MO - 4

The Japanese restaurant was quiet. Led by a waiter, they passed through a garden neatly laid with pebbles and entered the interior, where the faint sound of traditional Japanese music, which had been gently playing since the entrance, could now be heard. The individual room, quiet once the sliding door closed, blocked out even that.

Seo-eun and Ryu Tae-han sat facing each other, just the two of them. An awkward silence filled the room. As soon as he sat down, Tae-han wiped his hands with a warm wet towel, seemingly unfazed by such an occasion. He skillfully observed Seo-eun, adjusting the atmosphere appropriately.

“Let’s eat comfortably,” he said in a gentle voice, settling into his seat somewhat leisurely. “I pre-ordered on the way here. Asked them to bring everything at once so we wouldn’t be interrupted.”

Soon, with a knock, a waiter opened the door and quickly prepared their meal. Freshly prepared dishes were laid out on the table. The appetizing food made her mouth water just looking at it.

He picked up a blue bottle from an ice bucket, watching Seo-eun gaze at the lavish spread with a sense of awe.

“Is sake alright?”

“Yes, of course.”

Seo-eun replied without fuss, just as she had said earlier that she could eat anything when choosing the menu.

However, she was actually in a constant state of tension. She had impulsively suggested the outing, but she truly hadn’t expected to be drinking alone with him.

In fact, one can of beer would have been enough. But Tae-han had driven her here. She had believed his words about having a quick drink, but taking her to such a splendid restaurant was unexpected. Yet, Ryu Tae-han was a person for whom all this seemed natural.

Tae-han offered her sake with a smile. His gesture of holding the neck of the bottle with his right hand and supporting his wrist with his left was simple yet courteous. Seo-eun quickly extended her glass. Clink, perhaps due to her nervousness, Seo-eun’s glass hit the glass bottle.

“I apologize.”

Seo-eun gave an embarrassed laugh as the sharp sound echoed unusually loudly in the quiet space. Her cheeks burned with mortification. However, his gaze across from her was merely relaxed. The sake bottle tilted.

“Are you nervous?”

“A little.”

“What’s there to be nervous about? Relax. If you drink in that state, you’ll get indigestion. Getting indigestion from drinking on an empty stomach is the worst.”

His voice, concerned about her condition, was soft. Seeing him so calm and unperturbed, her mouth felt parched. How could he be so composed in every situation? Even though she knew it was a situation where she should relax, her body stiffened just from being alone with him in the secluded space. Just like when she faced Tae-han at the shop.

Seo-eun lowered the glass she held with both hands and half-rose to fill his glass as well.

“Let me pour for you.”

“It’s fine.”

Instead of accepting her offer, he showed her his palm to stop her, then expertly filled his own glass. He then raised the now full glass and extended it to her. Clink, this time the sound of their glasses meeting was cheerful.

“Drink slowly.”

She turned her head and brought the glass to her lips.

This was so uncomfortable. She swallowed the sake in one gulp, trying not to show her discomfort, and the alcohol, unexpectedly, was sweet.

“Wow, what is this?”

Seo-eun’s eyes instantly widened at the clear, floral-infused flavor spreading through her mouth.

“It’s called Fukurotsuri, a type of sake. Its aroma and taste are exquisite.”

“It’s delicious.”

The taste going down her throat was smooth and sweet. The fragrance spreading in her mouth was so delightful that her mood instantly shifted.

“Can I have another glass?”

“Of course.”

Glasses were filled and emptied for a while. She kept sipping, unaware that her cheeks were flushing. If you keep drinking like that, you might get drunk. The gentle warning had been long forgotten. Yet, he didn’t stop her, and Seo-eun eagerly kept drinking.

“Drinking like this when it’s still bright out isn’t so bad.”

Seo-eun, who had emptied five glasses in a row, chuckled softly, her face reddening.

“I think I’ll get drunk if I drink any more.”

