Chapter 192: The Chinese Restaurant
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Once inside the restaurant, they were instantly greeted by a waiter dressed in an elegant black and white uniform.
"Do you have a reservation, sir?" The man asked, shifting his gaze between Ji-Won and Su-Jin curiously.
"No." Ji-Won replied.
He then pulled out a business card and handed it to the waiter.
"Tell Mr. Gu that I'd like to speak to him."
The waiter took the business card with both hands. Next, seeing the name written on it, he froze. His attitude and posture instantly became even more servile.
"Of course, Mr. Kang. Right this way, please." The man bowed, then started walking towards the private rooms area.
Ji-Won leaned closer to Su-Jin and placed a hand on her back, gently guiding her forward.
"Come on, let's go." He whispered.
At the sudden touch of his hand, Su-Jin flinched in surprise. As the warmth began to spread around the area covered by Ji-Won's fingers, Su-Jin's breath hitched. A shiver went from her toes, all the way up to her scalp.
During the entire way to their table, Ji-Won acted the part of a perfect gentleman, holding the doors open for her or subtly guiding her with gentle touches.
Su-Jin was overwhelmed by this attention. Never had she seen her boss act like this, nor did she imagine him capable of such discrete attentiveness.
Due to all this, Su-Jin had momentarily stopped sensing the huge distance between them. Whether it was social status, wealth or family, she had stopped thinking about everything. In those moments, all that her mind was able to focus on was the feeling of warmth and security Ji-Won's hand on her back gave her. Nothing else mattered.
'I guess I'll just think of myself as dreaming right now, and enjoy this while it lasts.' She sighed ruefully.
Little did Su-Jin know that, while she basked in Ji-Won's thoughtfulness, the man himself had been stunned silly by his own behavior.
Earlier, his body had moved by itself, instinctively trying to occupy as much of Su-Jin's personal space as possible. Whether it was light touches or soft whispers, he did everything he could possibly think of in order to get closer, while still showing a sense of property.
But, now that his reason was slowly returning, Ji-Won found himself stuck in a predicament. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't extricate himself from the violent whirlpool of conflicting emotions that was raging inside him.
Should he keep on acting like this, or would it better to maintain a safe distance? Just how much was he allowed to push the limit without crossing a certain line?
Fortunately, he was rescued from this dilemma when they finally reached one of the private rooms.
The waiter opened the door for them, then stepped aside with a low bow.
"Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll bring two menus right away and let Mr. Gu know that you're here, Director Kang."
Ji-Won nodded in response.
Once again, he slid a hand over Su-Jin's shoulder blades, gently pushing her inside the room. Half of him berated himself for acting like a beast, crudely taking advantage of the chance to touch Su-Jin more. However, the other half, merely smiled in contentment, wanting nothing more than to be even closer to her than that.
After taking a seat at the table, Su-Jin was finally calm enough to give the new environment a careful glance. Before, she had been so nervous that she barely saw where she was going, let alone being able to analyze the surroundings.
At first glance, the private room was indeed nice.
A large, round mahogany table occupied most of the middle area of the room. It was surrounded by only four chairs, but based on its size it could have easily fitted at least two or three more.
A long ink wash painting was hung on one of the walls facing the table. The image on the paper was a beautiful representation of a lake surrounded by tall mountains. A tall, solitary pagoda stood atop one of the peaks. A few lines containing Chinese characters were drawn at the bottom of the painting using red ink.
The verses created a stark contrast against the multitude of darker shades, appearing as though they had been written in blood.
After admiring the beautiful drawing, Su-Jin slowly pulled her gaze away. Soon, the wall across from the one with the painting caught her attention instead.
There, a large circular window covered most of the wall's surface, overlooking a beautiful garden. Looking through the transparent glass, Su-Jin could see a pond nestled between several peony bushes and a few osmanthus trees. The entire surface of the pond was covered with delicate pink and white lotus flowers.
All around the water area there were alleyways and benches, making the garden a perfect spot for relaxation after having a copious meal.
