CH 239

“Today is a bit less hectic, isn't it?”

As it turned out, Kang Eun-Yeong's influence was far more significant than anyone had bargained for. Even though she didn't show up the following day, the queues of customers didn't want to decrease at all. It seemed that the story of the pizzeria being run by her family member had spread to all corners of the internet.

At first, things were crazy-busy. However, just like the old saying about how one would adapt the more they repeated the action, the trio of men soon became experts at dealing with a dining area jam-packed with customers.

This kept up for a week or so, and eventually, the number of customers began to decrease little by little. And now, it felt like the customers walking through the doorway lately didn't care about Kang Eun-Yeong's connection to this place and simply wanted to eat some pizza.

“Yup. This is how it's supposed to be, anyway.” Ju Yeong-Gi smirked a little. “Still, thanks to your little sister, your store is finally going somewhere.”

“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded in agreement.

Even he had underestimated his little sister's ability to create waves. Sure, Kang Eun-Yeong did raise a lot of fuss whenever she visited the military base Kang Jin-Ho had been serving, but he chalked that overblown reaction down as a symptom of herding a large group of female-starved male soldiers into one place.

That assumption turned out to be false, though. Even in civilian society, Kang Eun-Yeong's sway was no less impressive. No, her influence seemed even greater than what Kang Jin-Ho had observed back in the military.

'Being a celebrity is maybe a bigger deal than I thought?'

After seeing the customers talk about Kang Eun-Yeong nonstop, Kang Jin-Ho had to admit that his sister had played a major role this time.

“Maaan, I can finally start breathing again. Aigoo…” Ju Yeong-Gi stretched his limbs while pretending to be exhausted. Kang Jin-Ho glanced at his friend and smirked a little. But then, Ju Yeong-Gi turned his head and addressed Kang Jin-Ho. “Hey, dude. Now that things have more or less settled down, you should hire some part-timers.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Part-timers, you say?”

“Yeah. It's not like we can keep doing this forever, right? We ain't gonna run this store for the rest of our lives. You're gonna close it after some time, so we should be thinking about continuing on with what we have been doing before this.”

“Hmm…” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. Even if he changed his mind and kept the pizzeria going, Ju Yeong-Gi or Park Yu-Min wouldn't be able to continue working here as waiters. That much was certain. “However, how will we find the part-timers?”

“...Listen, Jin-Ho.”

“Mm?”

“Sometimes, I end up wondering if there's something you're actually good at.”

“...?”

“On the one hand, you look like you can do anything you want, but on the other hand... You look like you're incapable of doing anything properly. So, please? Just do one thing at a time, okay? You're making everyone around you more confused and lost.”

“...My bad.” Kang Jin-Ho sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

Ju Yeong-Gi sighed deeply. “I'll deal with putting up the hiring notice, so you should think about interviewing the candidates.”

“Got it.” Kang Jin-Ho began to nod, only to be interrupted by the sound of someone entering the store.

“Welcome!” Park Yu-Min hurriedly rushed to the dining area.

Ju Yeong-Gi glanced at that before resuming his conversation with Kang Jin-Ho. “By the way, I haven't seen Chief Jo lately.”

“It seems he's busy with other matters,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Really? But what could that dude possibly be busy with?”

“...!” For a moment there, Kang Jin-Ho had to clamp his mouth shut.

No matter what anyone said, Jo Gyu-Min was still an important person with the job title of 'Chief Secretary' working for one of the top corporations in this country. Getting tangled up in Kang Jin-Ho's business had pushed him into doing sundry chores, but if it weren’t for that, Jo Gyu-Min would have taken on important tasks like assisting Chairman Hwang Jeong-Hu.

But now, that poor man had fallen so far off his lofty perch that Ju Yeong-Gi viewed him as a friendly older neighborhood gopher anyone could order around whenever they felt like it.

Kang Jin-Ho was about to explain the importance of Jo Gyu-Min's role in the corporation when he noticed the commotion coming from the dining area. “Mm?”

Ju Yeong-Gi noticed the noises as well and tilted his head before getting up.

“What's going on?”

Park Yu-Min was already present, yet the commotion was still going on, which could only mean that something major had happened. Ju Yeong-Gi emerged from the concealed staff room and headed to the dining area. And a short while later...

“Hey, Jin-Ho! You have a guest. Come outside for a minute.”

“Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. A guest? Who would come to his pizzeria to pay a visit?

Kang Jin-Ho took off his apron and headed to the dining area himself. An involuntary frown soon etched itself on his forehead.

“It's been a while, Mister Jin-Ho.” A familiar woman sitting by a table near the window was waving her hand animatedly at him. And everyone else in the pizzeria was staring at this woman in pure stupefaction.

“Why are you here, Miss Choi?” Kang Jin-Ho sourly asked.

“Why? Am I not allowed in here?”

“I thought you were busy.”

“I don't have any filming scheduled for today.”