“No, you won’t get drunk. I’m just the type who gets red even with a drop of alcohol. You’ll probably see quite a sight by the end of the night.”

Her chattering lips were also probably flushed, appearing temptingly red. Tae-han’s gaze lingered for a moment on Seo-eun, who gently bit her soft lips and smiled with a relaxed expression.

Even now, the heat spreading from her flushed cheeks was slowly permeating. Tae-han’s eyes narrowed, imagining how red she would become.

“I want to see that.”

“Still, I’ll be careful not to show too unsightly a state.”

Seo-eun, replying cheerfully, closed and opened her eyes gently, smiling. Her cheeks, holding a subtle smile, rounded and twitched.

“I want to see that too.”

“Well, I wonder if there will ever be a day you’ll see such a sight?”

It was a raw, primal side that could only be seen after getting completely drunk and completely letting down her guard. Losing composure was similar. She could only drink without worry if they were close enough to cover each other’s flaws. Her alcohol tolerance was quite high, so Seo-eun wasn’t worried. Most of all, she was sure that the subtle tension that flowed between her and Ryu Tae-han would never allow her to get drunk today.

“Senior Managing Director, you must be a good drinker. Your complexion hasn’t changed.”

“I’ve only had one glass so far.”

“Oh,” Seo-eun rounded her lips. Tae-han continued.

“I don’t particularly enjoy it, but I’m not bad at it. Most of the time, when I drink, it’s for work.”

“Ah... I guess I created an unnecessary occasion.”

It was when Seo-eun raised her eyebrows awkwardly at his answer that he usually drank for work.

“I’m not the type to do something I don’t like just because it’s offered. Don’t worry about that.”

His upright gaze, looking directly at her, was sincere. He was a person who spoke honestly and directly rather than beating around the bush or sugarcoating things. Even though she didn’t know much about him, that was the side he showed.

“President Joo also enjoys a drink, doesn’t he?”

“That’s right. My father loves alcohol. He shouldn’t drink so much, but he still comes home completely drunk twice a week, whether it’s from company dinners or what. My mom always worries a lot. She’s getting older, and she’s worried about his health. Plus, on days he drinks like that, he often sends the driver away, so it’s sometimes hard to get him home.”

It was common for Seo-eun to get a call from Heesook in the early hours of the morning, even when sleeping, and then have to drive out to wherever her father was to pick him up. Some days he was happy, some days he was struggling, and some days he would just stand silently, drunk and dozing on the roadside. When he saw Seo-eun, he would smile like a child, call her ‘my daughter,’ and cling to her, causing endless worry.

“So, about that. How’s the company atmosphere these days, perhaps?”

Tae-han, who had been listening silently to Seo-eun’s cautious opening, met her gaze.

“What do you mean?”

“Hmm, this is just my personal concern. Since it’s informal, I’ll speak comfortably. My father seems to have a lot on his mind. But I don’t know what it is at all, and as a daughter, you know how it is. It just bothers me a bit? I’m wondering if I’m missing something.”

Tae-han was part of the HSDC Investment Development Duty-Free Business Division, the same as Joo Hyung-guk, among the affiliates, so he would know if there were any issues internally. Looking at Seo-eun’s bright, eager eyes, Tae-han replied.

“It doesn’t feel right to talk about someone in their absence, but there’s nothing for you, as his daughter Joo Seo-eun, to worry about. President Joo Hyung-guk is an excellent person, both in character and ability, and I greatly respect him.”

Seo-eun smiled shyly at the unexpected praise.

“For some reason, it’s an overwhelming compliment; my father would love to hear it.”

“Was that your concern?”

“It’s been on my mind lately.”

Her eyes, showing affection for her parents, deepened more than before. She hadn’t expected to understand her father’s thoughts in this way, but it was a relief that there seemed to be no major difficulties within the company. Seo-eun quickly drank the rest of the sake in her glass.

“Senior Managing Director, you must be very busy too, right?”

“That’s true for most office workers.”

“You’re not most office workers, though.”

