30. Provence Restaurant (4)
Restaurant staff greeting me from the entrance of the parking lot.
I just let out an awkward smile at the welcome greeting, which was burdensome just to hear.
I wondered how my mother would react, so I turned her head and looked at her mother.
My mother had been looking at her staff with her calm face as if nothing had happened.
As expected, her mother is a famous celebrity, so she must be used to this kind of place and situation.
Moreover, with an appearance overflowing with composure,
He was looking over the staff as if he were evaluating them.
Within seconds, as if satisfied, he nodded his head slightly and turned his gaze toward me, perhaps feeling my gaze.
My mother, who met my eyes, said, “Do you have anything to say?” She looked at me with a smile on her face.
I just responded with an awkward smile to my mother’s smile.
When I didn’t say anything, my mother stroked my hair once. She and she took my hand and moved slowly.
“Welcome.”
“Welcome.”
Every time we passed by the staff, they bowed down and greeted us.
… I’m really embarrassed to die
And standing in front of the fourth and last employee, the employee spoke politely as he opened the door of the elevator he had called in advance.
“Welcome. Sir. From now on, I will take you safely to the restaurant.”
When the elevator door opened, Detective Yoo first approached the elevator and looked inside.
He nodded and signaled to Detective Kim with a glance.
Detective Kim also nodded and escorted us to the elevator.
Under the safe guard of Detective Kim, my mother and I were the first to board the elevator.
“Then, see you on the 5th floor.”
Detective Kim spoke to the three detectives behind us, and boarded the elevator with Detective Yoo.
Somehow, it was difficult for everyone here to board at once. So the detective behind me seemed to have arranged the conversation in advance to come separately.
Two detectives boarded, followed by four employees.
It was a situation where there were me and my mother at the far end, detectives on either side of us, and four staff members at the entrance.
As soon as everyone boarded and the elevator door closed, a strange silence fell.
All I could feel was the occasional breathing sound and the smell of cosmetics tickling my nose.
I just clung to my mother and stared at the elevator door until I reached the floor.
After that eternity(?) Time passed, the elevator door opened with a ding sound.
Just like that, the door opens,
Looking at the scene unfolding before my eyes,
I just froze.
“Hey….”
“Oh my God.”
“… ….”
In front of the elevator entrance, a large number of employees were standing to the left and right to greet us.
She was looking at this with a slightly surprised expression, as if her mother hadn’t expected it.
Detective Kim was also watching with admiration as if he had never seen such a sight.
First of all, the first ones to move were the four employees standing at the entrance of the elevator.
Employees got off quickly and joined the procession of employees lined up on the left and right.
After the staff got off, the detectives stood on either side of the elevator doors, as if to keep us safe.
I was at a loss for what to do with such a burdensome sight, but I was led by my mother’s hand and slowly got out of the elevator.
So let’s get out of the elevator,
“Welcome, sir.”
“Welcome, sir.”
Until then, the staff who had been standing in an immobile posture politely bowed and greeted us.
Ugh…
It’s too burdensome!
Because of the burden, I completely forgot the feeling of hunger that had plagued me until then.
It made me want to just turn around and get back into the elevator and go down.
It’s a long time later, but
Looking back on my feelings at that time, I am complaining.
I heard that if it went back as it was, it would have been a bigger commotion as it was a really big deal.
As I was stiffened by the burdensome welcome, her mother gently squeezed the hand she was holding, as if trying to soothe me.
Then he led me slowly with careful steps so that I wouldn’t be surprised.
Encouraged by my mother’s guidance, I slowly moved forward following her mother’s footsteps.
As we proceeded forward while being welcomed by the staff, a woman at the end of the procession stepped in front of us with a respectful attitude.
The woman was wearing a tuxedo that looked more classy than the tuxedos her staff were wearing.
She was also a nice woman with ponytail hair and a slender figure that looked great in a tuxedo.
Just by looking at the tuxedo she was wearing, she seemed to have the highest rank among the employees.
The woman who appeared in front of us began to introduce herself in a very polite manner.
“Thank you very much for visiting our restaurant, customer.
My name is Eom Chae-seon, the manager of a Provence restaurant.”
Wow, manager?
I heard that a manager in the service industry is a very high rank.
To think that a high-ranking person is serving customers like this…
It was very surprising.
While I was thinking about that in my mind for a while,
After hearing her manager’s polite introduction, her mother slightly bowed her head and greeted her.
“Thank you for the polite introduction.
Hello, my name is Yunhee Choi, who made a reservation for lunchtime today.”
“Nice to meet you, Yoonhee Choi.
It is a great honor to invite such distinguished guests to our restaurant.”
After greeting the manager, my mother looked at me with a warm expression.
Uhm, you mean to say hello, right?
I realized my mother’s intentions,
To greet her, I took a step ahead of her mother and took a seat.
But…
How would you like to say hello here?
Umm…
Ah, yes!
Shall we say hello to the manners we learned at the shelter?
Clearly, the posture…
Recalling in my head the manners and greetings I learned at the shelter, I slowly settled into my posture.
