Choi Seola
"W-What?!"
What is this?
Is it a dream?
Have I not been sleeping enough lately?
Why am I seeing things?
Slap!
"Ow, that hurts!"
Even after slapping her own cheek, Saebyeok's message was still sitting there on JustCode.
So Saebyeok... wants to see me?
Why all of a sudden?
Meeting up is great. It's amazing, of course it is, but... why?
She had mindlessly typed out her stream of consciousness like a crazy person.
"Oh no! I need to delete it right—"
Huh?
Right. Team spirit is good.
But so suddenly?
Her hands trembled. Should I act cool and tell him to meet right now?
"Hello? Can you hear me? It's hard to convey feelings through text. Especially in Korean, I think."
Oh my gosh!
He's so sweet!
You really have to listen to Korean until the very end... No, wait, now is not the time for this!
Clatter!
"S-Saebyeok-nim."
She bit her tongue. Ow, ow, ow!
"Did I surprise you by asking to meet so suddenly? I was being rude. Then, next..."
"N-No! I'm completely fine with it! Should we meet now? Where should we meet? Yes?"
"Ahaha... Seola. Right now..."
Thud!
"Seola? I heard a loud crash. Are you okay?"
She banged her head against the desk.
Yeah. I must be out of my mind.
She checked the clock; it was already 6:00 PM.
She had just asked a man to meet her at night.
And on their very first meeting, no less.
Even if he got disgusted and cut her off, she wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
She seriously wanted to die.
"I-I'm sorry. I was so rude, wasn't I? Trying to call you out in the evening... I was just so nervous."
Saebyeok must find me so burdensome now, right?
Her vision began to blur.
"Hmm, Seola. Do you want to grab dinner? I haven't eaten yet."
"M-Me too..."
"You stayed up all night again, didn't you? Seriously, do you ever sleep properly? Or eat? This won't do. Go get ready and come out right now!"
This man... he really is so different from normal men. What do I do?
"Ah, come to think of it, I don't even know where you live! I'm in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. What about you, Seola?"
"Ah! I'm in Seoul too. It's only about a thirty-minute drive from my place!"
"That's great! It'll probably take you some time to get ready, so how about 8:00 PM? I'll head over to your area."
What is this man talking about! How could he think of wandering around alone at night! The world is so dangerous these days!
"What are you talking about! Of course I should be the one to go. I'll head over to your neighborhood, so stay right there!"
"Oh, I've never been treated like this before..."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, it's nothing. Come to think of it, that might be better. Well, my address is..."
This man! Is he really g-giving me his home address right now?
Her reason screamed at her to stop him, but she couldn't overcome her instincts. Saebyeok's address... heh...
No! I have to protect him. No matter how I look at it, he lacks common sense. Did he live in some incredibly liberal foreign country...?
"Seola?"
"Ah, yes, yes. I memorized it! I'll be near your place by 8:00 PM. See you then..."
"Ahaha... My number is 010-9xxx-xxxx. Were you planning to use JustCode even after you get here?"
"Oops. My number is 010-7xxxx-xxxx. I'll call you when I'm close."
"...Drive safely. See you soon!"
"Phew... What is happening all of a sudden? Ah! I don't have time for this! What should I wear? No! Shower first!"
Before that, she saved Saebyeok's number with trembling hands.
"Kyaaa! I got his number!"
"Wow... I might never get used to this."
A life where he was escorted by a woman! Was this really okay?
"Is there some special meaning to asking to meet at night...?"
Saebyeok searched on the portal site.
• It's a green light for sex.
• You hit the jackpot.
• Make sure you wash every nook and cranny before you go.
"Oh my gosh... That's what it means?"
Saebyeok let out a hollow laugh.
It wasn't even "Do you want to watch WebPlus and chill?" or "Do you want to eat ramen?" Just suggesting a casual meetup was enough to set things ablaze in this world!
What kind of lives did the men and women of this parallel world lead? He felt a sudden chill of dread.
"Whatever! What should we eat nearby?"
He brushed the pointless worries from his mind.
After all, Choi Seola didn't seem like that kind of person.
What he was actually curious about was what she did to be sitting in front of a computer all day. Of course, she could just be an "internet ghost" or unemployed.
"Hmm... but her illustration and editing skills were top-tier for that."
Since some of the freelancers he had worked with for album art worked from home, it was a distinct possibility.
"Well, I can just ask her when we meet."
He checked the remaining time and pondered.
He could just relax until Choi Seola arrived and called him, but it was a bit too early to start getting ready. It wasn't like it took a guy that long to get ready anyway.
"I'll just practice the drums for a bit, then shower."
He was a true musician to the core.
"What should I wear?"
A miniskirt? Is that too obvious?
An off-the-shoulder V-neck? She was pretty confident in her chest.
Then an off-the-shoulder top with a miniskirt?
That was even more obvious.
"It's summer, so this much should be fine... No, it's not!"
Surprisingly conservative, she practically turned her closet upside down.