The voice reminded him of his status as a member of the Haejin owner’s family. Tae-han didn’t deny it.

“A position with obligations isn’t easy.”

“That’s right. Obligations come with responsibility. I’ve also been subtly struggling with that obligation lately.”

Tae-han, who assumed Seo-eun’s worries, to which she nodded in agreement, stemmed from her business, gently continued the conversation. However, Seo-eun’s lips curved into a playful smile.

“It’s not that, it’s a family matter. Should I call it the ‘eldest daughter’s obligation’? It’s harder than I thought.”

“Eldest daughter’s obligation?”

“Ah, Senior Managing Director, since you’re not the eldest son, perhaps you wouldn’t know?”

Curiosity flickered in Tae-han’s eyes at the unexpected turn of the conversation.

“When you say ‘eldest daughter’s obligation,’ do you mean marriage? Is that it?”

“My family is pressuring me to get married quickly. They suddenly told me to bring someone home by the end of this year.”

Seo-eun covered half her face with her palm and sighed deeply.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

“If I were, I wouldn’t be having this problem, would I?”

Seo-eun quickly pulled her lips into a smile. His gaze fixated on the pristine wedding bouquet that lay beside her, radiating its presence.

“Ah, this was given to me out of loyalty.”

“Without anyone you’re seeing?”

“My best friend insisted, so even if I refused, she was adamant. Well, it’s about time I started thinking about marriage anyway.”

It was then that she explained how she ended up bringing the bouquet she made herself.

“Then time is of the essence.”

A sudden, clear light surged into Tae-han’s eyes as he silently listened to her story.

“It’s an old wives’ tale, but they say if you catch the bouquet, you have to get married within six months, don’t they?”

Whether it was just her imagination or not, she felt a slight breaking of his guard, and a mischievous playfulness, which he had kept tightly suppressed, slowly rising.

“So now I’m in a very difficult situation.”

“Why is it difficult? Just date someone.”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds, and I’m not in a position to right now. What about you, Senior Managing Director? Seeing you leisurely drinking with a stranger on the weekend, it seems our situations aren’t so different.”

“I don’t have plans yet either, but... are you going to keep calling me that?”

His gaze was fixed leisurely, and his low, clear voice carried across leisurely. It was then that she stared blankly at him, unable to grasp what he meant by “calling me that.” His smooth face, which rarely changed, subtly faltered. A subtle hint of dissatisfaction appeared in his robust, actor-like features.

“I’m not your boss at work, and hearing ‘Senior Managing Director’ even here...”

“Does it bother you? I guess you wouldn’t like it if I did that outside too.”

She thought it was a thoughtful gesture to use what she considered the most appropriate title, but she realized it might be uncomfortable for him. Was it like feeling trapped in the confines of work? Thinking that, she suddenly felt the illusory pressure of an organizational life she had never even experienced weighing on her chest.

“Then what should I call you? Ryu Tae-han-ssi... that feels too informal. Like I’m treating you as an equal. Or Oppa... Oh, no, that feels even more wrong.”

Seo-eun, pondering a suitable title, clapped a hand over her mouth as if she had made a slip of the tongue and shook her head. Oppa? For some reason, at that moment, she recalled Hae-in’s embarrassing display, whining “Oppaang” in a nasal voice to soothe her older boyfriend after a fight, and goosebumps rose on her arms.

Of course, in terms of hierarchy, Ryu Tae-han was her friend Jin-han’s older cousin, so “Oppa” wasn’t technically wrong. But what about this frozen atmosphere caused by that one word?

Seo-eun shivered and cleared her thoughts. Would there ever be a day they would be close enough for her to call him that? She was beginning to think she needed a title that would maintain an appropriate distance.

A distinct gaze, enough to make her tense, crossed over. His gaze, which had been fixed on Seo-eun, was utterly calm and composed, but for some reason, her heart pricked whenever their eyes met. Her toes tingled. The more she saw his eyes, skilled at reading people, the more her tension grew.

