Chapter 1617: Opening (2)

“Wow…!”

The jaws of Jo Mi-Hye and Han Jin-Seong, who were acting as the representatives of the Seongsim Orphanage, fell almost to the floor after checking out the interior of their new orphanage building.

“Holy cow, that’s so cool…”

“I really thought our old place was amazing already, but this place is like a brand new world.”

Han Jin-Seong turned his head this way and that and peered at every corner. This building was more like an expensive apartment rather than an orphanage.

“Hang on? The rooms are for two people only?”

“Oh, my gosh… But we still sleep in one room in our old building, though?”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned bitterly while listening to the duo. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. A separate residence for you is under construction, after all. That should be completed soon.”

Han Jin-Seong’s expression brightened. “Jin-Ho hyung! For real?”

Jo Mi-Hye furrowed her brow. “And why are you so happy about that, oppa?”

Han Jin-Seong immediately became defensive. “Why? Am I not allowed to be happy about something like that?”

That was when flames lit up inside Jo Mi-Hye’s eyes.

“What the hell?! You dummy, are you planning to fail the entrance exam again?!”

“O-of course not! Don’t be stupid, okay! E-even if I pass the exam, I won’t enter the dorms right away, you know? I’ll need a place to stay until then, okay?!”

Jo Mi-Hye slowly shook her head. “You really are a piece of work, oppa. Seriously.”

“…”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled bitterly again.

He made a simple mistake when relocating the Seongsim Orphanage from the old building on the top of the hill to the current one. And that was getting too hung up on the standard concept of what an orphanage should be like.

He only thought about expanding the facilities and making them more convenient and modern, but neglected to think about the actual living space.

That’s why I must change that.

After moving into a large house, humans would start to think about how much nicer it'd be to move to an even larger place; living in the new orphanage had allowed Kang Jin-Ho to notice several things that could be improved upon.

Among those, the biggest one had to be the orphans sleeping in one room. Such an arrangement was not an issue for young children. In fact, it might even be a good thing for them.

However, even the elementary school kids past a certain age would want some privacy, which naturally meant they wanted a room of their own.

To accommodate their needs, the new building currently being built was designed in such a way that everyone could stay in, at the very least, two-person bedrooms.

Jo Mi-Hye exclaimed, obviously impressed by what she could see. “Wow, look at the living room. It's so huge!”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “Mm.”

“I wasn’t sure about other rooms, but this living room is kinda nice. Oppa, you’re going to install the TV in here, right?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” said Kang Jin-Ho with a grin.

Despite the new design, though, the one thing he wanted to keep was a large living room. It was a Seongsim tradition to bring everyone together in the living room to hang out, after all.

“Oppa, this place must've cost a lot to build.”

“It… didn’t.”

“Tsk…” Jo Mi-Hye tutted as if she didn’t like it. “Oppa, I’m happy about you doing all these nice things for us, but don’t get lost in what you’re doing, okay?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “…? Huh?”

“I'm talking from experience, but getting too obsessed about charity work is not healthy at all. Plenty of people show up to do charity work every weekend, only for their situation at home to suffer badly after they get too obsessed. Some people even end up in a financial hole and start regretting it.”

“…?”

Even if such cases were real, why was Jo Mi-Hye telling Kang Jin-Ho this?

“Oppa, don’t spend your money so recklessly, okay? And end up causing lots of trouble for Yeon-Ha unnie later.”

Choi Yeon-Ha suddenly trotted over to Jo Mi-Hye and hugged the younger girl from behind. “Oh, my. Oh~, my goodness! Who do you take after, my dear Mi-Hye, to be so adorable?”

“Unnie, I’m being serious. You know Jin-Ho oppa has zero financial sense.”

“No, no. It’s all good, Mi-Hye. Everything is fine, but you’re mistaken about something.”

“…? About what?”

“You see, this unnie of yours is…”

“Yes?”

Choi Yeon-Ha grinned confidently. “I’m loaded.”

“…”

“I'll be fine even if an uncle like him doesn't provide for me, okay? Besides, I've been thinking that maybe, sooner rather than later, I'd better become the provider for both of us instead of relying on that wishy-washy dude.”

Jo Mi-Hye looked mortified. “That sounds like a serious problem, though?”

“Doesn't matter who has the abilities, as long as they can put the food on the table, am I right? That's the important part. Besides…”

Choi Yeon-Ha stared intently at Jo Mi-Hye before pretending to wipe the imaginary tears away.

“I think you need to plan ahead yourself. No one can tell what will happen in the future, but judging from the current situation, it’s not gonna…”

“Wait, unnie! It's not gonna happen!” Jo Mi-Hye yelped in shock.

Choi Yeon-Ha chuckled and unwrapped her arm from Jo Mi-Hye’s shoulders. “So? What do you think about the place? Will you be okay with staying here?”

