Sponsorship Stigma
Chapter 43
An Auspicious Day
Yeonjae fidgeted with her hands clasped beneath the desk.
Her brown eyes darted around, taking in the quiet interior of the cafe. The only sound in the stillness was the rustling of paper being turned.
Watching the man scan her resume, Yeonjae felt an uneasy tightness in her chest.
It was hardly her first interview, yet this moment never failed to make her nervous.
“You have over two years of experience, so that’s more than enough.”
At the sound of his voice, Yeonjae looked up, and their eyes met.
The man with silver-rimmed glasses, who had introduced himself as the manager, was gazing at her.
For someone running a cafe, he had a remarkably intellectual air—the kind of person you would expect to see in an office.
“You said you already know how to roast, so there shouldn’t be any issues there either?”
“Yes. You don’t need to worry about that at all.”
“Great. We were looking for someone experienced like you, Jung Yeonjae-ssi.”
Only then did a smile appear on the man’s previously impassive face.
“You can start right away. I’ll let the owner know.”
Having signed her resume, Yeonjae handed the paperwork back to him.
Only then did she have the composure to look around, and she asked the man:
“When does the owner usually come into the cafe?”
“Ah, the owner doesn’t come here. As you can see, it’s a tight space, so you and I will be working alternating shifts.”
Yeonjae gave a slight nod.
The place consisted of nothing more than a long espresso bar and a few bar stools.
Even to her eyes, the space was too cramped for two people to work at the same time.
“The roasting area is behind this door, and it’s not very large either.”
The manager pushed open the door behind the bar where he was standing.
As the door swung inward, a small room came into view.
Several roasting machines and rows of coffee beans were neatly arranged inside.
It truly was a cafe perfectly suited to be an espresso bar.
It was almost surprising that such a tiny place did its own roasting in-house.
The cafe in Daejeon had been fairly large.
And perhaps because she had always worked alongside the manager there, the idea of working alone felt unfamiliar.
As Yeonjae nodded, the manager closed the door again.
There might be a lot of offices around, but this was still some of the most expensive prime real estate in Seoul.
Though the shop seemed small, that was only true of the seating area; including the roasting space, it wasn’t that small at all.
The rent in a place like this must be astronomical.
Yeonjae’s eyes narrowed slightly.
‘It won’t just suddenly go out of business, will it?’
The anxiety of sudden unemployment crept over her.
Cafes were everywhere these days.
It wouldn’t be strange at all if a small cafe like this vanished overnight without a trace.
Above all, as someone with a family to support, Yeonjae desperately needed a stable paycheck.
Noticing the shift in her demeanor, the manager spoke first.
“If you have something to say, feel free. Is there anything you’re curious about?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Unable to ask outright, Yeonjae waved her hand with a forced gesture.
She could just wait and see how things went for a few months.
Besides, it would be difficult to find another part-time job with hours that suited her as well as this cafe did.
“Is that so? Well, we’ll leave it at that, then.”
The manager didn’t press further.
“When should I come in?”
“Start tomorrow. I’ll come in tomorrow to train you and hand things over.”
“All right. Sounds good.”
The manager seemed a bit meticulous, though.
Even during the brief moment he was speaking with Yeonjae, he wiped down the bar table with a dry cloth.
Looking at the spotless, dust-free space, Yeonjae swallowed dryly.
The manager she had worked with in Daejeon was overflowing with easygoing human charm by comparison.
Back then, it was Yeonjae who was always sweeping, wiping, and polishing.
Told that she could head out, Yeonjae picked up her handbag.
Before leaving the cafe, she turned around, prompted by a question that had just crossed her mind.
“Do you have something to say?”
Wiping a glass, the manager looked up to meet Yeonjae’s gaze.
“It’s nothing major, just a personal question… Did you already know the owner before working here?”
Someone had put so much effort into decorating a cafe on such expensive land.
Yet the owner hadn’t even shown their face to hire an employee.
She had asked if the owner was just busy today, but the manager had said the owner never came to the cafe at all.
All operations were entirely entrusted to the manager.
Yeonjae had asked wondering if maybe siblings were running the cafe together.
“Um… well, should I say we know each other? We’re reasonably acquainted.”
“Reasonably?”
Yeonjae tilted her head at his nonchalant reply.
“It won’t… suddenly go under or anything, will it? I have a family to support.”
At Yeonjae’s cautious remark, the manager finally understood her strange expression and chuckled.
With a hearty laugh, he opened his mouth to speak.
“Ah, I’m sorry. The thought of our boss going bankrupt just made me laugh.”
The corners of his mouth curved upward as if he were picturing someone.
“There’s absolutely no chance of this place going under overnight. And there’s even less chance of your pay or mine being delayed.”