“Tae-han-ssi.”

Suddenly, he broke the silence.

“Yes?”

“That would be good.”

His voice, offering an alternative, was as simple as his usual demeanor.

Tae-han-ssi?

After a perfunctory reply, he put a piece of sushi in his mouth with chopsticks and chewed. She stared blankly at the plump fish meat neatly entering his mouth. He closed his lips neatly and chewed, then swallowed the food and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. Then he took a small sip of warm tea from his teacup.

Neat and quiet.

Very subtle movements combined to etch Tae-han’s image. His disciplined manner, observing etiquette with minimal movement as if strictly trained in dining manners, was frankly appealing. The brief moments that gave the impression of a well-raised person made her feel a sense of déjà vu, like dining with Jin-han. At the end of her unknowingly prolonged gaze, he spoke again.

“Why?”

“No, no.”

Was I staring too obviously? Seo-eun quickly averted her gaze, wondering if he felt she was being rude.

“Jin-han and you, Seo-eun-ssi, are very close, aren’t you?”

“Jin-han and I have been together since middle school.”

Of course, whenever she heard stories about Haejin through Jin-han, she would often hear about the three brothers from the main household, meaning Ryu Tae-han’s brothers. Unlike her own modest household, there were strict rules there. And unlike her own mother, who simply supported her father at home, their aunt was the director who managed the Haejin Art Center and the mistress of Haeseungwon, giving a sense of extraordinary class.

On several occasions, at events held by Haejin, she had confirmed multiple times that Jin-han’s words were true.

Especially Ryu Tae-han, who was one year older, she had seen him fleetingly during her high school years. However, it seemed that Seo-eun had not remained as even a fragment in his memory.

It was a natural thing. It was a time when students from prominent families gathered, and it was the only school district where she could see children from Haejin and other companies at the same time. Compared to them, Seo-eun was an ordinary student from an utterly ordinary family, and the backgrounds of Seung-won and Joo-young, whom she associated with, were not significantly different.

“Actually, Tae-han-ssi, hmm.”

She started to speak, but the unfamiliar title felt awkward. Seo-eun cleared her throat, feeling a little embarrassed. Tae-han looked at Seo-eun with a questioning gaze, as if curious.

“I never thought we’d keep meeting like this, separately.”

“Why?”

“Aren’t we, you know, in that kind of relationship?”

“What kind of relationship is ‘that kind of relationship’?”

“Hmm,” Seo-eun mused, choosing her words, and for a very brief moment, she pondered how to bring up the subject without upsetting him. While she hadn’t given it a second thought when frequenting the Haejin Hotel coffee shop to meet Jin-han, her thoughts about this connection with Ryu Tae-han branched off in too many directions. All of them were idle thoughts. But Seo-eun calmly settled her complex, fluctuating emotions.

“You work at the same company as my father.”

Therefore, he was someone she found difficult to get further involved with. Strictly speaking, he was her father’s direct junior colleague, and furthermore, the son of the company owner where her father worked. Although this meeting had been arranged quite by chance today, there was no guarantee of another such coincidence. Nevertheless, Ryu Tae-han was just as splendid as the first time she saw him, and at this point, she was feeling a strange confusion due to these inexplicable emotions.

“Call me sometimes when you think of me,” he said, as if granting a favor, seemingly unfazed by such facts. What did this mean? Seo-eun’s thoughts deepened at his casual remark.

“When you crave a drink, or want to eat something delicious, like that.”

It was impossible to tell if he was joking or serious. She simply thought he was saying it casually, without particular meaning, like an occasional greeting in an informal setting. However, because of his earnestness, which suggested he would never say something he didn’t mean, she was confused.

“If I call, will you come out?”

“Of course.”

“Why are you so friendly?”

Could he be a playboy who prefers casual encounters? It wouldn’t be surprising, she thought.

“Let’s just say I have a good feeling about you.”

“A feeling?”

