Dirt Cheap — Chapter 3

BESIDES, BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, YOU'RE THE YOUNGER ONE.

EUN-SOO.

...DON'T CALL ME THAT.

WE'LL BE GOING TO PAY OUR RESPECTS TO THE CHAIRMAN SOON.

I MADE IT CLEAR THAT I'M NOT GOING THROUGH WITH THIS MARRIAGE—

IT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU IN MANY WAYS, YOU KNOW.

THROWING A TANTRUM DIRECTLY IN THE OLD MAN'S EAR THAT YOU CAN'T MARRY ME WOULD STAND A MUCH BETTER CHANCE.

...TO THE CHAIRMAN?

I REMEMBER GREETING CHAIRMAN SON SANG-DOO A FEW TIMES AS A CHILD, DRAGGED ALONG BY MY FATHER.

SINCE CHAIRMAN SON IS THE ONE PUSHING THIS MARRIAGE, PERHAPS PERSUADING HIM IS THE RIGHT MOVE.

THE ONLY PROBLEM IS...

...WHAT IF

I SAY I WON'T GO? WILL YOU DRAG ME THERE?

YOU REALLY ARE A BABY. IMMEDIATELY RESORTING TO BEING STUBBORN.

I'M NOT LEAVING HERE.

MY BODY, UNABLE TO LEAVE THIS HOSPITAL.

I SAID I'M NOT STEPPING ONE FOOT OUTSIDE THIS HOSPITAL.

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITH SOMEONE LIKE THIS?

THEN YOU CAN JUST NOT MARRY ME.

RIGHT, SO GO THROW THAT KIND OF FIT IN FRONT OF THE OLD MAN.

I SAID NO...

YOU...

...WHY DO YOU HAVE SO MANY THINGS YOU HATE?

WAIT...!

LET GO OF ME!

WH-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!

I GET THAT YOU HAVE QUITE THE TEMPER.

AND I GET THAT YOU'RE PLENTY STUBBORN, MS. JO EUN-SOO.

BUT YOUR HUSBAND-TO-BE ISN'T AN EASY MAN EITHER.

LOOKING AT ME WITH THOSE PRETTY EYES WON'T MAKE ME GO EASY ON YOU.

hwagichisang (harmonious energy creates the omen of blessed and auspicious events.)

AT THE POINT WHEN OUR EVENLY MATCHED POWER WAS FINALLY TIPPED IN CLEAR VICTORY...

JO MAN-IK SENT THAT OUT OF THE

CLAIMING THAT YIN AND YANG MUST HARMONIZE TO BRING GOOD FORTUNE—HOW BLATANT.

DID HE SAY IT WAS REGULAR SCRIPT?

THAT PLAQUE, WITH STROKES EXTENDING STRAIGHT WITHOUT A SINGLE CURSIVE SLANT, YET POSSESSED OF DIGNITY THROUGH FLOWING, SMOOTH BRUSHWORK...

BACK THEN, I PAID NO MIND TO HIS WORDS THAT HIS DAUGHTER, WHO MAJORED IN CALLIGRAPHY, HAD WRITTEN IT HERSELF.

TO THINK SUCH WRITING CAME FROM THAT SMALL, WHITE HAND THAT ONCE PICKED DANDELIONS.

MANAGING DIRECTOR!

GOOD GRIEF, HOW ON EARTH ARE YOU BACK SO FAST...?

THE PROPOSAL FOR THE SANGDOO FESTIVAL WAS SUB- MITTED, RIGHT?

DID YOU REALLY JUST SHOW YOUR FACE AND LEAVE?

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A DATE, SIR.

THE YOUNG LADY MIGHT FEEL HURT.

SHE THREW A FIT ABOUT HOW MUCH SHE HATES IT.

...PARDON?

SAID SHE DOESN'T WANT ME. BECAUSE I'M TOO OLD.

WHAT, DO YOU FEEL SORRY FOR ME?

SORRY? NO, OF COURSE NOT...

THEN WORK OVERTIME WITH ME.

FROM THE LOOKS OF THIS PROPOSAL, THE ENTIRE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO WORK OVERTIME TOO.

SIR, TODAY I...

DID YOU SAY YOU HAD TO LEAVE EARLY? BECAUSE IT'S YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S BIRTHDAY TODAY.

yes, so i bit the bullet and splurged big time.

i didn't plan on going this far,

...but i got carried away while buying the young lady's gift earlier...

ONE, TWO, THREE...

ONE, TWO...

WHY... IS ONE MISSING?

IT MUST BE SOMEWHERE.

NO, I PUT THEM ALL RIGHT HERE.

...I'M POSITIVE I LEFT IT RIGHT HERE WITH THE GIFTS FOR THE YOUNG LADY EARLIER...

IT COULDN'T BE... THAT MINE SOMEHOW GOT SWEPT UP WITH THE GIFTS YOU GAVE THE YOUNG LADY, RIGHT?

HERE.

GO BUY ANOTHER ONE.

NO, THAT'S NOT IT. THE PROBLEM IS...

M-MANAGING DIRECTOR.

YOU SEE...

OUT OF ALL THINGS, THAT GIFT HAD TO BE...

I'M NOT SURE IF IT'LL BE TO YOUR TASTE.

SHOW ME YOU WEARING IT NEXT TIME.

JUST WHAT IS THIS...?

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'D WANT ME PUTTING IT ON YOU MYSELF, MS. JO EUN-SOO.

IT'S JUST A PACIFIER TO DRAG ME IN FRONT OF CHAIRMAN SON ANYWAY.

WHY DID MRS. CHOO EVEN ACCEPT THIS FOR ME...?

THIS BRAND IS...

WHY IS THERE SUCH A HUGE HOLE IN THIS UNDERWEAR...?

DO YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO CRAWL INTO MY BEDROOM?

YOUR HUS- BAND-TO-BE ISN'T AN EASY MAN EITHER.

OH, MY GOD!