MBWI 07

Chapter- 07

The shutter sound was completely drowned out by the noise of the breakfast buffet.

“Please, have some.”

“No, you should eat.”

When Gaeun placed some papaya on Seokjin’s plate, he quietly moved it back onto hers.

“Mr. Joo, please eat.”

“No, I’m really fine.”

“It’s from the heart.”

Since Gaeun looked like someone who loved food and wouldn’t easily give it up, Seokjin found it strange that she was so persistent about giving him the papaya.

As expected.

The moment he took a bite of the neatly cut papaya, he understood why she had been so desperate to give it to him.

Despite its promising ripe orange color, the papaya tasted horribly unripe and grassy.

“Ms. Oh Gaeun?”

“It’s good, right?”

Seeing the slight frown on his forehead, Gaeun rested her chin on her hand and smiled. Seokjin then speared a piece of papaya with his fork and placed it into her mouth.

“Try it and see if it’s good.”

“…Is it supposed to taste like this?”

Gaeun frowned deeply and swallowed the papaya almost without chewing.

“I don’t think it’s supposed to taste like that.”

“What kind of fruit tastes like watermelon rind?”

“So that’s why you gave it to me?”

“…Your omelet will get cold. Please eat.”

Forcing an eye-smile, Gaeun urged him to continue eating.

To the journalist secretly taking photos, the scene looked exactly like a loving couple—Chairman Joo Seokjin of Jushin Retail and his adorable girlfriend.

* * *

Adjusting her wide-brimmed hat, Gaeun knocked on Seokjin’s hotel room door.

“Mr. Joo, hurry up.”

“I’m coming out.”

The moment he stepped out, Gaeun unconsciously swallowed.

Wearing slightly angular sunglasses, Seokjin looked like a model from a magazine shoot.

“Handsome” wasn’t enough to describe the overwhelming charm he radiated. For a brief moment, she found herself staring blankly.

If she had abandoned him at the airport, other women would surely have rushed to help him instead of him becoming an international stray.

Noticing her fixed gaze, Seokjin asked:

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…Oh, covering half your face like that actually makes you pretty decent to look at.”

“I’ve never heard anyone say I look bad.”

“Maybe they were just flattering you.”

Embarrassed that she had momentarily been attracted to him, Gaeun said the opposite of what she felt.

But she realized something—truly handsome people couldn’t hide their looks even if they tried.

Throughout the trip, she had a strange feeling that other women’s attention would somehow be directed at her because of him.

And she was right.

On the BTS train heading to see the Temple of Dawn, many women kept sneaking glances at Seokjin.

Afraid that if they realized she was with him they might glare at her, Gaeun subtly stepped a little away from him.

“Let’s go to the rooftop bar tonight.”

“There’ll be terrible traffic. Will it be okay?”

The rooftop bar she wanted to visit was on top of a world-famous luxury hotel chain’s B Hotel.

She had planned to sit there and enjoy the night view, but she worried whether they could make it through Bangkok’s terrible traffic.

“If it’s alright, we could schedule something nearby tomorrow and take a dinner cruise tonight instead.”

“A dinner cruise?”

“I thought it might be nice to enjoy the night view of the Chao Phraya River while eating.”

It was an excellent suggestion.

But… dinner cruises sounded expensive.

“Despite the name, it’s not that expensive.”

As if reading her thoughts, Seokjin spoke confidently.

“Your definition of ‘not expensive’ and mine are different.”

“It’ll be affordable by your standards, Ms. Oh.”

“In that case, let’s do it. It’s just a cruise after all.”

“Then I’ll make a reservation. Your phone, please.”

“Here.”

Seokjin held out his hand. Gaeun placed her phone into it.

Holding the phone in one hand, he smoothly found the reservation site and filled in the details.

“We need to pay.”

“Here.”

Gaeun politely handed him her card with both hands.

Even though it was her card and her phone, somehow she looked like a secretary assisting him.

“All done.”

Feeling oddly irritated, Gaeun grabbed her check card back a little too roughly.

Maybe she used too much force.

Losing her balance, she staggered.

“Whoa—”

She ended up falling straight into Seokjin’s chest.

She slowly opened her eyes.