Jo Mi-Hye nodded. “Yes. This is like a hotel, you know?”

“Really? That’s a bit exaggerated, no?”

“No, I'm serious. Everyone will think this is a high-end hotel. Although, they will need a bit of time to acclimatize to such a drastic change in the environment. Mm… Actually, there’s something I’m worried about.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“With how closed off each room is, will we be able to manage the children properly?” Jo Mi-Hye asked, her expression slightly somber. “Two kids by themselves could become problematic, you see? You know that kids living in an orphanage can be a little…”

Kang Jin-Ho subtly furrowed his brow. It seemed that, although she didn’t want to say it out loud, Jo Mi-Hye was most likely trying to say that orphans suffering from the deprivation of affection would often cause problems.

She was right, though. Orphans bullying or ostracizing other orphans happened often in other orphanages, after all. It was just that Seongsim had somehow cultivated a deep level of family-like bond, that was all.

Kang Jin-Ho replied to Jo Mi-Hye. “It will be fine.”

“Ng?”

“That’s not the problem of having private rooms. No, it’s the problem of the environment where kids are afraid to talk to their caregivers. I’m not going to create orphanages like that.”

“Mm… If you say so. I believe in you.”

That was when Han Jin-Seong tutted loudly. “A little brat like you should stop acting like you know everything. I’m sure Jin-Ho hyung knows what he’s doing.”

Jo Mi-Hye shot him a glare. “Shut your trap. Before I sew it shut for you.”

“…!” Han Jin-Seong’s head faltered in dejection.

Kang Jin-Ho could only shake his head at this sight. Even he could tell this kid was a lost cause. Someone beyond help, maybe!

Jo Mi-Hye asked another question. “Then… When will the children move into this place?”

“Two days later. That’s the plan for now,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Will the caregivers start working at the same time, too?”

“Yeah.”

“…I’m gonna make you pay for stealing our caregivers one day.”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t help but chortle at that.

Thankfully, the discussions with Seongsim's caregivers went well, and they agreed to work in different orphanages. It wasn't a simple change of jobs, though, since it was technically a transfer.

The recruitment for additional caregivers had concluded not too long ago, as well.

“It won’t be easy, oppa. Caregivers will have a hard time, I think.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “I’m sure that will be the case.”

“You gotta help them out as much as possible, oppa.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Jo Mi-Hye grinned brightly. “Well, I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”

Just as she said that…

“Hello? Is anyone home?”

A man opened the entrance and peeked around the open doorway.

“Eh?” Kang Jin-Ho opened his eyes wider after realizing who that was. “Yu-Min?”

“Hey, Jin-Ho. Yeah, it’s me. Been a while.”

“How did you find this place?"

“Kids told me. Unlike you, I’m good with directions, after all.”

“…”

Choi Yeon-Ha waved her hand while grinning brightly. “Mister Yu-Min, hi! It's been a while.”

“You were also here, Miss Yeon-Ha? Great to see you again. I hope Jin-Ho's been behaving himself lately.”

“Oh, my? You've become a little more smooth-talking than before? I didn't think you had it in you to say something like that.”

“Ehehe, you think so?”

Park Yu-Min smiled awkwardly.

Kang Jin-Ho felt at ease while watching his friend fidget a little.

While grinning, he asked Park Yu-Min. "What brings you here, though?”

“What do you mean, what?” Park Yu-Min looked around the interior of the building. “Besides that, though. Wow, this really is a nice place. You must've paid a lot of attention to it, Jin-Ho.”

Jo Mi-Hye leaned in closer and whispered to Park Yu-Min. “Oppa, it’s not attention but money. Money.”

“Wha? No, don't say that, Mi-Hye.”

When Park Yu-Min stared at her with a hint of disapproval, Jo Mi-Hye flinched a little and shrank back. Kang Jin-Ho's respect level for his friend shot up even higher just then.

Neither he nor Han Jin-Seong could handle Jo Mi-Hye now, but Park Yu-Min only needed a sharp glare to rein her in. Was this all thanks to the difference in time one had spent in Seongsim?

Park Yu-Min continued to chide Jo Mi-Hye. “I know he has spent a lot of money. But saying that out loud will minimize all the effort Jin-Ho had put in to making all this a reality. Do you understand?”

“I’m sorry, oppa.”

That was when Kang Jin-Ho had an epiphany. Oh… So, that’s how you should do it.

Jo Mi-Hye, now in the presence of an enemy she couldn’t win against, continued to sneak hopeful glances in Kang Jin-Ho’s direction. The look on her face seemed to say, “Please, do something about this guy who doesn't get the concept of jokes!”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled again and addressed Park Yu-Min. “Did you come here to check the place out?”

Park Yu-Min shook his head. “Nah, not really. There isn’t much I can do to help here, after all. No, I wanted to see you, actually.”

