C9 Chapter 8: The Awaited Dinner
When evening came, the beauty of Hangbyul where it was known for, stepped into the limelight. The LED high-power projector lights attached to the tall buildings complemented the structure's refined architectural design with a mix of modernity and classic spread across the city.
They were glimmering and flashing nonstop.
The public places, especially the well-groomed parks, were filled with different people. The youngsters, who are known to mingle in the night, had their blankets laid out on the field with plain Bermuda grass on the right side of the Heechul Park.
Despite enjoying the beautiful night with different companions, they all ogled at the masterpiece of the legendary Hangbyul Bridge that connects to the other side of the city, where faces of celebrities and idols were shown in a slide show by a projector.
The colorful images against the concrete bridge were indeed pleasing to the eyes.
Thus, people around the globe had craved to snap a picture of their favorite idols projected on the bridge. It's every fans' dream, like himself, to flex their bias on IGram. It's a bucket list that has shooked the fandom world.
His post of Byul, a famous idol from ZTen last year has reached ten thousand likes. How could every fan of him not be tempted to hit the heart button upon seeing his godly charms?
As all the street lights lit up, Hangbyul city was at its finest. The vibrant colors made the city stand out with the dark sky as the perfect canvas.
Most of the cars headed in the opposite direction, it's either the people were eager to return to their homes after finishing their duties for the day or want to visit the south part of the city where famous restaurants are gathered, at an affordable price.
Somewhere in the main road towards the heart of the city of Hangbyul, a silver Honda can be seen, moving and blending in with the other vehicles.
Inside the honda, a long and uncomfortable silence reign between Jin, who was seated comfortably in the passenger seat, and his mother, who's maneuvering the wheels, taking complete control as she turns the car to the right.
Jin stared at the window in his side, frustrated as to why he had agreed to her request. He could have used studying for his exams as an excuse, but in the end, he came along.
Jin knows he's the first person his mother expected who would understand her situation, yet here he was totally against the idea of her remarrying.
It's an honest statement from him by heart.
He does not know what to say to her. He didn't even bother giving her a satisfactory response earlier. But, it looks like he's been relying too much on his mother to have such selfish thoughts.
His mother knows what she's doing. He knows she knew best than him.
He admits he has a childish mindset that causes the people around him to flee before knowing him completely.
He’s just scared of being left alone, thus shutting himself from everyone is what he does before he gets attached to others.
He had only a few people that he can trust and they are exceptions.
There was a big part of him inside his chest that screamed to him to tag along. He's curious to know what type of person his mother wants to remarry.
After hearing his mother wishes to remarry, he doesn’t know what emotions to display or show in front of her, whether he should express joy or voice out the concerns inside his head. He was worried.
His mother was finally healing, yet here she was risking her heart again to another man.
“The man...you’re planning to remarry…” He decides to break the silence inside the car yet never turned his head to look at her. He had trouble speaking the sentence in one go. He was ashamed of himself for being too self-centered.
His mother's happiness is all that matters to him.
“How long have you known each other?”
Stunned by him suddenly opening up to her, Asami grips the steering wheel tightly. A small smile appears on her lips as she breathes in relief.
She thought he was fully against her remarrying another man. It’s a good thing he’s asking her. That only means he’s interested in the issue.
“I've known him since I started working at the company.”
Jin leans his head against the window, spacing out. They've known each other for eleven years?
“What does he do for a living?”
Anyhow, if the man is some kind of asshole who’s after her mother’s financial support, then he’d be glad to oppose their relationship like one villainous son out of a television drama.
Asami purses her lips and bobs her head to the other side, “Didn’t I tell you?”
Jin’s head finally turns to her. Told him what?
His mother hit on the brakes and parked the car. He didn’t even notice they'd arrived inside the dark parking lot of the restaurant.
“Aigoo looks like I didn’t,” She's trying her best to look young, but it looks like her memory is slowly deteriorating.
Asami clasps her hands together, “I’m dating my boss’s boss.” She squeals like she's back half her age, “The CEO of Woo Entertainment and Woo Enterprise."
"Now let’s go. Goodness, we’re already thirty minutes late.”
Asami hurriedly opens the door of the driver's seat. Her slender legs come out of the car as she places her foot down on the ground before she lifts herself and closes the door behind her. She bends down and looks at herself in the wing mirror of her silver Honda. Her light make-up was still intact.
Good.
