Episode 36. The Best Wedding Ever (4)
Although Kang Dae-oh set the stage, it wouldn’t look good if he arbitrarily parachuted someone in without the employees’ consent.
This is because it could definitely create internal discord within the company.
To suppress this as much as possible, Kang Dae-oh decided to convene the employees and conduct a one-on-many interview.
He created this structure because he believed Park Yeon-seong would do well enough.
As Kang Dae-oh expected.
Park Yeon-seong was proudly recognized by all employees as the new branch manager.
However, it was just the beginning.
The real hardship starts now.
As he had been told during the interview, he had to undergo training as a branch manager to take charge of a store, while also completing practical training simultaneously.
Just looking at the schedule, it was quite tough.
Nevertheless, Park Yeon-seong burned with strong enthusiasm, vowing never to miss the opportunity his friend had given him.
After a month had passed.
Kang Dae-oh went to see Director Shin Young-jun.
“Director Shin.”
“Oh, CEO, you’re here!”
Director Shin Young-jun, who had been nodding off, immediately sprang to his feet the moment he saw Kang Dae-oh, who had come to his office.
He looked like a soldier who had been caught napping on duty by an officer.
“Uh, what brings you to see me…?”
Kang Dae-oh usually talked with Executive Director Yoo In-seok.
He rarely exchanged words directly with Director Shin Young-jun, except when there was a personnel issue or when arranging interviews to hire new staff.
This tendency became even more pronounced after the company grew larger.
Kang Dae-oh gave an awkward smile as he watched Director Shin Young-jun, who was more surprised than he had imagined to see him.
“I’m not here to eat you, Director Shin, so you don’t have to be too scared.”
“D-Did I look that way?”
“Yes. To my eyes, you did.”
“Oh dear… I showed you an unsightly side of myself. I apologize.”
Director Shin Young-jun, who had belatedly come to his senses, guided Kang Dae-oh to the seat opposite him.
“But what brings you here…?”
“I was curious about how Yeon-seong is doing.”
“Ah, he’s almost finished with the training program. It normally takes several months, but Yeon-seong’s adaptability is extraordinary. Perhaps it’s because he’s worked in cafes for a long time… Thanks to him, you might be able to set the opening date earlier than expected.”
“I actually came here to hear that from you, Director Shin. Somehow, you knew exactly what I was thinking.”
Director Shin Young-jun let out a few awkward laughs.
He had absolutely not said this on purpose, thinking Kang Dae-oh would want this answer.
He had simply answered Kang Dae-oh’s question truthfully.
In the end, Kang Dae-oh’s satisfied reaction was a kind of outcome that Park Yeon-seong had diligently worked to achieve.
“I should tell the Executive Director as well.”
“When that store opens later, why don’t you stop by?”
“I should.”
Even if Director Shin Young-jun hadn’t said it, Kang Dae-oh had intended to do so.
Because.
“Actually, there was one more thing I needed to talk to Yeon-seong about.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell the Executive Director later, but I’ll give you a little spoiler first, Director Shin.”
Kang Dae-oh gestured, signaling him to come closer.
Director Shin leaned his ear towards Kang Dae-oh.
Not long after.
Director Shin’s expression turned dumbfounded.
“Are you really… going to do it?”
“Yes.”
“As far as I know, I don’t recall any precedent for this.”
“Just because there’s no precedent doesn’t mean we can’t do it, does it?”
“Well… that’s true.”
“And if we do this, word of mouth about our store will spread with a sudden ‘Pak!’ throughout the surrounding area.”
“Oh! Now that you mention it!”
Director Shin, who finally understood Kang Dae-oh’s intention.
He, who had initially reacted ambiguously to Kang Dae-oh’s words, suddenly changed his stance.
This was because he felt strong persuasion in the words that followed.
However, there was still a hurdle to overcome.
“I wonder what the Executive Director will think. What do you think, Director Shin?”
“From my perspective… I think he’ll agree.”
Because it was coming from Director Shin Young-jun, who had a long-standing relationship with Yoo In-seok.
Thanks to that, Kang Dae-oh gained the courage to speak.
It wasn’t just Executive Director Yoo In-seok he had to tell.
‘It would be better to tell Yera in advance, wouldn’t it?’
The picture Kang Dae-oh had drawn in his mind slowly began to be completed.
Kang Dae-oh revisited the store whose opening had been unintentionally extended indefinitely due to the desertion of the branch manager who was originally scheduled to be contracted.
“Oh. Really? Okay. Thank you, daughter. Dad will definitely repay you later.”
Kang Dae-oh repeatedly expressed his gratitude at the sound of Kang Yera’s reply coming from beyond the smartphone.
Kang Yera then casually remarked that it was no big deal.
“It’s Dad’s request, so of course I have to do it. My schedule can always be adjusted, so just let me know once the date is set.”
“Okay. I’ll do that.”
As soon as the call ended, Park Yeon-seong, who had been visiting the store with Kang Dae-oh nearby, subtly asked.
“Were you talking to Yera?”
“Uh, yeah.”
As Kang Dae-oh nodded and told him, an exclamation of admiration escaped Park Yeon-seong’s lips.
“No matter how I look at it, it’s amazing. That Kang Yera I saw on TV is my friend’s eldest daughter.”
“Can’t I also be seen on TV? But why aren’t you amazed by me, only by our daughter?”
“Well, I saw you so often when we were students. So, even seeing you on TV isn’t amazing. I just feel a sense of familiarity.”
