Tuesday, 14 August 2007
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Chapter 02 Edited
Coffee Prince Original Novel
Chapter 02
Translated and Edited by Eva S.L.
Available for download at http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SO6JFZIYChapter Two
One Month Earlier: Han Kyul's 25th Hour
< Part 1 > 9:50 AM: Dong Yi Group Headquarters
Beyond the revolving door is the gleaming lobby. It is a dazzling and extravagant space that is even more magnificent once you step inside. It is spacious, warm, and clean.
“Welcome, sir. May I help you with anything?”
An amiable voice with a decorous smile. He fancied for a moment that he was still on board the airplane.
“Which floor is the president's office?”
“Are you here to see the president?”
“Haven't you heard that she had a young gigolo? That's me.”
The employee's well-trained charm broke down momentarily, but she gave a quick scan of Han Kyul's appearance. A green suede jacket, a long scarf in lieu of a tie, a pair of grey pants and a hunting cap to match. Han Kyul scrutinized the woman as well. Especially the area around her painted red lips.
“Do you... have an appointment?”
“Appointment? Did I? Hmm... I can't recall...”
“Ah, well, in that case, who should I say has come to call?”
“Her exclusive masseuse.”
“Oh... yes... of course. One moment, please. I'll confirm it immediately.” The female employee picked up the receiver and turned her body slightly.
“Tell her if it's not just the two of us, I won't meet,” said Han Kyul to the employee before he turned and leaned against the information desk to survey his surroundings. Right then, he heard footsteps. A succession of men were crossing the lobby and heading towards the elevators. He could see recognizable faces in his peripheral view.
“Y-yes...... exclusive masseuse...... Ah, yes. I understand.”
Han Kyul asked the female employee who had just hastily replaced the receiver,
“What's today?”
“Excuse me?”
“Old geezers are arriving in flocks.”
“Oh... There's a global management strategy conference today.”
“Here?”
“Yes, in the 11th floor conference room...”
“At 10 o'clock?”
“Yes.”
“Ha!”
It seems I've been played.
“The president's office is on the 23rd floor. If you take a right just after getting off of the elevator, it should be immediately...”
“Miss...” Han Kyul read her name tag and continued. “Miss Yuh Sun Ae. About 10 minutes from now, there'll be a phone call from the president's office. When it comes, please relay this message. The exclusive masseuse very suddenly developed severe finger cramps, so he had to return immediately. Also, there's absolutely no reason for you to call up ahead. Now, if you'll excuse me.”
“Ah, excuse me....” Han Kyul swiftly turned his body and escaped out of the lobby.
“You idiot. Can't you recognize bait when you see it? This is what you get for being greedy.”
He was muttering to himself as he headed toward the basement parking lot when he heard voices in the stairwell. Great. It had to be faces he knew. He had no choice but to hide behind the door.
“Should be a sight to see today, huh? A real fireworks show.”
“What's there to explode? One's fire, one's ice. They're too sly to even rub against each other. They'll probably just growl at each other for a while and it'll be over.”
“There's also one other. Han Sung hyung's mother.”
“In that case, a bigger player'll probably step up from this side. Uncle's fire, too. Fire against fire, I suppose.”
“If the representative comes, wouldn't Grandmother come as well? What do you think, hyung? Which side do you think she'd be on?”
“How should I know what she's thinking.”
“There's talk that she's called out Han Kyul. That Grandmother herself did.”
“This isn't some children's' fistfight. There's no point in increasing the headcount. The dead man's dead, and there's no law saying the oldest son has to become the representative. I don't know what the hell everyone thinks they're doing. If we keep bickering over this we're going to muck up our family's reputation. It's all so terribly vulgar.”
“If you think about it from Han Sung hyung's point of view, it's pretty unfair that he's had his rightful throne taken away from underneath him. Han Gyu hyung's not going to want to let go of this golden opportunity as long as he's got his hands on it. Look how he's even called in Han Kyul. Hey, don't you think if we wait around long enough our turn'll come too? Don't you think so, hyung?”
