005. Coding Heaven, Planning Hell (3)
Shin Na-young gazed at the streets near Pangyo with a dissatisfied expression. A face like an unhappy cat. Her incredibly soft white cheeks squished against the hand propping up her chin. The lights of Pangyo brushed across her skin.
Avenue France came into view. It meant "French street." Why the hell was there a French street in Korea? The servile complex behind such names rubbed Shin Na-young the wrong way. Wasn't it a bit much? In her eyes, East Asians had this pointless tendency to idolize Europe.
-Whoa! Espada! The devil's left arm!
-Braso Izquierdo del Diablo!
-Cero Oscuras!
-Sans! Undertale! Megalovania!
Shin Na-young just hated places with names that sounded ritzy for no reason. The moment she saw meaningless Japanese or elementary-school-level Latin crammed into a name, goosebumps prickled her skin. It was baffling that such spots even sold. Usually, they were overpriced with mediocre food anyway. She preferred college districts where you could knock back soju.
That's the kind of place I like.
Soju held a lot of meaning in Shin Na-young's life. It was the first booze she'd tried after her college entrance exams, the favorite drink of tour agency majors at a provincial university. Bitter at first, sweet later on. Her "big sisters" knocked it back like a habit. What a tasteless booze. Still, it paired great with all sorts of food—gopchang, samgyeopsal, chicken feet, mala tang, and so on. Greasy, spicy stuff that melted away stress. Shin Na-young had never let a guy buy her a drink, so she lived off that kind of fare. Split the bill half-and-half—that was the rule.
"Seong-u."
Na-young said from the passenger seat next to Im Seong-u. Shin Na-young was already in full-blown ecstatic Na-young mode. Alone in the car with Im Seong-u. Their distance was barely thirty centimeters. The thrill of feeling even closer made her energy spike.
Im Seong-u replied in his somewhat mechanical but warm tone.
"What."
Shin Na-young had a question she wanted to ask him.
Are you dating CEO Han Yu-ra? She'd seen them coming to work together last time.
"Where should we grab drinks?"
Na-young tossed out a casual, everyday question instead. Im Seong-u put on a serious pondering face. In a way, he was a refreshingly simple guy.
Simple? Yeah, he's really simple. Like you.
He was genuinely mulling over what to eat. A man whose inside matched his outside. Shin Na-young thought that and secretly smiled to herself.
After a long deliberation, Im Seong-u said to her,
"Craving sashimi. Japanese okay?"
Shin Na-young said sure. She loved sashimi joints and spicy fish stew, after all.
But ten minutes later, the place Im Seong-u took her to blew past her expectations by a mile. Her heart pounded at the sight of the obviously upscale building.
No way...
The restaurant's exterior was striking. A modern hanging sign bore Japanese writing she couldn't even read. Was this the colonial era? Why Japanese in Korea? Shin Na-young got cold feet. Places like this were insanely pricey.
The door was weird too—a massive, sleek rectangle in a single solid color. Like it was screaming, "We obsess over food with pathological neatness."
Im Seong-u slid open the invisible handle and stepped into the modern interior. Shin Na-young followed awkwardly, everything feeling alien.
"Irasshaimase!"
Voices like yakuza chefs with their knives. Without a single question, they led Shin Na-young's group to a table for two.
Se... Seong-u. Can you actually afford this place?
The menu had just two items. Two items that would guillotine Shin Na-young's wallet.
Yeah. Punchline King.
-Sashimi Omakase 230.0
-Sushi Omakase 170.0
230.0? Shin Na-young's eyes widened at the price. 230 won? No way. Sushi for the price of two rounds of Metal Slug at the corner store? Charity work?
Of course not.
Two hundred thirty... thousand won?
This was a lavish, luxurious spot. More YouTubers reviewing Japanese food than regular customers. She glanced around. Cozy interior like a medieval Japanese mansion. Doors wrapped in paper like hanji, aged wooden tables. A single elegant orchid bonsai on the table. Intensely antique and serene.
Shin Na-young, who'd only ever done Dutch pays her whole life, went pale.
"Se-Seong-u. I can't cover this."
"My treat. Eat up."
You... you loaded?
Shin Na-young would have to starve for a week after this. Sushi alone might be okay, but if they went for round two like usual, it'd be at least five hundred thousand won.
The moment penniless Na-young tried to stop him,
"Two sashimi omakases. Oh,"
Im Seong-u had already ordered.
"..."
"Na-young. What booze?"
"Uh..."
Shin Na-young's head spun. The drinks here were ridiculously overpriced too.
At least booze is cheaper than the meal.
She hunted for the cheapest option.
"Chum Churum..."
"Hmm. You like soju? Try sake. Wastes the food otherwise. Twenty-grand rice with five-grand booze feels off, right?"
Im Seong-u said. Shin Na-young felt like she was on pins and needles. Her heart raced too. She'd seen plenty of guys bluffing. But Im Seong-u's confidence was real.
When did you... become like this?
Her childhood friend no longer felt like one. Back in high school, they were just average kids. Same uniforms, same chit-chat, same mediocre dramas. Now Im Seong-u was capable, someone the whole company bowed to. It was the life Shin Na-young admired. Valued for skill over looks. Raking in cash like a hot rapper, doing whatever he wanted. Casually whipping out his wallet at a fancy spot like this.
