Episode 15. Youngest Real Estate Prodigy (1)
Recently, Kang Dae-oh had been spending his days working tirelessly at the cafe, with no time to rest.
Customers had always been coming in steadily.
But recently, their numbers had increased even more.
Just then, the reason why customers were flocking to Kang Dae-oh’s cafe was revealed on the laundry owner’s smartphone screen.
“Oh, it’s on here again. The interview with President Kang’s family.”
The video of Kang Yera, Kang Yebin, and Kang Yeyoung, known as the young heroes of the kids cafe fire, and their parents being interviewed, had recently made the internet buzz.
Thanks to this, even a week after the original interview video was uploaded, its views were still rapidly increasing.
Consequently, customers naturally flocked to Kang Dae-oh’s cafe.
They didn’t even come empty-handed.
The laundry owner pointed to a pile of gift bundles stacked in one corner.
“Did you receive this many gifts from customers again today?”
“Yes, sajangnim.”
“That’s amazing. It looks like there’s more than yesterday, right? Am I mistaken?”
“No. You saw correctly.”
Thanks to this, Kang Dae-oh was contemplating how to take all these gifts home.
The reason people came to Kang Dae-oh with gifts was clear.
It was because Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon had raised their daughters well, which helped save the lives of countless children and parents.
People expressing their gratitude for this were flocking not only from Seoul but from all over the country.
It wasn’t just regular customers who came.
“Looks like a celebrity came too?”
The laundry owner pointed to a photo hanging on one wall and asked.
“Ah, yes. Se-hyun-ssi had a schedule nearby, and she said she remembered seeing my daughters’ interview video and dropped by for a moment.”
Hwang Se-hyun, a young female singer known as a rising supernova in the trot music scene.
The image of her visiting the cafe with an expression of being deeply moved by the family interview was still vivid in Kang Dae-oh’s mind.
The laundry owner expressed strong regret.
“I really like Hwang Se-hyun. Ha… I should have come here back then, not today.”
If Kang Dae-oh had known that the laundry owner liked Hwang Se-hyun, he would have contacted him first.
The timing was bad in many ways.
Not only singers like Hwang Se-hyun but also actors and even famous sports stars left traces of having visited Kang Dae-oh’s cafe.
“Looks like a lot of people came.”
“Indeed. Thanks to this, many people recognize my face these days.”
“President Kang, you’ve become a celebrity.”
“Indeed.”
Kang Dae-oh’s goal was to raise his daughters to be celebrities.
Instead, Kang Dae-oh himself had become more famous.
Still, he felt good.
This was because the cafe’s sales were reaching record highs every day.
However, there was also someone who suffered in contrast.
“Sajangnim~!”
Lee Seo-jun, who had finally returned to the cafe after working under the scorching sun, pleaded with Kang Dae-oh.
“You promised to hire more part-timers~!”
“I’m sorry. We’re starting interviews today, so please bear with it a little longer. Instead, I’ll pay you generously.”
“Ugh…! I’m going to collapse first at this rate!”
Kang Dae-oh apologized to Lee Seo-jun once again.
Due to the overwhelming number of customers, Kang Dae-oh and Lee Seo-jun were slowly reaching their limits with just the two of them.
No, they had already far exceeded their limits.
Not only was manpower an issue, but the store itself was also at full capacity.
It hadn’t even been two months since they expanded and moved, but Kang Dae-oh was already contemplating moving the store to an even larger location.
‘It’s a problem even when business is too good.’
Although his body was tired, his mind was at ease because he was becoming financially prosperous.
When raising his children, Kang Dae-oh had one major concern.
It was when he couldn’t provide for his children what others could.
He could endure anything else, but Kang Dae-oh wasn’t confident he could bear that.
But now, he no longer had to worry about such things.
This was because the store’s sales, and Kang Dae-oh’s financial situation, had improved significantly.
Just then, a young woman who was scheduled for a part-time interview today visited the cafe.
“Hello! I’m here for an interview!”
Her voice was quite lively.
The laundry owner, perhaps thinking he would be a hindrance if he stayed, said he would be going and headed outside.
After seeing him off, Kang Dae-oh guided the woman to a corner seat for the part-time interview.
As soon as she sat down, her eyes sparkled brightly as she spoke.
“I’m Yeyoung’s fan!”
“Huh? You mean… my youngest daughter, right?”
“Yes!!! She’s so cute every time I see her… I’ve watched the interview video with sajangnim and your family at least 20 times!”
Thanks to her displaying the demeanor of a ‘bright-eyed fanatic’ from the very first impression, Kang Dae-oh had to force a wry smile even before starting.
Still, she was someone who called his daughter cute and pretty.
He didn’t dislike it.
Instead.
“Thank you for your words, but the main purpose is still the part-time interview…”
“Ah, right. I’m sorry!”
“It’s alright. Haha.”
From the very first interview to hire an additional part-timer, it felt like he had hit the jackpot with a very unique person.
However, as they talked, he realized she was a better person than he initially thought.
Among the things she said, one part caught Kang Dae-oh’s attention.
It was her family background.
“So, Se-in-ssi, you’re raising two younger siblings by yourself?”
“Yes, that’s right. They said if I wasn’t there, the kids would all have to go to an orphanage, and when I heard that, my head went numb. I have all my limbs, I’m a perfectly capable noona. Hearing that my younger brothers would be sent to an orphanage was a shock. So I decided. I would work tooth and nail to earn money and somehow raise our kids with my own hands.”
