If only the dinner is bad.

The son is late for an academic reason, a quiz. There, Jisoo finds out he goes to Seoul National University, studying Information Technology, in year three. The same age as Jisoo.

He’s smart.

He wears a sophisticated yet casual attire, a dark blue jacket with a pastel blue shirt. His pants are sleek, and so does the black one-strap loafers.

He has good sense.

His hair is a bit tousled, he must have been running, dark brown color. No piercings, no makeup, not a slight of a beer belly.

He’s not fat and not ugly.

Jisoo is doomed.

Hyo Shin Samchoon and Jin Hee Imo introduce Jinyoung in a friendly manner. They stand and bow together in front of the table. Jisoo and her parents follow the polite gesture and introduce the family once again to the son.

Jinyoung, it’s what the son is called, apologizes for being late and thankful for the dinner.

The more Jisoo knows, the more guilty she becomes. She shouldn’t have said bad words about this dinner idea, especially to the son.

Appetizers come right after Jinyoung sits.

The lobster salad is very delicious, Jisoo has to hold in her amusement since they have the Parks on the table. Her mom lively talks with Jin Hee Imo, while her dad laughs hard now and then at the jokes Hyo Shin Samchoon throws. There are no boundaries and made-up gestures at the dining table this evening.

The son who silently eats beside Jisoo doesn’t give the slightest hate towards the dinner. Nods and smiles are given throughout the dining experience. Maybe it’s only Jisoo’s imagination that this is a matchmaking dinner.

An hour passes by, and more than 10 years of history of both families lie down on the table.

Jisoo knows now that her mom is very popular in college, but her dad never knows about her until they met in the US. Imo thought her engagement with samchoon was for a business reason but later found out that it was Samchoon’s mischievous way to trick her to marry him. They fell in love faster than they can imagine.

Her mom knows that story, Imo knows her mom’s story. Her mom met Imo when they were still in high school for an orchestra show in Seoul Theater. Imo was a ballerina, she was picked to dance for the number her mom was also participating. They got closer later on after three shows together.

From shopping to spa sessions together, that was how close they were. But, Imo wants to pursue her dream to be Korea’s no.1 ballerina, so she went to France to train. They met occasionally, but it got harder after they got married. It’s bittersweet.

“So Jinyoung, any plan after graduation?” her dad’s question wakes Jisoo.

“Yes, Samchoon. I’m planning on taking a master's degree in the US,” he answers sharply and clear.

A smile rises, her dad likes him.

“That’s great. Let me know if you need anything.”

Jinyoung shows nothing but composure. Jisoo isn’t sure of anything at this moment.

“Jinyoung, how about you take Jisoo for some dessert?”

Excuse me?

Jisoo looks at her mom and Jin Hee Imo back and forth. She doesn't like this idea, not one bit.

“Yes, honey,” Jin Hee Imo adds, “We want to talk more and the both of you must be bored.”

Jisoo gulps, nervous at the idea. She glances a bit at the son sitting next to her only to see him nod.

“De, Eomma.”

The scared look on Jisoo’s face goes unnoticeable to her parents. She wasn’t entirely wrong then, it’s a matchmaking dinner.

Standing, bowing, and walking, Jinyoung waits in front of the door for Jisoo to follow him. Jisoo is unprepared for what will happen next.

Jinyoung opens the door and lets Jisoo walks out first. He tells her he has his car if she doesn’t mind riding with him. A nod to the statement is the only thing Jisoo can give.

As gentleman as Jinyoung can get, Jisoo finds him professional about the whole situation. Jinyoung opens the door for Jisoo and lets her in first. No unnecessary words and actions, only the sound of the engine and Jisoo’s uneven breathing.

“Do you have a preference for where we should go?” Jinyoung asks in the middle of his drive, eyes straight to the road in front.

“Uh,” Jisoo lets her thoughts off. She doesn’t want to burden him, she needs to give an answer for this. “Do you know Green Leafs? It’s near the river.”

Jisoo waits for his response, nervous.

“Okay,” assurance. “The mango sorbet is delicious.”

Jisoo can help but smile hearing that. He’s unlikely, apparently, he’s not like those boys he always meets at the annual dinner.

The drive goes silent again after they confirm their destination. It takes less than 15 minutes to the café, the traffic is nice tonight.

