At exactly 6:58 p.m., my Maybach rolled to a stop outside Soo's quiet residential building. I stepped out, adjusting the cuffs of my charcoal suit, and sent a single text to her.
Not even thirty seconds later, she appeared, dressed beautifully. The red gown still looked breathtaking under the streetlights, but she had swept her hair into a sleek low bun with a few soft strands framing her face. Simple diamond studs sparkled at her ears as she walked toward me with her usual poise.
Seeing her, I smiled softly as I opened the passenger door. "You look beautiful as always."
She paused, eyeing me with cool amusement. "Chivalry? Careful, or I might start thinking you're actually a gentleman."
"Well, I am, actually," I replied, offering my hand.
She didn't say a word and just took it, her fingers warmer than they had been earlier. As she slid into the seat, the side slit of the dress parted just enough to reveal a flash of smooth leg before she tucked it away, cheeks coloring faintly. She didn't let go of my hand immediately, and for a heartbeat we simply looked at each other across the open door.
"What?" I asked, even though I knew clearly what was happening.
She shook her head once. "Nothing. I just hope no one I know sees me dressed like this."
"So your hubby isn't around?"
She glared at me, but there was a faint pout on her cheeks. "If he was around, do you think I would have agreed to this?"
I nodded and leaned forward, kissing her on the forehead. She flinched ever so slightly but didn't draw her head back.
"Tonight you're the princess, so just enjoy every moment of it."
I didn't say another word and went around the car into the driver's seat. The drive was softer than I expected. Soft jazz drifted through the speakers. I kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting near the gearshift. Every so often I felt her glance at me, then away.
"You're quiet," she observed after a while, her tone feisty but light. "Planning more evil schemes, or just nervous about being on a date with a woman?"
I laughed. "A little of both. Mostly wondering how someone as beautiful as you got stuck teaching a brat."
She huffed, but the sound was almost fond. "Well, I do know I'm beautiful, but looks don't get you everything. If they did, every rich person would be good-looking."
"Well, I'm rich and good-looking at the same time."
Soo-jin glanced at me through the corner of her eyes and let out a sigh. "Yeah, you do, mister pretty boy."
I turned away from the road for a moment and stared into her eyes. "Can I tell you something?"
"Look at the road."
I shook my head. "You're meant to ask what."
She stared into my eyes without flinching. "I don't want to."
"Ask it or I'll kiss you."
Soo didn't say a word for a long moment, as if inviting me to kiss her. Without hesitation, I leaned in and kissed her on the lips—slow at first, then harder, our tongues dancing with each other.
Soo-jin's hands wrapped around my neck as we kissed even more. When we pulled away, I said, "You're the most beautiful woman I've been with. That's what I was going to say."
She chuckled lightly. "And how many women have you said this to?"
"None. You're actually the first, though truthfully I doubt you'll be the last."
"Humph."
"So…" I began. "Have you started catching feelings?"
"For your money? Yes. For you? Not a chance. I can never like a pretty rich boy like you. I prefer ugly guys."
I smiled softly and leaned in. "Well, let's check if you can say that after tonight."
My head suddenly snapped to the side as I saw the blinding light. Quickly, I turned the steering wheel, dodging one truck, only for a car to come from the other side. With a swift turn I dodged it too and hit the acceleration. There was no way I was getting caught by the cops on my date night.
Soo-jin, who was holding the seat belt pressed tightly against her breasts, suddenly started laughing loudly, and I too couldn't help but laugh. One minute later and I could have been hit by a truck for the second time.
It didn't take us long after that to reach the restaurant I had paid for. The 48th floor felt like it had been made for evenings like this—private, glowing with warm light, the city sparkling far below like scattered stars. We talked over scallops and perfectly seared wagyu.
She corrected my table manners a few times, and I kissed her each time. Maybe because she was free, the night was even more romantic than I thought it would be. We argued over silly topics, and she even complained that I was hiding the fact that I was a genius.
'I guess anyone who saw the test results would think so too. Not like I was hiding it from her in the first place.'
"You could have aced it, you know?" she said, pointing her fork at me with feisty conviction. "You knew exactly what you were doing there. Humph—getting forty, the exact cutoff, is not easy."
"Well, you can believe whatever you want, Soo. I won't argue with you," I answered honestly, dabbing the corner of my mouth with a napkin. "And whether or not I did it on purpose shouldn't matter. What I want now is to enjoy the night with you."
The words I spoke made her go quiet. She looked down at her plate and began moving the food around in circles. It was cute seeing her act this way, and even though we met just a few hours ago, I wanted nothing more than to kiss her. I knew she didn't like me yet, but that part could be handled later.
Soo glanced back up, her voice softer. "You make it very hard to argue with you."
