Jiho pressed the 59th floor button after entering the elevator.

“You worked hard today, so let’s eat something delicious. I came because I thought you’d like it too.”

As we followed Jiho into the restaurant, the magnificent night view was visible at a glance through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The atmosphere was so luxurious that it felt embarrassing to enter in casual clothes worn for the MT trip.

We sat side by side at a table facing the window, following the staff’s guidance.

Having dinner sitting next to my lover while looking at the picturesque night view right in front of me.

It was a perfect place for a date, without a doubt.

Yi Soo’s eyes trembled slightly as she opened the menu left by the staff.

The dinner courses ranged from a minimum of 150,000 won to 300,000 won.

Considering the atmosphere, it wasn’t an incomprehensible price.

‘How much should I spend on one dinner here.’

As Yi Soo was looking at the menu, deciding to be generous, Jiho asked her without even opening the menu.

“Yi Soo, shall I order if you eat well anything?”

It seemed he already had a menu in mind.

“Okay. Get what you like.”

Wouldn’t anything taste good eating at a place like this?

While Jiho was ordering, Yi Soo stared out the window as if mesmerized.

“Looks like you come here often.”

Yi Soo said, looking at Jiho after the staff left.

“It’s been a while for me too. I can’t come to a place like this alone.”

As befitting a restaurant with a nice ambiance, many couples enjoying dates dressed up prettily were visible.

“This place would be nice to come on a special day like an anniversary.”

“Today is our anniversary too. It’s our first date since we started dating.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Yi Soo answered with a faint smile.

She felt her hands and feet curl up at the ticklish feeling from the unfamiliar words of dating and date.

“How is it as the place for our first date? Do you like it?”

“It’s wonderful.”

“Then let’s come often.”

It’s too expensive and burdensome to do that.

Jiho smiled brightly at Yi Soo, who nodded with an ambiguous expression.

Jiho rested his face on his raised arm, not even glancing at the night view, only looking at Yi Soo.

Conscious of his gaze, Yi Soo slightly turned her head and then looked straight ahead again, saying:

“Stop looking at me and look at the night view too.”

“I prefer looking at you over the night view. I won’t ask you to look at me, so let’s each look at what we want to see.”

Yi Soo let out a shallow sigh and smiled awkwardly.

“It’s a shame to just look with my eyes… Yi Soo, let’s take a picture.”

“Huh?”

Yi Soo thought about how she might look, tired from the previous day’s hangover and hiking.

Even without looking in a mirror, her haggard appearance came to mind automatically.

She didn’t want to take a picture with Jiho looking like this.

While Yi Soo hesitated, saying “uh,” Jiho turned his upper body to include the night view and pulled Yi Soo’s shoulder close.

Startled, Yi Soo stared at Jiho’s phone camera.

He took three photos in succession.

“How is it? They came out well, right?”

Jiho held out his phone screen to Yi Soo.

Thanks to the dim lighting, it came out better than expected, with a nice atmosphere.

Yi Soo’s shy and awkward expression in the photo gave off the vibe of a fresh couple just starting to date.

‘I can’t hide my expressions.’

“You’re right. Send them to me too so I can keep them as a memento.”

Soon after, the food started coming out according to the course.

With each dish, the staff provided kind explanations.

Yi Soo started eating without knowing what Jiho had ordered, but all the dishes that came out were jaw-dropping.

The course that started with caviar after the appetizer bread continued with foie gras, truffle, grilled abalone, lobster, and tenderloin steak.

Though she hadn’t looked at the menu in detail, just seeing the food coming out, she could tell it was the most expensive course.

These were dishes too precious to eat just to fill an empty stomach.

“You’re eating well.”

“It’s so delicious.”

Jiho looked affectionately at Yi Soo, who exclaimed how delicious each dish was.

Yi Soo ate everything up to the dessert that came out at the end without leaving anything.

As they were about to get up after finishing the luxurious meal with the wonderful night view, Jiho said he would go to the bathroom and told Yi Soo to wait.

Yi Soo sat in her seat, gazing at the beautiful colorful night view for a moment before standing up.

Yi Soo deliberately went to the counter while Jiho was away.

She didn’t want to show Jiho her trembling hands while paying.

“I’d like to pay, please.”

Yi Soo held out the bill and her card together.

The price for the course meal, which included all three of the world’s top delicacies, was 300,000 won per person.

Although she ate it deliciously, it was her first time buying something like this with her own money, so it stung a bit.

On the other hand, thinking about what she had received from Jiho so far, she felt this much wasn’t a waste.

Thinking she would pay happily, Yi Soo waited for the payment notification text on her phone.

However, the staff held out the card again, saying:

“The table has already been paid for, ma’am.”

“That can’t be. Please check again.”

The staff checked the monitor at the counter and said again in a kind voice:

“It has been paid. It seems your companion paid in advance.”

“Ah… I see. Thank you.”

Was this his intention from the beginning?

Yi Soo returned to her seat with the card.

She had saved a month’s worth of food expenses, but it felt burdensome as if her debt to Jiho had grown even more.

“Yi Soo, let’s go.”

Jiho approached from behind Yi Soo, who was lost in thought, and spoke.

“I heard you paid. Why did you do that?”

“Did you really think I brought you here to make you pay?”

Jiho smiled, raising the corners of his mouth as if it was only natural for him to pay.

Such an expensive meal didn’t seem to be a problem at all.

Seeing how he said they should come here often, it really seemed that way.

“But I was going to treat you.”

“You can next time. Today, it’s enough that you came with me. I wanted to come here with you.”

