“Ever since we turned down the invitation to the Softpaw, there has been a lot of negative news in the domestic and international media. It’s an expected reaction from Japan, but the domestic media… … .”
WHTS Company’s multi-purpose conference room where the morning meeting is in full swing.
The main topic of the meeting was Watts and the trend of domestic and international media.
It was a serious matter for the company as a whole, but it was a matter of no interest to Lee So-young, the virtual currency development team.
‘Oh, I’m hungry. When will the meeting end?’
Her gaze, preoccupied with other thoughts, stopped at the wall clock in the meeting room. It was a watch Lee So-young picked out and hung in the early days of the company.
‘This conference room was the first rental office the WHTS Company acquired. really… … At that time, all I had in the office was a desk, a phone, and a few computers.’
The memory was still vivid. The embarrassment I felt when I first came to the company office.
I had heard that WHTS Company was an overseas investment company, but when I arrived, it was not an investment company, but a worse place than a club.
‘The company that used to do that has grown enough to use the whole 3 floors of the building now. It’s only been half a year.’
Lee So-young smirked and laughed involuntarily.
Thanks to the success of the WHTS Company, it reminded me of my father, who pressured me to return home every time, but didn’t say anything.
When her thoughts reached this point, her gaze naturally turned to one side.
the person who brought me this far.
CEO Shin Woo-hyuk.
He is a person who presents a blueprint with captivating words and has the confidence and ability to take action that looks somewhat reckless.
Lee So-young felt lucky to meet him and work together at WHTS Company.
If it wasn’t for that, I would have returned to the United States and lived a normal programmer’s life at an ordinary company.
“There are speculative reports circulating in Korea that the soft pow side canceled the event because we were not competitive. Actively requesting a correction report on this… … .”
Even while the meeting continued, Lee So-young’s eyes were always on Shin Woo-hyuk.
Since I couldn’t stare at him openly, I pretended not to look, pretended to look elsewhere, and glanced at him.
‘This is different from rational attraction.’
She thought it was a similar feeling to being moved by a great leader and showing respect or awe.
Shin Woo-hyuk’s expression, which he was observing every time, was seriously hardened today.
He was immersed in other thoughts while listening to the meeting, as if he was carrying all the suffering in the world by himself.
‘What are you thinking? Are you saying this because you refused the softpaw’s invitation?’
The reason why WHTS Company declined the invitation from Softpow was a kind of confidence expression that it was sufficient without external investment.
After all, when outside capital comes in, it will interfere with the way the company operates, the treatment of employees, long-term plans, and other details.
‘Some say that this decision was made out of concern for the employees… … Is that true?’
For whatever reason, it was regrettable that he rejected the money from Softpow, a killer whale-class investment company.
The company exists because of him. He, not the employee, had to be the center of every decision.
“This is the end of the morning meeting, and if necessary, we will do it again in the afternoon.”
As soon as the meeting ended, Lee So-young stood up. Then, Shin Woo-hyeok, who runs ahead, follows closely behind.
Feeling popular, he turns around.
“Soyoung, do you have anything to say?”
Lee So-yeong smiled as brightly as she could as usual and opened her mouth to avoid embarrassment.
“The CEO’s expression was not good throughout the meeting. Do you have any concerns?”
“There is nothing.”
“Did the missing person have such a serious expression?”
“What do you think I was like?”
Lee So-young raises her eyebrows and imitates Shin Woo-hyuk’s expression.
“You were sitting there with a scary face like a tiger. That’s why no one spoke to the CEO during the whole meeting.”
“Poop.”
His laugh is about to explode. Coming this far was like success.
“Tell me quickly. Are you doing this because of the softpow investment? Just get invested. It’s not too late. Employees will be fine if they take a bonus.”
“Not really.”
“Is that why you keep doing that? Who was it that told me not to keep it to myself!”
Lee So-young sent a promise that she would never back down in her eyes.
Fortunately, he let out a shallow breath as if he couldn’t help it.
“It’s my personal matter, so can Soyoung help you?”
* * *
If you follow the roads on the outskirts of Seoul, you will come across a district where flashy entertainment districts are concentrated.
The place where I parked my car is in front of a motel village near the entertainment district.
Sigh.
Blinds droop from the entrance to the parking lot, creating a secret atmosphere.
As I try to drive the car inside, a panicked voice pours out from the passenger seat.
“CEO, where are you going now?”
“I’m going into the motel. You have to sneak in, so you have to act as unobtrusively as possible.”
“yes? yes? yes?”
Lee So-young, probably embarrassed, spat out the answer three times in a row.
“He asked for help, and he suddenly found himself in a place like this.”
“Are you surprised?”
“of course! Korean motels are… … I heard that it is a place like that, but this is my heart… … Anyway, I, I, I mean this is my first time here!”
I brought her here without saying anything with the intention of teasing her a little, but if I tease her more here, she might end up crying.
I quickly brought out the real reason.
“My mother works here.”
“yes?”
There was only one answer this time. Instead, his mouth was wide open and he looked even more surprised than before.
“I’m not sure yet, but my guess is he’s working here.”
“It must be very difficult to operate a motel.”
“He does cleaning, not operation.”
There was no answer from Lee So-young, but the meaning was conveyed with just her eyes. It meant that she had a wealthy child, but why did her mother do hard work?
“I need to rest because my health is not good, but I don’t understand why I keep coming to the motel to work.”
“ah… … That’s why you came to the motel yourself. I want to take you home.”
