Date Me! - Chapter 16

As old memories slowly resurfaced, Juwon looked at the electronic billboard and chuckled.

Shortly after, the traffic light turned green.

As the car started moving, Ina turned around with a wistful expression, gazing at the gradually fading billboard.

“If you want to see it, you can just go, you know.”

Juwon glanced at Ina as he spoke.

Ina let out a short sigh and turned back to face the front.

“Yeah. I should go see it. But it’s strange, there’s not a single person around me who likes zombie movies, you know? That’s why I always end up going alone.”

“What about your boyfriend? Excluding that trash, I mean.”

“Boyfriend? Well… I only watched romance movies with my boyfriends. I don’t remember going to see a zombie movie with them.”

“Really? How many have you dated?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking how many you’ve dated that not a single one of them liked zombie movies.”

“Me? Well… including that crazy bastard, it would be three.”

“Three? …That’s fewer than I expected.”

“Is it few? Well, I didn’t date anyone in high school, dated once in college, once after getting a job, and the last one was when I met that crazy bastard, so I guess it is few if you put it that way.”

When Juwon didn’t say anything, Ina glanced at him from the side and asked.

“What about you? How many have you dated?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I’m really curious how many someone as handsome as you has dated.”

Instead of answering, Juwon chuckled.

“Huh? Tell me quickly. How many is it? How many have you been with?”

Ina asked, her eyes shining brightly.

Juwon, holding the steering wheel, remained silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Two.”

Ina’s eyes widened.

“Two? Oh my~ What’s this? You’re the one who’s severely lacking in numbers, aren’t you?”

“Is that so?”

“Of course! It’s obvious! How could you have only dated two with that face of yours? If I were you, I probably would have dated around 30 people!”

Juwon burst out laughing.

“Pfft. As if I’m some kind of Casanova?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. A lot of girls must have liked you, right? But it’s so surprising that you only dated two out of all of them.”

“Well, you date when both people have mutual feelings for each other. You can’t date everyone just because they confessed to you.”

“Everyone? That means you received a ton of confessions, doesn’t it? Right?”

“……”

“Come to think of it… You were insanely popular in middle school too, right? Now that you’ve become a completely dashing adult man, your popularity must be even more insane.”

“What popularity. Stop saying embarrassing things, it’s making me cringe.”

“But it’s the truth… Anyway, I’m a bit curious. How attractive were those two women that Lee Juwon ended up dating them? Were they ultra-beauties?”

“That’s enough. Stop interrogating me.”

At Juwon’s words, Ina nodded her head, acknowledging it even though she was disappointed.

Shortly after, Juwon’s car entered the villa where Ina lived.

“Thanks. You’re always going through the trouble of driving me.”

“It’s nothing. This much is hardly any trouble.”

“Still, I’m really grateful, you know?”

“If you’re that grateful, why don’t you reserve the movie we saw earlier?”

“Huh?”

“The movie we saw on the electronic billboard earlier. You said you always go alone to watch it. Why don’t you go see it with me?”

Ina’s face lit up with joy.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow! I’m so excited! I always only ate a single popcorn when I went alone, but if I go with you, we can eat a combo set.”

Juwon laughed out loud at Ina’s expression as she excitedly mentioned the popcorn out of the blue.

“What? You’re not happy that we’re going together, but happy that you can eat a combo set?”

“Huh? No, I mean… I’m happy about both. Killing two birds with one stone!”

Juwon chuckled at Ina’s blissful expression.

“Okay. Then if Sunday is good for you, should we reserve it for Sunday? Let’s have lunch and leisurely watch it.”

“Yeah. Got it. Then I’ll make the reservation and let you know the time.”

“Alright. Hurry up and go inside.”

“Okay. Then I’ll head in. You drive carefully too.”

Ina waved goodbye and entered the villa.

* * *

Saturday arrived.

Ina woke up leisurely, had a meal, washed the dishes, thoroughly cleaned every corner of the house, and did the laundry. As she was taking out warm clothes and organizing them, it was already approaching 3 o’clock.

After watching TV and having a cup of coffee, she took a leisurely shower, did light makeup, and put on a light gray knit sweater with dark blue jeans and a thin jacket. She grabbed her handbag and left the house.

She took the bus and arrived at Gangnam Station just past 5:30.

She had agreed to meet Hyunju 30 minutes earlier.

As she went up to exit 2, she saw Hyunju standing and looking at her phone.

“Hyunju.”

“Oh. You’re here?”

Hyunju walked over briskly, grabbed Ina’s shoulders, and looked her up and down.

“Are you okay? That jerk Park Jeonghun didn’t do anything weird while I was gone, right? Like coming to find you or making absurd demands or threats?”

Instead of answering, Ina let out a short sigh.

“Why? Did something happen? What is it? Did that bastard do something?”

“It’s all resolved now. So you don’t have to mention his name anymore.”

“What? What do you mean it’s resolved? That Park Jeonghun quietly backed off? How?”

“Let’s go inside first and talk.”

Ina and Hyunju slowly walked to the izakaya, their agreed meeting place.

Following the staff’s guidance, they entered a private room and sat down. Ina briefed Hyunju about what had happened over the past few days. After the briefing, Hyunju’s mouth fell open.

“Wow. Seriously… You wrote a complete epic in the few days I was gone, huh? But that Park Jeonghun… He’s a real piece of trash, isn’t he? How dare he go to your company and cause such a scene? Ugh, seriously. If I had been there, I would have plucked out all his hair!”

