Chapter 7

You awoke the next day with a big smile on your face. You talked to Anais practically until midnight last night. When she learned about your latest plot, she burst out laughing. She's excited to meet Mr. Imbécile. You were perplexed why he didn't call you to vent about what you'd done. While taking a refreshing shower, you grin joyously.

You'll see Mr. Kim Taehyung at the Gallery today to finalize arrangements. In a week, Pierre and the rest of the team will arrive. The featured designer will visit the studio in three days to explore it.

You put on your trendy black business attire—a two-piece with golden drop earrings that hits. You have stepped out of a Parisian fashion spread with your Chanel handbag and expensive eyewear.

When you entered the kitchen with a big smile, your aunt raised her eyebrows so high at your beauty." Wow, wow! My girl looks 'fantastique'"

Your appearance enthralls her. With a slight bow, you whirl around and greet your aunt.

"Thank you, thank you. Today I have an appointment with the Gallery. Hopefully, we'll be able to complete all of the necessary preparations for the exhibition." You took a seat and tasted the pancakes on your lips.

"So, what have you been up to these last few days?" asks your aunt, pouring you a cup of Jasmine tea. " You haven't visited the restaurant in a while...the staff wanted to see the "French princess," and she asked you that unexpectedly, almost making you spit up your tea.

"I've been er...working on the exhibitions... You know, e-mailing, dealing with the security detail...it all takes a lot of time." You smile a little and inwardly hurl profanities at Jung Hoseok, who made you lie like that.

"Tell you what, ajumma, and I'll finish up a little sooner and then come around and help out, all right?" Because they have short staff, you enthusiastically suggest and pledge to help out. You start talking about your mom, your aunt's younger, more adventurous sister, as you eat your pancakes.

Ha-ni walked into the kitchen, yawning. Her eyes were red, and you wondered if she was still upset by Bang Chans' engagement news. That is why you avoid love relationships because they can only lead to heartbreak and self-destructive inclinations. No, thank you for dating and marriage.

"Good morning, cuz! You seem to be in a happy mood, don't you?" You give her a sly grin and slightly scoff at her. She fixes a cup of tea for herself.

"Did you get a good night's sleep, dear?"Her mother had a concerned expression on her face. Ha-ni isn't one to display her emotions lightly. She'll keep her deep wounded feelings to herself until the wall she's built around her collapses.

"Sure, I did. I guess I'm just exhausted." She murmurs. When she stares at you, her eyes expand as if she's seeing you for the first time.

"Oh my, you're gorgeous. Are you going to work at the ho—-?"When she caught your eyes signaling to her mother, who was busy at the stove making more pancakes, she cleared her throat akwardly. Your uncle arrived late last night and was still sleeping in.

"Er no...I'm going to Kim Gallery this morning...then I'll come by the restaurant to help, ok," you say. You sipped your last sip of jasmine tea.

Ha-ni smiles, her light brown eyes sparkly again. "Oh, you're going to meet Mr. Kim Taehyung, right? Ok, please take a quick photo of me. Bangtan maknae is swooned worthy, according to what I've heard..." She dreamily states. You just grin at her, pleased that she appears to be happier right now.

"I'll try. Ok...as long he doesn't catch me. You know all embarrassing stuff always happens to me..."You look at your aunt, who places some pancakes on a plate, kimchi with eggs, and some jasmine tea to take to your uncle in the bedroom," Ajumma...thank you for the food--"

Hani's eyes are fixed on the window. "Your uber has arrived. Please exercise caution and enjoy the day."

You leap to your feet and take your handbag from one of the chairs. You kiss your aunt on the cheek quickly and grab Ha-ni's hair.

She shrieked and grabbed her hair strands, giving you the stinky eye. You quietly giggled and walked to the door after your aunt greeted you, telling you to enjoy the day and be safe.

You nodded enthusiastically and exited the house.

You offer a greeting to your driver and get him to the desired address. It takes less than 15 minutes to go to the Gallery in Seoul's downtown area. You're hoping that the Diamond Exhibition will run smoothly.

You receive a notification on your phone, and as soon as you see the ID, you can't help but laugh. The small message causes your eyes to widen.

"Good day, my "French Princess." "I hope you have a fantastic day of hard work ahead of you today."

Mr. Jung

You furrowed your brows, then shrugged with a grin, unconcerned with his fury. He expects you to be at work when he arrives, hard luck for him. It's all his fault. You won't be available to complete a variety of pointless tasks. He's probably furious that you made the entire 40-plus staff on duty go out to an extravagant buffet luncheon, making his condescending chef work himself to the born.

You grinned to yourself as you thought how his arrogant Swiss Chef had gone over and above to work extra hard with his kitchen crew to prepare more dishes. It also serves him well. He made you and Heyrin do dishes for the rest of the time. Your feet were hurting. To top things off, he forbade you from using the dishwashers. For three hours, you had to scrub dirty pots and pans.

