novelThe Medici of the 21 st Century (6)
| ← Ch.099 | Ch.101 → |
That was quite unexpected, but Charles Saatchi had great influence, both in the art world and in the advertising business.
It would be strange to refuse his offer to have a meal together.
"It would be my honor."
"Then my staff will call you again."
"Then..."
Haejin and Eunhae left Saatchi's office. Next, Eunhae smiled and gave Haejin a thumbs-up.
"That was great. You were so cool against Charles Saatchi... did you hear him say that no appraiser has approached it like that before? He has invited the right person. He had spent so much, but you solved the matter at once!"
Haejin was a little embarrassed, but he also felt good.
"Khmm... I am just good at my job."
"Ohh... what are we going to do till dinner? It isn't even lunchtime yet."
Eunhae looked like she was expecting something. Haejin thought it was naturally becoming a date and tried to keep a straight face.
"How about the British Museum?"
However, Eunhae pouted and looked away.
"Oh... it would be my third visit to the British Museum..."
Haejin almost said that it would be his tenth, but he restrained himself. Only a loser would say that kind of thing in that mood.
"I guess both of us have been to the British Museum enough times. Shall we go to the flea market?"
Eunhae brightened up again and nodded.
"Great! I've heard of London's flea market, but I've never got the chance to go there. Good, good."
"Then, let's go right away."
It might sound strange that there was a flea market in London where land was expensive, but there's quite a huge flea market in Camden Town.
It was one of the places Haejin had been many times with his father. At the time, they didn't have enough money, so they couldn't go to expensive restaurants and hotels or buy clothes somewhere else.
They took a cab and went to Camden Town. It was very crowded After that, it continued like any other date. They laughed while choosing not-so-good souvenirs and tasted the street food.
They went around like that for some time and left when it was lunchtime. Then, they headed to one of the restaurants Haejin had found the night before.
He had found a few good restaurants that Koreans liked through blogs, and they went to the closest one.
However, that blog was quite famous. In fact, when they stepped in the restaurant, more than half of the customers were Koreans.
"Haha! I can see how you found this restaurant."
"But it can still be good."
"I don't expect much about food in England. There are delicious dishes in expensive restaurants, but they are similar to the dishes you can taste in any luxurious restaurants around the world... I prefer to enjoy the country's unique taste, but not in here."
"Well, me neither..."
Haejin had only eaten cheap food in London when he was with his father, so he totally agreed.
They sat down, ordered some food, and waited. However, they could hear people on the next table talking.
Normally, Haejin would have ignored it as it was someone else's business, but he couldn't do it this time. The topic of the conversation made him curious.
"Do we have to do this here?"
The man's voice sounded angry.
"Am I just whining?"
While the woman seemed hurt by his attitude.
It is probably human nature to listen when there's a fight between a couple. Eunhae was listening too, although she was pretending not to.
Haejin smiled as it was funny to suddenly stop talking and listen to other people talking, but the conversation got more and more serious. He started concentrating.
"I am trying to get a job now, but I've come here spending money and time because of you. Let's not fight now, okay?"
"You only think about money and not think about why I'm doing this? No, you don't want to think about it at all, do you?"
"Hu... stop. Let's eat and talk outside. Doing this here is too humiliating."
The man tried to finish it and eat quietly, but the woman couldn't do that.
"I won't eat. No, I can't eat. I cannot swallow this."
"You..."
At that moment, Haejin looked back. It was just an instinctive reaction, like when looking at a beautiful woman passing by you.
However, the face he saw when he looked back was quite familiar. The man was young, in his mid-
20s. Although his face had some acne scars, he was quite good-looking.
After a second, he realized who he was.
"Huh? Jaewon!"
The man was surprised and looked toward the direction of the voice.
"Excuse me?"
He didn't recognize Haejin. Then, Haejin lightly hit his shoulder.
"It's me, Haejin. Have you forgotten me already?"
"Huh? Haejin?"
Of course, he couldn't recognize him at first. Haejin had got to know him when his father worked as a grave robber.
"You remember me?"
"Of course, I do. Your father used to pay my tuition... I wanted to thank him, but he didn't leave me his phone number, so I couldn't."
Jaewon bowed at Haejin. However, his face was still a little red because of the fight with his girlfriend.
Jaewon's father used to work with Haejin's father Yunseok.
He was popular not because he had good skills but because he was strong and sharp-sighted, but he was caught by the police while robbing a grave in India.
Unfortunately, he was hurt severely in that process and died without receiving proper treatment.
Yunseok pitied his son and gave a few antiques to Jaewon's mother so that he would be able to attend university without worrying about money.
He said that they would be enough to pay for his tuition and start his own business, but that had been more than 10 years ago.