“Even if I look like a mountain bandit, I have good instincts.”

At the word “mountain bandit,” Seo-eun let out a small, hollow laugh.

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s not that I think Tae-han-ssi looks like a mountain bandit. It’s just…”

His gaze held a smile, yet it was clear.

Below his face, entirely focused on Seo-eun, his broad, firm shoulders spanned reassuringly. Beneath his black plain t-shirt were powerfully muscular arms and veins bulging on his wrists. For a mountain bandit, he was too splendid and had a perfect physique. Honestly, his wide bone structure and thickly muscled build were close to her ideal type.

“Just?”

Just, Ryu Tae-han was a good person. It was also true that they conversed well as the drinking session deepened. His moderately humorous yet composed demeanor, never crossing the line, was attractive. But wasn’t this too strange? This rapidly deepening affection was new to her, and she felt perplexed by her own feelings.

Their intertwined gazes deepened. Tae-han’s eyes, fixedly staring as he waited for an answer, were unwavering. His gaze, as if he could see through even future events that hadn’t yet occurred, carried a sense of weight.

Oh, if this continues, I’ll be swept away. Unable to avoid or do anything about his gaze that felt like it would overwhelm her, they continued to stare at each other, while the alarm bells in her mind slowly grew clearer.

“You just seem like a good person.”

“I’m glad you noticed.”

A faint smile spread across his lips. He averted his gaze.

Glad I noticed what? Even his casually spoken words somehow didn’t pass easily. Am I already drunk? As she wondered, Tae-han’s voice reached her.

“I’m a little nervous right now.”

He spoke with a relaxed and composed expression that showed no sign of nervousness.

“I want to make a good impression on Joo Seo-eun-ssi.”

What? It was Seo-eun who froze at his words. His gaze, fixed directly on Seo-eun as he set down his water glass, was only calm. Yet he was looking at her with a face that made her wonder if he had ever experienced nervousness in his life. Where on earth was he nervous?

“So, I’ve always thought I should arrange a meeting, and today, luckily, the stars aligned.”

Like someone who had seized a long-awaited opportunity, he made no attempt to hide his interest.

Is that why you came to the shop every evening at 7 PM for a whole week? The question tickled in her throat. A strange tickle, like gentle scratching with a foxtail, bloomed from deep within her stiff heart.

Her heart pounded the entire time she received his honest gaze. Her shrunken lungs inflated as if her briefly stopped breath had returned.

Oh. I feel like I’ll get indigestion.

The room was dreadfully quiet. Even though it was just his honest way of expressing interest, his single remark threw her mind into disarray.

Seo-eun, with an ambiguous expression, neither smiling nor not smiling, brought the water glass to her lips. As she swallowed the cold water, she couldn’t tell if it was cold or hot due to Tae-han’s fixed gaze.

“You don’t know what to do, do you?”

Of course, because I’m so embarrassed.

As if he found her reaction cute, Tae-han let out a small, wry smile without taking his eyes off her.

“I imagine you’ve had a lot of situations like this.”

“Not at all.”

Her genuine feelings inadvertently spilled out at his sharp, piercing gaze. Realizing she had said something unnecessary, Seo-eun quickly pressed her lips with the back of her hand. A smile crept into Tae-han’s eyes.

“There must have been many. Otherwise, the guys who didn’t notice were idiots.”

Her lips curled inward. Seo-eun bit them hard, turning them crimson. Even so, the trembling of her lips, independent of her will, would not stop.

Again, her heart pounded.

Why do you stir people up so much? The muscles in her cheeks, forced into a smile, twitched faintly. Tae-han cruelly watched her agitation to the very end.

“Sake… just one more glass, please.”

As she extended her glass to dispel the awkwardness, he picked up the bottle and asked,

“Am I difficult?”

He seemed to have caught on that she was trying to gloss over the awkward atmosphere with another drink. Something beyond mere curiosity flickered in his eyes as he filled her glass.

