
Usually, it would be quite uncomfortable if the boss personally went around each store giving directions. But the looks in the employees’ eyes reflected respect instead.
“She must have proven herself.”
Whether in sales performance.
Or in employee welfare.
It meant that she was lacking in neither aspect.
The actions unfolding before my eyes were clearly not just for show but something that had been repeated for a long time, almost like a routine.
“Just changing the arrangement has completely transformed the atmosphere.”
There seemed to be ‘display products’ specifically arranged to attract passersby into the store.
People who were lured in were greeted with popular bestsellers placed right at the entrance, and at the counter, small accessories were arranged that complemented the products well.
“I’ve said it before, but there’s no need to display limited-edition items openly. The well-informed enthusiasts will find them on their own.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The employees nodded at Kim Eun-ha’s instructions. Their reactions weren’t just out of obligation to a superior; they genuinely seemed to agree with her.
This must be the secret behind her success in running Mirae Department Store. That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“Woo-ju ssi, how about this tie?”
Even amidst all this, she had the leisure to call me over to try on ties and watches. It was clear she was an extraordinary person.
‘I think I saw the price tag say 12 million…’
Of course, that was separate from my opinion of her. Just having such expensive items in my hand made me feel overwhelmed, let alone wearing them.
Even if it wasn’t my money, the prices were staggering. But to our madam, it seemed to evoke no particular emotion, which was the problem.
“Hmm. This one suits you too. Mina ssi, please wrap this one up. And the one next to it as well.”
“I have enough ties…”
“It’s a gift.”
Swoosh-
Whenever I tried to refuse out of discomfort, Kim Eun-ha would look at me with the kindest smile in the world.
Facing her was terrifying. She was smiling, but there was no warmth in her expression.
If I had to interpret her language, it was like saying in my head, ‘Don’t say anything in front of the employees, just shut up and accept it.’
“You’ll accept it, right?”
“…Yes, thank you.”
Regardless of my role, it was hard to refuse when an employer insisted like that.
Thanks to her, I ended up purchasing various items in luxury stores that I wouldn’t normally even dare to browse. I didn’t even dare ask about the prices.
“A watch too…”
“It’s okay.”
Hmm-
Kim Eun-ha pursed her lips at my unusually firm refusal. Her gaze briefly shifted to the watch hanging on my wrist.
The watch I wore when portraying Park Do-Hyun. It was a knockoff so meticulously made it was dubbed ‘mirror-grade,’ far surpassing even S-grade fakes.
It was a gift I received once from an old watchmaker who claimed his shop had a 50-year tradition.
There was no need for further scrutiny; it was undoubtedly mine, so I brought it with me when I left the theater.
“Well, if you say so.”
Kim Eun-ha showed a brief hint of discomfort, as if something was not to her liking, but it was fleeting.
Maybe because we had discussed it before. Even she, who lived among genuine luxury goods, hadn’t recognized it as a fake.
– That’s a fake watch, isn’t it?
– Is it obvious?
– No, even an expert might not know.
– Then how did you know it’s a fake?
– You wouldn’t wear a watch worth millions, given your financial situation. Just in terms of purchase price, it’s at least worth hundreds of millions.
– Hundreds of millions!?
After hearing that, I briefly considered selling it on a second-hand market, but after a short deliberation, I decided to keep it.
It’s foolish to get attached to things, but it was a gift after all. And it was, after all, a ‘fake’.
Incredibly close to the real thing.
But still, just a fake.
Perhaps its fate was similar to mine.
‘Anyway…’
While lost in thought for a moment,
We had almost finished touring the stores.
The employees, having received Kim Eun-ha’s consulting, busily started their opening preparations, and we left them behind as we got on the escalator.
Thanks to her sending away all the attendants following her, I could converse with Kim Eun-ha a bit more freely.
“Don’t you take the elevator?”
According to the floor guide, the CEO’s office was on the top floor. However, the areas Kim Eun-ha personally consulted on, like the luxury goods and women’s sections, were the main focus for the department store’s clientele.
These sections were mostly located on the 1st to 3rd floors, so taking the escalator to the CEO’s office on the top floor would be quite inefficient.
“That way, you can’t see the employees working.”
“You’re running a black company.”
“Don’t say that carelessly. Our company is one of the few in the country that perfectly implements paid leave and a flexible work system.”
