Episode 38. A Reason to Be Respected (4)
Kang Dae-oh, who had spent a week patrolling major stores, starting with the Hongdae branches, gathered with executives in a conference room to discuss what Amare needed to improve, based on what he had seen and heard.
What needed the most attention was, as expected.
“I found more places with insufficient cleanliness than I expected.”
“……”
“……”
The executives refrained from speaking.
This was because they noticed Kang Dae-oh’s voice was unusually low compared to usual.
This indicated that Kang Dae-oh was not in a good mood.
“We are people who make drinks and desserts. Adults and children alike will be consuming the food we make. I believe it’s unacceptable for hygiene to be lacking.”
Even when Kang Dae-oh operated Amare by himself, he paid great attention to hygiene, if nothing else.
It would be a big problem if someone were to get sick from consuming the drinks he made.
Because it directly concerned people’s health, Kang Dae-oh was careful, and then even more careful, about hygiene.
However, as the company grew and reached a stage where Kang Dae-oh could no longer personally manage all stores, the very issues he had worried about began to surface.
He had deliberately toured the major stores with Executive Director Yoo In-seok to confirm this.
The executives, with grim expressions, spoke to Kang Dae-oh.
“We apologize.”
“We will pay more attention.”
Kang Dae-oh briefly nodded and asked them to take good care of it.
After the meeting, filled with a heavy atmosphere, concluded.
Only after the executives returned to their respective places did Kang Dae-oh relax his expression and let out a deep sigh.
“It’s difficult.”
He hadn’t realized expressing his anger to someone would be this hard.
Of course, Kang Dae-oh was also human, so there were certainly times he got angry.
However, getting angry solely based on emotion in a business meeting was meaningless.
He needed a way to express his anger that would make them realize what they needed to prioritize.
This was harder than he thought.
“Still, their reactions seemed to indicate they understood well.”
That was enough.
As Kang Dae-oh recalled and spoke about his week-long tour of the stores, a certain individual suddenly came to mind.
“I wonder if the elder is doing well.”
For some reason, the image of the old man, who had lived for many years with a gunshot wound scar on his arm and collected waste paper, was strongly etched in Kang Dae-oh’s mind.
It wasn’t simply out of sympathy.
He was curious about the old man’s story.
He hadn’t gotten to hear how he ended up with a gunshot wound in the military.
This remained a small regret for Kang Dae-oh.
He turned his head and checked the current time.
‘He said he usually goes around collecting waste paper around this time.’
Kang Dae-oh slowly rose from his seat.
Just then, he ran into Executive Director Yoo In-seok, who had come to his office to see him.
“Where are you going, CEO?”
“Ah, well…”
He had intended to go quietly by himself.
The timing was really bad.
Kang Dae-oh, who had briefly debated whether to tell Executive Director Yoo In-seok, soon made up his mind.
“I’m going to see the elder we had a meal with last time, Executive Director.”
Executive Director Yoo In-seok wasn’t entirely unrelated to the old man either.
So, he decided to just tell him.
Even without being told why he was going to meet him, Executive Director Yoo In-seok nodded slightly, saying he seemed to understand.
“Is it because you have an unfinished conversation with the elder?”
“Yes, well…”
Kang Dae-oh replied honestly, making an embarrassed expression.
Then Executive Director Yoo In-seok smiled faintly.
“Then, may I come with you?”
“Huh?”
“Actually, I was a bit concerned about him too.”
Kang Dae-oh pointed to the approval documents Executive Director Yoo In-seok had brought.
“Didn’t you have something to discuss with me?”
Executive Director Yoo In-seok put the documents back into the file folder and said.
“They aren’t urgent matters. And CEO, if you get set on something, you’re going to do it no matter what I say, aren’t you?”
The saying “Even a dog at a village school recites poetry after three years” wasn’t for nothing.
What was three years? Executive Director Yoo In-seok had been assisting Kang Dae-oh most closely for over three years.
Because of this, he now knew better than anyone what kind of person Kang Dae-oh was.
Kang Dae-oh expressed his gratitude for Executive Director Yoo In-seok’s consideration.
“Thank you for your understanding, Executive Director.”
“Not at all. More importantly, let’s go quickly. At this time, the elder would likely be out and about, wouldn’t he? It would be best to leave right away if we want to meet him.”
“Alright.”
The two men’s steps quickened as they left the company.
The two men drove to Amare Hongdae Branch 2, where Store Manager Yoon Ha-seung was.
They had deliberately gone to Branch 2 because they knew it was one of the old man’s waste paper collection spots.
However, Yoon Ha-seung, who was unaware of this fact, couldn’t help but be greatly surprised by the news that Kang Dae-oh and Executive Director Yoo In-seok had visited his store again.
“Is there perhaps something about our store that bothers you, CEO…?”
He wondered if they had returned because of a major complaint. That was Yoon Ha-seung’s thought.
Kang Dae-oh shook his head, reassuring Yoon Ha-seung.
“You don’t have to worry about that; we came for a different reason.”
“A different reason, you say…?”
“Isn’t there an elder who comes to collect waste paper around this time? The elder we met last week when Executive Director Yoo In-seok and I first came here and went out the back door.”
“Ah, yes! If it’s him, he just finished organizing boxes and left.”
“Huh? Already?”
