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Chapter 19: Sang-hyun of Shangri-La Motel
Chapter 19: Sang-hyun of Shangri-La Motel
“Sigh… I didn’t get a wink of sleep after all.”
Dan-jung trudged back to work at the hotel with hollow eyes. Her exhaustion was evident, and she clearly wasn’t in any condition to function normally.
“No, I can’t afford to show weakness now!”
She slapped her cheeks hard with both hands to snap herself awake, but her groggy mind barely registered the pain.
Just then, her phone rang loudly from inside her bag.
Who could it be? Could it be President Min? Excited, Dan-jung quickly pulled out her phone.
But instead of Min-hyuk’s name, an unknown number flashed on the screen.
“Yes, hello?”
-Is this Miss Choi Dan-jung?
“Yes, who is this?”
-I’m Sang-hyun Jeong. We’re supposed to meet for a blind date today.
“What? A blind date?”
Her mother had gone and done it! Dan-jung was furious that her mother had arranged this without consulting her. But first, she needed to handle the situation.
“I’m sorry, but I’m working the afternoon shift today, so it’ll be difficult to meet. And besides…”
-I’m already at the Pontpiedu Café near Le Soleil Hotel. Even if you’re busy, could you spare just a few minutes?
“What?”
Dan-jung bristled at the man’s presumptuous attitude, which rivaled her mother’s. No man had ever dared to come to her workplace like this before. Why did this have to happen now?
“I’m sorry, but I really don’t have time. My shift starts soon.”
-I’ll wait until you’re free. Or should I come to the hotel front desk to talk briefly?
“No! Coming to someone’s workplace uninvited isn’t proper.”
-Neither is setting up a meeting and then pretending not to know about it.
Dan-jung found herself at a loss. The man was impossible to reason with, but he wasn’t entirely wrong either. She decided she’d have to meet him in person to apologize.
Though it wasn’t her fault, there was no other way around it.
“Alright, I’ll stop by for a moment.”
Sighing deeply, Dan-jung headed toward the Pontpiedu Café.
Why did it have to be that café? Thinking of Hye-mi, Dan-jung felt increasingly irritated.
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When Dan-jung entered the Pontpiedu Café near her workplace, a man sitting by the window stood up with a bright smile.
He looked older than she had expected—perhaps nearing middle age.
“Where’s the handsome man my mom promised?” Dan-jung muttered to herself.
Compared to Min-hyuk, this man was painfully ordinary. In fact, comparing the two seemed almost absurd.
“Miss Choi Dan-jung?”
“Yes.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Sang-hyun Jeong. Please, sit down.”
“Alright, just for a moment.”
The man smiled broadly, seemingly pleased with how Dan-jung looked. But she only wanted to finish this conversation as quickly as possible.
“Would you like anything to drink?”
“No, I have to leave soon. I only have about ten minutes.”
“Then let’s get straight to the point. I really like you, Miss Choi. I’d like to meet you with the intention of marriage.”
“That’s… I’m already engaged to someone else.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. My mother set this up without my consent. I specifically told her I didn’t want to go on a blind date…”
As Dan-jung hesitated, the man slid a business card across the table.
It read: Shangri-La Motel - Manager Sang-hyun Jeong.
Perplexed, Dan-jung picked up the card. The man puffed out his chest proudly.
“My parents run this motel in Daejeon. It’s a five-story building in the city center. Daily revenue is at least three million won, more on weekends.”
“Oh… but I…”
“As soon as I get married, my parents said they’ll hand over the motel to me so they can focus on enjoying their grandchildren.”
The man continued boasting, completely ignoring Dan-jung’s attempts to interject.
“If you marry me, Miss Choi, I’ll support your younger sibling’s education and even take care of your parents.”
“I appreciate the offer, but as I said earlier, I’m already engaged…”
“You haven’t married yet, have you? Besides, it doesn’t seem like you’ve even told your family about this boyfriend of yours.”
The man cut her off again, assuming her boyfriend must be insignificant if she hadn’t introduced him to her family.
“I was planning to tell them soon. I hope you find someone good.”
As Dan-jung stood to leave, the man grabbed her arm urgently.
“Bring your boyfriend here, then.”
“What?”
“If your boyfriend is better than me, I’ll step aside.”
“Hah…”
Dan-jung couldn’t help but snort at his audacity. But she realized he wouldn’t give up unless she firmly rejected him.
“I’m sorry, but I have no intention of involving my boyfriend in this. And honestly, Mr. Jeong, you’re not my type.”
Brushing off his grip, Dan-jung walked out of the café.
She wanted to unleash a torrent of insults at his arrogance, but she bit her tongue for the sake of her parents.
However, the man refused to give up and followed her outside.
“Then meet me just three times.”
“No, I already told you—I’m engaged.”
“Show me a picture of him, then. If you do, I’ll believe you.”
The man assumed she was lying about having a boyfriend and pressed further.
“Ugh… seriously!”
Dan-jung was stuck. She didn’t have a photo of Min-hyuk on her.