She should have stepped back immediately, but her body seemed glued to him like a magnet.

His chest felt unbelievably broad.

And firm—solid muscle without an ounce of softness.

If she ever needed somewhere to lie down, she thought, it might as well be right here.

Go ahead, lean in. My chest is wide, right?

Compared to that, Hankyung—who had narrow shoulders—had always tried to cover his complex with words instead of exercise.

Thinking back, she couldn’t understand why she had devoted her early twenties to him.

Freshmen like me so much.

Everyone envies you because you’re my girlfriend.

Someone keeps leaving things on my desk at the library. So annoying.

Even his obvious lies had seemed cute back then.

Here, coffee. Someone left it at my study seat with a note saying I’m their type. You drink it.

He had said that while handing her coffee after waiting for her class to finish.

Is it okay to leave coffee there?

What do you mean?

In the reading room… never mind. Let’s just eat.

Food and drinks weren’t even allowed there.

Yet he always bragged about people leaving things and phone numbers on his desk.

Why hadn’t she called him out then?

There was only one reason.

She wanted to protect his pride. She thought that was what she should do.

Someone said they admired how hard I study and left coffee and a note. I got kicked out unfairly. Later some statistics major came to apologize.

Why hadn’t she said that?

Because she wanted to preserve his fake pride.

I really was a fool, Oh Gaeun.

Her vision blurred slightly.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes. I’m fine.”

“Did you get hurt?”

“It’s just… a bit hard.”

She wiped the corner of her eyes with her fingertip.

After the breakup, she wasn’t crying from heartbreak—but because she regretted the seven years she had wasted like a fool.

Fortunately, she wiped her tears quickly enough that Seokjin didn’t seem to notice.

“Let’s get off.”

“Yes.”

After leaving the station, they walked toward the water bus.

A foul smell rose from an unfinished roadside drain, but it quickly faded thanks to the sweet scent of tropical fruits piled on nearby carts.

Gaeun wrinkled her nose slightly, enjoying the exotic fragrance.

“When I get back to Korea, I’m going to work hard and travel like this once a year.”

“Travel is always good. It helps you recharge.”

“You must travel alone often?”

“Yes. People say it’s just business trips when you visit different countries, but when you’re always surrounded by coworkers, how is that travel? I prefer moving around freely like this.”

Listening to him, Gaeun thought he seemed like a prince sneaking out of a castle in disguise to experience freedom.

To her, his desire for freedom sounded like a luxury complaint—but everyone had different standards.

After taking the water bus and arriving at the Temple of Dawn, they looked up at the shining spires.

Covered in pieces of porcelain, the tower sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.

“I heard those decorations were made from porcelain discarded by Chinese merchants. It’s interesting how something someone threw away as worthless can become a treasure.”

“Which means you too, Ms. Oh—”

“Yes?”

“Never mind. Even if you’re unemployed now, if you find the right place to use your abilities, you’ll shine like that.”

“Wow, as expected from this year’s young CEO. That was quite the speech.”

At twenty-seven, with nothing impressive to put on her résumé, Gaeun felt grateful for his encouragement.

When she first met him during that awkward interview at the hotel, she thought he was arrogant and strange. But now, without the “CEO” shell, he seemed warm.

Of course, she thought, she’d have to know him longer to be sure.

“Wow, we have to climb that?”

The stairs leading up the tall pagoda were almost vertical.

Just looking at them made her legs tremble.

“Let’s go.”

“…You go first.”

“Let’s go together.”

Seokjin held out his hand.

Feeling like she should take it, Gaeun placed her hand over his.

Up close, the pagoda looked even more beautiful than from afar.

“There’s also a rooftop café across the river with a great night view.”

“You seem to know a lot. Do you come here often?”

“For business trips. This kind of travel is my first.”

“So I’m your first travel partner?”

“I suppose you are.”

Gaeun smiled brightly, pleased that he answered her joke seriously instead of dismissing it.

“Didn’t something just flash?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Must have been sunlight.”

She assumed it was just sunlight reflecting off the decorations.

Never imagining that a reporter hiding nearby had accidentally set off a camera flash.

Climbing the dizzyingly steep stairs hand in hand, relying on each other, the two looked exactly like a loving couple.