Jin-ho looked at her for a moment before speaking.
“Are you sure about that?
If people recognize you there…”
He paused slightly.
“You’ll be in serious trouble.”
His tone wasn’t rejecting her idea, but clearly concerned.
“I’m already outside anyway, and no one has recognized me yet,” Ji-min replied, casually spreading her arms.
Jin-ho glanced at her, thinking for a moment.
Then he sighed lightly.
“…Alright.
But be careful.
Don’t get recognized there.”
A faint smile formed as he said it.
Ji-min noticed it and smiled back, then continued walking ahead.
As the sun began to set, they naturally decided to eat dinner before heading their separate ways.
Jin-ho glanced toward her.
“Do you have anywhere you want to eat?”
Ji-min thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.
“I know a place.
It’s good and has great privacy.”
Jin-ho nodded, and Ji-min took the lead.
They walked side by side, continuing their conversation as they went.
The topics shifted naturally between them, with Ji-min occasionally asking about Jin-ho’s upcoming tournament.
He answered her questions simply, giving only the basic details.
Ji-min listened and nodded along, though it was clear she didn’t fully grasp the competitive structure he was describing.
Still, she seemed interested.
After a while, they arrived at their destination.
A Korean-style restaurant.
The place was modest but well-kept, with a steady flow of customers inside.
Ji-min spoke to the staff and requested a private room.
The staff nodded and guided them through the interior.
A few moments later, they reached a separate room.
The staff bowed politely and left them alone.
Inside, they sat across from each other and opened the menu.
Ji-min made her choice quickly.
Jin-ho also ordered without much hesitation.
The difference was noticeable immediately.
His portion was significantly larger than hers.
Ji-min glanced at it and tilted her head.
“…Can you even finish that?”
Jin-ho looked at the plate, then back at her.
“Yes.
If I couldn’t, I wouldn’t have ordered it.”
Ji-min rolled her eyes lightly.
“Good luck then.”
After the waiter took their orders, the room grew quieter.
The sliding door closed, sealing them in a private space.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Ji-min started talking again.
Mostly her.
About her group.
Small frustrations.
Minor things she couldn’t really say in front of her members.
Jin-ho just listened.
Not interrupting.
Not judging.
Just listening.
And oddly enough, he found it more interesting than he expected.
A few minutes later, a knock came at the door.
The sliding door opened, and a staff member entered with a cart of their orders.
One by one, the dishes were carefully placed on the table.
Jin-ho and Ji-min watched in silence, both of them already visibly hungry.
By the time everything was set down, the aroma filled the room.
The staff bowed politely.
“Enjoy your meal,” he said before stepping out and closing the door behind him.
Once they were alone, both of them relaxed slightly.
They removed their masks, and Ji-min also took off her hat before they began eating.
For a while, the atmosphere was calm, filled only with the sound of utensils and casual conversation.
Ji-min didn’t want it to stay silent for too long, so she started talking while eating.
But midway through the meal, she suddenly asked something that made Jin-ho pause.
“Jin-ho… I want to ask your opinion about something,” she said, still chewing lightly.
“What is it?” he replied, taking a sip of water.
She hesitated for a brief moment.
“Who do you think is the most beautiful female idol?”
Jin-ho froze slightly.
He slowly set his glass back down.
“…Do you want me to say you?
Karina from aespa?” he asked, half-joking.
Ji-min immediately shook her head.
“No, not really.
I just want your honest opinion.
I won’t get angry or upset no matter who you pick.”
Jin-ho studied her expression for a moment, as if trying to confirm whether she was serious.
She avoided his gaze.
“I’m serious,” she added quickly.
Jin-ho leaned back in his seat and paused, thinking for a moment.
Across from him, Ji-min continued eating, occasionally glancing at him while waiting for his answer.
“Well… there are a lot of candidates for me, so it’s hard to pick just one,” he said calmly.
Ji-min tilted her head slightly, gesturing for him to continue.
