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chapter 20
On her way to the next lecture room, Yoon-ah’s phone buzzed. She quickly opened her messenger. She had just texted Seoyeon, asking if she wanted to celebrate at a nice restaurant since she’d come into some money.
[Can’t this weekㅠ My parents are coming this weekend. Next Sunday okay?]
Of course, next week was fine too, but since it was far off, her excitement dimmed a little. Still, any outing with a friend was always fun, so Yoon-ah replied yes. Then a thought popped into her head.
This week’s mentor–mentee mission—visiting a famous restaurant off-campus. She had been too busy and emotionally preoccupied to remember it until now. The idea was for seniors to introduce popular spots to juniors, but there was no rule against flipping that around, was there? Besides, she still needed to properly thank Yeong-won.
Typing while walking made her dizzy, so Yoon-ah called him instead. Luckily, he picked up after only a short wait.
“Yes. Boss.”
“Yeong-won! What are you doing this Sunday?”
“…Huh?”
“You know, the mentor–mentee mission this week.”
“Ah… I was actually searching for places just now.”
Searching? He didn’t even seem to know what restaurants were around campus. No wonder he always just ate at the student cafeteria. From the look of his kitchen, it didn’t seem like he cooked much either. Did he just live off the mountain of chicken breast in his freezer?
Curious as she was, Yoon-ah cut straight to the point to avoid annoying him.
“Can I choose the restaurant? I kind of want to go somewhere nice.”
“If you’d do that, I’d be grateful… but a nice restaurant… with just the two of us?”
“Oh! Should we invite Gitae too? Seoyeon said she’s busy.”
“Kim Gitae can’t make it either. I’m free anytime Sunday.”
Were they together just now? Since he answered about Gitae right away. Either way, Yoon-ah was satisfied to confirm his schedule was open. She said she’d check if any place still had reservations available and happily ended the call.
Before she knew it, Sunday arrived. Yoon-ah slipped into the new dress she had bought for the occasion and checked herself in the mirror.
It was a sleek black dress Seoyeon had helped her pick out after hearing she’d be going to an upscale restaurant with Yeong-won for the mission. Paired with pointy heels and a small clutch, her spirits naturally soared.
She was curling her styled hair when her phone rang. It was Yeong-won.
“Come down to B2.”
“On my way!”
So he was already waiting below. She had assumed they’d take her car, but this time, he said they’d be going in his. She hadn’t even known he had one.
Perhaps he felt self-conscious, since the restaurant she’d managed to book was unexpectedly high-end. She hadn’t aimed for fine dining with multi-course menus only, but with last-minute weekend reservations, that was all that had been available.
After one last glance in the mirror, Yoon-ah hurried down to the underground garage. A black Porsche SUV sat idling by the entrance.
“Uh…”
Surely not, right? That wasn’t exactly the kind of car you expected a college student to drive. While she stood staring in disbelief, the window rolled down. From the driver’s seat, Yeong-won called to her.
“Boss. Get in.”
“…Oh. Okay…”
Still stunned, she climbed in. From his usual simple clothes, he had never struck her as the type to indulge in luxuries. She couldn’t help but scan the sleek interior before blurting awkwardly:
“Thanks for… the ride, Yeong-won.”
Her face all but said: What on earth are you doing with this car?
As he pulled out, he explained:
“My sister gave it to me when she bought a new one. I didn’t buy it.”
“Aah… I see.”
Caught red-handed, Yoon-ah’s cheeks flushed.
Still, if his sister could casually toss him such an expensive car, he clearly came from money. At least that mystery was partly solved, and oddly, she felt relieved.
Only then did she really take in his appearance.
She’d only ever seen him in casual, comfortable outfits. Now he wore a mandarin-collar shirt, jacket, and slacks, with his hair neatly styled back. Even in the dim car interior, he practically glowed.
“You always look good, Yeong-won, but dressed like this you could pass for a celebrity. Everyone at the restaurant will look like squid compared to you.”
“…”
He didn’t reply, eyes fixed stubbornly on the road. He seemed embarrassed, which made Yoon-ah chuckle. At last, in a halting voice, he spoke:
“You… look really good too.”
“Really? I bought this just for tonight. Seoyeon and I worked hard picking it out.”
“…Yeah.”
He nearly rolled his eyes out of their sockets but swallowed it back. If anyone was making others look like squid, it was her.
Bright colors suited her, but in black, her elegance burst forth like hot spring water breaking through stone. He silently gave Seoyeon’s fashion sense full marks.
And with her figure—already impressive—this snug dress was almost… sexy. The thought made him grip the steering wheel so hard it nearly snapped. His back was heating up again.
The drive lasted about thirty minutes. Yoon-ah happily chattered the whole way, recounting in detail how she and Seoyeon had chosen the dress, heels, and accessories.
Normally, he wouldn’t care about such stories, but her enthusiasm made him smile.
When they arrived, valet took the car, and a staff member in a crisp suit guided them to a secluded table, just as Yoon-ah had requested in advance. She hadn’t wanted too much attention given recent incidents at school.
This time, she skipped the wine pairing—no way was she risking a repeat of that drunken fiasco. Soon, welcome champagne arrived with the first course. The colorful little dish was adorable. Beaming, Yoon-ah pulled out her phone.
“It’s so pretty. Can I take a picture?”
“Why are you asking me? Do whatever you like.”
“Okay, then…”
Her ex-husband had always called it tacky and embarrassing, so she hadn’t done this in ages. Happily snapping photos from every angle, she suddenly turned her sparkling eyes on Yeong-won, a playful glint in them.
“Hey, Yeong-won. I want to show you something.”
“What is it?”
Grinning, she pulled something from her small clutch and held it up—the keyring he had given her, now with a red ribbon tied neatly around the rabbit’s neck.
“I made it a collar with a ribbon I had.”
“…Hahaha.”
For once, he laughed out loud. How could a person have such delightfully cute ideas? Until he met Yoon-ah, he hadn’t known that people—not just animals—could be cute.
That keyring, which he’d absurdly overpaid for thanks to a rigged claw machine, now felt like a bargain. If he’d known how much she’d love it, he might have bought out the whole machine.
Watching her fuss to retie the ribbon, words slipped from him unbidden:
“It’s cute.”
“Right? I’m so proud of it.”
He hadn’t meant the rabbit, of course, but he couldn’t exactly say that to her face. He poured champagne into her glass, picked up his water—and almost dropped it when she propped the rabbit against the glass like a little guest.
“I even gave it a name, to feel closer to it.”
“…A name?”
“Yep! Since you gave it to me, I called it Maeumi—‘Heart.’”
“Pff—! Cough!”
The moment he heard it, Yeong-won choked on his water, hastily covering his mouth with his napkin. For some reason, he felt utterly exposed.
Alarmed, Yoon-ah quickly asked the waiter for a fresh napkin. When he finally seemed composed again, she asked sheepishly:
“Is it that childish? I just named it because it has a heart on its belly.”
“N-no… that’s not it… It’s a good name.”
What the hell was wrong with him? Of course she’d name it after the big contrasting heart emblazoned on its stomach. Yet around her, his mind never stopped wandering into strange places. Any man alone with a woman this beautiful would, he told himself. Especially in this setting that felt suspiciously like a real date.
As he cleared his throat and sipped more water, his gaze inevitably returned to her. She was gently stroking Maeumi’s head with a fingertip, murmuring, “Yeong-won says he likes your name.”
…
How could anyone make such a woman wear that haunted expression he’d once seen?
The truth was, Yeong-won had a pretty good guess why she’d suddenly insisted on coming to such a fancy restaurant tonight.