“Then your parents…”
“Well. Aren’t they living well somewhere? Since they abandoned us. I just hope they don’t starve to death on the streets somewhere. That’s all I feel right now.”
Despite her parents being the ones who put her in such a difficult situation, Choi Se-in didn’t show any resentment towards them.
He thought perhaps she admired Kang Dae-oh’s family because of her own unfortunate family background.
But as he listened to her story, he realized that wasn’t exactly the case.
“My younger siblings used to be really cute. But now that they’ve grown up a bit, they don’t act cute with their noona anymore. They’ve lost their cuteness. But then I saw Yeyoung! Oh my goodness. As soon as I saw her, I thought an angel had descended!”
After only seeing boys, seeing a girl, especially a baby who hadn’t even had her first birthday yet, made her seem unbelievably cute.
“Of course, Yera and Yebin are also cute and pretty, but Yeyoung in her mother’s arms… she’s so adorable… I even set her as my wallpaper!”
He wondered whether he should be happy or not about someone he met for the first time today proudly announcing that she had set his youngest daughter as her smartphone wallpaper.
Kang Dae-oh, as a father, was briefly lost in thought.
Before he knew it, the interview was once again filled with stories about Kang Yeyoung.
Had even the heavens been moved by Choi Se-in’s fan devotion?
Ttalling! The sound of the cafe’s entrance door opening was heard.
“Honey. I’m here.”
Min Seung-yeon briefly visited the cafe with Kang Yeyoung.
As soon as he saw Kang Yeyoung, Kang Dae-oh paused the interview with a faint smile.
“My wife brought Yeyoung.”
An impromptu fan meeting was formed.
After safely finishing another day and returning home, Kang Dae-oh completed the sales reconciliation and moved on to the next task.
“For the part-time job… should I confirm Se-in-ssi for one position?”
Kang Dae-oh had conducted several more part-time interviews starting with Choi Se-in.
As time passed, she kept lingering in his mind.
Her sense of responsibility to raise her younger siblings tenaciously despite difficult circumstances, and her positive energy of always maintaining a bright smile, captivated Kang Dae-oh’s heart.
‘I thought I also got married, had children, and set up a shop in a somewhat difficult situation.’
He realized that compared to Choi Se-in, the difficulties Kang Dae-oh faced were nothing.
Therefore, the weight leaned even more towards hiring Choi Se-in.
‘Yes. Let’s confirm Se-in-ssi for one spot.’
As soon as he made that decision.
“Appa!”
Kang Yera came to find Kang Dae-oh, who was working on his laptop in the living room.
“Oh, my daughter. Why?”
Kang Dae-oh lifted Kang Yera up and sat her on his lap.
Despite being an adult on the inside, Kang Yera loved being hugged by her appa and omma far more than her other sisters.
It was like she was the eldest daughter who had more aegyo than her younger siblings.
Even if her mind was that of an adult, at times like this, she was no different from ordinary children her age.
“Did you fight with Yebin again?”
This was one of the biggest reasons Kang Yera sought out Kang Dae-oh.
However, today she came to her appa for a different reason.
“When are we moving?”
“Moving?”
“Yes. This house is too small.”
She was right.
Originally, this old villa they were currently living in was acquired by Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon as their newlywed home.
And it was a monthly rental, not even owned.
Since the family had grown from 2 to 5 members, it was natural for it to feel cramped.
At the mention of moving, Kang Dae-oh’s thoughts deepened.
Kang Yera glanced at him and poked Kang Dae-oh’s stomach with her elbow repeatedly.
“Appa, I know everything.”
“What?”
“That you’re earning a lot of money thanks to us.”
“……”
His daughter was too quick-witted for her own good.
As Kang Yera said, Kang Dae-oh’s cafe had continuously shown growth since shortly after she was born.
It was true that he earned a lot more money than before.
Furthermore, considering that he would benefit even more from his daughters in the future, the cafe would become much larger than it was now.
With a bright future ahead, he wondered if it would be okay to indulge in the luxury of moving, as Kang Yera suggested.
‘My wife wanted to move anyway.’
Kang Dae-oh decided to actively accept Kang Yera’s suggestion.
“Alright. Appa will look for a house. But please understand that it might take some time.”
“Are you looking for an owned house?”
“Uh, I should.”
Because it was his long-cherished wish to own a house under his name.
Kang Dae-oh had earned a large sum of money thanks to his daughters, so he planned to seize this opportunity to fulfill his dream of owning a home.
That’s why he wanted to take his time and search for a house.
Because the more effort you put into searching, the better.
“If possible, it would be good to find a place where house prices are likely to rise.”
“Appa, there’s an easy way, why are you trying to take the difficult path?”
“Huh? An easy way?”
“We’re here, aren’t we?”
His daughters from the future were there.
However, Kang Dae-oh brought up what Kang Yera had said before to refute his daughter’s claim.
“Didn’t you and Yebin say you don’t know anything about real estate or stock information?”
“We don’t know. But.”
Kang Yera pointed to her youngest sister, who was diligently practicing walking with her omma and Kang Yebin in the living room, and said.
“Yeyoung is different. She’s incredibly good at real estate and business.”
A lucky charm was rolling around… no, walking around in his house.
