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Chapter 03
2. The Still Excessively Elegant Boy—No, Man
Following the paintings that lined the wall, Yeoreul walked down the corridor with small, clicking steps toward the café where the scent of tea lingered. After a few walks in them, her new shoes already felt slightly more familiar.
She peeked into the café.
It seemed her blind date hadn’t arrived yet. There was still plenty of time before the appointed hour, so that made sense.
Muted murmurs and Debussy’s soothing melody blended together in the air.
She sat by a window seat and watched the people around her. Every table held its own busy conversation.
Some people sat alone, reading texts that required full attention, while others occasionally passed through with a composed, formal air.
Yeoreul let out an unconscious sigh and looked up at the sky, searching for some kind of rest. The pale blue sky was mildly clear.
Her reflection faintly appeared in the glass wall. She fiddled with the hem of her blouse sleeves with her fingers, then thought:
Ah. What if he doesn’t recognize me?
Should I stand? What do people do at blind dates?
I’ll recognize him… but I don’t even have his number.
“Was there a number written?”
She rummaged through her bag. On the paper she unfolded with both hands, she scanned the black text—and frowned without realizing it.
“Why didn’t they write a number?”
The document contained even trivial details about the person she was to meet, as if thoroughly researched. Yet, strangely, there was no contact information.
Afraid they might miss each other, she stared intensely toward the entrance.
And then it happened.
Someone walked into the café.
That man—
No, not him…
This time—
A woman…
Watching people come and go, Yeoreul nodded to herself as if making guesses.
Well, it’s been almost ten years. He must have changed a lot.
Maybe I wouldn’t even recognize him?
As she sat lost in thought, she glanced toward the entrance again out of habit.
That was when she saw him.
A tall man walked into the café with long, refined strides. At that moment, something deep and clear resonated inside Yeoreul’s chest.
All her earlier doubts became meaningless—she recognized him instantly.
Her blind date partner, Woo Ahhan.
For the first time since their school days, their eyes met.
A chill ran through her entire body.
Without realizing it, she stood up and looked at him. And he did the same.
Ahhan walked across the polished floor with precise, straight steps. From far away, he quickly closed the distance until he stood right in front of her.
His gaze was slightly lowered. His skin was pale and cool-toned, and in contrast, his long eyelashes framing his green-brown eyes were dark and dense.
Still excessively elegant—no, now a man.
“Hi.”
Woo Ahhan spoke casually from the start.
His low, languid, and slightly seductive voice slipped out of lips that looked strangely beautiful—like drops of blood on a white rose.
Her heart began to beat painfully fast. Yeoreul, who had jumped up like someone greeting a superior, awkwardly faced his greeting.
“Hello. I’m Lee Yeoreul.”
She bowed, repeating the greeting she had practiced many times the day before. Since he didn’t react, it seemed clear—he didn’t recognize her.
After a brief silence, Ahhan gave a short nod.
“Woo Ahhan. Nice to meet you.”
His voice was calm and properly polite—soft and controlled.
“Yes… n-nice to meet you.”
Despite trying to stay composed, her voice trembled embarrassingly.
Nervous, she accidentally knocked her phone off the table with a sharp thud.
Ahhan bent down and picked it up.
A faint white musk scent lingered—quiet, clean, almost like spring turning into summer.
It was the same scent she vaguely remembered: warm, soft, and strangely strong.
His long neck moved as he swallowed, his prominent Adam’s apple shifting clearly.
The presence of a grown man was different from the boy she remembered.
The memory of him once grabbing her belongings made her instinctively flinch.
“Here.”
Fortunately, he returned the phone.
“You don’t have to stand.”
Ah.
Realizing it only now, she had been standing like a person announcing I’m here for a blind date.
“…Yes.”
Embarrassing enough to die.
“I came early too.”
His gaze was calm yet sharp.
“You came earlier.”
