. Much Obliged

"H-hey... I asked you to wait up!" He demanded with a hint of impatience in his voice as he grabbed her left wrist and forced her to a stop in the middle of the well lit pavement.

'The fuck? Did I just get ignored?' His damn thoughts flooded her mind once again, overwhelming her like powerful waves.

Her impassive eyes instinctively landed to where his hand was.

Would it be rude to wrench her wrist out of his grip, to break the connection? It would, wouldn't it?

The thing was, having the ability to perceive people's thoughts proved to be both a gift and a curse. It granted her insight, but also exposed her to emotional burdens she couldn't easily shake off.

Like now, for instance. The sheer hopelessness of his thoughts and emotions were clouding her better judgment.

Noticing the half-glare she directed at his hand, Yoo Jin-ho quickly understood the situation and promptly released her.

Finally, her gaze shifted to his face from underneath her cap and outgrown bangs. He was momentarily stunned by the cold-blue of her eyes as he had not noticed before due to the poorly lit area they were in.

Were these lenses? No, they seemed way too real to be mere fakes.

He leaned in closer, at eye-level to get a clearer look. It was pretty and dazzling; an uncommon feature for a Korean to have.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat to catch his attention, and it suddenly struck him that he was uncomfortably close.

Quickly, he adjusted his posture, as if something had prodded him in the rear.

"Ah! Sorry about that. Um..." He apologized, followed by a brief pause and a hint of hesitation in his intense brown eyes as he avoided her gaze. But then, he admitted sheepishly, "I could really use some help right now!"

He appeared genuinely embarrassed this time, as his voice lacked the pride and silliness he had previously shown.

Feeling her intense scrutiny, Yoo Jin-ho questioned whether he'd really stoop as low as to beg a total stranger for a place to stay.

"You do understand that it doesn't make sense for me to do that, right?" Lee Ju-hee responded, using longer sentences than her usual short phrases, and pointed out the obvious: "I mean, for all I know, you could be planning to rob me right after I let you in! I'm saying your intentions aren't clear, mister!"

Yoo Jin-ho suddenly realized that what she had said made sense. Reflecting on it, he found his proposition to be a bit... creepy?

He sighed, covering his face with his right hand.

"Oh, I-I see!" he conceded, stepping back to put some distance between them. "It was wrong of me to do that, my bad!"

She'd expected him to strongly defend himself or protest, but was surprised when he simply backed down without saying a word.

She had read his thoughts before and knew he had no ill intentions. However, his retreat felt like an unexpected turn of events, as if something had backfired.

"Well, um... goodnight, I guess?" He started to say.

"I clearly can't take a stranger home with me! That much is true! It's not safe and definitely not the right thing to do!" she interrupted abruptly, not giving him a chance to say his farewell and leave.

Yoo Jin-ho felt momentarily confused by her words.

It seemed unnecessary to emphasize her point again when he had already understood it. Was she trying to make fun of him or something?

However, she quickly cleared his doubts with a clarifying statement: "But, of course, if we sit down for a meal and discuss it further, it'll be a completely different story. Dinner's on me!"

Yoo Jin-ho was momentarily stunned, unable to speak in response to her unexpected offer. Could she read minds or something? Because he had thought the exact same thing a few minutes ago.

"Ah?! W-will it be alright?"

Their roles had flipped entirely. Earlier, he was the one who sought her assistance, but now she found herself persuading him to join her for dinner.

If it wasn't for the lingering effects of experiencing his despair, she would have walked away when he chose to leave her alone.

"Sure!" she agreed, and then quickly asked, "What would you like to eat?"

The question caught him off guard. It sounded simple yet thoughtful, taking his preferences into consideration.

Did Sung Su-min ever ask him that in the past? Maybe she did, before all the troubles started because of a malicious plot aimed at him. But he couldn't remember clearly. And there was no use dwelling on it now.

"Anything is okay!" he replied.

"Really?" She looked lost in thought for a moment, perhaps considering the various dishes she wanted to have for dinner. "How about some grilled pork belly (Samgyeopsal)?"

"Sure, why not?" His handsome face was already attractive as is, but the slightly arrogant smirk made him even more captivating.

"So it is then!"

***

The restaurant was situated on a quiet side street, not too far but also not too close to the busy main roads. It had a small exterior but was said to have a cozy interior. Yoo Jin-ho suggested this place because Lee Ju-hee wasn't good with directions.

