Episode 74: Myeong-dong Street
“Hello? Changjin… No, Changjin?”
Jin Seon-ah frowned as she put down the phone.
Calling after nearly a month just for work-related matters.
Feeling slightly hurt, Jin Seon-ah pouted and grumbled.
“Hmph, what a strange man. Does he think I’ll come just because he calls? He should at least apologize for being too busy to call. Ordering me to come out of the blue. Does he think I have nothing better to do?”
Even while grumbling, Jin Seon-ah sat down in front of her vanity. Despite muttering to herself, she didn’t stop doing her makeup. After finishing her makeup, she started picking out clothes.
“Ajumma, which of these outfits looks better? Is this one better? I think that one looks better…”
“They both look fine, but how about wearing something warmer? The long coat looks a bit chilly; a mink coat would be better.”
After trying on clothes for a while, she checked the time and was startled.
It was already 3:30.
Hastily putting on her coat and spraying some perfume, Jin Seon-ah went down to the first floor.
The sound of her pounding footsteps alerted Jin Tae-chun, who was reading Time magazine at the dining table, to casually ask.
“Suddenly, where are you off to?”
“Oh, I’m going to meet a debtor.”
“A debtor, at this hour? Have you eaten? You should eat before you go.”
“Yes, I’ll eat out. I might be late for dinner, so please go ahead without me.”
“What’s the matter? We were supposed to have a date today, weren’t we?”
“We’ll do that later. Sorry, Dad.”
Jin Seon-ah kissed Jin Tae-chun on the cheek, then drove off to Myeong-dong.
In front of the Korea Theater in Myeong-dong, across the street from the old Mido Department Store, stood the UNESCO building, with the Korea Theater inside.
It was peak season, so the theater was bustling like a swarm of bees.
Among the crowd, someone stood out. It was none other than Lee Chang-jin.
With his hair slicked back, Lee Chang-jin drew quite a bit of attention.
“Isn’t that guy kind of handsome?”
“Yeah, he’s dressed sharply and has a nice face too…”
“Should I try hitting on him?”
A few women, blushing and sneaking glances at him, seemed to make up their minds and approached Lee Chang-jin.
“Excuse me, I’m new here. Which way is the Mido Department Store?”
“Oh, yes. It’s across the street. You see that Bank of Korea building? It’s just below it.”
Lee Chang-jin kindly answered with a gentle smile, which made Jin Seon-ah, who was watching from her car, inexplicably angry.
Her eyebrows twitched.
“Those vixens!”
Before getting out, Jin Seon-ah checked herself in her hand mirror one more time.
After tidying her appearance, she got out of the car with a composed face.
Lee Chang-jin turned around at the sound of her clicking heels and smiled, leaving the other women looking displeased.
Lee Chang-jin spoke in a soft voice.
“You’re here? Seon-ah?”
“Sorry for taking so long… Did you wait long?”
As she linked arms with him, Lee Chang-jin laughed and replied.
“No, you’re right on time. Those heels seem pretty high, aren’t your legs tired?”
“This is just normal for me. How do I look, pretty?”
The women were visibly taken aback by Jin Seon-ah’s haughty behavior as she lowered her sunglasses and looked them up and down.
Feeling embarrassed, Lee Chang-jin gave an awkward smile.
“You look especially pretty today. It suits you well.”
“Hoho, thank you. By the way, who are these people? I haven’t seen them before.”
“Oh, they said they were new to the area, so I was just giving them directions.”
“Is that so? Do you need anything else? We’re quite busy right now.”
Realizing they were outmatched, the women retreated.
“No, we’re fine. We’ll be going then…”
Blushing, the women disappeared. Watching them, Jin Seon-ah turned to Lee Chang-jin with a stern expression.
“From now on, if young women come up to you, just say you don’t know anything.”
“Haha, okay. Have you eaten?”
“Yes, just a little. But why did you call me out here to talk about work? We could’ve done it at the office.”
Seeing her slightly sulky reaction, Lee Chang-jin gently coaxed her.
“Well, we can discuss work later. Let’s watch a movie first. Is there anything you want to see?”
Seemingly placated by his words, Jin Seon-ah changed her expression.
She looked up at the movie posters.
There were hand-painted theater signs hanging like posters.
