Unexpected Date?! (5)
Han River ramen didn't mean to pour in water like the Han River.
Is this jjajang ramen or jjajang stew? The moment Seonghwan received his ramen bowl, he checked the water level first, and his face twisted in disgust.
Seeing Seonghwan grimace, Hyo-seok looked puzzled and asked, "Hyung, is something wrong?"
"Whoa. Who the hell put water in this ramen? It's filthy..."
"Oh, that was me. I forgot it was jjajang ramen and set it up like regular ramen, then forgot to drain some water midway."
Seonghwan's furrowed brows began to relax as he watched Jia smile sheepishly, looking apologetic.
"I was gonna say it's gonna taste filthy good. It's fine, it's fine."
He couldn't bring himself to scold Jia, who was already embarrassed, so he peered into Lee Hyun's bowl instead. She was already poised with chopsticks, ready to dig in. Her jjajang ramen looked properly cooked, with the right amount of water.
"Hey, let's mix ours and share."
"Mix? What do you mean mix? Jjajang noodles aren't bibimbap, you idiot."
Lee Hyun wrinkled her nose, openly showing her disgust, but Seonghwan ignored her.
Poke.
"Eek!"
Seonghwan jabbed her side hard with his chopsticks, and she jumped like she'd been electrocuted.
"Bring it over here. Mix it with mine and split it again—it'll have the right water level. Look at yours; it's a bit sticky."
Thwack.
"Gah!"
Lee Hyun, still flinching, kicked Seonghwan's side right back.
"You wanna die? Before I shove this ramen up your nose, bring it back."
They bickered, kicking and poking each other, leaving Jia and Hyo-seok staring blankly, too stunned to eat their own ramen.
"Do those two always sync up like that? Even while beating the crap out of each other, they control it so perfectly without spilling a drop."
Jia had to nod inwardly at Hyo-seok's words. She could guess Lee Hyun's feelings, and Hyun herself didn't seem to deny them. On the flip side, Seonghwan treated her purely like a little sister, oblivious to her crush.
But if you looked closely at his actions, you could see how much attention he paid to her. In a small group like this—four people, or the typical intimate gathering Koreans often have—Lee Hyun sometimes ended up isolated, the mood dipping around her. And without fail, Seonghwan would pick on her to pull her back in. Just like now.
"Ahh!"
The moment Lee Hyun snatched her ramen back from Seonghwan and went to eat, he opened his mouth wide, stole her chopsticks, and gulped down the noodles she'd been about to eat.
"You fucking jerk!"
Lee Hyun, as if she'd been waiting, unleashed a side kick.
"Cough!"
Seonghwan took the kick without noticing but stubbornly chewed and swallowed the ramen anyway.
Hmm. Jia nodded to herself. She could roughly guess how their relationship had formed.
Hyun depends on Seonghwan oppa more than I thought.
Depending on someone meant reading their mood. Even while kicking, Lee Hyun's eyes flicked to check Seonghwan's expression, worried she'd upset him.
The memory flashed through Jia's mind: at the pork belly restaurant, Lee Hyun suddenly freaking out and bowing 90 degrees to the owner in apology.
That time...
Her friend Lee Hyun was kind-hearted and without rough edges but didn't usually show it outwardly. She'd blamed it on being drunk, but Jia had been inwardly puzzled by the uncharacteristic behavior.
Now I get it! And she felt like she understood something else too. How intensely her friend was suffering from an unrequited crush.
That won't do. She'd only thought of it as a simple crush before, but Hyun was burning with feverish longing. Yet Hyun, clumsy with her feelings and actions, couldn't push for more. At this rate, she'd just solidify as Seonghwan's "close little sister" in his mind.
So Jia steeled her resolve.
"Oppa!!"
"Gah! You scared me."
Seonghwan, in the middle of wrestling and stealing ramen from Lee Hyun, whipped around in shock at Jia's sudden shout.
"Hey, don't scare people like that. Don't you know how startling it is when you yell out of nowhere?"
