She couldn’t say thank you, and she couldn’t apologize. Above all, she wanted to clear up the misunderstanding that the security guard and she were in a romantic relationship.
Approaching the table of the man with sunglasses, Mi-joo saw him looking at her with a coffee cup in his hand.
“Um, thank you earlier.”
“Yes.”
Mi-joo felt a bit uneasy at the man’s short and concise answer, and the man, as if enjoying his leisure, turned his gaze back to the coffee cup. But she had to finish what she started.
“And I apologize.”
Still standing in front of her without leaving, the man looked around.
“Where did your boyfriend go? He was following like crazy, and now I don’t want to be misunderstood talking to you.”
Mi-joo finally had the opportunity to explain to the man who drew a clear line like a knife, and she gladly spoke up.
“Earlier, that person is not my boyfriend.”
The man looked at Mi-joo as if he was surprised.
“The real boyfriend is…”
For a moment, Mi-joo hesitated about how to explain Shi-yoon to someone else. Boyfriend? It’s a contractual marriage, but they are married, so is he a husband? It was confusing for a moment.
Then quickly, she raised her finger and showed the ring.
“He went to work in Korea for a while. And the person earlier is…”
This time, she hesitated about how to describe the bodyguard. It’s a situation where it’s vague to explain why she has a bodyguard.
“It seems to be a bodyguard.”
The man quickly grasped the presence of the bodyguard.
“No, how…”
“If my boyfriend went to Korea. He might have felt uneasy being alone.”
The man, although he didn’t know who the woman’s boyfriend was, spoke as if he fully understood his feelings.
“Anyway, if the boyfriend knows that I’m talking to you like this, he might get angry.”
“No, Shi-yoon isn’t that narrow-minded.”
Watching Mi-joo defend the non-existent boyfriend, the man with sunglasses finally showed a small smile for the first time.
With a rugged beard and slightly wavy hair covering his eyebrows, he looked like a young artist in his early 30s.
“Are you preparing for an art fair?”
Following the man’s gaze, Mi-joo also looked down at the document envelope she was holding.
“I didn’t deliberately try to see it. I picked up the envelope and gave it to the owner, saying it seemed like lost property. But the owner opened it, saying there were unfamiliar words inside. There was a memo written in Korean.”
“Yes. I wrote down the things I’m going to buy today. It seems you saw that.”
“So, I followed you from the art store.”
Mi-joo once again bowed her head to express her gratitude.
“I’m also preparing for an art fair this time. So I looked it up right after seeing the document.”
Unexpectedly, Mi-joo felt a welcoming feeling in the conversation. It was fascinating and pleasant to meet someone preparing for the same competition in the midst of difficulty finding information anywhere.
Moreover, although it was a coincidence, the person she met was from the art store she frequents, and that brought a sense of trust.
“I’m Choi Mi-joo. Is it okay if I sit for a moment?”
Somewhere, she found the courage, an action she wouldn’t normally take, but thinking that the bodyguard Shi-yoon sent might be somewhere around, she felt strangely at ease.
However, when the man didn’t respond, Mi-joo thought it was a refusal and took a step back.
“Unless your boyfriend misunderstands.”
The man took off his sunglasses and sent a short smile to Mi-joo.
With a handsome face, the linen shirt was neat without a single wrinkle, and the watch and bracelet on the lightly rolled-up sleeves harmonized, emitting the free-spirited aura of an artist.
“I’m Aaron Choi. My Korean name is Choi Soo-young. Please feel free to call me whatever is comfortable.”
“Since you mentioned preparing for an art fair, may I call you Artist Soo-young?”
“Yes, call me whatever is comfortable.”
‘This person is a real artist.’
If someone were to call Mi-joo an artist, she would shudder all over her body and express strong resistance. She still lacks achievements and skills as an artist, and she doesn’t feel qualified to have the title “artist” next to her name.
However, Choi Soo-young seemed completely at ease with being called an artist. Mi-joo envied such confidence.
“What kind of work are you preparing?”
Unable to resist her curiosity, Mi-joo asked.
“I majored in graphic design. When I was young, I painted in oil, but now I’m working on rendering oil paintings into 3D animations.”
“Are you submitting to this competition as well?”
“I’m not submitting.”
“Earlier, you mentioned preparing for the art fair…”
Mi-joo sent a puzzled look.
“I participated in the previous competition once. This time, I received an official invitation and will participate as an invited artist.”
Mi-joo’s face turned red. She thought he might be a rookie artist like herself, waiting to be selected as a participating artist through a competition. But he had already received an official invitation from the event organizers.
“Oh, you’re a famous artist. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Aaron Choi, Choi Soo-young. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t remember. It was inevitable because they were not in the same field, and she couldn’t know every artist.
“It’s okay. I’ve only debuted a few years ago. It’s natural not to know.”
Even though he debuted only a few years ago, to receive an official invitation to an art fair was impressive.
Mi-joo enjoyed talking about the art fair as if meeting a long-time friend, exchanging advice.
“Focus on one thing, whether it’s painting or criticism. Geniuses appear in movies or novels, not so much around us.”
‘Right. I’ve been digging too many wells, wondering if it’s okay to focus on just one thing, being just an ordinary me.’
Mi-joo’s mind snapped to attention with practical advice and bone-chilling mentoring.
“Please take a look at my paintings or manuscripts sometime.”
Mi-joo wanted an objective evaluation of her abilities.
“Yes, if you have time, come to my studio to see my paintings. I’m curious about Choi Mi-joo’s paintings too.”
Soo-young took out his business card and handed it to Mi-joo. She received the business card with a twinkle in her eyes. At that moment, the hands of the two artists touched ever so slightly.
It was a simple meeting between two artists, but seen from a different perspective, it could be misunderstood as a date between a man and a woman.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