Jisoo and Jinyoung exit the car together and head to the front door immediately. Jisoo knows Jinyoung is going to open the door for her, but this time Jisoo walks faster to avoid the gesture. Maybe the nice gesture is hard to process for now.

Display with bright neon lights is gelatos and sorbet. There are pastries in the next glass display, some cakes with a cherry on top.

“What would you want?” Jinyoung asks.

Jisoo breathes in longer, looking to her right. Even his questioning look is nice, Jisoo wonders.

“I would like one tiramisu cake, please,” Jisoo smiles.

“Not the mango sorbet?”

That’s also cute, Jisoo giggles at his amusement.

“I don’t like mango,” Jisoo whispers.

His eyes don’t leave the glass display as he talks. He nods, and proceeds to the cashier and pay.

Jisoo lets Jinyoung pay, letting her ego astray.

They sit on the small round table near the window facing the river. Jisoo sits in front of Jinyoung and studies his face even more curious than before. He has monolid eyes even though he has big eyes. His jaw is vivid, white skin, and subtle facial hair. His ears are a little big.

She’s sorry for saying that he’s fat, even more, ugly. And the more she looks at him, she really can't picture the reason why he needs this matchmaking dinner.

“Let me make this clear,” Jinyoung suddenly turns his head to face Jisoo. “I don’t want to marry you.”

Jisoo sits silently, grasping the different atmosphere. His brown eyes are darker, squinting at her.

“I know about this dinner and I’ve been saying no to my parents. I have no intention of marrying anyone at the moment. I think you should know before things get too far.”

 He’s straightforward.

Jisoo shifts a bit in her seat. She notices the waitress coming in with their food and waits until the mango sorbet and tiramisu cake are served on their table.

Jisoo chuckles, grinning.

“I also don’t want to marry you,” Jisoo replies softly.

“I’m going to Paris in a few months. I’m taking fashion design in a school there.” Jisoo eats a piece of her tiramisu cake. “I don’t think marrying anyone will benefit my future. Not for now at least.”

The lines between Jinyoung’s eyebrows slowly disappear. He spoons the famous mango sorbet and eats it with a wide mouth.

“Why are you here then?” he asks.

“If you think alike, it’s because I don’t want to disappoint my parents. You think that way too, right?”

Jinyoung nods.

The heavy atmosphere that has been building up ever since they met tonight, lifts up to the bright sky above. Eventually, they’re just kids who love their parents so much and Jisoo wants to believe only that.

“I hope everything goes well with your study,” Jinyoung adds. “Is it your dream to be a designer?”

Dream?

It’s her dream, yes. But hearing the magical word coming out from this stranger who is also in the society Jisoo hate, feels a little peculiar. Not to mention,  Jinyoung is the second person to ever direct that word toward her.

“Yes,” Jisoo replies hesitantly. “Is it not good?”

After all night long trying not to look at his companion, Jinyoung can help but stares deep into her eyes after she asks the familiar question. Her eyebrows crook in the middle and her lips slightly open. She looks concerned, maybe frightened.

“There is no bad dream I suppose,” Jinyoung answers. “I too, going to reach my dream soon.”

7 Years Later

The tiramisu cake Jisoo finished that night will be forever remembered in the back of her memories. The bittersweet taste of the coffee and cream overcome her curiosity and mind. Jinyoung drove Jisoo back to her house that night and that was the last time Jisoo ever see Park Jinyoung.

Seven years have passed since Jisoo decided to study in Paris. From studying to working to establishing her own brand, Jisoo really manifested her time at school and always followed her heart to be a fashion designer. She got a job at Dior Paris HQ as a junior designer right after graduation. She worked for three years until she got a chance to be a project leader for Dior's Summer Collection. Not a day went by with regrets, she’s now living her dream.

Working in Dior really triggered her to take a bigger challenge and that is making her own brand. She has the talent, the business connection, and even the funds. She can do it if she wants to.

After six years of working with Dior, three projects, and one runway gig, Jisoo finally gathers her courage to start her own company. She gets to talk with her parents before taking the decision and she gets the approval she never thought she would have. She met with Seulgi to partner up building the company, she designs the clothes, and Seulgi, as a professional graphic designer, will help the company with the image and branding.

