Some time ago...
Jumi drank wine to soothe her squeasy stomach. They decided to meet up for dinner. Even though it was a promised event decided externally, food that neither she nor the other party ordered was brought out simultaneously. The person who arranged this private meeting was a very meticulous person.
How dare he send this man in front of me acting this way?
The man was such a high and mighty person that he could just shove away and ignore the food in front of them. Food that he didn't even order.
It was a restaurant with a secluded and luxurious atmosphere, a great place to meet someone and have a chat with, but for some reason, Jumi didn't feel the vibe. However, she didn't have the initiative or strength to suggest other places. It was her second time seeing this man face to face, but tonight was officially their first meeting alone together.
Is it okay to call this a meet-up? A date? Is that even weirder? It's true that we decided to spend time together, but it would be absurd to call it what ordinary people calls as a simple meeting.
The feel of a smooth cut of steak from the tip of the fork she bite into wasn't bad, but the food got stuck in her throat and she couldn't get it to go down her stomach properly. The man sitting across from her also seemed to have no interest in eating.
He was holding a glass of whiskey without even touching his plate. However, Jumi didn't drink like him, so it was a strange situation. Eventually, she also put down the utensils she was holding. It was too late for dinner anyway.
From the beginning, there wasn't a single thing that was extraordinary with this dinner date. Starting with meeting up to grab a bite this late at night. This man showed up three hours late after the scheduled appointment time.
Actually, she thought he wouldn't come to meet her at all. She was reluctant to stand up first and leave without saying a word, thinking he might also had an ulterior motive to make an excuse for not coming when she waited.
Why did he come? I was sure he wasn't going to show up.
But unexpectedly, this man suddenly appeared.
He doesn't seem too ashamed for someone who's three hours late!
He didn't say a word about why he was late. No apologies or excuses were said and Jumi didn't have the courage to ask about it. If she were to elaborate, it would be fair to say that she wasn't curious enough to ask. It was also because she didn't think there would be a particularly sound answer.
It's weird that we're having dinner this late. Actually, it's even weirder that I'm on a blind date with this guy.
This guy... is the President and heir to South Korea's largest mob organization and ostensibly was a huge company, Wooseong.
He's Jeong Yoongyo.
So, no matter how many times she looked at what the man was doing, the things that came to mind were not very good ones.
The first time she met him was just a few days ago, at a dinner party arranged by her own father. He told her to join them for a dinner meeting and knowing her father who wouldn't take no for an answer, Jumi said she could come and join them for a while.
When she asked if her father would like that, there was a nervous tone in his voice that was uncharacteristic of him. She thought it was strange because her father usually doesn't call or seek for her help at business-related events, but all she has to do during that dinner was sit down and pretend to eat as if she doesn't exist, act elegant and noble, and offer a few words to be part of the conversation going on around her.
She thought it was just a casual meal, nothing special. To her surprise, Chairman Kwon Wooseong joined them. A man served by her father, Executive Director Choi Woo-seok. Then the person sitting next to the chairman was the man in front of her now, Director Jeong Yoongyo. That's where she met this guy.
She thought that night's dinner was just a slightly heavy and frustrating meal. It was also because she wanted to finish her meal really quickly and leave first. Jumi thought it would be just one of the many meals ahead she would have in her life with the leaders of a gangster association. After parting ways like that, her father suddenly asked her to meet in an intimate dinner with Jeong Yoongyo.
The jet-black hair that contrasted with his golden coloured, cold eyes, and the overly sharp first impression reminded her of his dangerous job.
Even though her vision was cloudy and blurry now because she had consumed quite a bit of wine already, she could clearly see everything that came into her vision.
Still, she felt like it would be pretentious to eat without saying a word, so she spoke first.
Unlike her, who was quite drunk, the man across the table from her was fine and not even the slightest bit tipsy or disheveled.
She glanced at the group of men standing by the doorway.
It almost looks like he's here to fight. Why would he bring so many of his men to a blind date? I hoped he wouldn't turn up. Then I could've at least told my father that he stood me up...
Did I drink wine for no reason? Even if it wasn't, it felt like I was caught in a position where my combat power was unilaterally lacking and only my weaknesses would have been further exploited.
