Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

It was after 7 pm, when Gun-Ho arrived in Daikanyama, Shibuya, Tokyo where Mori Aikko’s condo was located. Mori Aikko kept the same entry code for the condo as Gun-Ho’s phone number. The inside of her home was very well organized and clean.

No one was home and when Gun-Ho laid down on the bed, he received a text message from Mori Aikko.

“I am at the bar in Akasaka. We are having the Chief Cabinet Secretary today as our guest. I will be a bit late. I will be home around 10 pm. I love you, oppa.”

Gun-Ho felt bored staying in an empty home by himself. He left the condo and took a walk on the street in Shibuya. Many roadside commercial stores with pretty interiors were luring him into their stores. Gun-Ho entered one of those stores and purchased a huge teddy bear for Mori Aikko. Carrying the teddy bear, Gun-Ho walked slowly toward Mori Aikko’s home. It was still only 9 pm when he arrived there. He watched TV until he fell asleep.

After a while, Gun-Ho woke up to the sound of the door opening. It was Mori Aikko. She was carrying a huge plastic bag in her hand.

“Aikko!”

“Oppa!”

Gun-Ho abruptly hugged her tight. Gun-Ho could smell her perfume along with her sweat and a little bit of alcohol.

“Did you drink?”

“Yes. After watching my dance performance, the Chief Cabinet Secretary poured me a glass of liquor.”

Gun-Ho started kissing her and couldn’t stop.

“Oppa. Enough! I can’t breathe.”

“What’s in your huge plastic bag?”

“It’s a stage outfit. Mama-san gave it to me.”

“I brought a bag too.”

Gun-Ho lifted the plastic bag with the teddy bear in it.”

“Oh, it’s a teddy bear. Hahaha. It looks just like you, oppa.”

“You want to see what a teddy bear is capable of?”

Gun-Ho pushed Mori Aikko to the bed.

“I have to take a shower first.”

“That’s okay. I don’t mind.”

Neither Gun-Ho nor Mori Aikko took a shower that night, and they stayed in bed for quite a while.

Gun-Ho had a Japanese lomein on the following day for breakfast. Mori Aikko prepared it for him. Gun-Ho didn’t like it much, but he felt better after having a piece of apple as a dessert.

“I was told that Roppongi Hills is close from here. Let’s go and have fun there today.”

“Sounds good. I actually once prayed for having a decent man in my life at the Tokyo CityView on its 52nd floor in Roppongi Hills.”

“Why did you pray there? Isn’t it better to do your prayer in a temple?”

“You can see Mount Fuji from Roppongi Hills. I prayed while looking at the mountain. I went there with Mama-san at that time, and I prayed to meet a decent man as I was gazing at Mount Fuji. I guess that’s how I got to meet you.”

Mori Aikko laughed.

Gun-Ho went to Roppongi with Mori Aikko that day. Gun-Ho encountered foreigners there occasionally, maybe because there were so many foreign embassies in the area. Gun-Ho walked fast as that was how he walked, and Mori Aikko had to walk faster than her usual pace to walk beside him. After having a meal at the restaurant inside Roppongi Hills, they went up to the Tokyo CityView. Mori Aikko prayed for something again while looking at Mount Fuji.

After sunset, Gun-Ho and Mori Aikko went into a popular nightclub in Roppongi. The music was very loud. Young men and women were dancing on the stage, which looked like a hip-hop dance, Gun-Ho thought.

Gun-Ho and Mori Aikko were having a beer while looking at the stage when Gun-Ho said,

“Look at them. They are not good dancers at all. Their moves are cheesy.”

Mori Aikko closely observed those people, who were dancing on the stage.

“Well, Mori Aikko, I guess you’d better show them how to dance. Go up the stage.”

“Haha, oppa! I don’t think my dance would go well with the music here.”

Mori Aikko lightly hit Gun-Ho’s chest with her small fist.

It was Sunday morning.

Mori Aikko prepared rice porridge for breakfast, and they ate it together.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yeah. I wanted to see you off when you take your flight to Korea today, but I have to leave now for Nagoya. I have a dance performance there. That’s why Mama-san gave me the stage outfit that I brought home. I have to return it to her once I’m done with the performance today.”

“Why didn’t you just buy one for you. It’s too heavy to carry it around in borrowing and returning it.”

Mori Aikko laughed and said,

“You can’t find an outfit like this in a regular store.”

After Mori Aikko left her condo in Daikanyama, Gun-Ho stayed there and took a nap. He felt exhausted after spending a full day in Roppongi yesterday. He snored.

It was lunchtime when he woke up. He felt hungry and wanted to have Korean food.

“I can have Korean food at Ms. Choi’s Korean restaurant in Akasaka!”

Gun-Ho arrived in Akasaka, Tokyo.

The restaurant was full since it was lunchtime. The restaurant owner—Ms. Choi—was sitting at the cashier counter. It seemed that she stayed in her restaurant during a busy time.

“Oh my gosh! President Goo! You are here.”

“Your restaurant business is doing very well.”

“Did you see Mori Aikko?”

“Of course. We had fun at Roppongi Hills yesterday.”

“That’s good to hear. Mori Aikko must have been very happy.”

“I came here to have Korean food. I miss it already after having only Japanese food. I will just have a Seolleongtang (an ox bone soup).”

Gun-Ho couldn’t make a long conversation with Ms. Choi since she was so busy during her business hours. He sat at the corner of the restaurant while having his Seolleongtang and walked out of there quickly after finishing it.

“I want a cup of coffee. I always have my coffee after lunch. Where do I want to have my coffee today?”

Gun-Ho walked around the area in search of a nice café, and he arrived at New Otani Hotel.

“Well, the hotel has a nice café. Even though it’s pricey, I like their café. Let’s go and have my lunch coffee there.”

While sitting at the café and having his coffee, Gun-Ho looked at his watch.

“Maybe I’d better leave for the airport even though I still have plenty of time before boarding.”

After finishing his coffee, Gun-Ho walked down to the hotel lobby. There were so many tourists at the front desks waiting for their turn to check-in. When he was passing by the front desk, someone called him.

“President Goo?”

Gun-Ho turned around and saw a man, who was looking at him with a smile. It was BM Entertainment’s manager.

“Sir, it’s good to see you here. I want to thank you again for your help in Shanghai the other day. You come to visit Japan pretty often?”

“I come here for business sometimes. Do you have a performance here too?”

“No. I actually came here for a photo-shoot with my staff. Oh, Seol-Bing is here too.”

Seol-Bing was standing with a group of staff. She was still wearing her dark sunglasses.

“Oh, Ms. Seol-Bing, good to see you.”

Gun-Ho walked toward Seol-Bing and extended his hand to her for a handshake. All of the staff looked at Gun-Ho.

Seol-Bing smiled as she took off her sunglasses.

“GH…?”

“Oh, you remember the name of my company. Yes, I’m Gun-Ho Goo from GH Mobile. It’s really good to see you here in Japan after seeing you in Shanghai.”

“Do you often come to Tokyo?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I do come to Tokyo pretty often, especially when I do my Tokyo Planning.”

“Tokyo… planning?”

“Right. I come here to spend some time in making some important decisions for my business.”

Seol-Bing wore her sunglasses again while smiling.

“Well, it was good to see you too. I appreciate your help in Shanghai the other day.”

Seol-Bing made a slight nod before leaving with the group of staff.

Gun-Ho was still standing there even after Seol-Bing took off. He mumbled,

“Did I just talk with the goddess—Venus?”