𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐓 , 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘰-𝘫𝘪𝘯

[ 𝟏 ] . . . smile capital

FORELSKET
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
cho min-ji and hong woo-jin

DECEMBER, 2020
Seoul, Korea

"Are you kidding me? I'm the one putting in the effort for us to afford this shitty apartment!" Min-ji shouted, securing her apron and swiftly kicking a box in the hallway as she headed toward the living room.

Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, her father sighed. "I understand that, Min-ji. All I ask is you stop working so late so I can get my supply store started. I've been needing help, and I already have the money sorted!" Cho Seong-ho retorted.

"Yeah? Where did you get forty million won from—huh? It didn't just walk up to the door and introduce itself," Min-ji exhaled as he approached her, grabbing her hands before she could reach for the keys.

"A manager from Smile Capital offered to pay off all of our debt. It's already gone! He came by the store today," he sighed, noticing the uncertainty on her face. "Please, Ji, just trust me on this," he pleaded. Her eyebrows furrowed, eyes scrutinizing his features. She wanted to believe him, but Smile Capital? What the hell is that? She concluded he had no idea what he was talking about.

With a light scoff she replied. "Look, I'd like to believe Smile Capital is a thing, but it sounds completely made up and stupid. I can't just stop working; we have to eat somehow—I don't see you making the income," she felt a surge of frustration, her words escaping before her mind could stop them. "What kind of father are you?" Her eyes bounced back and forth between his as it went silent. He hesitantly withdrew from her, his heart stinging, and his eyes dulling.

Seeing his pained expression, Min-ji's eyes softened, but the damage was done. Her demeanor shifted again, growing firm. They'd reconcile later; they always did. "I have to go make the money," Min-ji said, grabbing the keys and pushing past her father, making her way to the door.

As Min-ji reached for the doorknob, her father's voice trailed after her, a mix of desperation and remorse. "Ji, please, just give me a chance to explain. They want to help us. I didn't want to burden you with the details, but they're genuine!"

She paused, hand on the door, torn between skepticism and a lingering hope. "Explain, then. Make me understand why some mysterious company is willing to bail us out. What's the catch?"

Her father took a deep breath, attempting to gather his thoughts. "They believe in my business idea. They want to invest, and in return, we work together to make the store a success. It's not a loan; it's a partnership."

Min-ji's eyes narrowed, a mix of disbelief and suspicion. "And you trust them? What if it's a scam, or they want something else in return? I can't risk our safety, Dad."

He pleaded, "Smile Capital is legitimate. They've helped other struggling businesses. This is our chance to break free from this cycle, to give you a life you deserve."

Frustration etched across Min-ji's face. "A life I deserve? I just want stability, not some risky venture. You're not thinking about us; you're chasing dreams without considering the consequences!"