"Heehee."
Jia giggled awkwardly at his startled reaction but pressed on with her point.
"Oppa doesn't have a girlfriend, right?"
"...Who asks that with such confidence?"
"Heeheehee."
Seonghwan wasn't offended by the question. It was just odd seeing this seemingly innocent girl—the friend of Lee Hyun and the instigator of today's meetup—flashing a smile that wasn't entirely pure.
"If I did, I wouldn't be hanging out with you guys on the weekend, would I?"
Images of Min Yu-ri and Jo Yu-mi briefly crossed Seonghwan's mind.
Not yet. Who knows how it'll change after April 13th.
They'd sucked and fucked each other, but they weren't officially dating. He had a pool villa reserved, but no clue how things would go there. Yu-mi sunbae officially had another boyfriend. It was just fuck buddies, nothing more.
Jia would be floored if she knew about their physical flings first, but anyway, Seonghwan defined himself as single for now.
"Why do you ask?"
Not just Seonghwan—everyone thought the question came out of left field.
"If we're gonna keep hanging out like this, I need to check if anyone has a girlfriend."
"Keep hanging out? Like this again?"
Seonghwan was dumbfounded by the unexpected pitch, but Hyo-seok raised both hands in approval. "I'm in! Great idea. Let's all meet up like this again, just the four of us."
"What do you think? It's fun, right? Oppa, you're a sophomore, so you have to study, but just occasionally. Very occasionally. We meet up like this, grab lunch at school when schedules match. We can take turns buying meal tickets or everyone pays their own."
Passing up free meals from freshmen was throwing away a huge perk. Seeing Jia go this far to keep meeting up with him, Seonghwan couldn't help but wonder.
Does she actually like me?
He didn't mind, but it didn't make sense.
How many times have we even met?
But Jia ignored him and declared her conclusion. "Great! Our group's set like this. Hyo-seok can sit it out if he wants."
"What? Hey, don't leave me out like that. I'm in too. Make a group chat right now."
"Oh? Hyo-seok, good idea!!"
Jia whipped out her phone at his solid suggestion.
"Okay~ I'll invite everyone. Starting with Hyun... and Seonghwan oppa too. Hmm... fine, you too, Hyo-seok."
Hyo-seok looked miffed at being treated like an afterthought—pickled radish side dish—but he checked the group chat happily anyway.
"Huh? What's this? The chat name is 'Steam Billowing Up from the Rice'? What does that mean?"
"Think about when we go somewhere and cook together. The most exciting moment is that, right? Opening the rice cooker and steam rising warmly. I named it after that cozy feeling."
"Makes sense, I guess..."
Seonghwan felt it sounded plausible yet oddly off, but he didn't argue. It was a pretty appealing image, after all.
"Yeah, cooking rice on a trip is always the sweetest moment."
"Right? After midterms, let's go somewhere. My aunt runs a pension in Gangneung. I'll pick a date sometime."
"Huh?"
Her momentum was good—too good. Seonghwan couldn't keep up.
"Wait, that far?"
"What about you, Hyun? Sounds good, right? We need a change of pace sometimes anyway."
Jia skipped Seonghwan and checked with Lee Hyun first. But even Hyun was caught off guard by the sudden proposal.
"Uh, I haven't really thought about it..."
"Heh. Then just follow my lead, Hyun."
"I'm in. Totally in. This is how college life's romance starts blooming."
Jia, having stubbornly pushed her idea through, looked satisfied as she turned to Lee Hyun and Seonghwan. Hyo-seok's mindless cheering was just a side note.
Steam Billowing Up from the Rice. Heh, perfect.
'Kim' from Seonghwan, 'I' from Lee Hyun, Jeong Ji-a, Lee Hyo-seok. She'd quickly made the pun on their surnames for the group name, and the more she thought about it, the more it fit.
When rice becomes steamed rice, steam billows up, right? Game over when the steam rises.