"Don't thank me... it wasn't me, but my father."
"Still..."
"Anyway, you came here with your girlfriend?"
"Oh, yes."
Both Jaewon and his girlfriend looked very embarrassed: Haejin must have heard everything.
"You've grown so much. You're a real man now."
Jaewon had lost his father when he was in middle school, right when he needed him the most. Haejin could imagine how hard it had been. So, he patted Jaewon's shoulder.
Jaewon looked at Eunhae, who looked away in a smile, and asked, "Are you here on vacation, too?
With your girlfriend?"
"No, I'm here to work."
"Wow... you're on a business trip?"
"Yes, and this is Lim Eunhae, she works with me."
"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Go Jaewon. I greatly owe Haejin..."
"Stop talking about it. It was years ago..."
Eunhae smiled and said, "Nice to meet you. I'm Lim Eunhae."
"Wow... you are really beautiful."
"Oh, thank you... haha..."
Jaewon couldn't see that he wasn't supposed to say that. He was so dense.
Eunhae knew that, so she just awkwardly smiled. However, Jaewon's girlfriend finally snapped at that.
"I'm sorry, but I should go first."
She stood up and left even though the food hadn't even come out. Jaewon was surprised and didn't know what to do.
Haejin gave him his business card.
"Follow her, quickly, and call me later, okay?"
"Okay. Seonyeong is usually not like that... I'll talk to her and call you."
"Do it well. She seemed very angry. I'll pay for your food, so go..."
Jaewon left, while Haejin and Eunhae had a normal meal. Their date continued.
Eunhae seemed to want to ask about Jaewon and Haejin's father, but she didn't want to make a mistake. She kept flinching and moving on to a different subject.
Around 3 p. m. , Haejin got a call from an unfamiliar number. He guessed it was Jaewon.
"Haejin, it's Jaewon."
It was Jaewon indeed. However, he sounded sad like things hadn't gone well with his girlfriend.
"Is your lodging far from the restaurant?"
"No, it's close."
"Then, why don't you come out? I'm still near the restaurant... I'll tell you the location."
Haejin wanted Jaewon to do well, probably because his father had previously helped him.
"Okay, I'll be right there."
Haejin and Eunhae waited at a coffee shop. After about 20 minutes, Jaewon showed up. He looked gloomy.
After simple greetings and talk about how each other had been, Haejin asked about the girlfriend who wasn't there.
"What happened earlier? Why were you fighting while on a vacation?"
"Ha... it's kind of embarrassing to tell you this, but we have been fighting a lot recently."
"Why?"
"We're both worried about me getting a job. Her family is rich. Very rich. She is about to graduate from university, but she is already getting offers to meet prospective marriage partners. What nonsense... but I can't get a job, so I am getting stressed and she is getting stressed on her own."
"Oh... it must be hard."
"It is. And her parents won't acknowledge me unless I get a really good job. Hu..."
Jaewon sighed and dropped his head.
"So, where is she now?"
"I followed her, but she said she wanted to be alone and went into our room. I couldn't go in there, so I just walked around and called you."
"Where are you trying to get a job at?"
"In the National Museum. I want to be hired as a buried artifacts researcher, but as you know, many want that job."
Haejin was a little confused at hearing this. Jaewon must have found out that Haejin worked at a museum when he gave his business card, so was he saying that on purpose or did he really want that job.
"Have you majored in archeology?"
"That's what I saw and learned during my childhood. And you?"
"Same with you. But then..."
Haejin started to talk about the job, but Jaewon asked seriously. He couldn't hear Haejin.
"Hey, Haejin..."
"Huh? What is it?"
"There's one thing I haven't sold yet among... the artifacts your father gave me."
"Haven't sold yet? Why?"
"My mother stopped me, saying that we couldn't sell them all... as my father's memories might as well have left us then..."
Haejin could understand that.
"Hmm... so?"
"I was young back then, but I still remember my father believing you and your father. And, I heard that..."
He glanced at Eunhae and continued.
"You sometimes appraised the artifacts my father brought. So... could you take a look at it? Find out how much would it give me if I sell it?"
"That wouldn't be a problem, but can you really sell it? Won't your mother be upset?"
"It's okay. She has suffered so much, raising me all by herself... it's time for her to live a good life."
"And, you get to live a good life, too?"
Haejin had a point and Jaewon's eyes shook.
"Well... yeah."
"Honesty, that's good. It's in Korea, right?"
"Yes."
"Is it a buddha?"
"How did you know?"
Jaewon was surprised while Haejin smiled and stood up.
"You have my business card. Come when you get it back to Seoul. I will appraise and sell it for you. Oh, and bring your girlfriend."
| ← Ch. 099 | Ch. 101 → |