Chapter 111: Dates

A date.

It was a truly cringeworthy word.

It had been a long time since I had engaged in that ticklish act where a man and a woman with mutual interest meet to layer their emotions upon one another.

However, for me, dates had been characterized by bad memories for some time now.

Looking back, the dates I went on during my time as a couple with my ex-wife were honestly closer to community service than actual dates.

Occasionally, when she went shopping, I would follow her around and carry her bags.

Once or twice a year, if I barely mustered the courage to suggest going for a drive, she would just spend the whole time in the passenger seat on her phone or sleeping while I drove.

Having lived for a long time with my romance for dating completely neutered, Ishihara Sakura had finally given me a sense of excitement after several years.

But during our date, she revealed her desire to use me as a tool for her own leap forward, and my romantic ideals for dating were once again cruelly crushed.

Therefore, for me, a date was no longer something exciting or attractive.

Consequently, even if it was a date with Grace Kim—who was currently on a stratospheric rise in Hollywood, elevating the status of Korean actors—I was not nervous or expectant at all.

"Writer Lee. Surely, you aren't going out looking like that?"

Seo Sun-ae asked with a worried expression when she saw me in my natural state, having just come out from writing a script in my studio.

"Yes. Why? Is there a problem?"

"Even so, it's a date. Isn't a stretched-out T-shirt and sweatpants a bit much?"

"A date? Is there even such a sweet thing left in South Korea?"

Somehow, I felt like I could hear Im Seong-hee and Jeong Tae-mi sighing deeply behind me.

I lightly ignored their concerns and left the studio.

Grace Kim, who had invited me to her hotel for the date, was currently staying in a suite at the Signiel in Jamsil.

I parked calmly and headed into the hotel.

One of Grace Kim's bodyguards waiting in the lobby seemed to flinch in surprise when he recognized me.

He announced my arrival over the radio and immediately guided me to the suite.

"Hi, Junghyuk. It's good to see you."

Grace was dressed even more casually than I was.

She was wearing nothing but a single robe.

Perhaps because of that, she didn't make any particular comments about my attire.

Because of her jet-black bob and bright red lipstick, her already fair skin looked so white it was almost transparent.

"You haven't had lunch yet, right?"

"No."

"I've prepared some, so let's eat something light before we head out."

The dining table she led me to was spread with all sorts of delicacies.

She said we would eat lightly, but the food was so luxurious that I wondered if such things were even possible for hotel room service.

"This is a lot of food for two people."

"Don't feel pressured. I ordered it so the staff could eat as well."

"You said you're leaving the country tomorrow, right? Is it alright for you to spend your time dating me today?"

"Out of the six days I've been here, today is the day I feel best."

"Then I'm glad."

Grace Kim picked up a single sandwich for her portion and sat by the window.

"I've stayed in many hotels around the world, but the view here is really nice. Seoul definitely has a charm that's different from other cities. I love coming here anytime. It makes me think of the parents who gave birth to me, too."

"You said you were adopted to the United States when you were young, right, Grace?"

"Yes. When I first found out I was an adoptee, there were times I hated my Korean parents, but now I'm just thankful. Thanks to them, I was born into this world, and I get to see this great view and eat delicious food with Writer Lee."

I felt a new sense of admiration for Grace Kim, who revealed her pain so openly.

As expected of that authentic American sensibility, or perhaps it was "swag," she seemed to exude a sense of "cool" from her entire body.

I kept my admiration brief, and since I happened to be hungry, I picked up a grilled lobster.

Since I didn't particularly think of this as a real date and felt no pressure to look good, I plunged my fork into the lobster meat and twisted it to pull it from the shell.

I was busy having a delicious solo meal, taking a huge bite and chewing away, when I locked eyes with Grace Kim, who was staring at me.

"I like that you're unpretentious, Junghyuk."

"Pardon?"

"It's nice that you're natural. Whenever I ask someone out on a date, they put so much effort into themselves from head to toe. Sometimes I wonder if they spent more time on their makeup than I did."

As I watched Grace Kim laugh, I thought, 'I guess American men wear makeup too. Or wait, they say young Korean men wear makeup these days, too. Is it just a generational difference?'

"Still, Writer Lee's fashion today is a bit much, so let's get you dressed up."

"Eh?"

"You're finished eating, right?"

As I was in the middle of enjoying some Peking duck wrapped in a wheat pancake, Grace Kim's hair and makeup team, along with her coordinator, approached me.

"See you in 1 hour."

I was stopped mid-meal and moved to the next room, where they began setting my hair and applying makeup.

I had received professional hair and makeup once before when I appeared on The Quiz, but the Hollywood touch felt different. It was at a level where it felt like they had moved an entire hair salon and beauty shop into the hotel room.

I heard she was staying in Korea for six days to handle various schedules, but to set up something this grand for just those six days...

Even though I had once been married into a wealthy family, the life of a celebrity was entirely new to me.

It was like... an investment of all kinds of capital for the sake of beauty.

There were what looked like hundreds of cosmetic products. In the middle of it all sat a salon chair. Wrapped in a gown, I sat there as my hair was cut, my beard was shaved, and I was scrubbed and polished until I was reborn.

"Oh. You look really handsome like this, Junghyuk."

Looking at me dressed in a crisp white shirt without a single wrinkle and black slacks, Grace Kim smiled with satisfaction.

"Didn't you just say you liked my natural appearance?"

"Mhm. I like the natural look, but for handsome people, the effect is doubled when they're polished up."

"Ahem."

I didn't feel particularly great, feeling a bit like a doll in a game of house, but...

"Well then, shall we go on our date?"