Kang Dae-oh chuckled at his honest remark.
“You’re saying the same thing as Myung-woon.”
The saying that friends resemble each other wasn’t for nothing.
After exchanging a laugh while looking at each other, Park Yeon-seong asked Kang Dae-oh why he had contacted him to meet here.
“Are you perhaps worried about the opening preparations?”
“I’m not worried. Because you’ve taken charge. I trust you’ll definitely do well.”
Park Yeon-seong was indeed proving himself with enough evidence to be trusted in that way.
Rumors about Park Yeon-seong were already widespread among the employees.
There were a few reasons why Park Yeon-seong was working so diligently.
“I have to work hard for my family. My wife, and our son too. Wanting to be a proud husband and a proud father is every head of the household’s goal, isn’t it? You too.”
“Of course.”
Two men who went from friends to fellow married men.
Kang Dae-oh nodded in deep agreement with Park Yeon-seong’s words.
Additionally, there was one more reason.
“And since it’s a position you arranged for me, I thought if I didn’t do well, my friend would get criticized, so I was determined to work even harder than others.”
A smile once again settled on Kang Dae-oh’s lips.
“You haven’t changed. That side of you.”
It was exactly the Park Yeon-seong that Kang Dae-oh remembered.
To his friend who was striving to repay his trust, Kang Dae-oh made another offer.
“You said you haven’t had a wedding with your wife yet, right?”
“Huh? Uh… yeah.”
It was something Park Yeon-seong had personally mentioned during their alumni gathering.
These words kept lingering in Kang Dae-oh’s mind.
“When did you say the store opening was?”
“The 12th. Two weeks from now?”
“Really? Then, within two weeks, I wonder if we could use this place for something other than a cafe.”
“What are you talking about?”
Park Yeon-seong had no idea what Kang Dae-oh was talking about.
Kang Dae-oh had something he wanted to tell him.
“Do you want to have your wedding here?”
“At the cafe?”
“Yeah. Of course, it might be lacking compared to having it at a wedding hall. But I thought it could at least be a way to make up for not being able to have a wedding. Your wife, how much she must have wanted to wear a wedding dress.”
“That’s true, but… then there’s the dress fitting. And making a reservation at a makeup shop would take quite a while. Isn’t two weeks too tight?”
“Don’t worry. I can take care of all that.”
Kang Dae-oh reassured Park Yeon-seong, telling him to just trust him.
What Park Yeon-seong had to do was clear.
“Just decide whether to do it or not, and let me know. I’ll handle the rest.”
“……”
Park Yeon-seong’s 고민 deepened at his friend’s unexpected proposal.
The burden was unavoidable.
However, on the other hand, it was also true that he continued to feel regret and lingering thoughts about not being able to give his wife a wedding like everyone else.
It might be an opportunity that wouldn’t come again.
Just like Kang Dae-oh had provided him with a position to work as a branch manager.
After much thought, Park Yeon-seong firmed his resolve.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
“You made a good decision.”
Kang Dae-oh had been secretly nervous that Park Yeon-seong might refuse.
Fortunately, he gave Kang Dae-oh the answer he wanted.
“Let’s see. Then we need to find someone to officiate and a master of ceremonies… Do we also need to find someone to sing the congratulatory song?”
At the mention of a congratulatory song, Kang Dae-oh immediately spoke as if he had been waiting for it.
“I’ve already found that person.”
“No way. Are you going to sing it yourself?”
Towards Park Yeon-seong, who spoke with a hint of playfulness, Kang Dae-oh shuddered, telling him not to even joke like that.
“If I sing in front of people, I might get so nervous I collapse.”
“I know, I know. Did you arrange for someone else?”
“Yeah. Someone very close to me.”
Kang Dae-oh smiled brightly and mentioned the name of the person who would sing the congratulatory song.
“Yera will sing it.”
The moment he heard Kang Yera’s name, Park Yeon-seong couldn’t help but be astonished.
Only 5 days remained until the cafe’s opening.
Before that.
A very special event took place at the store.
“We will now begin the wedding ceremony of the groom, Park Yeon-seong, and the bride, Hwang Ji-hye!”
Oh Myung-woon, who served as the emcee, introduced the Park Yeon-seong couple.
Dressed in a tuxedo and a wedding dress respectively, they walked towards the center, receiving congratulations from guests seated on the first and second floors of the cafe.
After reciting only their vows without an officiant.
Finally, the moment they had been waiting for arrived.
“We can’t miss the congratulatory song, can we? Let’s invite Kang Yera! Please give her a big round of applause!”
As Kang Yera, beautifully dressed in a gown, picked up the microphone and headed to the center of the cafe, a wave of enthusiastic applause and cheers followed.
Kang Yera held the microphone, maintaining a bright expression towards the crowd.
“Dad’s friend is having a special wedding, and I just couldn’t not sing a congratulatory song.”
Everyone’s gaze turned towards Kang Dae-oh.
Thanks to his daughter’s filial piety, Kang Dae-oh gave an awkward smile.
“Then, wishing eternal happiness for your future, I will sing ‘Happiness,’ the title track from my second album! Be happy, both of you!”
Along with Kang Yera’s singing, Kang Dae-oh, Min Seung-yeon, Kang Yebin, Kang Yeyoung, and Oh Myung-woon, as well as all the families and acquaintances of the bride and groom, raised their hands and waved them from side to side.
Looking at his friend’s joyful smile.
Kang Dae-oh also felt a day full of happiness.
