Yunjoo woke up feeling a flutter in her chest from the moment she opened her eyes. Kangwook had told her to take it slow and move at her own pace, so she got up late, washed up, and came out to find him on the phone with documents spread out in front of him. He caught her eye and gestured for her to wait a moment.

She nodded at his signal and turned her gaze to the sweeping view of Hong Kong spread out beyond the window. The best thing about being on the top floor was that the view opened up wide no matter where you looked. Kangwook ended his call and came over to Yunjoo, who had her back to him and was looking outside.

“You’re up?”

“Yes. If you’re busy, I can go on my own.”

“No, I’m done. Let’s head out.”

The man was clearly busy, and that made her feel both self-conscious and strangely excited. She was briefly lost in thought, wondering if her outfit was too casual—a light dress and sneakers—and whether she should have dressed to match Kangwook, when she caught sight of him approaching and went blank for a moment.

A checked shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of well-fitted trousers worn with easy style made him look like a different person. The Kangwook she knew always stood before her in a sharp suit, not a hair out of place, but today he stood there with a different face. It was a look she had never seen even at home.

‘Did that man ever look like this?’

Yunjoo drew a deep breath to press down the flutter that was trying to rise again, but at Kangwook’s bright smile, something dropped inside her with a thud, gone completely.

‘What is this, why is he smiling like that? I’m going to lose my mind. Why am I like this, over that awful Choi Kangwook!’

The strange signal ringing inside her only left her flustered. Even as they walked out of the hotel side by side, Yunjoo couldn’t get used to the man beside her and kept stealing glances at him. Ill at ease and awkward about the whole outing, she spoke to Kangwook while they waited for the car.

“Mr. Kangwook, if you’re busy you don’t have to come—you can go back in and work. Just being here is more than enough for me.”

“Do you know how hard I worked to clear my schedule?”

“Then why bother. Going to all that trouble.”

“I think I said it was so I could spend time with Cha Yunjoo.”

“Well, don’t ask me then.”

Her words came out blunt, but there was something about it she liked, though she couldn’t say what. Seeing Kangwook wanting to be with her made the corners of her mouth want to lift. She snuck a sideways glance at him and turned toward the car, pretending not to care.

Kangwook shook his head at her. As she got into the car, Yunjoo tossed out a remark.

“It really doesn’t suit you, President Choi Kangwook saying he’s going out to play.”

She wasn’t exactly welcoming it, but she wasn’t saying no either, and as Yunjoo got into the car ahead of him, Kangwook’s lips softened into a quiet smile behind her.

“Is there somewhere you want to go? We should eat something first. Should we have eaten before coming out?”

“No, there was a pretty brunch place near where I went yesterday but I couldn’t go in. Let’s eat there. Is that alright?”

“Sure.”

As she spoke, Yunjoo was surprised at herself. The ease with which she was telling Kangwook where she wanted to go felt remarkable, and she found it strange that he simply went along with it.

They had brunch and then walked slowly down a street lined with accessory shops, and Yunjoo kept glancing at Kangwook. Not because he had said anything, but because he was following along so quietly. She wondered if she was dragging him somewhere only she wanted to be.

But regardless of what she thought, her eyes kept drifting to the things around her, and she stood in the middle of the busy street picking up and touching one thing after another, and each time she did, Kangwook had to stop and wait, which made her feel terribly awkward. Kangwook knew she was watching his reactions.

“Stop looking at me like that. Do whatever you want.”

“But if you’re bored, you can go ahead and—”

“No, just do what you want, Cha Yunjoo. I’m just along for the ride, so do as you please. And if you see something you want to buy, buy it. I think Cha Yunjoo keeps forgetting that she’s supposed to be making use of Choi Kangwook, so I’m reminding her one more time.”

“I can buy things like this myself.”

“Cha Yunjoo.”

She was still drawing a line, refusing to spend his money. Kangwook’s voice dropped low with a hint of hurt.

