Chapter 32 - Blind DateChapter 32: Blind Date


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    In the end, the overseas escape n proposed by Kim Eun-ha fell through. And for a very simple reason.


    “Seriously, who doesn’t have a passport these days!? Have you really never traveled in this global era!?”


    “To be precise, I should say ‘couldn’t go.''”


    My father is in the hospital after a stroke, and my mother is taking care of him. Where would I have had the time or money for that?


    Of course, my father copsed after I became an adult, but even before that, our family wasn’t exactly well off.


    ‘Sometimes I did feel a sense of despair because of that.’


    When school friends came back from vacations bragging about trips to Disnend or traveling to Europe to see original works by Renaissance painters.


    ‘…at least Japan would have been something.’


    Nowadays, the cost of traveling to Jeju Ind or Japan is pretty simr. So many people prefer to go abroad instead.


    But what difference does it make?


    Even that was a luxury for me.


    ‘I couldn’t even afford a bus fare, let alone a ne ticket.’


    During the day, I would try to make some free time to do day jobs, and at night, I worked as a substitute driver, dealing with heavily drunk men.


    In between, I somehow managed to keep up with my grades, always going to sses with bleary eyes and a weary body.


    ‘…I was almost like a zombie.’


    Of course, since I didn’t want to waste money, I never dozed off or cked off during ss.


    But I couldn’t participate in internal departmental events like MTs or theater festivals. (Trantor Note: MT = Membership Training)


    Looking back at my school days now, it’s no wonder that the looks from professors and ssmates became increasingly sharp.


    “Hmm… Sorry.”


    It seems I spent more time reminiscing about the past than I realized. Kim Eun-ha suddenly apologized, perhaps misunderstanding my silence.


    “I made a slip of the tongue. After all, I am one of the few people who know your situation well.”


    “It’s okay. It’s not something I care much about anyway. From your perspective, Eun-ha, not having a passport would indeed seem odd.”


    While Kim Eun-ha knows everything about my past due to her extensive connections and wealth, what I know about her is only fragmentary facts.


    Still, it’s not hard to guess that she followed the so-called ‘elite course.’


    Probably from elementary school. No, even from kindergarten, the families of the children around her must have been outstanding.


    Didn’t she say that Park Ji-hoon, who ising for the blind date this week, was a childhood friend?


    “…Even so, everyone has their own circumstances, and it was clearly a mistake to get excited and say the wrong thing. These things need to be settled properly when they happen.”


    “Hmm. Now that I think about it, you’re right. It was ament that could indeed cause significant emotional harm. A proper apology is needed.”


    “…Alright. How much do you want?”


    “No, I don’t need the money.”


    “…!?”


    Kim Eun-ha’s eyes widened as she started to tremble more than when I said I didn’t have a passport.


    At first, I thought she was joking, but her expression was genuinely serious.


    “Are you saying Woo-ju is refusing money!?”


    “…What kind of image of me do you have in your head, Eun-ha? I don’t remember asking for money in the first ce.”


    “But you always epted money without fail.”


    “I’m not the type to refuse free money.”


    Despite everything, Kim Eun-ha was quite considerate. She provided a house, a car, and even moved my parents to a better hospital as a basic gesture.


    She even gave me her credit card, but when she realized I wasn’t using it, she started depositing an allowance directly into my ount.


    At first, I refused because it was too much, but she said it was a kind of sry and told me to work as much as I received.


    ‘…I don’t know how much harder I have to work to earn that much every month.’


    In terms of amount, I received much more than when I was at the top in the designated driver industry.


    Thanks to that, along with the ten million won I first received from her, I had long since paid off my overdue tuition fees, and I’m saving the rest.


    “So, what do you want?”


    “Hmm. Let’s see.”


    Actually, I brought it up as a light joke, but seeing Kim Eun-ha react so intensely made me want to tease her a bit more.


    Swoosh-


    I deliberately stroked my chin. Then, I half-closed my eyes and slowly scanned her body from top to bottom.


    “…!?”


    Whoosh-!


    Realizing my intention, Kim Eun-ha red at me and lunged. Since I had anticipated the attack, I could dodge it quite leisurely.


    However, she seemed to expect my evasion and took a deeper step forward.


    Using her right foot as a pivot, her body rotated, and all her strength was concentrated into her left fist.


    ‘Oh?’


    Thud-!


    The moment her perfectly executed liver blow hit my skin, I rolled several times and sprawled on the living room floor like a corpse.


    Kim Eun-ha walked over to me and crouched down beside me, poking my cheek as she spoke again.


    “Are you okay? Your reaction seems slower thanst time. It feels like there’s some sensation left in my hand.”


    “…”


    “Woo-ju?”


    “…”


    “Oh my god!? Woo-ju!!”


    When I didn’t respond, she shook my shoulder in genuine shock, thinking something might have happened. It was only then that I managed to raise my hand to show I was still alive.


    “I’m, I’m okay.”


    “Okay, my ass! We need to go to the hospital right away! I’ll call an ambnce…”


    “Eun-ha, calm down.”


    “…?”


    As I suddenly stood up as if nothing had happened, Kim Eun-ha stared at me with wide eyes. Her face was filled with a mixture of emotions.


    “…Your acting skills have improved a lot?”


