106: Chapter 106 Dating

On the first weekend of December, Christmas decorations were already everywhere on the streets of Seoul. At the entrance of the COEX Mall in Gangnam District stood an artificial Christmas tree three stories high, draped with gold and red baubles, the star at the top appearing particularly piercing under the pale grey sky.

The mall was crowded, mostly with young couples walking arm-in-arm, carrying paper bags printed with various brand logos. When Chairman Wang Shunyi pushed open the door and walked in, a high schooler handing out flyers at the entrance held one out; Kim Young-jun was about to take it, but Chairman Wang Shunyi waved him off and took it himself.

The flyer was a promotional advertisement for a newly opened pizza place nearby; he glanced at it, folded it twice, and stuffed it into his coat pocket. Park Min-ji walked to his right, wearing an off-white sweater, dark blue jeans, and canvas shoes, with her hair tied in a low ponytail.

She wasn't wearing makeup today, or rather, it was so light that one would need to get very close to notice. But Chairman Wang Shunyi noticed; he had been in enough situations with Park Min-ji to distinguish when she was wearing makeup and when she wasn't.

The Starfield Library was in the central atrium of COEX, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on all four sides. The light coming through the glass roof was fragmented by the diamond-shaped steel frames, casting patches of light onto the spines of the books.

The LED starry sky hanging from the ceiling stayed lit even during the day, its soft light resembling the glow of twilight. Park Min-ji looked up for a while, saying she hadn't been here in a long time. He asked who she came with last time, and after a moment's thought, she said she came alone; work had been stressful back then, so she would come and sit here whenever she was free on weekends.

He looked at her, thinking she might say, "It would have been nice if I'd known you back then."

But she didn't; she wasn't the type of person to say such things.

The two of them walked slowly along the bookshelves. Occasionally, she would pull out a book, flip through a few pages, and put it back; he followed beside her, never once taking out his phone. When they reached the literature section, she stopped and pulled out a collection of poems by Yun Dong-ju.

He stood beside her, looking at the poet's name on the cover without saying anything. She flipped to the poem "Counting Stars at Night" and read a short passage in a very soft voice. He stood by her side without leaning in to look, simply waiting for her to finish flipping through and slide the book back onto the shelf.

"You read poetry?" he asked.

"Occasionally. I used to read it more. Since I started working, I haven't read much."

"You should read more in the future. It's good for your health."

He spoke with a flat tone, but she let out a chuckle beside him, saying it wasn't a matter of health but a matter of mood. He thought about it and decided she was right, so he didn't say anything more.

At noon, they found a Japanese restaurant in the mall. She ordered salmon sashimi and eel rice, while he ordered tuna sushi and miso soup.

While eating, she suddenly asked him, "Oppa, what will Shunyi Foods become in the future?"

As she spoke, she held a piece of salmon with her chopsticks, dipped in soy sauce but not yet in her mouth. He looked at the ring on her hand; it wasn't one he had given her, but one she had bought herself—a simple silver band she had worn for many years, polished bright at the knuckle.

He remembered buying a more expensive one for her at COEX before; she had been very happy when she received it, but she still wore this old one daily.

"Haha, of course we'll continue with food. We've already become number one in Korea; next is number one in Asia. After number one in Asia, it's number one in the world."

She nodded, not considering this empty talk; from the day she met him until now, he had never spoken an empty word. She asked again:

"Regarding the acquisition of the entertainment company, what are your plans?"

"The acquisition is just a means, not the end. The goal is still to sell noodles—to sell more noodles."

She nodded.

After finishing their meal, she suggested going for a stroll in Cheongdam-dong. He didn't really want to go. He had been to those streets in Cheongdam-dong a few times with clients; they were full of luxury boutiques where staff stood at the doors wearing white gloves, their gazes sharper than security scanners.

But he didn't spoil the mood. Once in Cheongdam-dong, she didn't enter those flagship stores but turned into a side street lined with boutique shops. The storefronts weren't large, with exaggerated designs displayed in the windows and mannequins in increasingly awkward poses.

She stopped in front of one shop; a dark grey cashmere scarf hung in the window with a price tag of nine hundred thousand. She looked at the price for a few seconds before continuing on. He stood before the window, taking a few extra glances at the scarf and noting the shop's name.

