Chapter 7 - An active week
Tae-hyun doesn't talk much, but those who know him say he works hard. His job keeps him busy from morning until night, but he always makes time for Soo-ji. Soo-ji is the light in his life, making everything else seem small.
The people who work with Tae-hyun often try to join him after work, but he always says no. He would rather hang out with Soo-ji and enjoy the little things in life. They would go to a small cafe near where Tae-hyun worked to drink coffee and talking about their day.
Soo-ji and her friends talk about their lives and tell each other stories before class.
Soo-ji's friends start talking about their significant others, happily bragging about their successes and societal standing.
"So, Soo-ji, do you also have a handsome partner?" one of his friends asked, poking him jokingly.
Soo-ji blushes. Friends of Soo-ji are talking excitedly about what they have planned for tonight. I like to go to their club, and after a busy week, I was looking forward to unwinding there.
"I heard the DJ is really good tonight," one of them said, jumping up and down excitedly.
"Are you going to put on costumes?" Another asked, showing the sparkly dress she was carrying.
Soo-ji hears what they are talking about and feels a little left out. He knew he was invited but had something else to do that night.
"I'm sorry, guys," Soo-ji said to apologize. "I'm not available tonight. I told my family that I would spend time with them.
Her friends seem disappointed. They try to get her to go to the club with them.
"Come on, Soo-ji, this is going to be so much fun," one of them says, pointing to the dress she's holding. "You are welcome to wear this if you want to."
"We don't want anyone to miss," said a third friend. We all want to have fun."
Soo-ji is confused. She wants to spend time with her friends and have some fun.
"I don't know," he said, sounding uncertain.
Even though his friends looked sad, they didn't give up. They know that Soo-ji is fun and will have a good time if she comes with them.
"Your family will understand," one of them said assuringly. "And you'll be able to make up for it tomorrow. But let's have some fun tonight."
Soo-ji gives it some thought. She knew her family would understand if she went out that night, and she wanted to have fun and unwind after a busy week.
He said with a smile, "I'll go with you." "But just for a short time. I'd rather not stay out too late."
Her friends cheered and gave her hugs because she chose to join them. Soo-ji is happy because she knows she won't disappoint anyone and will have a great time.
Soo-ji wears a silver dress that shines under the dancing lights. Her hair was done in free waves that fell down her back, and her cheeks were red from the booze she had drunk. She had a great time, laughing and talking with her best friends.
Soo-ji and her friends are at the mall, trying different clothes and laughing at each other's choices. Soo-ji is trying on a beautiful red dress that hugs her curves in all the right places. Her friends were amazed by her beauty and told her to buy it. Soo-rae says to him as he looks at himself in the mirror, "Soo-ji, there's a man over there watching you."
Soo-ji turns around and tries to look for the man in a quiet way. He looked at it, and his heart skipped a beat. He was very tall, with broad shoulders and a strong chin. He had blue eyes that looked like they were looking right at him.
Soo-ji returns to her friends and acts like she doesn't care about them. Soo-are grabs Soo-ji's arm and says, "There he is!" as he points to a guy near the door. He was there, the strange man.
"So-rae, have you seen that guy over there?" Soo-ji asks, pointing to a man leaning against the bar and drinking.
So-are looks back at him and says, "Yeah, I know. Since we left the mall, he's been following us."
Soo-ji is impressed by how determined the man is. No one had ever followed her this way before. But she doesn't want to get to know him. They went to a bar to have a drink and chill out. So-are can see him coming toward them. He seems worried, but he tries to hide it by smiling. He says his name is Joon-ho, and he's been trying to meet Soo-ji.
So-are takes a look at the situation and decides to go in. He asks Joon-ho if he wants to join them for a drink, saying that it will give Soo-ji more time to get to know him. Joon-ho says yes immediately, and they all raise their glasses to toast.
At first, it was awkward as they tried to make small talk and find something they had in the joint. But soon, loud music started playing, and they laughed and forgot how tense things were.
"Hey, why don't you all take a break and go to the bathroom?" So-are suggests, looking at them as if she already knew.
Soo-ji is a little confused by her friend's quick change in tone, but Joon-ho seems to get it. Soo-ji says yes when he asks to go with her to the bathroom.
As they walked away, Soo-rae whispered in Soo-ji's ear, "Soo-ji, give him a chance. He seems like a good guy, and I can tell he likes you a lot. Don't be scared to try new things."
Soo-ji is surprised by what her friend says and follows her into the bathroom, feeling scared and excited. The bathroom was poorly lit, with just a flashing dance light. Soo-ji and Joon-ho face each other, but neither knows what to say.
Joon-ho is the first to break the quiet. "Soo-ji, I know I'm a little pushy, but I couldn't help it. I was interested in you from the first time I saw you."
Soo-ji said, "Joon-ho, I'll admit that I wasn't sure about you initially, but I'm starting to understand why you were so insistent.
"I'm glad to hear that, Soo-ji," says Joon-ho with a smile. I'll make it worth it for you, I promise."
Joon-ho takes the hand of Soo-ji and leans in to kiss her. It was a soft, sweet kiss. Soo-ji gets a rush of excitement when she kisses Joon-ho back. But at first glance, Soo-ji saw Tae-hyun's face and slowly broke the kiss without hurting Joon-ho's feelings.
So-are is waiting for them with a big smile on her face. "Well, well, well, look who's back!" she jokes. Joon-ho brings them back to the place where they were drinking before.
"What did you do to each other? Why did he leave so quickly?"
Soo-ji hesitates to answer because he is ashamed and doesn't know what to say. So-rae pushed him for an answer, but Soo-ji didn't say anything. Instead, he took the last drink from So-rae's hand and drank it all in one gulp.
Soo-ji's quick change in attitude surprised Soo-rae. "Soo-ji, what happened?" Why don't you talk to me?"
Soo-ji has finally been broken, and she is crying. "Joon-ho and I kissed in the bathroom, but he said nothing. He just left." I didn't know what was happening, and I felt stupid for thinking that he might have felt something while we were kissing."
Soo-rae hugs Soo-ji to make her feel better. "It's okay, Soo-ji. You didn't do anything wrong. Don't be so tough on yourself."
The DJ is playing some of the latest hits, and the crowd is getting rowdier by the minute. People moved to the music and had fun dancing on the floor. Bartenders make drinks and serve them to customers all day long.
Soo-ji is sad and is still getting over what happened with Joon-ho. That's why he's so thankful that So-rae asked him to hang out with her. Soo-rae tells him that their friends are getting together and that he should come along.
The owner of the place is Soo-ji's friend. He is tall and has a friendly smile. He went over to their table and offered them another drink. He yelled over the music, "Let's make this a night to remember!" Soo-ji's friends cheer and raise their glasses to show that they agree.
Soo-ji is thankful that her friend helped her out. The bar owner makes sure everyone is having fun by constantly giving drinks and ensuring everyone's glasses are always full.
Soo-ji and her friends get up to dance, break free and have fun. The music was so loud that they could feel the beat throbbing in their bodies and were so far gone.
"You know, Soo-ji, you're one of the most amazing people I know," the owner said with a smile. "I'm so glad you're here tonight, and I hope you have a memorable time."