“Good morning, Ms. Choi Yeon-bi. I am Na Da-yeon, and I will be assisting you in the lounge this morning. Please allow me to guide you to your seat.”
‘She’s beautiful.’
Even with her hair tied up, her beauty was undeniable.
The woman who introduced herself as Na Da-yeon was, in my estimation, the third most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
The second was Han Ah-rang, whom I had seen at the front desk yesterday.
And the first was my first love from middle school.
A fleeting memory from the past surfaced, but I shook my head internally, forcefully dismissing the thought.
That wicked girl who toyed with people’s hearts. I didn’t even want to recall her.
“Please make yourself comfortable. Should you require anything at all, do not hesitate to ask.”
Receiving her formal greeting, I settled into the seat she indicated.
An elegantly folded napkin and a menu rested upon the crisp white tablecloth.
The silverware was meticulously arranged, glistening.
Witnessing a scene typically reserved for dramas or films with my own eyes felt somewhat surreal.
Perhaps this, too, was a kind of Truman Show?
If so, I resolved to spend lavishly before the show concluded.
With that thought in mind, I opened the menu.
But wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a buffet?
‘I don’t know.’
The food display before me certainly suggested a buffet, yet it seemed one could also order main dishes.
After staring blankly at the dishes laid out, my gaze drifted back to the menu.
Suddenly, Na Da-yeon leaned in from behind, pointing at the menu with her finger and meticulously explaining each item.
“These are our special menus available only today. While they are typically served as a course, you are welcome to select and order individual dishes from the courses if you prefer.”
“Hmm…”
I still couldn’t quite grasp it.
This was entirely different from the buffet I had imagined.
‘Couldn’t I just grab a plate and serve myself from over there?’
After scratching my cheek for a moment, I decided to ask the staff member.
I was a paying guest, after all.
And with a staff member painstakingly explaining everything just for me, what was there to worry about?
Straightening my shoulders confidently, I addressed the beautiful staff member who had introduced herself as Na Da-yeon.
“May I just take the food from the display over there, instead of ordering a main dish?”
She smiled faintly at my question, nodding her head.
“Oh, of course. You are welcome to choose them yourself, or we can bring them to you. How would you prefer?”
To simply sit at a buffet and have food brought to me.
It seemed there was nothing money couldn’t buy.
A movie I had seen long ago suddenly came to mind.
It depicted a future where humans, having left Earth, entrusted everything to robots.
A life where one could do everything while seated. Consequently, everyone in that film was overweight.
People generally associate the wealthy with being fat and greedy, but perhaps it wasn’t greed that made them fat, but simply a lack of movement?
If one didn’t even move for such short distances, that would inevitably be the result.
‘…I must exercise.’
Lost in such idle thoughts, I rose from my seat.
“I’ll go and choose the food myself.”
“Certainly. Would you please come this way?”
Following Da-yeon, I slowly walked towards the abundant food display.
****
‘What the… She really doesn’t know anything, does she?’
This was Na Da-yeon’s initial thought upon seeing Yeon-bi.
Yeon-bi was bewilderingly ignorant of everything.
Could someone who booked a two-night stay at a hotel like this truly be so utterly clueless?
In truth, there were indeed such people.
Many came to enjoy a ‘hocance’ (TL Note: A portmanteau of ‘hotel’ and ‘vacance,’ referring to a vacation spent entirely within a hotel) with family or as couples.
However, in Na Da-yeon’s eyes, Yeon-bi was different.
She hadn’t come with a boyfriend, friends, or family.
Nor did it seem she was here for business nearby.
According to Ah-rang, Yeon-bi had arrived empty-handed, without any luggage.
This made her even harder to comprehend.
There were simply too many aspects that didn’t align with someone enjoying a solo hocance.
Thus, Na Da-yeon became even more certain.
‘She must have been chosen for something based solely on her looks and figure.’
She clicked her tongue lightly in her mind.
Women like Yeon-bi, in Na Da-yeon’s estimation, were precisely the type she detested most.
Women who lived as they pleased, relying on their beauty and physique.
Women who lived carelessly, believing they could secure an easy life by simply getting involved with a man.
That was why Na Da-yeon had studied diligently.
Though not a top-tier university, she had graduated with excellent grades from a well-regarded institution for hotel management, reaching her current position through sheer effort.
‘How annoying.’
She felt a flicker of resentment towards Yeon-bi.
Not only was Yeon-bi beautiful, but her figure was also model-esque.
Moreover, she seemed to have acquired enough leisure to relax in such a luxurious hotel, though Na Da-yeon couldn’t fathom whose favor she had curried.
However, as she couldn’t treat a guest disrespectfully, she merely followed Yeon-bi, maintaining a polite smile.
“Oh… What kind of dish is this?”
Despite the name written below, Yeon-bi didn’t understand what the dish was, so she asked Da-yeon.
Da-yeon, feeling a slight sense of superiority, kindly answered her.
“That is Tajarin, a traditional Northern Italian pasta.”
“Hmm… Please put one serving on my plate.”
The request to “put one serving on my plate” sounded somewhat amusing, and she suppressed a slight chuckle as she picked up a plate of Tajarin.
“What about this dish next to it?”
“That is a Panini, an Italian-style sandwich. You can consider this entire corner to be dedicated to Italian cuisine.”
“Oh…”
With a brief exclamation of awe, Yeon-bi began to tiptoe around, exploring.
