Chapter 37: The First Friday

A week had passed.

For Lee Jun-hyuk, it felt even longer than his year in Cuba.

Every night, upon returning to his hotel suite, he would look at the calendar and mark an X over the day.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…

Damn it.

Why is time crawling by like a turtle?

As if only his own time had stopped, the world spun on busily around him.

The newly hired typist, Mary Anderson, had started coming to work.

A young woman of twenty-three.

Her short bobbed hair and round glasses, and the way her fingers danced across the typewriter keys as if they were alive.

“My typing speed can go up to seventy words per minute.”

She spoke confidently, and it was no empty boast.

The mountain of documents started to be cleared away at a visible speed.

Peter Johnson, who had joined as an accounting assistant, was also doing his part.

Unlike Thomas’s concern that he might be too young, Peter’s age did not hinder his skill.

He was deft and meticulous with numbers.

“My experience at the bank helps a lot.”

Yu Ilhan shuttled between the factory and the office as if he were a fish in water.

Every day, he came in with new ideas.

His notebook filled up with incomprehensible factory diagrams and dense calculations, changing from day to day.

“If we just change the conveyor belt path like this, production efficiency will increase by at least twenty percent!”

His eyes always sparkled like a boy’s.

That tireless passion was infectious, giving energy to everyone around him.

And finally.

The promised day, Friday, had arrived.

Lee Jun-hyuk woke up an hour earlier than usual.

He showered, shaved, and stood in front of the mirror.

He took out each suit hanging in the wardrobe and held them up to his body.

He tied and untied his tie, tried different colors, but couldn’t decide which looked better.

“This won’t do. Get it together.”

It’s just a meeting.

Between friends. Or… are we even friends?

Then what should I call this?

The granddaughter of a business partner?

He arrived at the office.

“Good morning, sir!”

Robert greeted him energetically.

“You look especially dashing today, sir!”

“Uh… really?”

Lee Jun-hyuk’s voice cracked awkwardly in his surprise.

Was it that obvious?

“Yes, sir. Do you have some special appointment today? Meeting a very important buyer, perhaps…”

“No, just… the weather’s nice, so I thought I’d freshen things up a bit.”

He hurriedly mumbled a reply and slipped into his office.

All morning, he tried to focus on work.

Document review, approvals, business reports from Robert and Thomas…

But his mind was elsewhere.

His eyes kept drifting to the wall clock.

Ten o’clock. Eleven. Twelve…

“Damn it, is this clock broken?”

Lunchtime.

“I have an appointment today, so I’ll be heading out a bit early.”

Lee Jun-hyuk announced.

“Ah, is that so?”

Thomas gave a meaningful smile over his glasses.

A smug smile, as if he knew everything.

Three o’clock.

He couldn’t hold out any longer.

There was no point sitting there when he couldn’t concentrate anyway.

Lee Jun-hyuk stood up abruptly.

“I’ll be leaving early today.”

“Huh? Already?”

Robert looked at the clock in surprise.

“Didn’t you say your appointment was at five…”

“I’ll go early and wait.”

It was the truth.

Sitting restlessly at the office was more nerve-racking than just waiting at the spot.

He stepped outside.

The March air was crisp against his face.

It wasn’t quite full spring, but the harsh chill of winter had surely faded.

He walked slowly.

Or, at least, he tried to.

But before he knew it, his pace quickened.

Columbia University.

As soon as he set foot on campus, the sense of Friday afternoon freedom filled the air.

Students clustered everywhere.

Some reading on benches, others kicking a ball on the lawn—a peaceful scene.

Lee Jun-hyuk sat on the bench in front of the Columbia University Library.

“Still a whole hour left.”

He decided to wait.

Slowly, with as much composure as possible.

But in less than five minutes, he stood up.

He simply couldn’t sit still.

“Damn it, let’s just go in.”

He entered the library.

Another student was seated at the desk.

Catherine was nowhere to be seen.

“Is she still working in the back?”

He checked the economics section, just in case.

Perhaps she was at the window seat, studying like before.

No one.

The seat by the window was empty.

Only the afternoon sunlight streamed across the desk.

He went back outside and sat on the bench again.

He took out his pocket watch and checked the time. 4:10.

“Calm down, Lee Jun-hyuk.”

He took a deep breath.

Why am I so nervous?

Even facing down Cuba’s dictator wasn’t this bad.

