The Scent of Life (1)
CHAPTER 20 WHO IS OH MAN SE?

Hye Bin was cleaning the table when Hae Won called her. Hye Bin was asked to make coffee for Hyeo Jin. Hye Bin then made coffee and drove her to her boss' room. Hye Bin knocked on the door and a voice told him to come in. The man was reading something on his desk when Hye Bin walked in. Hye Bin put a coffee cup on the table and passed from there.

"You .. wait there, don't leave until I've finished reading the document. I need your help" Hyeo Jin said, telling Hye Bin to stay.

Hye Bin paused, then sat up furiously on the sofa inside Hyeo Jin's room.

The seconds that passed made Hye Bin even more impatient. His legs were moved and his eyes looked over and over to see the condition of the room that had been redecorated. Moreover, Hyeo Jin was just silent, still diligently reading the documents.

"Boss, your coffee is cold" Hye Bin said.

Hyeo Jin looked at Hye Bin in silence, making Hye Bin misbehave. Hyeo Jin stood up and walked over towards Hye Bin. The closer, the closer, to make Hye Bin feel worried something will happen. Then Hyeo Jin bowed his body with a close face facing Hye Bin's face. Hye Bin is nervous. Then Hyeo Jin's hand touched Hye Bin's head.

"There's something in your hair" Hyeo Jin said as he took something from Hye Bin's hair and threw it on the floor. Suddenly lost the worry and nervousness of Hye Bin. Hyeo Jin stood straight in front of Hye Bin and pulled her hand to stand up and follow her.

"Follow me, help me clean the warehouse, help me find something."

Hye Bin was silent and complied as Hyeo Jin pulled his hand out of the room towards the warehouse now used as a room by Shahib.

***

They both entered the room. A fairly large warehouse with large cabinets containing albums and items. In the corner there are two more rooms to store food ingredients, and a room where Shahib lives.

"Come, help me unpack the album archives. Hyun's doctor never seemed to classify the visitors' memories and photographs on a yearly and monthly basis. Hm ... The old man was really troublesome," Hyeo Jin complained.

Hye Bin rounded her eyes feeling strange her boss was calling Doctor Hyun with the Old Man.

"Why did you call Doctor Hyun with the Old Man?" hye Bin Protest.

Hyeo Jin looked at Hye Bin, then smiled.

"It's not Doctor Hyun, it's my father" Hyeo Jin said.

"Let's help me unpack those cabinets. Twenty years passed surely a lot needs to be rearranged according to the date and year. Help me classify and search for the cafe's first album photo" Hyeo Jin said.

Without saying much they opened and unpacked boxes containing photo albums and patch sheets in the closet. Hye Bin is still wondering what Hyeo Jin's father has to do with this cafe.

"My father, Kang Min Hyuk. He's the owner of this cafe. He presents this cafe to his girlfriend named Oh Man Se. But I don't know what that woman's face is. It makes me curious. Who and how Oh Man Se, because my father was looking for where the woman was who disappeared twenty years ago," explained Hyeo Jin.

"Oh ..," that's all Hye Bin said.

Hyeo Jin smiled.

"Aren't you also curious about that girl named Man Se? Mysteriously. Hm ... Never mind, help classify per year" Hyeo Jin said.

"Yes" replied Hye Bin.

They both worked late into the night. Suddenly Hyeo Jin got a call from someone and asked permission to go downstairs. Hye Bin yawns from drowsiness. It was late but their work was not finished. Hye Bin put her head on top of a huge pile of cardboard just to unwind. Shortly thereafter he fell asleep.

Shahib went into the barn to return to his room. He saw Hye Bin who was sound asleep dressed in a cardboard box. Looking at the girl's face, Shahib smiled. He took a blanket from his room and covered it in the body of Hye Bin who was asleep. Then she left the girl alone asleep among the scattered files and boxes.

Soon Hyeo Jin came along with food and coffee. He was stunned as soon as he saw Hye Bin fall asleep. Hyeo Jin looked at the sweet girl's face carefully. Hyeo Jin smiled meaningfully, then came Hyeo Jin's nosy nature. He took the marker and then scrawled Hye Bin's face like a cat. Hyeo Jin held back a laugh until his face was red. Hearing Hye Bin's strange voice woke up. Hye Bin was surprised that Hyeo Jin had offered her a cup of coffee.

"It's a drink .. It's late at night. Let's take you home. Tomorrow we continue to look for the cafe's first album" Hyeo Jin said, offering Hye Bin a coffee.

Hye Bin innocently drank the coffee without realizing his face scrawled moreng markers the result of his boss's negligence. Hyeo Jin wanted to laugh but was held back and acted as if nothing had happened. Hye Bin feels strange about Hyeo Jin's behavior but she tries to brush off her suspicions.

