Yeon Woo, who had greeted the morning with open eyes in her mother’s hospital room, headed to Domyungjae as soon as dawn broke.

‘I must find a way to enter Domyungjae somehow.’

No matter how much she tried to convince herself to give up, the thought that she had to go to Domyungjae kept repeating like a broken record.

She couldn’t stay anywhere but Domyungjae. Cha Yun Seok would surely find out her mother’s home address easily. He had people around him who would gladly help with illegal tasks for money.

So after hiding in her mother’s hospital room, she sought out Domyungjae again before daybreak.

Yeon Woo, who had arrived at Domyungjae three hours ago, let time pass in front of the tightly closed door. Her desire to hide was so desperate that she couldn’t easily give up on this place, wanting to meet Manager Moon and plead with her.

It wasn’t a matter of pride. It wasn’t the time to worry about shame.

How long had she been standing there waiting endlessly? Suddenly, with a heavy metallic sound, the iron gate opened with a click.

Yeon Woo, who had been standing dazed, stepped back in surprise. Only after hearing a voice from the intercom on the wall telling her to come in did Yeon Woo carefully grasp the strap of her bag slung diagonally across her body.

Thud. As she took a step inside, the iron gate closed automatically again with a heavy sound. The walls extending to the left and right of the iron gate were well over an adult’s height, giving a grand impression.

As if the walls suggested that Domyungjae was cut off from the world, Yeon Woo’s desire to stay here grew even stronger.

After passing through identity verification once more between the inner gates, Yeon Woo entered the main building of Domyungjae. Taking a deep breath as if steeling herself, Yeon Woo stopped at the same place as yesterday.

To avoid turning back without being able to say a word properly in front of Manager Moon like yesterday, Yeon Woo recalled the words she had prepared once more.

As she waited for a moment, there was a sound of movement from behind. Yeon Woo turned her body and reflexively greeted first, but trailed off as she raised her head.

“Manager Moon, hello……”

Yeon Woo’s lips parted slightly as she confirmed the person walking towards her, making only the minimal sound of slippers touching the ground.

“I thought your business at Domyungjae was finished as of yesterday, but it seems not.”

It wasn’t Manager Moon whom she had been waiting for.

“Let’s hear it. Please sit down.”

It was Sung Hun, the man of Domyungjae who felt like the biggest mountain she had to overcome.

*

Seated across from Sung Hun, Yeon Woo barely exhaled her swollen breath. It was a strangely tense moment. All the words she had ambitiously prepared seemed to have disappeared, leaving her mind blank, so Yeon Woo couldn’t open her mouth and only moistened her lips.

About a minute had passed, but to Yeon Woo it felt like a full hour had gone by.

Sung Hun, who had been looking straight at Yeon Woo’s face without adding any particular words, checked the time by lifting his cuff. Then he opened his mouth in an indifferent voice.

“I’d like to wait a bit longer, but unfortunately I don’t have much time today.”

“……”

“I’d like to hear your business.”

As Sung Hun’s voice settled in her ears, Yeon Woo closed her eyes tightly and then opened them. To think that not even a day had passed and she had to sit here begging, completely changing her stance like turning over her palm.

Unable to open her mouth at all, she hesitated and then thought of Cha Yun Seok.

Ah. Right. Cha Yun Seok.

The effect of recalling Cha Yun Seok was remarkable. Everything else disappeared from her sight. Only her survival instinct remained, making her think what use was dignity when trying to survive.

Yeon Woo straightened her back and opened her mouth.

“I want to work for a while in place of Shin Soon Mi, who injured her leg in an accident during work. Until my mother safely completes her rehabilitation treatment.”

There was no change in Sung Hun’s dry gaze.

“I’m better at work than I look. I can really do anything. I’ll do everything you tell me to do, without being picky. Everything. I brought my resume, thinking maybe I could have an interview.”

“……”

“You don’t have to pay me. Just let me work. Please don’t let my mother be erased from Domyungjae like this. I beg you. I really beg you.”

Yeon Woo took out a resume enclosed in a white envelope from her bag and placed it politely on the table.

As she pushed the resume forward, Yeon Woo looked at Sung Hun. Feeling a chill from Sung Hun’s gaze, which didn’t seem to carry any particular emotion, Yeon Woo quickly averted her eyes and lowered her head in a pleading posture.

Would such words work on a man who seemed so flawlessly strict? Would such an emotional appeal work on a man who seemed like not a drop of blood would come out even if you pricked him?

Even as she spoke, she thought there was no hope. Was it because of the impression that he was the owner of Domyungjae? She couldn’t avoid feeling withered and shrunk by the overwhelming aura he exuded just by sitting still.

There were no impolite words and no unkind actions, but a chill flowed from Sung Hun that was unlike anything she had experienced before. It was conveyed through her whole body that he would be cold, and Yeon Woo exhaled a long breath as if resigned.

Sung Hun was a much more difficult opponent than Manager Moon, who had drawn the line so sharply.

As Sung Hun’s lips remained closed without any change in his seated posture, Yeon Woo spoke again with emphasis.

“I beg you, putting aside all shame. I’m truly desperate.”

Silence fell after Yeon Woo’s voice, which even carried a sense of solemnity.

Another minute passed, which felt like half a day to Yeon Woo. After staring for a long time at Yeon Woo, who was sitting with her gaze lowered as if waiting for a sentence, Sung Hun slightly raised his fingertip.

“Then do so.”

“Ah…!”

Yeon Woo raised her head abruptly in surprise.

It was still a face with a chill rising for a man who had given an affirmative answer. It was hard to believe that such a face had granted someone’s request, and she even thought she might have misheard due to being too nervous.

“Um, then can I really come to work?”

“Isn’t that why you came?”