4:30.

“What if… something happened and she can’t make it?”

Anxious thoughts crept in.

Maybe something urgent came up.

Or maybe, in the past week, she changed her mind. Or simply forgot…

No.

Catherine isn’t the kind of person who’d forget a promise.

4:45.

He ended up repeatedly standing up and sitting back down.

Passing students cast curious glances at the strange Asian man. He tried not to notice, but his face burned.

4:50.

And then.

The heavy wooden doors of the library swung open.

And Catherine appeared.

A bright beige coat. Several books cradled carefully in her arms.

She glanced around… and spotted the restlessly waiting Lee Jun-hyuk in front of the bench.

Her face lit up, like clouds parting for the sun.

“Mr. Lee Jun-hyuk!!!”

She hurried over, almost breaking into a run.

At that sight, all the anxiety that had weighed him down for the past hour melted away.

“You came early?”

“Y-yes. Things at work… finished up early.”

Lee Jun-hyuk stood up.

“You’ve been waiting here this whole time?”

“No. I just arrived too.”

A blatant lie.

He’d been pacing around the area for over an hour already.

“I’m sorry. I was a bit late, wasn’t I?”

Catherine glanced at her watch.

“It’s still ten minutes to five.”

“Still… a promise is a promise.”

Catherine beamed.

In the afternoon sunlight, her smile shone brighter than anything in the world.

“So, where should we go?”

Lee Jun-hyuk asked.

“It’s still a bit early for dinner…”

“Shall we take a walk?”

Catherine suggested.

“The weather’s just too nice. It’d be a shame to go straight indoors. How about Central Park?”

“That sounds good.”

The two began to walk side by side.

They left the campus and turned onto the street. Friday afternoon in New York. Everyone’s faces seemed to hold the anticipation of the coming weekend.

“This week went by so quickly.”

Catherine said.

“Did it?”

Lee Jun-hyuk chuckled inwardly.

To him, it was the longest week in the world.

“How’s work? Still busy?”

“Yes, it’s been hectic.”

He told her about the new staff.

Robert’s overwhelming diligence, Thomas’s meticulousness, and Yu Ilhan’s fiery passion.

“They sound like wonderful people.”

Catherine nodded with genuine empathy.

“It’s because you’re a good boss, Mr. Lee. Naturally, good people gather around you.”

“You flatter me.”

“No, I mean it.”

They arrived at the entrance to Central Park.

The trees inside the park were tentatively revealing their first buds.

Still bare for now, but soon everything would be green.

Spring’s promise could be seen all throughout the park.

“Wow, this is lovely.”

Catherine took a deep breath.

“It’s amazing that a place like this exists right in the middle of the city…”

The two walked along a winding path in the park.

Slowly.

Without hurrying.

As if all the time in the world had paused just for them.

Central Park in the afternoon.

They strolled along the edge of the pond.

Gentle ripples sparkled in the sunlight.

A few ducks floated lazily on the water.

“Look over there.”

Catherine pointed, childlike.

“It’s a duck family.”

A row of fluffy ducklings followed behind their mother.

Waddling along, their tiny webbed feet paddling with all the energy in the world.

“So cute.”

Lee Jun-hyuk couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes, it’s so lovely.”

Catherine gestured to an empty bench.

“Shall we sit for a bit?”

“Sure.”

They sat side by side.

Shoulders almost, but not quite, touching. Yet close enough.

“How was Cuba?”

Catherine asked.

“I’ve been curious all week—what kind of place is it, and how did you get by there…”

“Hot, humid…”

Lee Jun-hyuk paused for a moment.

“But it was an intense and beautiful place.”

He told her about Cuba.

The colorful old streets of Havana, the endless green sugar plantations, and the faces of the poor yet good-natured laborers.

“Wasn’t it difficult?”

Catherine asked with worried eyes.

“Running a business alone in such a foreign place…”

“Of course it was hard.”

Lee Jun-hyuk answered honestly.

“At first, it was really tough. The language barrier, the cultural differences. Many people looked down on me just for being Asian. But…”

He paused.

“I met some truly good people. That was the greatest stroke of luck for me.”

Jose, Delgado, Carlos, and even Chairman Wang.

Their faces came to mind one by one.

What might they all be doing now?

“It must have been hard to part with them.”

“Yes. Much harder than I’d expected.”

