Chapter 1231. Dominating (1)

Choi Yeon-Ha asked, “And when will you deliver the items?”

“P-please wait. I’ll confirm with our warehouse, and...”

Even before Lee Gyu-Ha could finish explaining, the store manager rushed out of seemingly nowhere and shoved him aside.

“Dear customer! I’m the manager of this store and I promise you, we’ll deliver the items by tomorrow!”

Lee Gyu-Ha’s brows shot up. “M-manager?! But we must confirm with the warehouse first...!”

“Confirm, my foot! I’ll personally hop over to the warehouse and fetch them if I have to!”

“...!”

As buckets of cold sweat flooded down his face, the store manager spoke obsequiously. “Please rest assured, miss! We’ll deliver the items promptly and without fail! They will reach your location by tomorrow morning!”

Lee Gyu-Ha’s jaw fell. “M-manager, tomorrow morning is...!”

“

Uh-huh

! Gyu-Ha, stop butting in, will ya! I’ll take care of everything, okay?”

“Yessir!”

Lee Gyu-Ha sneakily stepped back

while thinking to himself,

the manager has lost his mind!

That made sense in this situation, though. This customer had purchased ten washing machines, and another ten dryers, after all! On top of that, she also wanted to buy an air purifier, robot vacuums, and a dishwasher, too!

Rather unsurprisingly, the total cost amounted to a small fortune.

Choi Yeon-Ha asked the manager. “You will install the appliances for us, yes?”

“Yes! Please don’t worry, our people will do a flawless job installing them! Friendliness and outstanding customer care! That is our store’s motto, you see?”

“

Hmm

...?”

“As an aside, are you in need of other appliances, dear customer? Our store is currently offering special Winter discounts on selected TVs and refrigerators.”

Even the manager himself inwardly wondered what refrigerators had to do with winter, but so what? As long as he could sell more stuff, it was fine, no?

Choi Yeon-Ha coolly replied, “That’ll depend on how satisfactory the installation is. If I’m happy with your service, I’ll come again, manager.”

“

Ah

, I see! We will try our best not to disappoint you, then!”

Lee Gyu-Ha could only smile wryly at how his slightly taciturn manager had transformed into the world’s friendliest, chattiest person.

“Then, the delivery address will be...?”

The store manager’s eyes opened wider after confirming the delivery address.

“

Oh

? Isn’t this place...? Goodness! I didn’t know you were doing such a wonderful thing, miss! Looks like I’ll have to put in a good word to our people, then!”

“Put in a good word, you say?”

“Yes! After all, you are Miss Choi Yeon-Ha, the superstar! And you’re doing something wonderful for the holidays for these poor...”

That was when Choi Yeon-Ha abruptly cut the store manager off. “Mister Store Manager?”

“Yes, miss!”

Choi Yeon-Ha smiled radiantly. “I have never shopped here. Understood?”

“

Oh

...?

Oh

! Of course! Understood, miss!”

“If I hear any weird rumors about me doing the rounds, I’m going to return every single thing I bought today, so please. Make sure no one talks. I hope you understand.”

The store manager heroically nodded. “Rest assured, miss! I didn’t see anything, and I sure as hell don’t know anything! Actually, I think I might have an early onset of dementia or something, because I keep forgetting things. At this rate, I might even forget my own name!”

“Thank you,” Choi Yeon-Ha nodded back with a warm smile.

That was when the store manager suddenly whispered cautiously. “But, uh... If you don’t mind, can I have your autograph...?”

“No, I don’t mind at all.”

Choi Yeon-Ha’s smile deepened. Half-entranced by that radiant smile, the store manager dazedly nodded away.

“T-then,

uh

, will it be a once-off payment? Or...”

Kang Jin-Ho took a step forward when the store manager asked that. “I’ll pay for...”

“Yes, it’ll be a once-off payment. And please use this,” said Choi Yeon-Ha while taking out a credit card from her bag to present it to the store manager.

“Wait, let me...”

When Kang Jin-Ho tried to say something, Choi Yeon-Ha frowned deeply at him. “Mister Jin-Ho.”

“Yes?”

“I know you’re rich, but I should be the one paying this time. After all, I’m the one who wants to buy these appliances for the children. Since that’s the case, why should you pay? Besides, you have something else you must buy, anyway.”

“I... do?”

“Yes. The van we came here with? You must’ve noticed how old it is. Seongsim kids must be using that van to commute to school, so please get them a new one.”

Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded.

After paying for the appliances, Choi Yeon-Ha also ordered a few more items before leaving the store.

“Thank you very much for your patronage, dear customer! Please come again!”

Under the chorus of loud cheering and goodbyes, Choi Yeon-Ha coolly climbed into the van. Kang Jin-Ho and Jo Mi-Hye joined her afterward.

Vroom...

But when Kang Jin-Ho began driving the van somewhat violently, Jo Mi-Hye started screaming in alarm. “O-oppa?! Please! Don’t drive so fast!”

“But I am driving slowly.”