"Umm... Excuse me... Would you like a glass of this wine? This one's pretty good."
She asked politely, looking at his untouched plate. He would also have known that there was no such thing as any emotional connection between them. That was all there was to say between us.
"It looks like you're enjoying and there's still room for it to go down your throat."
"Y-yes, of course."
"So you're relaxed enough to have a drink, huh?"
"I'm sorry?"
Although he looked calm and soft, his voice was as cold as a knife but she didn't feel intimidated or small, that it was quite embarrassing.
"I'm pretty sure I gave you enough time to run away."
His voice was as bitter as his fiery eyes. The man's voice was heavy and subdued. He looked more annoyed and tired than angry.
"Do you really want to continue playing with fire?"
The question why they both came here unexpectedly came out of his mouth first. But it was as if she was the one who was nervous about this awkward silence. Jumi knew that this was not a place he visited regularly because he enjoyed it, but she was uncomfortable with his sharp tone.
Isn't it obvious that we both dislike each other?
"Director Jeong, we met recently, didn't we?"
A surprisingly calm voice came out that made her wonder if they were really coming from her mouth. She was equally exhausted.
"We met each other a few days ago. I never expected we'd end up meeting again like this. As you probably know, my father is in the mob, so I couldn't dream of a normal marriage. That's out of the question for me. No matter what, I didn't want to be a nuisance to my father's business, so I stayed here waiting for you to come. And since he needed me, he must have called me to be in this awkward situation. You must understand as you are both in the same business, my father once told me, 'If you eat it, you won't get punished'. It's annoying all the time that I can't stand up against my father once he makes a decision, there's no going against it. It's better to just do what he wants and get it over with."
[PC: "Jeonghyeon, I heard he's getting married. Did you know? Still, I called because I was worried about you after receiving the wedding invitation yesterday." ]
Jumi suddenly remembered the voice of her friend Hyeseon, who asked her how she was doing in a cautious voice. Anyway, to Jumi, love might have been just a rumor. It left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was the first time she had met someone and fell in love. Then just to lose him to someone else.
No matter how unwanted this was between her and this man, if it was a meeting, it was a meeting, and if it was a date, it was a date. She couldn't care less. However, she never imagined that the first words she would say when meeting this man would be such a lame confession of her situation.
The other day, when she briefly saw him at dinner that she was forced to attend due to her father's invitation, he was a man who gave off an unusual threatening aura to her. Even though he didn't saying anything, there was a strange and peculiar atmosphere, as if all attention was focused on him that night and not on Chairman Kwon.
I'm just saying that's how it felt. Of course, it might have been my illusion.
After all, he was Chairman Kwon's subordinate and her father's boss. Jumi had a feeling that no amount of lame excuses or sugarcoating would work for this man in front of her. Sometimes a premonition that strikes like lightning was more accurate than any well-founded guess. After confessing to him, she felt much more at ease.
The man's eyebrows narrow slightly, and then the corner of his lips raised slightly. There was a colder atmosphere about him. His intentions were unknown, but the gorgeous man was silent for a moment. The whiskey glass that he had been holding the entire time was gently placed on the table. Even the sound of glasses clinking together made her nervous, caused her to flinch and shook her shoulders. It was only after a long time that Jumi realized that she and he were the only ones left in that hotel restaurant. Some time had already passed by. Even business hours had ended.
A time and space that exists just for the two of us. If I think about it, it's quite funny.
Wooseong's influence must have been at work in this hotel for this dinner date to happen in the first place. From the moment she entered the hotel, no, from the moment she agreed to meet him here, her every move might have been monitored. Well, there may be no reason to go that far, but now that she was even imagining things like this, she didn't have the energy to argue about stuff that made her feel uneasy.
"So, are you willing to get rid of all your troubles by marrying me?"
"Oh... no, that's not what I meant. I didn't mean it like that... ah, not at all Director... I mean, Yoongyo..."
"Now you're just calling me by my first name even though I never even told you what it was."
He didn't even hide his annoyance and openly ridiculed it. Jumi felt a coolness at the corner of her mouth, and at that moment, she tightly grabbed the napkin she was holding.