Kim Eun-ha spoke with firm conviction, clearly proud of her department store’s operations.
After all, coming to work at dawn every day and handling intense workloads required extraordinary passion.
‘And it’s not like she has a substitute like others.’
While employees rotated shifts, Kim Eun-ha was handling all these tasks alone.
There might be unseen helpers I’m not aware of, but from what I’ve observed, she doesn’t seem like someone who would easily delegate her responsibilities to others.
‘I better not touch on sensitive topics.’
Everyone has their sensitive areas. Realizing this about her, I quickly started to compliment her.
“That’s why the employees’ faces don’t show dissatisfaction. Kim Eun-ha really is different from other luxury brand presidents.”
“Where did you hear such a thing… Sigh.”
She pretended to sigh, but I, who had been focusing on Kim Eun-ha, didn’t miss the twitch of her lips.
“I’m envious. Have I only met people who want to treat me like a medieval slave? I wish I could work under a boss like Eun-ha ssi at least once.”
“It’s not much different now, is it?”
“Then will you also give me paid leave later?”
“I’ll send you to the Pacific. With a hefty amount of gold.”
“…That’s not like a severance package, is it?”
Heh heh-
Instead of answering, Kim Eun-ha just quietly swallowed her laughter. She seemed to have a sense of humor and more humanity than the chaebols I had in mind.
Our casual conversation continued as we ascended the escalator, and soon we reached the top floor.
“Please come in.”
“Excuse me.”
The interior was more ordinary than I had expected. Basic monochrome furniture like a desk, chairs, a computer, and a sofa for guests.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Oh, yes.”
As I sat on the sofa, Kim Eun-ha began to make coffee herself. When I tried to stand up in surprise, she shook her head no.
“…Don’t you have a secretary?”
“They haven’t arrived yet.”
“What about driving?”
“I do that myself.”
Chirp chirp-
From what I could tell as a former coffee shop worker, her hand drip skills were so good she could be scouted as a staff member right away.
Even if her secretary was here, they probably wouldn’t make coffee often.
“What about a bodyguard?”
“Oh, are you worried about me?”
“With assets like yours, I thought most people would have a personal assistant doubling as a bodyguard. Well… I am your husband now, aren’t I?”
“You have watched too much dramas.”
Smirk-
Kim Eun-ha finished making the coffee with a light smile on her lips. A brief silence fell between us.
After a short wait, Kim Eun-ha brought over the coffee she had brewed.
“Please enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
Eek-
My throat was already parched, so I immediately took a sip, but the bitterness was unexpectedly strong, filling my mouth.
Startled, I looked up to find Kim Eun-ha trying hard to suppress her laughter.
“Did you poison it or something?”
“In a way, it’s similar.”
“…I suppose drinking something as strong as espresso like it’s Americano would be like a caffeine explosion. Surely you don’t drink it like this every day?”
Shrug-
Kim Eun-ha shrugged her shoulders once and then deliberately drank the coffee in front of him. Her action was practically an affirmation, eliciting a wry laugh from me.
“…Well, you seem to know what you’re doing.”
“Hehe. I like that Woo-ju ssi is quick to catch on. Shall we get to the main point now?”
“The main point?”
“Acting as if you don’t know, even though you’ve been looking at it the whole time.”
Hehe-
Kim Eun-ha picked up a yellow envelope she had brought along with the coffee earlier. It was noticeably thick, suggesting it contained more than just a simple contract.
“Curious?”
“…Why bring me all the way here just to play coy?”
“I find Woo-ju ssi’s expressions amusing.”
“What about my expression?”
“Hmm- it’s like a child who’s just seen a toy placed in front of them?”
“………”
I had no intention of denying it.
In fact, I had instinctively realized what was inside that yellow envelope. The thickness of the contents couldn’t be hidden by the envelope.
“Woo-ju ssi has a surprisingly cute side…”
“Eun-ha ssi.”
“Here you go- take it.”
Swoosh-
Kim Eun-ha, with a playful pout, extended the envelope towards me. I nearly snatched it from her, hastily checking the contents.
I thought I heard a ‘hmph’ sound, but I dismissed it as my imagination. That wasn’t important at the moment.
[Peaceful Chaebol Life]
Flutter-
Upon seeing the contents, a thrill ran through my body. It was the script, the very one I had longed for.
****