Hambaek Flower Restaurant - Chapter 37

Choi Yoon had never seen someone like Kim Tae Rin before.

This is not just about Kim Tae Rin’s rare appearance.

It encompasses the tastes, habits, thoughts, and lifestyles that densely fill her elegant curves.

Kim Tae Rin was always focused on doing something.

Like a small, pretty wind-up doll that never stops moving, her hands were never still. Even during short breaks, she would stretch her slender arms and legs like a gazelle.

If there was a star of diligent workers somewhere in the universe, it would undoubtedly be Kim Tae Rin’s hometown.

She was pitifully ingrained with diligence, kept time as accurately as a living clock, and was adept at distributing everything evenly like a human scale.

And she was coolly insensitive.

If you encounter Kim Tae Rin and she’s smiling, it’s because that expression is necessary.

It’s a smile that makes your heart clench just by looking at it, but don’t mistake it for her liking you.

As soon as the other person disappears from sight, Kim Tae Rin’s face will become expressionless as if rubbed with ice.

Choi Yoon remembered the moment he first saw Kim Tae Rin.

Approaching like a broken film on a bicycle, tapping on the car window like chirping, bowing her head and brushing back her hair flowing into the night. Like a movie trailer, it remained in Choi Yoon’s heart, ready to be replayed at any time, and somehow became more beautiful as days passed.

The smile Kim Tae Rin showed then looked so real that he didn’t realize at the time.

He realized and repeatedly confirmed that the smile was nothing more than well-practiced courtesy during their time together.

The bright smile Kim Tae Rin showed then was not because she was cheerful and kind-hearted.

She made that face to everyone she encountered while running the restaurant in Sosuli, and that light was cleanly erased when she turned her head or averted her gaze.

However, it was different with Han Seo Jung.

Only in front of that boy, who was like an impudent puppy that had grown big but hadn’t matured enough to know right from wrong, Kim Tae Rin was expressionless and frequently irritated.

But there were rare times when laughter would burst out.

At those times, she was clear and transparent.

If there was anything real about Kim Tae Rin, it was only in those moments.

So, did Choi Yoon lose interest in Kim Tae Rin? Not at all.

Rather, Choi Yoon fell for Kim Tae Rin anew every moment.

The impact was no less than when they first met through the car window.

Even while suspecting she might be an impostor, which he really didn’t want to admit, it was still true. In any case, Kim Tae Rin’s appearance was perfectly to Choi Yoon’s taste.

The direction of sunlight filtering through her hair as she sat on the garden swing, untying her hair and combing it with her fingers.

The monotonous and bored expression when taking out freshly baked asparagus and pineapple from the oven with thick gloves.

The slight furrowing of her brow whenever Han Seo Jung cursed.

The deep breath she took when she paused briefly while sweeping the inside of the restaurant with a long broom when the wind blew.

And the piercingly cold gaze that sometimes seemed to cut through Choi Yoon.

Rather, he wanted to know.

Why, when she could smile so prettily, did she spend her days with a blank face like a void?

It was such a waste. It was such a waste that he was curious about the reason. Rather than asking for an answer, he wanted to discover it himself.

It was the first time he was so curious about someone that he wanted to dig deep.

However, Yoo Ji Ho was not helpful at all.

“Yoo Ji Ho. I told you the file was corrupted. How many times do I have to ask you to send it again?”

– I can’t find it on my office desk right now, so I need to look for it again.

“Since when do you lose documents?”

– Why am I like this? Huh? Whose fault could it be? You set up schedules for years as if you’d be stuck by my side forever, and then you just vanish, it’s driving me crazy! I can’t even shoot in your place!

Choi Yoon closed his mouth. He had nothing to say.

– Want to know the surest way? Just call the Yokai Management Center now and anonymously report that a person named Kim Tae Rin living in Sosuli is suspected of being an impostor. Then that woman will be dragged to the center, and if she’s really an impostor, she’ll die there, and if she’s human, she’ll be released.

“Don’t you dare do that.”

– Why are you like this? When there’s such a simple method. Of course, we’d become enemies, but it seems cleaner than doing this background check now.

“I’ll find out myself. I’m just going to do it that way.”

– Where in the world is there a ‘just’? I really didn’t want to say this, but catching one impostor won’t bring your dead father back. You know that, right?

“It’s not because of Dad.”

– Then what is it? Smart people lose their minds at the mere mention of impostors. You’re not normal right now. Get your head straight.

Yoo Ji Ho took a deep breath.

– You know the public opinion is extremely favorable towards you right now, right? The government is getting all the criticism. Even Jeon Min Seok is too busy responding to investigations to pay attention to us.

“I know. What about Lee Kang Woo?”

– He’s quiet. Which is even scarier. Anyway.

“He’ll make a move soon. We’ll deal with it then. By the way, what’s the business type?”

– Business type? What business type?

“Kim Tae Rin. The business type. If she started a business, there should be a business type. Don’t you remember anything?”

Yoo Ji Ho made a sound of disgust. His tone suggested he was tired of this topic.

