Suspicious Manager Moon

Chapter 9

바람둥이 아니면 사기꾼 Playboy or Swindler

“I said you’re pretty!”

“…”

“Today… that is. You look pretty. Assistant Manager Han.”

“Ah…”

Shi Won’s face turned bright red when she heard Manager Moon’s words.

Shi Won was surprised that he would say those kinds of things to her.

‘But what I’m going to do in this awkward situation…’

She was wondering why this car wasn’t making any sounds at all and was driving so smoothly? You could only hear the breathing of the two people inside the car which made the atmosphere extremely awkward.

“Anyway… where are we going?”

Shi Won has to say something before she dies from suffocation in the awkward atmosphere.

“I told you yesterday. We are going out on a date.”

“So, where are we going?”

“Are you hungry?”

Shi Won ate some stuff at the wedding, so she wasn’t that particularly hungry.

“No.”

“Ok.”

Shi Won didn’t ask him anymore questions because she thought he would take her anywhere.

After a while, they arrived in front of a jazz café in Gangnam.

It was a famous place, so Shi Won visited here once with her friends a couple years ago.
Shi Won lifted her face up and looked at the café building, Manager Moon got out of the car and handed the car key to the valet parking man.

Shi Won also opened the door and got off the car and looked at the Manager Moon.

“Let’s go in.”

‘He made a reservation here?’ Shi Won thought.

As far as Shi Won remembered, it was impossible to go inside of the café unless one had made a reservation beforehand.

Shi Won especially remembered, that she and her friends waited in front of the café for several hours because they didn’t make a reservation and were booked for weeks.

At the entrance of the café, a couple was talking to a staff member of the café.

“Yes, we are sorry, there is no room today for customers who didn’t make a reservation, we apologize, but we cannot accept any more people.”

The couple looked back on their way around with a regretful look.

Looking at the sight, Shi Won turned slightly to the Manager Moon and asked him.

“Manager Moon, did you make a reservation?”

“Of course not.”

“Let’s go somewhere else, We can’t go in if we don’t have a reservation.”

In spite of Shi Won’s words, Manager Moon approached the staff with a dignified look.

“Did you make a reservation?”

The staff asked him kindly.

“No.”

“Oh, I’m sorry sir, but we don’t have any room…”

‘See… what did I tell you?…’

Just as Shi Won expected, Shi Won looked at the staff who repeated to him the words that he told the former couple.

“Oh, Mr. President!”

Shi Won saw another staff member who popped out of the café.

‘What? Mr. President?’

At the strange mention, Shi Won looked at the staff who ran out of the café.

“Is there a room?”

The Manager Moon asked the staff who had run to him.

“Of course! Come in, I’ll guide you to the best room.”

When the staff who looked like a Manager whispered the staff who said there is no vacancies , he nodded and bowed to Manager Moon.

‘What’s going on?’

Shi Won thought there was something wrong with this situation.

Then Shi Won’s eyes shook wildly in the face of the unbelievable situation in front of her.

‘What the hell is this guy? Is his face a free pass?’

“Let’s go in.”

Manager Moon nodded at Shi Won to follow him, who was staring at him wide eyed.

Shi Won looked at the back figure of Manager Moon who began walking in front of her.

I understand that he saved me today from being humiliated earlier today. But I don’t understand why he suddenly called me pretty. He also wore a luxury suit and drove a nice car today, and he also was able to somehow get a table in this café without a reservation.

So now, I feel as if he’s a swindler or a playboy.

It’s dark inside with soft light illuminated the room and is being filled with soft jazz music that made it a really nice romantic atmosphere.

The staff member guided us to the second floor table, where you have a nice view of the jazz band who is playing below.

“Let’s sit.”

He took out a seat for me and sat down after I sat on my chair.

“The show will start at seven. Do you like jazz?”

Shi Won was still pondering about his identity so she was looking at Manager Moon with a suspicious gaze. So, when she heard his voice she was startled and came back to her senses.

When he saw Shi Won’s reaction, Manager Moon looked at her strangely.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Ah.. it’s nothing. But just before… we didn’t have a reservation but they let us….”
Manager Moon understood what she was saying and raised his lips slight and nodded his head.

