Chapter 6

Chapter 6

6. Korean Company Dinner, and Our First Group Guests

“I'm sorry! Are you all right?”

“Sooorry? You think saying sorry is enough?”

Ah, she finally did it?

Yeah, I knew that employee would cause an accident sooner or later.

As a resident ghost of the lounge café, I knew most of the staff and regular guests by sight, so it wasn't hard to guess what had happened.

Apparently, while taking payment at the counter, the employee had spilled a drink into the customer's shopping bag.

The employee responsible was Sophie.

I could confidently say she had the brightest smile and friendliest personality in this hotel.

The problem was that despite her friendliness, she made lots of little mistakes.

And today, one of those mistakes had landed squarely on a nightmare customer.

Not that it had anything to do with me.

“We'll compensate you······.”

“Do you know how much this cost? Get the manager! Right now!”

Damn it. This is getting bigger.

I was already irritated from not sleeping, and now even the coffee I'd ordered was going to be delayed.

The instant the word compensation came up, the obnoxious woman's eyes lit up.

Like a predator spotting the exposed neck of weaker prey.

“I'll make sure you get fired! Do you understand me?”

“I'm truly sorry.”

At that moment,

I saw my past self in the helpless employee.

Standing in a daze before the desk placed beside the smoking room.

I didn't think long.

“How much is the damn thing worth?”

“What? Are you the owner here?”

“I'm a guest. If your bag got dirty, go ask the front desk for cleaning costs. Why are you tearing into an innocent employee?”

“What? Are you done talking? Do you even know who I am?”

“Do you know who I am before talking down to me?”

“Who··· are you?”

The woman's expression faltered as she scanned my clothes.

Heroes recognize heroes.

Since she obviously loved shopping, she'd quickly assessed roughly how much my clothes and watch were worth.

There was no way she could compete.

From my flip-flops to my underwear, I'd bought nothing but the most expensive lines in luxury boutiques.

When it came to nouveau-riche power, there probably wasn't another person on Earth stronger than me right now.

I pulled out my phone and drove in the final nail.

“If you don't want footage of you screaming your head off spreading all over the internet, just leave while I'm asking nicely.”

I wasn't lying.

My influence in the Pathological Liar Gallery was unrivaled, wasn't it?

Of course, I hadn't had time to record anything, so I'd have to describe it in writing.

“Ha! Unbelievable! Seriously!”

The woman glared at me and the employee, gathered up her shopping bags, and stormed out of the hotel.

What? She wasn't even staying here?

She was even crazier than I'd thought.

After the commotion finally died down,

- Clink.

My coffee was politely placed on the table.

And beside it came a delicious-looking sandwich.

“Thank you so much for what you did.”

“No, I barely did anything.”

“No. I really appreciate it. Please enjoy!”

Except the cup she'd put down wasn't the Americano I'd ordered. It was green tea······.

Well, that wasn't important right now.

I'd gotten a pretty good story to post on the gallery.

━━━━━━━

Pathological Liar Gallery

━━━━━━━

[General] Yo, CRAZY SHIT JUST HAPPENED!!!!!!!! GET IN HERE!!!!

HotelMan | 2026.10.14 19:20:43 | Views 361 | Likes 18

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I was just sitting in a café and this nightmare lady showed up.

Then the clumsy employee spilled coffee into her shopping bag of all things. Damn.

Lady completely lost it and started screaming. Felt bad as hell for the employee.

So yours truly had no choice but to step in and teach her a lesson.

At first she tried talking shit to me too,

but I casually flashed the Jacob & Co. on my wrist and told her to leave while I was still being nice, and she immediately backed down.

Damn! Even I have to admit I looked pretty cool today. Lmaoooo

She only had some Furada bag anyway. She was never in my league. Lmaoooo

They gave me a free sandwich for handling the crazy customer.

Not bragging about how the clumsy employee also got my order wrong and brought green tea instead of coffee.

──────────────

└ Anon(290.31): Recommend me the novel this came from

└ Anon(39.7): We're in trouble. This bastard's lies are getting more elaborate.

└ HotelMan[OP]: Lmaoooooo

└ Anon(211.36): Why's this guy so excited today? Lol

└ CaptainChoiThePipe: Bro, if you're gonna flex, do it properly. Throw a wad of cash and tell her to take it and fuck off

└ HotelMan[OP]: Waste of money

└ CaptainChoiThePipe: Damn it, you said you're rich!

└ 2YearsOnFluoxetine(58.140): The only true part is that he got one sandwich. This bastard's always broke and orders one Americano all day. Look how excited he is about the sandwich lmaoooo

└ CutieCoco: Holy shit, true lol

└ Anon(101.73): Lmaoooooooooo

└ Anon(290.31): Wait, you come every day, order one Americano, sit around posting on the gallery all day—aren't YOU the nightmare customer?

└ HotelMan[OP]: Maybe? Lmao

└ Anon(290.31): Fuck lmaooo, he's out here flexing without even realizing he's the problem customer

└ 2YearsOnFluoxetine(58.140): (Extra info) HotelMan has previously begged for stuff on this gallery.

└ Anon(39.7): Oh right lmaoooooooooooo

└ CaptainChoiThePipe: lololol

└ CutieCoco: Lmaoooooo

“Heh. It's true, though.”

The Pathological Liar Gallery.

It had already been three months since I'd started posting here.

At first I'd done it as a joke because I'd been itching to brag.