“I don't even want it. As long as some crazy unpredictable frog doesn't come in and hop around breaking everything, I'll be thankful for that.”
His cousins' laughter were growing fainter. Even after the laughter had gone, Han Kyul didn't move. He was standing stiffly and ridiculing himself for hiding. He finally turned his body. The stairwell was silent. He took a step down and clenched his fist. Then he cracked a smile.
Crazy unpredictable frog, huh?
When Han Kyul entered the parking lot, a white sedan pulled up and parked, incidentally, right next to Han Kyul's car. Han Kyul, who was taking out his keys, found himself meeting the eyes of the driver of the white car.
Goddamn it, what is up today?
“Well, well. If it isn't Han Kyul.”
Han Kyul lightly shook the hand Han Sung offered and said,
“Long time no see. Time hasn't been too kind to you, has it?”
“I'm not even thirty yet.”
“Let me know when you do turn thirty. I'll set up reservations for you at Silver Town retirement homes. It's the least I could do for you, hyung.”
“You never change, do you?”
Of all of Han Kyul's cousins, Han Sung was the one he was most comfortable with. When Han Sung's father died, it should've changed to be the opposite, but Han Kyul didn't act uncomfortably around Han Sung. Han Sung, for his part, treated Han Kyul the same way he had three years ago. The reason they could treat each other this way as because both were sure of what they liked and disliked, and never tried too hard to hide their opinions. In other words, they were the type of personalities that could argue and fight and still be friends.
“When did you get here?”
“I don't know. A few days ago? A few hours ago? It kind of even feels like I'm still in the plane.”
“Did you come to see Grandmother?”
“What am I, crazy? We live in the same house. Why should I come all the way here just to see her?”
“But you are crazy.”
Han Kyul snorted at Han Sung's sharp joke. Turning his car keys in his hands, he drawled,
“I got hooked.”
“You're telling me there's actually a fishing tackle capable of hooking Choi Han Kyul?”
“Is Grandma on some kind of program? Her poker face is getting better and better. A brand new car in exchange for ten minutes teatime with her.”
“Not a bad deal.”
“Well, I fell for it, hook, line, sinker. Walked right into the tiger's cave, and discovered that today's the day when all the tigers congregate to sharpen their claws together. Man oh man, I got so scared that I'm running away.”
“Is company work really that uninteresting to you?”
“Well, if it started being interesting, you and the other hyungs' lives will probably get a lot less interesting, isn't that right?”
“How would someone who does nothing but observe know?”
“I don't want to get in the middle of an old geezers' ball game.”
“You could be a cheerleader at least.”
“What for? There's so much fun to be had in the world. If you're getting tired, why don't you take a breather on the bench for a change?”
“I sense thorns in your words.”
“You can pick 'em out and listen or just let it slide out of one ear.”
“Is there no vaccine for your poison? It's getting harsher and harsher.”
“Let it be. There's nothing wrong with passing on after living life this way.”
Han Sung looked at his watch and then picked up his briefcase.
“I've got to go in now.”
“Don't use me as an excuse for being late. Nobody, not Father or Han Gyu hyung, knows I came to the company today.”
“Why don't you see them before you leave?”
“Whatever. Hey, let's get together soon, you, me and the vixen. You do know that we came back together, right?”
Han Kyul glanced expectantly at his cousin's expression but there was no change to be found. Grandma's poker face was probably a genetic trait.
“Did you know or didn't you?”
“I don't really care.”
“Ooh, so cold. So they were right when they called you ice.”
“Run along. Once you get over jet lag, give a ring.”
“To who, the vixen?”
“Senseless, silly boy.”
“All right. Get on with your work.” Han Kyul, who was getting in the car, waved at Han Sung, who was waiting for the elevator. He muttered to himself as he drove out of the parking lot,
“What the hell is wrong with the ties on every bloke I see? What, is the company giving them out or something?”