“...”

The woman, Choi Yeon-Ha, smiled brightly after noticing Kang Jin-Ho's dismayed attitude. “Is it wrong of me to come to a pizzeria for a slice of pizza?”

“No, it isn't…”

“Don't worry; I'll pay for my food. I'm not really a fan of asking for things like a celebrity discount, you see?”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed softly at the bright smile on Choi Yeon-Ha's face. “Who told you about my pizzeria, Miss Choi?”

“Miss Se-Ah told me.”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho grimaced a little, and his gratefulness toward his little sister dissipated somewhat just then.

Choi Yeon-Ha slyly asked Kang Jin-Ho, “What's the best pizza in your store?”

Kang Jin-Ho flatly replied, “All of them are great, Miss Choi.”

“But you still must have a chef's recommendation, yes?”

“...All of them are delicious, Miss Choi.”

“Wow, you're still so stiff and unfriendly, Mister Jin-Ho. A beautiful woman wanted to buy your pizza and came here during one of her rare vacation days, so aren't you being a little too much?”

Kang Jin-Ho wryly grinned. “As long as you're here to eat and nothing more, I shall behave myself.”

“In that case, be friendly, Mister Jin-Ho. I promise I won't keep recommending that job to you.”

“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho quietly nodded. He didn't have a reason to treat Choi Yeon-Ha coldly if she wouldn’t bother him with all the 'Be an Actor!' nonsense and just enjoyed her pizza.

“In that case, please go ahead and choose.”

Choi Yeon-Ha unhesitantly took the menu board from Kang Jin-Ho and started browsing through it. While she looked unperturbed, others weren't as relaxed as her.

“Hey, isn't that Choi Yeon-Ha?”

“I think so?”

“...Eiii, no way. Why would Choi Yeon-Ha come here alone to buy pizza when she definitely has something better to do?”

“But, you can see for yourself, can't you? That really is Choi Yeon-Ha. Look, her face is about half the size of other people's faces. That's not something an ordinary person can have.”

“What? You think celebrities are some kind of aliens?”

“Well, someone like Choi Yeon-Ha is otherworldly, alright.”

“By the way, doesn't it look like Choi Yeon-Ha is acquainted with the pizzeria's owner?”

“He's Kang Se-Ah's oppa, so it's not a surprise that they know each other.”

“A singer and an actress wouldn't have a reason to know each other, though, never mind their family members.”

“Don't you know Kang Se-Ah is starring in a TV series with Choi Yeon-Ha? They probably got to know each other through that.”

“Ah, you're right.”

“Even then, Choi Yeon-Ha showing up here alone is weird, don't you think so? It'd make more sense for her to come here with Kang Se-Ah. Or show up when Kang Se-Ah is already here. Honestly, it's a bit weird to see Choi Yeon-Ha showing up alone in a pizzeria run by Kang Se-Ah's oppa. Especially when Kang Se-Ah isn't even here...”

Kang Jin-Ho massaged his temples while unwillingly eavesdropping on the hushed whispers.

'This is getting troublesome...'

The other people in the pizzeria were clearly staring at him and Choi Yeon-Ha in a weird way.

He groaned deeply. “...Are you here to make my life difficult, Miss Choi?”

“Would you believe me if I say I'm also a little flustered by this situation?”

“No...”

“But I'm being honest,” Choi Yeon-Ha awkwardly brushed her hair back. “Honestly, I haven’t had much chance to move around alone like this, and I'm not sure what I should do in this case. What do you think I should do?”

“...?” Kang Jin-Ho groaned again, thinking that this woman was also a hopeless case.

Choi Yeon-Ha stuttered a little. “H-how about I order a pizza first? Give me the—uhm, basic one.”

“Got it…”

“And please add extra cheese.”

“Understood.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded, then headed back to the kitchen after taking the menu board.

Choi Yeon-Ha took out a hand mirror from her bag and started powdering her nose. Even she was impressed by her own reflection's beauty, so why...

'Just what is up with that man?'

Since Choi Yeon-Ha had dolled herself up so much and even showed up in the middle of the busy week at his store, shouldn't Kang Jin-Ho at least pretend he was interested in talking to her? Wasn't that—like—a basic courtesy between people?

Kang Jin-Ho was even openly looking at her with eyes that said, “What are you doing here, you migraine-inducing woman?” The look in the former’s eyes was driving her up the wall.

“Wow, I never knew I'd be shooting a drama in real life, too.”

Choi Yeon-Ha believed she was meticulous in separating work from her private life, so it was such a shock to feel the cliched emotion of, 'I've never met a man who treats me this way!' It was seriously shocking!

“Yes, it's such a cliché.” Choi Yeon-Ha bit down on her lower lip.