Among the foreign films, there was the melodrama “Sunshine” and the crime action film “The Getaway” starring Ali MacGraw. There were also various other movies like “Run, Don’t Walk,” based on a famous novelist’s work, which were all being shown to great acclaim.
“Ah, that one looks interesting.”
She pointed to a movie on the re-release list. The title was none other than “The Exorcist.” The shadow of a man in a fedora under a streetlamp looked quite eerie.
Seeing this, Lee Chang-jin had a slightly uneasy expression.
“This one’s pretty intense. Are you sure?”
But Jin Seon-ah’s eyes sparkled even more.
“I really like thrillers. But did you get tickets? They might be hard to find now.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got my ways.”
Lee Chang-jin spotted a man in a checkered shirt loitering nearby.
The man, wearing a baseball cap and lowering his head, caught Lee Chang-jin’s signal and approached.
“How much for two tickets to ‘The Exorcist’?”
“2,000 won per ticket. So, 4,000 won for two.”
Lee Chang-jin handed the man crisp new bills.
The scalper quickly handed over two tickets.
“Thank you. Enjoy the movie.”
The man gave a quick bow and disappeared into the crowd.
Amazed, Jin Seon-ah asked.
“How did you know he was a scalper?”
“Just a hunch. Now that we have tickets, let’s go in.”
Inside the theater, Lee Chang-jin sat down first.
However, a tall man sat in front of them, blocking the view.
Seeing Jin Seon-ah’s discomfort, Lee Chang-jin tapped the man’s seat and politely asked.
“Excuse me.”
“What is it?”
“Sorry, but we can’t see very well. Could you switch seats with us?”
“What? Why should I?”
In response to the man’s curt reply, Lee Chang-jin handed him three red bills.
“Please, I’d appreciate it.”
“…Well, if that’s the case.”
The power of money. The man and his party immediately moved.
Feeling much more comfortable, Jin Seon-ah whispered in his ear.
“Thank you.”
A moment later, a recorded announcement was heard from the back of the theater.
“Before the main feature, we will now play the national anthem. Please stand.”
As the national anthem played, everyone stood at attention. During the pledge of allegiance, everyone remained upright.
The audience was conscious of each other’s movements.
No one wanted to risk being reported for improper behavior.
In fact, a few months earlier, an incident had made the news when someone was jailed for smoking during the anthem.
No one wanted to go to jail.
Everyone sang the national anthem with a sense of solemnity.
After the lights dimmed, the newsreel played, followed by a short advertisement before the movie began.
Thud Thud Thud!
Before the movie started, people weren’t particularly tense.
They didn’t think a horror movie could be that scary.
But once the movie started, the situation changed.
“In here, with us!”
The scene of the priest performing an exorcism and the female protagonist’s face suddenly contorting.
A girl crawling down the stairs backward like a spider.
People who had expected a simple creepy film found themselves screaming or feeling nauseous and leaving.
Every time a scary scene appeared, Jin Seon-ah clung tightly to Lee Chang-jin’s arm.
In extreme cases, she would close her eyes and bow her head occasionally.
When the two-hour movie ended, people poured out of the theater as if fleeing.
Jin Seon-ah’s face, which had turned pale as wax, soon returned to its normal calm.
“That was a great movie. A masterpiece.”
“Weren’t you scared?”
“It’s all fake. What’s there to be scared of? People are scarier than ghosts. Ghosts have no substance, but people do.”
Though she pretended to be unaffected, her hand, clasped around Lee Chang-jin’s, was damp with sweat. Lee Chang-jin chuckled and asked her.
“Watching a scary movie makes me hungry. Shall we get something to eat?”
“That sounds good. Do you have a place in mind?”
“Knowing this would happen, I made a reservation at a nice place.”
Lee Chang-jin took Jin Seon-ah to a restaurant named “Gren” near Seoul Station. The interior, adorned with chandeliers like a medieval palace, exuded an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere. It was a popular spot for bureaucrats and intellectuals who preferred a cozy setting during a time when upscale restaurants were scarce.
The table Lee Chang-jin had reserved offered a clear view of the nightscape of Seoul Station.
Having scouted the place beforehand, he had secured the best table with the finest view.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Hmm… I’m fine with anything. Today, I’ll leave the choice to you since you picked the place.”
The waiter politely handed over the menu. However, the menu was entirely in French.