– I requested the data to be sent again, but was refused because the person in charge had changed. But even if we saw it, there’s really nothing special. Kim Tae Rin just started a business and, huh? It failed. It’s just a common story. It has nothing to do with impostors, that’s not the issue right now…

“It’s the food service industry, right?”

– Of course it’s the food service industry. She’s running a restaurant now, isn’t she?

As expected. The image of Kim Tae Rin answering that she would gladly have surgery because she liked cooking was vivid in his mind.

How could she be so confident? Surely she doesn’t think I wouldn’t notice. Is this some new method of suicide?

Why does she care so little for herself?

It felt strange watching her.

Despite being so pretty, Kim Tae Rin seemed to not care for herself at all. As if her soul was mortgaged to something very important.

Perhaps when that business failed, her life stopped. That moment of failure might still be ongoing for Kim Tae Rin.

If so, she might not be able to find her footing in reality. She might not be able to feel happiness or satisfaction. Choi Yoon knew this well because he was the same.

– She’s not someone who would be satisfied with a small restaurant. She wants something bigger. She recklessly started a big business and failed properly.

“That’s understandable. Because it’s really delicious. I would have wanted to do something big too if I had such cooking skills.”

– Be careful. She might cling to you for money. Park Jae Sun lost quite a bit to that woman. You don’t want to end up the same way, do you?

“I’ve already sent it. This is just a down payment, and I plan to give much more.”

– Are you crazy?

“We need to ensure the safety of the village until the police withdraw and the full investigation normalizes. If money can save lives, it’s worth it.”

– Wow. That woman, as I expected, but really…

“It’s not Tae Rin’s fault. I suggested it first. And you know Tae Rin is the subject of nationwide rumors right now? I should give more. It’s not like I don’t have the ability. And Tae Rin isn’t the only one receiving. All the other villagers have been paid too, though not as much as Tae Rin.”

Yoo Ji Ho made a sound of disbelief, so Choi Yoon added lightly,

“Jealous? Check your account too. I put some in for you earlier. Since you’re working hard without me.”

As he was about to hang up, he emphasized,

“Send everything as soon as you find the documents.”

There was circumstantial evidence, but physical evidence was the problem.

No matter how much he searched the restaurant, there was no decisive evidence to confirm Kim Tae Rin as an impostor.

Choi Yoon even secretly entered her bedroom and opened Kim Tae Rin’s laptop.

He had a feeling there wouldn’t be anything special when he saw it wasn’t password-protected in the first place.

As expected, it was clean without any notable records. The traces of use were all related to the full investigation or cooking.

He was about to close it when he clicked on the bookmarks. Scrolling through several obviously cooking-related sites, he stopped at one address that stood out. He clicked on it.

It was an article.

An interview article about Choi Yoon.

It was an interview from around the time he decided to choose his own work instead of being swayed by the agency.

The inertia formed with Lee Kang Woo over a long period was solid and not easy to break at once.

So he deliberately set up an interview. However, as soon as it was reported, it was taken down and buried simultaneously by all media outlets.

This was because Lee Kang Woo pressured the media. He hated it when his artists uttered phrases like “as the agency tells us to.”

He was extremely sensitive about such words coming from the mouth of Choi Yoon, his star artist, and if active phrases like “I will do it myself from now on” were added, that day would be Choi Yoon’s memorial day.

How did she find this?

It would take hours of searching to find it. Even I barely found it and saved it.

It was a page that could only be seen if you didn’t give up, believed it was definitely there, and searched persistently over and over again.

So Choi Yoon thought only he could see this article. He, who gave the interview, knew better than anyone that this was sincere.

He checked the saved date. It was just a few days ago.

So Kim Tae Rin had searched for this content after we met and eventually found and saved it. She probably wanted to confirm if Choi Yoon’s words were sincere, saying that although he had pursued policies oppressing yokai in the past, he no longer agreed with them.

His heart beat fiercely.

There’s someone who puts in the effort to finally find this for me. There’s someone who recognizes me.

The sound of Kim Tae Rin greeting guests could be heard from downstairs.

Choi Yoon quickly closed the laptop. He left the bedroom as if escaping and went into his own room, closing the door. He stood leaning against the door.

He was out of breath.

A really strange person. Strange and complicated. A person who can’t be defined, can’t be neatly divided, can’t be completely hated or wholly liked.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door behind him.

Choi Yoon was startled and moved away from the door. He composed himself and opened the door.

Kim Tae Rin was standing there with a slightly anxious expression she usually wore when busy.

“Choi Yoon, didn’t you say you wanted to look around and see how Seo Jung lives? You said it might make for good pictures.”

Han Seo Jung is the only high school student in Sosuli. He’s handsome, cocky yet friendly, and beloved by the villagers.

Perfect for capturing on camera.

“Yes. If Seo Jung agrees.”

Kim Tae Rin, with a face that said ‘that worked out well’, held out a steaming bag.

“I packed some lunch. Would you like to deliver it to Seo Jung and eat together with him?”