Su-Jin spent several moments admiring how nature and human work blended in order to create such a spectacular view.
Next, Su-Jin turned her attention back to the room. That's when she noticed the few red and gold decorations hanging on the rest of the walls.
"Director Kang, is this a Chinese restaurant?" Su-Jin suddenly asked.
"Mhm." Ji-Won hummed in response.
He walked around the table until he reached Su-Jin's side. Afterwards, he pulled a chair out for her, waiting until the young woman was seated before he returned to his own seat.
As he finished this set of actions, Ji-Won began to explain.
"One of my acquaintances owns this restaurant. We met back when I was in college. He is two years older than me, but his younger brother was my classmate and a very close friend of Seo-Jun's. So, we ended up spending a lot of time together. However, after he went to live in China with his parents for a few years, we lost contact. When he finally returned home, he opened this place, saying how much he missed the food back in China."
"I see, so that's how you know about this place."
Ji-Won nodded absentmindedly.
"Mn, Seo-Jun kept in contact with his brother all this time so, as soon as he knew about Gu opening this restaurant, he dragged me here to test it out. Ever since then, we became regulars here. The food is really delicious and the atmosphere is great, suited for either business meals or casual dinners."
Su-Jin smiled.. Thinking about the overly active Kim Seo-Jun forcing the taciturn Kang Ji-Won to come to this restaurant with him for the first time made her want to laugh.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Once inside the restaurant, they were instantly greeted by a waiter dressed in an elegant black and white uniform.
"Do you have a reservation, sir?" The man asked, shifting his gaze between Ji-Won and Su-Jin curiously.
"No." Ji-Won replied.
He then pulled out a business card and handed it to the waiter.
"Tell Mr. Gu that I'd like to speak to him."
The waiter took the business card with both hands. Next, seeing the name written on it, he froze. His attitude and posture instantly became even more servile.
"Of course, Mr. Kang. Right this way, please." The man bowed, then started walking towards the private rooms area.
Ji-Won leaned closer to Su-Jin and placed a hand on her back, gently guiding her forward.
"Come on, let's go." He whispered.
At the sudden touch of his hand, Su-Jin flinched in surprise. As the warmth began to spread around the area covered by Ji-Won's fingers, Su-Jin's breath hitched. A shiver went from her toes, all the way up to her scalp.
During the entire way to their table, Ji-Won acted the part of a perfect gentleman, holding the doors open for her or subtly guiding her with gentle touches.
Su-Jin was overwhelmed by this attention. Never had she seen her boss act like this, nor did she imagine him capable of such discrete attentiveness.
Due to all this, Su-Jin had momentarily stopped sensing the huge distance between them. Whether it was social status, wealth or family, she had stopped thinking about everything. In those moments, all that her mind was able to focus on was the feeling of warmth and security Ji-Won's hand on her back gave her. Nothing else mattered.
'I guess I'll just think of myself as dreaming right now, and enjoy this while it lasts.' She sighed ruefully.
Little did Su-Jin know that, while she basked in Ji-Won's thoughtfulness, the man himself had been stunned silly by his own behavior.
Earlier, his body had moved by itself, instinctively trying to occupy as much of Su-Jin's personal space as possible. Whether it was light touches or soft whispers, he did everything he could possibly think of in order to get closer, while still showing a sense of property.
But, now that his reason was slowly returning, Ji-Won found himself stuck in a predicament. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't extricate himself from the violent whirlpool of conflicting emotions that was raging inside him.
Should he keep on acting like this, or would it better to maintain a safe distance? Just how much was he allowed to push the limit without crossing a certain line?
Fortunately, he was rescued from this dilemma when they finally reached one of the private rooms.
The waiter opened the door for them, then stepped aside with a low bow.
"Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll bring two menus right away and let Mr. Gu know that you're here, Director Kang."
Ji-Won nodded in response.
