“Miss Irene, let’s not be so formal. You can call me Yonghae.”

“Mr Cho, you are too nice. But calling you Mr Cho is less of a burden for me.”

“What do you mean by burden?”

“I’m still a rookie newscaster. Everyone here is much more senior than me. It is too much pressure for me to call any of you casually.”

“You are a woman who knows her place well. I’m impressed. There are too many youngsters who demand the world these days.”

Irene put on her practiced smile. “Maybe it’s because I’m not that young, Mr Cho.”

“Are you saying I’m old then?” Mr Cho said with a chuckle.

“I don’t consider you a youngster. But you are a mature and capable man.”

Mr Cho laughed. “You have wit to go with your beauty. An impeccable woman. SBK News is lucky to have you with them.”

“I’m thankful the SBK executives saw enough potential in me and gave me a chance.”

“It’s not difficult to see potential in you when you are overflowing with it.”

“I’m still learning the ropes. Fortunately, my senior is very experienced so I can learn a lot from him.”

Park Gyuho cleared his throat. “Mr Cho, our SBK News team is honoured to have your support.”

“That’s my pleasure, Gyuho. You’re not a rookie like Miss Irene is so you should be comfortable calling me Yonghae.”

“I’m honoured to call you Yonghae.”

Mr Cho laughed again. “You don’t have to gratify me this much. But I like it too.”

The conversation was interjected by the waiters serving their dishes, much to Irene’s relief. She stared at the deep fried prawns sitting pretty amidst finely chopped greens sprinkled around the plate. This was her first time seeing the street-side snack in such exquisite light. Unlike its elongated street-side cousin, this fine dining version was presented as a little round ball. She could hear the crunch in as she bit down on it. The flavour was wholesome, to say the least. Worth the price it cost, which was a lot.

“How do you like the food so far, Miss Irene?”

Irene swallowed her prawn before smiling at Mr Cho. “It’s exquisite.”

“All dishes become more exquisite with this view from the 81st floor.”

“It is a beautiful view of the city.”

“I dine here often. You’re welcome to join me next time.”

“You’re too kind to us, Mr Cho.”

“I’m just showing my favourite newscaster some support. This place is good for privacy. You can let your hair down after work.”

Irene put on her practiced laugh. “Mr Cho, do you know how much hair spray they put on me? If I let my hair down after work, I will look ridiculous.”

Mr Cho leaned back and laughed, his hand coming to rest on the back of her chair. “You are a delightful woman, Miss Irene. Absolutely delightful.”

It was a good thing she was used to putting on her practiced smile. Mr Cho would not be as pleased if her real opinion of him broke through her facade at this moment.

=

“So, did you have a nice dinner?” Joy asked as they washed their hands at the sink.

Irene wrinkled her nose. “The food was good.”

“Company, not so much?”

Irene wrinkled her nose and frowned. “I hope they don’t make me go to another dinner with him again.”

Joy patted her shoulder. “I hope so too.”

“The food was amazing though.”

“It must have been very expensive.”

“It was.”

“Mmm, are we doing drinks after today’s broadcast?”

“Yes.”

“Where shall we go?”

“That café we went to last week.”

“Really? No soju tonight?”

“The taro milk tea was very nice. I want to try it again.”

“Okay, sure. Let’s go there.”

=

“Guess what!”

The exclamation came from nowhere, and Wendy flinched. Her flinch turned the ‘W’ latte art she was making into a ‘V’ with a squiggle. Looking up and seeing the oblivi