****
‘I took too much.’
I hadn’t realized it while happily serving myself, but once placed on the table, the amount of food was far more than I could possibly eat.
If I had been carrying the plates myself, I would have roughly gauged the quantity and stopped.
‘Since she carried everything for me, I couldn’t properly see…’
Furthermore, the individual portions on the plates looked so small that I ended up taking more than I intended.
Regardless.
‘I don’t think I can finish all of this… What should I do?’
I alternated my gaze between the food and Ms. Na Da-yeon, who stood smiling brightly beside me.
She had gone to such trouble carrying all this for me, so it felt a little bad to just eat a bit and throw the rest away.
Moreover, she had diligently explained everything I asked about, without the slightest hint of annoyance.
While there was a diverse array of dishes, they weren’t the kind to fill one up completely.
Even the pasta was portioned as if it would disappear in a single bite.
The problem was the bread.
Taking an unnecessarily large amount of bread was my biggest mistake.
‘But it looks so delicious.’
After a moment of deliberation, I decided to at least try eating it.
Who knew? It might all fit.
About thirty minutes passed.
‘I’m full…’
Perhaps because I had eaten so much last night, it simply wouldn’t all fit.
As I gazed somewhat disheartened at the table, less than half-empty, a tall, distinguished-looking man suddenly approached me from the side.
He appeared to be a bit older, but perhaps due to his stylish attire, he exuded a certain middle-aged charm.
Could Choi Min-hoo have aged with such grace and charm?
I highly doubted it.
“My, my, it seems the young lady was quite hungry, wasn’t she?”
He spoke with a sly casualness, then settled into the seat opposite me.
Another staff member trailed diligently behind him, suggesting he too was a VIP guest.
Slightly flustered, I suddenly got the hiccups.
“Of course you’d get the hiccups, eating all this by yourself. Here, water.”
Though I didn’t appreciate his abrupt use of informal language upon our first meeting, I supposed I could understand given his age.
I bowed my head slightly to accept the water he poured, then drank it in one gulp.
But seriously, who exactly was this man?
Da-yeon and the male staff member accompanying the man also looked somewhat taken aback.
They quickly regained their composure, but I had definitely seen their expressions of discomfort.
Who on earth was this person sitting across from me?
“Do you… happen to know me?”
He chuckled softly at my question, then handed me a business card.
‘What is this?’ I thought, taking the card somewhat irritably, but then I was utterly astonished by what I saw on it.
‘Harrison Entertainment?’
Harrison Entertainment.
It was a company so renowned that most popular figures in the entertainment industry—singers, idols, actors, and so on—could be said to have originated from there.
Rumors about the chairman were unfavorable, and given his frequent visits to the prosecutor’s office, the general public didn’t hold the company in high regard.
Of course, those looking to enter the entertainment world probably wouldn’t care about such a reputation.
‘So, this man is the Director of the entertainment company…’
I didn’t precisely know what kind of person he was.
Even though I had worked for a company for a long time, given the nature of *that* company, I wasn’t very familiar with job titles.
‘He’s not like the Director from *that* place…’
The Director from that awful company (TL Note: A play on words, using ‘가족같은’ meaning ‘family-like’ but with a hidden implication of ‘개좆같은’ meaning ‘f*cking dog-like’ or ‘terrible’) came to mind, and I let out a snicker internally.
He used to tease me and other constantly-scolded employees like me, calling us ‘Choco-Tingting’.
That nickname was given because he had so little hair that he’d comb a few strands over his forehead.
By the way, handing me a business card like this… was he implying I should dip my toes into the entertainment industry?
“An idol, or an actress. Any interest? Ah, being an idol might be a bit tough. It’s quite challenging for an adult to debut, you see.”
He made the joke and then casually picked up a piece of bread from the table, taking a bite.
Others might deem it rude, but at that moment, I was grateful to him.
‘Since he’s eating, I wish he’d just finish it all.’
However, he merely chewed the bread in his mouth slowly, awaiting my answer, and didn’t take another piece.
‘Tch.’
Suppressing my disappointment, I, too, put the last remaining piece of bread on the table into my mouth.
How could I gracefully leave, abandoning all this food, and also politely dismiss the man sitting before me?
As I pondered, the Director, having finished chewing his bread, grew impatient and spoke first.
“So, what do you think? Want to try acting? I’m not exaggerating; I’ve never seen someone as beautiful as you. You’d definitely make it big.”
While I appreciated the compliment, I had absolutely no intention of appearing on broadcast.
It was only natural.
The more people knew me, the more trouble I would be in.
A life where no one knew me, yet I possessed ample wealth.
I preferred this life.
Nonetheless, his offer had provided a moment of relief.
Forcing a smile, I shook my head emphatically at the Director.
“No, thank you. I must politely decline. Ms. Na Da-yeon, I’ve finished eating. May I leave now?”
“Oh… Yes! Of course. I’ll guide you this way.”
And just like that, I gracefully exited the lounge.
‘I’m saved.’
A sigh of relief escaped me involuntarily.
Wasn’t that natural enough?
It was a maneuver that allowed me to leave the uneaten food as it was and smoothly exit the lounge.
I smiled inwardly, convinced it had been a perfect solution.
Of course, it would have been impossible if the Director hadn’t appeared.
Feeling a small sense of gratitude towards him, I quickened my pace.
At any rate, all that remained was the joyous task of buying clothes.
