บท 45: CH43
After the situation was settled, Go Junhyung spoke to Ellie.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Junhyung Goh. What's your business in Korea?"
Thanks to her elite education since she was young, Ellie's pronunciation was so fluent that she could pass for a native speaker.
Ellie replied in English, "I have an important business to take care of."
"May I ask what it is?"
"I'm sorry but it's confidential."
"Oh, I am sorry."
He took out his wallet from his pocket and handed her his business card.
"It must be fate that we met like this. Here's my card."
Ellie accepted the business card.
"You work at GH Construction,"
Junhyung said with a smile. "My father is the chairman there. GH Construction has deep ties with Golden Gate, do you know about it?"
Ellie nodded. "In Indonesia, GH Construction is handling the SOC project, and Golden Gate is providing the project financing for it."
Listening to this, it seemed that GH Construction had won a road construction project from the Indonesian government, and Golden Gate was investing funds in it.
Ellie also handed him her business card.
"Nice meeting you."
Seon-ah watched the two engaging in conversation, then turned her gaze towards me, wearing an expression that revealed nothing of her thoughts.
Go Junhyung also approached me and offered his business card.
"If you ever need help, don't hesitate to contact me."
Would I really have a need for help?
Either way, I accepted the business card.
"Yes, senior."
Seon-ah said to Go Junhyung, "Let's go, oppa."
"Well, then let's go."
Go Junhyung opened the passenger door. Before Seon-ah got into the car, she said to me, "See you next time."
"Okay. Take care."
Vroom!
The powerful engine roared to life as the Bentley smoothly exited the parking lot.
Watching the car's rear, I thought to myself,
"Indeed, a Bentley is not my style. Maybe a Porsche or Maserati would be better if I were to buy one?"
I really need to seriously consider which car to purchase.
"We're heading out too."
As we were about to leave, Kyeongil asked Ellie, "We're going to grab lunch, would you like to join us?"
Ellie replied, "Um, may I not intrude?"
He quickly nodded, "Of course. As a token of apology, I'll treat you to the meal."
"······."
Did you not accompany Hye-mi earlier?
The juniors also said, "Let's go."
"I'll go ahead."
Ellie looked at me with a questioning expression.
"May I go too?"
"Sure."
So unexpectedly, we all headed to the central library student cafeteria to have a meal.
Minyoung whispered to me.
"It's only been a short while since you were discharged, yet you're meeting such a beauty. Lucky you."
"It's not like that."
I asked Minyoung,
"Why did you come to school during the vacation?"
"For TOEIC study."
"So many students come to study during their break?"
"It's about being prepared. When I see seniors who can't graduate because they can't find a job, it makes me sigh. Next year, I'll be a fourth-year student. I'm considering taking a leave of absence and going abroad for language study."
If I hadn't had a few things to take care of after discharge, would I be studying various subjects now, pondering similar concerns?
***
Even during vacation, Go Junhyung came to school because he had a meeting with the university president. Korea University is currently constructing student dormitories on campus premises, managed by GH Construction.
As his father is the chairman of GH Construction, he has taken on some tasks on behalf of his father, and the meeting with the president was also related to his business duties.
However, on his way back, he encountered an unexpected person.
"Kang Jinhoo?"
Dating and breaking up on campus is common, so running into an ex-boyfriend at school isn't a big deal.
However, something kept bothering him.
In a capitalist society, having a lot of money is power in itself. People envy or fear the power of others.
As a result, most people felt intimidated in his presence.
Of course, classmates, seniors, and professors treat him with ease. However, that's only on the surface. They bow their heads in front of the power of money. Even the University president I just met was the same.
The only exceptions are those who hold similar positions or wealth.
But then… I recalled the moment when I (Go Junhyung) shook hands with Kang Jinhoo earlier.
Surprisingly, the other party did not seem intimidated at all. It was just the attitude of a junior towards a senior, nothing more, nothing less.
Thinking there might be a chance, I deliberately mentioned my own position and even exchanged business cards, but he remained unfazed.
Go Junhyung asked as he drove, "He's interesting. You briefly dated in your first year, right?"
Seon-ah turned her head playfully and asked, "Jealous, by any chance?"
"No way. It's not like I didn't know. I've been in relationships too."
The first time Go Junhyung saw Yoom Seon-ah was when he briefly visited the school festival. And she was with him at that time.
"He came in a strange car."
Seon-ah chuckled, "Probably a friend's car. There's one of those in his friends."
She remembered the friend she was introduced to during their time together.
"His friend's name is quite unique. Taekgyu."
"Not very unique, is it?"
"But his last name is 'Oh.' So it's Oh Taekgyu."
"What? Otaku?"
"It's not otaku, It's Ohtaekgyu."
"Haha, that's a funny name."
Go Junhyung burst out laughing.
