Chapter 21

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Unfortunate
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At the question of whether he worked for Namgyeong Development, Taeseo looked up at the restaurant owner's husband. The man hesitated before revealing what was on his mind.

“I heard they’re building a new road. Not the one that passes in front of our restaurant, but a new one connecting the tollgate to the golf course…”

His goal was to get information about the golf course's access road.

The road in front of Seongu Baekban was a two-lane road. The houses and restaurants of the local residents were packed tightly along its sides, making development difficult.

If a new road was built, land prices would rise along the new route, not the current one used by the original residents. Development would naturally center there. So, of course, the residents were curious.

“Is there any way to know where that new road will be built and how?”

“As far as I know, the road issue is still under discussion. The local government says it needs to be reorganized as part of urbanization, but with compensation and other things tangled up, the negotiations are being delayed.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is.”

Construction for an access road was underway at the entrance of the Namgyeong golf course, but that was just for a 500-meter stretch. The construction of the new main road was being handled by the local government, as per regulations.

With the construction of a publicly operated golf course, the local government was also deliberating on how to promote regional development.

A new road was planned according to the urban plan, but it was a mid-to-long-term project that would continue even after the Namgyeong golf course was built.

“Anyway, building a road takes a long time, so they’ll probably have to use this road for a while even after the golf course opens, right?”

“I was just hoping they’d use this road permanently…”

The owner of Seongu Baekban, who hadn't been in the dining hall, opened the door and came in a moment later. In her basket were freshly picked, crisp peppers and cucumbers.

“You’re here again? Just a minute. I’ll slice up some cucumbers and put them in some cold seaweed soup for you. Have a nice, cool bowl of it today.”

“Yes, please. I’m looking forward to it.”

While Hyunwoo answered warmly, the owner’s husband pulled up a chair and joined them at their table.

“But listen, young man. Is it impossible to develop this road instead?”

The owner's husband seemed to want the development to happen around the road passing in front of Seongu Baekban.

“I can’t possibly know everything the higher-ups are doing.”

“If they develop this road, everyone in this neighborhood would benefit from the golf course, wouldn’t they? It’s a win-win for everyone.”

“I don’t know if my suggestion will have any effect, but I’ll include it in my report.”

Taeseo’s words were nothing more than an empty promise, but the owner’s husband beamed at the gesture.

“I bet a word from an employee would have more impact than us locals just rambling on. Thanks, young man.”

As if his business was concluded, the owner's husband sat at the table next to them and turned on the TV with the remote.

He put on a drama rerun and was quickly engrossed. It was the most popular drama recently, starring an actress with exceptionally fair skin and a slender frame.

With nothing else to do while waiting for the food, Taeseo watched the drama with the owner’s husband.

“What does she eat to be so pale?”

To her husband’s comment, the restaurant owner, who was cooking in the kitchen, replied.

“She’s pale because she’s never seen the sun in her life.”

Pale because she's never seen the sun...

Taeseo had also thought that fair skin was only possible for people with little sun exposure, but for the first time in his life, he had seen a woman who didn't tan, only turning red. It was An Yuna.

An Yuna, who didn't have a car, spent a lot of time on the road commuting to the factory. From what he saw last time, she also seemed to walk back and forth to her family home under the scorching sun.

It was a neighborhood of open plains with no shade, yet despite always walking through it, An Yuna maintained her noticeably fair skin.

Suddenly, An Yuna’s face superimposed itself over the actress’s on the TV screen.

Taeseo wondered who was prettier, the actress or An Yuna. Compared to the actress, An Yuna’s looks didn’t seem to fall short.

A little later, the owner brought out a nickel-silver tray laden with food. The price was always the same, but the number of dishes that appeared on the table varied each time at the owner’s discretion.

Perhaps because of the commotion about recycling food on his first day, the owner served Taeseo more and more food each time he came.

Today’s main side dish was a cold seaweed soup with cucumber. The sight of fresh cucumber and seaweed in the clear broth was refreshingly cool.

Taeseo lifted his spoon, scooped up the broth with ice and sesame seeds, and took a sip. The tangy flavor was superb.

Taeseo ate slowly, waiting for the right moment to speak to the restaurant owner.

“By the way, about An Yuna.”

“Yuna?”

The owner, who had returned to her seat at the counter, turned her head to look at Taeseo.

“That man, her grand-uncle, came by again yesterday, causing a scene and demanding money.”

“That damn bastard, he cracked the girl’s head open and he’s still at it, still causing trouble.”