Getting butterflies for a guy like this... makes me feel cheap, huh?
Shin Na-young looked at Im Seong-u. An inexplicable hot emotion welled up in her chest. Not purely bright, not purely dark.
"This one, please."
Im Seong-u ordered a bottle of whiskey with complex lettering. The staff didn't gawk like "This pricey? For real?" They just bowed quietly and retreated.
"Wh-what's the occasion?"
"Contract advance came in."
Im Seong-u grinned. Under the Japanese restaurant's orange lighting, his eyes glinted sharply. Far more manly than in high school. Shin Na-young swallowed hard and asked anyway, knowing it'd spark unexplained self-loathing.
"What contract?"
No way. Side gig on top of everything?
Shin Na-young felt more curious about Im Seong-u's life than her own.
"That solar company dev subcontract last time. Three mil upfront."
Three mil... Shin Na-young swallowed again. Money she'd need a year to earn. Even a year at the hospital billing desk wouldn't cut it. She felt how much he'd changed.
"Chawanmushi incoming."
Knock knock. A white-clad server brought delicate porcelain with... steamed egg custard.
No... it's just egg custard? The name sounded so fancy!
Shin Na-young scooped the taut surface of the yellow pudding-like chawanmushi with a teaspoon. One bite of the orange-tinted broth flooded her tongue with heavenly umami and sweetness.
Oh.
Shin Na-young went speechless. It was that good.
Egg custard... you show-off! Talk about overhyping!
Just an appetizer, yet she was genuinely awed. Shin Na-young lost all composure and shoveled it down. The egg so soft it barely registered going down her throat.
"Good?"
"So goooood...!"
She scraped the bowl clean in seconds. Im Seong-u watched with a dad smile, like he was full just seeing her eat. She blushed, embarrassed.
"Seong-u."
"Yeah?"
"Can I get another?"
Shin Na-young said.
...
Watching Shin Na-young eat made me feel full too.
Yeah. Time you tried stuff like this.
Shin Na-young sent a million won a month to her disabled dad for living expenses. She'd lived that way since high school.
That's why you're so cool, Na-young.
What would I have done in her shoes? Probably turned to crime or given up long ago. But Shin Na-young never quit. Iron will holding it together, yet she never skimped on self-investment. Studied programming while working at the hospital. Talented or not, she grinded right there. That's why I respect her. No matter how much she earns.
And her reactions were explosive. First up: white raw fish.
"Wh-whoa... mmph... so... delish...! So freaking good! Seong-u! You gotta try this! Insane."
Shin Na-young went feral. Teary-eyed but gushing nonstop. Her big cat-like eyes welled up as she downed booze and sashimi relentlessly. Adorable.
Nice.
"...Melts in your mouth... crazy. What even is this, Seong-u?"
"That's tuna belly."
"Delish... tuna belly delish..."
What kind of life had she lived? But I didn't pry. Knew poverty was a no-go zone for questions.
"Na-young. Pair it with booze."
I'd ordered Lagavulin. Peaty whiskey said to match fish best. Smoky and antiseptic alone, but floral and fresh with sashimi. Wild they sold it here—curious if it'd suit her.
Wonder if she'll pass out.
48 proof. Rough for a woman. But one glass wouldn't kill her. She had some social drinking chops.
"Try it."
"...Okay."
"With sashimi, it gives a spicy floral vibe."
Shin Na-young followed my lead. Paired with nutty, firm madai ubiki, her face ascended to nirvana. One word only:
"Whoa."
Most honest food review ever. Eyes half-rolled to the ceiling, lashes quivering. Near-orgasmic bliss. Her sly cuteness was killer.
Umami!
"How is it."
"Delicious."
We spent the time like that. Bashing Kim A-ram behind her back.
"Kim A-ram always like that?"
"Yeah... but dumber than expected."
"Why hire her?"
"Same club as Han Yu-ra."
"Ah..."
Talked about CEO Han Yu-ra too.
"CEO Han seems amazing. No one that young pulls that investment."
"That's why things creak. No experience."
"Still."
Harmonious vibes. I got pleasantly buzzed. Lagavulin went down too easy today. Good drinking day. Objectively tipsy.
I looked at Shin Na-young and asked what I'd always wondered.
"Na-young."
"...Yeah?"
"You seeing anyone?"
"Me? Date? Please."
It irked me every time she said that. She was pretty. Needed more confidence. Delicate features that screamed "protect me." Flawless skin. She joked about being petite, but her chest looked bigger than C-cup. Not small. Han Yu-ra was the freak outlier.
"No money either."
"Guys pay. Duh."
Uh, sexist? Whatever. Back when, she'd sworn she'd always split drinks half-half. Strong pride.
"No time... either."
I see.
Not my place to meddle in her love life. So I just drank in silence. Floaty haze. Booze after ages tasted so sweet.
Then it happened. Shin Na-young stared at me seriously.
"Seong-u..."
Not her usual bubbly self. Pitiful tone, trailing off. Suddenly she looked womanly—some emotional shift. My heart started pounding.
Shin Na-young said,
"You dating CEO Han?"
Women's intuition sometimes pierced right to the core.