You're in a good mood after your uber dropped you off. You're standing in front of a gigantic art gallery. Your eyes widen with surprise. How can a man under the age of 30 own such a magnificent structure? Whoa.

You take a stroll past the lushly landscaped garden. A massive steel structure created by a local artist stood in the center. The gallery was still closed to the public. It will be open to the public at 10:00 a.m. A lady with a name badge brought you upstairs to Mr. Kim's office suites through the exclusive entrance double doors. The rare art pieces on the walls, in nooks, and illuminated by downlights almost bulged your eyes out. It must be pretty expensive. Even your heels dug into the thick carpets. When she knocked on the double doors, you felt your breath catch your throat as you heard a deep, attractive voice beckoning you to enter.

A handsome dark-haired man stood up and walked over to where you were standing; he had a broad, welcome boxy smile, and his friendliness put you at ease right away. In a polite greeting, you both bow slightly. He was extremely handsome and friendly. You liked his demeanor right away.

"Ms. Seo Noémie., welcome to South Korea, and thank you for entrusting your exclusive Cartier diamond collection to Kim Contemporary Art Gallery—-" he says. You grin and thank him for signing an agreement with The House of Cartier.

He motioned for you to sit in one of his lounge chairs. His office was tastefully decorated and reminded you of Mr. Jung's office... You shook your head at the Imbecile's unpleasant thoughts.

You and Mr. Taehyung talked about the exhibition dates, the press conference, the security of the items, the VIP guests, and the South Korean celebrities in attendance. The most sought ticket in town for that social event has already sold out.

The entertainment press is buzzing with speculation about who will be in attendance. The event will be black tie, and who will be in the best dressed evening gowns.

You were conversing over a cup of tea and some sweet treats served by his PA. You're confident that you and Taehyung will get along splendidly.

He took you on a tour of his art gallery and other studios, and you chose one of them to hold the exhibition.

It was almost noon when you left the Gallery, armed with everything required to send back to headquarters. You were ecstatic and relieved that everything was in order. You only need to meet with the top security detail, and your crew will arrive the next week to assist with the studio and glass case setup.

You could feel the exhaustion in your body as you sat with your head tilted back over the seat. Your attention is drawn to your phone by a notification. Your eyes widen in surprise as you open the texts. It had been Ha-ni. She sounded agitated.

Ha-ni: Oh my goodness! Noémie This afternoon, something weird happened...

Your eyes widen. What went wrong with her? You were startled.

You: How weird is that?

Ha-ni: In front of our restaurant, there is a line of over 20 homeless people. Eomma is furious. Someone handed them flyers with our restaurant's name and address, inviting them to come in for a free meal. Nobody knows what helped cause it.

Your face was flushed with surprise. Oh, Oh Mon Dieu, it's the Idiots' doing. After the stunt you pulled yesterday, you should've expected him to retaliate. He spectacularly paid his revenge. It's no surprise he sent you that cryptic text message. You grumble to yourself. The war between you two had just intensified.

You: Oh, Ha-ni, it might be a misunderstanding.

Ha-Ni: It's not, Cuz, because my Appa isn't impressed. Eomma, on the other hand, advised them to stand in line. We're in the middle of giving hot food packages and a glass of juice. How would it look if we send hungry, homeless people away and we a restaurant? Seems cruel.

Oh, my goodness, this is a difficult situation. Your family can't afford to feed 20+ homeless people, and your aunt has such a generous heart that she will never refuse food to anyone in need. Guilt begins to eat away at your conscience. It's all because of you.

You: How are things going for you?

Ha-ni: Now, the queue is becoming longer Noémie. I believe we will run out of steamed rice, so Appa prepared additional buchimgae, kimchi, and vegetables. Right now, I'm in the kitchen. Eomma, Tae-Ri, and Aera set up a mobile stand outside the restaurant to man the stand a bit further than our entrance. Appa temporarily closed the restaurant for an hour. For us to be able to feed the homeless.Noémie. it's exhausting. I've never worked so hard, even at our churches' soup kitchens.

You: listen. Tell Ajumma that I'm going to stock up on rice and vegetables and some takeaway plates and cups. I'll be there shortly. Don't be worried, because there's nothing to be concerned about.

Ha-ni: Please work quickly. Mom is helping two servers at the stands. Auntie Ari has volunteered at the clothing store with her two teenage sons. Oh, my goodness, Appa is cooking kimchi and bringing it to the stand...oh my Gawd! Free food for the poor began gaining momentum. Please come as soon as possible to lend a hand.

She hurriedly left the chat. You groan, caressing your temple with your hands. Hoseok, you are a bully!

You immediately ordered more ingredients and directed the uber driver to a large "Cash and Carry" store. He'll earn more tips and a five-star rating. Your uber driver assisted you in loading a crate of vegetables and many packages into the boot, next to your seat, and in the front passenger seat.

Mr. Jung can't possibly be that petty, can he? He can feed 40 employees, but this is a unique situation. You can't afford to waste money on things that aren't important to your family. However, helping the poor is admirable, but not if you cannot afford it. How many flyers were handed out?