As they entered, the first thing they noticed was the menu displayed on a roll-up banner outside the restaurant.

To her surprise, there weren't many customers inside, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Yoo Jin-ho led them to a vacant wooden table with comfortable cushioned seats near a window, offering a view of the outside.

They sat down silently, and Lee Ju-hee occupied herself by fiddling with the menu already placed on the table. She knew what they were going to order, but she wanted to give Yoo Jin-ho time to browse the menu in case he wanted something else.

"So?" Lee Ju-hee asked awkwardly. She wasn't accustomed to conversing with people other than Min-ho, and socializing wasn't her strong suit. "Have you decided what you want to order?"

"Can I get some beer?" Yoo Jin-ho inquired.

"Sure! You can have whatever you like!" Her response sounded nonchalant, but it seemed to have another type of effect on Yoo Jin-ho.

Raising her hand, she called out, "Excuse me (Jeogiyo)!"

A server passing by came to their table to take their order: "may I take your order?"

"This please!" She pointed at the whole list of dishes and side dishes from page two of her menu and also ordered, "please bring us some soju and beers as well!"

On a typical date, he would have taken the lead on ordering. But this was far from normal, and even less of a date. He felt embarrassed, and it was strange how she was so accommodating of him, considering she had followed a complete stranger to an unknown place.

She seemed too carefree for his taste, but he wasn't going to complain. It was her carefree attitude that had earned him this meal.

As the waitress prepared the tabletop grill and brought out the vegetables, sauces, side dishes, rice, noodles, and drinks, she took out her phone and sent Min-ho a brief text:

['Can't make it tonight! Having dinner with an acquaintance... Lets visit that place another time, alright?']

The whole time she was engrossed in her phone, Yoo Jin-ho watched her closely. The bright lighting revealed glimpses of her beauty, even with her untamed hair. She looked to be hiding a gorgeous face underneath that mask of hers.

Yoo Jin-ho couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the fact that she seemed completely uninterested in him. After all, he was supposed to be her guest, right?

He felt like a burden, intruding on her personal life and space. An outsider in her world.

Which he was! In some ways…

Clearing his throat, he asked in an attempt to ease the awkwardness, "…he must be worried about you, right?"

"Hmm?!" She hummed absent-mindedly.

She didn't have time to answer in more coherent wordings since Min-ho's message came in almost immediately:

['An acquaintance??? You're sure you're gonna be alright on your own???']

She typed a quick reply with dexterous fingers:

['I'll be just fine… Don't worry!']

Min-ho tended to overreact when it came to her. If she didn't respond to his messages or calls, he would go to great lengths, even involving the police and tracking her location. It was unnerving to think about having to justify her actions in such situations.

So, she chose to share most of her activities with him while keeping certain details to herself. Dealing with him could sometimes be more challenging than dealing with a possessive mother.

Yoo Jin-ho waited for her to put her phone down before speaking further: "...Your boyfriend, I mean. He must be worried about you, right?!"

She blinked a few times, seemingly lost in a trance, and trying to understand what he was saying. Eventually, she responded in her usual nonchalant manner, "Not really..."

"Huh? What kind of guy isn't worried about his girlfriend?!" The question seemed to have provoked an unexpected reaction from her, as he noticed a fleeting glint of mixed emotions in her blue eyes. But, it vanished almost instantly, making him question his perception.

She replied simply, "Not a boyfriend," and focused on arranging the meats on the grill to start cooking.

Why was he even relieved that she didn't have a boyfriend?

Perhaps was it because he wanted her undivided attention? It felt good to have someone by his side, to talk to, and even to share a meal with.

'Just for tonight,' he inwardly admitted to himself. He was craving her full attention, as if he had been deprived of affection for a long time.

Using her chopsticks, she skillfully flipped the meat on the grill a few times to ensure it was cooked perfectly. She then picked up a piece and placed it over his bowl of rice, urging him to eat with a simple command, "...eat!"

He noticed that she wasn't much of a talker, but Yoo Jin-ho enjoyed her company nonetheless. Moreover, she was incredibly considerate, making sure to replenish his bowl with meat, vegetables, and side dishes as he ate.

It was only halfway through the meal when he realized that she hadn't eaten anything herself. Her mask remained firmly in place, and he had yet to catch a glimpse of her face.

