Chapter 148 - Daebak!

Upon arriving in front of the double gates of a high-walled property, Eun Ha was confused. The faded sign affixed to the wall read:

'SANATORIUM - DON'T BEEP - DON'T TRESPASS'

But as they passed through the gate, Eun Ha saw a large European-style garden, surrounding a manor that looked more like a neoclassical palace. At least on the facade, it didn't look like an institution for the mentally ill, but rather like a museum or mansion. Despite this, the exterior looked abandoned, and the garden was poorly tended. The outside lights were off, and most importantly, she couldn't feel any kind of magical sensation. Eun Ha couldn't decide whether the place was pleasant.

"What is this place? Are we allowed to be here or are we going to remove the ghosts first?" she asked, and Hunter Shin just gave her a cold look, ignoring her next and going to a side door.

He let her in through the beautiful door, and even in the dark, she could tell he was in a long hall with a high ceiling. Behind her, the older fairy turned on the switches, and the lights on the ceiling came on sequentially, revealing the beauty of the architecture of this part of the mansion. The wooden panels, the marquetry on the ceiling and the floor, the chandeliers and the works of art ... It was like being in n European-style palace. The hunter was watching her reactions closely, but at that moment, she could only keep her mouth open,

"Daebak!"

She followed behind him, crossing to the back of the mansion. Everywhere they passed, there was something that made Eun Ha stop to observe in ecstasy. A Chinese screen, a sanggam-style pot, a European painting, beautiful statues, and classy furniture. 

Hunter Shin took her to a large, completely empty room, and turned on the lights of the huge crystal chandeliers.

"That's enough? Or is it too small for your runway show?" he asked.

"What place is this?"

"It's my home," he replied nonchalantly.

The young fairy went to one of the arched doors leading to the garden, while her mind was already working on a thousand ideas on how to make her runway show in that place. Only then did his response slowly enter her mind, and Eun Ha turned around,

"What did you say?!"

"This is my home, Jung."

"Did you bring me to your house?" the thought this was happening was mind-blowing for the young fairy. She couldn't stop blinking. "And is this your home? I mean? Is this where you sleep? Is this where you live?"

"Hm," he scratched an eyebrow, uncomfortable. "Do you think you can do it here? If it is clean?"

She covered her mouth with one hand, as she could not express her astonishment. A myriad of thoughts popped into her mind,

'Did he bring me to his house?!'

'Wasn't he poor? He's always so cheap! '

'Does he want to lend his 'little' house for me to do the runway show?'

'Why is he offering help now, and hasn't he offered it before?'

'How can he live surrounded by works of art and be so insensitive?'

'Is this house magical?'

'Did he… Was he jealous that Baek Woo Geun is helping me?'

They heard footsteps, and an elderly man dressed in a robe over his pajamas entered the room. She could barely see his eyes on his withered face, two slits that matched his everlasting smile. It amazed the man that there was someone else there,

"Master! I heard you coming, but I didn't think you had visitors. I'm sorry, "said the man. But Eun Ha didn't need to be a genius to know that actually, Hunter Shin didn't bring people to his house often. And it made his offering even more special.

"Er, this is Jung."

"Miss. Jung, it is a pleasure to meet you," the man leaned over and she tried to stop him, after all, he was the old man.

"Jung, Ahn lives in this house and will give you the necessary keys and also tell you where not to go," Shin briefly explained to the elderly man that his student would be doing a fashion show at the house. Eun Ha could only think that the Hunter had told someone about her. Mr. Ahn knew who she was!

'Does Professor Shin complain a lot about me, Mr. Ahn?'

Ahn cleared his throat, and said, 

"Master Shin doesn't talk much, Miss. Jung. But he never had a student before."

Shin sighed, and when Ahn suggested preparing a supper, Shin shook his head, but Eun Ha was quick enough to force a situation,

"Ah, I would love to have supper, Mr. Ahn! I'm also interested in knowing the faience of the house, in case we need it, right? Could you show me, please?"

