Perfect Date Course (2)
The day I finally get to meet Seonghun oppa.... I woke up early that morning and immediately went out to buy some clothes, then checked my face. Was it because of that ramen I scarfed down yesterday? My cheeks were all puffy and swollen. I even scouted out the date spots just like the advice on DC Inside said. Pretty, aesthetic cafes... spots perfect for photos with sweet dessert drinks. Then cap it off with a meal at a tasty Western restaurant and some night views.... Thanks to all those tips, I felt like I could pull off a perfect date today without feeling totally lost.
"But oppa said he hates pasta...."
I suddenly remembered what he'd said back at the pork soup joint—he hated pasta. A guy who doesn't like Western food? I'd heard from a friend before that her boyfriend wouldn't even eat with her unless it was at a fancy restaurant.
Maybe I should switch the restaurant... just in case. Better safe than sorry.
After one last check in the mirror, I headed to the park where Seonghun oppa was waiting.
There he was, sitting on a bench, scrolling through his smartphone. 'Holy shit....' The fact that I was about to go on a date with that guy... a one-on-one date with no strings attached. Did I save a whole country in a past life or something? To think I get to date a guy like that.
I wanted to run right up to him, smile, and chat together.
"Ah, fuck...."
But then I spotted some woman approaching him from afar, and I couldn't help but get pissed off.
I wished Seonghun oppa would just kick her to the curb already, but he was politely pushing her phone away without outright running off. Was he too nice...? Normal guys would've bolted if they weren't interested.
"Oppa... let's go, quick."
"Huh? You made it?"
I couldn't take it anymore and just grabbed Seonghun oppa's hand, dragging him away. The girl looked bummed and kept trying to grab him, but I shook her off fast and bolted to the cafe. This fucker's my Seonghun oppa—keep your filthy hands off him.
We got to the cafe, ordered drinks, and had a light chat. Oppa didn't seem to hate this kinda thing—he was smiling and talking back. DC Inside really does know its shit, huh? He seemed to like the cafe plan, and the coffee was good too.
And then... I witnessed the bizarre sight of a guy trying to pay. At places like this cafe or restaurants, it's always the girl who pays. Especially since Seonghun oppa wasn't exactly rolling in cash.... I wanted to cover the coffee and the food.
But he whipped out cash all cool-like and said, 'I'll get this one.'
'Oppa... this place doesn't take cash....'
It was a cashless spot. He looked flustered when he realized—I guess he hadn't known. Kinda cute, in a way.
In the end, I paid for the coffee, and he apologized profusely, promising to cover the food later.
"What do you wanna eat?"
"Me...? Hang on a sec."
I watched him pull out his phone to check nearby spots. Should I suggest pasta? I'd looked up places around here... and that DC Inside post.
The couple menu mention made me wanna go there with Seonghun oppa no matter what.
"Um... oppa, if it's okay, can we do pasta?"
"Ah, fuck... what?"
His face twisted up like he obviously hated the idea. But... that's just how normal guys react, right? Seonghun oppa was the weird one.
"Sure... whatever you wanna eat."
"Thank you... and sorry."
He really hated it, but he agreed anyway since I wanted it. Yielding for my sake... it made my heart race in a way I couldn't even describe. They say most guys just bail if you don't do what they want.
Anyway... I'd recommend something tasty for him too... and we had to get the couple menu.
Haa... fucking couple menu.
Just seeing the word "couple" that Jeong-ah showed me made my head throb.
Jeong-ah... we're not even a couple—sure we should order this...? I had a ton I wanted to say, but there was one killer condition that shut my mouth.
"Haa... two plates for this price...? Hmm...."
An amount you couldn't refuse. Even the cheapest single plate was over 10,000 won, but this pricey pasta set? Only 22,000? Too good a deal to pass up.
"Yeah, let's get this."
In the end, I went with Jeong-ah's pick—the couple menu. Whatever, it was just the menu name; no need to act all couple-y.
Jeong-ah placed the order, and we chatted a bit while waiting for the food. I just wanted to eat quietly and bounce, but I could hear whispers from nearby again.
The difference this time? They weren't talking about me.
"Hey, check out that girl—alone with a guy."
"For real? Damn... lucky. We're out here mobbing just to glimpse Hyun-su's face... and she's on a one-on-one date."
"It's been years since I even saw a guy's face."
They were gossiping about Jeong-ah, not me. In my idea of a date, it's one guy, one girl facing each other. But this wasn't the normal world—probably why groups of four girls trailed one guy.
We were laughing and chatting when our food arrived.
"Hm... not bad, passable."
One reason I hated pasta was the insane prices for jack shit portions. But this couple set? Cheap price, two pastas, bread, drink—and we went for the pricier pasta, so great value.
"This ain't half bad."
"Glad you like it."
Jeong-ah beamed at my words and we dug in slowly together. At least she picked something less gay like "jjamppong pasta"—turns out it was just jjamppong broth with pasta noodles instead of regular ones. Even a pasta newbie like me could handle this.
I looked around for utensils.
"Where the fuck are the chopsticks?"
"Pardon?"
"It's noodles—how am I supposed to eat without chopsticks?"
In my life, noodle dishes meant chopsticks. No utensils? How the hell do you eat?
Jeong-ah looked flustered and started setting stuff in front of me. A fork? They expected me to eat noodles with this?
"Ah, fuck... this is annoying."
Forks were for cutting pork cutlets, not twirling noodles—every time I tried, strands kept slipping off. Such a pain.
I was about to demand chopsticks when...
"If it's uncomfortable, want me to feed you?"
"Nah... that's a hard no."
She offered to twirl it on her fork and feed me—obvious rejection. I wasn't some kid, plus it'd just hassle her. Better ask for chopsticks.
The taste? Just eat it like regular jjamppong—easy enough.
We finished eating and settled the bill. Not some bullshit cashless joint this time—I paid with my subsidy cash.
"Whoa... he paid. That girl's got skills."
"Insane... one-on-one date and the guy buys her food."
"Us...? Hyun-su, enjoy your meal too."
Here, a guy paying was weird? I wanted to get used to it, but no dice.
Bill done, we headed out. My original goal of treating him to a meal? Mission accomplished. Time to head home—no need to drag it out. It hadn't even been that long; maybe call it?
"Oppa... if you're cool with it, wanna catch a movie before we go?"
"A movie?"
Jeong-ah suggested it, like she hated to part ways already. Movies, huh... Never been big on 'em. Back in beggar days, I'd snag leftover popcorn from folks dumping it, though staff chased me out. Got my caramel fix that way sometimes.
I didn't love watching movies, and I sure as hell wasn't flush enough for hobbies like that.
"Sure... when else we gonna?"
"For real? Hang on, lemme check what's playing nearby...."
She grinned and started searching. Just go and see, right?
"Um... first time seeing a movie with a guy, so... kinda exciting."
"Yeah? Me too—barely ever been to theaters, so yeah, exciting."
No theater trips at 20 for "reasons," and this was my first time going with someone.
We sat on a nearby bench picking a flick—from movies to docs, crime, action, thrillers. So many options, hard to choose.
"Oppa... wanna try a horror movie?"
"Horror?"
Jeong-ah recommended a horror flick. Horror genre? Would it even work? My life's already a goddamn horror show—doubt it'd scare me.