“

Aaaahk

?! No, stop the van! I’m walking home! Oppa!”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head, then drove the van as slowly as he could. He couldn’t understand why Jo Mi-Hye screamed like that. Even though Choi Yeon-Ha was so calm and all!

Once the van had slowed down enough, Jo Mi-Hye sighed in relief before cautiously asking Choi Yeon-Ha. “Unnie... You didn’t have to spend so much money for us like that.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. And I kinda feel guilty that you had to...”

“Mi-Hye?”

“Yes, unnie?”

Choi Yeon-Ha asked while cocking her head to the side. “Do you think I’m rich?”

“...I think so?”

“Then, do you think I felt remorse after spending that much money?”

“

Uhm

, I guess you didn’t...?”

“Nope, it felt terrible.”

“...”

Jo Mi-Hye clamped her mouth shut at how firm Choi Yeon-Ha sounded just then.

“Did you know my heart was pounding like crazy before swiping my card? That whole notion about rich people spending money like it’s nothing? It’s all nonsense, Mi-Hye. You become rich by not spending money like that.”

“That makes sense,” said Jo Mi-Hye. She nodded in agreement, too.

“Of course I felt terrible. How could I not? Even parents feel it’s a waste of money while buying stuff for their own kids, you know? So, yeah, it didn’t feel good at all. It’s not like I’m a saint or anything.”

“...Should we return the appliances?”

“Of course not! If you’re too afraid to spend your own money, why do you even buy food? Why don’t you just starve to death instead? You shouldn’t feel bad about spending money when you need to!”

“But didn’t you say you felt bad about it?”

“I’m just saying! Figure it out on your own, okay!”

“Okay,” Jo Mi-Hye replied demurely.

Various thoughts entered Kang Jin-Ho’s mind as he watched this exchange unfold. One of them was about how well-established Mother Nature’s food chain was.

Kang Jin-Ho had a hunch that he’d never get used to seeing Jo Mi-Hye, who usually acted like a predator with Han Jin-Seong, morph into such an obedient little child in Choi Yeon-Ha’s presence.

“You don’t have to worry about stuff like that, Mi-Hye. Besides...” Choi Yeon-Ha muttered while locking her gaze on Kang Jin-Ho. “Money is not a problem for us, anyway. Our dear company chairman will help me make more money, after all.”

Beads of cold sweat began trickling down Kang Jin-Ho’s forehead.

“That’s true,” said Jo Mi-Hye. “Jin-Ho oppa can be a little disappointing at times, but you know his capabilities are top-notch, unnie.”

“Well, I’m not so sure about that. I mean, since we’ve opened a new business, the people involved should be doing our utmost best to look after its survival, right? But the so-called chairman abruptly disappeared on us after leaving behind a vague text message. I wonder if someone like that is really trustworthy.”

“Seriously? Jin-Ho oppa did that?”

Choi Yeon-Ha tutted. “Of course. I wouldn’t make up stuff like that.”

Jo Mi-Hye shot a disapproving glare at Kang Jin-Ho. “Oppa! Have you lost your mind?”

No, not yet. But that story might change pretty soon.

Kang Jin-Ho felt lightheaded just then. He furiously blinked his eyes to stay awake and focused on the road ahead.

Choi Yeon-Ha rebuked Jo Mi-Hye next. “You should reflect on yourself, too.”

“I do?”

“That’s right. You shouldn’t have just waited for the caregivers to do things for you. Instead of doing nothing, you could have tried to open the windows to ventilate the place. Or find some other solutions to improve your home. How could you just sit still and do nothing?”

“...I’m sorry, unnie.”

“A person who just sits still and waits for others to do everything for them will never learn to fend for themselves. If you are short on something, learn to shout, to ask for those things. If no one’s gonna help you, get up and search for it yourself. Find it. Dig it out of the dirt with your bare hands if you have to. Do you understand?”

“I do, unnie!”

Choi Yeon-Ha smiled while subtly pushing the sunglasses up her nose.

She couldn’t tell if Jo Mi-Hye really understood her or was just replying to save her skin. Still, Choi Yeon-Ha was happy about the younger girl eagerly responding to her lecture. It was as she was looking at a cute little puppy wagging its tail nonstop.

Choi Yeon-Ha asked, “Results for the entrance exams came out today, right? How did Jin-Seong do?”

“Jin-Ho oppa told him to retake the exams next year,” said Jo Mi-Hye.

“Retake the exams? Really?”

“Yes, unnie.”

“How did that boy fail to cross the finishing line after working so hard to get that far?”

“...I wish I could say something to defend Jin-Seong oppa, but I can’t, not on my good conscience. I guess it’s a good thing he’s not here with us,” said Jo Mi-Hye with a deep sigh.

She had a feeling that had Han Jin-Seong been here, all the verbal abuse could have killed him!

“That boy’s the type who will never get anything right by himself, Mi-Hye,” Choi Yeon-Ha tutted softly. “You better look after him properly if you don’t want to go through lots of hardship later in life.”

“W-what do you mean, unnie? Why should I look after him?!”

Choi Yeon-Ha silently stared into the rearview mirror. Jo Mi-Hye sneakily looked away as the older woman’s sharp gaze reflected on the mirror to burrow into her face.