“Mm?”

“Maybe because I was busy, it feels like we haven't hung out together in a long while. Or maybe you were too busy? In any case, I figured we could hang out and catch up on what we've been doing.”

“Really? But isn’t the start of a new season just around the corner?”

“Yeah, but I’ve gotten some time off.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. The team director said a person should rest as much as possible when they have the chance, so… He said I'd better not show up to the team residence for at least a week.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled wryly. Judging from what the team director had said, Park Yu-Min must’ve been practicing like there was no tomorrow until now.

“Mm, then…” Park Yu-Min shifted his attention to Choi Yeon-Ha. “Do you mind if I borrow Jin-Ho for today?”

“Oh, my? That’s a weird thing to say. I thought I was the one borrowing Mister Jin-Ho all this time? Of course I should let you have him since you were the original owner, to begin with. Should I pay you the fee for using him until now?”

Choi Yeon-Ha's expert-level reply to his joke left Park Yu-Min unable to think of a suitable response, and he could only fidget ungainly.

Choi Yeon-Ha laughed genially. “You know, sometimes I can’t help but think that you and Mister Jin-Ho are two peas in a pod.”

“There’s no way…”

“Eiii, we’re so different, you know?”

Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min immediately countered her, and in perfect sync, too.

Choi Yeon-Ha grinned deeply. “Yes, you can borrow him. He hasn't had a break in a while, so I was thinking he needed to unwind soon, anyway. Make him as drunk as humanly possible until he can't even walk anymore. And if he falls asleep on the pavement, don't call me, but call the police.”

“Eh? But Jin-Ho doesn’t get drunk, though…?” Park Yu-Min scratched the back of his head before nodding away. “I’ll try my best. Let’s go, Jin-Ho.”

Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes in stupefaction. Hold on, my friend. I also have schedules and commitments, you know? If you show up unannounced like this to hang out, I’m gonna be…

“…Fine! Let’s go!”

Kang Jin-Ho strode over and wrapped his arm around Park Yu-Min’s shoulders.

“Ouch? That kinda hurts?”

“Miss Yeon-Ha, please take the kids back to Seongsim.”

“I will. Don’t worry and have fun.”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned at Choi Yeon-Ha before heading outside with Park Yu-Min.

The trio watched the two of them disappear through the doorway and chuckled helplessly.

Choi Yeon-Ha muttered, “He looked really happy, didn’t he?”

Han Jin-Seong chimed in. “Let him be, noona. I mean, those two are practically an item, you know?”

Jo Mi-Hye yelled at him. “Oppa?! I told you to shut your trap! Why can’t you listen to me for once?!”

“…”

Choi Yeon-Ha chuckled softly. Although it looked like she lost Kang Jin-Ho to Park Yu-Min, it didn’t feel bad at all. But that was because she knew Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min were indispensable to each other.

“Yeah… They need to let their hair down once in a while,” said Choi Yeon-Ha.

“Unnie, you're such a thoughtful person.”

“We should get going, too. And let’s get fried chicken again for dinner today!”

“Okay!”

Choi Yeon-Ha grinned brightly.

***

Slam!

“Where’s the manager!”

“…?! Those crazy bastards!”

Ju Yeong-Gi's face paled instantly when he saw Park Yu-Min and Kang Jin-Ho shove the door open and waltz into the pizzeria.

Kang Jin-Ho made a straight beeline to Ju Yeong-Gi before grabbing the latter’s shoulder.

Ju Yeong-Gi panicked slightly. “W-what the hell, man?! What do you want?”

“Let’s go!”

“Eh?”

“Let’s go and get drunk!”

“Hey, you insane sons of b*tches?! I’m still at work… Aaahk?! You crazy bastard?! Put me down! Why are you so damn strong?! I said, put me down!”

Kang Jin-Ho easily picked Ju Yeong-Gi up before placing his friend under his arm and waltzing out of the pizzeria.

“H-hey?! Are you crazy! What’s the matter with you! Put me down! Wait! Wha… H-hey, Jeong-Ho! Take care of the store while I’m gone! I might not come to work tomorrow morning! Let the morning shift guys know!”

“…”

Once the pizzeria’s door closed shut, the pizzeria employees all groaned deeply.

“Hey, man. Is this the case of our boss being the weird one, or are his friends the weird ones?”

“Maybe it’s both?”

“Besides, what was up with that dude? Our boss is a pretty big guy, but he just carried him outside like that!”

“Maybe, uh, he works out a lot?”

The dazed employees staring at the pizzeria's entrance sobered up when one of the customers called out to them.

“Please give me another cup of Cola!”

“…! Coming, ma’am! Right away!”

A store must chug along whether its manager got kidnapped or not; not too long afterward, the pizzeria was filled with the hubbub of customers placing orders and employees processing those orders.