***

After eating, they go down. The cafe is closed. Hyeo Jin waits for Hye Bin in the car. Hye Bin is still changing clothes in the dressing room. Soon they were on the streets of Seoul. A city that never dies.

"You've lived in Europe for a long time? Your foreign language must be good. You're lucky" Hye Bin opened the conversation while looking for radio noise in Hyeo Jin's car.

"Your father is a famous businessman. I thought you'd definitely become a reliable businessman too."

Hyeo Jin smiled while remaining focused on driving.

"You yourself? I read in the employee files, you've been working part-time at our cafe for a long time. If not wrong we used to also meet at an elderly guesthouse. Do you work there too? You don't want to go to college?" ask Hyeo Jin.

"My dream was to become a doctor, and now I'm still trying hard to achieve it. Doctor Hyun helped me a lot. We met when Eomma was looking for a job in Seoul. I just live with my mom who opens a rice soup shop. It wasn't easy for us at first, but now it's better. I'm sure I can be independent" Hye Bin said.

Then his mind wandered deep into the past of how he and his mother's younger siblings moved to Seoul. Hye Bin's mother works as a cook in Doctor Hyun's family. Until finally for the good of the Doctor, his mother can open her own business.

Hye Bin opens the dashboard of Hyeo Jin's car. Then she finds a picture of Hyeo Jin's fat and cute childhood on the bench by a woman. Looking at the woman's face, Hye Bin felt familiar with her face.

"This is your mother?" ask Hye Bin.

"Yes, '" replied Hyeo Jin.

"I feel familiar with his face. But where have I met?" muttered Hye Bin while remembering.

"Your saying sucks. Didn't my mom ever come to a charity event at an elderly home?" hyeo Jin reminded.

"Aaah yaaa ..," said Hye Bin. "Means you're there to drive your mom?" ask Hye Bin.

"Yes ..all go see my grandmother, Mrs Kang. Didn't you take care of him?" hyeo Jin said.

"You're Mrs Kang's granddaughter?" hye Bin asked in disbelief.

"Eheem .. You are slow to connect. Didn't I accidentally hit you back then?" hyeo Jin reminded me.

"Yes, right," said Hye Bin.

"I'm disappointed you forgot that precious moment when we first met," Hyeo Jin said slightly frowning.

"That moment I don't forget. It's just that time I didn't pay much attention to your face. Sorry," said Hye Bin, "Well, there I go down, let me walk!" hye Bin said when he saw the side of the road that was close enough to his house.

Hyeo Jin pulled over the car. Hye Bin is ready to install her bag and glazed on the car window. Suddenly Hye Bin shouted loudly looking at her smudged face. Hyeo Jin's laughter exploded. Hye Bin glares at her eyes while beating up Hyeo Jin. Hyeo Jin was still laughing loosely while fending off Hye Bin's punches.

"Basic nosy boss!" yelled Hye Bin.

Hyeo Jin caught Hye Bin's wrist to stop beating her. Hye Bin stopped beating and their laughter subsided, then all was silent as their eyes clashed against each other. Realizing that there was something thrilling between them, Hye Bin then pulled her hand from Hyeo Jin's grip.

"Good night" said Hye Bin, rushing out of the car while trying to clean her face.

"Wait!" hyeo Jin shouted and then took his handkerchief. Hyeo Jin caught up with Hye Bin who had already walked away. Hyeo Jin pulled Hye Bin's hand. The girl turned her body towards Hyeo Jin. Hyeo Jin looked gently at Hye Bin. Then slowly rubbing gently Hye Bin's face with a handkerchief so that the former marker is gone from Hye Bin's face.

"Sorry" said Hyeo Jin.

"It's okay" said Hye Bin, taking a handkerchief from Hyeo Jin's hand to clean her own face.

"thank you. You took good care of my grandmother all this time" Hyeo Jin said.

Hye Bin was silent and felt overwhelmed.

"I ask you to take good care of my grandmother. He needs someone like you. Madam Cha told me everything. That's why I told you. I know you but you didn't know me when you first met. Grandma called you by a foreign name. Oh Man Se's. I don't know why Grandma called you by that woman's name. A name my father misses, but hates my mother. At first I thought Man Se was my father's affair, but Secretary Park once told me that she was my father's girlfriend before marrying my mother. Is your face similar to Oh Man Se? I'm really curious. So tomorrow help me find that woman's photo. Who knows if it's in the files of memories of the PM Cafe."

Hye Bin looked at his boss in silence.

"Yes, I will help you search again tomorrow" said Hye Bin, bowing and leaving.

Hyeo Jin looked at Hye Bin away and disappeared around the corner. Hyeo Jin let out a long sigh and drove home in his car.