Chapter 23
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"How's the food?"
Ji-Eun looked up to nod at Song Hyun-Shik who was sitting across the table from her. "This is really... good. Thanks for bringing me here."
Hyun-Shik smiled and watched her for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his own plate. He was glad to have asked Secretary Oh about her food preference earlier, to which he simply replied: grilled meat.
At first he was surprised. He had originally thought that this girl, as young and sheltered as she was, would prefer to go to some upscale restaurant and eat the same kind of lavish food that her own hotel served. But as he watched her expertly cut and grill the meat, all the while serving him drinks and other dishes, he found her carefree attitude kind of comforting. And even though her attire that day looked out of place for this simple barbecue restaurant, her attitude made up for everything else. With her hair tied back and her sleeves rolled up, she looked completely in control of her surroundings.
He let out an amused laugh.
"Oh?" Ji-Eun said. "You're laughing."
Hyun-Shik adjusted his smile. "No, no. I'm sorry. I just..."
Ji-Eun raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"You're really something else, aren't you?" Hyun-Shik accepted the meat she put on his plate.
"What do you mean?" Ji-Eun continued to work on the food, not really looking at him.
"Nothing," Hyun-Shik said.
"Hmm."
There was a comfortable silence as she continued to cook and serve him food. Hyun-Shik couldn't exactly put a finger on it, but he felt some kind of unrestrained interest in her way of thinking.
He had been nervous earlier as he didn't have any kind of plan when he approached Oh Jaehyun at the hotel to ask about her. He had seen him sending off a number of important guests at the entrance of the hotel when his feet automatically directed him over to greet him and to ask about his 'Lady Boss'. Not the slightest bit surprised, Oh Jaehyun told him that she had hosted a business meeting for their group and asked him if he would like to see her as she was still at the hotel.
Thinking about what happened these past few days, he felt that this might be a good time for them to talk. And that's when the idea of inviting her over to eat came about.
Maybe I should wait until dinner's over? Hyun-Shik thought to himself, glancing at her side profile.
"Hyun-Shik," Ji-Eun cleared her plate easily, looking over at him. "Secretary Oh mentioned that you have something to talk to me about before we left."
He glanced at her before declining, "Maybe after we've eaten?"
"Now is fine," she replied to him. "I don't mind."
As Hyun-Shik mentally prepared himself, Ji-Eun began to order some flavored soju.
"You don't mind if I drink, right?" Ji-Eun asked.
I think it's actually better if you do, Hyun-Shik thought.
"No, I don't mind."
This scene seemed familiar, he thought. But wasn't it the other way around before?
He patiently waited for her order to be placed at their table before starting to speak. And when it did, she moved to fill his glass and waited for him to drink before her.
"Thanks," he downed his drink and glanced at her.
"That's good," she said lightly as she finished her glass too, her body facing away from him.
Hyun-Shik watched her carefully.
"Ji-Eun," he started. "I wanted to talk to you about the marriage proposal you gave me the other day."
Ji-Eun's hands suddenly stopped moving, her expression changing just a tad little bit.
"Yes? What about it?"
"I'd like to let you know that I accept your proposal," Hyun-Shik said.
Hold on... What? Ji-Eun eyed him questioningly as she processed his words.
"You accept?"
"Yes," Hyun-Shik geared himself. "Though there is also a situation that you have to be aware of..."
Ji-Eun listened to him carefully, fully aware of what's coming.
"The truth is," he said, nerves slowly failing. "I have a girlfriend at the moment."
He looked at her reaction and was surprised to find her smiling calmly at him. He had imagined a number of scenarios, but that did not include the one where she would just smile back at him.
He took a deep breath and started to speak, but she cut him off with a soft question.
"Is it Bae Yuri?"
His mouth dropped open at her words. "How did you..."
"I guessed," at that, Ji-Eun leaned forward towards him. "Won't you tell me more about her, Hyun-Shik? I've been wanting to ask you too, but I never got the chance to."