With her sly plan in mind, Jia grinned mischievously at Lee Hyun. Despite her flustered protests, Hyun's reddened face betrayed her inability to refuse. Seonghwan wore a bewildered look, totally blindsided.
Everything's in my hands.
For her friend, Jia pondered how to sweet-talk her aunt who ran the pension in Gangneung. It got great reviews and was peak season for college breaks, hard to book. But for Lee Hyun, she'd rush over next weekend and lay on the charm if needed.
Heehee. Just trust me, Hyun.
Jia found Hyun adorably shy, avoiding her gaze under the scrutiny.
"Nngh..."
A desperate, writhing hand gesture. Thin wrists tensed, veins bulging.
Ple...ase...
The woman's tear-filled eyes were squeezed shut. She muttered to herself, slick with cold sweat. Voices of a man and woman whispering in her dream echoed through her mind.
Auntie, my gift to you. It's a bracelet—the cubic zirconia looks just like real jewels. I spent all my saved allowance. Don't lose it. Heehee.
Will you take me home, Auntie? My bro's there, so it'll be fine.
Ah... I wanna play more. Gotta go home next month. I wanna stay by your side longer...
The boy, a head shorter than her back then, had grown tall enough for her to look up at. Yet his voice was still full of mischief.
I wish I could live with you like this forever. This is the happiest time of my life. Heehee.
His words pierced her heart, then he vanished.
A middle-aged woman appeared.
That's none of your business.
The dreaming woman screamed at her.
No! Tell me the truth. Was what I heard real?
......
The woman stared silently into space. Then came the thunderbolt.
Yes. Seonghwan is... your son. But it has nothing to do with you.
What? Why? Why doesn't it? What about your husband? The one obsessed with his own bloodline—what did he say?
......That's none of your business.
It was a nightmare. A beautiful nightmare. Tormenting every time she dreamed it, yet one she never wanted to forget—and feared forgetting.
"Unniiiii!!"
"Ah, fuck... you scared me."
The woman's scream from her nightmare jolted awake pulled a startled reaction from someone nearby.
"Ow... you scared me. Eunyoung-ah, why do you sleep so noisily? Another nightmare? You hadn't had them lately—what's up? Something happen?"
"Haa... haa..."
The man who'd been waiting at the table for her to wake stood and approached, worried.
"Here, drink some water. Look at you sweating. Crank the AC or something. Sleeping with just a fan in this heat is why you're having nightmares."
He grabbed a cold bottle from the fridge and handed it to her.
"Haa..."
But she just panted, unresponsive to him or the bottle.
Haa...
For different reasons, he sighed inwardly where she couldn't see.
The fragrant scent from her sweat-dampened hair wafted into his nose. Slightly wavy brown locks. A sharp nose, deep double eyelids, thick long lashes. Porcelain skin untouched by the blazing sun. Long neckline leading to deep cleavage.
This woman's endless beauty still made his flesh crawl with allure, even after over five years. Even sweat droplets trailing down her neck looked like dew on a lily.
He'd waited at the table as if just arriving when she woke, but truth be told, he'd come earlier—while she was lost in dreams—and stared at her face the whole time. Her frowning in the nightmare was so beautiful he'd almost reached out to touch her, only to jolt back and sit at the table.
Almost slipped up...
He could only bitter-smile to himself. She always sent unspoken signals not to cross the line. To stay by her side, unlike other men, he'd resisted temptation with immense self-control. One slip would waste the years he'd guarded her.
"How long you been waiting?"
Finally composed, she lifted her head, back to her businesswoman poise. He smiled wryly and poured water, handing it again.
"About ten minutes? Drink first."
"Thanks. I must've dozed off without realizing..."
She took a sip and stood.
"You came for the accounting report? Yoon-ji sent the files already."
"Aa... catch your breath. Who's gonna eat you?"
"I drank water. That's enough."
She sat at the table, so he shook his head helplessly and took the seat opposite.
"Not for accounting. Yoon-ji's handling details anyway—no issues there."
"...Then?"
"Bohol's stabilized now. So, about that Nha Trang idea I mentioned before—thinking of checking it out."