Jin-ho raised his hand slightly and began counting on his fingers. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“There’s Yoona from Girls’ Generation, Suzy from Miss A, Irene from Red Velvet, Won-young and Yu-jin from IVE, Miyeon from (G)I-DLE, Sana from TWICE, Ningning from aespa, Yuna from ITZY…”
He paused briefly, then looked at her.
“Do you want me to keep going?”
A faint smile formed on his face.
Ji-min stared at him, clearly caught off guard by the sheer number of names.
“No, don’t,” she said quickly, waving her hand.
“At this rate you’ll list everyone in the industry.”
She leaned back slightly, processing what she had just heard.
Then she asked,
“…Is that only based on appearance?”
Jin-ho just nodded.
Ji-min suddenly formed a gun gesture with her fingers and pointed it at him.
“Gun to your head,” she said.
“Which one do you choose?”
Jin-ho let out a quiet chuckle at her seriousness, clearly trying hard to look intimidating.
He leaned back slightly and thought for a moment.
Only one name came to mind almost immediately.
“Won-young.”
Ji-min slowly lowered her hand.
“…Is that so.”
But then she pointed at him again.
“Won-young or me?”
Jin-ho glanced at her, expression flat as he answered.
“Won-young.”
The moment he said it, Ji-min made a dramatic shooting gesture with a slight recoil.
Jin-ho just shook his head and continued eating as if nothing happened.
After that, the conversation naturally shifted back to normal topics.
A while later, Ji-min stood up.
“I need to go to the restroom.”
“I’ll be back.”
She put her mask back on, left her hat on the table, then slid the door open and stepped out, closing it behind her.
Jin-ho remained seated, still eating his meal at a steady pace.
He had only finished about half of what he ordered.
Ji-min stepped outside and made her way toward the restroom.
As she walked, her eyes scanned the hallway casually, until she suddenly stopped.
Someone she recognized was standing not far away.
After a brief pause, she approached and spoke politely.
“Sunbae, hello,” Ji-min said, giving a slight bow.
The person looked surprised at the greeting and turned to face her.
At first, she did not seem to recognize Ji-min, so Ji-min quietly lowered her mask.
Only then did the other girl react.
“Ah, Karina,” she said softly.
Thankfully, there were not many people nearby, and no one seemed to pay them any attention.
“Are you eating here too?” she asked.
“And don’t call me sunbae.
Just call me Yuna.”
It was ITZY’s Yuna, wearing a mask of her own.
Ji-min recognized her right away from her face and hair, even with the mask on.
Groups like ITZY were already well known since their debut, often seen on music shows and performing their songs across the industry.
“Y-yes, Yuna,” Ji-min said, correcting herself quickly.
Yuna was younger than Ji-min, but she had debuted earlier, so the senior-junior title still applied in the industry.
That was why Ji-min had addressed her that way in the first place.
Yuna glanced around the restaurant hallway for a moment before her eyes settled back on Ji-min.
She hesitated briefly, then smiled under her mask.
“Are you alone?” she asked casually.
Ji-min blinked, caught slightly off guard.
“Ah… no, I’m with someone,” she replied.
Yuna tilted her head, curious.
“Really?
Then… can I join your table for a bit?”
The question was light, friendly, almost natural.
But Ji-min paused.
Her gaze flickered for a moment toward the private room she had just come from.
Jin-ho was inside.
Waiting.
Eating.
Unaware of this sudden situation outside.
Ji-min hesitated again, fingers lightly tightening around her phone.
“…I’m actually with someone right now,” she said more carefully.
Yuna nodded slowly, not pressing further.
“Ah, I see.
Sorry about that.”
Ji-min quickly shook her head.
“No, it’s okay.
Maybe next time.”
A brief silence passed between them.
Then Yuna smiled again.
“Alright then.
Enjoy your meal.”
Ji-min gave a small nod.
“Take care, Yuna.”
Yuna waved lightly before walking away, leaving Ji-min standing there for a moment longer than usual.
Her eyes lingered in the direction of the private room before she finally turned.
Ji-min let out a small sigh as Yuna walked away.
For a brief moment, she just stood there, thinking.
