~ Nayeon ~

“Na Yeon, let’s have dinner together tonight?” I winced while listening to Hye Mi’s whiny voice. Cursing my throbbing head, I mentally reminded myself not to drink too much anymore.

“Don’t whine.” I mumbled through the phone, holding it on my shoulders while putting on my shoes. “My ears cannot take it right now. And no, not tonight, I have something to do.”

“What is that?” I could imagine that Hye Me was pouting on the other line. Ever since I broke up with Sang Joo, Hye Mi always tried to drag me to here and there whenever she had time. I guessed she’s afraid I might be upset and dwelled on the breakup too much.I might, but I decided it wasn’t worth for me to be so. After all, I loathed cheaters most in this world.

“Japan.” I panted after finishing lacing my shoes. “I am on the way to the airport right now, actually.” I closed my door and walked to the elevator, dragging a small luggage behind.

“Again, what for?” Hye Mi’s tone now was annoying, and that amused me.

“For the restaurant.” I replied simply. “You still owe me the marketing plan, miss.” I reminded her promise to me a few months ago.

“It’s all done, boss.” She scoffed. “I just don’t wanna give it to you now.”

“Give me when I come back then.” I chuckled, waiting for the elevator to touch down the ground floor. “I will be back in 2 more days.”

“Don’t get lost in Japan alright?” Hye Mi said to me sweetly, half sincerely, half teasing.

“No gift for you then. Bye.” I rolled my eyes and hung up before she could protest.

Until when the plane bringing me off Korea to Japan took off, I closed my eyes to rest momentarily. I didn’t have many time these days. I worked like crazy, drowned myself into work work and work. I had so many things need to do anyway. With my upcoming restaurant being opened soon, there were so many things to prepare. I almost done with everything. Now I just need to find a good chef for the Japanese menu, and that was why I was heading to Japan.

Sang Joo, I tried to not to think about him anymore. At first I, just like any other girl in their break-ups, I felt broken and hurt. I wondered what I did wrong. But then, I realized the girl who with Sang Joo was right, I didn’t take care of him enough as a girlfriend. I didn’t realize, but I really took all my mind in this restaurant. It’s something I always wanna do since I was a student. It was true that it was my idea with Sang Joo at first, this restaurant. But he didn’t really do anything, just, I guessed, he’s more like a support to me, mentally. He’s an investor, that was why he supported me the idea of opening a restaurant. But I guessed we started to have confliction since I refused to let him be my investor. I didn’t like it. I didn’t want business to come in between relationship, whatever that kind of relationship was. So, I just listened to his advice, and tried to find my investor.

I really loved Sang Joo. Maybe I still did. I even thought of forever with him. Something about a house, some children, getting old together, stuff like that. But I guessed like a song I used to heard somewhere, “there’s no such thing as forever.”

I didn’t feel too broken anymore. I wouldn’t blame him for cheating me anymore. But I could not be nice with him. For the past week he kept annoying me with his calls and sometimes he even appeared in front of my eyes out of nowhere. I could not help but being rude and cold to him. How could I be nice, knowing he cheated on me? 5 years wasn’t something to take lightly. I just wanted at least be able to remembered Sang Joo with our happy memories. Out path together was done, though.

There were two kinds of men I loathed most in this world. Cheaters and abusers.

-----

“Hey my girl! Long time no see!”

I cracked  a smile seeing how cheerfully Satoru greeted me. After a long day going here and there to find my chef, I nearly gave up the effort now. No one I set eyes on wanted to work in Korea. They preferred life in Japan. When it’s really late at night, when my stomach could not stand being empty anymore, I dragged myself to my favorite restaurant in Japan, Satoru’s restaurant. He was a friend I knew for a long time, since I was a sophomore student loving to travel here and there. I met him when he went to Korea for an exchange students program and I helped them with some social tasks. He’s such a great chef. Too bad he already rejected my offer from the moment I opened my mouth to hint my intention. He had his own dream to run a restaurant for himself, what he was doing right now.

“Hey there, boss.” I tiredly hopped on the bar, carefully making a distance to a guy who already sat there. I always preferred sitting on the bar section when I was in a Japanese restaurant. I felt closer to the staffs by this way. “How is your day?” I asked in Japanese.

“Fantastic Baby!” Saturo replied brightly. He looked so high today, seriously.

“Good, then please give me something to eat. I’m dying.” I murmured, slowly taking off my coat.

“The usual? Ramen?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “You know how I like it.” I winked.

When Saturo retreated back inside to make my ramen, I looked around. And, I saw that guy next to me looking at me intently.

Hey, he looked familiar?

I took into his appearance. He wore some comfortable clothes for hanging out, but still decent enough to be outside, I guessed. A casual plain peach shirt with some grey pants, with a VERY impressive blonde hair. But his face looked really familiar to me.

“We meet again, Ms. Kim.” He smirked, said in a seductive voice and in Korean.

Upon hearing “Ms. Kim”, I remembered immediately. “Oh my God Mr. Kwon!” I greeted him back with surprise. “What are you doing here?” I extended my hand for him to shake.