Extend your left leg forward,
Pull your right leg back and lift your heel,
After standing like legs crossed,
Grab both sides of the hem and lift it slightly,
Bend your knees slightly,
Close your eyes naturally and slowly,
She bowed her head gracefully and introduced herself.
“I am Choi Jin-hyo, the son of Yoon-hee Choi.
Nice to meet you.”
… ….
Mmm! It was perfect!
It’s worth learning from the etiquette class at the shelter!
Congratulating myself inwardly, I slowly opened my eyes and raised my head.
Then, raise your head.
“… ….”
“… ….”
“… ….”
“…… Huh?”
Everyone who was there,
He was looking at me with his eyes wide open and his mouth wide open.
Even my mother and the detectives.
…
Huh? Have you ever had a bad posture?
It’s not… It must have been perfect…
Could it be that the left was the back instead of the right?
I was very confused when I first learned about it.
Everyone just looked at me without saying a word, so I rushed behind my mother’s back, filled with a sense of pressure and shame.
The moment I tried to hide behind my mother’s back, there was a hand that stopped me…
It was my mother’s hand.
My mother stopped me by grabbing my shoulders, then bent her knees to eye level with me and spoke in a trembling voice.
“Ah, son. That greeting, uh, where did you learn it?”
“Eh… ….”
My mother’s eyes met mine, and her pupils were shaking violently as if an earthquake had occurred.
And the corner of her mother’s mouth was shaking mercilessly up and down her.
Having such eye contact with my mother,
The surroundings started to get a little noisy.
“This is it… I never thought I’d see that greeting for real….”
“…… Whoa.”
“Just… Greetings from the prince, right?”
“… I’m sorry, over there… Could you give me some support? I think my legs are weak….”
“Hey, hey! Wake! Hey!”
“Haa… ha… hahahaha.”
“What should I do? I can’t stand it, so what should I do? I have a prince in front of me right now, so I have to put up with this?”
“All, everyone! What kind of ugliness is this in front of the VIPs! Come on, come to your senses!”
However, I was caught by my mother’s hot gaze and could not properly hear the words around me.
Then, when I couldn’t answer anything because I was suppressed by my mother’s spirit, my mother spoke to me with a surprised look on her face.
“Huh? Ah! No~ son~ I’m not scolding you~
My mother is really curious about how she knew how to say such a wonderful greeting, and if so, from whom did she learn it?
… Oh, that’s right~
Was it to praise you?
What else do I say?
It seems there was no mistake in the greeting? I’m glad~
Only then did I feel relieved, and slowly opened my mouth to relieve my mother’s curiosity.
“I took a class on etiquette at the shelter, and I learned it there.”
“That, is it? Really? So, was that class taught by the shelter staff?”
“Yes. No. It was something I learned in an audio-visual video class.”
“… Whoa, that’s right……
… I was surprised to find out that some b*tch was secretly eating alone… “
… Huh? I think my mother just said something small… What did she say?
As I pondered and questioned her mother’s small voice, she nodded her head and went on with her words.
“Then later… Later at home, only to mom…
Can you show that greeting properly in front of her mother?”
“Huh? This greeting?”
“Yes. Mom will ask you this.”
My mother asked me, putting her hands together as if in prayer.
Surprised to see my mother as if she was crying, I held her hand and said to her.
“Mom really doesn’t have to do this.
Just tell me anytime and I’ll show you.”
“Really? Is it real?”
When I promised, her mother hugged me with a very happy face.
My mother, who had hugged me, jumped up from her seat while still holding me in her arms.
So I ended up being held in the arms of her mother again.
My mother took me in her arms and kissed me on the cheek.
“Umm~ side. Side ♡
Do I have to show it when I get home later?~”
“hehehehe, yes~”
As I was kissing my mother like that, my surroundings started to get messy again.
“…… Wealth, envy. Envy envy…… “
“…… A man like that… hehehe…….”
“…… Age… age… ….”
“… I…… I should have been born….”
“Keuheum! Greatness!”
Then, when I heard the manager clearing his throat,
As if the commotion had been false, the surroundings became quiet again.
Despite the commotion, my mother held me in her arms with a triumphant expression on her face and moved her steps towards her manager.
“While we were greeting each other, I caused disrespect with a sudden action. Sorry.”
“I am absolutely not. We are truly sorry for showing the VIPs something they would never see. I will definitely pay you back for this rudeness.”
“Huh. Are you okay. Rather, she was happy to discover a new side of her son.”
Despite her mother’s words, the manager lowered her head and said with an apologetic expression.
“Thank you for forgiving me. But I want you to give us a chance to make up for it too.
Please, please.”
“… Yes, got it. Then, please take care of me.”
“Thank you very much.”
At the mother’s answer, the manager bowed deeply to express his gratitude.
“Then, let me guide you to your seats.”
The manager politely guided us to our seats.
Even while being guided by the manager,
I felt chills running down my spine at the hot stares I felt from behind…
It was because I had a strong cradle called my mother’s arms, so I wasn’t afraid at all.
Hmm, what do you want for lunch?