"Nha Trang? Vietnam?"
"Yeah. A senior I know set up everything there: hotels, leisure groups, revenue shares, even promos with travel agencies. But personal issues in Korea—he's asking if we want in, since he can't continue."
"We just settled in the Philippines, and now Vietnam? English is official here, but not so much there."
"Told you, he laid all the groundwork. He's got three people—all English speakers, some Korean too. Two-plus years building it; commissions are reasonable. I vouch for him."
"Can't commit. We basically shut Boracay for Bohol three years ago. Word's just spreading to Koreans now. Direct flights give Bohol the edge, but who knows."
"That's the big draw. Catching up on water leisure and infrastructure will take time. Better scout alternatives than wait. Philippines is tightening beach management—more tourism restrictions coming."
Seven years ago, she'd started her Philippines tour company and settled in. He'd joined via alumni connections, as partner and support. She was capable; he was diligent. But luck evaded them. Midway through grinding against competitors in Boracay and Cebu, COVID hit. Devastating, but they endured.
Actually, he'd urged returning to Korea, but she gritted her teeth and pushed on for some reason. Local businessmen's shady "deals" tempted her, but she scoffed and cursed them out—torching their remaining networks. Then she boldly uprooted and moved to Bohol.
Bohol was a gamble. Beaches cleaner than Boracay, but infrastructure was rural at best outside a few hotels. The edge: direct flights from Incheon's airport right into town. Boracay required endless drives and ferries—a pain. Bohol skipped that.
Not just that. Lesser-known spot meant fewer Chinese, Japanese, or Western tourists besides Koreans—a plus.
They carved routes: hotels, massage parlors, dive operators. Grinding led to becoming Bohol's top local tour firm.
But whatever drove her to night gigs and claw through this, he was different.
Eunyoung. You really...
The woman who'd stolen his pure heart. Who pondered his proposals yet avoided his eyes. Who ignored his obvious feelings. The insanely beautiful woman who kept him from ever leaving.
He shelved his thoughts and got to business—and his selfish hopes.
"You're the main player. Ideally, go with me. Maria can handle here. Four or five days tops. Not peak season."
"No!"
She shook her head firmly, staring him straight in the eye.
Guh...
Her sapphire eyes locked on him after so long. His pupils shook in dizzying thrill, but she snapped him back.
"I've been planning to head to Korea once I wrap things up here."
"What? Suddenly?"
Even in COVID hell, she'd clung on fiercely. Now, just settled abroad, she wanted to go home. He knew it wasn't a casual family visit.
Why avoid Korea so much?
......Not ready yet. Promised unni. Won't go back till I shed my childish ways and can face myself proudly. She begged, and I agreed.
Her answer when he'd asked during COVID.
"Now's the time? You planning to come back? What about the business?"
"......Told Yoon-ji everything. She and Maria will sort it. Not leaving forever. Need to expand promos with Korean agencies anyway. Online era or not, big tour packages are different."
"Can do that from here. Local prep's faster, more accurate. Entertaining's here too. Not buying the Korea trip excuse."
"You don't need to know, Hyungwook-ssi."
"Eunyoung!"
Hyungwook glared angrily, but she ignored him.
"You... seriously..."
His throat tightened; he couldn't continue.
Fuck... why did I endure all this shit?
She knew his heart yet played dumb to the end.
"If you want, I'll buy out your share with capital. Do Vietnam solo—no issue."
".........!!"
"Told you repeatedly. Anytime's fine. Might even ease your mind."
"...You..."
"So don't meddle in my affairs. That's crossing the line too."
With that, she turned away.
"Two months left. Rapu-Rapu Hotel deal's wrapping soon; Yoon-ji has tons to coordinate with locals. Won't leave till next month. Think about your future slowly."
It was a dismissal. She sat silently, reviewing business docs. Her elegant pose propping her chin on her hand clashed oddly with the cheap cubic zirconia bracelet on her wrist.
But Hyungwook had to leave without a word.