"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Min-ju asked as he trailed Jihyo with copious amounts of paper bags.
She turned around and smirked. "Why? You're my manager, right? As far as I'm concerned, I'm not breaking any rules."
It was more than Min-ju had imagined—different nationalities swarming the busy, billboard-ridden Manhattan streets. They would often stop and look at various street performers, LED screens plastered at unorthodox spots in buildings. He felt like a single grain of rice in the bokkeum bap* of life. (*Fried rice)
"So, now you're in New York, what do you—" Jihyo paused, realizing that Min-ju had stopped to marvel at the slew of colors and lights. It was only when Min-ju noticed her waiting that Jihyo pulled down the involuntary smile that painted her face.
He rushed over to her. "Sorry, it's just...wow," he said. "Were you saying something?"
She looked up at him, with almost a foot in their vertical difference, as the colors of his cheeks changed with their surroundings. "I said..."
Min-ju leaned closer as he saw her lips move, humming. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he tilted his head to the side.
The face that she'd often refer to as annoying and dumb had now become something she can't help but stare at, with the desire to caress.
He cleared his throat, snapping her out of the daze.
"I said...now you're here, what would you like to eat?"
"You..."
She raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?!"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "I meant whatever you recommend!" The sudden unintended innuendo flustered the tall gentleman.
***
They ended up dining in a quaint, hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant. Managed entirely by a family of Italian descent, the establishment offered authentic dishes consisting of family recipes. Despite the scrumptious food, it wasn't as packed as one might expect, largely due to the fact that that the restaurant was located a few blocks away from the culinary epicenter of Manhattan.
And it was one of the few places that didn't decline Jihyo for their lack of a reservation.
Min-ju's gaze kept darting between the different utensils in front of him. "You think they have chopsticks here?"
"Of course not," Jihyo answered as she took a sip off the red wine. "What's wrong?"
"I just don't get why you need spoons, knives, and forks sized differently."
The innocence amused Jihyo, how an assortment of cutlery could stump one of the most capable people. She then proceeded to explain the difference of the dinner, fish, salad, and dessert sets.
He waved his hand. "Too complicated...I'll just copy you."
Making it halfway through dinner, Min-ju observed how Jihyo swirled and slurped the pasta.
"You know that animated film...where two dogs eat pasta—"
"'The Lady and the Tramp?'"
Min-ju nodded, then shrugged. "I guess so?"
"You're talking about the one where a single noodle leads to a kiss...right?" Jihyo clarified, still busy eating.
"Yeah! That's the one," he exclaimed with a knock on the edge of the table.
Slurping, she stared at him. "What about it?"
YOU ARE READING
illicit affairs (a Jihyo x Fictional Male Character Fanfic)
Fanfiction"Oppa, you have no idea how much I envy you." He scoffs as he taps on his cigarette. "You envy me? You have everything. What could you be envious about?" She huffs, tracing his prominent jawline, one that rivals her own. "I'm just so tired living un...