With all the luck they have, Jisoo has her first collection out to the public in less than six months, after she teamed up with Seulgi. It’s an online shop, based in Paris.

Not long after, Jisoo realized she has to go back to Korea if she wants her clothing line to get bigger. She loves Paris, but she has to make the right decision for her future. For her dreams.

With Seulgi's help, Jisoo moved back to Korea one month after the launching date. She brought back everything she needed, her favorite sewing machine, her sketchbooks, the first dress she made, and boxes of fabrics and clothes she had.

She bought an apartment downtown. She insisted on living by herself since she is now working for her own company. They got to re-launched the site and advertise it in Korea, and maybe God is loving her more than anyone at this point, she got to sell all of her collection in less than a month after the re-launching.

Seasons passed, a year has passed, and today marks one year after Jisoo moves back to South Korea. It also marks the first time Jisoo walks the runway as the owner of her clothing line, Meidue.

“Congratulations on Meidue’s first runway! Cheers!”

Working hard never lets you down and Jisoo will always believe in that. Her brand becomes popular with young adults to working-class women last summer. Orders coming in faster than she can handle, pushing Jisoo to ask a sunbae from college to help her with financial matters in the company. Even more, not only did finance matter, she gradually needed assistant, and soon a team. And before Jisoo realized it, she has seven people in her small company.

Jisoo signs up for a fashion show held by Seoul’s Designer Association to showcase her brand a couple of months ago. She gets the opportunity and by the time the snow dried up, she managed to complete her first runway with her brand.

“Seulgi Unnie to not be here,” Jisoo’s staff, Mina, grumbles.

“She has a 12-month-old baby, Mina. She has no time having fun in a club like this.” Jisoo defends her best friend.

The show goes better than anyone has expected, the reviews have yet to come, so Jisoo just wants to enjoy the night.

Jisoo herself is not fond of clubs. Though her staffs insist this place called “Ground” they visit is a bar, not a club, Jisoo still feels uneasy.

Going to an all-girl school from elementary to junior high doesn’t really help her to socialize ever since high school. Every time a boy asked her out, she would politely decline and forgets about it. She doesn’t enjoy the blasting music and the crowds dancing in the middle. She never gets used to it and she doesn’t want to.

She prefers having dinner in a barbeque place somewhere in Gangnam and talks endlessly until midnight strikes, rather than going to a “bar”, so loud she can't even hear her own thoughts. But, it’s one versus five people, she has to say yes eventually.

“Come on Unnie, let's dance.”

Her staffs now are fifty percent sober and just enjoying the atmosphere. Jisoo can’t help but smiles at them. She gestures them to go, while she sits at their table enjoying a watermelon mojito, which turns out better than she was expecting.

“Are you alone, pretty?”

Jisoo startles to the voice that suddenly comes from her behind. She immediately looks back and finds a man already grabbing the side of her chair. It’s not a sight Jisoo wants to see tonight, she is scared.

“Do you need company? I see you’re not dancing with the rest of your friends.”

He reeks of alcohol and Jisoo can see how red his eyes are. His jacket is not in the right position, and her hat is placed weirdly on top of his head.

Getting away is what her intuition telling her to do. She checks her surrounding and makes sure nothing gets in her way. She slides a little and with all of the courage left-

“You’re not going anywhere.”

The scary man now trapped Jisoo with his arms. His right arm holds Jisoo’s back close to his. It gets tighter and hurt Jisoo in her place. He goes deep into Jisoo's neck and with no permission, he touches Jisoo’s thigh.

Never in her life had she imagined being in this situation. She’s a good girl, always a good girl. She avoids clubs for this exact reason, from the devil in disguise.

“You should not touch someone else’s fiancé.”

Maybe God still loves Kim Jisoo.

It was a flash of movement; then the scary man falls down, and Jisoo got a grip of her bag, her lifesaver reaches her arm, and the rest of the night went by in front of her.

She is dragged so fast to the entrance by a bigger being. Another man Jisoo isn't sure about.

They stop, outside the club, panting.

“I hope you're okay, Jisoo-ssi.”

And here's your second chapter,

I'm having better mood these days, I really like writing this story.

Drop your thoughts and comments below, I'd be very happy.

Sidenote I updated the first chapter. Only wording, not the story.

See you soon, have a great day everyone!