Jin, on the other hand, tried to recover from his mother's squeal. He was left frozen on his seat inside the car, processing the information she told him like it was not a big deal. The CEO of Woo…
No, he must have misheard.
He recalled he heard the company’s name early this breakfast on the television, besides his head is in hazed at this moment. His mother forced him to wear his most decent turtle neck sweater that he’d only use on special occasions. It matches the coat he's wearing.
People might tell he's wearing this to look fashionable, but that's not true, partially. His body does feel cold.
Yes, that must be it. His thoughts are in a mess that causes his head to mix a few things.
His mother impatiently knocks on the window beside him, causing him to snap out of his deep thoughts. Her young features over the grumpy expression on her face welcomed his sight. Jin could only heave a sigh before opening the door.
“Come now, we’re already running late.” She scolds him.
Jin lifts a brow to his mother. If that man loves her, he should be willing to wait even if it took them a year to arrive here.
He presses his cold palms against his face as he blows another deep and troubled sigh when his mother snakes her arms around him before dragging him towards the elevator in the corner of the parking lot at full speed.
Like a mother who is pulling her lazy six years old child to school.
When the elevator doors open his mother pushed him right in gently and pressed the ground floor button.
He observes the way her heels anxiously tap against the elevator floor while her palms rub her elbows as they wait for the elevator to give them a lift.
Jin felt like he's the third wheel at the said dinner after watching his mother act like a teenager who’s attending her first date. She was excited, yet here he was, uneasy about the man who’s been wanting to meet him just as his mother said.
He has a bad feeling about this.
He can feel it inside his stomach.
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Jin’s hands were inside the pockets of his knee-length coat. It was a cold night, the ac in the elevator and restaurant was in full blast, but he is getting himself used to the cold.
He wants to go home and cuddle with his mother to sleep. She was finally home early, he’d like to take this chance to sleep peacefully in the night.
They have arrived in front of the reception desk and his mother is currently talking with the manager who approached them the very moment she saw them stepping out from the elevator.
She told them one shocking statement he couldn't swallow.
They were both enlisted as VVIP guests.
He was there standing very still behind his mother as she checks in with her name. The security staff in the scene looked at him as they all thought of one word.
Adorable.
Even their manliness was swept away after seeing his immaculate features a young lad like him to have. Their eyes have been blessed.
A group of young ladies who were supposed to head out to the exit slowed their steps down after catching a glimpse of him.
An actor? A Kpop idol? Or perhaps a trainee and close to being one? Who else could afford this restaurant other than the well-known families with good profiles?
Though he's a little short and petite, they couldn't stop their heads to turn and stare.
He's like a doll.
Clueless of the attention he's getting, Jin looks around and feasts his eyes at the restaurant's details vividly. The lobby even screams royalty and luxury.
Hanbaek Exquisite, a seven-star restaurant in Hangbyul, where a mere dinner is enough to feed one whole townspeople.
Jin felt out of place. He never imagined nor dreamed, this day would come where he’s stepping on one of the world’s finest marble under his seventy-two dollars black rubber shoes.
God, this is exaggerating.
He’s starting to suspect what he heard in the car was accurate than the gold touches he's seeing everywhere around him.
“Thank you for filling it up, Ma’am.” One of the staff smiled as she retrieves the form back from his mother’s hands, “I’m the assistant manager of Field A, and I’m here to assist you to the private room Mr. Harashi has booked.”
There’s no doubt.
He didn’t mishear what she said inside the car.
As they rode the elevator again, this time, Jin himself felt the immense pain in the side of his stomach mixed with his bottled-up nervousness. He squinted eyes and parts his lips to breathe. He held his stomach tightly while cursing inside his head.
Why now?
Jin leans his back against the elevator walls, since he was behind the staff and his mother, they didn’t notice the pained expression on his face.
Just another hour. He’d endure it for another hour.
The moment the elevator doors open, the staff gestures them to go, yet stayed inside the elevator.
That was where he realized there were no rooms on the tenth floor where they stopped because the whole floor itself was the room alone.
Three heads turn to look in their direction.
Jin hid behind while keeping himself calm. He winced in pain without a sound, he then looked far ahead of him to see if anyone saw that.
A pair of dark eyes locked with his that caused him to freeze in his place. His hands pinch the side of his waist for strength.
For the first time, he was shaken and taken aback. His hair on the back of his neck rises as he feels the cold chills all over his body.
He was mesmerized for a second after feeling such strong presence in one glance.
But most importantly…
What he saw was a gaze of a dangerous predator to his prey.