Catherine quietly studied Lee Jun-hyuk’s face.

Her gaze was warm and deep.

“You must have been a good boss.”

“I was just… a companion who fought alongside them.”

“Still.”

Catherine smiled gently.

“When you talk about them, your eyes change. I can tell you truly cared about them.”

Just then, a breeze blew.

Catherine’s hair fluttered.

She brushed it behind her ear with her hand.

“Honestly, I feel the same sometimes.”

Her voice dropped a little.

“Even while attending school, I sometimes feel so alone.”

“Alone?”

“Yes. I have lots of friends around, but…”

She trailed off.

“There aren’t many people I can really open my heart to.”

Lee Jun-hyuk nodded quietly.

That feeling, that sense. He understood all too well.

Surrounded by people, yet always alone in the end.

It had followed him all his life, in his previous life and in this one.

“Especially as a woman studying economics…”

Catherine gave a wry smile.

“Everyone looks at me oddly. Like, why bother studying such difficult things when I could just get married.”

“Times are changing.”

Lee Jun-hyuk said.

“Women will soon be able to study and have their own careers, as much as they wish.”

“Really… you think so?”

“Of course.”

There was the certainty of someone who knew the future in his voice.

“People like you, Catherine, who are ahead of their time, are the ones creating that new era.”

Catherine’s eyes widened in surprise, then sparkled like stars.

“Thank you. No one’s ever said that to me before, Mr. Lee.”

“I’m only stating the truth.”

A brief silence settled between them.

But it wasn’t awkward.

There was an unspoken understanding filling that silence.

The sun began to dip in the west.

Light filtered through the trees, turning a deep golden hue.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Lee Jun-hyuk asked.

“Now that you mention it…”

Catherine rubbed her stomach, blushing shyly.

“To be honest, I didn’t really have lunch today.”

“Why not?”

“Well… I was thinking about today’s meeting…”

As she spoke, her face turned as red as an apple.

“No, it’s not that! I was just busy…”

At that, Lee Jun-hyuk couldn’t help but laugh.

So he wasn’t the only one.

“In truth, I only grabbed a sandwich for lunch myself.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I just couldn’t focus on work for some reason.”

They looked at each other and laughed for a while.

It was an awkward, yet warm and ticklish sort of laughter.

“Here we are.”

Catherine led the way to a small Italian restaurant tucked in an alley not far from the park.

A worn sign read ‘Mama Rosa’.

Warm orange light spilled from the windows.

“I used to come here often with friends when I was in school.”

As soon as they opened the door, the scent of tomato sauce and garlic wafted over them, making their mouths water.

“Oh! Catherine! My beautiful young lady, it’s been too long!”

From the kitchen, a large, Santa Claus-like woman ran over and wrapped Catherine in a big hug.

“Hello, Mama Rosa.”

“Well now, who’s this handsome young man?”

Mama Rosa looked Lee Jun-hyuk up and down, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“No!”

Catherine frantically waved her hands.

“Just… just a friend, a friend!”

“Hoho, of course. A friend.”

Mama Rosa laughed meaningfully and led them to a cozy corner table.

A small candle flickered on the table, making the atmosphere almost too romantic.

“Today’s special is seafood pasta. Made with the freshest ingredients.”

“We’ll have two of those, please.”

Catherine ordered.

“And wine?”

“I’ll just have water.”

When Lee Jun-hyuk hesitated, Catherine followed.

“I’ll have water too.”

“My, young folks these days, not even having wine. How dull.”

Mama Rosa grumbled as she went back to the kitchen.

“Mama Rosa is always like that.”

Catherine smiled.

“She’s nosy but truly kind-hearted. And the food is the best in New York.”

The candlelight flickered gently.

Under its soft glow, Catherine looked even more beautiful.

“By the way…”

Catherine took a sip of water and carefully asked.

“Are we really going to meet like this every week?”

At that, Lee Jun-hyuk paused.

“If… if you’d rather not…”

“No! Absolutely not!”

Catherine replied quickly.

“It’s just… I know you must be really busy, so I was wondering if you really had the time.”

Lee Jun-hyuk smiled.

“Time is something you make.”

“My promise with you, Catherine, is a very important one for me.”

At his words, Catherine’s cheeks turned even redder in the candlelight.

“It’s very important for me, too.”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

Just then, their food arrived.