“Having some fun.” He smiled easily, taking my hand then crossing his legs. “You?”

“Business.” I sighed. “But nothing went good today. I am so depressed.” I said with a defeated tone. “But at least I’m gonna eat Saturo’s ramen, and that is the best cure for me.” I grinned.

“How did you know Saturo?” He asked, resumed to his dinner - which I noticed was a bit TOO MANY sushi plates.

“He’s a close friend. Long story though.” I shrugged. “You?”

“Same.” He chuckled himself.

“Hey hey I see you guys talking.” Saturo re-appeared with a steamy bowl of ramen - which I guessed for me. “My favorite girl and my favorite boy made acquaintance already?” He put the y bowl in front of me, and I started drooling already. “And here for you, baby girl.”

“Thank you.” I said, inhaled in the wonderful smell\. Saturo always knew how to make me happy. “I miss your ramen so much.”

“You miss my ramen? Not me?” Saturo appeared to be hurt.

I replied nothing, already started digging in my late dinner.

“This smells good.” Mr. Kwon said beside me, leaned closer to sniff the air. “What’s this, Saturo?”

“Yeonie’s special ramen.” I heard Saturo replied in a sweet voice. He always openly and teasingly flirted with me like that, even though both of us knew that was just a tease. “Something I only make for my baby girl.” I glanced up to see he winked at me, and I just rolled my eyes.

“I will tell Haruna.” I said, knowing damn well how much he was “afraid” of his girlfriend’s easily getting jealous character.

“You know Haruna too, Ms. Kim?” Mr. Kwon asked me happily. And I, too, was surprised seeing he knew Haruna too.

“Yes, you too, Mr. Kwon?” I swallowed the ramen before replying to him.

“What’s with Ms. Kim and Mr. Kwon? It sounds gross. You two are still so young.” Saturo complained. “Jiyong, meet Na Yeon, or Yeonie. And Yeonie, meet Jiyong, or GD, like how he likes to be called so.”

We both chuckled at how funny Saturo sounded, with that slightly high-pitched voice. I went back to my ramen, when I saw Jiyong did the same with another plate of sushi.

“Ok, I need to go.” Saturo said quickly when another guest came in. “Don’t spoil Haruna, Yeonie.” He said in a grim voice before leaving, making me laugh at him.

“So, Na Yeon, right?” I heard Jiyong asked carefully.

I turned to him and put down the chopsticks, I was done anyway. “So, Jiyong, right?” I asked back with a smirk.

“Do you mind if we just call each other’s name?” I saw he tried to ask me in the most possible polite way.

“Sure, Jiyong.” I smiled. “How are you lately?”

Jiyong seemed to finish his dinner, too, now wipung his mouth with the napkin and took some water. “Fine, I guess. You?”

I chuckled. “I’m so so. Been busy like a bee.” I took some water too.

“How’s your restaurant, been opening yet?”

I surprised that he still remembered about my restaurant. “It’s about to. I am looking for someone to help me with the Japanese menu though.” I sighed, remembered my problem. “That’s why I came here, but still no progress so far.”

“Why don’t ask Satoru?” He asked me like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You guys seem close, why don’t ask him instead?”

“I did, but he wanna run his own restaurant too.” I unconsciously pouted, scowling at Satoru’s rejection.

“Hmmm…..how about…..” I turned to Jiyong when I noticed his careful tone. “....I introduce my Japanese chef for you?”

“Your chef?” I asked in confuse.

“The one who is working for me at Grand Hyatt.” He explained. “He’s good, very good. I don’t think there will be any problem for him to work at your restaurant.”

“But….” I was dumbfounded. “....but…...oh my god that is too much! How about your restaurant then?”

“He said he always wanna work for a real restaurant than a restaurant in a hotel.” He chuckled. “I can manage. It’s not hard to have people to line up for an audition to work for Grand Hyatt, Miss.” He smirked. “You, on the other hand, just some new opening restaurant. Real talented people won’t know to apply for you.”

“This is too much, Jiyong.” I said, really nervous and didn’t dare to take such a big offer like this. “I don’t know how to repay you….”

“We can figure out about that later.” He laughed. “I will save it for sometimes later.”

“But why?” I could not help but being curious. “Why you offered me such a big favor like that?”

“I don’t know.” He said in a sincere tone, gave me that easy smile again. “It just happened suddenly.”

“Thank you, Jiyong, really, thank you.” I took his hands and gave them a squeeze. “You save my life.” I said in a dramatic voice.

“Can I get discount when I visit your restaurant then?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Free.” I announced with a smirk.

“Good. I’ll tell my chef to contact you later.” I gave him my name card. “Pay him good salary, he’s really good.”

“Sure.” I winked, still could not believe my problem had been solved. “How about I treat you some drink tonight? A pre-thank?” I suggested. “Do you know any nice bar near here?”

And Jiyong smiled. It’s more like a smirk to me. “Sure. Let’s have some fun, single birds.”

_______

A/N: 

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