He was floored and he knew it.
This girl... How much does she actually know?
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"How's the food?"
Ji-Eun looked up to nod at Song Hyun-Shik who was sitting across the table from her. "This is really... good. Thanks for bringing me here."
Hyun-Shik smiled and watched her for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his own plate. He was glad to have asked Secretary Oh about her food preference earlier, to which he simply replied: grilled meat.
At first he was surprised. He had originally thought that this girl, as young and sheltered as she was, would prefer to go to some upscale restaurant and eat the same kind of lavish food that her own hotel served. But as he watched her expertly cut and grill the meat, all the while serving him drinks and other dishes, he found her carefree attitude kind of comforting. And even though her attire that day looked out of place for this simple barbecue restaurant, her attitude made up for everything else. With her hair tied back and her sleeves rolled up, she looked completely in control of her surroundings.
He let out an amused laugh.
"Oh?" Ji-Eun said. "You're laughing."
Hyun-Shik adjusted his smile. "No, no. I'm sorry. I just..."
Ji-Eun raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"You're really something else, aren't you?" Hyun-Shik accepted the meat she put on his plate.
"What do you mean?" Ji-Eun continued to work on the food, not really looking at him.
"Nothing," Hyun-Shik said.
"Hmm."
There was a comfortable silence as she continued to cook and serve him food. Hyun-Shik couldn't exactly put a finger on it, but he felt some kind of unrestrained interest in her way of thinking.
He had been nervous earlier as he didn't have any kind of plan when he approached Oh Jaehyun at the hotel to ask about her. He had seen him sending off a number of important guests at the entrance of the hotel when his feet automatically directed him over to greet him and to ask about his 'Lady Boss'. Not the slightest bit surprised, Oh Jaehyun told him that she had hosted a business meeting for their group and asked him if he would like to see her as she was still at the hotel.
Thinking about what happened these past few days, he felt that this might be a good time for them to talk. And that's when the idea of inviting her over to eat came about.
Maybe I should wait until dinner's over? Hyun-Shik thought to himself, glancing at her side profile.
"Hyun-Shik," Ji-Eun cleared her plate easily, looking over at him. "Secretary Oh mentioned that you have something to talk to me about before we left."
He glanced at her before declining, "Maybe after we've eaten?"
"Now is fine," she replied to him. "I don't mind."
As Hyun-Shik mentally prepared himself, Ji-Eun began to order some flavored soju.
"You don't mind if I drink, right?" Ji-Eun asked.
I think it's actually better if you do, Hyun-Shik thought.
"No, I don't mind."
This scene seemed familiar, he thought. But wasn't it the other way around before?
He patiently waited for her order to be placed at their table before starting to speak. And when it did, she moved to fill his glass and waited for him to drink before her.
"Thanks," he downed his drink and glanced at her.
"That's good," she said lightly as she finished her glass too, her body facing away from him.
Hyun-Shik watched her carefully.
"Ji-Eun," he started. "I wanted to talk to you about the marriage proposal you gave me the other day."
Ji-Eun's hands suddenly stopped moving, her expression changing just a tad little bit.
"Yes? What about it?"
"I'd like to let you know that I accept your proposal," Hyun-Shik said.
Hold on... What? Ji-Eun eyed him questioningly as she processed his words.
"You accept?"
"Yes," Hyun-Shik geared himself. "Though there is also a situation that you have to be aware of..."
Ji-Eun listened to him carefully, fully aware of what's coming.
"The truth is," he said, nerves slowly failing. "I have a girlfriend at the moment."
He looked at her reaction and was surprised to find her smiling calmly at him. He had imagined a number of scenarios, but that did not include the one where she would just smile back at him.
He took a deep breath and started to speak, but she cut him off with a soft question.
"Is it Bae Yuri?"
His mouth dropped open at her words. "How did you..."
"I guessed," at that, Ji-Eun leaned forward towards him. "Won't you tell me more about her, Hyun-Shik? I've been wanting to ask you too, but I never got the chance to."