Still not satisfied after cursing, the owner slammed her open ledger shut. Taeseo swallowed the food he was chewing and spoke.

“Life must be hard for her. It seems like she works at the factory and the convenience store, and she’s living in a studio apartment instead of at home.”

“You can say that again. And since you brought it up…”

The owner took the bait just as Taeseo had intended.

Taeseo had planned to pry into her family's situation while talking about An Yuna. He was sure the meddlesome restaurant owner would spill the details, and his prediction was right.

“That family has a lot of problems. The four of them live off the money she earns.”

“Four people live off the money An Yuna earns?”

“Yuna’s grandmother, her father, Yunho, and Yuna. Her mother divorced him and ran off a few years ago. How could she stick around when her husband did nothing but drink all day, sell off what little land they had, and gamble it all away? Yuna works herself to the bone, at the factory and the convenience store, all by herself.”

Hearing it from someone else made it sound even more tragic. Twenty was far too young an age to be responsible for a family’s livelihood.

Gratitude for raising her or not, Taeseo would have run away long ago. No, seeing how An Yunho and his father acted, there didn't seem to be any gratitude owed in the first place.

His heart felt so heavy that he could no longer taste the cold seaweed soup, which had looked so appetizing just moments before.

As he ate, the drama rerun continued on the TV. The sight of the fair-skinned actress reminded him of An Yuna.

Once the compensation for the 400-pyeong plot of land went to her grand-uncle, would An Yuna be able to break free from the shackles of her life?

“Excuse me, could I get the village chief’s contact information?”

Taeseo asked after finishing his meal. The owner's husband, sitting at the next table, widened his eyes.

“Why do you need the chief’s number?”

“Hearing what you said today, it seems the residents have a slightly different opinion about the development. I think if I hear what the village chief has to say, I’ll have more to write in my report to the higher-ups.”

The owner’s husband, assuming he was talking about the new road, clapped his hands in delight.

“The chief’s probably out spraying pesticides in the fields today. I know where he is since I just delivered lunch to the paddies. I’ll take you to him right now, so let’s go.”

“Right now?”

“Yep. Strike while the iron is hot, they say. It’s better to talk face-to-face than just call.”

Before Taeseo could even answer, the owner’s husband had gotten up and was already at the restaurant door. From the eager look in his eyes, it was clear he was using this as an excuse to slack off.

Just as he thought.

“Where does this good-for-nothing think he’s wandering off to now? It hasn’t been long since you came back from being out all morning, and you’re trying to sneak out again?”

At his wife’s scolding, the husband shrank back like a turtle into its shell.

“Who’s sneaking out? The employees from Namgyeong Development asked me to connect them with the chief.”

“You could just give them his number. You’re just looking for an excuse to go out and get free drinks. Ugh, I’m so sick of it.”

The husband waved frantically at Taeseo, as if urging him to hurry up and escape.

Why were all the men in this town such loafers?

Taeseo gave up on finding an answer and followed the owner’s husband out of the restaurant.

* * *

“How much is this car?”

The owner’s husband, who had pushed past Hyunwoo to get into the passenger seat, chattered excitedly.

“It’s expensive, right? Really expensive?”

He looked quite pleased, leaning down to examine the dashboard and run his eyes over the leather seats.

“Judging by the looks of it, this car must be more than just a little expensive.”

Taeseo answered indifferently to the man's persistent questions about the price.

“Yes. It’s a bit expensive.”

“It’s over a hundred grand, right?”

“Yes. It is.”

At the confirmation, the owner’s husband’s jaw dropped. Seeing the way he was eyeing the steering wheel, Taeseo guessed he was about to ask to drive it himself, so he focused on the road without looking his way.

Despite Taeseo’s efforts to avoid conversation, the man kept asking questions.

“So, is this an American car or a German one? They say the Germans make the best cars.”

“It’s German.”

“But you know. If you spend all your money on things like cars when you’re young, you’ll suffer when you’re old. You should buy some land in the countryside like us. That’s how you make money, selling it when it gets developed.”

But, as is often the case when people see an expensive car, the conversation inevitably concluded that driving such a vehicle was a waste, and that in the end, only money and land mattered.

Taeseo let out a small laugh, as if he’d expected as much. That was the logic of those who lacked money. For Taeseo, who would never have to worry about making a living for the rest of his life even without selling any land, their logic was impossible to relate to.

Revealing his true circumstances would free him from such lectures and the stigma of being ‘car poor,’ but being unable to do so was, quite simply, unfortunate.