Diamond Dust Novel - Chapter 4

While waiting for the elevator, everyone was busy complimenting today’s client. It wasn’t just because he’d given them money for dinner, but they agreed that with clients this accommodating, this job wasn’t completely unbearable.

“But he seems to live in a house like this all by himself. Must be really successful.”

“I know. Even if it’s a lease, not an owned apartment, this size in this building would be around 1.5 billion won.”

“Is this place really that expensive?”

The other drivers’ eyes widened simultaneously, wearing the same shocked expression at the information casually dropped by the youngest member besides me, a guy in his thirties.

1.5 billion won. To me, that amount was no different from 10 billion, 100 billion, or 1 trillion won. Just a big sum of money that felt completely unreal. A very, very big sum of money.

“We even met a client who gave us money for a company dinner. Today was a lucky day. Maybe we should all buy a lottery ticket.”

“Hyung-nim, how much is there? We’re tired of pork belly and soju. If it’s enough, let’s eat something else today!”

At the second driver’s insistence, the team leader took the envelope out of his back pocket and was about to open it when Ding-dong! the sound of the lock disengaging came from inside the front door we had just exited. The team leader hastily shoved the envelope back into its spot.

“Hold on a second!”

It was, of course, today’s client who had urgently called us back.

“Which one of you handled the kitchen organization?”

Thinking something might be wrong or perhaps I had made a mistake, we all hesitated to answer, instantly exchanging nervous glances. The faces of the drivers, who had just been excited about spending the unexpected dinner money, were filled with dismay.

I calmly racked my brain, but at least there were no broken or lost items. It wouldn’t be the worst-case scenario. Calming myself, I cautiously stepped half a pace forward.

“Our team’s Imo-nim was absent today, so I took care of it.”

I answered, looking down at the client’s feet instead of their face. He was wearing slippers over his stockinged feet, as if he had rushed out to follow us.

“Well… this young man, as you can see, is still quite young…. If there was something you weren’t satisfied with…”

The client directed a bright smile toward the team leader, who was rushing to defend me, saying that wasn’t it at all.

“No, that’s not it… Would you possibly be interested in working at my house? Your work, I mean, it’s completely to my liking.”

“…”

Unable to grasp what he meant, I merely parted my lips.

“Ah, did I phrase that strangely? Your style of working is completely to my liking. I’ve been so busy lately that my house is constantly disorganized… and I’m the type that gets stressed when things aren’t tidy…. Finding someone I like isn’t easy, and I’ve been struggling, but then I opened the kitchen cabinets and…”

The client, who had been explaining somewhat ramblingly, mixed with self-pitying lament, suddenly stopped talking.

“Wait… are you Yihyun? Seo Yihyun?”

From beneath the brim of the deeply pulled-down hat, I confirmed the face of the client who had called my name correctly. It was the first time I had properly looked at the client’s face that day.

Based on my life’s story, it was the moment when a figure who had been pushed deep into the backstage and completely forgotten suddenly reappeared in the center of the stage.