Chapter – 35
After that, the two of them often dined out together at Yoon Gun’s suggestion.
‘There’s a dessert I want to try, but I can’t find anyone to go with me. A grown man going alone would look rather pitiful, wouldn’t it? Do you have time, Ms. Eun Ji-an?’
‘I told the housekeeper auntie to leave early since she said she wasn’t feeling well. So dinner today will be eating out.’
‘I’m suddenly craving Beijing duck. It’s a dish that’s hard to make at home.’
There were always various excuses.
After dining out, just like last time, they would take a walk together, and sometimes, using the excuse of suddenly wanting to see the night view, they would go to an observation deck.
‘Seoul is surprisingly small. I’m worried we might bump into someone we know like last time.’
For those reasons, he would hold Ji-an’s hand or wrap his arm around her shoulder.
Those days made Ji-an unbelievably happy.
She felt much closer to Yoon Gun than before.
“If things continue like this, maybe Yoon Gun will start to see me a little more seriously. Then maybe I can honestly confess my feelings to him…”
That small hope even began to stir inside her.
One day, while the two were continuing their date-like excuses and skinship,
Ji-an spent the entire day waiting for work to end.
Today, after work, she planned to have dinner with Yoon Gun at a French restaurant.
When she searched for the place Yoon Gun said he had reserved, it turned out to be a restaurant with a beautiful night view.
‘Hurry, hurry. Finish work quickly.’
She silently chanted the wish, but since she couldn’t become a “salary thief,” she didn’t neglect her work either.
Then,
“Did you watch the movie awards ceremony yesterday?”
While drinking tea in the CERA pantry where Yoon Gun was still filling the dessert trays, a colleague brought up the topic.
“Oh yeah, I watched it. That person we talked about before — Ji Eun-chae — she won the Best New Actress award, right?”
“That’s right. Seeing her all dressed up nicely for the awards ceremony made me think of Ji-an.”
“Me too. For some reason, she had a similar vibe.”
“Really?”
Suddenly hearing herself mentioned, Ji-an tilted her head.
She hadn’t watched the movie, but she had seen articles and clips about that actress.
Did they look similar?
“Yes. Here, look. What do you think? Don’t you think Ji-an looks a little similar?”
Ji-an looked at the photo her colleague showed on her phone.
Unlike in the movie, the actress was wearing a dress, and perhaps because she had lost the weight she gained for the pregnant role, her face looked more slender.
“She’s much prettier than me,” Ji-an said awkwardly with a smile.
The features—height, body silhouette—felt slightly similar.
Still, she couldn’t compare herself to an actress.
“No, in my eyes, Ji-an is much prettier.”
“Oh, come on. Even so, I can’t match the team leader’s beauty.”
At the exchange between the team leader and Ji-an, people laughed.
“This actress had a really long period of being unknown. She worked part-time jobs trying to quit acting, but then thought it was her last chance, auditioned, and ended up winning the rookie award.”
“As expected, it’s worth trying continuously at anything.”
When the team leader muttered that, people nodded.
Ji-an also nodded as if she agreed.
As always, the conversation naturally shifted to another topic.
Ji-an’s quitting time was approaching smoothly.
After work, Ji-an, as she had hoped, had dinner with Yoon Gun at the French restaurant.
Enjoying the beautiful night view and even more the company of her handsome husband, she felt very happy.
“This Saturday, I’m planning to go to a senior’s solo exhibition from my university days.”
Suddenly remembering her weekend schedule, she shared it with Yoon Gun.
“A senior from your university days… a ceramic exhibition?”
“Yes. It’s a senior who was two years ahead in the same department. She’s someone I really like and respect. She was the class president and was really dignified and cool.”
Like a girl crush? Dignified and cool?
Yoon Gun’s heart tightened. He gripped the cutlery in his hand a little harder.
“She’s a complete girl-crush kind of older sister. She even attended our wedding.”
…Ah. Older sister.
Yoon Gun, with renewed energy, began happily cutting the lamb chops again.
“Then I’ll go too. Since she attended our wedding, I want to thank her, and since I have a wife who is a ceramic artist, I want to learn more about ceramics.”
“Oh, yes! Let’s go together.”
Now that Ji-an naturally accepted his company, Yoon Gun felt happy, but at the same time—
‘Even though I’m becoming more important in your daily life like this, are you still desperately in love with that guy?’
A not-so-pleasant curiosity coiled in a corner of his heart.
‘Hmph. Even so, I can’t step back. I don’t know if I can say “I love you” over the phone, but I won’t lose to someone who stays right beside you….’
Yoon Gun pouted slightly and cut the lamb chops, placing them on Ji-an’s plate.
Ji-an was surprised, but Yoon Gun, who had taken care of her as usual, simply continued cutting quietly.
Ji-an picked up a piece of the lamb chop he cut and ate it with a small smile.
“It’s really delicious here. Especially the lamb chops.”
Probably because you personally cut them for me.
The ending words she couldn’t honestly say lingered in her mouth.
“Eat more. If it’s not enough, order more. You should eat well and get a little plumper.”
“By the way, haven’t I gotten a bit plumper now?”
“Plumper? If you tap Ji-an’s ribs, they’ll make a sound, right? Look. When I tap the meat ribs, it makes that kind of sound.”
“It’s not that bad anymore…”
“If you’re plump, then all the women in the world would be criticized. Forget the criticism and just eat more meat. You’re still far from that.”
Yoon Gun smiled faintly and finished cutting Ji-an’s lamb chops.
The way he joked while using the knife was handsome and gentle.
‘I wish this kind of behavior wasn’t just manners or actions conscious of the contract…’
Not something he could show to other people either.
If it were something allowed only for me, and only for me…
Ji-an felt that she might be being too greedy.
And yet, she couldn’t stop the desire that kept growing.
She didn’t know yet that in a few days,
She would realize that this was a foolish wish.
As Yoon Gun said, Seoul really seemed surprisingly small.
That day, after finishing their meal and waiting for the elevator, the two met someone else again.
This time it was Ji-an’s acquaintance.
Mr. Go, the head of a pipe material distribution company, who had built a friendship with Filbeom since the early days of Eun-gang Tech.
“Oh, isn’t that Ji-an?”
“Oh? Uncle Go! Auntie!”
Ji-an greeted him happily at the chance encounter in front of the elevator.
Mr. Go, who was from the same hometown as Filbeom and had a close relationship with him, was very fond of Filbeom.
When Ji-an was young, Mr. Go and his wife were sometimes invited to Filbeom’s house.
Young Ji-an used to call him “Uncle, Uncle” in a naïve way, and Mr. Go, who had only three sons, also liked Ji-an very much.
“Oh my, meeting you here. Are you out to eat with your husband?”
“Yes, Uncle.”
Yoon Gun and Mr. Go exchanged greetings.
“You two came out to eat as well?”
“Yes, it’s my wife’s birthday, so.”
“My husband said he would treat me to something delicious, so we came out. Oh, this is my younger sister.”
Mr. Go’s wife introduced the person who had been standing beside her to Ji-an.
“Hello.”
“Yes… Hello.”
The younger sister of Mr. Go’s wife, who had been looking at Ji-an and Yoon Gun, slightly widened her eyes as if surprised,
Then awkwardly returned Ji-an’s greeting with a smile.