The waiter, noticing their confusion, apologized.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I brought the chef’s menu by mistake… I’ll change it right away.”
“No need.”
Lee Chang-jin nonchalantly placed his order.
“Two Chateaubriands, one salmon steak. Wine: Chateau d’Yquem, and add a Vongole pasta.”
“How would you like the steak cooked?”
“Medium rare, please.”
Slightly surprised, Jin Seon-ah asked.
“Can you speak French too? Did you learn that in Mannheim?”
“Haha, just enough to read a simple menu. I’m a regular here.”
While waiting for the main course, they were served warm cream soup and bread. As Lee Chang-jin tore off pieces of bread and ate them, he spoke.
“How have you been?”
“It’s been a boring routine. Collecting money, auctioning off seized houses and cars… nothing interesting. Oh, a lot of debtors seem to like paintings. I’ve been to dozens of antique and art auctions lately. Thanks to that, my eye for art has improved. I even hung a few pieces in our house.”
“Really? I’d love to see them sometime.”
“I’ll show you later. How have you been? You seemed very busy for the past two months.”
“Well, a lot has happened. Imported dyes, sold pumps… It’s been hectic.”
As they chatted, the Chateaubriand, cooked to perfection, was served.
“It looks delicious.”
“Try it. The fillet is well-cooked, tender, and juicy.”
Jin Seon-ah dipped a piece of meat in the sauce and took a bite. The moment she bit into it, the chewy texture and rich juices burst in her mouth. The lean, tender meat was devoid of fat, yet full of flavor. Seeing her expression, Lee Chang-jin smiled.
“Isn’t it good here?”
“It’s delicious. Honestly, it might be better than the Viking buffet at Terra Hotel.”
After finishing their meal, they were served a refreshing lemon jelly for dessert. As they sipped the accompanying coffee, Lee Chang-jin recounted his recent experiences.
Listening attentively, Jin Seon-ah showed great interest when he mentioned visiting a dye workshop in Malaysia.
“The dye pits sound fascinating. Did you bring any souvenirs?”
“Oh, let me see… I did buy something, but what was it?”
As Lee Chang-jin hesitated, Jin Seon-ah grew impatient.
“Come on, don’t tease me. Show me already.”
Unable to resist her prodding, Lee Chang-jin smiled and waved his hand.
The next moment, something amazing happened.
As he waved his hand in the air, a hat suddenly appeared.
From the hat, Lee Chang-jin pulled out a square jewelry box.
Jin Seon-ah’s eyes widened in amazement at the unexpected magic trick.
“Ta-da.”
Lee Chang-jin handed her the elegantly wrapped small box. Carefully opening it, Jin Seon-ah found a pair of lustrous pearl earrings.
The animal-shaped design was cute and charming.
“Oh my, these are seahorses, right? Aren’t they?”
“Yes, they’re seahorse-shaped.”
The chandelier’s light reflected on the pearls, giving off a refined glow.
Captivated by the sophisticated and intricate design, Jin Seon-ah was mesmerized.
“They’re adorable. I’ve never seen a design like this before.”
The seahorse’s eyes were adorned with rubies.
Unable to take her eyes off the jewelry, Jin Seon-ah was deeply impressed.
“Malaysia is famous for Borneo pearls. Try them on.”
Jin Seon-ah immediately changed her earrings.
The earrings suited her so well, it was as if they were made for her.
Checking herself in the mirror, she awkwardly touched her earlobe.
“You look like Audrey Hepburn in them.”
Blushing, Jin Seon-ah shyly thanked him.
“Thank you for the gift.”
“You’re welcome. I was worried, but I’m glad you like them.”
Lee Chang-jin didn’t mention the customs duty of $1,000 he had to pay for the earrings or the numerous times he practiced the magic trick.
Jin Seon-ah, still blushing, changed the subject to hide her embarrassment.
“So, what was the business matter you mentioned on the phone? I’m curious.”
“Oh, that? Just a moment.”
Lee Chang-jin rummaged through his bag and handed her a file.
“I recently acquired a construction company but there’s an issue with outstanding receivables. I was hoping you could help with the debt collection.”
“Shall we look at it now?”
Switching to serious mode, she opened the file.
As she carefully reviewed the documents over coffee, her eyes began to gleam.
- To be continued in Episode 75 -