In the end, she settled on a modest blouse and an H-line skirt.
"It feels like I'm going to a job interview... but this should be safe."
Even so, she made sure to choose her underwear with care. You never know what might happen in life.
"Ah, I need to make a reservation before doing my makeup! Achasan... Achasan... Where is a good place near there?"
She picked up her phone and mindlessly pressed speed dial number 2.
"Yes, baby sister."
"Unni, what are some good restaurants near Achasan?"
Choi Seunga wondered what had gotten into her youngest sister.
"Phew... The Hill Hotel Restaurant in that area is decent. Why the sudden question?"
"Ah! I suddenly got a dinner appointment near there tonight! Thanks, Un—"
"Wait! It won't be easy to get a reservation at this hour, so I'll book it for you. Under your name, right?"
"Yes! You're the best, Unni!"
"You only call me that when you need something. What time?"
"Um... 8:30!"
"Don't hang up. Hold on."
Choi Seunga pressed the call button.
Here she was, unable to even leave work yet, while her sister was having the time of her life. It was like her head was in the clouds.
"Secretary Kim, book a private room at the Hill Hotel Restaurant in Gwangjin-gu for 8:30 PM under my sister's name. And make sure no unnecessary rumors spread, understood?"
"Yes, Director. Shall we dispatch bodyguards to secure the area around the young lady?"
Choi Seunga tapped her desk with her index finger out of habit, her brow furrowing.
"That won't be necessary. Just have them standby at a distance."
"Yes, ma'am. I will contact them immediately."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work."
Choi Seunga picked up her phone, which she had muted.
"Seola. Private room at 8:30 PM. It's under your name."
"Yes! Yes! I love you, Unni!"
"Ahem. Don't stay out too late."
"I won't! I'll call you later!"
"Alright."
Hanging up, she resumed tapping her desk in a steady rhythm.
"Is it that guy from before? She used to just stay cooped up at home, but now she's completely lovesick."
Because Seola was so soft-hearted and naive, Seunga always worried about her. What kind of scoundrel had stolen her baby sister's heart? No, she was still too young to understand love...
Even though Choi Seola was twenty-four, she was still the baby of the family.
"We did spoil her too much."
Yet, looking at the family photo on the corner of her desk, she smiled warmly.
"Saebyeok... I'll find out who he is soon enough."
Meanwhile, Saebyeok suddenly shivered while playing the drums.
"Is the AC too high? I keep getting chills..."
"Ugh! I should have gotten the car washed!"
It looked perfectly clean, but in Seola's eyes, everything seemed lacking.
Her Maserati Quattroporte had been stuck in the underground parking lot simply because it had the wrong owner. Anyone else seeing this would have screamed at her to stop flexing her wealth.
"Hmm... the air freshener is still fine."
Checking the rearview mirror once more to make sure her makeup hadn't smudged, she started the engine.
"Alright! You can do this, Choi Seola!"
She began driving toward Saebyeok.
Meanwhile, Saebyeok stepped out of the shower and opened his closet.
"Hmm, a T-shirt and jeans might be a bit too casual for a first meeting, right?"
He put on a pair of navy slacks he'd bought just in case, paired them with a clean white T-shirt, and threw a linen blazer over it.
Having constantly received sponsorships from all kinds of luxury brands since becoming famous, he felt a slight sense of liberation.
"Price doesn't matter. Hmm. Not bad."
He gave himself a characteristically harsh evaluation in the mirror.
For the first time in a while, he even styled his hair with a bit of wax.
"Feels like I'm going to a job interview."
It was only later that he would realize their dress codes coincidentally matched.
Having finished getting ready, he grabbed his phone. At the entryway, he was about to slip on his Converses...
"A youthful look is nice, but let's go for something classic today."
Pulling out a pair of brown slip-ons, he looked up the restaurant he had searched earlier.
"The reviews here are pretty good."
He had prepared this just in case Choi Seola hadn't had time to book a place in her rush and felt embarrassed.
In this world, a man making a reservation first was apparently considered a blow to a woman's pride.
He wanted to beat up the author. Unfortunately, that was impossible.
The moment he stepped out of the front door, his phone rang.
"She's ten minutes early. That's fast."
"H-Hello?"
"Yes, Seola. Have you arrived?"
"Yes. You can come down! I'm right in front of your officetel."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll head down right away!"
"N-No! You can take your time!"
"Ahaha... I'll be there in three minutes."
Choi Seola felt her heart pounding as if it would burst as she did one last check.
Her skirt was fine... her blouse was okay! But wait, how was she supposed to recognize him?
Fortunately, the street was quiet. The man coming out of the lobby would surely be Saebyeok.
Why were three minutes so long? Her palms kept sweating, which was a disaster. Deep breaths! Deep breaths!
Any second now, Saebyeok would... Huh?
The automatic lobby doors slid open, and a man walked out. Tall, dressed neatly. Could it be him?
As he looked around, their eyes met. A bell rang in her head. An angel?
"Ah..."
The angel smiled brightly.