OM 2

Yuwon took her eyes off her laptop and gazed out the library window.

 

In the distance, Tae Minhyuk was staring at her from a digital billboard on a shopping mall building. Even from afar, his piercing gaze seemed to strike her heart directly.

 

The first time Tae Minhyuk’s existence became known to the world was a few years ago, when he made a meteoric debut as a model for Taesung Apparel’s outdoor brand. At that time, giant posters featuring him were hung all over—Cheongdam intersection, Dosan-daero, Itaewon-ro near Hangangjin, and various parts of Myeongdong.

 

According to rumors, he had been the black sheep of the Taesung Group’s owner family even before he was old enough to understand what that meant. He absolutely hated the Spartan-style education passed down through generations and was sick of the family’s restrictions, so much so that he supposedly left for the U.S. at the age of thirteen to gain the right to live freely. There, he became the youngest graduate of Harvard Law School and supposedly earned his Massachusetts attorney license at the youngest age as well.

 

Then, finding life in the U.S. boring beyond words, he wrapped everything up and returned to Korea earlier this year. He was now enrolled in the MBA program at Korea University, with a background unlike any other.

 

Suddenly, she recalled the day two months ago when they had unexpectedly started dating. Even now, it was hard to believe whether it had really happened or was just a dream.

 

Tae Minhyuk, who had been nowhere to be seen throughout August, remained a mystery even after the fall semester began. According to friends who had the inside scoop on Korea University, it seemed like he only showed up for classes and occasionally stopped by a professor’s office before heading off by car.

 

— “Sometimes a van comes to pick him up—looks like a manager or secretary. Even during photo shoots, the security is supposedly super tight. Makes sense though. There were times when sasaeng fans would swarm him and cause chaos.”

 

With the hectic start of the semester, thoughts of him had begun to fade from her mind. The same went for what had happened with Yoon Giha.

 

And just four days ago at dawn, Yuwon was so startled she nearly jumped when she spotted Tae Minhyuk running on the track by the Han River near her home. The track was connected to a back alley behind her officetel, a quiet path known only to a few—almost like a secret passage.

 

It seemed he did strength training at the gym and went jogging early in the morning for cardio. Well, many people do prefer running outdoors over a stuffy treadmill anyway.

 

From that day on, she started going to that track at the same time every day. Wearing a deeply pulled-down ball cap and large headphones, she pretended she was just out to exercise, but in truth, her eyes were always searching for Tae Minhyuk.

 

Whenever she happened to spot him, her heart would leap with joy. But afraid of disturbing his jog, she could only watch him from a distance without daring to speak. Sometimes, she would run behind him, but had to turn back halfway due to her first class.

 

Once, she got the chance to watch him for a long while as he stood by the river stretching. From the bench where she sat, she could clearly see where he was, but from his side, she was completely hidden behind tents set up in the park for an upcoming event.

 

Even through his loose training clothes, his solid build was apparent. With a height close to 190 cm, broad, V-shaped shoulders, and long legs, he looked like a perfectly sculpted figure, even in his most unguarded state.

 

He must have been sweating a lot, because suddenly he pulled off his top and threw his head back. Each time he gulped down water from a bottle, his well-defined muscles twitched under his skin-tight innerwear—clearly visible even from a distance.

 

Stop it. What am I even doing? This is totally stalker behavior…

 

After watching him like that for a while, a wave of reality would suddenly hit her, and she’d trudge back home. But recently, she hadn’t seen him at all.

 

It had already been days… Would he come tomorrow?

 

Just when she was starting to feel disheartened, thinking maybe she wouldn’t see him again, she caught sight of a familiar back heading down the alleyway early this morning—exactly one week since the last time.

 

Gasp. It’s Tae Minhyuk!

 

Instinctively, she ducked behind a tree. She tried to turn and run in the opposite direction, but for some reason, her body started moving in the same direction he had gone.

 

Thank goodness… I get to see him again.

 

This time, he seemed to be running faster than usual and disappeared from sight before she could get close. Since she was already out, Yuwon decided to jog for a bit before heading home.

 

How much time had passed since then? About ten minutes later, Yuwon was utterly shocked when Tae Minhyuk suddenly blocked her path as she was jogging earnestly.

 

“Maybe you should tone it down a bit.”

 

She was so startled that she nearly tripped. Tae Minhyuk looked down at her coldly, with eyes that wouldn’t have blinked even if she had fallen flat on her face.

 

“How long are you planning to keep following me?”

 

“I-I wasn’t…”

 

“This is such a double standard, isn’t it? Weren’t you the one who dumped that crazy guy last time because he acted like a stalker? And now you’re doing the same thing?”

 

“That’s not true!”