After asking a few more things about Han Jin-Seong, Choi Yeon-Ha nodded in understanding. It seemed she was planning something for that boy.

“Unnie? I heard that you became a company president. Is that true?”

“Not president, but a director. The ‘president’ is currently driving the van for us.”

“Okay. But it is true that you’ve set up a talent agency?”

“Yeah, I have.”

“By any chance, are you looking for idol trainees?”

“...Why? Do you want to apply?”

“No, not me. But a few kids in the orphanage are interested.”

“It’s not worth it,” Choi Yeon-Ha waved her hand dismissively. “Here’s the truth about things that look glamorous on the surface. They are all rotten inside, you see? Do you have any idea what kind of place the entertainment industry is? It’s a war zone, okay?

“When you enter this industry like a naïve idiot and inevitably fail, all you have to show for your trouble is a wasted youth, no academic records to speak of, and no other work experience. Just you and nothing else.”

“

E-eii

, even so... The reward for making it is huge, isn’t it?”

“The problem is, how you succeed can be so bloody random, okay? Being pretty isn’t quite enough to get famous, and neither is being a good singer. People’s tastes in celebrities can be so indecipherable sometimes, you know? You’ll look at someone famous and go, why is this moron so famous? Or you look at an aspiring actor and think, why haven’t they become famous yet?

“What I’m trying to say is that you can’t compete fairly on your abilities alone in this industry. Well, I guess that’s true for most other industries, but still.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded in silence while driving.

Humanity had a surprisingly high number of such industries. But the martial world was different. Since the strength you possessed decided the outcomes, one could argue that the martial world was much fairer and direct.

“What I wish from you are...

Mm

...”

Choi Yeon-Ha mulled over what she should say for a few seconds.

“I wish for you and other kids to live ordinary, happy and fulfilling lives. Living under the spotlight means you’re constantly swinging from one end of extreme happiness to the other end of extreme depression. When you’re standing on a stage, you feel like the king of the world. But when you come down from it? It’ll feel like you have nothing. That you’re all alone in this world. I don’t want you guys to experience that emotional rollercoaster.”

Choi Yeon-Ha reclined against the seat as a smirk slowly spread on her lips.

“Going to school like an ordinary kid, attending the university you wanted like everyone else, finding a boy you like and going out on a date with him like an ordinary girl... Did you know that some people couldn’t even experience stuff as plain as those things? Don’t you think that’s pretty sad?”

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Choi Yeon-Ha in a slight surprise.

Choi Yeon-Ha asked back, “What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.” Kang Jin-Ho briefly shook his head.

It almost felt like Choi Yeon-Ha was talking about Kang Jin-Ho’s old self that constantly longed for the life in the modern era.

‘Yeah, that’s right.’

A life that seemed ordinary and unassuming... Those who had never learned the preciousness of such a life would not be able to empathize with how Kang Jin-Ho felt back then. Something plain, something you took for granted, wouldn’t become the subject of your longing until it was taken away from you, after all.

“If you guys are genuinely serious about it, I’ll do my best to help you. However, I won’t stand it if you just wanted to have a go at becoming a star. Such half-baked determination will get you nowhere, okay?”

“Okay, unnie. I’ll talk to the kids and let them know.”

“Good,” Choi Yeon-Ha said while smiling again. “Mm? Looks like we’ve arrived?”

She could see the orphanage building outside the van’s windows. When the van stopped in front of the building, Jo Mi-Hye climbed outside first. She looked back at the vehicle when no one else exited.

“Unnie? Aren’t you gonna come in?”

“You go on ahead without me. I’ve something to take care of first. Oh, and let the caregiver aunties know about the deliveries coming in tomorrow. Ask them to clean out the laundry before they arrive.”

“Got it, unnie!”

“Okay, later.”

Kang Jin-Ho watched Jo Mi-Hye enter the building, then tried to park the van in its designated spot. However, Choi Yeon-Ha suddenly called out to him in a calm but stiff voice first.

“Mister Jin-Ho.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you think it’s about time we talk about some things?”

“...Some things?”

Choi Yeon-Ha slowly took off her sunglasses.

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho reflexively swallowed his saliva in nervousness when the darkened glasses no longer concealed the burning light in her eyes. Those eyes belonged to a ferocious predator ready to devour its prey!

“I’ve been trying so hard to be more understanding and patient about this, Mister Jin-Ho.”

“I’m sorry?”

“But now, I think the situation’s gone past what’s acceptable. If I don’t ask you about it right now, you might never tell me the truth for the rest of my life, so...!”

“...”

“How about we go somewhere quiet and talk openly and truthfully, Mister Jin-Ho? Because I need to know the truth. What do you do, exactly? And... Just what are you hiding from me?”

Choi Yeon-Ha smiled radiantly.

“A word of advice, Mister Jin-Ho. It will be better to come out clean and not hold anything back. Otherwise, I’ll get really mad.”

“...I see.”

The beads of cold sweat rolling down Kang Jin-Ho’s forehead had gotten noticeably thicker now.