It was a mistake to try sweet-talking Kang Jin-Ho into the world of acting. Choi Yeon-Ha should have thought about becoming his friend first and then aim for opportunities that would naturally rise up during their interactions. However, she messed that up, and now, Kang Jin-Ho probably viewed her as some kind of a pyramid scheme peddler.

Her pride was wounded; however, admitting to it was the only way for her to move forward.

'Mister Kang Jin-Ho, let me warn you that I can be as tenacious as a leech.'

Choi Yeon-Ha had no plans of resorting to petty tricks. As a matter of fact, she would wage a war of attrition.

See people often enough, and one would inevitably grow closer to them. Once they were closer, they would speak more frankly with each other. That was the rule of thumb. So, if she persistently appeared before Kang Jin-Ho and talked to him, that should erode the defensive wall he had put up. By then, he should become more conducive toward her recommendation.

“Your pizza is here,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Huh? It’s done?” Choi Yeon-Ha blinked her eyes in surprise.

“Yes, here it is…”

“Wait. You didn’t bake the pizza beforehand, knowing that I would be here, did you?” Choi Yeon-Ha asked in doubt, but when Kang Jin-Ho looked back at her weirdly, she could only awkwardly smile back at him. “I'm only joking, Mister Jin-Ho. Can't you humor me at least this once?”

“I'm not good at that kind of thing. Sorry.”

“Eiii.” Choi Yeon-Ha tutted softly.

Kang Jin-Ho didn't respond to that and simply put down the steaming pizza in front of her.

'Mm? This looks rather delicious?'

Kang Se-Ah had proudly boasted how her oppa's pizza tasted a lot better than it looked. Maybe she wasn't exaggerating, then? Just the visuals alone gave off this delectable impression. Besides, a pizza should taste good as long as good quality ingredients were used, no?

Choi Yeon-Ha took a small bite of a pre-cut slice, and her eyes instantly opened a little wider. “Wow, I didn't know you were good at cooking too, Mister Jin-Ho?”

“...”

“Wow, I'm just speechless. What do you need to do to get this kind of clean taste?”

Kang Jin-Ho briefly nodded at her. “Please enjoy your pizza. Then, later.”

Choi Yeon-Ha became flustered again. “W-wait! Are you suggesting that I should eat this pizza by myself?”

“What are you saying, Miss Choi?”

“...No one has ordered anything, yes? If I eat by myself, people will think I'm a loser, Mister Jin-Ho. Can't you stay while I eat, at least?”

“You want me to stay?”

“Yes. I'm asking you a small favor. If I'm being honest, this is really awkward for me, you see? Everyone's looking at us, after all.”

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the surroundings and smirked weakly before sitting on the opposite side of Choi Yeon-Ha. Even he had to admit that letting a young woman eat alone while enduring the curious glances of other diners was asking for a bit too much.

If no one were looking at her, Kang Jin-Ho would have walked away. However, it was simply impossible for Choi Yeon-Ha not to be subjected to everyone’s stares.

Choi Yeon-Ha got the conversation going again. “You kicked me aside while saying you would do something more meaningful than acting, so let me ask you, is this that meaningful thing?”

“The circumstances that led me here are a bit complicated. But I don't see a reason to explain all the details to you, Miss Choi,” Kang Jin-Ho flatly replied.

“Wow... So cold. Seriously.”

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes and firmly declared, “If you wish to talk about that, I'll have to leave you alone.”

“N-no, wait. I'm sorry, I won't talk about that anymore.”

“Understood…”

Choi Yeon-Ha frowned and unhappily chewed on the pizza.

'Seriously, now, this is too much!'

She was putting in this much work, so the polite thing would be for Kang Jin-Ho to at least pretend to hear her out now, wouldn't it?! Besides, Choi Yeon-Ha was not some random woman off the street either. She found free time out of her busy schedule to come here, so how could she not be angry and feel aggrieved with Kang Jin-Ho’s attitude? He was acting as if she was an annoying bug clinging onto his pants or something!

Choi Yeon-Ha asked after chewing, “When are you taking a day off?”

Kang Jin-Ho flatly answered, “I'm not taking one.”

“Don't you have, like, off days? Or when the pizzeria closes for a day?”

“We don't have things like that.”

“...Are you perhaps made out of inexhaustible steel, Mister Jin-Ho?”

“No, and we still don't have things like that.”

Choi Yeon-Ha was triggered, and her face reddened. “Then, you should give yourself a day off or close the pizzeria for a day.”

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

“I don't see why I should…” Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow.

“Why not?! You might think you don't need a break, but others definitely do! Am I wrong?”

“...Hmm. Is there a reason why you're trying to make me take a break?”

Smack!

Choi Yeon-Ha's cute little fist smacked the table rather weakly. Compared to that, though, her yell was surprisingly loud, “Because I want you to go on a date with me!”

Taptaptaptaptaptaptap!!!

The moment her words echoed throughout the pizzeria...

Everyone sitting around the nearby tables whipped out their phones and started tapping away on their screens.