< Part 2 > Slept until 5 PM
Slept all day on an empty stomach, but no major problems.
< Part 3 > Started drinking at about 7 PM
Met up with some buddies who're comfortable than most because they're not close and got smashed.
< Part 4 > The next morning, 10:50 AM: Women Trouble
Han Kyul, who had been tossing and turning, sat up so abruptly in bed that his head spun. It felt like there were 20 squirrels runnings on wheels inside his head. He grabbed his head and flopped back down.
“Ugh....”
Even his own groaning made his insides rumble. There was a voice coming from somewhere. It was probably the squirrels, having a conversation.
“My goodness, what's this?”
“Salmon salad.” The female squirrel was asking the questions, the male squirrel was answering.
“Oh, salmon! It looks delicious.”
“Please enjoy yourselves.”
When did squirrels start eating fish? Something smelled good. It wasn't the fish.
“Obba, get up. I ordered room service. Come on, get up and have breakfast.”
Something get shaking his shoulder. He wrenched an eye open and squinted even harder when an intense pink light flooded in. As he raised his gaze, he saw brown hair.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Oh, come on, obba. You want to wash up first? Are you thirsty? I'll bring you some water.”
Han Kyul, careful not to repeat the same painful mistake, sat up slowly. His insides burned and his eyelids were heavy. His head was spinning, so he pressed down hard on his temples. Now there were only 10 squirrels. He carefully turned his aching neck and looked around. A gold-embossed vanity. An antique style table and sofa, another bed. So it was his hotel room.
“Obba, here's your water.”
He saw her face smile amiably as she gave him the glass of water. Yup, he didn't know her. In any case, he took the water and drank it all off and then thought hard. Who is this?
“Oh!”
“Do you remember now?”
“You! You ended up—!”
“Good morning~”
What the hell was with this woman? He pushed away the woman who had tried to hug him and got out of bed. He stumbled a little because he was dizzy, but he soon regained his stance.
“What kind of girl can't understand after I say 'no' so many times, huh?!” Han Kyul turned around and quickly put on his pants. “Did your eardrums rot out or did your brain?”
“No matter how much you struggle, we can't change our destiny.”
“What? Desti-what?”
“I knew the moment I saw you, 'This is the one! This person is my destiny!'”
“Huh!”
“I'll be honest with you. I fell in love with you at first sight. I think I'm going to start liking you.”
As soon as he heard these words, he woke up. The blood in his heart began to freeze. Even the cute first impression he had had of her was destroyed. In fact, he now detested her like she was a sworn enemy.
Be honest with me? What's being honest? The only thing he could honestly say was that pouring alcohol into an empty stomach made his insides hurt very much. But emotions were not part of chemistry. There is no equation for them. You could never tell if they were going to change because of any little thing or whether they weren't going to change for anything. You couldn't even know what those “things” were.
“So? So what?”
“Why don't we eat first? Aren't you hungry? I'm hungry.”
Han Kyul coldly brushed off the woman who had come to put her arm through his.
“Ow!”
“I'm pretty sure I've told you about a dozen times not to touch me.”
The woman glared at him while rubbing her arm.
“What is it you want from me? Why did you ignore me when I said I didn't want you and harass me all night? What's the reason, huh? Did what I said mean nothing to you?!”
“Do you really not like me touching you?”
“Do I look like a girl? Saying I don't like it when I really do?”
“Why? Why don't you like it? I've never met a guy who doesn't like women.”
“Well, there's a first time for everything. Now hurry up and get out of my sight before things get ugly.”
Han Kyul, who was on his way to the bathroom, saw that the woman hadn't moved and said,
“Do you want me to break your body in half? Is that what you want? Just because I'm your brother's friend, you think that makes me your jackpot? Or is it money that you need? I don't have any cash, but you can take my credit card. Here. Do you want it?”
He took out his wallet from his pants pocket.