She walked around without buying anything and asked if there was anything he wanted to buy; he said no. The two of them left Cheongdam-dong empty-handed. He suggested getting a coffee over in Apgujeong, and she agreed.

They had been to that cafe in Apgujeong several times; the staff already recognized them and would proactively reserve that corner seat by the window. He ordered an Americano, and she ordered a latte.

When the coffee was served, she stirred the foam with a small spoon. The latte art was a cat's face; she looked at it for a long time, reluctant to drink it, but eventually stirred it away.

"Minji. Have you been thinking about something lately?"

Her hand stirring the foam paused for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

"Earlier at COEX, you asked about the future of Shunyi Foods, and then you asked again at the Japanese restaurant. Asking the same question twice means it's on your mind."

She put down the small spoon and looked at him. "I was thinking... you're running so fast, will you leave me behind one day?"

Someone in the cafe was working on a laptop, the clattering of the keyboard sounding like someone rushing to meet a deadline. Outside the window, traffic flowed endlessly along Apgujeong-ro, with the occasional sports car passing by, its engine noise rolling past in a low rumble.

"No."

He said, "You run slower than me, but I can wait for you."

She looked at him, her eyes turning a bit red.

He said nothing else. The coffee was finished.

In the evening, they went to Seoul Forest. It was already dark; the streetlights in the park cast a dim yellow glow, and the reflections on the lake were broken by the wind.

She walked to his left, her hands tucked into her coat pockets. The wind blew across the water, carrying a damp chill. She shrunk her neck slightly, and he unwrapped his scarf and draped it around her neck. The scarf still carried his body heat. She didn't refuse, burying her face in the scarf; after a few steps, she pulled her hand out of her pocket and took his hand.

His hand was much larger than hers, and she couldn't grip it fully, as if holding a fist that hadn't yet grown. He tightened his fingers, clasping her hand in return, and the two of them walked along the lakeside like that. The streetlights along the lake were spaced far apart, and light and shadow flickered over them in intervals. She walked slowly, so he slowed down too. Wild ducks swam across the lake, leaving long, thin ripples that soon smoothed over.

"Sunyi."

"Yeah."

"Let's come to Seoul Forest every year from now on, okay?"

"Okay."

Reaching the other end of the park, she stopped and turned to look at him. The light from a streetlight hit her face, half in light and half in shadow.

"You don't have to wait for me."

"You keep running. I'll catch up."

He looked at her without speaking.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed the corner of his mouth lightly, like a leaf falling.

Then she turned and continued walking. He stood there, raising a hand to touch the spot where the "leaf" had landed, then caught up and walked to her right.

This time, he took her hand proactively, and she didn't pull back. After all, everything that was supposed to happen had happened, and the awkwardness of their earlier dates was gone. They crossed the east gate of Seoul Forest and walked to the roadside to wait for a car. Kim Young-jun had already driven over from the company and was parked by the road with his hazard lights on.

He opened the car door for her to get in first; as she entered, she glanced sideways at him and smiled.

The car first stopped downstairs at her home. She unbuckled her seatbelt, turned back, and said, "Oppa, I had a great time today."

He didn't say anything, just gave a nod. She pushed open the door and got out. He didn't immediately have Kim Young-jun drive away, but sat in the car looking at the rearview mirror.

She walked to the building entrance, her keys flashing in the light. She bent down to pick up a flyer at the door and, without even looking at it, stuffed it into her pocket before pushing the door and going inside. The lights in the apartment stairwell lit up on the third floor and then went out. Kim Young-jun glanced at him in the rearview mirror, and he gave a nod. The car glided out of the complex and merged into traffic.

"Chairman, are we going straight back to the apartment?"

"Yes."

Kim Young-jun didn't ask further. Chairman Wang Shunyi leaned against the backrest with his eyes closed, smelling her scent on the scarf. The scarf was still with her; he hadn't asked for it back.

He hadn't decided whether to ask for it back, nor had he decided whether to buy a new one. Forget it, let it be for now. Outside the window, patches of neon light slid across his face one by one, moving very fast, but he didn't open his eyes to look.