“It’s all over now, so don’t get too worked up.”

“I’m just so angry. How could he even think of coming to your workplace? Isn’t he completely crazy?”

It took a while for Ina to calm down the enraged Hyunju.

After the anger subsided, Hyunju looked at Ina with shining eyes.

“But how did you come up with such a brilliant idea? Saying that you and Juwon dated 10 years ago and met again by fate… How did you think of that on the spot?”

“I don’t know either. That guy kept pressing me about how long we had been together, and the words just came out of my mouth without knowing.”

“Wow~ For something that just came out, it sounds so plausible. And Juwon even went along with it?”

“…Yeah. That’s why I felt a bit sorry and embarrassed.”

“And when that bastard wouldn’t leave, he even stayed the night at your place?”

“Well, that was an unavoidable situation…”

“Yeah, let’s put that aside… But I’m really grateful to him, but at the same time, I find it a bit puzzling.”

“What is?”

“I mean, you said you weren’t that close when you were young and that he was blunt. But now, he’s letting you off work for a week because he’s worried about you, going along with the 10-year love story, and even mobilizing his lawyer cousin to help you.”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m really grateful to him.”

“No… Being grateful is one thing, but it’s kind of…”

Hyunju looked at Ina with a contemplative expression.

“Could it be that he… has feelings for you?”

“What?”

Ina frowned and looked at Hyunju.

“I mean, the last time you both saw each other was in middle school. You were young then, but now that you’ve met as adults, he might have developed feelings for you as a woman.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t say such nonsense.”

“Why is it nonsense? Even that Park Jeonghun guy actively pursued you from the moment he saw you at the blind date. Juwon is a man too, so there’s no law saying he can’t develop feelings for you, right?”

“Oh, no. It’s definitely not like that. So stop saying weird things.”

“Come to think of it… If he really has feelings for you… It could be a bit troublesome.”

“Now what are you talking about?”

“I couldn’t tell you over the phone, but in Yeosu… Siwoo kept asking about you. You weren’t even that close with him. But when he heard you lived in Seoul, he was so happy. Seeing his reaction, I thought… Could it be that he liked you back then? And Siwoo is single now. Single.”

“Hey, Park Hyunju. Are you already trying to set me up here and there now that I’m single?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying… Think about it carefully. He…”

Hyunju was about to give a long speech, but her phone rang. It was Siwoo.

“Oh? Siwoo is calling. Just a moment.”

Hyunju brought the phone to her ear.

“Hello? Oh, Siwoo. We’re already here. Here? It’s room 6. Yeah. Okay. Come quickly.”

Ina, just in case, told Hyunju to keep her mouth shut.

“Park Hyunju. You better not say anything weird to Siwoo later. Got it?”

“What weird things?”

“About Park Jeonghun or Juwon, and that love story you’re creating on your own.”

Instead of answering, Hyunju giggled, but seeing Ina’s stern principal-like expression, she nodded her head in agreement.

“I got it, so stop worrying and try to make some time with that guy named Lee Juwon. I need to meet him.”

“What? Why you?”

Just as Ina spoke, there was a knock on the door.

Both of them simultaneously turned their heads towards the door, and shortly after, the door opened.

Siwoo, wearing a gray checkered jacket and standing tall, was at the doorway.

Ina, who was sitting across from the door, and Siwoo, who was standing outside the door, made direct eye contact.

For a moment, as if time had stopped, Siwoo’s gaze softly landed on Ina.

And a gentle smile bloomed on Siwoo’s lips as he looked at Ina.

Seeing that smile, Ina also found herself slightly smiling with delight.

“Oh, Siwoo. Come in.”

At the sound of Hyunju’s voice, Siwoo finally shifted his gaze to her.

Returning to reality, Siwoo belatedly responded with a smile and sat across from Ina.

Seated, Siwoo intently looked at Ina in front of him and extended his hand.

“Hi. Seo Ina? Long time no see.”

Siwoo, with a bright brown dandy perm, said with a beaming smile.

For a moment, it felt like an illusion where the high school student Siwoo in his uniform and the adult Siwoo of the present overlapped.

Even then and now, when he smiled brightly, his gentle puppy-like eyes that curved like crescents remained the same.

Looking into those eyes, Ina took Siwoo’s outstretched hand.

“Oh, yeah. It’s been a long time. Nice to see you.”

Siwoo’s large hand firmly grasped Ina’s small, fair hand as if enveloping it.

“You were pretty back then, and you’re still pretty now.”

Ina’s eyes widened at Siwoo’s sudden flattery without any warning.

Hyunju gave Ina a knowing look, wiggling her eyebrows with a mischievous smile.

Then she spoke to Siwoo in a playful voice.

“Hey, Kim Siwoo. You didn’t say I got prettier when you saw me in Yeosu the other day. Are you discriminating now?”

At Hyunju’s words, Siwoo let go of Ina’s hand and flashed a bright smile.

“Huh? Did I not say it? But Hyunju, I thought you already knew that even if I don’t say it.”

“Oh my, oh my? Look at this guy. He’s become such a smooth talker while I wasn’t looking.”

“Is that so? Hahaha.”

Siwoo laughed with a refreshing laughter like a carbonated drink.

Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.

The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…

Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.

Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.

The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”

When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…

The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced