Chapter 65: Chapter 65
“Are you going to buy coffee for them, too?” Hojoon asked.
“It looks like you forgot I’m an employee with Sola Electronics. Thanks to my beautiful association with you and Arum, I have come to…”
Jina suddenly kept her voice down and said, “As a matter of fact, it was Soran Cho who has picked me directly to participate in this geomancy project.”
“Really?” asked Arum, opening her eyes wide with surprise.
“Why did she pick you? Why didn’t you tell me in advance?”
“I was going to.”
“Oh I see. I just thought you stopped by here after you were done with your outside schedule.”
“I have no idea why she picked me. It looks like Soran wants me to keep an eye on you.”
“Me?”
Arum felt bad about it.
‘How can she infringe on my private life? No matter how rich she is, how can she be so rude?’
Arum clenched her fists strongly.
But Jina responded differently.
Hojoon also made a calm expression as if he didn’t take Soran’s move seriously.
Arum was upset, though.
She demanded in an annoyed tone, “I think she is almost a stalker. Don’t you think you have to report to the police?”
“Yeah, she reminds me of someone you know,” Hojoon replied, looking up and down at Arum.
Meanwhile, Jina headed to the counter.
Hojoon said sarcastically, “You’re really a busy woman, Arum.”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean?”
“It looks like you’re the busiest reporter in Korea.”
Though he said that, he obviously wanted to read her mind.
“Please get to the point instead of beating around the bush.”
“Why did you go to Yuyoung’s house again?”
Arum instantly blushed at that.
“How did you know I went to her house?” Arum asked.
“Did you think I didn’t?” Hojoon answered quickly.
In fact, she didn’t intend to reveal her visit to him. Rather, she felt she needed to act honorably before him.
“I’m a reporter. Why do you think it’s wrong for me to go there for an interview?”
“Did you tell her about your relationship with Konsu Han?”
“Do you think I’m immature enough to do so? You are completely mistaken.”
Though she was caught doing something wrong by Hojoon, she put an air of innocence.
She acted confidently.
“Oh, that’s good to know, Arum.”
The way Hojoon spoke to her rubbed her the wrong way.
“Are you doubting me now?”
“It looks like you did something suspicious,” he said, staring at her keenly.
“Dang it! Why are you doubting me?”
Arum intentionally turned away her eyes. Fortunately, JIna appeared at that moment, holding a coffee carrier with both hands.
“Let’s go!”
“Let me carry that, Jina,” said Hojoon, standing up quickly and taking it from her.
Holding the coffee carrier, he opened the door of the coffee shop and slipped out quickly. Arum noticed his slender waist.
“That discomfiting kindness of his!” said Arum, staring at his back sharply.
Jina found her hassling him interesting.
“He’s nice!”
“That’s why many women are mistaken.”
“Even you?”
“Oh, no! Not me.”
Putting on a poker face, Arum went out of the coffee shop.
Sola House was crowded with visitors trying to touch the home appliances on display.
JIna crossed the entrance into the conference room inside.
Arum and Hojoon followed her.
There were two staff from Sola Electronics waiting for them. On the table were numerous photos of the new products of the company. As for small home appliances, they prepared product models. Even the drawing sheets of the products, regarded as the most important, were there.
Jina led the meeting. She first introduced Arum and Hojoon, the Head of the Famed House of Feng Shui, to them.
“This is our first meeting. You know what we’re supposed to do, right? Our job is to turn Sola House into a newlyweds’ home. You have to display not only home appliances, but also the new products here to the effect that they can draw the attention of visitors.”
Arum felt Jina’s professionalism as a career woman was rather unfamiliar to her, but she looked great. She could not find any trace of weakness in her confident manner in dissonance with her vulnerability of the past.
Hojoon presented his opinion.
“Can I take a look at the overall space of this model house?”
“Of course. This model house is divided into the 1st and 2nd floors. Please take a look at it slowly. We’re going to resume the meeting in an hour. Arum, no objections? Actually, I’m only seeing the new products for the first time today. Let me consult with them on the best spots for displaying them.”
