A grand yet deep melody spread through the vast hall. Everyone was captivated by the performer, who poured all his sincerity into every single note, from the beautiful fingertips striking the piano keys onward.
Among them, Won-hyeok was barely managing to swallow a yawn. He genuinely couldn’t understand the people around him, their eyes sparkling as if entranced while they listened so intently, and he almost felt like grabbing them by the collar and asking—
What the hell is so fun about this crap?
But his mother, seated beside him, was no different from them, so he couldn’t exactly do that.
Won-hyeok hated performances like this. He could list more than a hundred reasons why he hated them, but fundamentally, he just had very little interest in art.
It wasn’t exactly the sort of thought you’d expect from the son of a once-famous pianist mother, but if he wasn’t interested, then he wasn’t interested. It was boring, and he didn’t really get what was supposed to be so impressive about it. But that wasn’t the real reason he wanted to get up and leave this place right now. The real problem was that he couldn’t use his phone during the performance.
I need to text Han-gyeom. Even while I’m stuck here like this, there was no way of knowing how that 28-year-old café owner, that Hankuk University graduate, might be hitting on Han-gyeom. Suddenly, regret washed over him that he hadn’t at least gone to see his face before coming here.
As he clicked his tongue inwardly, the music suddenly cut off, and the audience stirred in a huge wave. People all rose at once and poured thunderous applause toward the performer, who had successfully finished the piece. Won-hyeok also got to his feet a beat late, reading the room, and offered a soulless round of congratulations.
“How was it? The performance was wonderful, wasn’t it?”
“You brought me here for this? Who was it that said I should come along and treat this like a vacation?”
“What’s the harm?”
Won-hyeok’s mother smiled softly.
This was Singapore. There wasn’t much to the reason he’d ended up flying all the way here. Won-hyeok’s mother, Sung Eun-hwa, had retired from being a pianist and had also stepped down from her professorship, but she was still influential in this field, so she occasionally had overseas engagements.
By chance, this trip lined up with Won-hyeok’s end-of-semester break. When his mother suggested he come along to get some fresh air, he had honestly planned to refuse. He needed to check out Han-gyeom’s café and make sure that so-called owner really wasn’t dangerous.
But his father had nagged him relentlessly, saying he was worried about his mother going abroad alone and that he should go with her, so instead of arguing, Won-hyeok had simply given up.
So he had come along half by accident, but Sung Eun-hwa didn’t drag him around according to her schedule. While she handled her engagements, Won-hyeok rested at the hotel or went sightseeing by himself. He didn’t particularly enjoy wandering around, but once he started shopping for souvenirs to give Han-gyeom, time flew by before he knew it.
Then this morning, she said she wanted him to come somewhere with her, and he followed without thinking much of it—only for it to turn out to be this recital.
“So what’s the reason? You know I’m not interested in performances like this, so why did you drag me here?”
“You really are something else…… your mother was a pianist, and yet you say you have no interest in concerts.”
Now outside the hall, she scolded her son in a sulky tone. Even so, she still didn’t explain why and simply kept walking somewhere. When they entered a space with “Waiting Room” written in large letters, the very first thing Won-hyeok noticed was the countless flowers.
“Professor!”
“Woo-hee.”
Someone who had been looking in the mirror inside sprang to her feet and rushed over to embrace her warmly. Whether the two of them were having a touching reunion or not, Won-hyeok’s gaze drifted to the flowers on the table.
Would Kang Han-gyeom like something like that too?
Whether he knew for sure or not, one thing was certain—Han-gyeom would look pretty nice holding flowers.
“Thank you so much for coming all the way here yourself.”
“Of course I had to come. It’s the performance of a cherished student. Ah, Won-hyeok. Say hello. She’s someone I taught before I retired from my professorship.”
When he gave a slight bow of greeting, she shyly returned it. Large eyes, framed by long fluttering lashes. A pleased smile settled across Sung Eun-hwa’s face as she looked at the woman, who possessed both a pure aura and elegant grace.
“You’ve heard the name Cha Woo-hee before too, right?”
Even though she had not yet graduated from university, she had already gained worldwide fame thanks to her outstanding skill. This overseas performance was part of that same trajectory. And by coincidence, her student’s performance had overlapped with Sung Eun-hwa’s trip, so she had come to see it.
Won-hyeok’s face looked utterly indifferent, but he quickly hid it.
“Of course. I enjoyed the performance.”
He was not kidding in the slightest—he had never heard the name before in his life, and he had never seen her face before either.
“Thank you.”
When Won-hyeok gave the bright, refreshing smile he always wore, she averted her eyes, apparently embarrassed.
“Oh, right, Woo-hee, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you? My son hasn’t eaten either, so the two of you go and have something together.”
“P-Professor, you should come too.”
Cha Woo-hee grabbed her arm in flustered protest, but it was no use.
“I need to meet some other professors and say hello, so I’m busy. Won-hyeok, you know what to do, right? Make sure Woo-hee eats something good.”