Yeon Woo was at a loss for words at the lusterless reply, and then barely managed to open her lips.

“Thank you for granting my request. I’ll work hard.”

As Yeon Woo bowed her head repeatedly while speaking, Sung Hun stood up from his seat. Adjusting the fit of his jacket, Sung Hun stepped slightly away from the sofa and looked at Yeon Woo.

“Prove yourself that you’ll do whatever you’re told, as you said. I don’t like those who can’t take responsibility for the words they’ve spoken.”

Sung Hun left the place without looking back.

As the door closed, Yeon Woo leaned back on the sofa, dropping her shoulders. She had been so tense that even sitting up straight was difficult.

She thought he would mock her, asking where she had left the shame she had taken with her yesterday.

Although she thought she had nothing to say, Sung Hun disappeared without dwelling on yesterday’s events.

I don’t like those who can’t take responsibility for the words they’ve spoken.

There seemed to be a slight edge to his last words, but this much rebuke and warning was more than welcome. If it ended like this.

“Did it… really work…?”

Yeon Woo just looked up at the ceiling with a drained expression. To think she had entered Domyungjae, which she thought was hopeless. It felt like a dream, and also like a lie.

A moment later, as Manager Moon Ok Rye entered, Yeon Woo sat up straight again.

*

Manager Moon Ok Rye was the longest-serving employee who had worked at Domyungjae for 59 years. At the tender age of seventeen, she lost her father and entered Domyungjae through an introduction from an acquainted uncle. With eight younger siblings in tow, Manager Moon Ok Rye was no different from the head of the household responsible for their livelihood.

In those days, Domyungjae was a veritable battlefield with guests pouring in almost every day. The seventeen-year-old Moon Ok Rye beat laundry all day long. By the time the sun set after washing laundry in cold water with her hands wrapped in cloth, bloody with blisters that had no time to heal, she would collapse into sleep only to wake up at dawn again.

While living and eating at Domyungjae, she devoted all the money in the yellowed pay envelope to her family.

In the meantime, she aged, missed her chance to marry, and remained as the longest-serving employee buried in Domyungjae. Now at seventy-six, all Manager Moon had left was Domyungjae.

To Manager Moon, Domyungjae was her life and her name. She had worked until her bones were about to break, and the years it took to go from a silver badge to a gold badge were all the memories Manager Moon had.

In the place where Sung Hun had finished his work. Manager Moon and Yeon Woo sat down again. An uncomfortable air flowed between Yeon Woo, who seemed to have soft and tender growth rings, and Manager Moon, who seemed to have dark and hard growth rings.

To Manager Moon, the current situation was like an anomaly.

“This is a book that summarizes the rules of our Domyungjae, so take it and memorize it perfectly.”

Manager Moon handed Yeon Woo a thick book. Yeon Woo looked surprised at the book, which was thicker than most college textbooks. Manager Moon continued speaking, giving a glance over her small glasses.

“Whatever the laws of the outside world may be, that’s none of our concern. Know that we have our own laws here. Don’t think you can work comfortably after coming in to help with someone else’s household.”

“Yes. I understand. I will familiarize myself well with it.”

“We’ll provide you with a uniform, so wear that. Your name tag will be ready in a week, so keep that in mind.”

“Yes.”

“If you think you can work here like you’re commuting from outside, you can’t. If you’re going to talk about red days or working hours, just leave right now.”

“No, I won’t. I’ll follow well.”

Manager Moon looked at Yeon Woo with still doubtful eyes despite her repeated affirmative answers. Sitting there like a flower swaying in the wind, looking so fragile, what kind of work could she possibly do?

“During the day, mostly older people work. So you have to work at night. We don’t have things like three shifts or two shifts. If there’s work to be done, you have to do it even if it’s 3 AM.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“And one more thing. When you first enter Domyungjae, there’s no vacation until I allow it. It means you can’t go outside at all.”

“Yes! That’s great!”

As Yeon Woo’s expression suddenly brightened and her voice rose, Manager Moon put emphasis on her words.

“What’s great? I’m saying you can’t take a single step outside. You should think of it as dying in Domyungjae. Meeting friends or meeting a lover, you can’t do such things.”

“Yes. I don’t have friends or a lover. It’s fine. I like it.”

“…What kind of life have you been living, really.”

Manager Moon muttered while looking Yeon Woo up and down.

The biggest reason young people couldn’t endure Domyungjae and fell apart was the initial prohibition on going out and staying out overnight. After carefully selecting them, young people often couldn’t last long and ran away saying it was too hard.

When told about the prohibition on going out and staying out, young people generally had a withering expression, but Yeon Woo’s face seemed to become more lively as time went on.

Huh. It’s baffling.

At a loss for words at Yeon Woo’s flushed face, Manager Moon stood up. Yeon Woo followed suit and bowed, expressing her gratitude.

“Thank you for accepting me. I’ll work hard.”

“Even if you work until your body breaks, it won’t be enough to follow even your mother’s little toe. Well, give it a try.”

She wondered how many days she would last. The work would be hard, and above all, Domyungjae was a place that was difficult to work at without a sense of mission.

“Um, my resume…”

As Yeon Woo picked up the resume on the table, Manager Moon stared at her for a moment and then pulled down the corners of her mouth.

“Forget it. What use is that when the Managing Director said he’d hire you? Take it and use it as kindling or something.”

“Yes! I understand!”

“Call your mother. Tell her not to look for you since you won’t be able to go out for a while.”

“Yes! Manager!”

Manager Moon turned away with an exasperated expression, as if fed up with Yeon Woo who was even smiling slightly.

Alright. Let’s see how long you can keep that smiling face.

I’ll show you the strict and spicy taste of Domyungjae.