Jinwoo steps inside the restaurant at 12PM sharp. Mikuni is located on the 61st floor of S Hotel, a tall looming tower owned by the Song family in the middle of Yeouido Island. Jinwoo sighs. He hates meeting new people and he hates the idea of having to pretend to like someone even for a few hours. After his first relationship  did not work out, he hates thinking about starting over and the possibility of failing.

The kimono-clad manager bows deeply at the door and leads Jinwoo to the far secluded VVIP area. When she slides open the door, Jinwoo is surprised to see three faces staring up at him. One of them is definitely Kang Seungyoon - his complexion is really as flawless as it appears in magazines. "Oh, well," Jinwoo thinks, "At least my date has decent-looking skin."

Seungyoon stands up and introduces himself with a nervous smile. "Hi, I'm Kang Seungyoon. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Jinwoo takes his seat in front of Seungyoon and smirks haughtily at the other’s obvious anxiety. "Kim Jinwoo. Nice meeting you, but who are these two people? I thought this lunch was only for the two of us." He gestures at the two guys. 

The one sitting beside Seungyoon offers a handshake. "We're Seungyoon's best friends. I'm Lee Seunghoon."

Jinwoo shakes the hand firmly. The man sitting beside him also quickly shakes Jinwoo's still extended hand and says, "I'm Mino - Song Mino."

"Let me guess. Heirs of Lee Department Stores and S Hotels." Jinwoo states casually while grabbing the beverage menu.

Seunghoon lifts his eyebrow. "Yeah that's us. I thought you wouldn't recognise us, since you don't really hang out with commoners."

Seungyoon elbows his friend. Jinwoo slowly looks up from the menu and silently watches the others squirming uncomfortably and shrinking in their seats. He leans back and says, "Orange juice for me. And I don't go around calling other people commoners. Don't make this more awkward than it already is for me, Seunghoon-sshi."

The manager comes in to break the awkward silence and notes down their drink orders. The Head Chef enters and introduces his 9-course lunch kaiseki menu personally to the boys. When both leave the VVIP room and a waiter comes in with a trio of appetizers, Mino suddenly sits up and straightens his chopsticks while exclaiming, "Itadakimasu, guys!"

Jinwoo stares to the childish man on his right, trying to digest the fact that said man is going to inherit the largest hotel chain in East Asia. His phone vibrates on the table and Taehyun's message appears: “How’s your date? Is Seungyoon hot?" Jinwoo turns his phone to a silent no-vibrate mode and switches his phone screen off.

Seungyoon clears his throat and asks, "So - err - Jinwoo-sshi, I heard you're 24, right? Hoon's 23 and Mino and I both are 22, so - err - "

"You can call me hyung or just Jinwoo, whatever, I don't really care." 

The two Seungs exchange glances. Mino is just busy eating his milk tofu. Jinwoo remembers his grandma repeatedly telling him to be nice, so he forces himself to keep the ball rolling. "You guys are currently working now?"

"Obviously. My parents dragged me to the office the day after I graduated," Seunghoon complains. "I didn't even get to go on a grad trip."

Seungyoon laughs bitterly. "Hello, hyung, I already started part-timing in our company on the first day of university."

Suddenly Mino puts down his chopsticks and exclaims, "Are you kidding me? I wanted to major in fine arts but I ended up in hospitality and business management." He sighs and goes on to devour his crab croquettes.

The corners of Jinwoo's mouth turn up very slightly, but it does not go unnoticeable by the sharp-eyed Seungyoon. Feeling rather encouraged at Jinwoo's positive reaction, he starts asking questions about Jinwoo's education in America and working life. Everything goes pretty smoothly and they are all enjoying desserts when the manager enters their private room and bows swiftly, "Mr. Lee, I'm really sorry but your Lee Hee is behaving in the other room. I think you should go and take a look."

Seunghoon stands up in a flash and runs out while saying, "Sorry guys, I think she's missing her oppaaa - "

Mino shakes his head and stretches across the table to take the last piece of Seunghoon's red bean jelly. "Hoonie-hyung is spoiling her too much."

Jinwoo frowns, "Why is Seunghoon's girlfriend eating alone? He could've brought her here."

Seungyoon chokes with laughter. "Oh, no, no, he definitely can't. Lee Hee is a chihuahua."

Jinwoo opens his mouth in shock and his face turns ashen, "Oh. My. God. He brought a dog to a Japanese fine-dining restaurant?"

Mino rolls his eyes, "He almost sky-dived with Lee Hee in New Zealand. This is totally normal, dude - sorry, I mean - Jinwoo-uhh-hyung."

Jinwoo pushes his glass away and mumbles. "Let's get out of here."

"Oh!" Seungyoon glances at his watch and says, "Let me call for the bill, I have to rush for a meeting too."

"There's no need." Jinwoo also stands up and straightens his suit. "I already left my credit card with them earlier. Let's just go."

Mino claps his hands, “Thanks so much for the treat Jinwoo-hyung!"

Jinwoo mumbles a quick “you're welcome" before rushing towards the main entrance of the restaurant to get his card. Taking his phone out of the inner suit pocket, he speed-dials his chauffeur and presses the lift button. "Wait for me at the lobby. Now."

"Young Master Kim, I'm not at the hotel. I'm back at the main residence."

"What? Who told you to go back there?" Jinwoo seethes and flinches when he spots the three guys walking towards him, with Lee Hee tucked safely in Seunghoon's arms. Seungyoon looks rather worried but Jinwoo does not care at all.