Then she shook it off and continued toward the restroom.
After a few minutes, she returned to the private room.
Jin-ho was still seated where she left him, finishing his meal at a steady pace.
He glanced up briefly when she entered.
“You took a while,” he said calmly.
Ji-min paused for a second, then casually sat back down.
“Ran into someone,” she replied.
Jin-ho didn’t react much, simply nodding once as he continued eating.
Ji-min picked up her utensils again, but her mind lingered on what just happened outside.
Still, she said nothing.
And for now, the meal continued as if nothing had interrupted it.
After that, both Jin-ho and Ji-min finished eating.
The table was left quiet for a moment as they leaned back, satisfied from the meal.
Jin-ho reached for his wallet.
“I’ll pay,” he said simply.
Ji-min immediately shook her head.
“No, I will.”
He glanced at her.
She didn’t back down.
A brief silence passed between them.
Then Ji-min spoke again.
“Rock, paper, scissors.”
Jin-ho paused.
“…Seriously?”
“Seriously,” she replied without hesitation.
He let out a small sigh, then nodded.
“Fine.”
They raised their hands.
“Rock, paper, scissors.”
A beat.
Then—
Jin-ho won.
Ji-min stared at her hand for a moment before leaning back slightly in defeat.
“…Of course,” she muttered.
Jin-ho stood up without wasting time.
“I’ll pay,” he said simply.
Ji-min clicked her tongue lightly but didn’t argue further.
“…Next time, I’m winning,” she said.
Jin-ho only gave a small, amused smile as he went to settle the bill.
The hallway outside was quieter than before, the restaurant still moderately busy but calm.
As he walked toward the counter, his steps slowed slightly.
For a moment, he caught sight of someone seated not far away.
It was Yuna from ITZY.
Jin-ho only looked for a brief second, recognizing her immediately.
He didn’t stare.
He didn’t react.
After that short glance, he simply continued walking forward and approached the counter to settle the payment, as if nothing unusual had caught his attention at all.
Jin-ho returned to the private room, where Ji-min was already checking her phone.
He sat down across from her and spoke casually.
“Did you run into Yuna from ITZY?”
Ji-min paused, then looked up.
“Yeah.
I greeted her.”
She lowered her gaze again and returned to her phone.
A moment later, Jin-ho glanced at the time.
“We should head out.
It’s getting late.”
Ji-min nodded in agreement and started gathering their things.
Jin-ho still carried the bag with the plushies, adjusting it slightly before standing.
They both put their masks and disguises back on, then left the private room together.
As they walked out of the restaurant, Ji-min and Yuna briefly made eye contact.
Ji-min gave a small polite bow.
Yuna returned it.
But then Yuna’s attention shifted past her.
To the person walking beside her.
Jin-ho.
A brief realization crossed her mind as she observed them together.
So that’s who she’s with…
She didn’t react outwardly, only letting a faint smirk form.
Whatever the situation was, it wasn’t her place to interfere.
With that thought, she simply turned back to her meal and continued eating.
Jin-ho and Ji-min walked outside together, their pace slow and unhurried.
Neither of them seemed eager to leave.
The day had gone better than expected, and that silence between them carried a quiet sense of reluctance.
“I’ll take a taxi home,” Ji-min said as they walked.
Jin-ho nodded once and continued beside her.
Their hands stayed close, almost brushing at times, but neither made it obvious.
After a short walk, Ji-min spotted an approaching taxi.
She turned slightly toward Jin-ho.
Then, without warning, she stepped forward and hugged him.
“Thanks for coming with me,” she said softly.
Jin-ho paused for a moment before returning the sentiment.
“Thanks for inviting me.”
They both smiled.
Jin-ho gently handed her the bag of plushies, adjusting it so she could carry it easily.
Ji-min took it and stepped into the taxi.
As the door closed and the car began to move, she gave one last small wave.
Jin-ho stood there until the taxi disappeared into the distance.
Then he looked at the empty street and exhaled lightly.
“…I should get my own car someday,” he muttered to himself.
After that, he turned and began walking home.