Date Me! - Chapter 28

“Oh. Ina. Wait a moment.”

As Juwon called Ina’s name in a gentle voice, the attention of the other four people also turned to Juwon.

“I’ll go make a quick call and come back.”

Juwon stood up and asked for their understanding before going upstairs to the second floor. The gazes of the four people followed Juwon as he went.

“Didn’t he say… he doesn’t have a girlfriend?”

The wife of President Han asked with narrowed eyes, and Aeran looked flustered.

“Oh my, of course. Our Juwon doesn’t have a girlfriend right now. Right? Honey?”

When Aeran asked her husband Yeongcheol, he coughed and answered.

“Hmm, no he doesn’t. When I asked him last time if he was seeing someone, he clearly said no.”

“Then who could that person on the phone be?”

“Hmm, I don’t know either.”

As Yeongcheol answered awkwardly, President Han’s wife said with a laugh.

“Oh well. Then maybe it’s just a close friend. Hoho.”

Subin looked glum as she glanced at the second floor where Juwon had gone.

Seeing this, Aeran gently took Subin’s arm and said,

“Subin, we’re about to have tea now, so could you go upstairs and let Juwon know?”

“Me?”

Subin asked with wide eyes.

“Yes. You go up and tell him, then come down together. That’ll do it.”

With even her mother pushing her, Subin reluctantly got up from her seat.

Then with a pounding heart, she slowly went upstairs to the second floor.

When she got up there, she saw Juwon leaning against the wall, talking on the phone.

His face, which had been expressionless throughout the meal, was now full of smiles as if he was really enjoying himself.

Seeing this, Subin unknowingly felt a twinge of jealousy.

So she immediately called out, “Oppa.”

Juwon turned around and spoke a few more words to the woman on the phone before hanging up.

“What is it?”

His tone was polite, but the smile he had while on the phone was now gone.

“The adults said they’re about to have tea… so they told me to come get you.”

“Let’s go down.”

Juwon answered, his face expressionless again, and turned his steps towards the stairs.

* * *

“Hmm, this isn’t it. I think the other one from before looked more natural.”

Hyunju shook her head and pointed to the clothes lying on the bed.

An hour ago,

Juwon had called saying he would be leaving his father’s house now, and as soon as Ina hung up, she was in a flurry.

“Hey. Relax.”

Hyunju calmed the flustered Ina and sat her down.

“This could be the decisive moment, so don’t get excited. So relax. Okay?”

Ina swallowed and nodded.

“Since you’re just going out for a simple coffee, let’s dress appropriately and naturally. I think that would be better.”

Hyunju opened Ina’s closet on her behalf as Ina sat there in a daze, and scanned the clothes with eagle eyes.

She then handed Ina two outfits and told her to try them on.

Ina got up clumsily and changed into each outfit in turn.

When Hyunju said the first outfit was better, Ina changed back into it.

“Since you’re just going out from home anyway, keep your makeup as natural as possible, but pretty. Okay?”

Ina blinked and nodded.

Hyunju sat the dazed Ina down and worked her magic.

She paid attention to making Ina’s large eyes and luscious lips look attractive while keeping the makeup looking as natural as possible to bring out Ina’s fair and clear skin tone.

“Kya. I did it myself, but it’s really a work of art. Art! I should have become a makeup artist instead of a web designer!”

Hyunju self-praised as she looked at her creation.

Ina also looked in the mirror and smiled shyly, pleased with the makeup Hyunju had done for her.

“For the hair, let’s put it up cutely.”

Hyunju grabbed Ina’s hair and fiddled with it this way and that before creating a cute updo.

The updo made Ina’s adorable face look even smaller.

“When I get married, I definitely need to have a daughter. Why is dressing you up so fun? Our Ina is pretty. So pretty.”

Hyunju hugged Ina and made a gesture of giving her a kiss.

Ina smiled and thanked her.

“Okay. I’ll get going now, so you have a good talk with Juwon later. Got it? No matter what you two discuss today, you have to come to a conclusion. Got it?”

“Yeah… Got it.”

Ina bit her lip slightly and answered, as if the word ‘conclusion’ made her nervous.

“Hey. There’s nothing to be nervous about. What is there to be nervous about when your feelings for each other are clear? And don’t forget to call me later and let me know how it went. Got it?”

“Okay. Got it.”

“Then I’m off. Seo Ina, fighting!”

Hyunju loudly cheered her on and then opened the front door and left.

After Hyunju left, Ina, who became nervous again, rubbed her palms together.

Out of anxious feelings, she got up and paced the living room, and then her phone rang.

It was Juwon.

Ina answered the phone with a trembling heart.

“Hello?”

-I’m here. Come down.

“Oh? Okay. Got it.”

Ina answered in a shaky voice and hung up the phone.

Then she let out a deep breath and opened the front door to go downstairs.

When she got to the first floor, Juwon was leaning against his car.

Ba-thump. Ba-thump.

As soon as she saw Juwon, her heart started pounding.

Ina walked over to Juwon with a trembling heart and stood in front of him.

Juwon, who had his arms crossed, smiled as he looked at Ina.

“Hi there.”

Juwon greeted her in a playful voice.

“Oh, hi.”