Seeing Grace Kim's bright smile, I thought, 'Well, whatever.' For a date worth 100 million won, I decided to be grateful that she was happy even if I didn't do much.

The department store connected to the Signiel was bustling with employees in formal suits, despite it being a holiday.

This was because today was the important day that occurred once a month when the VIPs visited.

In the past, I had come to this VIP shopping event as well.

Jeon Minjeong mainly shopped at this department store in Jamsil.

That didn't mean there were any sweet gestures like her buying my clothes or me helping her pick hers out.

My role was to wait in the lounge and then take the bags from the staff once she had finished choosing her clothes.

Since it was a place where I had such unpleasant memories, being here with Grace Kim wasn't exactly enjoyable.

"Junghyuk, is there anything you need? I want to give you a gift to commemorate our first date."

"No. I'm not particularly interested in fashion."

"Hmm. I see. Then I'll just handle it on my own."

Grace Kim and I were guided by an employee into the VIP room.

The room, which was about 20 square feet and included a dressing room, used fabric from the floor to the walls, providing a cozy feeling.

It had the atmosphere of a dressing room in some European royal palace.

A refreshment table on one side was extravagantly decorated with types of desserts I had never seen before.

A manager wearing white gloves approached and asked in Korean and English what kind of beverage we would like to drink.

While another employee brought an iced americano, the manager showed catalogs for various luxury brands on a tablet and asked which items we would like to see in person.

"Please show me the new arrivals from Hermes and Loro Piana."

"We happen to have new items that just arrived..."

Grace Kim selected clothes with a quite serious expression.

"Hmm. Number one and number 12. I think number nine was good too. What do you think, Junghyuk?"

"I... well, I wouldn't know even if I looked."

"Then just give me all three."

"Ah?"

"If you wait a moment, I will bring them after they are packed."

"Use this for the payment."

The manager, who took the black card Grace Kim held out, returned quickly with a receipt.

Curious about the price, I stole a glance, thinking it would be around 2.3 million won.

Upon closer inspection, I discovered an extra zero at the end of the number on the receipt.

'Wait, hold on. It's not 2.3 million, but 23 million?'

Buying only about three items—a short-sleeved T-shirt, pants, and a thin jacket—cost 23 million won. My jaw dropped.

"Wait a moment. Grace, this is too much of a burden."

"Is it? That's good."

"Pardon?"

"For our remaining four dates, come out feeling that pressure. I didn't ask you on a date as a joke, Junghyuk."

"Was it because I came out dressed comfortably that you were uncomfortable?"

"No. I told you I liked that. I'm talking about your mindset. Next time, think of me as a real date partner. That will be helpful."

She added that since the scale of money she used was different anyway, I shouldn't think too much of it.

Haha. Suddenly, after receiving 23 million won worth of clothes as a gift, a massive burden had been created.

'I guess next time I come, I'll have to wash up thoroughly, shave, put on a bit of makeup, and wear those 23 million won clothes.'

"I'll be back after going to the restroom."

I left the room with a somewhat complicated mind.

I couldn't understand Grace Kim's heart, wanting to date me even going this far.

It was because I kept thinking about the women I had met before, wondering if she had a hidden motive like Jeon Minjeong, or if she was trying to use me like Ishihara Sakura.

'This is truly a petty thought.'

I felt like the protagonist of a third-rate romance novel who screams, 'I'll never love again!' while being bound by past wounds.

I tried to wash away the unnecessary thoughts by splashing my face with cold water.

It seemed to work, as my mind felt quite clear.

Just as I was heading back to the VIP room...

"Lee Junghyuk?"

I ran right into Jeon Minjeong, who was living and eating well despite having left a deep scar on my fragile heart.

"Ha. I guess you're doing well lately? Even coming to VIP shopping at a place like this."

"What's it to you?"

"It's nothing to me. It's just that it's an eyesore. A person who calls himself a writer should stick to writing. You're full of hot air. This won't do; I'll have to tell them to manage their list better."

Watching Jeon Minjeong deliver such absurd, third-rate lines, I was speechless.

Seeing my stunned expression, Jeon Minjeong raised her hand as if she were really going to call an employee.

Then, she acted as if she knew someone who had entered her field of vision.

"Oh my! Grace Kim. I see you here. It's been a long time. How have you been?"

"Who are you?"

"Ah. We met once at a party in Las Vegas. It was the party hosted by Mable. You might not remember. I'm Jeon Minjeong, the CEO of CL Media."

"Is that so? But who are you to be talking to Junghyuk?"

"Oh. Ah. You two know each other? I'm Writer Lee Junghyuk's ex-wife."

"Are you the woman Junghyuk divorced?"

"......Yes."

Jeon Minjeong's lips quivered as she forced a smile.

It was a habit of hers that came out when she was in an extremely bad mood.

"Thank you so much for divorcing him."

"Pardon?"

"Because of that, I can date Junghyuk, can't I?"

Grace tilted her head to the side as she linked her arm with mine.

"We have a dinner reservation later, so we'll be going now."

Inside, I cheered wildly for Grace as she lightly led me away from Jeon Minjeong.

So this is what "American soda" feels like!

I turned around once more as I heard the sound of someone huffing and stomping their feet behind us.

Looking at Jeon Minjeong, who was spitting out curses at me with a rotten expression, it was truly gratifying.

A similar scene appears in Lovers in London, written by Writer Park Eunsook.

Ah. I finally understood why that drama, which surpassed a 40% viewership rating back then, received so much praise.

Cinderella's feelings must have been truly happy.

I made a resolution that I would definitely put my best effort into this date from now on.