Pasta brimming with tomato sauce, shrimp, clams, and squid, steaming hot.

It was truly delicious.

Not the refined perfection of Delmonico’s, but a warm, heartfelt taste.

After their meal, they stepped outside.

Night had fully fallen, and the street was lit by streetlights.

“I’ll walk you home.”

“It’s fine. I live very close by.”

“Still, it’s dangerous at night.”

Lee Jun-hyuk insisted.

They walked side by side.

The festive spirit of Friday night filled the streets.

“I really enjoyed today.”

Catherine said.

“Me too.”

He meant it. It had been worth waiting all week.

“Next week as well…”

Catherine stopped.

“Are you really okay with the time?”

“Of course.”

Lee Jun-hyuk stopped too.

“We promised, didn’t we?”

“Yes.”

Catherine looked up at him.

Under the streetlight, her eyes sparkled like a lake.

“Then… see you next Friday.”

“Yes. Definitely.”

For a moment, the two just gazed at each other.

It seemed there was more either wanted to say, but neither spoke first.

“Well… take care getting home.”

Catherine turned away first.

After a few steps, she looked back.

“Mr. Lee Jun-hyuk!”

“Yes?”

“Thank you… really, for today.”

She waved with a radiant smile like sunshine.

Lee Jun-hyuk waved back.

He stood there for a long time, until Catherine rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

On his way back to the hotel.

Lee Jun-hyuk found his own fluttering heart both amusing and unfamiliar.

Twenty-five. No, counting his previous life, over sixty years old. Was it possible to feel this giddy?

“Well… it can’t be helped.”

He suddenly recalled his past life.

Thirty-eight years.

All that time, he’d never had a proper romance.

He’d buried himself in work.

Overtime at the securities firm, weekend shifts, even churning out market analysis reports during the holidays. That was his life.

“I guess I was scared.”

Lee Jun-hyuk gave a wry smile.

Afraid of getting close to someone. Afraid of opening his heart. Afraid of getting hurt.

So he ran away into work.

Work never betrayed him, after all.

“But this life… I want to live differently.”

Money and business are important, but after dying, he realized there are things they can’t fill.

He arrived at the Plaza Hotel.

His own reflection in the elevator mirror still had a stupid grin on its face.

Like an idiot.

He entered the suite.

Hung up his jacket, loosened his tie.

Sat on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.

It was quiet.

But tonight, strangely, he didn’t feel lonely.

“Every Friday.”

Now, he had something to look forward to.

The phone rang.

“Sir! It’s Yu Ilhan!”

An excited voice.

“Sorry to call at this hour! But I just had to tell you—the estimate for the equipment renovation came in, and it’s going to be much cheaper than we expected!”

Yu Ilhan began to chatter energetically.

Lee Jun-hyuk listened with a smile.

This was good, too.

Having passionate colleagues.

Having people to dream with.

“Let’s talk about it in detail on Monday. Have a good weekend.”

He hung up.

The quiet returned.

Lee Jun-hyuk went to the window.

Even in the dusk, Central Park’s paths were lit by streetlights.

That afternoon, he’d walked those paths with Catherine.

“Beautiful.”

Catherine in the sunlight. Catherine when she smiled. Catherine as she listened intently.

“Is this feeling… love?”

He shook his head.

Too soon. For now… just good friends.

“But… let’s be honest.”

He wanted to be more than friends.

He showered and lay on the bed.

Normally, he would have spent sleepless hours planning business for the next day.

Tonight was different.

As soon as he closed his eyes, Catherine’s smile floated into his mind.

“See you next Friday.”

Her words echoed in his ears.

Lee Jun-hyuk fell asleep with a smile.

For the first time in a long while.

He slept peacefully.

The next morning, Saturday.

It was a day off, but Lee Jun-hyuk woke up early.

“What should I do?”

Normally, he would review documents or draft a business plan.

But today, he didn’t feel like doing that.

“Maybe I’ll take a walk.”

He quickly headed outside.

Saturday morning in New York. There was a relaxed atmosphere, different from weekdays.

His steps naturally led him to Central Park.

The same path as yesterday.

But walking alone felt different. More lonely, more quiet.

He passed the bench where he’d sat with Catherine.

The empty bench looked strangely forlorn.

“One week.”

It felt long.

But he thought he could endure it.

He’d spent thirty-eight years alone in his previous life.

A week—what’s a week?