He had worried that they might miss him due to the narrow timing.
Kang Dae-oh’s concern had hit the mark.
“Yes. But it wasn’t long ago. About… 5 minutes ago?”
That was at least fortunate.
Kang Dae-oh, along with Executive Director Yoo In-seok, recalled the route he had familiarized himself with last time while helping the old man pull his cart.
He thought that if they followed the route Kang Dae-oh remembered, they would be able to catch up with the old man.
“Let’s go, Executive Director.”
“Yes.”
At this moment, Store Manager Yoon Ha-seung followed behind them.
“I-I’ll come too!”
Curious about what was happening, he decided to accompany the two men.
Kang Dae-oh’s prediction was accurate.
“There he is.”
Just then, the old man had stopped his cart for a moment and was neatly organizing the boxes.
He knew that if he spilled boxes in front of a restaurant again like last time, he might get into another argument.
This time, he was being very careful.
“Elder! Hello!”
Kang Dae-oh approached him once again.
The old man was greatly surprised to see the familiar faces again.
“How did you guys get here…?”
Just as Store Manager Yoon Ha-seung was about to inform the old man that Kang Dae-oh and Executive Director Yoo In-seok had come all this way to see him.
Kang Dae-oh spoke first.
“We had some business nearby and were walking around, and we saw you, Elder. So we came over.”
He emphasized that this was merely a chance encounter, by no means intentional.
Yoon Ha-seung tilted his head slightly at Kang Dae-oh’s words and actions.
Kang Dae-oh gave him a very brief wink from an angle where the old man wouldn’t notice.
He didn’t know why.
Fortunately, Yoon Ha-seung wasn’t completely oblivious.
As if he immediately understood what Kang Dae-oh wanted, Yoon Ha-seung stopped what he was about to say.
Meanwhile, the old man made a curious expression at the fact that he had met them again by chance.
“It’s true what they say, even brushing sleeves is fate.”
“Indeed. You’ve collected even more today than last time, haven’t you?”
“I was lucky. Don’t you think there should be days like this sometimes?”
“Since you met us, isn’t your luck double?”
“Haha! Perhaps so.”
Kang Dae-oh rolled up his sleeves.
At that sight, Yoon Ha-seung made an ‘Hm?’ expression.
Executive Director Yoo In-seok quietly asked Yoon Ha-seung.
“Store Manager.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
“Do you know how to use your strength?”
“……Huh? Suddenly?”
What on earth were they trying to do? Store Manager Yoon Ha-seung couldn’t help but be bewildered as Kang Dae-oh and Executive Director Yoo In-seok simultaneously rolled up their sleeves.
A moment later.
Yoon Ha-seung was able to clearly understand the meaning of Executive Director Yoo In-seok’s words through physical labor.
Kang Dae-oh’s group, who had helped the old man all the way to the junk shop like last time, finished the transaction and headed to a nearby cafe.
“Is this the cafe you operate?”
“Yes. It’s a smaller place compared to the Hongdae branches, though.”
Kang Dae-oh pointed at Yoon Ha-seung, who was wiping beads of sweat with a handkerchief, and said.
“You know this person, right? The Amare Hongdae Branch 2, one of the places where the elder collects waste paper. He’s the store manager there.”
“Of course I know. He’s always good to me whenever I go.”
“Is that so?”
Kang Dae-oh’s and Executive Director Yoo In-seok’s gazes simultaneously turned towards Yoon Ha-seung.
Yoon Ha-seung, who had genuinely worked up a sweat for the first time in a long while, spoke with an embarrassed expression.
“Well… I’ve told the elder this before. Every time I see the elder, he reminds me of my grandfather who passed away when I was young. So, every time I see him, I feel the urge to treat him well.”
“So that’s the story.”
It was a story neither Kang Dae-oh nor Executive Director Yoo In-seok knew.
“And he also has something in common with my grandfather. That’s why I thought of my grandfather even more strongly.”
“Something in common?”
“Yes. Elder. Could you show me your arm for a moment?”
The old man nodded briefly and rolled up his sleeve.
Then, the scar, which was also the reason Kang Dae-oh and Executive Director Yoo In-seok had come here, reappeared before them.
Executive Director Yoo In-seok asked, with a thought of ‘no way’.
“Did your grandfather also suffer a gunshot wound while he was in the military, Store Manager?”
“Rather than that… he was a Korean War veteran.”
The moment he heard the words “Korean War veteran.”
The scattered puzzle pieces in Kang Dae-oh’s mind finally came together.
He had thought it was strange. Even if the military back then was much tougher in terms of barracks life and training compared to the military now, a gunshot wound was a separate issue.
However, if he was a war veteran, it made sense.
“My deceased grandfather also had a gunshot wound on his arm, just like the elder. The location would be almost identical. He also had a lot of difficulty moving around.”
The old man chuckled.
“It can’t be helped. Still, I’m proud of this scar. Isn’t it a medal earned from defending the Republic of Korea? Your grandfather probably thought the same as me.”
“I think so too.”
Meanwhile.
After learning the old man’s identity, Kang Dae-oh couldn’t help but fall deep into thought.
A hero who had dedicated his entire body to defending the nation.
The fact that he was now worried about his livelihood and collecting waste paper was simply regrettable.
And it was sad.