Making sure to chew and swallowed his food properly, he asked in a gentle tone, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Not hungry," she mumbled softly, barely audible. She refilled his bowl once more before returning to grill more meat.

Leaning her face against her left hand, propped up by her elbow on the table, she gazed out the window, lost in thought.

Just as he was about to initiate another conversation, she beat him to it: "Say, what do you think they're happy about?"

It took him a moment to understand her cryptic question, following her gaze to a seemingly joyful couple passing by. She seemed deep in thought, but he couldn't grasp what was on her mind.

"Who knows?" he replied sincerely. "It must be wonderful to have someone who understands, loves, and protects you, I guess."

"Is that even real?" she wondered aloud.

"What is?"

"Love, I mean!" She paused, her curious gaze fixed on him. The dark circles under her eyes added to her enigmatic appearance.

It was the first time Yoo Jin-ho had encountered someone who embraced their dark circles as part of their aesthetic.

"Does love even exist anymore?" she pondered, her voice tinged with pensiveness. "I mean, the pain of betrayal is unbearable, and it seems like people only use and manipulate others under the guise of love. It's like a win-win or win-lose transaction if you ask me."

It was a pretty ominous thing for her to say about other peoples' lives. Especially since she didn't know anything about them. Strangely, though, he could relate to her perspective. It seemed to resonate with his own experiences.

"Whether you believe it or not, love does exist," he affirmed, letting out a sigh.

Pushing aside his own troubles, he continued to eat. He wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste.

"But how can you be so certain?" she asked, her tone filled with a hint of genuine curiosity.

"Let's just say there are people who can love selflessly, without expecting anything in return. Unfortunately, some people don't appreciate that kind of love," he responded, looking like he was speaking from personal experience.

Lee Ju-hee glanced at him, intrigued.

"If you don't mind me asking," she began politely, "what were you doing in that back alley? Are you involved in some shady business? Like being a street thug or a loan shark?"

Yoo Jin-ho almost choked on the delicious food, coughing a few times and struggling to catch his breath.

She quickly handed him a glass of water. When his coughing fits had died down, he took the glass from her and took a big gulp, downing the water in one go.

"No way! I already told you, right?!" He protested, shaking his head. "I found myself in a difficult situation and had to leave my home unexpectedly!"

"Why didn't you reach out to a friend for help?"

"Battery's dead!"

It was a lie.

Even without having to touch him, she could clearly take a hint from the slight tremors in his voice. There was definitely something going on that he didn't wish to talk about.

She decided not to pry further. It was none of her business as long as she didn't get involved in anything shady.

Opening the bottle of soju, she asked, "Want some?"

Yoo Jin-ho had already gulped down the beer like it was water at the start. Now, it looked to have been a great idea to order some soju as well.

Picking up his soju shot glass, he pointed it in her direction and responded with a: "sure!"

By the time he was done with wolfing down everything, he looked to be a little tipsy. He wasn't drunk, but he felt a sense of relief and satisfaction from the delicious meal and drinks.

As he finished eating, Lee Ju-hee signaled for the bill and then turned to him.

"Are you okay? Can you walk?" she asked with a hint of concern.

Yoo Jin-ho nodded with a lopsided smirk and responded with an even tone, "Yeah, I'm good! I can manage."

Lee Ju-hee stood up after placing some money on the table for the bill. Steadying herself before extending a hand towards him. "Alright then, let's head out!"

He sprung up from his seat, preparing to leave the restaurant. Her grocery bag was still sitting on the cushioned chair beside the place she'd previously occupied.

He bent forward and grasp it, to make sure she doesn't forget it and handed it to her with a half-cocky grin. But as he did so, a realization hit him—was their meal over? Did it mean their time together was coming to an end?

He couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment at the thought of parting ways with her. They had shared a wonderful time, and he didn't want it to end just yet.

As she tried to take the bag from him, their hands brushed against each other, sending a surge of his thoughts racing through her mind:

'Is she planning to go already? Ugh, I was hoping she'd stick around for a bit longer.'

He wanted to spend more time with her? The idea slightly surprised her.

With a sigh, she took his hand and led him outside, intrigued yet cautious about indulging him a little longer.

****

A/N: Officially introducing the Female Lead, Lee Ju-hee: