Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

“Excuse me, Ms. Are you Ji-Yeon Choi?”

“Yes, that’s me. Are you the man who stopped by here earlier today?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Please have a seat.”

The owner showed Gun-Ho a seat.

“Thank you.”

“Do you know well the bar hostess in Shinjuku City—Segawa Joonkko?”

“How did you know that?”

“I received a call from her. She asked me if President Goo of GH Mobile came by.”

“Oh, really?”

Gun-Ho felt uncomfortable to continue to talk further since there was another lady who was present at the same table. That lady was staring at Gun-Ho before she talked to him.

“Sir, do you maybe recognize me?”

Gun-Ho looked at the lady customer. She looked familiar.

“I believe I met you once somewhere… Oh, Hannam Town…”

“That’s right. I’m Mi-Hyang Jang from the secret bar at Hannam Town. Ji-Yeon Choi here is my sister. I came to Japan for shopping and wanted to see my sister before I go back to Korea. Don’t you think we look alike?”

“Since you say so, yes, you two do look alike, but you two have different last names: Choi and Jang… Are you related as cousins?”

The two ladies laughed.

“We are sisters. Our names—Mi-Hyang Jang and Ji-Yeon Choi—are our nicknames. We both used those names when we were actresses.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Oh, that’s right. I remember you now. You came with Chairman Lee from Cheongdam Town. I always remember the people who came with Chairman Lee to my bar because usually, they all are very important people.”

“Oh, this Mister came to your bar as well? Wow. So you know Mi-Hyang Jang and Segawa Joonkko from Shinjuku.”

“I went to those places for reasons. I don’t usually go to places like that.”

“Of course. Since you are a businessman, you went there for your business.”

“That’s right.”

“By the way, how come did Segawa Joonkko call me? She is a snobbish lady. She doesn’t care if you are not a billionaire or a powerful man like a government high-ranked official or someone like that.”

Before Gun-Ho could answer to Ji-Yeon Choi, Mi-Hyang Jang stood up to leave.

“Sister, I’d better go now. I have someone waiting for me at the hotel. I will have to leave you two. Sir, when you come back to Korea, you should stop by my bar, okay?”

“I will. Thank you.”

Gun-Ho stood up to see her leaving.

After Mi-Hyang Jang left the restaurant, the restaurant owner—Ji-Yeon Choi—took Gun-Ho to a room in the restaurant. The room was decorated with an embroidered folding screen in Korean style.

“It’s cozy.”

A staff brought apples on a plate.

“So what do you want to talk about with me?”

“I want to be the sponsor of Mori Aikko—the dancing geisha in Shinjuku.

Ji-Yeon Choi looked at Gun-Ho with an astonished look on her face.

After a moment, Ji-Yeon Choi pulled herself together and smiled.

“I actually haven’t seen Mori Aikko in person. However, I’ve heard that the bar is getting more and more customers because of Mori Aikko.”

Gun-Ho picked up a piece of apple from the plate.

“Do you know about the qualification required to be a sponsor of a geisha? I am not sure if you have watched the movie—Geisha—directed by Zhang Yimou. That movie talked about a geisha’s sponsor as well. To be a sponsor of a geisha, you have to be extremely wealthy and also you have to be someone who the geisha falls in love with.”

“Hmm.”

“Your wealth shouldn’t be temporary though. You will have to be financially responsible for the geisha for her entire life. Moreover, you need to be loved by the geisha. I’ve heard a story of a geisha falling in love with a western man sponsor; however, I’ve never heard of a Korean man who a geisha fell in love with.”

“Hmm.”

“Japanese people usually look down on Korean people; maybe that’s why it is hard for a geisha—Japanese girl to fall in love with a Korean man. Since you hang out with Chairman Lee, I can tell that you are a very wealthy man. However, it is still extremely difficult to take a responsibility to take care of a geisha financially forever. I recommend you give it up.”

“I know what I am signing up for.”

“Can you purchase her a 20 pyung condo that is located in Tokyo?”

“If that’s what she wants, yes, of course.”

“Hmm. I guess you are serious about this. A condo in Chiyoda, Tokyo costs more than 50 million Korean Won per pyung. Also, the geisha must fall in love with you, and that’s not something others can determine; it is up to the geisha.”

“Hmm.”

“If the geisha chooses you, can you take care of her and give her affection forever?”

“I am ready to risk my life for her.”

“You are a wonderful man. I have a feeling that maybe Mori Aikko will choose you, sir.”

“Thank you.”

Ji-Yeon Choi made a call to Segawa Joonkko.

Ji-Yeon Choi started talking in her fluent Japanese language on the phone. Her voice was so clear and pleasant that Gun-Ho thought she sounded like a news anchor. Ji-Yeon Choi paused her phone conversation for a moment, and asked Gun-Ho,

“Which hotel are you staying, sir?”

“It’s the New Otani Hotel.”

Ji-Yeon Choi continued to talk on the phone for about three minutes more before she hung up.

“Tomorrow is Saturday. They will send Mori Aikko to the café at New Otani Hotel by noon tomorrow. However, whether Mori Aikko would actually show up or not is totally up to her.”

“That’s more than enough.”

Ji-Yeon Choi smiled at Gun-Ho.

“President Goo, you are one of the best men.”

Gun-Ho asked Ji-Yeon Choi whether she had his business card.

“Yes, one of my staff handed it to me earlier. What is your company—GH Mobile—is doing?”

“It’s an auto parts manufacturing company. It’s a small company with only 250 employees, just yet.”

Ji-Yeon Choi laughed loudly.

“If a company with 250 employees is a small company, what would that make my restaurant with 12 workers then?”

Gun-Ho laughed along with her.

“President Goo, once you go back to Korea, please take care of my sister too.”

“I believe she is doing very well. Her bar in Hannam Town is doing good.”

“Well, she is still paying for her husband’s debt.”

“Oh, she is married. I thought she was single.”

“Her husband is Seong-Hoon Shin. He was a famous actor.”

Gun-Ho knew of Seong-Hoon Shin. He saw the actor in several historical tv dramas before.

“That Seong-Hoon Shin guy started a film company only to go broke. Then they divorced, and then they suffered because of his debt. The person who saved her from that situation was Chairman Lee from Cheongdam Town. He gladly spent a significant amount of money for her, so she could open that bar in Hannam Town. The building owner is Chairman Lee. My sister is renting the building from him to run the bar.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Chairman Lee used to stop by my bar from time to time whenever he visited Japan, but I haven’t seen him for a while now. Maybe he is getting old, and it is hard for him to stop by here.”

“Actually, I owe Chairman Lee a lot too. I didn’t borrow any money from him, but he has been like a mentor to me. He often gives me great advice.”

“I hope you are not offended by this, but when I saw you earlier, I saw the shadow of Chairman Lee. Moreover, I was so impressed when you said you were ready to risk your life to protect the geisha.”

“Hmm.”

“I’ve been in Tokyo running my business for over 20 years now. I’ve seen so many disgraceful Korean men. However, you—President Goo—you are a great man. I do envy the girl—Mori Aikko.”

“Thank you for saying that, Ms. Ji-Yeon Choi.”