Once again, he slid a hand over Su-Jin's shoulder blades, gently pushing her inside the room. Half of him berated himself for acting like a beast, crudely taking advantage of the chance to touch Su-Jin more. However, the other half, merely smiled in contentment, wanting nothing more than to be even closer to her than that.
After taking a seat at the table, Su-Jin was finally calm enough to give the new environment a careful glance. Before, she had been so nervous that she barely saw where she was going, let alone being able to analyze the surroundings.
At first glance, the private room was indeed nice.
A large, round mahogany table occupied most of the middle area of the room. It was surrounded by only four chairs, but based on its size it could have easily fitted at least two or three more.
A long ink wash painting was hung on one of the walls facing the table. The image on the paper was a beautiful representation of a lake surrounded by tall mountains. A tall, solitary pagoda stood atop one of the peaks. A few lines containing Chinese characters were drawn at the bottom of the painting using red ink.
The verses created a stark contrast against the multitude of darker shades, appearing as though they had been written in blood.
After admiring the beautiful drawing, Su-Jin slowly pulled her gaze away. Soon, the wall across from the one with the painting caught her attention instead.
There, a large circular window covered most of the wall's surface, overlooking a beautiful garden. Looking through the transparent glass, Su-Jin could see a pond nestled between several peony bushes and a few osmanthus trees. The entire surface of the pond was covered with delicate pink and white lotus flowers.
All around the water area there were alleyways and benches, making the garden a perfect spot for relaxation after having a copious meal.
Su-Jin spent several moments admiring how nature and human work blended in order to create such a spectacular view.
Next, Su-Jin turned her attention back to the room. That's when she noticed the few red and gold decorations hanging on the rest of the walls.
"Director Kang, is this a Chinese restaurant?" Su-Jin suddenly asked.
"Mhm." Ji-Won hummed in response.
He walked around the table until he reached Su-Jin's side. Afterwards, he pulled a chair out for her, waiting until the young woman was seated before he returned to his own seat.
As he finished this set of actions, Ji-Won began to explain.
"One of my acquaintances owns this restaurant. We met back when I was in college. He is two years older than me, but his younger brother was my classmate and a very close friend of Seo-Jun's. So, we ended up spending a lot of time together. However, after he went to live in China with his parents for a few years, we lost contact. When he finally returned home, he opened this place, saying how much he missed the food back in China."
"I see, so that's how you know about this place."
Ji-Won nodded absentmindedly.
"Mn, Seo-Jun kept in contact with his brother all this time so, as soon as he knew about Gu opening this restaurant, he dragged me here to test it out. Ever since then, we became regulars here. The food is really delicious and the atmosphere is great, suited for either business meals or casual dinners."
Su-Jin smiled.. Thinking about the overly active Kim Seo-Jun forcing the taciturn Kang Ji-Won to come to this restaurant with him for the first time made her want to laugh.
Once inside the restaurant, they were instantly greeted by a waiter dressed in an elegant black and white uniform."Do you have a reservation, sir?" The man asked, shifting his gaze between Ji-Won and Su-Jin curiously."No." Ji-Won replied.He then pulled out a business card and handed it to the waiter. "Tell Mr. Gu that I'd like to speak to him."The waiter took the business card with both hands. Next, seeing the name written on it, he froze. His attitude and posture instantly became even more servile."Of course, Mr. Kang. Right this way, please." The man bowed, then started walking towards the private rooms area.Ji-Won leaned closer to Su-Jin and placed a hand on her back, gently guiding her forward."Come on, let's go." He whispered.At the sudden touch of his hand, Su-Jin flinched in surprise. As the warmth began to spread around the area covered by Ji-Won's fingers, Su-Jin's breath hitched. A shiver went from her toes, all the way up to her scalp.During the entire way to their table, Ji-Won acted the part of a perfect gentleman, holding the doors open for her or subtly guiding her with gentle touches. Su-Jin was overwhelmed by this attention. Never had she seen her boss act like this, nor did she imagine him capable of such discrete attentiveness. Due to all this, Su-Jin had momentarily stopped sensing the huge distance between them. Whether it was social status, wealth or family, she had stopped