“Alright. If I see something really expensive, I’ll ask you to buy it for me. Happy?”

Yunjoo quickly shut herself up, and after that she went on touching and trying things here and there, happily window-shopping with her eyes. After a good while of wandering like that, Kangwook’s presence stopped feeling like a burden, and she got so caught up in looking around that she forgot about him and just enjoyed herself.

But Yunjoo was only looking at things, not buying anything. When Kangwook followed alongside her saying she could buy whatever she wanted, she told him things like this were just for looking, not for buying, and smiled.

Even Kangwook could see that Yunjoo wasn’t touching and trying things because she desperately wanted to own them. He found her fascinating and entertaining. As they walked on, the sea came into view.

Yesterday she’d had to turn back after only a short while because time was short, but today she could enjoy it at a leisurely pace, and that felt good. At some point without her noticing, as they walked along the waterfront, Kangwook had taken her hand. Yunjoo looked at Kangwook, then at their joined hands, then back at Kangwook, and his eyes seemed to ask ‘what?’ before he pretended not to notice, tugging her hand and walking on. 

Yunjoo laughed at this unfamiliar side of him, finding it absurd. He had met her eyes for just a moment, then gripped her hand more firmly and walked on without giving her a chance to say a word, and his stubborn little act of pretending not to notice didn’t bother her at all.

‘Was this man the type to pull something like this?’

She had never imagined traveling with a man by her side. And an outing this close to a date was something she couldn’t have dreamed of even in her sleep. And yet the warmth she felt from his hand sent a soft breeze stirring through her.

Kangwook smiled watching Yunjoo charge around with full energy all day long. She really did walk a lot, laugh a lot, and eat a lot. She ate street food without a second thought, talked easily with people, and strode through the streets with the same bright, lively energy she had on the job site.

What surprised Kangwook was her fluent English. At the party yesterday he had thought she knew only a little, but it was far more than that. He asked something he had been curious about.

“When did you learn English like that?”

“English? I studied hard because there was something I wanted to do.”

“Can I ask what that is?”

Kangwook wanted to know what it was that she had wanted badly enough to become fluent in English. He wanted to know everything about Yunjoo.

“I wanted to study. Or more precisely, I wanted to go abroad to study.”

“You learned English to prepare for studying abroad?”

“Yes, I had so much free time after getting married. I studied hard, and now I’m finally putting it to use.”

Yunjoo didn’t notice Kangwook’s face go still as he listened. He stopped walking slowly, took her hand, and guided her into the car.

“Alright, Cha Yunjoo has done what she wanted, so now let’s go where I want to take you. I’ve made arrangements to treat you to dinner somewhere special.”

The sun had begun to set, and they drove through the streets and settled into a spot with a view that took your breath away. Yunjoo’s eyes moved in every direction. A rooftop terrace restaurant, with a window seat no less—the scenery was beyond words.

‘Really, being next to Choi Kangwook means nothing but beautiful things to look at. Should I take it all in while I can? Let me enjoy it to the fullest while I’m able to.’

Thinking she might never live like this again, Yunjoo took in everything she could see and stored it in her eyes.

Hong Kong, just beginning to sink into darkness, was readying itself to be reborn in a new face. The city was transforming into a night that looked nothing like the day. She committed it all to memory—the food they had ordered, the wine, the magnificent view. It felt like today had come to her as a gift. Yunjoo couldn’t take her eyes off the window.

“They say the night view from here is the best there is. Enjoy it to your heart’s content. It’s your first trip abroad, after all. The second will be even better.”

“It’s so beautiful. The lights cast a spell on you.”

Yunjoo knew all too well that there would be no second time. This was her last trip with Kangwook. Once the divorce went through, she would have no reason to receive this kind of treatment from him. But Yunjoo smiled, her face at odds with what she felt inside.

“In a little while you’ll see something even more spectacular.”

Dinner was nearly over, and Kangwook called out to Yunjoo, who had been completely absorbed in gazing out the window with a glass of poured wine in hand.