He was floored and he knew it.
This girl... How much does she actually know?
"How's the food?"Ji-Eun looked up to nod at Song Hyun-Shik who was sitting across the table from her. "This is really... good. Thanks for bringing me here."Hyun-Shik smiled and watched her for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his own plate. He was glad to have asked Secretary Oh about her food preference earlier, to which he simply replied: grilled meat.At first he was surprised. He had originally thought that this girl, as young and sheltered as she was, would prefer to go to some upscale restaurant and eat the same kind of lavish food that her own hotel served. But as he watched her expertly cut and grill the meat, all the while serving him drinks and other dishes, he found her carefree attitude kind of comforting. And even though her attire that day looked out of place for this simple barbecue restaurant, her attitude made up for everything else. With her hair tied back and her sleeves rolled up, she looked completely in control of her surroundings.He let out an amused laugh."Oh?" Ji-Eun said. "You're laughing."Hyun-Shik adjusted his smile. "No, no. I'm sorry. I just..."Ji-Eun raised an eyebrow expectantly."You're really something else, aren't you?" Hyun-Shik accepted the meat she put on his plate."What do you mean?" Ji-Eun continued to work on the food, not really looking at him."Nothing," Hyun-Shik said."Hmm."There was a comfortable silence as she continued to cook and serve him food. Hyun-Shik couldn't exactly put a finger on it, but he felt some kind of unrestrained interest in her way of thinking.He had been nervous earlier as he didn't have any kind of plan when he approached Oh Jaehyun at the hotel to ask about her. He had seen him sending off a number of important guests at the entrance of the hotel when his feet automatically directed him over to greet him and to ask about his 'Lady Boss'. Not the slightest bit surprised, Oh Jaehyun told him that she had hosted a business meeting for their group and asked him if he would like to see her as she was still at the hotel.Thinking about what happened these past few days, he felt that this might be a good time for them to talk. And that's when the idea of inviting her over to eat came about.Maybe I should wait until dinner's over? Hyun-Shik thought to himself, glancing at her side profile."Hyun-Shik," Ji-Eun cleared her plate easily, looking over at him. "Secretary Oh mentioned that you have something to talk to me about before we left."He glanced at her before declining, "Maybe after we've eaten?""Now is fine," she replied to him. "I don't mind."As Hyun-Shik mentally prepared himself, Ji-Eun began to order some flavored soju."You don't mind if I drink, right?" Ji-Eun asked.I think it's actually better if you do, Hyun-Shik thought."No, I don't mind."This scene seemed familiar, he thought. But wasn't it the other way around before?He patiently waited for her order to be placed at their table before starting to speak. And when it did, she moved to fill his glass and waited for him to drink before her."Thanks," he downed his drink and glanced at her."That's good," she said lightly as she finished her glass too, her body facing away from him.Hyun-Shik watched her carefully."Ji-Eun," he started. "I wanted to talk to you about the marriage proposal you gave me the other day."Ji-Eun's hands suddenly stopped moving, her expression changing just a tad little bit."Yes? What about it?""I'd like to let you know that I accept your proposal," Hyun-Shik said.Hold on... What? Ji-Eun eyed him questioningly as she processed his words."You accept?""Yes," Hyun-Shik geared himself. "Though there is also a situation that you have to be aware of..."Ji-Eun listened to him carefully, fully aware of what's coming."The truth is," he said, nerves slowly failing. "I have a girlfriend at the moment."He looked at her reaction and was surprised to find her smiling calmly at him. He had imagined a number of scenarios, but that did not include the one where she would just smile back at him.He took a deep breath and started to speak, but she cut him off with a soft question."Is it Bae Yuri?"His mouth dropped open at her words. "How did you...""I guessed," at that, Ji-Eun leaned forward towards him. "Won't you tell me more about her, Hyun-Shik? I've been wanting to ask you too, but I never got the chance to."He was floored and he knew it.This girl... How much does she actually know?