    “No. This time, I really got hit.”


    I grimaced and rubbed my stinging abdomen. If I hadn’t desperately thrown myself at thest moment, I would have ended up in the hospital for sure.


    ‘She did say she was semi-pro…’


    After her parents passed away, she needed the strength to get back on her feet, and Chairman Kim Seok-ho diagnosed that vigorous exercise was the best thing for her mental health, so he personally took her out.


    However, she found the exercise much more enjoyable than expected, and for a while, she trained almost at the level of elite athletes.


    “Weren’t you a bit too carefree just because it’s me? If I had dodged a bitter, you could have actually be a widow, Eun-ha.”


    “I’m not married yet, so it’s okay.”


    “Do you even realize what you’re saying…”


    At first, she wasn’t this brazen, but as she spent more time with me, she seemed to have be much more shameless.


    “Anyway, lift your shirt a bit. If you have a bruise or a deep wound, you might need a thorough checkup at the hospital.”


    “I’m fine.”


    “Hurry.”


    “No, seriously, I’m fi…”


    “I said take it off!”


    Finally, Kim Eun-ha grabbed the hem of my T-shirt and started to lift it. Genuinely flustered, I stumbled backward, but she just moved closer.


    After a brief scuffle, Eun-ha managed to check my bare skin and nodded indifferently.


    “Fortunately, there’s no serious problem.”


    “Sigh… I’ve never shown this to anyone.”


    “Please, don’t say things that others might misunderstand. And what do you mean you’ve never shown it? Didn’t you work as a nude model during school?”


    “What!? How did you know that…!?”


    Kim Eun-ha’s informationwork left me speechless. Even my parents didn’t know about this.


    I only did it once because the pay was good for the time spent, and I wanted to gain various experiences as an actor. How did she find out about that?


    “Do you think there’s anything I don’t know about you? I considered all those aspects when I made the contract with you.”


    “What do you mean by those aspects?”


    “…Let’s get back to the main topic.”


    “This is too big of a topic to just brush off now!”


    After bickering for quite some time, we finally managed to get back to the main point.


    Exhausted from the long exchange, I slumpedpletely onto the sofa, barely moving my lips.


    “So, what’s n B?”


    “You have to go on a blind date.”


    “And then?”


    “Woo-ju, you handle the rest.”


    “What?”


    Surprised by her cryptic response, I looked up to see Kim Eun-ha smiling mischievously at me.


    Whoosh-


    The most chilling expression I’ve seen from her so far sent shivers down my spine. It seemed this task was going to be anything but easy.


    * * *


    A secluded restaurant.


    Next to each table, ssical music flowed at a volume that was not too loud.


    Waiters in elegant suits stood ready at various spots, prepared to respond to any call from the guests.


    In that ce, where anyone could tell that the food would be quite pricey, a man was lost in thought while gazing at the night view through the ss window.


    “…She’ster than I thought.”


    The man, wearing a clean custom suit and sporting a neat hairstyle matching the overall ambiance of the restaurant, was none other than Kim Eun-ha’s childhood friend, Park Ji-hoon.


    His eyes, as he looked at his watch, were sharp as cold steel, and his tightly pressed lips were stiff.


    There was still some time left until the appointed hour, but typically, for a blind date, one would arrive at least ten minutes early.


    ‘…Did I get stood up?’


    An uneasy expression slowly surfaced on the man’s face, his presence so formidable that diners at nearby tables couldn’t help but nce at him.


    But only for a brief moment.


    He soon smiled softly, an impable smile that wouldn’t look out of ce on an actor.


    ‘No way.’


    Kim Eun-ha, whom he had known since childhood, was a very rational and intelligent woman. She surely understood the significance of today’s meeting.


    Even if unforeseen circumstances forced her to decline, standing him up would be unthinkable unless she was in a traffic ident.


    Yet, with less than a minute left until the appointed time, his punctuality seemed nearly certain. The man’s eyes turned icy once again as he anticipated ate arrival.


    ‘…Is she deliberately beingte?’


    Some heads of powerful nations sometimes intentionally arrivete at official events to disy their authority.


    Though it’s extremely unpleasant for the other party, it’s difficult to openly criticize it due to diplomatic concerns.


    In such cases, the other party is already at a disadvantage from the start, making it a high-level psychological battle.


    ‘This is really too much.’


    Even though we’re childhood friends. Feeling increasingly ufortable, Park Ji-hoon crossed his arms and closed his eyes.


    Counting the remaining time in his head, he wondered if Kim Eun-ha would show up within that timeframe and how he should respond if she did.


    ‘Five, four, three…’


    As the countdown in his head continued, a shadow suddenly fell over his face. She had arrived right on time.


    “Hmm. It’s been three years since I saw your face?”


    “No. This is our first meeting.”


    “…What?”


    A deep voice, entirely different from what he expected. Opening his eyes to check his counterpart, Park Ji-hoon’s eyes widened in shock.


    “You are…!?”


    “I’m Kang Woo-ju.”


    Without hesitation, Kang Woo-ju finished his introduction and, ignoring the speechless Park Ji-hoon, took the seat opposite him without a second thought.


    Thus began the unexpected blind date between two men, each silently staring at the other.


    ******


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