“Obba, your words are so ugly and mean.”
“You want me to call Do Hun for you? If you weren't his sister, I would've tossed you out by your hair a long time ago. I'm tempted to try it and see if you'll talk about destiny even after that, but I'm gonna pass for Do Hun's sake. Now, hurry up and get out before I call your brother.”
“Call him.”
Shockingly, the girl still stood her ground. Man, this little kid was coming out strong. What the hell gave this little brat so much confidence? Why can't you just leave when I tell you nicely?
“What are you going to say to my brother if you call? How are you going to explain me being here?”
Even as Han Kyul's eyes grew colder and colder with hatred, the woman still flounced about like a girl on a spring day picnic.
“Actually, why don't you call my mother instead? She probably won't be too angry about the fact that I slept with you. Mother-in-laws are usually pretty forgiving of their son-in-laws.”
“Did you get high yesterday?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“It's just that I think you're still hallucinating.”
“You're one to talk. You got so smashed you can't even remember anything.”
“Shut your trap.”
Han Kyul was really pissed. The fact that he was bickering with this brat of a girl this early in the morning itself was enough to make him really really pissed.
“Even if you did the limbo naked in front of me, I wouldn't give a shit.”
“I'm sorry, but yesterday was different.”
“What are you, a con artist? Talking about destiny, love at first sight; it's that easy to lie?”
As if the last shred of her conscience was pricking her, the woman shrank back a little. She bit her lip and her eyes grew moist. He could tell what strategy she was aiming for. Heaving a sigh, he said in an even colder voice,
“I'm going to tell you one more time, so listen up. If I died and they sent me to the autopsy room, if the doctor cutting me open is a woman, I'd probably sit right up. That's just how I am. Do you understand? The only time I'd ever even touch a woman is if I'm wide awake, and I mean so wide awake I could thread a noodle through a needle. If I touched you at all during the night, I will commit suicide right here and right now. Now, if you've gotten my drift, quietly get out. If you show yourself to me ever again, I'm going to call your father at his hospital office. Got it?”
A tear dropped from her reddened eye. Han Kyul ignored this and went into the bathroom. He didn't feel anything when he saw women's tears. The only thing he might feel would be a curiosity as to whether the tear was meant to be a part of a plan or because she was truly afraid.
“Ugh... my head....”
Goddamn it! He couldn't remember anything. What if he really hadd touch her? What the hell was wrong with Do Hun? That bastard couldn't even take care of his own sister. Damn.
The more he tried to remember, the more his head throbbed, but he had to try. What he did remember was that he had left the party early and had gotten on the elevator. At first, it had been a party with only a few of his friends. But sometime during the night, the party had grown, and more and more unfamiliar faces had arrived. Do Hun's sister and her friend included. As the party ripened, total chaos broke out, and he kept hearing phrases like, “Hey, leave him. He's going to chew you up and spit you out like gum,” and “Oi, seriously, don't mess with him. You're gonna get yourself slapped.” That's when everything became irritating and annoying. All he could think of was how much he wanted to sleep when someone came and put her arm through his....
“Man, if that's not a leech, I don't know what is. How the hell did she follow me in here? There's no way I would've let her in without a fuss....”
After he finished his shower, he put on some cologne and a robe. When he entered the room drying his hair with a towel, it was empty. He thought to himself that she had finally left and began to feel relieved when he heard voices from the living room.
“Where's Choi Han Kyul?”
“May I ask who you are?”
What the hell! Where'd the whiny, crying voice go, and where did this bright and perky voice come from? Damn it!
“Oi! I can't believe you still can't understand...” Han Kyul stopped in a middle of a bellow. His mother stood in the living room. He gave a great big sigh.
“You can leave now, miss.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, you must be hard of hearing. Listen, miss. I'm his mother, so I come first. So get out. Do you understand me now?”
“Oh, he-hello, how are you?”
“No use greeting me now.”
“Then... I'll just... be on my way...”