While she was arguing with the stubborn man, Min-hyuk, returning from an errand, spotted them.
“Secretary Im, stop the car.”
“Yes, President Min.”
Secretary Im also noticed the altercation between Dan-jung and the stranger and parked the car right in front of them.
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Startled by the sudden appearance of the luxury sedan, both the man and Dan-jung turned to look at Min-hyuk’s car.
“What the heck! What’s this?”
Surprised and angry, the man rolled up his sleeves and marched toward the car.
But recognizing Min-hyuk’s vehicle, Dan-jung tried to slip away, taking small backward steps.
Does he have surveillance cameras planted everywhere?
She was exasperated by Min-hyuk’s uncanny ability to appear whenever unnecessary people showed up. She dreaded what he must think of her now.
“Miss Choi Dan-jung!”
Min-hyuk stepped out of the car, calling her name sharply.
“Yes, President Min.”
Stopping her retreat, Dan-jung forced an awkward smile.
“President Min?”
The man gulped nervously upon seeing Min-hyuk. To him, Min-hyuk was undeniably handsome, exuding an air of refinement that made him incomparable to himself.
“Who is this man?”
Min-hyuk glared down at the man standing before him.
“Well… my mom set this up without my knowledge.”
“So you went on a blind date despite saying you wouldn’t?”
“I had no choice. He came from far away. But we only met for about ten minutes, right?”
Dan-jung stammered, glancing at the man for confirmation. He nodded reflexively.
“I distinctly remember you saying you wouldn’t go on a blind date.”
Min-hyuk strode toward Dan-jung, his eyes blazing.
“Yes, but as I said, I had no choice…”
“Is someone else more important to you than I am, Miss Choi?”
“What?”
Dan-jung looked up at Min-hyuk, who gazed down at her with icy eyes.
“…”
“…”
Caught off guard by Min-hyuk’s unexpected question, Dan-jung hesitated. The subtle shift in their emotions hung heavy in the silence.
Watching them, the blind date candidate scrambled to assess the situation.
‘Since she called him “President,” this must be the president of Le Soleil Hotel. And judging by his reaction, he’s upset about the blind date… But she said she’s engaged. So is he her lover?’
Damn! Realizing he was no match, the man discreetly tried to slip away.
But just then, Min-hyuk turned to him.
“Let’s consider this blind date never happened.”
“Wha—what gives you the right!”
Though intimidated by Min-hyuk’s arrogance, the man bristled, unwilling to lose face.
“I’m the one marrying Miss Choi. This week, in fact.”
“What?!”
“Then we’re done here.”
Min-hyuk roughly grabbed Dan-jung’s hand, brushed past the blind date candidate, and ushered her into the car. With that, the car sped off, leaving the man standing alone.
“When are you submitting your vacation request?”
Min-hyuk’s anxiety grew with every passing moment. Though their wedding was scheduled within the week, he wanted to tie the knot as soon as possible.
“Oh, I was planning to submit it today.”
“Good. Then tomorrow, we’ll visit your parents.”
“What? So soon?”
“I’ve said this multiple times. I don’t have time.”
“Oh… yes, you did.”
Dan-jung wilted under Min-hyuk’s cold tone. Moreover, the grip he had on her hand was tightening, causing it to ache.
“Are you mad?”
Dan-jung asked, studying his face.
Min-hyuk’s expression remained impassive, but the jealousy burning in his eyes was unmistakable.
“Do I seem angry?”
Min-hyuk turned to meet her gaze.
“Yes, my hand hurts.”
Dan-jung lifted the hand he was gripping.
“Then I must be angry.”
Realizing his own emotions through her words, Min-hyuk acknowledged her usefulness. She constantly helped him recognize his feelings, making her indispensable to him.
Thus, he was determined to marry her.
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“Yaaawn~”
Dan-jung struggled to suppress her yawns throughout the day. Exhaustion from recent events, coupled with last night’s sleepless hours, weighed heavily on her.
“Dan-jung, why don’t you go rest for a bit?”
Soo-yeon, concerned, watched her struggle.
“Why is the future daughter-in-law-to-be working here like this?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Dan-jung felt guilty for taking leave during peak season, though it was nearing the end. Still, she intended to ensure a smooth handover.
“It’s no use pretending. You look like you might collapse at any moment. Dinner break is coming up soon—go rest. I’ll save some food for you.”
“Ah…”
After a brief hesitation, Dan-jung decided to heed Soo-yeon’s advice. Sleep was indeed more urgent than food right now.
“I’ll nap in the staff lounge for a bit. Call me if anything comes up.”
Grabbing her phone from the drawer, Dan-jung stood up.
“Good idea. Don’t worry about things here.”
“Thank you.”
Soo-yeon’s thoughtfulness was a godsend. Without her consideration, Dan-jung felt like she might have dropped dead from overwork.
Heading to the staff lounge, Dan-jung lay down on a bench and closed her eyes, hoping to catch a quick nap.
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