“Of course, you’re difficult.”

“Because I’m the owner’s family, the son of the company president?”

“Yes.”

“Likewise, Joo Seo-eun-ssi, you are also the precious daughter of my boss.”

“So we’re in a difficult relationship, aren’t we?”

He chuckled silently at her words, drawing a line. There was no other intention felt in his laughter. It was impossible to grasp what he was thinking, but it was also true that it made her feel disoriented.

“Should we meet like this sometimes?”

“Huh?”

Seo-eun emptied her glass and looked up blankly.

“There’s no harm in it, is there? Just meet sometimes and get to know each other.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m interested.”

He said something so significant so casually.

She had been feeling that gaze for a long time, but she never expected him to say it so directly, and her cheeks flushed hot.

“I want to know about you, Joo Seo-eun-ssi. What you like, what kind of person you are, what kind of person you like, I know 7 PM is your favorite time, but what else do you do. And what you think of me.”

Seo-eun’s clear eyes, fixed silently on Tae-han, trembled slightly.

“Those things, they just made me very curious.”

Tae-han muttered to himself and smiled leisurely.

A daily life where the time spent thinking about Seo-eun increases.

Suddenly, like a single spark carried by the wind instantly consuming the world, it was Tae-han’s first time anxiously burning with a helpless, longing heart, waiting.

“Don’t look at me with such untrusting eyes.”

“Me?”

“You’re looking at me like I’m a thief.”

“No way.”

Seo-eun shook her head and smiled faintly, and he chuckled silently, deep in his throat, then asked again.

“So, how am I? To you?”

As her head lifted and her gaze met his directly, the atmosphere became utterly serious.

How are you?

Seo-eun blinked slowly and meticulously re-examined Tae-han. His eyes, meeting her scrutinizing gaze, were confident, unlike his earlier claim of being nervous to make a good impression. His straightforward, sincere gaze. With an underlying confidence that things would ultimately go his way, his relaxed and unhurried demeanor made Seo-eun swallow dryly.

What should I say? Should I tell him not to play such obvious games? Or should I confess that her heart was pounding too, making her confused?

Seo-eun let out a shallow sigh, looking at his snare-like gaze that silently waited for an answer.

“Honestly, Ryu Tae-han-ssi, you’re splendid. The most splendid man I’ve ever met.”

Since she had been drinking, she even dared to say such embarrassing things under the influence. Seo-eun honestly expressed the emotions that warmed her from within.

“It would be a lie to say I’m not attracted. Honestly, I’m quite nervous right now.”

Hmm, he cleared his throat, and her cheeks turned even redder. Tae-han, who had taken in every detail of Seo-eun’s appearance as if she were something precious, soon noticed there was more to her words.

“But?”

“I have to think about it a lot, I guess.”

She had never dared to dream of such a thing, but still.

The moment she imagined what it would be like to date Ryu Tae-han, the calculator in her mind came up with the answer that they would somehow break up. Therefore, it was wise not to start such a relationship.

“I’m very calculating. If it seems like there’ll be a loss, I quickly cut ties.”

He had noticed early on that Seo-eun had defensive mechanisms regarding relationships. He couldn’t gauge how much or what kind of pain she had received from whom, but he knew it was a significant event that had changed Seo-eun’s life.

“Then, why don’t you test me?”

“Huh?”

“You said you’re calculating. So, go ahead and calculate all you want, and tell me what conclusion you reach.”

He’s a strange man.

She was saying not to start, but he was telling her to calculate to her heart’s content and tell him the conclusion. Seo-eun’s brow subtly furrowed.

“Because I don’t lose when it comes to achieving my goals either. You, the calculating Joo Seo-eun-ssi, and me, the one with no plan. Which one of us has a higher chance of winning? Aren’t you curious?”

“There’s no particular reason to…”

“Because I like you.”

He said to Seo-eun, who was staring blankly at him with an unconvinced expression.

“I’m telling you I can’t back down just like this.”