Jiho smiled kindly and put his arm around Yi Soo’s shoulder.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

**

It was already past 8 o’clock when they got in the car.

From morning to evening, Yi Soo spent the whole day with Jiho.

“You’re going straight home, right?”

Jiho, sitting in the driver’s seat, asked as he brought his fingertips to the navigation screen.

“Yeah. Actually… I recently moved out on my own.”

It was something no one knew except her family.

Feeling like she would have to add a detailed explanation, she hadn’t told Dong Woo or Aera yet.

“Really?”

Jiho asked with a genuinely surprised expression.

“We went to your home when we went to see the cherry blossoms. Did you move out after that day?”

When Yi Soo nodded once, Jiho studied her expression for a moment.

“It’s something to celebrate, right?”

“Of course. Definitely. It was my wish.”

Yi Soo said, smiling brightly.

“Congratulations!”

It was the first time someone had congratulated her on moving out.

It felt strange to be congratulated by Jiho, who had been with her during difficult times.

Though Jiho smiled as he spoke, in his mind he recalled the day Yi Soo had cried in the rain.

She said it was on her way out of the house that day…

Though it had completely disappeared now, the wound on her face from that time was still vividly remembered, making his heart ache.

“Then today we’re really going to Yi Soo’s home?”

“Yeah. But I haven’t told anyone yet, so keep it to yourself for now.”

“Wow… This is a secret only I know? I’m honored.”

Seeing Jiho smile genuinely, Yi Soo nodded.

“It hasn’t even been a month since I moved out. I still can’t believe it myself.”

Yi Soo said with a faint smile.

She looked happy just thinking about it.

“Alright. I’ll keep the secret. It’s Monday tomorrow, so let’s go quickly so you can rest early.”

Jiho entered Yi Soo’s new home address.

Jiho’s car started smoothly according to the navigation’s guidance.

Seeing Yi Soo’s happy face made Jiho feel happy too.

**

Yi Soo pushed open her eyelids with difficulty at the sound of a loud clock alarm.

“Ugh, what? It’s morning already.”

It felt like she had just closed her eyes for a moment, but it was already morning.

Haa. Really tough.

Yi Soo got up with her heavy body and came out of bed.

Even though she had slept deeply as if she had fainted, her body felt like it weighed a ton.

Yi Soo loosened her stiff body with some simple stretching.

As soon as she turned on her phone that had been off while sleeping, notifications and vibrations went off all at once.

The most recent message was from Jiho.

“What’s going on so early in the morning?”

−Yi Soo, I’ll be at your place by 8. Take your time getting ready and come out.

It was a text sent at 7 AM.

It was a bit surprising that he was coming without an appointment, but Yi Soo checked the clock first.

7:15.

There was plenty of time.

Yi Soo washed up as usual and had a salad with lots of ricotta cheese for breakfast.

She dried her hair and finished her 1-minute makeup with just sunscreen and red lipstick.

Thanks to her white and clear skin, she was getting the full effect of looking bright with just one lipstick.

After neatly finishing the breakfast cleanup, Yi Soo left the house with 3 minutes to spare before 8 o’clock.

She saw Jiho leaning against the car with his arms crossed at the apartment entrance.

Though he was just wearing a jacket over a white shirt, he exuded an elegant and luxurious atmosphere that could be used as a car advertisement photo shoot without any editing.

Yi Soo walked towards him, looking at Jiho as if admiring him.

A contented smile spread across her face without her realizing it.

“You came out early.”

Jiho’s mouth corners curved into a gentle arc as he spotted Yi Soo.

It was a charming smile.

Yi Soo said, taking in such a Jiho with her eyes:

“Not early, it’s exactly 8 o’clock now.”

“Women usually take a long time to get ready. I thought I’d have to wait, but you came out right on time.”

“It’ll probably be like that from now on too.”

After the car started, Yi Soo asked Jiho:

“Why did you come so suddenly this morning?”

“I wanted to see you from the morning.”

Jiho said as he gently turned the steering wheel.

“We agreed not to hold back when we want to see each other, right?”

Seeing Jiho answer with a natural smile, Yi Soo felt a bit dazed.

Was he saying he would just come like this when he wanted to see her?

Yi Soo just blinked, not knowing how to react.

‘Is this how Jiho’s dating style is?’

It was uninhibited and honest.

“Did you sleep well yesterday?”

Jiho asked, looking at Yi Soo while the car stopped briefly at a signal.

“Yeah. I went home, washed up, and went straight to bed. But it was still hard to get up in the morning. Do I look really tired?”

Even though an hour had passed since she woke up, her body still felt heavy.

“You look pretty.”

“What, that’s not answering the question.”

Yi Soo chuckled and slightly rolled her eyes.

But she couldn’t help the corners of her mouth turning up.

It felt like there was a thump in her heart too.

“You asked if you look tired, so I said you look pretty. Is that not answering the question?”

Yi Soo’s cheekbones slowly rose at Jiho’s sly response.

Yi Soo turned her head towards the window.

She was embarrassed to show Jiho her face that had quickly turned red at just one word calling her pretty.

Jiho glanced at Yi Soo, who suddenly went quiet.

Seeing Yi Soo’s face turn red even at being called pretty, Jiho burst out laughing.

“I came because I wanted to see you from the morning, but are you going to keep turning your face away? I’m looking at you. Turn around so I can see your face right away.”

Yi Soo reluctantly turned her head halfway with a creak and looked straight ahead.

“Is this the first time I’ve called you pretty? I thought you were pretty every time I saw you.”

Yi Soo’s ears turned red at the sound of Jiho muttering as if to himself.