"Madam Kim said I didn't need to stand by, because your date will drop you off in your office later after lunch."

"Come here now!" Jinwoo raises his voice. Seungyoon taps his shoulder softly and mouthes, "Are you okay?" Jinwoo glowers at the dog barely two metres away.

"Young Master, many apologies, perhaps it will be better to secure another means of transportation, because the car is being cleaned right now - "

"Then use other cars!" The lift arrives but the three boys are still hanging around at the lift lobby, waiting for Jinwoo to finish his conversation. Jinwoo signals at them to get on the lift without him, but they do not seem to get the message. He is beyond exasperated.

"Sorry, Young Master, no car is available. Young Master Nam just drove his car out and Madam Kim brought the entire fleet to the airport to fetch the investors from Russia and China - "

Jinwoo ends the calls and mutters, "You gotta be kidding me," before entering the lift and pressing G for ground floor.

The three boys follow tentatively. Seungyoon gathers his courage to ask the man who is plastering himself to the far corner of the vast elevator, "Uh, Jinwoo-hyung, is everything alright?"

"I am trapped with a dog and I might have to take a cab to the office. Does that sound alright to you?"

Seunghoon asks innocently while swaying Lee Hee around, "What's wrong with my baby? She's tame and super cuddly - here, you can high five with her - "

"No, no, no!" Jinwoo escapes to the other corner of the lift. "I'm allergic to dogs!"

Seunghoon exclaims and moves away, "Oh gosh, I didn't know! I'm so sorry!!!" 

The lift doors slide open and Jinwoo runs past the lobby to breathe in the fresh air outside, far away from Lee Hee. The others also exit the hotel, and Seungyoon approaches Jinwoo, with Mino following slightly behind, and asks, "Is your chauffeur not here? I need to rush to Anyang to meet a client, I don't think I can drop you off, but maybe Seunghoon or Mino - "

Mino quickly interjects, "Hoon can't. He's driving a two-seater and there's only space for him and a dog seat for Lee Hee."

Jinwoo whimpers in anguish. "Then I guess I have to ask the concierge to call me a cab..."

"Uhh, I think I can drive you though. Your office is nearby, right? My car is just there," Mino points at the black and gold Maserati parked at the VVIP lot. 

"Oh, thanks so much!" Jinwoo smiles brightly for the first time, startling the other three. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Everyone says goodbye and Seungyoon gets into the rear seat of his Bentley after apologising profusely to Jinwoo. Seunghoon and his dog also leave safely in a bright red Ferrari. Mino opens the door of the passenger seat for Jinwoo, who only says, "Thanks, but you don't have to do that."

Mino gets in his own seat and makes sure Jinwoo has his seatbelt securely fastened before starting their drive out of the hotel. "You're really okay? No allergy symptoms?"

"Nah, I'm good." Jinwoo is already back to his usual composed self. "So, Mino, why don't you tell me more about Seungyoon?"

"Seungyoon?" Mino ponders for a while. “He can be naggy at times and a bit of a workaholic, but he's a good man. Oh, and he loves his mom a lot. Have you met Mrs. Kang?"

"Nope."

"Wait. Then how did you and Yoonie end up in this blind date?"

Jinwoo shrugs, "I don't know. My grandma just told me of this yesterday and I didn't bother asking too much. Does it matter anyway? If it works, then it works. If it doesn't, then I'll most likely get introduced to more people until I settle with someone."

Mino glances at the other’s handsome side-profile at the passenger seat. "Why is your grandma so worried, though? Honestly, I think someone like you will have no problem finding a boyfriend."

"My parents and my cousin's parents already passed away. Grandma just doesn’t want me to be too lonely, I guess. I think this is a silly arrangement too, but it's not like I have much say in the matter."

"Ah, I'm so sorry."

"Nah."

Mino turns left after a major intersection and enters the mammoth complex of three office towers, the main headquarter of Kim-Nam Group. As the Maserati cruises in, Mino asks, "So which tower is your office?"

"Tower C, the one at the back, but you can just drop me off at Tower A over there. It's nearer."

Mino laughs, "That's so lame! Since I already drive you here, I might as well drop you off properly." He makes a few swift turns and stops his car in front of the tallest tower out of the three.

Unfastening his seat belt, Mino says quickly, "Wait, I'll open your door for you." He barely moves to open his own door when a strong hand gripped his right wrist. 

"I told you there's no need to do all that." Jinwoo sighs.

The other smiles awkwardly and scratches his head, "Ah, sorry, you just have this prince-like feel - I don't know how to describe it exactly."

"We're not used to each other yet, I guess." Jinwoo releases his death grip and looks fixedly into Mino's jet black eyes. "Thanks a lot for driving me over. I sincerely mean it."

"No problem, Jinwoo-hyung. Wait, I really can call you hyung, right? You're really okay with it?"

The older nods, "Yeah, sure. Anyway, I think I owe you a nice lunch. Can you type your number here?" He passes his phone to Mino. "And Seungyoon's too, if you don't mind."

Mino beams very visibly at the word "lunch" and responds at the speed of light, "Hang on." Mino types in both numbers and passes the phone back to Jinwoo. "Alright, they should be in your contacts."

"Okay, thanks lots. Have a safe drive back to your hotel." Jinwoo smiles briefly and gets off the car. He watches calmly as Mino gives his 200-megawatt smile, waves and drives away. When the car is out of sight, Jinwoo turns around and enters his office tower, mentally preparing himself for another day of work.