“…”
“Unless you want to quit, you won’t ever be fired either, so don’t worry and just come to work.”
The manager dismissed Yeonjae’s worries in a single breath.
Even as she walked out of the cafe with the manager seeing her off, Yeonjae still found it strange.
Could there really be an ‘absolute’ in this economy?
Or was the owner truly filthy rich?
Then again, she thought it might be better if the owner were rich.
Thinking that running a cafe merely as a hobby might actually make it more stable.
Quickly putting the cafe out of her mind, Yeonjae made her way toward the Residence.
Perhaps because she had found a job much more easily than expected, her heart felt considerably lighter.
* * *
Leaning back in her chair, the woman checked her wristwatch.
Seeing that the appointed time had long since passed, a sneer touched the woman’s lips.
Always like this.
Just as she picked up the water glass before her, the sharp clicking of heels echoed, followed by the door opening.
The person who appeared was Myeonghee.
“I told you not to take Olympic-daero because it gets congested.”
As Myeonghee slipped off her jacket, Manager Joo, who had followed her in, took it and hung it on the coat rack.
“I’m sorry. I passed the message to Driver Park, but that seemed to be the shortest route.”
“He’s hopeless, honestly!”
Rolling up the sleeves of her pure white silk blouse, she approached the table.
With every move she made, the ribbon draping from her silk shirt fluttered softly.
“You’re here?”
Spotting Yoeun seated across from her, Myeonghee smiled.
Her rigid expression from moments ago melted away as if it had never existed.
“Yoeun-ah, you’ve grown even prettier since I last saw you!”
Myeonghee’s cloying gaze quickly swept over Yoeun.
Scanning her from head to toe as she sat there, a satisfied smile spread across Myeonghee’s lips.
It had been five years since she last saw her prospective daughter-in-law, right before she went to study abroad.
Unlike the last time they met, she had matured beyond a young lady into a vibrant woman.
Not only that, everything from her makeup to her attire was effortless and pleasing to the eye.
Yoeun set down her water glass with a smile.
“Yes. I look quite like a proper lady now, don’t I?”
“Of course. You’re just lovely. Now all that’s left is for you to marry into our Guil.”
The server placed a menu in front of Myeonghee.
Myeonghee rested her chin in her hand, glanced briefly at the menu, and promptly shut it.
“I don’t need this. Prepare your best course menu. Make sure the kitchen pays extra attention—this is an important occasion.”
“Understood.”
The server retrieved the menu and stepped out, with Manager Joo following shortly behind to leave the room.
Once the door shut, silence fell over the room. After taking a sip from her glass to wet her throat, Myeonghee spoke.
“And how are your parents doing?”
“My parents are doing wonderfully, as always.”
“Indeed. They must be overjoyed now that their only daughter is back in the country. Now all they have to do is marry off their daughter.”
Myeonghee smiled silkily.
“A woman is best off marrying young. The older you get, the more your value drops.”
“…”
“If you’re gold right now, a woman past thirty is nothing more than bronze. You know that, right?”
Yoeun brushed off the ridiculous gaslighting with an easy smile.
The youngest daughter in a house full of sons.
Majoring in Western painting, Yoeun was a cherished daughter, yet she was ranked far down the group’s succession line.
Her father held the firm belief that men handled outside affairs while women took care of the household.
Not only that, unless by death of a spouse, something like divorce was completely out of the question.
Given such a strict family, breaking off an engagement was never an option for Yoeun.
Besides, she had no reason to push Jeheon away in the first place.
A perfectly matched pedigree, outstanding looks.
Honestly, in this cutthroat marriage market, where else could she find a man like Jeheon?
‘Only someone of my caliber is worthy of a man like him.’
Myeonghee was well aware that Yoeun thought this way.
“I’ve had an auspicious date chosen. They say it’s an exceptionally lucky day, so speak with Jeheon and start preparing for the wedding.”
Myeonghee pulled a white envelope from her handbag and slid it across to Yoeun.
It was the fresh date she had received from Hyeonwoldang just a few days ago.
She had demanded they hold an exorcism if necessary to get an auspicious date, and sure enough, Hyeonwoldang had contacted her just a few weeks later.
If only they had acted this swiftly from the beginning, they wouldn’t have needed an earful from her.
Seeing everything finally moving along smoothly, Myeonghee felt deeply satisfied.
“Let’s have the wedding before this year is out.”
Myeonghee smiled, her eyes crinkling sweetly, but the gaze gleaming between them was razor-sharp.
She waited for Yoeun’s response.
Just then, with a brief knock, the firmly shut door opened.
“The CEO has arrived.”
Through the half-open door, the employee bowed and announced.
As someone stepped up behind the employee, a large shadow was cast into the room.
Drawn by the heavy, imposing presence, both women turned their gaze toward the doorway.
