Midday Guest

Jung Yiwon, who makes a living operating a guesthouse in Haeundang, an old residence overlooking the sea.

At the very moment he faces the crisis of having to sell the house for less than its worth because of the debt his father left behind, he meets a man named Cha Seokjoo who comes to the house.

‘Are you alone?’ 

‘…Yes?’ 

‘About this guesthouse. I asked if you are running the business all by yourself.’

At first, he thought it was just a passing connection,

‘It’s hot. Do you have anything to drink?’ ‘I have water.’ ‘You said this was a guesthouse. Don’t you sell coffee?’ 

‘I don’t sell it.’ 

‘Give me water, then.’

Next, he thought the man would just be a guest who stayed for a while and then left. Until the man handed him an enticing proposal.

‘Give me a room.’ 

‘…….’ 

‘Why are you silent? Did you close the business in the meantime?’ 

‘…No.’ 

‘Then take a guest.’

Yiwon, desperate for every penny, becomes interested in the man’s offer,

‘How many days will you be staying?’ 

‘I don’t know about that.’ 

‘You have to tell me at least an approximation for me to give you a room.’ 

‘Then let’s say roughly a month.’ 

‘Yes?’ 

‘Don’t you know what a month is? 30 days.’

In the end, he lets him into Haeundang….

☼

Setting: Modern Fiction

Keywords: Age Gap, Handsome Gong, Powerful Gong, Humiliating Gong, Obsessive Gong, Sly Gong, High Stamina Gong, Beautiful Soo, Soft-on-the-Outside-Strong-on-the-Inside Soo, Neat Soo, Scarred Soo, Salvation, Organizations/Underworld, Harlequin, Slice of Life, Third-person Perspective

Gong: Cha Seokjoo: Current Director of Cheongun Construction and a powerful figure within the group. A man who appears smooth on the surface, but whose underlying calmness exudes a sense of intimidation. By chance, he steps into Haeundang and encounters Jung Yiwon.

Soo: Jung Yiwon: A student on leave from Hankuk University. Currently operating a guesthouse in Haeundang, an old residence inherited from his father. One day, he becomes entangled with Cha Seok-ju after taking him in as a guest at Haeundang.

Read this when: You want to see a story where two different people become each other’s entire world.

Quote: Certain relationships can only face truthful whispers once the walls have been torn down.