“Yes, I left early. I tend to arrive ahead of time…”
She spoke nervously, almost defensively.
Time passed.
They sat across from each other, drinking tea.
“Um… what do you do for work?”
She asked one of the questions she had prepared. Ahhan looked at her quietly.
A heavy gaze.
The silence made her breath catch.
“I work at J Industries.”
She nodded quickly as if she already knew.
The secretary had said the same thing. She asked even though she knew—because otherwise she had nothing to say.
“You know it?”
Of course she did. It was the number one company students in her department wanted to work for.
“…Of course.”
She drank more water than tea. Her nervous hands kept draining the glass.
Ahhan noticed and called a staff member. The employee quickly returned with water and a tissue, clearly a little startled by his presence.
He had a striking aura—handsome enough to draw attention, likely mixed-race.
The employee placed the water down carefully.
Ahhan’s tone was polite to the staff.
“Thank you.”
“Yes.”
But with her, his attitude felt subtly different.
As if he was speaking down to her.
Why does he keep using informal speech?
She didn’t ask.
“Any hobbies or interests?”
“Just looking at pretty things.”
An odd answer.
“And remembering things.”
That second answer made more sense.
He was said to be a MENSA member. IQ supposedly unmeasurable. Even her own score of around 120 suddenly felt insignificant.
The conversation continued—but it was mostly him answering, never asking.
Yeoreul’s questions ran out quickly.
Silence became heavier.
Finally—
“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”
She asked.
After a pause, Ahhan spoke.
“Who named you?”
An unexpected question.
“My grandmother.”
“Grandmother?”
“Yes. My father wasn’t there when I was born. My grandmother said—‘Let’s see, what day is it… May 10th.’ And she named me Yeoreul. It also sounded like summer was coming, so it fit.”
Ahhan’s expression shifted faintly.
“Am I supposed to smile?”
“You can if you want.”
“I won’t.”
He didn’t smile.
Instead, he asked about the wedding.
“When should we get married? Season-wise.”
The shift was so sudden it felt like he had no interest in personal conversation at all.
“End of summer,” she said carefully.
“Late August?”
“Yeah.”
“Summer. Fine.”
The rest of the conversation flowed as if the marriage was already decided.
It wasn’t a blind date anymore. It was a pre-marriage meeting.
After finishing, they left the café.
At the entrance, as Yeoreul hesitated under the glittering hotel interior, Ahhan asked,
“Where are you going?”
“…Yes?”
“Where next?”
“Home.”
“What then?”
“I’ll eat.”
“…I see.”
His voice dropped slightly.
“You’re hungry?”
She nodded honestly.
After a pause, he said,
“Then should we eat together?”
She hesitated—but she had no real choice.
“Yes.”
“Or,” he added, “want to go upstairs?”
Upstairs.
Her mind froze for a second.
This is a hotel.
Even without experience, she understood what that implied.
But Ahhan’s expression remained neutral.
“There’s a good restaurant here.”
“…Ah.”
Right. What was she even thinking?
“…Okay. Here is fine.”
She followed him into the elevator.
The door closed.
Everything felt awkward—her shoes, the place, even her expression.
She glanced at him.
He was tall. Even taller now that they stood side by side.
Really tall. His hair was shorter than in high school.
Back then, it had been longer.
Without thinking, she stared at him.
His gaze lowered to hers.
The pressure of his silent stare drained her energy.
Her sweaty fingers fidgeted.
“You’re… really tall.”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t deny it.
“I ate well and lived well.”
A slow, distant pause between sentences.
Then his eyes dropped to her heels.
“You don’t usually wear those.”
“I… thought I should look neat for a blind date.”
“Blind date?”
He repeated flatly.
“Pardon?”
“What blind date?”
“?”
Yeoreul’s face stiffened.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
Maybe… this wasn’t a relationship of equals after all.
As she stepped out, her expression turned slightly gloomy.
Then what does he think this meeting is?
