New Normal - Chapter 64

A brunch café in Haebangchon.

On the table sat a perfect plate—cute little French toasts, glossy mushroom cream pasta, thick slices of homemade bread with vanilla bean milk jam, butter, fresh green salad, scrambled eggs, and bacon.

But Shin Jisoo’s fork just kept missing its mark.

She never thought she’d live to see a day like this. She had thought her most humiliating moment in life had been that kidney stone incident… but clearly, life wasn’t done messing with her.

Sigh.

She poked at the food a few times but couldn’t actually eat it. Her face—mixed with embarrassment and frustration—was dark. Across from her, Chae Juwon didn’t look like he had much of an appetite either. He kept picking up his coffee cup, setting it down, and repeating the motion, like his mind was elsewhere.

Finally, Jisoo lifted her head, her voice barely above a whisper.

“…Did she… see us?”

Her eyes looked almost empty, as if she’d just suffered the most mortifying moment of her life.

Juwon, watching her with a hint of pity, shook his head firmly.

“No. She wouldn’t have seen. And even if she did, Mrs. Kwon is…”

He trailed off, hesitating, and that hesitation was enough to cloud Jisoo’s expression again. He quickly added.

“She’s quick-witted. She’ll just pretend she didn’t notice.”

He didn’t sound entirely convincing, but Jisoo decided not to press him. What was the point? The situation was already irreversible, and honestly… she didn’t even want to think too much about what had just happened.

“Mrs. Kwon? Why was she there anyway?”

“What do you mean why? She came to clean. And then—oh, geez! Oh my god…”

The important part was, Juwon had been flustered, panicked, and tried to usher the uninvited guest out… but not before Mrs. Kwon had clearly seen way more of him than she ever should have. She had shrieked like she’d seen a ghost and bolted.

Jisoo fiddled with her coffee cup, sighing softly.

“But… what if your family hears about this? You said she’s worked for your family a long time. She could easily tell them.”

Juwon paused for a second, lips pressed together, then gave a casual shrug.

“Then what? I’m an adult. They can deal with it.”

He rarely talked about his family. Occasionally, he’d mention his late father—how much he loved and respected him. The rest was vague. She knew his grandfather was still alive, had once run a business but was now retired. He had a younger brother studying abroad.

Until she’d opened up about her own family, Juwon hadn’t shared much about his. Their conversations tended to stick to their daily lives, skirting anything too personal.

But now, Jisoo couldn’t deny it anymore—her feelings for him had deepened. And with that came curiosity.

“If you say you wouldn’t care if they found out… are you thinking about marriage?”

The thought startled her. She’d never asked him directly, but she wasn’t oblivious to his background. Sure, he was a successful architect, but his lifestyle didn’t match an ordinary salary. He didn’t seem like the type to show off with debt, so it was obvious his family had money.

How much? Well… considering his connection with artist Kang Susan, that arranged meeting with Choi Seyun—the gallery owner’s daughter—it didn’t seem far-fetched that he was loaded.

We’re talking seriously loaded.

“Chae Heejoong,” Juwon said suddenly. “My grandfather.”

If she’d known she’d be this curious, she would’ve asked sooner. It wasn’t that she didn’t care—she just wasn’t the type to dig into someone’s family background.

Still, she asked carefully, “What’s your family like?”

Juwon glanced at her mid-bite, chewing as he looked her in the eye. His expression said what exactly are you getting at?

“That is… would they have a problem with me? You know, dating standards…”

“You mean—are you asking if my family would disapprove of us?”

He cut her off, hitting the nail on the head. Jisoo froze, blinking instead of nodding. He smirked faintly and reached across the table, patting her hand.

“Don’t worry about that. If anything, they’d like you.”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

Before she could say more, he casually scooped up a bit of chocolate crumble from his French toast and held the fork to her lips. Startled, she ate it.

Still uneasy, she murmured, “It’s just… I’m not from some amazing family or anything—”

“Shin Jisoo.”

His voice was sharp enough to cut her off. He sliced into a brioche topped with vanilla cream and held it to her mouth again. She frowned, but he just raised his eyebrows as if to say eat. Reluctantly, she did.

Once she swallowed, he spoke.

“My family’s not some untouchable dynasty. No one ever taught me to only date certain kinds of people, and no one in my family judges like that.”

His tone was cool, matter-of-fact. She nodded, though a flicker of doubt remained. Seeing it, he sighed and leaned back.

“Whatever you’re imagining, if you’re curious, just look it up. Search ‘Chae Heejoong.’”

“…He’s in search results? And you’re telling me your family isn’t a big deal?”

She didn’t move, so Juwon pulled out his phone, searched, and handed it over.

On the screen: “Chae Heejoong – Former Businessman.” The man in the photo looked a bit different from Juwon—rounder face, smooth smile—but his eyes were sharp, even intimidating. The profile listed his career, awards, books he’d authored… and most prominently, his title as Chairman of Hanlim Asset Trust.

Major shareholder in K Financial Group. Developer of golf resort properties. The works.

The further she read, the slower she chewed. And he says this isn’t a big deal?

When she looked up, Juwon sighed.

“He used to be a moneylender in the markets. Technically, he’s a nouveau riche.”

“…Moneylender?”

“Yeah. Started with nothing, got lucky in real estate. So yeah, my dad and I benefitted from it. I’m not denying that.”

It was such an unvarnished answer that Jisoo didn’t know what to say. In some ways, it made him sound even more impressive.

“Still… doesn’t that make him even more amazing? Building all that from nothing?”

Juwon smirked, shrugging.

“Sure. I respect him. But he’s not the type to meddle in my love life, so relax.”

That reassurance eased her slightly, but not entirely.

“Even so… with a family that successful, wouldn’t people talk if you dated someone ordinary like me? I know your father passed away early, but… what about your mother—”

The smile left his face.