At Jina’s request, her colleagues nodded.
“Great. I’ll be back in an hour. By the way, if you think of any good ideas, let me know. Let me think about how to introduce the products.”
“Well, that’s your job as a reporter, Arum.”
“You’re asking me for help? Wait a minute!”
Arum followed Hojoon, who was about to leave the conference room.
Both of them joined the visitors looking around the showroom.
The first floor was composed of the living room and the kitchen.
It looked like a typical house, except for the high-end home appliances.
Arum stood before the curved TV set, the signature product of Sola Electronics.
“One, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand…”
She read the price tag, counting the numbers on it.
“32.58 million won.”
Hojoon, standing beside her, asked back, “Did you say ’30’ million, three million?”
“It’s a 65-inch TV, the latest model.”
She was shocked by the pretty high price of the product.
“Do you think newlyweds can buy this TV set?”
“Well, from the standpoint of Soran Cho, it’s much cheaper than buying a movie theater.”
“Cheap? How can you say this is cheap?”
Arum shook her head.
“There are many who can’t even earn 30 million won for their rented houses.”
“This is not a real house. Just focus on the products, will you?”
“It’s too much. They have told me they have made the model house a typical ordinary house, but this house is too luxurious. Can we say this is for geomancy interior design?”
Walking up to the kitchen, Arum clicked her tongue.
But she was once again surprised at the eyebrow-raising refrigerator on display at the kitchen.
“How come the refrigerator is so expensive?”
“Well, what’s the standard for your saying ‘expensive’?”
“I mean it’s expensive in my opinion.”
“Refrigerators are the dream or their desire of mothers?”
“Well, the refrigerator is the most commonly used home appliance, regardless of whether it is a man or woman who is using it. Then, why is it mainly mothers who are responsible for cooking?”
“I have no idea.”
As a man, Hojoon enjoyed cooking sometimes, so he had never given a thought to that question. Besides, his elder brother was good at cooking, too. But he couldn’t deny that mothers were largely the main cooks at home.
“Can we remodel the kitchen into a space that a couple can use together?” Arum proposed an idea.
“That’s possible. These days, there are many guys who can cook.”
“You mean the younger generation, right?
Hojoon agreed. She made a point. For example, think about an electric rice cooker. There were lots of men competing to cook with that.
At that moment, Hojoon’s phone buzzed.
It was a video call.
“Are you available now, sir?”
Arum could hear a young man’s voice over Hojoon’s phone. When she looked questioningly at it, there was a handsome young man’s face on the phone. He began to show Hojoon every nook and corner of his house.
“This is the living room. It’s been expanded recently.”
“Let me take a look at the wall. I want to see the picture frames and other accessories. What about the main bedroom?”
“This is the main bedroom and the restroom.”
“Give me a close-up view of the bed and windows, as well as the wardrobe. Can you open the wardrobe? Good. That small restroom is a powder room, isn’t it?” Hojoon asked him in detail.
The male student calmly showed him the living room, the main bedroom, his study room and the kitchen.
“Where are your parents?”
“Dad went to work, and mom went to a social gathering. What more do you want to see?”
“Hmmm.”
Hojoon was lost in thought for a moment.
“I saw the overall atmosphere of your house. Draw a ground plan and send it to me. Just draw the doors of each room and the locations of the furniture, with the front door as the baseline.”
“You want me to do that? It’s a little difficult for me,” said the student, discouraged by his request.
“Even an elementary school boy can draw it. Draw it right now and then let’s talk again. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
Hojoon hung up the phone.
“Do you give consultations through video calls?”
“Well, only when I find it inconvenient in terms of time and location.”
“That sounds good.”
At that moment, a bright idea popped into her mind.
“Why don’t we do it?”
“Video call? Do you want me to video call you?” Hojoon asked with a serious look, “Do you want it?”