 

She didn’t know where the courage suddenly came from. Her lips trembled from the sharpness of his tone, so different from his flawless, sculpted appearance. Still, she felt like she had to say something—had to set the record straight.

 

“I-I never followed you around Sunbae.”

 

“‘Sunbae’? You go to Korea University?”

 

“…No. I go to Seohwa Women’s University… But I graduated from Taeseong Elementary…”

 

She had only recently found out that he was two years her senior at the same elementary school. Both the elite kindergarten and the private elementary school she attended had been founded by the Taeseong Group, thanks to her biological father’s influence.

 

“A-anyway, I never followed you….”

 

“Bullshit. Creeping around like a weirdo, even though you don’t look it. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? You always followed me halfway up the hill.”

 

Her face flushed bright red. She felt like a puppy that had been caught sniffing around, desperately craving attention. And yet, even in that moment, she noticed his earlobes—bare, without earrings.

 

He takes them off when he works out… Makes sense. The dangling must get annoying.

 

“And from the summit, you kept your distance and stared at me like crazy. Don’t deny it.”

 

“You’re right. But it’s not like I was stalking you… I just… kind of followed you a little. Because I wanted to thank you for what you did that time! I wanted to say thank you. Were you hurt at all…?”

 

“Hurt? As if that would happen.”

 

“Still, thank you so much for helping me. But, about Yoon Giha back then—was he…?”

 

“Just words?”

 

“…Sorry?”

 

“Is a simple thank-you enough? Shouldn’t you at least buy me dinner?”

 

And just like that, a dinner date for that very evening was suddenly arranged. A few hours later, after she paid a total of 480,000 won (about $350) for steak and wine at a high-end restaurant in Cheongdam-dong, he casually asked her:

 

“You paying for round two as well?”

 

“Huh? Oh… of course, I should…”

 

Holding back tears, she drank premium wine and a charcuterie platter with over ten kinds of European cheeses at a bar in the neighboring building. The bar owner, named Jung Yoonjae, seemed to be on close terms with Tae Minhyuk—like brothers—since he personally brought out some finger foods on the house.

 

But when it came time to pay, not a single won was discounted. She ended up paying the full 370,000 won (about $270). At the rooftop coffee house in the same building, they had several cups of Geisha drip coffee—no refills allowed—and slices of cake that cost 30,000 won each. The bill there came close to 150,000 won (about $110).

 

When she nervously asked to split the payment into installments, her lips trembling, Tae Minhyuk—arms crossed—suddenly asked:

 

“Why not just pay it all at once? You’ve got plenty of money, don’t you?”

 

“What? I… I don’t have money.”

 

“A broke college student wouldn’t be living in that officetel.”

 

He wasn’t exactly wrong. That high-end officetel tucked away just off the main road was mostly occupied not by office workers or families, but by well-off students from nearby Korea University, Seohwa Women’s University, and even Han River Women’s University a bit farther out.

 

But with such a wide range of unit sizes, the penthouse suite where Tae Minhyuk lived was at least six or seven times larger than her place. Even if they lived in the same building, it was a completely different world.

 

“I live in a one-room studio on a lower floor that costs 800,000 won a month… I mean, I’m still really grateful to my grandma for that, of course, but still…”

 

Still, it’s not like I’m rich enough to drop a million won on one meal. I must be crazy—completely crazy. I should’ve just said thank you and disappeared… Why did I insist on showing my gratitude like this?

 

“Oh dear. Was that too much? Usually when someone buys dinner, it’s around 100 or 200 thousand won, so I assumed you could handle at least that much.”

 

There was nothing more she could say. Her opponent was the second son of the Taesung Group, and according to a gossip article about chaebols that briefly surfaced and disappeared, he had invested hundreds of billions of won in AI, pharmaceutical, and semiconductor companies—just in stocks under his name. If that were true, a million won would be worth about the same to him as ten thousand won was to her.

 

It was my fault. I was wrong to try to mix with someone who lives in a completely different world. No—if he hadn’t helped me back then, Yoon Giha might still be harassing me. I’ll just consider this the price for that and live off ramen for two months. That’ll do.

 

While she was lamenting to herself and putting away the emergency credit card her grandmother had given her, Tae Minhyuk suddenly asked,

 

“Hey, are you interested in me?”

 

“Huh?”

 

He stood casually leaning against the back gate, arms crossed. A lighter was in his hand.

 

Without asking for permission, he took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag—all without the slightest hint of pretense. He was on a completely different level from the type who try to act cool with swagger and bravado.

 

“I asked if you’ve got a thing for me. You kept glancing at me in front of the officetel before, didn’t you?”

 

“Well… anyone would look at you, sunbae…”

 

“But your gaze was especially intense.”

 

Yuwon’s heart dropped. Didn’t he not even know she existed back then? And yet, he had noticed and remembered her glances.