"But what's his connection with Golden Gate attorney? I saw on the business card that she works at the Asia branch."
Seon-ah recalled the foreigner she had just met.
With a height that could pass for a model and a well-proportioned body, she was so stunningly beautiful that it seemed almost regrettable for her to work as an attorney.
It was definitely odd for an average university student to be with a Golden Gate attorney.
However, Seon-ah could guess the reason.
"His friend's (Oh Taekgyu) older sister works at the Golden Gate Asia branch."
Go Junhyung nodded in understanding.
"Oh, I see. Did she ask him to show him around the school?"
"I suppose so."
Despite that, the two of them strangely looked close. They didn't seem to be dating, but there was clearly something between them.
Could it be just a friendship?
But there was something else that bothered her.
'He has changed.'
Seon-ah prided herself on her ability to read people.
Just a few months ago, when she coincidentally met him at a drinking gathering, he seemed the same as before. But meeting him again today, something about him had changed.
She could see it at a glance.
It hadn't been that long since their last meeting.
'What could have happened between that time?'
Or…
"Should we go shopping at the department store?" asked Go Junhyung.
Seon-ah nodded in agreement. "Sure."
She pushed away the thoughts in her mind. 'It must be just a misunderstanding.'
***
"How long has it been since you last had school food?"
During the two-year period, school food had significantly improved. The most noticeable change was in the prices.
"It's gone up by a thousand won."
Kids from wealthy families might not care about the price of school food, but for someone like me who made billions in just a few months, the price hike was evident at a glance.
Minyoung sighed and said, "The students went crazy when they tried to raise it by another 300 won, and we barely managed to stop it."
While a thousand won may seem insignificant, for university students, paying that extra amount is not a trivial expense.
Some students even skip proper meals and eat ramen instead just because they find spending 1,000 or 2,000 won wasteful.
I sat down to have the school food. I had a 5-star hotel breakfast in the morning, but now I was about to have school food for lunch.
Ellie, who also had the school food, sat beside me. She chose the pork cutlet from the menu.
"I always wanted to try pork cutlet when I come to Korea University."
"Why is that?"
"Jessica said the pork cutlet here is the best."
"Well, not necessarily because the pork cutlet is exceptionally delicious, but rather because the other options are mediocre."
Even in the cafeteria, Ellie drew attention. Students at other tables peeked over, and the juniors from the Business Administration department sitting nearby bombarded her with questions.
Golden Gate is the dream workplace that every student interested in a career in finance wants to get into.
Ellie kindly answered various questions and had a lively conversation. While chatting with her female juniors, laughter never seemed to stop, as if finding something endlessly amusing.
This makes her seem just like an ordinary university student. Is this her usual personality?
After the meal, we headed outside.
"See you next time."
"I'll contact you."
Minyoung and Kyeongil went with the juniors, and we continued to tour the campus.
Ellie said, "That woman earlier was pretty, wasn't she?"
"Who? Are you talking about Hye-mi?"
"No, the woman who rode in the Bentley."
"Ah, Seon-ah?"
Ellie nodded.
"That's Yoon Seon-ah. She's indeed as beautiful as I heard."
I was taken aback by her words.
"What? How do you know Seon-ah?"
"Tae-gyu told me."
"What did he say…?"
"He told me that you met her at the beginning of the semester, dated her for less than a year, then broke up, and you took a leave of absence and went to the military."
'…Why is he sharing other people's dating stories in such detail without permission?'
Ellie asked after observing my expression.
"What are you thinking?"
"It's nothing, really."
He was contemplating how to kill this brat.
"By any chance, do you still like her?"
This must be a question about Seon-ah, right?
I shook my head.
"No, we broke up a long time ago. Now we're just colleagues."
I used to really like her at one point, but that's all in the past now. There's no need to cling to a bygone connection.
Ellie smiled, looking as if she like my answer.
"I see."
***
After finishing our campus tour, we circled around the university district. We had dinner nearby, and before we knew it, the sun had set.
It would take another hour to get back.
I drove off with Ellie in the car. Throughout the ride, Ellie gazed out the window.
"The night view of Seoul is beautiful."
"Isn't Hong Kong beautiful too?"
I recalled the image of Hong Kong from a travel program. Unlike Seoul, which doesn't have many tall buildings, Hong Kong is a paradise of skyscrapers. At night, the buildings are illuminated with colorful lights.
Ellie smiled and said, "Come visit sometime. I'll be your guide."
"I will."
We soon entered Yeongjong Bridge. Arriving at the hotel, we parked and went up to the lobby.
Ellie reached out her hand to me.
"Back to work from tomorrow onwards. I enjoyed our date today."
"We've only spent a day together, but it feels like we've become suddenly closer."
I grasped her hand.
"Me too."
TL/n -
so cringe
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