The woman began to back away, face full of defiance. Han Kyul smiled bitterly.
This just kept getting better and better. What rotten luck. Women. The troubles he had with women.
He detected the fragrance of coffee and headed toward the table. Breakfast was quickly growing cold. He picked up the coffee cup and looked down at the bagel before turning his body around.
“O-obba, I'll see you later, then.”
“Wait just a minute there, young lady.”
“Yes?”
“Dear, won't you check to see if you have all the teaspoons and forks? Make sure there's nothing missing. Check thoroughly. You don't want to be the victim of a misunderstanding later, do you?”
“Wh-what? Are you talking to me?”
“No, I'm talking to my son. My goodness, are you already losing your hearing? Oh! How dare you glare at an elder like that! Looking like a hussy.”
Han Kyul ignored both the red-faced girl who stood in the doorway and his mother who sat haughtily in her chair and walked to the sofa.
“What the hell! I can't believe this!”
“You've got such awful manners. Speaking of which, let's look inside that purse of yours. Open it up and turn it upside down.”
“Why are you doing this? Are you implying that I've stolen something?”
“You say such strange things. Did I say you stole something? Is that your guilty conscience speaking? Hmm?”
“My God, I can't even believe this shit is happening.”
“You really shouldn't speak like that in front of elders. Where'd you learn your manners? (sigh) I shouldn't even bother. Darling, don't hang around such low class, inferior girls like that again, all right?”
After the door slammed shut, his mother's evil laugh pervaded the air.
“My goodness, what kind of a idiot is she? Oh, my, what fun.” His mother's childlike laughter grew louder. Han Kyul winced and when he could no longer stand the shrillness, he thrust in a question.
“How did you know about me staying here?”
“Why would I not know? I know all about the bars, the salons, the hotels, the saunas that you like to go to.”
“Do you have to make me into a mama's boy like that? If you left me alone, I would've gone home by myself. Why do you have to come all the way here to get me?”
“Do you know how many words we've spoken to each other since you've come home after three years abroad? This is the first conversation we've had since the first evening when we all had dinner together as a family. Hey, is that coffee? It smells good. Give me a cup.”
Han Kyul put a bagel and a cup of coffee in front of his mother. On a finger of the hand that brought the coffee cup to her mouth was an emerald the size of a fist. There were jewels sparkling on her ears and neck, too. Han Kyul had never seen any woman with whom such extravagance was fit so well. When she didn't make herself up, his mother looked like any other poor woman. Because she understood her own appearance and aura, she tried her best to make herself up as much as possible. She dressed herself up like a South American parrot and pasted on fake eyelashes and wore lots of jewels. And she obviously believed she sparkled.
“Who was that?”
“Nobody.”
“I trust you because your love life is usually so clean. And even if you had a problem, you wouldn't hide it right?”
“Just state the reason why you're here.”
“Sleep at home. It's frightening for me, your grandmother and your sister-in-law to sleep alone. We have two sons, but the company took one away. If I knew this was going to happen, I would've had at least two more.”
“Why don't you count Father?”
“Oh, right. That man's family too, isn't he? It's just been so long since I've last seen him.”
“I can see that it's abut time for you to go on a shopping spree. You sound like you lack energy. Why don't you take a trip to Hong Kong or something?”
“Tsk tsk, you rude boy.”
Han Kyul put down the empty cup and stood up. He tied and tightened his robe sash as he said irritably,
“I'll go home today, so you can leave now. Even a scarecrow CEO should keep her place occupied in the company.”
“I'm only there until you come to fill it, you know that right? What do I know that I would stay in that position? When are you going to join the company?”
“I told you that I wouldn't.”
Han Kyul went back into the room. This was why he had avoided meeting family members after coming back to Korea. As soon as they saw him they would all ask when he was coning into the company. This was also why he had been forcefully brought back. Two years ago, his eldest uncle had passed away, and his father had taken over the company. Suddenly, Han Kyul had become a vital person for the company. His father had tried to get him to settle down somehow, but it hadn't worked. Han Kyul didn't listen to him. He was afraid and abhorrent of the idea of jumping into that battlefield where that long and lonely war was being fought.
