Mortal Enemy | Liskook

15

friends can be a good way to meet men, as they know what you might have in common with one of their guy friends and can hopefully match up similar lifestyles or values. but all of this can be iffy since they often unintentionally set each other up on dating disasters.

what a bad date. no, not a bad one. a horrible date. that was why i was so sure that this was going to be the first and last one.

"you don't have to say it, lisa. i can tell you're extremely impressed."

i looked up only because i didn't want to look rude, but really, i just wanted to keep staring at my appetizer, which was so much more interesting than the man in front of me.

"so, tell me," said sung-ho — the guy my unnies agreed to set me up with, as he leaned forward. his light brown eyes really were beautiful; they sparkled over the flickering candlelight. "have you been out with anyone like me?"

was he kidding me? no! i wanted to stand up and shout that for everyone in this five-star restaurant to hear. but instead, i just gave sung-ho my raised-right smile and stabbed my appetizer, the oysters and pearls, which he insisted that i have.

"so, tell me all the great things that they told you about me."

it was a ridiculous request, but a rhetorical one one as well, because he never even took enough  of a breath for me to get in a word. he just kept on about all the things he was sure they had told me.

park chaeyoung. kim jennie. kim jisoo. i'm going to kill the three of you! as much as they wanted me to get over bambam fast, they're painfully torturing me too.

"oh lisa, i have the perfect guy for you," jennie told me last week, "park sung-ho, gahee unnie's friend. he's so cute!"

cute he was. it was everything else about the arrogant, self-centered man that was driving me crazy. i couldn't figure it out; what had i done to them for me to deserve this?

"i'm sure gahee told you i was just promoted to a higher position in the company."

i didn't have to say a word; sung-ho just went on. it was amazing, really, that he still had so much to say, since he'd been talking like this from the moment i stepped inside of the restaurant.

impressive was the word that came to my mind when i saw him across the table. but right there, in those thirty seconds, that was when the good part of the date ended.

"you really are a lovely girl," sung-ho complimented. he nodded as if he approved of the tight navy blue dress that i'd carefully chosen to wear tonight.

but then, when his eyes did a slow crawl up my body as i sit down, then down again, it began to feel old man creepy. i'd crossed my arms in front of my body, trying to hide myself, until sung-ho finally looked me in my eyes.

"yes," he said, "lovely. and that's important for a man like me because of how handsome i am."

seriously?

sung-ho broke my thoughts. "so, lisa," he began, "i guess you're kind of quiet."

uh, no! it was just that i didn't believe in two people talking at the same time. and since he'd talked through out appetizers and entreés, there hadn't been room for me.

"no," i said, finally answering him. "i'm generally not this quiet." i hoped he'd get the hint.

he reached across the table and covered my hand with his. "i understand," he said gently and knowingly, "you were just so fascinated with what i had to say. that happens to me all the time."

fail! major fail!

this fool has got to be kidding me.

i secretly grabbed for my phone and fired off a quick text to the person who i know will get me out of this torturous situation.

'you still owe me a lunch right? get your ass right here now and pick me up. i'll send the location.'

sent.

he went on. "you know, if i weren't a top attorney, i would be a top model — the male kind, of course." and then he chuckled, as if he'd said something funny.

i just stared at him.

from that point on, he talked. as they brought our drinks, he talked. as the waiter tried to take our orders, he talked. minutes have only passed and i already knew that he was a sixth-generation attorney who had attended the best private schools from kindergarten; had graduated at top of the class, in every school; missed being president of the Harvard Law Review by a few votes; and was now well on his way to having Kim & Shin added to the masthead of the law firm where he'd worked since graduating from Harvard few years ago.

"would you like to order a dessert?" the bow-tied waiter asked.

"yes," sung-ho said.

"no," a man said at the same time.

i turned my head beside me and saw kook standing, with his face half-covered by the mask he was wearing. i innerly rejoiced, knowing that i'll be out of this place now.

"excuse me, nugu sijyo?" sung-ho asked.

"mianhae. i should've introduced myself first. i'm lisa's manager, here to pick her up. you see, she has an early call in the morning. a photo shoot. she has to be on the set before 6 a.m." kook replied. so he's my manager now, huh. what a perfect escape plan.

"oh,"

"and you understand, she needs her beauty sleep."

"no," he said, as if i'd really expected him to answer kook's reply. "i don't understand. i don't need any kind of sleep to look this way. but if you do..."

somebody needed to slap this man. but since i wasn't into violence, it wasn't going to be me. i would just like to get out of here as soon as possible.

"oh, if that's the case then, you must not have been getting enough sleep if you look like that, sir."

i bit my inner cheek to stop myself from laughing out at sung-ho's reaction. clearly, he wasn't expecting that remark from someone.

to break the tension, i just stood up and reached out for a short hug. i resisted the urge to thank him for nothing, and instead told him 'thank you for the dinner'.

i almost jogged out of the place.

"i hate that man." he said as we headed outside.

"tell me about it."

"you want me to get you home now?"

i shook my head. "i don't want ending my night like that. take me somewhere."

he flashed a smile and nodded at me.

the three of them should prepare because the moment i get home, i would be telling how terrible their plan was. if it weren't for kook coming in, this day would have been a total waste.