I shook my head with a sigh.
“It’s not going to be solved by taking me home. If so, 100 would be the person who would secretly go to work at a motel again.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“The reason why I have to go to work even if I have money. The purpose is to find out.”
We disguised ourselves in masks and sunglasses that we had prepared in advance and left the car.
Many of the motel visitors originally covered their faces, so even if they were dressed like this, they wouldn’t be too suspicious.
“Right now is the perfect time to clean the room. Let’s check from the top floor and come down.”
The elevator we rode stops on the 6th floor.
The moment the elevator door opens, I see a man standing at the entrance.
‘Who was it?’
The memory came later. It was the owner of a motel I had met once before.
“Guest, where are you going? The sixth floor is under construction.”
“I am looking for a room… … The counter is empty.”
“It looks like you came up while I was away for a while. Are you going to sleep? Or a large room?”
As we hesitate, the motel owner hums and clears his throat as if he knew everything.
From noble mtl dot com
“hahahaha. Originally, I was only going to rent a room, but then I went to sleep. There is a room that is perfect for two people. Please come this way.”
The motel owner directed us to an inner room on the fifth floor.
The room was pink from the lighting at the entrance. And the bed inside was also heart-shaped, the glass hanging from the ceiling was heart-shaped, and even the bathtub was heart-shaped.
“… … .”
We were speechless for a while. I get the illusion that Lee So-young’s face is flushed, perhaps because of the lighting.
Before anything happens, what should I do with this pink light that seems to be screaming to have s*x quickly?
Beep.
The lights were turned white, and the windows were wide open.
The heart bed, heart mirror, and heart bathtub were the same, but the atmosphere is much more wholesome with one lighting change.
Lee So-yeong also got up and started looking around, as if it was awkward to stay still.
“It’s kind of like that because it’s so quiet. Shall we turn on the TV?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“oh. found.”
I grab Lee So-young’s hand as she tries to hold the remote control.
“Hut!”
Surprised, she turns to me. If anyone sees it, they’ll know I’m doing something bad.
“Soyoung, if you turn on the TV here, you will be in big trouble.”
“Why?”
“Would you like to know?”
Lee So-yeong tilts her head for a moment, but is surprised to find a red button on the remote control.
The red button had [Adult] written on it.
“Wouldn’t it be better not to turn it on?”
She nods vigorously in agreement.
After that, while I was taking a break from drinking water from the refrigerator, I heard a voice outside the door.
“No, Mrs. Kim. What did you do when you didn’t finish cleaning up by this time?”
It was the voice of the motel owner who had just guided us.
And his interlocutor was his mother.
“It took a long time because there are many rooms to clean today.”
“If you have a lot to do, do it as quickly as you notice. I don’t know what to do because I’m not that flexible.”
“sorry.”
“Is it all over if I say I’m sorry every day?”
“I’m really sorry. I will finish it quickly.”
“under… … really. The person who quit and went out so badly accepted me again, but now he’s on his own.”
I couldn’t listen any longer. I immediately kicked out the door and approached the motel owner.
“Have you finished talking?”
The surprised motel owner’s eyes widen. Then, probably belatedly recognizing my face, he crosses his arms and snorts.
“Aunt Kim’s son? Right?”
“So?”
“Ha, what is this bastard unemployed? It’s f*cking coming from noon again.”
The moment I hear swearing, I feel strong emotions, so I put strength into my fists.
I would have slapped the motel owner in the face if Lee So-young hadn’t caught him.
“Hyuk-ah, how did you come here?”
Belatedly, my mother sees me and approaches me.
The original plan was to figure out the situation first and take the mother, but it didn’t work. Being in a place like this is unacceptable.
“go home.”
“Oh, no. wait for a sec. I am… … .”
“Go quickly! What are you doing here after being treated badly? What could be the reason!”
Mother bowed her head in silence.
Why are you so foolish, why are you so frustrated, I wish I knew the reason. My stomach was boiling and I felt like I was going crazy.
Even in the meantime, the motel owner swears at her from behind.
“Hey kid! I’m going to report both of you! Obstruction of business, breach of contract, compensation for damages, whatever it is, I’ll put it all together and put an end to your life, so be prepared! okay?”
* * *
My mother didn’t open her mouth once while driving me home.
I asked him not to go to the motel again, but since I already have a record, that alone doesn’t make me feel safe.
On the way back to work, Lee So-yeong, who has been uncomfortable with me until now, carefully asks.
“CEO, what are you going to do yesterday?”
“What is it? We have to set the motel on fire or whatever, so we can’t go there at all.”
“yes?”
“In my heart, I want to do that.”
Lee So-young looked at me and carefully continued to ask questions.
“Since when did your mother do this cleaning job?”
“Before you worked in a motel, you worked in a small hotel, so you would have been there for close to 20 years.”
“If you’ve been cleaning all your life, wouldn’t it have been harder to take a break from work?”
I thought maybe that might be the right answer. It’s a behavior that doesn’t make any sense to me.
“Why don’t you find another place for your mother to work?”
“There is no guarantee that treatment elsewhere will be better than here.”
“It is, but… … But if you look carefully, you might find a reliable employer somewhere.”
A reliable employer?
As soon as I heard that, an idea came to my mind.
The most reliable employers in the world are family. So, as my mother’s only family member, it was enough for me to become the employer.
Also, it would be better if the owner of the motel earlier gave me a gift that would make her jump up and down.