For a moment, he nearly blurted out, Why the hell should I?, but held it in. Thinking about it, he figured he understood. He could see why she had dragged him all the way here and was trying to make him go on this utterly unnecessary meal. She probably wanted, somehow, to set the two of them up.
What parent wouldn’t be pleased at the idea of their beloved son meeting their treasured favorite student? Since Sung Eun-hwa wouldn’t know that Won-hyeok was currently seeing someone, the odds were very high that that was exactly what this was.
By the time he came back to his senses, the waiting room had already been left with only the two of them. Cha Woo-hee glanced at him awkwardly.
“Um, I’m sorry. Being asked to have a meal together when we’ve just met…… it’s uncomfortable for you, isn’t it? We can just separately—”
“When you’re ready, come out. I’ll wait outside.”
Won-hyeok forced a smile while swallowing down every curse in existence. If this woman weren’t someone close to his mother, he would’ve simply said they should forget the whole meal.
Pretending to have a personality that made life easier to live wasn’t something he did only at university. That was why, today as well, Won-hyeok had no choice but to be a polite and diligent person.
And so Won-hyeok took the very obviously delighted Cha Woo-hee to a nearby restaurant.
As he cut into a steak gleaming appetizingly with juices, he only halfheartedly responded to the things Cha Woo-hee kept chattering on about.
Still, while cutting the meat like this, he found himself thinking of Han-gyeom again.
“The meat is really tender and delicious. Maybe it’s even more so because I’m eating it with you, sunbae.”
As that bright, cheerful way of speaking and that cute voice came to mind, a smile naturally touched his lips. Those sparkling eyes that always said he was happy, that things were delicious, that everything was fun because he was with him—they flickered right in front of Won-hyeok’s eyes.
And seeing Won-hyeok smile, Cha Woo-hee looked somehow pleased.
“Um, this might be a bit of a strange question, but what’s your ideal type, Won-hyeok-ssi?”
Won-hyeok, who had been cutting his meat, paused. It was a question he had heard so many times in his life that it easily ranked in the top five.
“Hmm, I don’t really have a specific ideal type. I’m not the kind of person who thinks that sort of thing is important.”
That was why he had long since become adept at giving this kind of formulaic answer.
“Actually, I’ve seen you once before, Won-hyeok-ssi.”
“You’ve seen me?”
“At Professor Sung’s retirement ceremony.”
Ah, that would make sense. Won-hyeok nodded. If she had come to the retirement ceremony, then their paths probably had crossed briefly. Not that he remembered her at all from his side.
“Ever since then, I wanted to meet you once and have a meal with you, and now that wish has come true.”
Cha Woo-hee smiled shyly. Won-hyeok wasn’t oblivious to the goodwill in that smile. He had vaguely assumed his mother had arranged this whole thing on her own, but it seemed Cha Woo-hee’s intentions were mixed into it as well.
Won-hyeok merely smiled at those words and let the response slide. After they finished eating and came out, Won-hyeok searched for a souvenir shop nearby. He wanted to see whether there was anything else he could buy for Han-gyeom.
“Um, Won-hyeok-ssi. Since you bought the meal, I’ll buy the coffee.”
“It’s okay. I bought it because I wanted to, so please don’t feel burdened.”
To begin with, this had also been his mother’s request.
“That’s not it…… actually, I wanted to talk with you a little more, Won-hyeok-ssi.”
Cha Woo-hee stepped closer. She was strikingly beautiful, with that distinct aura that came from someone recognized in her field. And judging by instinct, she was probably an omega. That was likely why his mother had gone so far out of her way to make a situation like this.
He hated dating and had no interest in it. He absolutely detested forming deep relationships with anyone. But in this society, there were things you had to do even if you disliked them, if you wanted to live smoothly enough. In that sense, even if the person before him was approaching him fully armed with goodwill, she was still an acquaintance of his mother’s, so there was some need to play along to a certain extent.
If this had been the old him, he probably would have done just that. He would’ve followed her, had coffee, talked for a while, then turned her down gently in a way that wouldn’t leave any gossip to leak out later from anywhere.
“You asked me about my ideal type earlier, didn’t you?”
“Huh?”
“I actually do have an ideal type.”
Cha Woo-hee seemed flustered that a topic she’d thought had passed was suddenly being brought back up, but at the same time, her eyes shone, apparently very curious about what was about to come out of Won-hyeok’s mouth.
“To start with, I like someone cute.”
“Ah……”
“But not just kind of cute—they have to be cute from head to toe. Cute even with their hair covering them, and cute whether they’re wearing glasses or not. I like it when their voice is cute and their smile is cute too. Their eyes should be clear, and their skin should be so pale it’s practically transparent. It’d be even better if they were the kind of person who wagged their tail like a puppy when they saw me, all happy to see me. And if they were also the type to blush just from holding hands, saying they’re embarrassed, then that would be absolutely perfect.”