I couldn't exactly flaunt my money in real life, could I?

Who knew what might happen?

“But it's different here.”

I can say whatever I want, and everyone just laughs with me.

All right, that was fun again today.

Time to finally get some real sleep.

***

It had already been a week since I'd injected additional operating capital into the hotel.

They say ten years can change rivers and mountains, and Hale Makani looked almost unrecognizable after only a short absence.

“We're short on towels on the third floor!”

“James already went to the storeroom! Call him and tell him to bring some up!”

“Ellen! Who's training the new hires?”

“Frank says he'll do it himself!”

A workplace really does need people in it.

Until now, the interior had looked nice, but the atmosphere hadn't been much different from when it was closed.

An empty hotel with a single manager guarding it.

But not anymore.

Staff in neat uniforms hurried around everywhere, making it look exactly like a real resort hotel.

Just as I was about to enter the lobby feeling proud, an employee stepped in front of me.

“I'm sorry, but we haven't opened yet. We're taking room reservations starting tomorrow.”

Huh?

Ah!

Naturally, these people had never met me before.

And it probably wasn't just me.

There'd been quite a few new hires in the staffing plan Frank had emailed me.

I'd really been too indifferent.

Tomorrow was opening day, and I'd planned to just make a quick lap around the place and leave!

I immediately called Frank.

(Yes, President Kim. Have you arrived? I'll come out to the lobby right away.)

“No, you're busy. It's fine. I actually have a favor to ask.”

(Go ahead.)

“I'd like everyone to wrap up work as early as possible today. Around four, maybe. Can we do that?”

(That's more than enough time. May I ask why?)

“I'm throwing a company dinner tonight. A proper one.”

The menu was obviously charcoal-grilled pork belly and somaek.

In other words, a K-company dinner.

Preparations went smoothly.

Hawaii hadn't escaped the Korean Wave either, so any moderately large supermarket carried pork belly, soju, and beer.

I didn't worry about how much we'd need.

Pork belly, soju, beer, instant rice, ssamjang, sesame oil, kimchi, and everything else.

I told them to buy everything they could find, and before long the hotel's outdoor terrace looked like a proper company picnic.

“But you said this was an employee dinner. Why did you invite me?”

“You worked hard during construction.”

“Ahem. It was just my job.”

Vivian wasn't the only one.

Sullivan, who'd handled all the paperwork needed for the acquisition, couldn't be excluded either.

Granted, he was attending by video call on a tablet placed at the head of the table.

(Are you kidding me?)

“It can't be helped. You're in Texas.”

(Then don't invite me! Are you mocking me?)

“Korean affection doesn't work that way. I'm paying today without any bet, so eat as much as you want.”

I held a perfectly grilled slice of pork belly up to the phone screen—or rather, in front of Sullivan.

(Damn it!)

“Pfft!”

The awkward atmosphere dissolved instantly thanks to the furious reaction from the memorial portrait(?).

“What did you say your name was?”

“James! James Cole! And this big guy is Koa Kahananui!”

“Vivian, why aren't you eating? If it doesn't suit your taste, we have other meat.”

“I-I'm eating!”

***

At Woo-jin's urging, Vivian reluctantly placed a piece of pork belly from the grill on top of her instant rice.

‘What a strange man. Are all Koreans like this?’

The cold Americanos she'd received during construction had already been enough repayment for his kindness.

That was why she'd checked the work more carefully than usual.

The relationship between curator and property owner should have ended there.

Who knew whether another remodel would happen in ten years or twenty? There was no reason to invite her to an employee dinner.

Yet the hotel owner had gone out of his way to call her.

With nothing more than a casual, Come have dinner if you're free.

Of course, it took her a while to overcome her unfamiliarity with the meat.

‘Pork belly? Well, it smells pretty good. Maybe I'll try one piece.’

Vivian gave a small nod and placed the piece in her mouth.

‘Hup! What is this meat? It's ridiculously good!’

And until the dinner ended, Vivian's fork never stopped moving.

***

Another fifteen days passed.

Hotel Profit/Loss Ledger (10.21~11.5)

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Rooms Sold: Avg. 1.2/day (of 30) / Occupancy 4.0%

Guest Parties: 5 / Total 14 guests

Total Revenue: $4,345 (Rooms $3,445 + Other $900)

Total Expenses: $31,575 (Labor, interest, utilities, etc.)

Operating Loss: ($27,230) — Avg. ($1,815)/day

Break-even: 11 rooms/day (36.7%) required / Actual 1.2

“Tsk, did we spend too little on marketing?”

The results were miserable.

Five groups in fifteen days?

Even if I was running the hotel as a hobby, I couldn't operate it at a loss forever.

We needed drastic measures.

Something drastic to fill those empty rooms······.

That was when it happened.

“President Kim! President Kim!”

“What is it?”

“Vivian—no! A group of guests!”

Was he saying Vivian was here, or a group of guests?

I came out to the front desk to see what was going on.

Vivian stood there wearing sunglasses.

With an enormous crowd behind her.

“What brings you here?”

“People from headquarters came to Hawaii for a workshop. There are thirty-six of us. You have enough rooms, right?”

“Absolutely! Frank! Help them check in right away!”

“Ahem, and by any chance··· could we have pork belly again tonight?”

“Of course!”

As if I'd ever say no!

I immediately got in my car and headed straight for the Korean supermarket.

© Kim Mangcho#1ond5