Ina greeted him back in an awkward voice, then lightly bit her lip.

Juwon unfolded his arms and leaned forward to look down at Ina.

Startled, Ina looked up at Juwon with wide eyes as the corners of his mouth curved up.

“Your hair is so cute.”

Juwon said, looking at Ina’s hair rolled up like an apple.

Her cute face topped with the apple-like bun made her look even more adorable.

At his words, Ina’s cheeks flushed red and Juwon smiled with his eyes.

“Where should we go for coffee? Is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Huh? Well… I can’t really think of anywhere in particular.”

“Hmm, the weather is nice, so how about we go to the Han River, walk around a bit, and then have coffee?”

“Okay. Let’s do that.”

Juwon smiled and opened the passenger door.

“Thanks.”

As she passed by Juwon to get into the passenger seat, a subtle citrus scent wafted over.

That scent made her already pounding heart beat even faster.

On the way to a nearby Han River Park, Ina was so nervous that she felt her palms getting sweaty. As Ina was wiping the sweat from her palms, Juwon’s car entered the Han River Park.

After parking in a spot further in, the two got out of the car.

The Han River Park at 5:30 PM on a Sunday was overflowing with people enjoying the last of their weekend here and there.

People taking walks, people riding bikes, people sitting on picnic mats spread out on the green grass chatting with each other.

Juwon and Ina also joined them, leisurely enjoying their Sunday.

The two walked side by side, looking out at the Han River, but Ina’s thumping heart refused to settle down.

It was because she remembered Hyunju’s words that they had to come to a conclusion somehow.

And the woman who had called Juwon ‘oppa’ during the phone call earlier was also on her mind.

Who was that woman? Who was she to call Juwon oppa? As Ina furrowed her brow without realizing it, lost in thought, Juwon suddenly grabbed Ina’s arm and pulled her slightly.

“Huh?”

When the startled Ina looked at him, Juwon said “bike” and pointed ahead.

With those words, a bicycle swiftly passed by Ina’s side.

“Oh. Th- thanks.”

As Ina answered, her face flushed red.

It was because she could feel the heat from Juwon’s hand holding her arm.

“What were you thinking so deeply about?”

“What? No. I wasn’t thinking about anything.”

“Really?”

Juwon looked at Ina strangely, then let go of her arm and started walking again.

“I was going to call you, but work kept ending after 11 PM from Wednesday onward so I couldn’t. In case you were already asleep.”

“11 PM?”

Ina looked at Juwon with a surprised face.

“Yeah. Something came up at work. I went to the office yesterday too and finished around 10 PM.”

“Wow. You went to work yesterday too? You must be really tired. You should have just gone home and rested then.”

It was a moment that made Ina feel silly for being worried when she didn’t get a call from Juwon from Wednesday to Saturday.

“No. I am tired, but not to the point of dying. And actually…”

Juwon stopped walking and gazed at Ina with a gentle smile.

“I just really missed you.”

“…”

Ina’s mouth fell open slightly at Juwon’s frank words.

Behind Juwon’s face, smiling down at Ina, the sunset was turning a deep red.

Now, as the sky changed to a beautiful color, dyed by the sunlight, the words of the man, just as beautiful as that color, completely shook Ina’s heart.

Somehow, Ina felt like she was going to cry.

This man in front of her eyes, this man as beautiful as the sunset, had finally opened up his heart to her.

In his own plain tone, without adding or subtracting anything.

A strand of Ina’s hair that had come loose fluttered in the gentle evening breeze.

Juwon reached out and tucked Ina’s hair behind her ear.

For a moment, their eyes met, and once again, Juwon smiled.

At that smile, Ina’s heart dropped with a thud.

Ina couldn’t hold it in any longer either.

“I… I also…”

Just as Ina had made up her mind to pour out her heart and started to speak, Juwon’s phone rang.

At the frustrated timing of the ringing phone, Ina’s eyes turned to Juwon’s phone.

But Juwon’s eyes were still fixed on Ina in front of him.

Juwon narrowed his eyes and asked Ina,

“You also what?”

“Huh?”

“You were about to say something just now.”

As Ina gulped, Juwon’s phone kept ringing.

“F- First, answer the phone.”

“I don’t have to.”

Juwon said firmly without even looking.

“Still, you should answer it. It might be an important call.”

As the phone kept ringing persistently without stopping, Juwon finally sighed and answered the call.

“Hello.”

And at the voice of the person on the other end, Juwon asked, “Who is this?”

When the other person said something, Juwon asked in a dry voice,

“So what is the reason for your call?”

At Juwon’s businesslike tone, Ina, who was listening in front, suddenly felt nervous for no reason.

As the other person hesitated and said something, Juwon answered in a flat voice.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think there’s any reason for the two of us to meet personally.”

At those words, Ina’s eyes widened.

Who could the caller be for Juwon to say such a thing?

She looked at Juwon with anxious eyes, and Juwon smiled softly at Ina.

As if to say there was nothing to worry about with his gaze.

And then, as the person on the phone hesitated and asked something, Juwon looked at Ina with a resolute expression.

Then he lifted the corners of his mouth and answered,

“Yes. I do. Have someone I like.”

At those words, Ina’s heart dropped with a thud.