With unjustified rage, you pursed your lips. You take out your phone and send the Imbecile a venomous text message.

You: You're so rèpugnant (disgusting.) Why are you so ruthless, vicieux (vicious), and petty? You're a bloody jerk. How can you expect us to feed thousands of homeless people???

Mr. Imbecile: Did you think I'd sit back and relax while you ordered my chef and his staff to work extra hours to serve the entire hotel? No, I don't believe so. So, you're a restaurant, and your mission is to feed the homeless.

You took a deep breath.

You: But it was only a bonus for all your hardworking employees who helped you succeed...why punish my family? They are already having difficulties with their business. Do you have any idea how much money they'll have to come up with on the spur of the moment?

Mr. Imbecile:: Do I look like I care? I've heard the restaurant isn't profitable. It is in the wrong location. Nobody visits and your family is forced to rely on orders and delivery. As a result, it may become a charity.

You're afraid you're going to be morte (dead) of heart failure. This evil demon has a lot of nerve. You'll kill him if you can get your hands on him.

You: Even for an insensitive jerk like you, that was a new low.

Mr. Imbecile: What did you expect from an insensitive jerk who lacks empathy...? Please delete my phone number. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m., and you'll come in on Saturday to help with administrative duties. You'll be handling all of My PA's filing from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. because you took the initiative to use her computer. Be on time.

After that, he went offline.

You were infuriated as you sat there staring at your phone in disbelief. This jerk's audacity! So upset were you? So, to establish inner peace, you had to count up to 10. You do not want your blood pressure to rise. You press your eyes closed and slowly count up to ten to bring calmness to your inner being. You don't want to get high blood pressure and be admitted to the hospital.

It's official- you hate him.

......

That afternoon, you had to take off your high heels, set aside your anger, and assist your uncle and aunt. While your aunt went to help your uncle, you took her spot in front of the restaurant. Your entire family was amazed by how this situation happened. You and Ha-ni were unable to come clean. Ha-ni just pretended that the printers had made a mistake.

When it was 4 p.m. and the lines were still long, you wanted to cry. Ha-ni took stock and had the homeless sign their names so that you could count the number of people served. Even if it's the tastiest, you don't want to see another slice of buchimgae in front of you.

Someone from Seoul's leading local news channel, SBS, heard about the mobile feeding scheme and wanted to interview the restaurant's owners about this fantastic charity campaign for the city's homeless, life.

You were taken aback, and Ha-ni was too embarrassed to say anything. When the camera focuses on your face, you smile broadly in your lovely outfit, adorned with your aunt's apron. While handing out the takeouts, Ha-ni was merely beaming brightly next to you. Your make-up, thankfully, was still in excellent condition. Thank God for Maybelline, a foundation that is both stay fast and waterproof.

"So,Noémie, I must say, as a modest establishment, you guys had become quite socially relevant', "The reporter was gobsmacked by the long lines of grateful homeless people, who were so appreciative of a plate of food.

" You're right, Unnie. When God has blessed you with so much, l'argent (money)I believe it is vital to give back to society. We must never believe that life does not have a lesson for us all to learn... I feel that if you are endowed with billions, you owe it to society to give back more....tomorrow, you may lose your money, all of your assets, and find yourself in line to be fed like these wonderful people—-" You flashed a broad smile as you motioned to the grateful homeless people. The reporter was charmed by your French accent.

"There you have it people...when you are endowed with more...more is required," the reporter smiled as she turned to the cameraman. "---Let's hear from some of the lucky people in line—"the camera moved to the homeless people.

You smile and wave to the onlookers as you hand out food boxes. They even recorded your aunty and uncle preparing large pots of kimchi and vegetables in the restaurant kitchen, with aunty Ari speaking animatedly into the camera. The reporter interviewed every single one of the volunteers.

Well, Mr. Jung. You've just turned a lousy day into a fantastic one. You all received their one minute of fame and free advertising for your family restaurant. You chuckle.

.....

Meanwhile, in Mr. Jungs'penthouse's office...

He and his lovely PA, Saavi both watch the live news on the SBS news channel, as she look at her employer with a small smirk. The report showed footage of Volunteers passing out packages to the long line of homeless people in the presence of a gorgeous girl dressed in an apron.

"Ms. Seo is a fascinating character...that accent," Saavi chuckled.

Mr. Jung stood with his arms crossed across his torso, watching as the sassy"French princess" presented herself with confidence in front of the stunned reporter. She managed to win the hearts of millions with her charm. He smirks and shakes his head.

He mutters, "Ms. Seo Noémie. you know how to bounce back."

"Please send a huge bouquet to the station manager at SBS—-tell him he got a free buffet lunch for a week at our VIP restaurant," he said with a slight shrug, turning to Saavi.

Saavi nodded and walked out of the his office, smiling on her face. Mr. Jung's heart is in the right place, even if he can be tough.

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