“I’m pretty close with the owner here.”

He confessed. That’s a typical answer of a swindler/playboy.

He acts like he’s related to someone with high status and he tries to swindle/tempt that person through that relationship.

‘I will not be deceived.’

In order for, Shi Won to come to her senses, she straightened her posture and tightly closed her lips.

“Because you said you weren’t hungry, let’s just order something light. Do you like wine?

If you have a specific preference, tell me about it.”

“I don’t really drink wine. Just order whatever.”

She didn’t know about wine because she usually doesn’t drink wine.

He gracefully called over a waiter with a wave of his hand.

“Please give me two cups of Chateau Leognan Bordeaux.”

‘Wow… this guy…’

Shi Won immediately wanted to open up her cell phone and recorded his actions and she wanted to send this video to Manager Park and Assistant Manager Kim.

Manager Moon didn’t even look at the menu but was able to order one of their wine’s name so gracefully. And if they were able to see his actions, they would probably replay it over a hundred times and would be suspicious whether it’s actually him or not.

“I just ordered something simple. Just try it.”

“You must drink a lot of wine?”

She opened her mouth and spoke carefully in order to not portray that she was suspicious of him.

“Yes. I enjoy it often.”

Wow… Daebak (daebak is something Koreans say, when they find something amazing or unbelievable.) He looks like someone who would drink soju or rice wine… but wine…

“Why? Is it strange? That I like wine?”

She shook and wondered how he knew what she was thinking.

“No. It’s just that you really shouldn’t judge people based on their appearance.” Shi Won answered with an awkward smile because she didn’t want him to realize her true thoughts.

Manager Moon lowered his head and gave out a good-natured laugh.

“Wh… what?”

“It’s okay. I know very well what I look like outwardly.”

“Ah…”

At those words, Shi Won thought over about his answer.

‘Should I ask him? But would he answer me if I ask?’

She didn’t want to ask just simple one or two questions that would be strange and suspicious if she asked.

‘If I suddenly ask him who he is, would he get embarrassed? If I ask him straight up he would probably hide from me. Swindler’s don’t admit, that they’re swindlers. No. He could probably be the scion of some millionaire.’

She has to ask him something to keep the atmosphere from being awkward but as she thought about what to ask her mind became more disorganized and confused.

“Ah! It’s going to start.”

In the end, she wasn’t able to ask anything. The people applauded at the band’s entrance.

‘Ah… I have a headache.’

She had a headache since the beginning of the wedding ceremony but because she was thinking of so many things she was able to ignore it.

The audience stopped clapping and quieted down.

The soft light complimented the sounds from the piano and soft drums noises indicated the start of the show. The woman’s husky, voice gradually resounded throughout the café.

‘If I ain’t got you.’

Shi Won normally enjoyed those types of songs and upon hearing it she turned her head to the performance going on down below.

Shi Won hasn’t listened to music in a while. She was afraid of feeling emotional because of her break up.

For a moment, her mind was blank and she just listened to the music and got rid of all the stress and thoughts that were piling up in her mind.

Upon hearing, the lovely voice of the singer and the instruments that accompanied it. Her heart, that went through a lot recently, calmed her mental state and was slowly healing her.

Shi Won felt like, by listening to this song allowed her negative thoughts and emotions to leave her mind.

*Tear falls down

Suddenly, upon feeling the hot tear on the top of her hand, she was surprised and lowered her head.

A tear came out of her eyes without her even knowing or feeling it.

She endured all of her emotions such as anger and sadness from her break ups and she thought that she would cry sooner in the future. But contrary to her expectations all of her pent up emotions rushed forth like a broken dam and was released today.

She was scared of Manager Moon looking at her and so she quickly wiped away her tears and kept on looking at the show.

She sniffed a little and blinked furiously in order to prevent further tears.

Her emotions calmed down a little and turned her head to Manager Moon.

As she turned her head she briefly saw Manager Moon’s face turning to the show down below.

‘Uh…’

For some reason, she feels like she was being watched by her.

Shi Won stared intently at Manager Moon but he kept on staring at the performance.

‘Did I make a mistake?… was he not looking at me?’

Shi Won thought that she made a mistake and applauded when the band was finished with the song.