Don't be nervous. Don't feel sorry for yourself.
In the meantime, the feeling of fear and apprehension was still around. There was still enough space to be swayed by instinctive emotions of fear and tension.
"Then what should I call you? If you don't like it, I won't call you by your name. I said as much as I could and now what?"
He naturally put a cigarette between his teeth, took out a lighter, and lit it. With a thud, the lighter slipped as if thrown on the table.
"I fully understand your position, Director."
He blew a long puff of smoke and raised his chin slightly, making an expression that was neither positive nor negative.
He brushed the cigarette ash over the untouched lobster dish. It was a gesture she didn't even expect to see in the first place. He smoked like a man but acted like a sulking child. Looking at his crossed long legs under the table, Jumi wanted to crack his shins. She took a timid stance that was ridiculous and incredulous, something that never occurred in her imagination.
"What?", he asked his clean cut eyebrows raised.
"I'll let you know that even if I was rejected by you, it doesn't seem like it was the wrong thing to say but I feel that I was criticized. I think that's wrong for you to do."
He scoffed.
"I'll just tell my father that you turned me down. It's technically not a lie, anyway."
"You know, it's not that simple."
The man said something meaningful and puffed out smoke. Red lips smile through the hazy cigarette smoke.
Is he smiling?
The man didn't have much expression so that her judgment was ambiguous.
Jumi couldn't ask what he was talking about, and she wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
"By the way. I don't know if you know, but my name is Choi Jumi. I'm twenty-eight years old..."
"You're young."
The man quietly muttered.
Apparently, a few days ago, at the dinner table where she first met him, she sat down and told him her name and age shortly after, and he looked like he was hearing this for the first time in his life. It may be a natural reaction. She was also indifferent to him, actually they were both indifferent to each other, and it was a time that they stop acting that they both even have the slightest interest.
Jumi decided to believe that he was responding well and continued talking.
"I studied for my bachelor's degree at Y University. I stopped studying during my master's degree and now I run a Café I own called Boncha. You'll have to give the matchmaker an answer when they ask how this date went, so... if you someone asks you of this meeting, you will have the answer."
At least no one would tell her father that they just drank alcohol on a date without saying a word to each other while the place was empty. There was no way this man wouldn't know the hidden meaning of what she was talking about, but after finishing what she had to say calmly, she placed the napkin she was holding neatly on the table.
The man didn't respond and Jumi sighed in exasperation. She had enough.
"Then I'll just leave now. I'll get going. Thank you. I had a nice dinner—"
"Why?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Why did you quit school?"
The man asked, resting his arms on the table and resting his chin half-heartedly at the back of his hands. It was an unexpected question. To be honest, Jumi was taken aback because she didn't even expect him to ask her anything. His eyes moved sharply, as if he was carefully examining her expression. He was still smoking.
"Do you really want to know when we'll probably never see each other again? We won't have anything to look forward to anyway and won't meet anymore. It won't be fun even if you know. It's a boring story, anyway."
"Whether or not we'll see each other again, isn't for you to decide, is it Miss Choi Jumi?"
He was still talking as if he didn't hear any word she said and gently tap the cigarette on top of the herb-glazed lobster shell. Its ashes fell on his untouched meal. There were no ashtrays in the non-smoking hotel restaurant and this man didn't seem to care. Jumi shook her head in disbelief at the man's words and actions.
"I'm leaving now,I should get going. I enjoyed the date."
"Let's just get out of here."
"I'll go first then. It was fun knowing you."
He openly ridiculed her for the half-baked lie that he had responded by smirking. If she woud stay here any longer with him, Jumi didn't think she would ever meet a good gentleman again, so she got up sometime soon. As she was pulling the chair back, a man who had been guarding the entrance to the restaurant walked towards them, with his back turned away from her he started listening to his leader's instructions.
A camouflage suit with a pure white shirt, a square collar without a single wrinkle, and a face that looked a little familiar to her, turned out to be the man who was guarding the director like an old tree when he came into the direction of the restaurant.
Yoongyo stood up, rubbing his hands off of the food he had not even touched, and before she knew it, he had come up behind her and assisted her as she stood up.
"I've got it on standby. The car's waiting outside, Boss."
