During the drive, Kang Woo took a moment to steal a glance at Se Ah while they were briefly parked. The couple ring on her left ring finger, resting on her knee, twinkled. Kang Woo found himself smirking involuntarily.

“Is the temperature alright? Should I turn up the heater a bit?”
His voice from a moment ago was incredibly tender. Se Ah stared intensely at him as he turned the steering wheel.

“Why?”
“No, it’s just that… I’m not particularly cold.”
“Do you want to do something?”
“Not really anything in particular.”
They had married without dating, and even after marriage, they seldom had meals together in their home, let alone went out on dates. She had no idea what she was supposed to do on this unexpected date.

“Just… eating food, drinking tea… umm… Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?”
“I suppose so. I don’t know much about dating women either.”
“…You’re lying.”
“I’m not sure whether having no experience with women is an advantage, or pretending to have experience when you don’t is better.”
“Kang Woo, you make jokes sound so serious. It’s confusing.”
She covertly watched him as he smirked and stepped on the accelerator. His smile seemed to never fade.

Instead of his usual suit, he was wearing a dark navy knit, black jeans, and sneakers. His look was different. It felt as if she had travelled back in time to meet him when he was 23.

Kang Woo pressed the play button for the music connected via Bluetooth. The playlist was a mix of lively songs and soothing ones, but all were love songs nonetheless.

“Do you listen to pop music too?”
“I thought you might like it. I’ve lined up the latest hits. What do you think?”
“…I like it. These are the songs I listen to these days.”
“Really? Did I hit the bullseye?”
“…”
“I told you. Once I set my mind to it, I excel at anything.”
His mood seemed to be excessively high, evident even in his voice.

On the other hand, Se Ah’s emotions were complicated. She felt a late regret for falling for his provocations. She was worried that her lingering feelings for him would only grow stronger after spending a day like this.

At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a little silly for being excited about their first date happening now. When it came to him, she seemed to have no pride.

Anyhow, it was her choice to accept his proposal. Water under the bridge. She decided to forget about it just for today. Both their complicated past and their impending separation.

The moment Se Ah’s gaze was momentarily stolen by the transparentlike lake, Kang Woo’s car entered the restaurant parking lot.

“Are we eating already? It should still be before opening hours.”
“There’s a lot to do. Unlike you, who doesn’t particularly want to do anything, I have a lot.”
Having finished parking, he got out and walked around to the passenger side. He unbuckled the still dazed Se Ah’s seat belt and motioned with his eyes.

“Let’s go.”
“You didn’t rent the whole place out like in dramas, did you? Is that even possible with just a day’s notice?”
“Give me your hand.”
Without waiting for permission, he took her hand.

“Let’s skip the permissions and deals, they ended yesterday.”
“…”
“Don’t forget, I already paid a steep price. I traded my precious one month for just one day.”
She didn’t say anything because he wasn’t wrong. But she became conscious of her palm, which felt suddenly sweaty.

“Can you just let go of my hand?”
“Why?”
“…It’s uncomfortable.”
At his brow’s arching surprise, she immediately shook her head. They walked hand in hand to the front door of the restaurant.

A staff member opened the restaurant door before they could push it. They were guided to the place with the best view.

As expected, there was no one else inside. The serene classic music flowed, and the contrasting black and white interior was elegant. Even the spoons and cups placed on the table were engraved with the restaurant’s logo, adding to the prestige.

“I ordered in advance thinking you might be hungry. If there’s something else you want, just order.”
“You did well. You would know better about places like this, Kang Woo. You must have come here often.”
“I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or a criticism, but I’ll take it as a compliment. I’m not stingy.”
Today, he was suddenly more talkative than usual. His words, though sarcastic, were somewhat humorous.

Not long after they sat, a staff member came to test the wine, and Se Ah chose a red wine with a slight sweetness.

Clink. They touched their wine glasses together. As he had to drive, he didn’t take a sip and put the glass back down. An appetizer of caviar and porcini mushrooms came out, followed by the chef from the kitchen.

The chef described the pasta with clams and shrimp, veal tenderloin steak, and the lobster with a strong aroma of butter and cheese. After they finished their meal at a leisurely pace, the pastry chef would bring out dessert. The chef then excused himself.

“Eat slowly.”
“Okay.”