thinking about everything. In those moments, all that her mind was able to focus on was the feeling of warmth and security Ji-Won's hand on her back gave her. Nothing else mattered.'I guess I'll just think of myself as dreaming right now, and enjoy this while it lasts.' She sighed ruefully.Little did Su-Jin know that, while she basked in Ji-Won's thoughtfulness, the man himself had been stunned silly by his own behavior. Earlier, his body had moved by itself, instinctively trying to occupy as much of Su-Jin's personal space as possible. Whether it was light touches or soft whispers, he did everything he could possibly think of in order to get closer, while still showing a sense of property.But, now that his reason was slowly returning, Ji-Won found himself stuck in a predicament. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't extricate himself from the violent whirlpool of conflicting emotions that was raging inside him. Should he keep on acting like this, or would it better to maintain a safe distance? Just how much was he allowed to push the limit without crossing a certain line?Fortunately, he was rescued from this dilemma when they finally reached one of the private rooms. The waiter opened the door for them, then stepped aside with a low bow."Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll bring two menus right away and let Mr. Gu know that you're here, Director Kang."Ji-Won nodded in response. Once again, he slid a hand over Su-Jin's shoulder blades, gently pushing her inside the room. Half of him berated himself for acting like a beast, crudely taking advantage of the chance to touch Su-Jin more. However, the other half, merely smiled in contentment, wanting nothing more than to be even closer to her than that.After taking a seat at the table, Su-Jin was finally calm enough to give the new environment a careful glance. Before, she had been so nervous that she barely saw where she was going, let alone being able to analyze the surroundings.At first glance, the private room was indeed nice. A large, round mahogany table occupied most of the middle area of the room. It was surrounded by only four chairs, but based on its size it could have easily fitted at least two or three more. A long ink wash painting was hung on one of the walls facing the table. The image on the paper was a beautiful representation of a lake surrounded by tall mountains. A tall, solitary pagoda stood atop one of the peaks. A few lines containing Chinese characters were drawn at the bottom of the painting using red ink. The verses created a stark contrast against the multitude of darker shades, appearing as though they had been written in blood.After admiring the beautiful drawing, Su-Jin slowly pulled her gaze away. Soon, the wall across from the one with the painting caught her attention instead. There, a large circular window covered most of the wall's surface, overlooking a beautiful garden. Looking through the transparent glass, Su-Jin could see a pond nestled between several peony bushes and a few osmanthus trees. The entire surface of the pond was covered with delicate pink and white lotus flowers. All around the water area there were alleyways and benches, making the garden a perfect spot for relaxation after having a copious meal.Su-Jin spent several moments admiring how nature and human work blended in order to create such a spectacular view.Next, Su-Jin turned her attention back to the room. That's when she noticed the few red and gold decorations hanging on the rest of the walls."Director Kang, is this a Chinese restaurant?" Su-Jin suddenly asked."Mhm." Ji-Won hummed in response.He walked around the table until he reached Su-Jin's side. Afterwards, he pulled a chair out for her, waiting until the young woman was seated before he returned to his own seat. As he finished this set of actions, Ji-Won began to explain."One of my acquaintances owns this restaurant. We met back when I was in college. He is two years older than me, but his younger brother was my classmate and a very close friend of Seo-Jun's. So, we ended up spending a lot of time together. However, after he went to live in China with his parents for a few years, we lost contact. When he finally returned home, he opened this place, saying how much he missed the food back in China.""I see, so that's how you know about this place."Ji-Won nodded absentmindedly."Mn, Seo-Jun kept in contact with his brother all this time so, as soon as he knew about Gu opening this restaurant, he dragged me here to test it out. Ever since then, we became regulars here. The food is really delicious and the atmosphere is great, suited for either business meals or casual dinners."Su-Jin smiled.. Thinking about the overly active Kim Seo-Jun forcing the taciturn Kang Ji-Won to come to this restaurant with him for the first time made her want to laugh.
