@jeon wonwoo. her brow quirked up. "no seafood? are you allergic to it, or does it just not fit your palate?" maybe she should've bit her tongue, but curiosity got the best of her. hopefully, he didn't think that asking a rather personal question came off as rude. "um, you don't have to answer that if you don't wish to." she quickly added, face heating up.
"perhaps we can order both of them? sometimes i'll do that with friends so we all can try the different dishes and have a variety of food." ningning offered with a polite smile. "that's especially helpful when we can't make up our minds as to what to eat...like when we're stuck between two choices."
ningning figured her friend could've handled this date a whole lot better than she could. while karina was outgoing and friendly and lit up the room without trying, ning was more the opposite: introverted, shy, and tended to keep to herself. wonwoo probably had been on numerous dates with all kinds of women. after today, he most likely wouldn't ask ningning back for a second date...not when those women would outshine her in any category.
@ning yizhuo. ⁿᶦⁿᵍⁿᶦⁿᵍ as ningning settled into her seat across from him, wonwoo couldn't shake off the feeling of being reluctantly dragged into this blind date by his grandfather. despite his internal resistance, he tried to maintain a calm demeanor and make the most of the situation.
he observed ningning's movements, her subtle adjustments, and couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity about her. when she addressed him by his first name, he was momentarily surprised but quickly recovered, offering a polite smile in return.
as ningning reached for the menu, wonwoo saw an opportunity to distract himself from his inner reluctance. he glanced at the menu, feeling a bit out of his element with the upscale restaurant choices. "japchae and bossam, huh? sounds good to me," he said with a shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "just so you know, I don't eat seafood."
despite his initial reluctance, wonwoo decided to approach the evening with an open mind, hoping to find some semblance of enjoyment amidst the forced social interaction. deep down, he knew he had to at least make an effort to appease his grandfather, even if it meant enduring a potentially awkward blind date.
@jeon wonwoo. ningning settled into the seat opposite her boss, then gently smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress after she scooted herself closer to the table. at least, ning thought as she peered across the table, the man had some manners, and he didn't come off as greasy in any way. still, she kept her guard up. this was one date; that's all she had to get through.
would it be appropriate to call the ceo of her company by his first name? ningning worried her bottom lip between her pearly whites before speaking. "very well, wonwoo. i'm happy we're on the same page."
at his question, the woman reached for one of the menus laid out on the table and perused through it for a moment or two. as a girl who lived on basic meals made in her apartment or takeout from a local restaurant, ningning worried she wouldn't choose the right thing at such a high-end place like this. "ah, i'm not particularly picky with dishes, but i wouldn't say no to some japchae or bossam." she hummed, closing her menu. "what about you? what are you in the mood for?"
@ning yizhuo. ⁿᶦⁿᵍⁿᶦⁿᵍ wonwoo had approached the blind date with a sense of obligation, courtesy of his well-intentioned grandpa's relentless efforts to find him a suitable partner. he wasn't particularly fond of these arranged meetings, preferring to meet someone naturally, but he decided to get along with it for the sake of his family's wishes.
as ningning's eyes locked onto him, he couldn't help but notice her momentary breathlessness. her reaction piqued his curiosity. what could have possibly caught her off guard like this? his brow raised ever so slightly as he offered a polite smile in return to her greeting. unbeknownst to him, ningning was an employee in his own company, a fact that had yet to come to light.
"it's a pleasure to meet you, ning," wonwoo replied, appreciating her attempt to ease the tension with her warm but nervous smile. "you may call me wonwoo." he nodded in response to her question about punctuality, a value he held dear. "being on time is something I take very seriously."
wonwoo tilted his head aside, "is there anything you'd like to eat, ning?"
@jeon wonwoo. ningning's eyes landed on the man intended for her to meet, and she momentarily forgot how to breathe. why hadn't her friend mentioned that she'd be going on a date with none other than the ceo of her company? she'd only seen one photo of him, but that single picture did little to no justice to his actual handsome features. shyly, she bowed to greet him before her lips morphed into a warm, but nervous smile. "it's wonderful to meet you, sir. my name's ningning. you may call me ning, however, if you'd like."
she shook her head a little. "no, i'm never late to meetings and appointments. i make sure to have myself ready at least thirty minutes prior because i find it to be extremely rude when someone isn't on time." ningning said evenly, walking closer to the man and their table. how she'd been able to keep her composure this entire time, she'd never know. "can you say the same, mr. jeon? are you always on time for events?"
@ning yizhuo. ⁿᶦⁿᵍⁿᶦⁿᵍ his grandfather's insistence on setting him up for a blind date had irked him, but he had acquiesced, his icy exterior concealing the underlying frustration. his fingers idly traced the rim of his wine glass as he observed the restaurant's patrons, his thoughts drifting to matters far removed from the situation at hand.
when the door chimed and his date arrived, wonwoo's gaze shifted, his features maintaining their cool and composed facade. as she smoothed her hands over her dress, his keen eyes assessed her presence without a hint of expression. his lips curved slightly upward as she looked around, her curiosity palpable. her apprehension resonated with him, even if he didn't show it.
"I'm glad you didn't arrive late, miss...?" he allowed his voice to trail off, a calculated move to subtly remind her of the lapse in her introduction. He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly in an almost questioning manner, though the name didn't truly matter at this point. his tone held an air of detached politeness, concealing any annoyance he might have felt at the entire situation.
@jeon wonwoo. ningning couldn't believe her best friend had talked her into taking her place on a blind date. the other woman definitely owed her big time. one side of her had hoped he'd cancel on her, while the other wanted to stick it out and see where things went. the only good part of this situation was that all she had to do was humor her date for the evening, and then she would be free and never have to do something like this again. or so she thought, anyway. smoothing her hands over her dress, ningning stared around at the rest of the patrons of the restaurant, wondering if anyone else had the misfortune of being set up on a blind date. would she be able to tell? most people seemed happy, but even that didn't relieve her in the slightest.
@ning yizhuo. ⁿᶦⁿᵍⁿᶦⁿᵍ Wonwoo let out a sigh as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his tie for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. Another blind date, another evening wasted. His grandpa's constant insistence on finding him a suitable match was starting to wear him down. He glanced at his phone, considering sending a quick text to excuse himself from this latest attempt at orchestrated romance. But something held him back; maybe it was the anticipation of disappointing his grandfather once again or the idea that he might finally meet someone who understood him beyond his CEO persona. With a resigned shrug, he grabbed his car keys and headed out the door, already dreading the awkward small talk and false smiles awaiting him at the blind date.
