Date Me! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
“But… your cousin really seems to be a capable guy, huh? What on earth did he say to make it work so instantly?”
Lee I Na changed the subject and gently pulled her hand away.
Joo Won stared quietly at Lee I Na’s small hand that had slipped from his own before replying.
“Well, I guess he’s pretty savvy about that kind of thing—so he probably knew exactly how to make them back off. I did ask him to handle it quickly, but I didn’t expect him to move this fast. He must be swamped with work too.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying! I’m grateful to you, but I’m really thankful to your cousin too. When can you set up a meeting? I feel like I should treat him to a meal.”
Joo Won glanced quickly at Lee I Na.
“A meal? For him?”
“Yeah.”
“…Nah, no need to go that far. I’ll treat him myself sometime later.”
“But I’m the one who got help—I should be the one treating him.”
“Does it really matter who pays? Besides, he’s been super busy lately; he probably won’t even have time.”
“Then maybe I’ll just buy him coffee and drop by his office? I really want to thank him properly…”
Joo Won, gripping the steering wheel, stared steadily at Lee I Na.
“You know, Lee I Na, you’re surprisingly stubborn.”
“Huh? No, it’s not that—I just feel really grateful, that’s all.”
“Alright then, maybe we can stop by his office together later when he’s got some free time.”
“Okay. Be sure to let me know then.”
“Got it. Now let’s go grab dinner. What do you feel like eating?”
“Hmm… since today is the historic day Park Jung Hoon finally got out of our lives, let’s eat something truly delicious.”
Joo Won chuckled lightly.
“So the food we had yesterday and the day before wasn’t delicious?”
“Huh? Of course it was! But today, we absolutely need something even more delicious. Don’t you have anything you’re craving?”
“Well… I think it’d be better if you pick, Lee I Na—you’re more of a food connoisseur than I am.”
“Really? Then… umm…”
Lee I Na fell into brief thought, then turned her head and asked Joo Won,
“Do you also like pizza and spaghetti?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Really? Then there’s this famous spaghetti place nearby—want to give it a try?”
“Sure. Let’s go.”
Joo Won entered the address Lee I Na gave him into the navigation system and started driving.
The spaghetti restaurant they arrived at shortly afterward was clearly popular—so much so that they had to take a number and wait.
When they heard they’d have to wait around 30 minutes before eating, Lee I Na looked at Joo Won with an apologetic expression.
“Thirty minutes is kind of long… Should we just go somewhere else?”
“No, we’ve come all the way here—might as well wait and eat.”
“Really? Then that’s great. Thanks.”
Lee I Na smiled brightly as she spoke.
While they chatted idly during the wait, Lee I Na noticed the women standing in front of and behind them occasionally glancing at Joo Won.
Well… how could they not?
Amidst their average-height boyfriends, Joo Won stood tall like a model—how could anyone resist sneaking a look at such a statue-like man?
Whether he noticed the women’s stares or not, Joo Won remained focused solely on what Lee I Na was saying.
Then, when Lee I Na said something amusing, Joo Won drew a soft smile across his lips.
The women, utterly enchanted by that smile, simultaneously turned their eyes toward Lee I Na standing beside him—as if by unspoken agreement—and scanned her head to toe, assessing whether she truly deserved to stand next to such a masterpiece.
Under those sharp, scrutinizing gazes, Lee I Na felt as though she’d been put up for auction as a live fish.
‘Ah… being Joo Won’s girlfriend must really be an extreme job…’
Rubbing her cheeks absentmindedly, Lee I Na felt an inexplicable sense of awe toward Joo Won’s ex-girlfriends whose faces she’d never even seen.
She keenly recalled once again just how popular Joo Won had been back when they were kids.
After waiting 30 minutes, Lee I Na finally received their table number and sighed in relief as she walked into the restaurant.
Yet even inside, arrows of stares from women seated at various tables immediately flew straight toward Joo Won.
‘Wow… seriously… no matter where he goes, he forces everyone’s attention onto him.’
Lee I Na shook her head as she took the seat the staff directed her to.
“What’s wrong?”
Joo Won, settling into his seat, looked at her and asked.
“Huh?”
“You’ve looked a bit off since earlier… Are you not feeling well?”
“Oh? No, it’s not that…”
Lee I Na hesitated briefly, then whispered,
“Do you realize how many girls outside—and even in here—are staring at you?”
Instead of answering, Joo Won propped his chin on his hand and looked at Lee I Na.
“When they look at you, they’re all dreamy—but when they look at me, it’s like, ‘Where on earth did this squid come from?’ right?”
“Squid?”
“Yeah. Squid.”
Joo Won pulled his hand away from his chin and chuckled softly.
“Are you serious?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Joo Won leaned forward across the table and peered closely into Lee I Na’s face.
“Is there really such a thing as a squid this pretty in the world?”
“…Huh?”
Lee I Na blinked in surprise as she stared at him.
“If squids are this gorgeous, they’ll completely disrupt the marine ecosystem, won’t they?”
Lee I Na’s cheeks slowly turned red as she kept blinking.
“W-what are you even saying all of a sudden?”
She fanned her face with her hand and quickly turned her head away.
Joo Won watched her with a subtle upward curl of his lips.
“Let’s order. Let’s order.”
Lee I Na, her face still flushed, quickly flipped open the menu.
“Do you want to order yourself? You’ve probably been here before.”
“Hmm… Should I? Alright then, I’ll order something delicious.”
When the server arrived, Lee I Na ordered a variety of dishes.