"What can I say…" My voice trailed off as I caught the faintest flicker of cute annoyance in her eyes. "Sorry, sorry, I won't get carried away."
"Thank you."
After we were done with the main dish, the waiters brought over dessert—a shared chocolate fondant and some donuts, since Soo-jin seemed to like them. How did I know? Well, she was staring at the other table's donut so intently they had to bring some.
The moment we were done with dinner, I drove her to a small area at the top of a hill where you could sit and look at the beautiful view.
"Wow. I never knew somewhere like this existed."
Soo and I sat on the bench facing the railing where you could see nearly the entire city. My arm stretched past her on the back of the bench, making her lean fully against my shoulder, and she didn't hesitate to do so. I moved my hand closer until I held her slender, soft waist.
"I can take you here again."
She looked up at the sky. "Maybe if you pass your exams, or maybe if I fall for you, then we can come here."
I chuckled lightly. "Yes, teach."
She just smiled and stayed silent. Even I didn't have much to say; the silence was comforting. Soo raised her gaze from my shoulder and stared at me. Soon we began kissing again, her back arching until she was lying on the bench and me on top of her, and even then we didn't stop.
Soo wrapped her hands around my neck like she didn't want me to run away while we kissed like crazy. Each time we pulled away, we stared at each other before kissing again.
"Hey, Soo-jin," I said when we broke the kiss. "Can we go back to my place?"
Soo-jin shook her head. "No sex, please. Even going this far is betraying my husband. I can't bring myself to do anything more than this."
"Even though you're sure he is cheating on you?"
She nodded. "Yes. And please, can you not investigate him? He isn't the best man, but he paid for my tuition throughout college."
"And so? If that's what's holding you in that marriage, then I will give him ten—no, a hundred times that."
Her eyes widened briefly before narrowing with a smile. "Then I will hold you to that, pretty boy. But my answer still remains the same."
She pushed me lightly on the shoulder, and I let her stand up. Straightening her clothes, she muttered, "If I don't have this much value for myself, I doubt you would for me."
I scratched my head in frustration. 'I can't even argue with her.'
If she had agreed to sleep with me, I would have just seen her as another girl to have sex with. But somehow her refusal increased my respect for her, if that makes sense.
I stood to my feet, my form towering over hers. "You win. I won't disturb you about it tonight."
"What about tomorrow?"
I shrugged. "No one is sure what will happen tomorrow."
Soo just hugged me tightly, her small hands around my stomach. I wrapped my arms around her too. After we hugged for a long time, the cold wind on our skin, we decided to head down the hill and go back home.
The drive back was mostly silent. One of my hands was on the steering wheel while the other rested on hers near the gearshift. The city lights beyond the window painted shifting gold across Soo's face, which made my heart flutter. The music was low, and the silence felt warm and comfortable.
When I stopped in front of her building and killed the engine, she didn't reach for the door right away. She turned to me, eyes searching mine in the dim glow of the dashboard.
"Thank you," she said, her voice gentle. "For dinner. For… not pushing. It was nicer than I thought it would be."
I reached up slowly, giving her time, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. My fingertips brushed the warm skin just below her earlobe. "I meant what I said earlier. You look stunning tonight."
She didn't pull away. Instead she leaned in the smallest distance, and the space between us disappeared in an instant. Then she kissed me again. This time it wasn't like before—it was soft, achingly so.
Just a warm press of lips that sent shivers through me. The quiet sigh she let out when her hand came to rest lightly against my chest was enough to make my blood rush. The kiss was sweet, like the first warm breeze after a long winter.
Her fingers slowly curled into my shirt as the kiss grew rougher. I leaned in a bit more, her back pressing against the car door, and I held the kiss for one extra beat longer. She smiled faintly against my mouth before we slowly parted.
Our foreheads rested together for a moment, breaths mingling.
"I really shouldn't be doing this," she whispered, but her voice held no regret.
"Probably not," I agreed, my thumb tracing her cheek tenderly. "But I'm really glad you did."
She sat back, touching her lips as if to keep the feeling there a little longer. The cold mask—maybe made of guilt or responsibility—tried to return, but it didn't. Instead, a small, reluctant smile curved her mouth.
"Goodnight, Kim Ha-joon," she said softly. "Don't think this means I'm going easy on you tomorrow."
I grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it, Teacher Park."
She stepped out, the red dress catching the streetlight as she walked to her door. At the entrance she paused, glanced back over her shoulder, and waved before disappearing inside.
I sat in the quiet car, the taste of her still lingering, the city lights blurring softly beyond the glass.
I ran a hand through my hair. "God, that felt amazing."
This was, by far, the best night of my life—two lives, actually.