He had put on his pants and was putting his shirt on when his mother walked into the dressing room.
“Why?”
“I just don't want to.”
“Don't you have any ambition?”
“No.”
“Then think of it as filial duty. He's your father. Even if everyone else points his fingers at him, you, at least, should understand and help him.”
“What makes you think I'm qualified to do something like that?”
“What do you mean?”
Han Kyul closed the clasp on his belt and took out his leather jacket. He walked toward his mother.
“The entire world knows that Grandfather held Eldest Uncle's hand. Then Father and hyung took over that playing field. Imagine I joined the fray. What are people going to say? Don't you think they're going to say that we're being too greedy and that we're trying to take over everything?”
“Don't you think you're at least as qualified as your brother-in-law?”
“When did you guys drag him into this? My, aren't we quick on the uptake. This is a fine mess. Why don't we all fight over the same bowl of rice?”
“You're overreacting, dear.”
Han Kyul, who had walked past his mother into the living, put on his jacket and looked for his hat. But he could not find it anywhere. When he went back into the dressing room, his mother was standing over the vanity holding the hat.
“I heard you blew off your appointment with Grandmother.”
“She wanted to see me at the same time the CEOs were having their meetings. I'm not an idiot.”
“Tsk tsk. Seems like Grandma's bait laying wasn't skilled enough to catch a cunning raccoon.”
“You should leave now.”
“Take this.” What his mother held out was a brand new cellphone of the newest model.
“It's got a tracking device so be sure to keep it on you at all times.”
“Of course I will. Just don't tap it.” After watching Han Kyul stick the phone in his back pocket, his mother said,
“Father says he's going to marry you off.”
“What?”
“He says it's an ultimatum. You either come into the company or you get married.”
“Mother, are you hallucinating?” Han Kyul thought the idea was so ridiculous that he played it off as a joke, but for some reason there a cold chill raced down his spine.
“But it's true. I came here on your father's special commands. He says to make your decision by the end of today and report to him.”
“What the hell is this? And you didn't say anything to him while he was saying this?”
“What would I say to your father? I'm supposed to be the model wife. I have to follow my husband's commands.”
“Does Grandma know?”
“She says it's her wish to see a great-grandson who looks just like her youngest grandson, so she welcomed the idea with open arms.”
“No way! This doesn't make sense!”
“What, didn't you know that there are things in life that don't make sense?”
Seeing Han Kyul at a loss for words made his mother fall into her childlike laughter again. Han Kyul was so stunned that he felt like he couldn't breathe and that his blood wasn't flowing.
Now they were using all kinds of tricks to try and get him to come into the company. This was bullshit. He couldn't see a way out of this. So Grandma wasn't about to give him a car, she was trying to come up with ways to chase him out empty-handed. Join the company or get married? I'd rather die! Goddamn it!
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Comments (7)
thanks again!!
Awesome work! I really admire your hard work! Bravo!
Thank you~!
thank you sooooooooo much!
This novel is very beaty. Thank you very much!
Thank you also for your hard work. I am doing an other work for translate the english novel to italian because i am an italian girl. I know the english language enough, but it don't know all english sentences. I should just go to England to speak well in English!! For me this would be really nice! 
Excuse me for are boring you now.
I have a question for you. I don't have understand a one thing. How many chapters of the novel coffee prince? I didn't understand because until the fifth chapter is written edited and Coffee Prince Original Novel from 6 onwards there is no written more edited. For this reasons i don't know if thw chapters are 5 o 20. I will thank you very much if you can answer me. An other things. Where are you from? Are you from England. I would be very happy if you could teach me better English. Excuse me for have you bored with my boring questions. I hope that you will can answer me .
Thank you an other time for your hard works!