Just as she was bringing her water glass to her lips, her phone rang—it was Hyun Joo.
“Joo Won, I’ll take this call and be right back.”
Lee I Na excused herself to Joo Won, picked up her phone, and headed toward the restroom.
“Hey, Hyun Joo. Are you still in Yeosu? How’s Grandmother doing?”
Hyun Joo had gone down to Yeosu two days ago after hearing that their grandmother had been injured.
She was discharged yesterday and we brought her back home. I’m at the terminal now—I’m taking the 8 p.m. bus back up.
“Really? She’s already been discharged?
Yeah. She’ll be a bit uncomfortable with the cast for now, but honestly, it could’ve been a lot worse.
“That’s true. I’m really glad to hear it. You’ve worked so hard too.”
Worked hard? Nah. Oh! Right—I called to ask you something!
Hyun Joo suddenly raised her voice as if remembering something important.
What about that jerk Park Jung Hoon? Has he shown up at your home or office causing trouble again?
Lee I Na let out a small sigh.
“Hyun Joo, let’s talk about him later when we meet. I really don’t feel like discussing him right now.”
Alright, got it. Then… I’ll give you some really surprising news instead.
“Huh?”
Do you… remember Kim Si Woo?
“Who?”
Kim Si Woo! The class rep from our first year! You know, the ‘angel-smile’ Kim Si Woo!
“Oh… Kim Si Woo? Yeah, I remember him.”
At the sudden mention of that name, Si Woo’s face briefly flickered before her eyes, then vanished.
So I met up with some school friends yesterday, and guess who showed up? Si Woo! I was totally shocked.
“Si Woo?”
Yeah. It’s probably been eleven years since he transferred to Busan! He graduated from vet school there and kept working in Busan, but he moved back to Seoul this spring. Now he’s working at an animal hospital in Songpa. Isn’t that wild? He was already popular back in school, but he’s gotten even more handsome. He’s turned into this totally classy, dapper guy! When we both mentioned we live in Seoul now, he suggested the three of us meet up soon.
“Oh… really?”
Yeah! So let’s have a drink together. Are you free this Saturday?”
“Huh? I don’t have plans…”
Great! Then let’s meet up Saturday. Got it?
“Uh… yeah. Okay. Got it.”
Hey, my bus is here. See you Saturday! Bye-bye!
Hyun Joo cheerfully ended the call.
Lee I Na washed her hands, dried them, and returned to her seat.
On the table, the freshly served hot dishes were already waiting.
“Oh? It’s already here? You should’ve started without me!”
“I’m not that uncivilized.”
Lee I Na chuckled at Joo Won’s words and sat down.
“Wow. This looks amazing. Let’s dig in!”
She twirled a generous spoonful of Bolognese pasta into her mouth, chewed thoughtfully, then broke into a blissfully happy smile.
“Wow, this is seriously delicious! Joo Won, you’ve gotta try it too—quickly!”
“Alright, I will.”
As Joo Won took a bite of spaghetti, Lee I Na eagerly picked up a slice of pizza and placed it on his plate.
“Joo Won, try this too. Their pizza is really good.”
“Okay. You eat quickly too.”
Joo Won also took a slice of pizza and put it onto Lee I Na’s plate.
Lee I Na reached for the pizza with a contented expression.
An hour later, the two finished their meal, left the restaurant, and got back into the car.
“Joo Won, now that I probably won’t run into Park Jung Hoon anymore, you don’t need to drive me starting tomorrow.”
At Lee I Na’s words, Joo Won turned his head and looked at her.
“We should still be careful for now. I’ll keep driving you until Friday, as promised.”
“No, it’s fine. You’ve probably been super busy with work—wasn’t it tough having to leave on time every day just because of me?”
“No, who said it was tough?”
“One of my friends works at a trading company and always has to work overtime. Did picking me up cause any problems with your work?”
“No, this week hasn’t been that busy, so it’s fine. I’ll keep driving you until Friday.”
“But… I still feel bad…”
“Don’t. It’s no trouble—our houses are close anyway.”
Joo Won spoke as if it were nothing and started driving again.
A little while later, at a large intersection.
Their car stopped at a red light, and as Lee I Na looked out the window, she suddenly pointed somewhere and said, “Huh?”
“Huh? That movie is opening this week?”
Joo Won looked where Lee I Na was pointing and saw a movie trailer playing on the theater’s electronic billboard.
It was a zombie film currently topping the U.S. box office.
Famous not just for its A-list Hollywood cast, it was even more renowned for its abundance of brutally graphic scenes.
“Wow! I’ve literally been counting the days until this movie opened—and it’s finally happening?”
“You haven’t changed at all—still crazy about zombies.”
Joo Won rested his arm against the window and gazed at the billboard.
“You liked them too, remember? We used to watch that zombie drama together.”
“…We did, didn’t we?”
Joo Won replied, his eyes fixed on the dazzling, shimmering billboard.
‘How could I possibly forget…’
He murmured to himself, recalling that memory.
Thirteen years ago, when he first met Lee I Na, a major American network aired a zombie drama that instantly became wildly popular from its very first episode.
Joo Won, a devoted zombie fan, started watching from episode one without missing a single installment—and before long, Lee I Na began watching it with him too.
Then that winter, Lee I Na’s father passed away suddenly, and the following year, she moved to Yeosu with her mother. After that, they completely lost touch—and ever since, whenever Joo Won watched that drama alone, he always found himself thinking of Lee I Na.
Lee I Na, who had suddenly appeared one day… and then just as suddenly disappeared another day…
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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