Late one evening in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Hyun Woo sped through the streets, possibly fast enough to have racked up a few speeding tickets. He was worried about what Cha Na Jung might do next.

After his calls to Sori went unanswered, and similarly no response from a number he suspected was Cha Na Jung’s, Hyun Woo, usually composed, seemed slightly irritable as he loosened his constricting tie.

He almost threw his seemingly useless phone onto the passenger seat.

The navigation system diligently guided him to the address in the message.

But the traffic was uncooperative. Despite his urgency, his car moved slowly.

Soon, he arrived at a cafe on the outskirts of Seoul, where Sori had gone alone to meet that woman. His neck tensed at the thought of her traveling so far alone to meet such a woman.

Upon entering the cafe, he intended to give Sori a piece of his mind for her reckless action.

But instead, he found Cha Na Jung inside, causing a scene, crying and drawing everyone’s attention.

“Huhhuhuh. I must have inherited my mom’s fate. So she should take responsibility [sob]. I don’t want to be the second one.”

Cha Na Jung, on the phone and crying, was a mess with disheveled hair and mascara smeared by tears and snot.

“I’ve been sued. What am I supposed to do? No, it’s been a while since I stopped taking drugs. It’s not adultery [sob] Oh, uh.”

Hyun Woo stopped in his tracks near the counter.

Feeling someone’s gaze, he turned and made eye contact with a cafe employee standing behind a showcase.

“She pursued him only to find out he’s a married man.”

The employee narrated the unfolding drama. Despite not wanting to know, Hyun Woo could hear everything due to the employee’s loud voice.

“She got so angry that she hit the man. She even broke something. That woman seems a bit violent. We’re too scared to ask her to leave. You can go to another cafe if you’d like. Sorry about this.”

While wiping cups with a dry towel, the employee kept a watchful eye on Cha Na Jung.

Regardless of the cafe’s commotion, it seemed like a welcome distraction from her mundane job.

Hyun Woo turned and left the cafe. Though slightly uneasy, he was relieved that Sori was unharmed.

Seeing Cha Na Jung regret her actions wouldn’t change his mind about dropping the lawsuit.

However.

Getting married makes these things seem not so bad.

He found it odd yet enlightening, receiving an unexpected lesson from a woman resembling misery.

After leaving the cafe, Hyun Woo briefly looked around.

Wondering if Sori might be nearby.

It seemed they had just missed each other.
Hyun Woo entertained the thought that Sori might be nearby, as it seemed they had just missed each other by a narrow margin.

During this time, his phone was buzzing incessantly with calls. His unannounced absence from the evening meeting made it expected.

“Persistent, aren’t they?” He mused, suspecting the calls might be from Ji Tae, a senior colleague, and his friend, Young Min, who were probably eager for a drink after the meeting.

Hyun Woo paused, contemplating whether to return or head home, his phone vibrating inside his suit.

Once in his car, he took out his phone, filled with resentful texts and numerous missed calls.

Among them, the name ‘Sori’ caught his eye.

Seeing missed calls and a message from her, he felt a tinge of regret thinking she might have had to return alone. Opening her message with a mix of annoyance and concern, he read:

[Sori: Professor, when are we going on a date?]

The message instantly drew a chuckle from him. He read it several times, amused by its suddenness.

“That’s so like Sori,” he thought.

He knew she had no idea how worried he had been, sending such a cheerful text from wherever she was.

“Sori, do you think I don’t know what you’ve been up to?”

Now, finding her antics rather amusing, he leaned on the car window, pondering his response while playing with his eyebrow.

A smirk curled up his lips, anticipating Sori’s flustered reaction.

He began typing a reply.

As soon as she turned off her phone screen, a popup notification of a new message appeared.

Swallowing nervously, Sori calmly checked his message.

[Hyun Woo: Where should we do it?]

Stunned, she almost screamed in surprise.

“He’s talking about a date!” she thought, beaming with excitement, unable to hide her broad smile.

While bouncing her feet excitedly on the bus seat and starting to type a reply, another bubble popped up.

[Hyun Woo: Choose.]

A date location?

Sori’s eyes lit up with anticipation, biting her lower lip to contain her laughter.

[Hyun Woo: Operating room, library, ICU]

“Oh, really.”

It was just a suggestion to study or practice, nothing romantic.

[Sori: …….] [Hyun Woo: Don’t like it?]

She held back a witty retort, fearing real retribution this time.

[Sori: Aren’t there any other options?]

She sent a polite message, hoping for a more scenic place, away from the smell of paper and disinfectants.

[Hyun Woo: Want to come to the lab even on weekends?]

“No!” Sori blurted out loud.