"Okay, you leave first. I'll nbe okay. Tell all the boys to go home, too."
"Yes, Boss."
His bodyguard hurriedly left and did his bidding.
"Why are you just standing there?"
"What? What are you doing?"
"You said you were going to leave. I'll take you home."
"N-no, I just..."
"Come with me."
"Oh, no! I can go on my own—"
Jumi hesitantly left the restaurant with Yoongyo. A black car was waiting for them in front of the lobby. The man who had sent all his subordinates away gave her a telling look, asking what she was doing standing there instead of hopping inside the car.
Is he really going to take me home? Why? What's wrong with him? Why did he come three hours late and give me time to leave?
"Ah... Don't worry about me, I can go on my own. I will take a cab home. Let me just take care of it..."
"You said it was fun."
"What?"
"Didn't you say you enjoyed the date?"
"That's true, but it's just..."
"You said you had a great time."
"I did, but..."
What's up with this guy? He showed up three hours late to our blind date and now he wants to drive me home?
"Umm... Excuse me... I really think I should go by myself. Don't worry about me."
"Do I need to open the car door for you to get in?"
With an annoyed look on his chiseled face, as if he didn't want to say anything more, he lowered his hand from his waist and eventually walked towards the driver's passenger seat.
Jumi got startled, when he opened the car door for her.
Being escorted by him, she swallowed her protests when she saw his gorgeously handsome face up close.
"Huh..."
Jumi almost forced herself to sit in the passenger seat of the man's sedan. Without delay, he got into the driver's seat and left the hotel. The smell of leather seats, men's perfume, and the strong smell of his manly skin all mixed together with his strong masculine scent, lingered and tightened around Jumi.
This is so awkward... this is exactly why I said I'd go home alone.
"You can just drop me off near the K company building in Hannam-dong."
"Is Chairman Choi's home in Hannam-dong?", he asked, turning the car gently.
"I do not live with my parents anymore."
Fortunately, the man wasn't the annoying type. He didn't ask for follow-up answers to the question he had raised and just kept driving. Rather than saying that he wasn't the inquisitive type, it would be more accurate to say that it was because he wasn't interested in her. Of course, this was the same on her part, so it seemed like both of them wanted the same thing.
Jumi observed the man driving expertly his pitch-black sedan. His quiet car without any radio sound on. It was as if she was in the car alone because only the sound of her breathing could be heard.
Wearing a black ensemble, a look that matches him well. His narrowed, a slightly wrinkled eyebrow, lips with clear corners of the mouth. He looked dangerously beautiful.
She was just wondering with her mind wandering. It definitely felt that way. She was buried in his scent and quietly held her breath. She was startled and turned her head back to face him, wondering if he would point out that she was observing him, but he didn't say anything. He seemed to be lost in thought as well, and was just holding the steering wheel in silence, maintaining an atmosphere that made it difficult to talk to him.
To put it bluntly, her father had this man as his boss, but just thinking about it made her feel sick. Things like office politics were something that was far from her league, but she had a rough idea of how intense it could be.
Even though it was my father's orders, I really shouldn't have gone on a blind date with a gangster. Particularly with this man but I have no choice in the matter.
Then again, it kind of make sense. Jumi just didn't expect that she will be a pawn.
I'm a gangster's daughter, so who else would I end up meeting but a gangster's leader?
Real love is nothing more but a hopeless dream for me. Maybe finding love is just a pipe dream for someone like me.
I don't know much about him, but he was a man who didn't look like he would lose no matter who he faced. He has that kind of an aura.
Her phone vibrated and she received a text message from Hyeseon.
[TM: Did you hear that Kim Jeonghyeon and Yoomi are getting married?]
Jumi closed her eyes tightly after reading the text, unaware that the man beside her was silently observing her.
"You can drop me off here."
The car stopped near her house. It was then that the man who had been driving the entire time raised his head crookedly and looked at her direction.
"Thank you for tonight. I really didn't expect you to take me home in person but I'm glad you did, so please be careful on your way."
In his eyes, there was only a hint of ridicule at her sugar-coated lies.
Anyway, he's someone I'll never see again... Well, I hope so.