Mr. Ahn sought his Master's approval with a look, and Shin shrugged, with his usual inexpressive facade. Eun Ha almost waltzed through the house after Hunter Shin's butler!

'OH MY GOD! Hunter Shin is Batman!'

°°°

"It's getting great, President Song! I liked the new fixtures!" said Ye Rim, when visiting Pearl this evening. The renovation works were over, and after the authorities did the inspection to clear the venue for shows, Pearl could finally reopen. Mrs. Song was being particularly careful with this part, as she knew that any pending issue could delay the reopening of the Club. 

"They looked great, didn't they? You will be delighted with the stage lighting set. Duk Mi insisted that we buy this one and even made a "donation" for it. I hardly believed it!" the ajuhmma laughed, but then lowered her tone and said, in a conspiratorial tone, "But now I don't know what to do! Mrs. Cha really is moving the waters to have a fan meeting. And she told me something new that left me so stressed, aigoo!"

"Please Mrs. Song, don't make me too anxious, tell me, please!"

"Mrs. Cha's niece contacted the singer Seol Im Ja!"

"What?! Seol Im Ja?! Daebak!" Seol Im Ja was a respected name in the trot genre, and was still active as a great singer.

"Because someone said that she and Duk Mi, I mean, the real Duk Mi, started their career almost together in the countryside! And Ms. Cha said that Singer Im Ja is interested in coming to the meeting to meet Duk Mi again!"

"OMO!" This was not a good thing. What if she discovered Duk Mi was not the real Duk Mi?!

"Well, let's hope she has a busy schedule. Honey, can you do me a favor and get a box from my car? Ms. Song gave Ye Rim the car key, "I bought what the electrician asked for, but I ended up forgetting inside the car. It's behind the driver's seat."

"Sure, President!" Ye Rim took the keys, it wasn't a problem to help while Mrs. Song worked out more pressing things. She left the building and saw President Song's car across the street. She had opened the front door and leaned over to pick up the small box of electrical items when she noticed a car approaching. Looking in the rearview mirror, she immediately identified Hong Gi's luxurious car. She remembered the last time she saw the mobster who owned Pearl's building. He harassed her, how to forget? Ye Rim quickly got into the car and closed the door. Hong Gi's driver stopped in a double file, and just behind him, another car stopped. A thug got out of the back car just to open the door for Hong Gi.

'That's ridiculous!' Ye Rim thought, and lowed her head so she wouldn't be seen or questioned by any of them. Eun Ha had commented that Hong Gi's henchmen were ruining the audition posters. Ye Rim imagined that they could start to become more and more aggressive by getting Mrs. Song and Pearl out of there.

Hong Gi came down, talking on the phone. She was unable to see him, but he stopped by the car where she was hiding into,

"... That matter from before. Do you need me to fix it? But you see, my friend, I no longer work with these things. Really, it's something that becomes to the past. My old man would be disappointed ... Listen. It's ok. I no longer have any active contacts in the morgue, things are not so simple nowadays. Besides, that money doesn't interest me. I'm talking, why don't you listen to me ?! Am I not listening ?!"

'He's not afraid of anything at all. The only thing he fears is his father's reactions!' Ye Rim found out, suspecting that this conversation had criminal content. 

"You are quite bold, Lee. But then did the fish start to stink? I don't solve that kind of problem. My business is different. And to think that you had a huge job to catch this fish, right?"

'What is he talking about? 'Fish'? Is it money or person?' she wondered, keeping herself low.

"Uhn, well… I can even do that. But it will be expensive. I will have to dedicate two people to take care of your fish. I also don't want to do that for a long time, do you understand?" Hong Gi heard the answer on the other side, and laughed, hanging up the phone. Then he mumbled to himself,

"Damn rich boy, if I don't do it, you will make things hard for me, won't you? Crazy psycho," she heard him walk away and enter Pearl's building. 

Listening to the whole conversation made her uneasy. Who would Lee be and what would Hong Gi do for him?