The Greatest Asset

* * *

95. I had made an appointment to meet Kim Youngae.

The reason I set it for tomorrow—D-Day—was simple. Kim Youngae's husband had messaged on KakaoTalk about his business trip. She didn't know it, but more than half of his "trips" weren't real business at all.

The day we were set to meet arrived. I went to the shop and spent time meticulously grooming myself. I cut my long-styled hair back to short and slicked it up with pomade. Matching the hairstyle, I went for a sharply dandy look: black slacks, a light gray wool shirt, and since the weather was still chilly, a thick cardigan over top. It took nearly three hours just to get ready, but not a second felt wasted.

Thinking of it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as primping for Kim Youngae filled me not with annoyance, but a spark of anticipation that lifted my mood. She was worth it.

Suddenly, I noticed my heart fluttering with excitement. What choice will Kim Youngae make? It didn't really matter which way she went. She was already mine; her decision would just determine the route to our ending. A happy ending for her and me? That was set in stone.

Excitement can feel this good, huh.

I could check her status message for instant results, but it felt like spoiling the finale, so I'd avoided it since our last meeting.

At the appointed time, I met Kim Youngae. Her hairstyle had changed. She used to tie her hair back simply most days, but now soft curls cascaded down. It suited her rejuvenated, even more beautiful self perfectly.

"Whoa, you've gotten so much prettier in just a few days? Is it the new hairstyle?"

"...Yeah. I got my hair done."

A single tear rolled down from Kim Youngae's eye.

Wha—what? Why's she crying? Seeing tears the moment she saw my face wasn't part of the plan. Flustered, I lightly pulled her into a hug, but the tears only flowed more.

Strangely, she was smiling through them. What emotion even produces a face like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that? I desperately wanted to check her status message but held back.

After a while, she stopped crying. I looked at her face.

"...!"

Her tear-streaked face gazed up at me, vulnerable and poignant. My heart skipped a beat. Thanks to steady reality adjustments, she'd regained her twenties-era beauty—objectively stunning. With the tear tracks and pitiful expression, she was breathtaking. A simple, heartrending beauty clung to her.

I blurted out my admiration without thinking. "You're beautiful..."

"..."

Her face briefly crumpled with emotion at my words, then bloomed into a radiant smile—one I'd never seen before, bright enough to refresh the soul.

Ah. I wanna see the status message. If I could just peek, I'd intuitively grasp even complex feelings. It really drove home the power of status messages.

I was such an idiot back then—having these abilities but failing to win even one woman.

Seeing the smile reflected in her eyes, I told her, "Wow, maybe it's been a while, but just looking at you makes my heart race. You're that pretty."

"Thank you. Yunho-ssi looks really, really handsome today too?"

"I put in some effort for you, Youngae-ssi. Glad you like it. Like I mentioned before, I wanted to meet to hear your answer today."

Her expression darkened instantly. "Th-that... my answer..."

I cut her off. "But I'll hear it right before we part ways today. Until then, we've got things to do."

"Things... to do?"

"Yeah. We've only ever... 'indoors' so far, right?"

Emphasizing "indoors" made her cheeks flush.

"Truth is, for a man-woman relationship, outdoor dates matter too. Today, I'll give you the final lesson on that, then hear your answer."

Staring into her eyes, I continued. "So, for today... will you go on a date with me, Youngae-ssi?"

"...Yes."

The smile in her eyes deepened.

Our first date spot was the movie theater. Her favorite film had just been re-released. I'd checked her tastes in advance, so I led her there.

"It's one you've always loved, and it just got re-released. I really wanted to see it with you. Hope you enjoy it too."

"It's my absolute favorite."

"Really? What a coincidence. Feels good."

"Coincidence..."

She smiled softly. "Yeah. A nice coincidence."

The film was a romance from the early 2000s. At a scene where emotions peaked, I glanced at Kim Youngae's face. She was looking at me too. Just as the protagonists' eyes met on screen, so did ours.

I held her gaze, then cupped her cheek and leaned in. My lips met hers. After a light kiss, I faced forward. Not planned, but perfectly timed—the protagonist was pulling back from his kiss too. The director was a master of emotional timing; I chuckled softly.

Kim Youngae was stifling a laugh too. Even without status messages visible, I knew she was thinking the same.

After the movie, we hit a nearby café to share thoughts. More talkative and expressive than usual—almost like a different person—her face brimmed with life, her movements lively. So opposite her usual demure poise that I absentmindedly stroked her hair.

"Ah..."

"Oh. Sorry. You looked so cute all excited, different from usual."

"...You can stroke more."

"Huh? Oh. Sure."

As I continued, she closed her eyes. A blissful smile spread across her face. An older woman feeling happiness from a much younger man petting her hair—like a jewel in a case, deserving of cherishing.

Time till dinner, so we popped into a department store.

"When recommending clothes for a guy, don't just say everything suits him. Be picky until you find what really does—it's better."

"Is that so? Isn't praise better?"

"Blind praise leads to disappointment later if it doesn't work out. Guys hate long shopping trips? That's a stereotype. The satisfaction of the perfect buy hits men just as hard."

Not true for all men—it was tailored to my tastes—but irrelevant to her. I'd be the only man she'd see as such for the rest of her life.

We picked outfits for each other, sharing style impressions, filling a shopping bag.

Post-shopping, we dined at the fine-dining spot I'd reserved.

After eating, I called to her. "Youngae-ssi."

"Yes?"

"How was today?"

She smiled at me. "It was really fun. The movie was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠great, shopping too... Feels like it's been ten years since shopping with a man, but seeing guys' clothes felt fresh and fun—different from usual. And dinner, this seat... really... truly... I enjoyed it all."

"Good to hear. Remember those tips—they'll come in handy someday. Now... your answer?"

"My answer..."

She bowed her head. "My answer..."

Her hands, neatly folded on her lap, began to tremble faintly. Right on cue, I toggled the profile settings to show status messages again.

Time to savor the highlights I'd saved.

"I... I mean, no more... no more..."

Unable to finish, her shoulders quivered. Tears fell onto her hands.

A whirlwind of ambivalent emotions raged in her status message, filling me with ecstasy. Especially the etched-in emotions stood out starkly.

"I... we..."

Kim Youngae couldn't finish. I spotted the affection stat in her profile: 84, despite the psychological chains of being an affair partner.

She'd decided to end it. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠But the happiness from our time together kept the breakup words from escaping her lips.

Yes. Not pleasure—happiness. Love.

I'd expected her to say she'd continue our relationship, but this reaction pleased me more. Her psyche was baffling, sure—but quizzing her to satisfy my curiosity held no appeal. Emotions and thoughts vary in capacity and intensity per person; you can't judge others by your own standards.

Her doing what I never would? That's part of Kim Youngae's charm.

High-minded. Worlds apart from cheap women corrupted by pleasure.

Instead of waiting for her answer, I approached and kissed her.

"You don't have to answer. Or rather, before you do, there's something I want to show you."

With confirmation that her feelings for me outweighed those for her husband, I had no desire to watch her torment herself emotionally.

I took her hand and hailed a taxi, telling the driver our destination: a building in the bustling area near Seoral University. I looked at Kim Youngae.

"I know what your answer is. Seeing what I show you will make it easier to say."

* * *